The Rule of the Day

"I don't have enough bathrooms!"  My mom woke up to this realization several nights.  She was planning my wedding.  I wanted to get married outdoors in my parents backyard.  She was an excellent planner because she worried about the details.  Yet she did not let the "tail" (of a potential restroom shortage) wag the "dog" (my wedding). 

I remember her telling me about her mid-night revelations. There were other panicked thoughts, but I don't recall her trying to convince me to change the venue for the wedding.  She was also perceptive.  She knew if I was engaged to this man after a couple of weeks that I probably would have married him sooner than 9 months later.  So I must really want that outdoor wedding in her backyard.  So my dad re-landscaped and she problem-solved to give me the wedding of my dreams.

"The tail does not wag the dog" would be my section heading for Mark 2:23-28.  Jesus was confronted by the Pharisees when His disciples picked some grain as they walked through a grain field on the Sabbath. They had a rule that declared this grain picking unlawful on the Sabbath. Jesus answered them with a reminder that when it was necessary David and his companions entered the house of God and ate the bread that only priests were to eat.  He concluded with "the Sabbath was made for man, not the man for the Sabbath.  So the Son of Man is head of even the Sabbath!"  (I added the !)

The Pharisees made the rules the "dog" or the point. Today these verses remind me that the "dog" or the point is my relationship with God, not how I follow the rules of the relationship.  The rules should be the "tail" or the expression of the "dog".

In our spiritual lives we construct "rules" so we will be consistent and comfortable in our worship of God and relationship with God.  Too often we allow the rules to rule rather than let God be the ruler of the rules.  The point (or the "dog") is not how I keep the rules or how well I've followed the rules, but that I glorify God. Times change and I need to be ready to experience God in a new and deeper way.  I can't take God's gifts and try to rule them instead of enjoying them.  Then it becomes about the rules and not the gifts.

Most believers think the rule for time spent with God should happen first thing each day. I've been to many seminars to learn techniques to deepen my relationship with God.  I've gathered many tips.  Yet my observation is to be realistic with my situation and put my relationship with God time in the best possible spot in my day.  Now I'm early to rise and spend some of the first moments of the day (after feeding the dogs and brewing the coffee, I've learned eliminate some distractions and wake up are good ideas for effective learning.)   When my husband was in seminary and I was working fulltime, my study time was during my break at work and doing the dishes was my prayer time, so much so that I often turned down help from guests with the task.  When my child was very young, I spent bath time in prayer (yes, my eyes were open) and nap time studying.

Today I am reminded not to let the "tail"  (the rules of my relationship) wag the "dog" (my relationship with God).  The point is not the rules and how often I accomplish and fulfill the rules but the point is the worship of the Ruler, God.  Jesus is the Ruler of the rules!

My relationship with God ("the dog") should be apparent by my "tail"( the rules) management.  My two dogs express their emotions through their tails.  When I arrive there is a lot of wagging as they are excited. When the tails are straight up they are concentrating.  I want my time with God to be full of excitement and concentration, not just a time to "check a box" and get it done.  I look for new ways to break my own "rules" of relationship so I will be ready and excited to hear and experience God.

I can't let my rules rule rather The Rule (Jesus) rules my rules!

13 years and counting

August 5, 2002 was a day in my life where worlds collided.  I heard those dreaded words-  the test was positive.  It was The Big "C" as my mom called it, cancer.  My old world of my invincibility collided with my new world of living as a survivor.  It was a whole new world for me.  I have  learned a lot about the importance of living each and every day.  I have learned to use faith in God to manage my fear.

I think Jesus was trying to tell some people that a "new world" was beginning and you can't live with the old rules in the new world.  In Mark 2: 18-22, some people asked Jesus why His disciples were not fasting like John's disciples and the Pharisees.  Jesus' answer was they couldn't fast while the Bridegroom was present.  He followed up with two more illustrations of sewing a new patch of fabric on an old garment and putting new wine in an old wineskin.

I almost understand the fabric reference.  I'm a quilter and it's a cardinal rule, don't mix washed and unwashed fabrics because they won't shrink the same when laundered.  But I have little experience with wineskins and fasting apart from bridegrooms.

I think Jesus is telling them that He has brought them a new world and they can't live by their old rules.  If they try to continue to live the old way in the changed world, they will fail.  The patches will not mend the tears and the wineskins will no longer hold the wine.

Today these verses remind me of The Big Picture.  What Jesus has done in my life today will bring me to a whole new, eternal world.  Why would I try to change His gift of the new world by trying to change it back to the old way of life.

After August 5, 2002, I have learned to trust that no matter the circumstance or challenge I am not alone.  He is with me, always.  More often I stop living the old way and just enjoy the moments as presented. Like breathing deep and smiling at any and all sunsets. Like just touching my granddaughter's hand. Like starting my day enjoying what I want, a few moments with The One who gave me the new day, a cup of coffee and a bit of knitting before I enter the old world.  Like remembering Who is always with me.

On August 5, 2002, God brought my old world of busyness and stress into a collision with His offer of a new world.  I have the choice to live with the worry of what if...  or I can choose to trust His deliverance and love.  He miraculously saved me with a routine mammogram and He'll do it again.  The collision of these two worlds has put perspective in my life.  My mother would ask me in those teenage angst moments, "In the span of eternity, just how important is this?"  Now I understand, focus on the Big   Picture, what really matters, the truly important, the eternal.

My new world presents me with circumstances and challenges.  I have the choice between trusting in the world's answers, which are not eternally satisfying, OR enjoying the party with the Bridegroom.  More often these days, I choose "Party On".

Enjoy today, just today.  Deal with tomorrow when it's tomorrow.  Thanks be to God for His Indescribable gifts!

Life's Pro-Am

"Somebody should do this."  I said.  "That somebody is you!"  the "professional" replied.  I felt there was a need for a new approach to prayer for our missionaries.  I'd mentioned it to this third "professional" because the first two had failed to accept the task.  This is when I learned that when I say  "somebody needs to..." three times that somebody is me.  But that's not my point this morning.

I felt the need for more prayer for others but I was not a prayer warrior.  I was an amateur.  An amateur who knew the basic technique but hadn't taken the time or made the effort to perfect the ability to become a "professional."

In Mark 2:13-17, Jesus interacts with some "professional spirituals."  Along a lake, while Jesus was teaching a  large crowd, he saw Levi sitting at the tax collector table.  Jesus told Levi to follow Him and Levi got up and followed Him.  (I noticed Jesus told him not asked him.  But that's not my point this morning.)

Later Jesus had dinner at Levi's house with many tax collectors and "sinners."  The teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw Him there with those  people.   So they asked His disciples why He would eat with tax collectors and "sinners".  (Notice their tactic to breed dissent among Jesus' disciples, rather than asking Him.  But that is not my point this morning.)

Jesus heard them and replied "It's not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick and I have not come to call the righteous but the sinners."  This is when I noticed that the previous mention of sinners had quotation marks.  I thought that "righteous" should have the quotation marks.  When I retell this passage I'm using air quotes because these teachers and self proclaimed righteous missed Jesus' point about sin and right standing.

 Professionals put in time and effort to be the best. A professional is good, very, very good because of their commitment to excel.  Yet there  is a danger to being a professional.  One might attribute success to their effort and then miss the joy of the blessing, the gift and the unmerited favor.  The spiritual professionals, the teachers of the law who deemed themselves "righteous", were missing the point of Jesus' mission, the gift of grace.  No longer will we strive to follow rules to be deemed "righteous".  That standing cannot earned and is not deserved because we are all sinners, forever amateurs.  We know what it takes to be righteous but it's just not in our nature to follow through.  We can't succeed because we are selfish by nature.  No matter  how hard we work to be a "professional" in spiritual matters we will never succeed to become perfect.

 I am proud to be an amateur because I know My Professional has given me my freedom.  My freedom from a life of being a professional failure.  No matter how hard I work to be perfect, I will never achieve it. I know my righteousness is a gift,  paid with a very expensive price by Jesus Himself.

 Thanks to the love and mercy of Jesus, Who provided the avenue of grace, we can be called righteous, not because we have worked to become a spiritual professional but because we are amateurs who need to admit our amateur status and acknowledge the only Professional and follow Him when He tells us.  (OK, maybe that second not my point this morning is one of my points!)

Turn and tune

"I didn't know you could do that."  I often get this comment when I've spoken to a large group.  "I heard you nailed your practice presentation."  My manager commented many years ago after my sales presentation.  I'm basically a quiet and shy person so when I'm not, people are surprised.  I've learned to "turn off" the shyness sometimes.

In Mark 2:6-12, Jesus definitely "turns it on".  Right after He told a paralyzed man his sins were forgiven,  He knew the teachers of the law were thinking He was blaspheming.  Only God alone can forgive sin. 

The teachers of the law were not "tuned in".  Why weren't they surprised that Jesus knew what they were thinking?  Why do we think we can hide our thoughts from the all-knowing God?

Jesus took this opportunity to reveal His mission and Himself.  He knew what they were thinking and He explained what and why He did.  He asked them, "Why were they thinking those things?  Which is easier to say to the paralytic your sins are forgiven or Get up, take your mat and walk?"  Before they had time to think or discuss  Jesus showed them His power and authority.  He said to the paralytic, "Get up,  take your mat and walk."  In full view of all, the man did so.

The teachers of the law were amazed and praised God because they had never seen anything like this.  But were they "tuned in" to the Who, What and Why of Jesus?  Perhaps it was time to "turn off" the discussions of rules and "tune in" to God.  In hindsight I can see that Jesus pointed out to  them that only God can forgive sin,  He had just forgiven a man's sin, therefore He was God.  Jesus came to make plain to us what God does, He forgives sin and He heals us.  He does all this because He is full of compassion and love for us.

We can be amazed at things that surprise and impress us.  When God does amazing things around us and for us, it's time to  "turn off" the discussion of 'how come' and "tune in" to Who,  What and Why.  He is all-knowing.  He came to Earth to make His love and compassion plain to me.

Good News in a Phone Booth

"You have a call Mrs. Sipe."  My eyebrows shot up in surprise.  Who even knew where I was to call me?   Dick was at church camp for the week.  I was 60 miles from home in a vet's office with one of my dogs.  I went to the phone and it was good news.

We had been waiting for several months for The Call.  The Call would give us the arrival information for our son.  We were to be available at anytime to meet him.  We weren't home when The Call came.  Our secondary phone number was the church office.  Fortunately I had mentioned to Mary, the church secretary of many years, that I was going to Fresno to take the dog to a vet.

When The Call came, Mary didn't receive the information just the message that we were to return the call.  Mary knew this was it and she needed to find me.  So Mary took out the Fresno Yellow Pages and started calling each and every vet in town looking for me.

I can't remember how many vets she called before she found me.  But as soon as I finished with the vet I was in the nearest  phone booth. (This was 30 years ago this week and well before cell phones.)  So the good news came in a phone booth.  I now had the date and time of his arrival!

In Mark 2:1-5 at least four friends of a paralyzed man used some imagination to solve a  problem and get  this man to Jesus.  Jesus had returned to Capernaum.  The news about Jesus was out and everywhere He went there were crowds of people. Such a crowd was in front of the group with the paralyzed man.  It was so crowded they couldn't get him to Jesus.  So they went up on the roof of the house above Jesus and dug through it.  Then they lowered the man on a mat through the roof to meet Jesus.  Jesus saw their faith and said to the paralyzed man, "Son, your sins are forgiven."

I admired the friends' determination to get the paralyzed man to Jesus.  They knew He had good news for him and they were going to assure that he received the good news.

I am convicted by their faith and action.  Too often we let the "crowds" of the world keep us from being in front of Jesus.  We often give up too soon and allow the distractions of the world keep us from being with Jesus.  Sometimes we satisfy ourselves which the bits we can hear from the back of the crowd or overhear others repeat what they heard Jesus say?

Am I determined enough to climb up to a roof and spent the time to dig through a roof, full of who knows what, and hear the Good News directly from Jesus rather from the back of a crowd?

Today I remember my friend Mary who was ready to call every vet in Fresno so I could hear good news in a phone booth.  I am challenged by the determination of the paralyzed man's friends who didn't let a crowd prevent him from being in front of Jesus.

I want to stop at nothing to hear from Jesus. I don't want to give up too soon like the other folks at the back of the crowd.  Faith will get me to  the front and with Jesus.

And, who in my life needs to be in front of Jesus and what am I going to do to help that happen?

Not Insignificant

"Please, Mom."  The boy asked for an expensive item.  I knew it was a risk.  It might be lost or stolen.  It was very nice.  When I said yes, the sales clerk whispered, "You must love the boy very much."

In Mark 1:40-45 a man with leprosy approaches Jesus and begs for a very expensive gift. He asked that if Jesus was willing to make him clean of leprosy.  Jesus was filled with compassion and touched the man and the man was cured.

Jesus then instructed the man, with a strong warning, not to tell anyone and to show himself to the priest and offer the proper sacrifice as a testimony.  Instead the man spread the news.  (Who wouldn't?  He'd been given a great gift-his health, a normal life, restored to the community.)

As a result of this man's exuberance, Jesus experienced consequences.  He could no longer enter a town openly but stayed in lonely places.  Yet people still came to Him from everywhere.

Today I am struck with Jesus' love and compassion.  I believe that Jesus was and is "all knowing."  He knew before He healed the leper that it would cost Him.  He knew the course of His ministry would change but He was "filled with compassion" and gave to one insignificant man anyway.

A few months later I learned that my expensive purchase was lost. I had a premonition that it might happen.  Those types of things happen to boys.  Yet I loved that particular boy  and I wanted to give to him.  He had regret and remorse.  He understood the consequence.  A couple of years later, when we replaced the item, he also knew we loved him, very, very much.  The look on his face and his comment of  "you guys are the best" was and still is Priceless.  I know I'd do it again and again.

I am reminded that I, too, am just an insignificant one in the midst of the multitudes but Jesus loves me, too.  Even when I don't follow His instructions.  Even when He tells me why.  Jesus has loved me anyway, does love me in spite of me and will love me in spite of my future failings.  So I am not insignificant in His eyes.  WOW!

I don't express my appreciation for Jesus' very expensive gift often enough or deeply enough.  He  has given me a great earthly life, in spite of my efforts to alter it.  Jesus also provided my eternal life in Heaven, not because I have earned or deserved it.  Why?  Because He was and is  filled with compassion for me, and lots and lots of other people. 

Grace.  God's Riches At Christ's  Expense.

The Pouting Parlor

There it was, the answer to my dilemma.   I circled it on my pro and con list. I had a career decision to make and it was a big one.  Many people had given me all kinds of advice but I had a hard time making the choice.  I resorted to making a list of the benefits and the negatives in the room my family nicknamed "The Pouting Parlor."  (It was actually  the living room that was gated off from the dogs so it was rarely used.  Occasionally when one of us needed to be away from the others we'd spend a few moments in the Pouting Parlor.  It was voluntary, not a time out room.)

Mark 1:35-39 tells of Jesus going to a solitary place, very early in the morning, so early it was still dark,  to pray.  Simon and his companions finally found Jesus to tell Him, "Everyone is looking for you."

Everyone.   I imagine Everyone was giving Jesus advice on how to succeed in ministry.  Everyone wanted a few minutes of Jesus' time.  Everyone wanted to see His  ability to preach, heal and eliminate demons.

Today  we are influenced by Everyone, I call it The World.  Our society tells us how to dress, think, enjoy and succeed.  It's more than the influence of television and advertising.  It's the expectations of the community for certain opinions and actions. 

Usually, these expectations will cause us to live in an orderly society but sometimes the worldly influence will cause us to stray from our real purpose, our destiny, our God- given mission.

Jesus gives us the example to keep on track and focused on our real purpose. He showed me that I need time away from Everyone and alone in prayer with Him.  This is what happened for me that day in the Pouting Parlor.  God reminded me of my purpose and priorities and it was not to please Everyone.  I don't regret the decision even though by worldly standards it was not a logical choice.

Jesus' reply to Everyone was, "Let's go somewhere else...so I can preach...That is why I have come."  Jesus knew exactly what His purpose, destiny and mission was.  Too often I listen to Everyone and get distracted or even lost. He has given me His example to stay on the path of my purpose, destiny and mission, to spend quality, solitary time with Him. (and for me regularly, it is very early in the morning  when it's a bit dark and occasionally in The Pouting Parlor!)