So Death is Coming...

"This sombre series of portraits taken of people before and after they had died is a challenging and poignant study. The work by German photographer Walter Schels and his partner Beate Lakotta, who recorded interviews with the subjects in their final days, reveals much about dying - and living." Life Before Death, a photo essay by Walter Schels.

Above is a sample of a moving, disturbing, poignant series of photos that my friend Lucy brought to my attention. I have viewed the entire series on several occasions and am captured by the stories of each of the subjects, for indeed they are our stories. (I encourage you to do the same by clicking here or go to www.guardian.co.uk and search "Life Before Death & Walter Schels.) We live a myth of immortality which, though disturbed by the inconvenient intrusion of death from time to time, we are surprisingly adept at maintaining. This series of photos causes us to pause not with a morbid voyerism but with an unambiguous acknowledgement that we too will pass this way.

I found the wide variety of responses to death in those facing it squarely engaging. Some worldviews show through clearly (reincarnation, resurrection, anihilation, etc.) while others respond solely to the emotive power of the moment be it anger, great sadness, or ambivalence. In my experience with those facing death or walking this shadowed path with a loved one there is an equally wide ranging set of responses. I am often surprised by this as the vast majority of those I serve in these moments are immersed in a Christian worldview, yet thier responses in these moments are anything but the Christian understanding of this event. (I will address this in a later post...)

Very often when I officiate (what an interesting term...from the Latin, to provide divine service) a funeral I remind those gathered that this is a moment for solemn reflection as they too will someday have their name at the head of an obituary column. What then is to be done with the life we are given to live? Moses put his request before God in these words, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." (Psalm 90:12).

So, death is coming. An unavoidable question arises, are you, am I, living in such a manner as to be fully prepared for this approaching moment?

A Note To "Random"

Dear Random,

I noticed that you took your blog down today. I know it wasn't yesterday because that is when I last left a message. I can only conclude that your latest pain filled posting was, and is, a matter of current grief. What is one to say to someone in this situation? I could offer you platitudes like, "Time will make this better," or "This will make sense someday," but I refuse to devalue the depth and reality of your grief. Instead I can only offer you words of hope from my decidedly, and unapologetically, Christ-centered worldview.

God is there. I understand that you may well be shaking your fist at him in rage right now. I assure you that it is not the first time. As George Bernanos said in Diary of a Country Priest, "Shake you fist at Him, spit in His face, scourge Him and finally crucify Him; what does it matter? My daughter, it's already been done to Him." Shout at the heavens honestly ventilating the heavings of your heart and though it may seem there is a deafening silence returned for your troubles, be assured there is One who hears and knows.

God knows grief. "He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; as one from whom men hide their faces" (Isa. 53:3) At the cross, pain is not eliminated, but it is stared down. If you have difficulty believing that God is truly with us look not to the manger, neither look to the mauseleum, rather look to the cross. It is there that God decisively and with astounding finality says "I am with you and I am for you not against you." He chose to endure the pain. That is something you didn't do but you are discovering, much to your dismay, that pain has been thrust upon you univited. Imagine inviting it. This is exactly what God in Christ has done. He knows grief.

God is with you. Though you may desire Him to be far from you He is, in fact, very near to you. Scripture states, "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit." (Psalm 34:18) It is entirely up to you to decide whether to turn toward Him or away from Him. He will not force Himself upon you, even in this your moment of greatest grief. He is far too much a gentleman to force His love upon you. Even so, He patiently and longingly waits to comfort you. "So long as there is pain the Comforter walks beside us." (Calvin Miller)

Random, please know that there is one shepherd who prays for you during these days. Your voice will be missed. I hope to hear it again joined to the chorus of those who believe.

Blessings in your grief.

John

Monday Morning Message - If This Is the Way You Treat Your Friends...

Eugene Peterson relates a story concerning Teresa of Avila in his engaging volume, Eat This Book. As Teresa is traveling the length and breadth of Spain, in her campaign to reform the Carmelite monasteries, she is one day thrown from her ox cart into a muddy stream. Standing, she shakes her fist at God and quips, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many!

What happens when God doesn't act like the doting grandfather many believe Him to be? What is our response to be when our life is a litany of suffering rather than a listing of successes? The God that is most often trumpeted from televangelists and the God most often looked for by the masses is a God with little resemblance to the God revealed in scripture. The God of scripture is anything but a doting grandfather or tamed trinket to add to our lives. The God of scripture is not to be trifled with but who, nevertheless, invites us to know, love, and trust Him.

Our church family had the privilege of hearing the story of one man who has encountered this fearsome God and discovered that even in tragedy, maybe especially in tragedy, God shows His all-surpassing greatness. Reggie Jones has experienced numerous heartaches and tragedies in his short life yet he exhibits an unwavering trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God. Beginning with the life-altering accident his younger brother had at age 9 and coming to an experience he had as recently as a year ago, Reggie has grappled with God's designs and purposes for his life. It is evident that God is using him to inspire and encourage others to press on.

Reggie's younger brother Wes, at age 9, fell 25 feet from a tree house and broke his neck paralyzing him for life. This happened one month after Reggie's dad left a lucrative career with IBM to enter the ministry full-time. To say he was angry with God would be an understatement. I immediately thought of Teresa of Avila's statement, "God, if this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you don't have many!"

But this story does not end with a little boy confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. God had, and has, other things in mind. 20 odd years have passed since that fateful day in the woods of Covington, Georgia when Wes broke his neck, what was to become of him? Both he and his brother Reggie are in demand for speaking engagements across the country and their marvelous story of what God has done in their lives is being told to thousands. Wes now holds the #1 show on GAC network called Unlimited Outdoors and, with Reggie's guidance in marketing, it has incredible potential to reach even greater heights. You can read Wes' story here.




This story alone would be enough to touch the heart of the most hardened but there is more to be told from Reggie's life. The list includes

• a near death experience for he and two hunting partners while duck hunting,
• continuing health issues as a result of this experience,
  
• a daughter he and his wife were told they would never have,
• business partners turning on him after 7 years of unmatched success (Reggie was Recognized as the Young Business Leader of the Year in 2005).

In all of these things Reggie has chosen to look to God and at every turn God has proven Himself faithful. It's not been an easy journey but Reggie finds joy and hope in following God's plan for his life. Reggie states, "I have endured a great many obstacles in my life. But each obstacle I have overcome. It hasn't been easy, but I learned early on from my family to put God in the center of everything, and he wil see us through. God has always provided me with strength beyond measure; His timing has always been perfect, even when it seemed like we were facing the worst." (Triumph Over Tragedy, Reggie Jones)

Monday Morning Message - Pruned

After a hiatus during the holiday season (Thanksgiving - Christmas - New Year) the MMM is returning. Looking forward to catching up with many of you soon.

It looked good, was a haven for birds, and was, to all outward appearances, thriving but it wasn't fulfilling it's purpose. The plum tree we planted 4 years ago needed pruning, badly. Armed with hand snips, lopping shears, and a small bow saw I set about to change this little fruit tree's future. Little did I know I was the one about to be pruned.

Jesus stated, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." (John 15:1-2)

This particular tree was full of redundant growth which literally was sucking the life out of it. As a happily overgrown tree it would have carried on famously without any attention from me. I'm sure this year would have seen it greener and more grand in stature than ever before. However, a plum tree is not supposed to "look good," it's supposed to bear plums. I know the work I did on that little plum tree has caused stress. Little sprouts were removed, parallel limbs were cut, weak wood was excised, a superfluous trunk was ousted. At the end of the process I looked with some astonishment on the amount of wood I had removed from this little tree. It should make a nice little fire soon.

Even as I took sharpened tools to the wood of this tree I sensed the Lord taking the sharpened tools of His Word and Spirit to the wood of my soul. I too am full of redundant growth which sucks the life out of me. I too would have carried on happily without any attention from the vinedresser. However, as C.S. Lewis has famously stated, "[God] has paid us the intolerable compliment of loving us, in the deepest, most tragic, most inexorable sense." (C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain) He loves me too much to let me run wild and not fulfill my purpose. Sure it is painful when He begins stripping away the things I think are important but because of His love for me and His desire to see me bear much fruit He prunes away those things which are unfruitful.

I was stunned by the intimacy of the act of pruning. It is an intensely personal engagement. It's not something that can be done from a distance. I would literally trace each limb examining and evaluating as I went. Likewise the Father intimately, personally examines our lives. Examining and evaluating every facet. He knows us well. The only difference between the plum tree and me is the plum tree had no say in what I cut away. Very often God waits for us to surrender those areas of life robbing activity. He works with us.

But not always. There are times of intense stress or pain that come into our lives uninvited and unexpected. We often view these as cruel twists of fate but we can recognize them as God's hand at work in our lives, personally pruning away unnecessary or obtrusive involvement. I assure you, I didn't savage that little plum tree because I was angry with it or capricious about it's fate. No, I was intimately involved with it because I know what it is capable of becoming. In it's overgrown existence it would never achieve it's potential or purpose. Likewise, God knows and is involved to see me fulfill that for which I was designed. Speaking through the prophet Jeremiah, God told His people who were in the midst of a severe pruning, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

As I pruned that little plum tree I discovered that an un-pruned life is an unproductive life. Extraneous growth may look good but it serves no purpose. This is a deadly trap in a society obsessed with looking good. I also recognized that an un-pruned life is a neglected life. It's easy to just keep rolling along without ever really thinking about what belongs and what doesn't. God loves me too much to leave me that way. He knows what my life is capable of becoming. He's even got plans for me! His pruning work may be painful but it is purposeful and always loving.

How about your life? Got anything that needs pruning?

Remembering those Who Can't Remember

There are now more than 5 million people in the U.S. living with Alzheimer's and unless a cure is found that number will increase to 14 million by 2050. Every 72 seconds, someone develops Alzheimer's. Almost 10 million people are caring for someone with Alzheimer's and approximately one out three of these caregivers is over the age of 60. (Statistics from The Alzheimer's Association)

I have not been in the position of dealing intensively with someone with Alzheimer's but I have been alongside some of those caregivers from time to time. My friend, Netherlands Paul participated in a wonderful discussion on Alzheimer's disease and how we, as the body of Christ, can engage and minister to those with the disease and those caring for the sick. This is a discussion worth 10 minutes of your time. Read it at Postings from Prairie Hill.

Hello Blog Flock! I'm back.

"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders and goes home." (Luke 15:3-5)

I'm back. To all of you who have checked in and found me missing I apologize. However, I gladly tell you that an intensive season of ministering to the flock I have the privilege to pastor is moderating a bit and I hope to be back to my blogging with more regularity. I miss you guys!

Three births, two weddings, numerous health crises, a revival, various board meetings, two funerals and nearly 4000 miles logged in 3 weeks have kept this shepherd on the run. It is nice to be still for a few moments.

I've got some good stories to share, some new thoughts rattling around in my head, and several unfinished blog projects to pick up. Plenty to do. Monday Morning Message will resume October 8 - feel free to tune in!

A quick quote of note for the day...

"I have never heard anyone says, 'The really deep lessons of life have come through times of ease and comfort.' But I have heard strong saints say, 'Every significant advance I have ever made in grasping the depths of God's love and growing deep with him, has come through suffering.' Samuel Rutherford said that when he was cast into the cellars of affliction, he remembered that the great King always kept his wine there. Charles Spurgeon said that those who dive in the sea of affliction bring up rare pearls." (John Piper, Desiring God)

Does God Have Feelings?

In my preparations for Sunday (gotta' preach!) I have been awed/humbled/overwhelmed by the clear truth that God has feelings. It's pretty easy to write Him off when He is perceived as being disinterested, detached, or distant, but bring Him up close and see Him as one who aches and laughs and dances, it is a different thing. Hosea does just that. If you've not read this heart broken prophet's story for a while, or perhaps ever, take a few moments to read it.

"It is the people you love who can hurt you most. One can almost trace the degree of potential pain along a scale - from the rebuff which you hardly notice from a stranger, to the rather upsetting clash you may have with a friend, right on to the stinging hurt of a jilting, the ache of a parent-child estrangement, or, most wounding of all the betrayal of a marriage.

Nothing short of the last two of these could really have conveyed to Hosea or to us how deeply God cares about us. Even then, words alone might have failed to bring home the sharpness of it. It needed acting out, and in real life at that." Derrik Kidner, The Message of Hosea

In Hosea this very pain is acted out for all to see. Can you see it? More on this later.....