http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional en admin@tito.com Copyright 2008 2008-03-24T04:51:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/easter_rocks/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/easter_rocks/#When:04:51:00Z As Easter approaches, we tend to think of brightly decorated eggs, beautifully dressed children, and hollow chocolate bunnies. This year, let’s add three rocks to our traditional Easter basket.  Perhaps each of them has a story to tell or a lesson to reveal.  First, the stones that might just rock out.  After Jesus enters Jerusalem in a peasant procession, the crowds continue to worship the one who comes in the name of the Lord.  Some of the religious leaders get annoyed and tell Jesus to calm the crowd and quiet the disciples.  He replies, “If they keep quiet, the stones will cry out!” (Luke 19:40) There are many spiritual lessons to be learned from the natural world.  It makes sense to me that the beauty and power and order of all creation points to the Creator.  Perhaps we might hear God in new ways if we stopped being stone deaf.  If we listen, we might also hear praise at the rock concert. Second, the crucifixion rock tumbler.  Matthew 27:50 and 51, “And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.  At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.  The earth shook and the rocks split.” The drama of the crucifixion story is intensified as we picture the unsettling power of the earth quaking beneath our feet.  Perhaps one lesson to be learned from rocks that suddenly shift and sheer is the reminder that the appearance of solid ground isn’t always accurate.  A sense of security based on past experiences with solid ground and even footing may not provide unwavering stability when your world is really rocked.  A hymn from my childhood challenges me still to hang on to bedrock truth:  when all around my soul gives way, God is still my hope and stay.  Third, the resurrection rock and roll.  When the faithful women came to the tomb, they were stunned to see that the stone sealing the entrance had been moved.  Mark 16:2-4, “Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’ But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.” The stone that was moved and the tomb that was empty signify life and freedom and victory.  What’s killing you this Easter?  What’s blocking you from experiencing and enjoying life that is rich and real?  What barriers need to be removed so that you can fully and finally be set free from whatever your tomb is?  Big rocks can still roll.  When you find yourself between a rock and a hard place, move it!  A mountain-moving God can surely help get a bothersome boulder out of the way.  The gospel story tells us that, over the course of the Holy Week, rocks could have cried out, did split, and were rolled away.  This Easter, through faith and in love, may we all rock on. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2008-03-24T04:51:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/were_all_hobos/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/were_all_hobos/#When:04:58:00Z When we were visiting family and friends in Portland recently, Debby and I went downtown for a bit.  I dropped her off at Powell’s Bookstore and I went to park the car.  A few minutes later, I found myself talking to a homeless man.  I don’t recall his name, but he said, “Call me Sarge.” He was a veteran of the war in Vietnam and had many stories of heartache and regret.  The old term for someone like Sarge might have been “hobo”. I don’t know what images the word hobo conjures up for you.  It often refers to a subculture of wandering homeless people.  I’ve heard some people make distinctions between hobos (homeless travelers willing to work) and tramps or bums who will not work.  None of the designations are particularly positive.  Whatever dismissive or demeaning term may be used, the image that comes to mind may be of a down-trodden, shabbily-attired and perhaps drunken male.  He may or may not be carrying a sign or a bundle of belongings.  More light-heartedly, some may picture one of comedian Red Skelton’s memorable characters, Freddy the Freeloader.  One time, Red Skelton said this about his famous hobo clown:  “I guess you might say that Freddy the Freeloader is a little bit of you and a little bit of me, a little bit of all of us.  He’s found out what love means.  He knows the value of time.  He knows that time is a glutton.  We say we don’t have time to do this or do that.  There’s plenty of time.  The trick is to apply it.  And Freddy knows all these things.  And so do you.  He’s nice to everybody because he was taught that man is made in God’s image.  He’s never met God in person and the next fella might just be him.” We could probably learn much from this philosopher named Freddy. The origin of the term “hobo” is not clear.  There are several theories.  Some say it stands for homeless body.  Some say the word may be a shortening of the phrase that best describes the early hobo’s method of transportation, which was hopping boxcars.  Still others suggest that the letters in hobo stand for helping our brothers out.  I like that charitable and challenging explanation.  But here’s my favorite:  homeward bound!  Homeward bound.  Certainly, we still have a lot to learn about traveling light.  We forget that home, like church, is not about place but about people.  It’s more about where you hang your heart than where you hang your hat.  As we make our way in this world and through it, we’re homeward bound.  We’re all hobos.  Let’s help our brothers out.  Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2008-03-10T04:58:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_beat_doze_on/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_beat_doze_on/#When:05:03:00Z The small gymnasium was packed with people.  The room rocked with the chants and cheers of the exuberant fans.  Every few minutes the piercing peal of the buzzer screeched above the roar of the rabid spectators.  Six-month-old Addyson Lee Lynn was taking no delight in this high-decibel sporting event. I took her in my arms and walked away from the crowded bleachers.  In the corner of the gym I held her close to my chest.  Her right ear was pressed against me and a little blanket covered her left ear.  The raucous noise continued to resound through the room but I could sense Addy starting to relax. She kept the side of her face pressed tightly against me, popping up only occasionally to peek at me, then quickly burrowing herself back in again.  I talked to her a little, sang a little, hummed a little, and bounced/patted a lot.  At some point my eyes opened wide with awe as I saw her eyes completely closed. Somehow, in the middle of the shouting, shrieking crowd and the blaring buzzer that would work well on a tugboat, she was able to rest.  Surrounded by startling noises, she could still take a nap. I have a blatantly biased grandfatherly theory about this experience (and I believe her other grandfather would agree).  I think the beating of my heart muffled the sounds from the stands and soothed her to sleep.  The regular rhythm of my heartbeat was able to serenely and steadily drown out the erratic explosion of noises all around.  Addy’s secret for slumbering in the middle of the game was simply focusing on the sounds that soothed. Maybe those of us who are slightly older than six months need this reminder for the game of life.  Perhaps one key to finding a peaceful place in the middle of a world screaming with conflict and chaos is to simply hear again the heart of God.  Listen to the love of God and let it soothe your stress and ease your anxiety.  Focus on the love around you and within you. The heart of God beats for you.  Lean in and listen.  Cuddle close and be comforted.  In the safety and security of love, be blessed with rest. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2008-03-03T05:03:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/growth_the_benefit_of_your_doubt/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/growth_the_benefit_of_your_doubt/#When:00:08:01Z “It’s not what we don’t know that hurts, it’s what we know that ain’t so.” Will Rogers “I believe God.  But I don’t believe I believe everything I used to believe about God.” Dennis Lynn I have my doubts.  The primary influences of my spiritual heritage reflect a fairly limited perspective.  My grandfather was a preaching minister of the Church of Christ in Arkansas.  I grew up attending a congregation of the Church of Christ in the suburbs of Kansas City, Missouri.  I attended two colleges associated with the Church of Christ and then worked for twenty years at two colleges with the same affiliation.  I preached for four years at a Church of Christ in Michigan.  I am grateful for my heritage in the Church of Christ, but I am keenly aware that most of my influences and insights have come more from review than re-study.  I’ve noticed that when I think I have the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, I tend to spend more time defending the truth as I have received it, and less time grappling with truths that I’ve never even considered.  I find myself now in a wonderful period of life where I am eager, with a clear conscience and pure motives, to quest for God in ways that require re-examination.  To quest requires questioning.  For me, only arrogance or fear would compel me to assert that I have no doubts about God.  I have faithful doubts.  And I don’t think I’m alone.  Frederick Buechner writes:  “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep.  Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith.  They keep it awake and moving.” Faithful doubting doesn’t mean that you flippantly discard beliefs you have cherished.  But it does demand that you be willing to push, prod and probe until you are satisfied that what you believe to be solid ground really isn’t sinking sand. Brian McLaren, in the book Adventures in Missing the Point, suggests four stages of faith development and spiritual growth.  The starting point is simplicity, where everything is easy, black and white, known or unknowable.  Next is complexity, when scenarios get more complicated, requiring new approaches of thought and study to find truth.  Third is perplexity, where, for a while, you may become a disillusioned learner.  But the fourth stage, which he calls maturity or humility, is when you come to terms with your limitations and learn to live with the mystery of God and things we may never know. If, on occasion, you find yourself in a period of faithful doubting, trust God to be with you there.  Share your confusion or uncertainties with a few faithful friends.  And then, enlarge your experience of people and perspectives to gain new insights that might help you see God in fresh and new ways.  God is greater than your doubts.  In fact, God is greater than the unquestioned and unchallenged certainties you believe to be true. Seek and you shall find. Dennis Lynn 2008-01-28T00:08:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_year_of_living_literally/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_year_of_living_literally/#When:00:02:00Z REDWOOD REFLECTIONS January 20, 2008 I first spied the book in an airport bookstore.  It’s called The Year of Living Biblically and is sub-titled:  “One man’s humble quest to follow the Bible as literally as possible.” After we read the book, Debby and I went to hear the author, A.J. Jacobs, speak at the Marin Jewish Community Center.  A.J.’s ethnicity is Jewish, though, as he says, “I am officially Jewish, but I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant. Which is to say: not very.” (I mention this particular quote from the book in honor of my friend Letizia, whose authentic Italian cooking brings to mind the words of another author, George Miller, “The trouble with eating Italian food is that 5 or 6 days later you’re hungry again.”) For several reasons, such as his desire to write a book, enter a spiritual world of study and application, and explore the topic of biblical literalism, Jacobs embarked on a year-long journey to attempt to obey the Bible as literally as possible.  Wisely, he disregarded commands that might lead to legal trouble, such as destroying idols, killing magicians and sacrificing oxen.  He looked forward to being fruitful and multiplying, resolved to follow the ten commandments, and even complied with lesser-known rules like avoiding wearing clothing made of mixed fibers (Leviticus 19:19).  I particularly enjoyed the time in New York City where he found an adulterer and began to throw small stones at him. Toward the end of the year, the author reflects on lessons he’s learned.  He believes he is a better person for the experience and is more tolerant of other religious perspectives.  He embraces the sacredness of life and was drawn to the power of prayer—particularly prayers of thanksgiving. But his observation of others, along with his personal confession, led him to conclude that we all practice a form of “cafeteria Christianity.” When we approach the Bible, we are all inconsistent.  We all pick and choose.  He contends, and I agree, that the key is to choose the best dishes, the most nourishing and healthy ones.  As I’ve mentioned before, instead of attempting to keep biblical rules that number over 600, surely focusing on the two greatest commandments, to love God and love others, is a better choice. The Year of Living Biblically had its moments of absurdity.  But as one who longs to be continually converted, always growing toward God, I am compelled to consider ways that I might also be checking off a command but missing the point.  It is not a new temptation to keep the details of the law while violating the spirit of the law.  God is love.  Let us learn to live in God, sometimes literally, always lovingly. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2008-01-21T00:02:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/siblings_in_the_family_of_god/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/siblings_in_the_family_of_god/#When:00:33:00Z The relational component of the church is underscored through imagery of the church as a body, a fellowship, and as a family.  Paul encourages the Galatians to “do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” In 1 Timothy 3:15, he instructs Timothy about “how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God.” In the family of God, we are brothers and sisters. Several years ago, family researcher Deborah Gold, identified five common types of adult sibling relationships.  These might be interesting and instructive in a church setting: 1.  Intimate:  High devotion; especially close; the relationship is based on mutual love, concern, empathy, understanding and durability 2.  Congenial:  Strong friendship and caring; less depth and reliability than intimate siblings, but still somewhat regular and frequent contact 3.  Loyal:  Base their relationship on common family history; support each other during crises; participate in family gatherings; regular, but not frequent contact 4.  Apathetic:  Mutual lack of interest; lives have gone in different directions; minimal contact 5.  Hostile:  Strong negative feelings, such as anger and resentment; considerable negative psychological preoccupation with the relationship; no contact Thankfully, the first three sibling types (intimate, congenial, and loyal) represent the majority of adult sibling relationships.  Research shows that many older adults have meaningful relationships with their siblings.  Researchers have also found that relationships with siblings can contribute to life satisfaction, higher morale, fewer depressive symptoms, psychological well-being, and a greater sense of security. I wonder how this typology of sibling relationships might apply to spiritual brothers and sisters?  My inclination is to believe that each of the five characterizations is present in many church families.  Hopefully, the first three are the most prevalent.  Perhaps the awareness of these categories might help us reflect on the quality of our relationships, and find ways to move toward deeper, more meaningful, and enduring ties. What about our sibling relationships in the family of all mankind?  How would you characterize your relationship with others in the world, or at work, or who live next door, who share the family resemblance of the image of God?  One to five, how do you relate? Typically, our childhood sibling relationships influence our adult relationships.  But, sometimes, as individuals mature, they let go of past hurts or feelings of anger, resentments or jealousies.  Often referred to as “mellowing out”, siblings make conscious decisions to put the past behind them and build new ways to relate together.  For the glory of God and the good of everyone in the family and the church and the world, maybe it’s time to grow up and mellow out. Dennis Lynn 2007-12-10T00:33:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/this_world_is_my_home/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/this_world_is_my_home/#When:00:30:00Z Some of us recall the catchy beat, the familiar harmony of the old hymn--made even sweeter when sung with a slight Southern twang, and the message that hearkened us heavenward:  “This world is not my home, I’m just a passing thru.  My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue; The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore.” I still like the tune, and heaven has not lost any of its appeal, but I’m through singing that this world is not my home.  I live here.  I work here.  My family and friends are here.  I enjoy the natural beauty of this world and I benefit from many of the improvements and advances.  This world is my home.  I should settle in, know my neighbors, try not to take the planet for granted, and, in general, make the whole world a place that feels a lot like home.  I won’t smugly snub my nose at this wonderful gift God has provided.  I’ll express my gratitude by being fully present and deeply engaged while I’m here. How do I act when I’m at home?  On my best days, I love and serve others there.  We eat and laugh and rest and play when we’re home.  We even worship there.  We say things like “There are no strangers here, only friends we haven’t met.” I care for my home and tend to necessary repairs and upkeep.  My home reflects my identity and interests and priorities.  My home is an extension of me.  It’s important to me.  It won’t last forever. But for now, it’s where I live.  This world is my home, until I leave it.  So, why do we feel the need to bash the world?  Why are we inclined to draw lines that divide, creating chasms between “us” and “them”? What do we gain by distancing and detaching ourselves from the world and 99% of the people, who are all created in the image of God?  Maybe we would be more effective in loving our neighbors if we spent less time being anxiously afraid of them, rashly judging them, and spent more time knowing them, enjoying them, learning from them, and living in peace with them. We are not placed on this earth to miserably and impatiently bide our time until we finally get out of here.  Abundant life is lived here.  The deepest loves are loved here.  The most meaningful experiences are experienced here, in this world.  Why not find ways to fully and richly make it our home while we live here?  We are God’s ambassadors in the world He created.  How can we be ambassadors if we act as if we don’t even like the place and we don’t particularly care for most of the people who live here?  Surely, God expects us to be good to His world and kind to each other. I may be just passing through this world, but that’s no excuse to diminish it or destroy it.  I can lay up treasures somewhere beyond the blue and still feel at home in this world.  In fact, really living in this world may be the best way to bring a little heaven on earth.  Dennis Lynn 2007-12-03T00:30:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/lives_full_of_spam_and_spim_and_spit/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/lives_full_of_spam_and_spim_and_spit/#When:00:26:01Z There are real health issues associated with our high-tech world.  I read about one survey where 37 percent of young motorists, aged 18 to 27, admitted to typing text messages on cell phones and other hand-held devices while driving.  Beyond car crashes, the overuse of high-tech gadgetry can cause other health concerns.  “Blackberry thumb” is pain, numbness, and tendonitis in the thumb and hand caused by too much time spent emailing, text messaging, and Internet surfing on a Blackberry or other PDA (personal digital assistant).  “Cell phone elbow” is caused by constantly holding a cell phone to your ear, putting pressure on the nerve located on the inside of the elbow. This condition can cause pain and numbness in the joint or tingling in the ring and pinkie fingers.  “iPod ear” is caused by listening to an iPod music player at too loud a volume for too long a time, straining the eardrums and causing a temporary hearing loss, while increasing the risk of permanent hearing loss. But enough of the public service announcement portion of this article, let’s get back to the less serious, but nonetheless irritating technological troubles of spam, spim, and spit.  As most of us know, spam is out of the cupboard and into our computers.  Spam, what we typically call electronic junk mail or any unsolicited e-mail, is everywhere.  Some think the term comes from a Monty Python song that includes a seemingly endless repetition of “spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, etc.”.  Like the song, spam is worthless text that just won’t end.  Others think the term came from a USC computer lab group who gave it the name because it has many of the same characteristics as the lamented lunchmeat:  nobody wants it, asks for it, or ever eats it, but sometimes it’s actually tasty—like 1% of junk mail that might be really useful to somebody. But wait, there’s more!  Spam over instant messaging (spim) and spam over internet telephony (spit) are perhaps more vexing because you may have to stop and deal with the intrusion immediately, rather than just let it sit in your inbox.  Partly, because it’s such a fun phrase to repeat, I say again:  our lives are full of spam and spim and spit.  But more than just our high-tech toys, our lives are full of stuff we didn’t necessarily request and we really don’t want to have.  Surely, our spiritual lives get cluttered with junk that crowds out good messages we need to keep.  What are the best practices to protect our lives and our souls from commercial or corrupt communications?  For starters, let’s (1) realize the risks and (2) use good filters.  And one more thing…as recipients of God’s grace and mercy, let’s never be senders of spam.  Religion that is marketed in unscrupulous and unsolicited ways is unwise and unlike Christ.  Let’s keep the good news uncluttered.  When someone starts to corrupt the simple, loving truth of God, with eternal spamnation, just say, “Can it!”. Dennis Lynn 2007-11-26T00:26:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/one_red_paperclip/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/one_red_paperclip/#When:00:21:00Z Kyle MacDonald is a young Canadian with a good sense of humor, a creative spirit, and the ability to dream.  Over the course of a year, he “traded up”:  one red paperclip for one fish pen for one door knob for one camping stove for one red generator for one instant party for one famous snowmobile for one trip to Yahk, British Columbia for one cube van for one recording contract for one year home rental in Phoenix for one afternoon with Alice Cooper for one Kiss snowglobe for one movie role for one house in Kipling, Saskatchewan. Kyle went from owning one red paperclip to, fourteen trades later, owning a three-bedroom house.  As I was reading his book, One Red Paperclip (Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply), I was reminded of the power of a simple, seemingly impossible dream.  Early in his quest, as he was tentatively testing the outrageous idea with his friends and family, his Dad asked him the inspirational inquiry, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”.  Facing his fears, he got on Craigslist and began his quest, one trade at a time. In the book, Kyle shares some of the lessons he learned along the way.  Lessons like:  If you don’t start, then how can you finish?  Feel free to complain, we can buy earplugs.  If everybody wins, nobody loses.  If you don’t try, you’ll never know.  Everything we take for granted was once an idea.  But I keep coming back to his Dad’s challenging question, “What would you do if you weren’t afraid?”. What would YOU do if you weren’t afraid?  Tackle a new task? Meet new people?  Think new thoughts?  Pursue a new adventure? In Psalm 56:3, David says to God, “When I am afraid, I will trust in you.” So, perhaps the better question is:  What might you do, even if you are afraid? Trusting God, afraid or not, why not dream a new dream?  Kyle MacDonald would tell you to start small, think big and have fun!  (If you don’t want to read his book, you can check out his website at oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com). Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-11-19T00:21:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_devils_in_the_details/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_devils_in_the_details/#When:16:26:00Z I’m thinking about this expression I’ve rarely heard and never said, “The devil’s in the details.” The phrase intends to underscore the importance of difficult details.  When completing a project, be sure to pay attention to the small things, apply extra scrutiny, and fine-tune your final efforts.  When I think about living as a follower of God, here’s what I think:  The devil’s in the details.  And he has a hell of a time there.  He delightedly does great damage.  Simple, sincere believers become discouraged and, drowning in the details, many depart.  Debating over ridiculous details leads churches to be ripped apart by discord and division.  Majoring in minors, it’s easy to play spiritual trivial pursuit.  But nobody wins. I haven’t counted, but I’m told that the Old Testament alone contains over 800 laws and commandments.  Extending well past the ten commandments, the traditions of the Orthodox Jewish faith include 613 commandments to be followed (specifically, 248 positive and 365 negative commandments—a “no” for every day of the year).  But before we get too comfortable pointing out the excessive extensions of others, let’s not forget we all have our add-on items, too (written and unwritten).  We may not even be aware of the particular lines we’ve drawn--until somebody crosses one.  With indignant ire, we declare that the devil’s not just in the details, he’s in a person we used to call our brother or sister. All commandments are not created equal.  God’s will is not hidden in, nor is his wrath reserved for, the violation of obscure, miniscule, tricky rules.  Listen to his heart and you will hear his prioritized commitments. He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.  Micah 6:8 …You have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness.  Matthew 23:23 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it:  Love your neighbor as yourself.  Matthew 22:37-39 God is love.  Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.  1 John 4:16 The devil’s in the details.  Or at least, in the wrong ones.  Let’s choose wisely. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-10-28T16:26:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_audience_of_one/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_audience_of_one/#When:16:24:00Z One of the first concepts that every aspiring writer learns is to write as if you’re communicating with just one person.  You imagine your audience of one and you write in ways that resonate with them, creating images that make sense to them, painting word pictures that connect specifically with them.  You choose your words for an audience of one.  We all know aspiring writers (I know one especially well) who often forget this simple truth.  Choosing your words, your thoughts, your behaviors, for an audience of One is one of the first concepts that, hopefully, every aspiring follower of God learns.  But, regrettably, we often forget this simple truth.  We are called to live for an audience of One. Os Guiness, in his book, Rising to the Call, quotes the counsel of Winston Churchill:  “I hear it said that leaders should keep their ears to the ground.  All I can say is that the British nation will find it very hard to look up to leaders who are detected in that somewhat ungainly posture…Nothing is more dangerous than to live in the temperamental atmosphere of the Gallup Poll—always feeling one’s pulse and taking one’s temperature.” Guiness adds his observation, “I find it a tremendous comfort as well as a continual challenge to remember that above and beyond the impossible-to-satisfy constituencies is the one audience that matters—the Audience of One.” Biblical stories provide powerful examples of followers whose lives were resolute with a singularly focused devotion to God.  Jesus profoundly exemplified this attribute in the face of ridicule, rejection, scorn and sacrifice.  Paul reminded all of us who work to “Do your best.  Work from your heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance.  Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ.” (Colossians 3:23-25) We all have an audience.  Aware or not, we all seek the approval and applause of some audience, large or small. The question is not IF we have an audience, the question is WHO is our audience.  We all aim to please someone.  We all long to hear someone say, “Good job. Well done.” Sara Groves, in her song, “This journey is my own”, expresses her desire to hear God say, “Well done!” “Why would I want to live for man, and pay the highest price? What does it mean to gain the whole world, only to lose my life? My journey is my own.  Now I live and I breathe for an audience of one. Now I live and I breathe for an audience of one.” Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-10-21T16:24:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/cosmetic_christianity_is_a_cover_up/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/cosmetic_christianity_is_a_cover_up/#When:16:28:00Z A study published by the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology revealed that patients seeking an appointment with a dermatologist to ask about a potentially cancerous mole have to wait substantially longer than those seeking Botox for wrinkles.  Researchers reported that dermatologists in several major cities offered a typical wait of 8 days for a cosmetic patient wanting Botox to smooth wrinkles, compared with a typical wait of 26 days for a patient requesting evaluation of a changing mole.  In Boston, the median Botox wait was 13 days, versus 68 days for a mole examination.  In Seattle, the median Botox wait was 7 ½ days, compared with 35 days for a changing mole.  It’s not unusual for surface issues (that just require a little smoothing out) to receive prompt attention.  Stretch it.  Swell it.  Tuck it.  Deal with it and as soon as possible.  Other issues that surface (which may be just the tip of the proverbial iceberg) are more demanding, time-intensive, and therefore more often ignored, postponed, denied.  External wrinkles disappear.  Internal wounds deepen. It’s not difficult to overlay a spiritual application here.  It’s generally easier to address public symptoms, rather than private struggles.  How many times have you heard someone say, “I don’t know why I did or said or thought that. It’s really not who I am.”? Here’s my response to that rationalization:  “ Of course, it’s you!  Who else would it be?”.  The part of you that usually gets covered over or stuffed down or pushed aside sometimes breaks through in astonishingly honest, and perhaps, embarrassing ways. It’s not all of you.  It’s likely not the best part of you.  But it’s still you.  Denying it won’t make it go away.  Disguising it doesn’t help.  Denouncing it may make you feel a little better for a little while…or your dishonesty may make you feel much worse. If you want a radical cure, take a cue from the Acts 2 crowd.  Cry out with conviction, “What shall I do?”.  Just like them, the beginning point for healing is to submit to heart surgery, an intrusive and insightful incision, courageously willing to be “cut to the heart.” Though a beard may cover a multitude of chins, only love covers a multitude of sins. When life leaves you wounded, you won’t have to wait for the Gentle Healer.  When your injuries are internal, the Great Physician will see you immediately. When your struggles are sin-deep, God will heal you from the inside out. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-09-30T16:28:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/his_three_daughters/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/his_three_daughters/#When:04:55:00Z You can tell a lot about a man by looking at his children.  You can’t tell everything. It isn’t the only measure and it certainly isn’t a comprehensive measure, but it’s one way.  I always felt like I knew Fred MacMurray’s TV character best by looking at how Rob and Chip and Ernie were doing. I know a man who turns 95 this week.  I’ve known him for just over thirty years.  If a television show told his story, it would not be called “My Three Sons”, it would be “My Three Daughters.” Their names are Colleen and Patricia and Debra.  And I can tell a lot about this man by looking at his daughters. Each of his daughters has part of him in them.  They certainly all bear beautiful resemblance in heart and soul to their mother.  But each of them has a spirit that clearly connects with his and flows from him.  In the daughters, I see his fierce commitment and fiery passion.  In them, I observe his strong sense of justice tempered by surprising grace.  Each of them, like him, loves their families with every fiber of their being and every beat of their heart.  The girls learned from both their parents that the hallmark of a strong family is not what happens to you, but what happens when things happen to you--pulling together instead of falling apart; getting better, not just getting by. In him, they witnessed a man’s toughness and they felt a daddy’s tenderness.  And at different times in each of their own lives, they have needed to demonstrate both.  What they always knew and never doubted, was his forever love for each of them. But perhaps more than anything else, they bear in their lives a practical spirituality they learned from him.  He has lived long enough and broad enough, to know what counts, what really matters.  He knows that few things are worth fretting over and there are a lot of things that, if they can’t be forgotten, just need to be forgiven. A lot has happened since he was born in 1912.  He has worked hard, lived humbly, loved well (married to his sweetheart for 67 years), grieved honestly when she died, and through it all, he has kept a clear and simple, uncluttered faith.  I see the fruit of his life, the attributes that will extend well past his life, flourishing in the lives of his three daughters and the generations that follow.  You can tell a lot about a man by looking at his children.  It’s a good reminder for the rest of us.  And on a bigger scale, I can’t help but wonder what we, as children of God, are revealing about Him?  Let’s save that question for a later time.  For now, let me just say, with deep gratitude and abiding affection, “Happy 95th Birthday” to my father-in-law, Loy Lee Stockburger.  Dennis Lynn 2007-09-24T04:55:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/ice_cream_not_you_scream/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/ice_cream_not_you_scream/#When:04:50:00Z The article in last Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle was titled, “Loud Enough to Raise the Dead.” The author, Dan Reed, told the story of store owners in downtown Berkeley who are losing business as customers flee the street preachers shouting about God over their public address systems.  Reed writes about “how these fire-and-brimstone-spewing clowns are force-feeding their version of redemption to whoever crosses their sidewalk-blocking paths…While they’re trying to save souls, they’re also gumming up the pathways in front of the local merchants trying to sell their goods…Crazies are a part of street life.  But they’re usually unamplified.  These purveyors of the New Testament’s ‘Good News’ might want to try getting their message across in a genteel way, rather than through a bullhorn blast. As a local florist said in an apt sign: ‘Why crucify me?’” The preachers, part of the Bay Area Outreach Ministries team, said that they don’t mean to drive away business, just preach Biblical teachings.  One of their ministers believes they are doing things the way Jesus would, noting, “He was very loud, because thousands of people could hear him at one time.  So he must’ve been very loud with his voice.” The article includes the observation that when local merchants have called the police, the preachers have turned the decibel level down by the time they arrive. By contrast, I read an article on a Christianity Today blog, which suggests a dramatically different image.  Chad Hall writes:  “My kids (6, 3, and 2 years old) LOVE the ice cream truck, and so do I.  What’s not to love?  There we are, outside on a hot day playing in the yard or riding a bike or washing the car and out of nowhere we hear the faint melody of the ice cream truck.  Like an unexpected friend dropping by, the ice cream truck rounds the corner and delivers delicious desserts in the middle of an otherwise humdrum day.  It’s a beautiful thing. The ice cream truck reminds me of what it means to be a missional disciple.  The ice cream truck driver has a wonderful gift he wants to bestow (okay, he’s selling it—every metaphor has its flaws, so let’s ignore the mismatches, okay?).  The driver also seeks out the very kinds of people who are ready and in want of the gifts he has.  The driver does not sit in the parking lot of the old folks’ home and wait for my family to drop what we are doing and come to him to get our cool treats.  No, he comes to us.  And we delight in what he brings.  Missional disciples also have a wonderful gift (Jesus), best offered to those in want.  The more I think about it, what my kids love is not the ice cream truck—it’s the ice cream itself.  If we bring Jesus to people, people will love what we bring.” Two approaches.  One puts in a loud word for God; the other puts in a sweet word for Him.  One approach causes people to walk away in a heated huff.  The other invites people to run joyously toward the gentle music that signals cool refreshment.  May we find ways that kindly compel people to taste and see that the Lord is good.  Dennis Lynn 2007-09-10T04:50:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/a_promise_to_addy_from_god_and_granddaddy/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/a_promise_to_addy_from_god_and_granddaddy/#When:04:46:00Z You cannot lose my love Welcome to our love, Addyson Lee.  Live in that love.  Bask and be blessed in that love. God is love.  Of all the things you hear about God, this is the chief and singularly defining attribute.  God and love are inseparable.  God’s love for you is unbreakable. You are loved, now and forever.  Stand or fall, succeed or fail, you are loved.  Laugh or cry, believe or doubt, you are loved.  Though you may waver, love will not.  No matter what happens, love happens. Be soothed, sweet child, by this song your Mommy and Daddy may sing to you… “You Cannot Lose My Love” Sara Groves You will lose your baby teeth.  At times, you’ll lose your faith in me. You will lose a lot of things, but you cannot lose my love. You may lose your appetite, your guiding sense of wrong and right. You may lose your will to fight, but you cannot lose my love. You will lose your confidence.  In times of trial, your common sense. You may lose your innocence, but you cannot lose my love. Many things can be replaced; your very memories be erased. No matter what the time or space, you cannot lose my love. You cannot lose, you cannot lose, you cannot lose my love. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church (Author’s note:  Addyson Lee Lynn was born August 22, 2007 to Landon and Ashley.  Though I am severely smitten by this precious gift of God, I will not write about her every week.  Every other week should be sufficient.) 2007-09-03T04:46:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/three_questions/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/three_questions/#When:04:39:00Z The article I was reading focused on pastoral counseling and, specifically, how to approach a couple who is having marital difficulty, but is willing to work on their relationship together.  The author of the article, Ron Edmondson, suggested three basic questions to help discern the desire of the couple to grow in love. Here they are: 1.  Where do you want this marriage to go? Not every couple talks about the goals and direction of their relationship.  It’s hard to move toward a destination you’re unsure of.  Taking time to consider and then respond to this question may provide deep insights and provoke meaningful interaction. 2.  How will you get there? Once a common course is set, it’s time to “plan the work and work the plan” for reaching the goal.  Sometimes, it’s helpful to have a third party assist in the process of arriving at action steps and check in to assess progress along the way.  3.  Are you willing to do whatever it takes to reach the place you want to be? This is the commitment question.  How much do you really want things to change?  Are you willing to do the hard things that move you toward the goal?  As I was considering these three questions, I began to also think about other relationships and other endeavors.  For example: Where do I want my work (or studies) to go?  How will I get there this year?  Am I willing to do whatever it takes to reach the place I want to be? Where do I want my relationship with my other family members and friends to go?  How will I get there?  Am I really willing to do whatever it takes to reach the place I want to be with them? Where do I want my relationship with God and other God-followers to go?  How will I get there and reach the goals I’ve set?  Am I willing to sacrifice, serve, love and do whatever else it takes to reach the place I want to be with them? Where do I want my relationship with my neighbors, co-workers, strangers, and enemies to go?  How will I set my priorities and change my attitudes and actions to get there?  Am I truly willing to do whatever it takes to love the world like God does? Three questions to consider. Three answers that could change everything. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-08-27T04:39:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/tempus_fugit_time_flies/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/tempus_fugit_time_flies/#When:23:13:00Z Bits and pieces, bits and pieces.  People.  People important to you, people unimportant to you cross your life, touch it with love and move on.  There are people who leave you and you breathe a sigh of relief and wonder why you ever came in contact with them.  There are people who leave you and you breathe a sigh of remorse and wonder why they had to go and leave such a gaping hole.  Children leave parents, friends leave friends.  Acquaintances move on.  People change homes.  People grow apart.  Enemies hate and move on.  Friends love and move on.  You think of the many people who have moved in and out of your hazy memory.  You look at those present and wonder.  I believe in God’s master plan in our lives.  He moves people in and out of each other’s lives, and each leaves his mark on the other.  You find you are made up of bits and pieces of all who have ever touched your life.  You are more because of them, and would be less if they had not touched you.  Pray that you accept the bits and pieces in humility and wonder, and never question and never regret.  Bits and pieces, bits and pieces.  (Anonymous) Since the traditional gift for the first anniversary is paper, it seems fitting to write a few thoughts as Debby and I complete our first year of ministry with the Redwood Church.  From the very beginning, you opened wide your hearts and invited us in.  One year ago, I wrote the first “Redwood Reflections” bulletin article.  Thank you for your generosity of spirit in receiving these somewhat random ruminations.  I will always be grateful for our life in God that we have shared together.  Though painful, I treasure the times of loss and grief we have walked through.  A lasting memory we have is the lament service in early Spring where honest tears and articulate words and persistent hope blended beautifully into an amazing masterpiece of authentic community.  We certainly delight, as well, in the joyful times of weddings, baptisms, births and celebrations throughout the year.  We recall the varied opportunities to serve together, especially in outreach to the neighborhood and community.  The preschool program is an abiding example of love and service.  I appreciate the continuing richness and depth of worship times together.  Words of testimony, blessing and encouragement flow freely from those who love God and each other, at this place.  I especially cherish the Wednesday night study group, the “Men after God’s own heart” small group, and the monthly “Men Only Breakfast” meetings. As I have noted before, I appreciate the elder’s prayer time together and their humble leadership.  Matt, Betty, Silvia, Liz, and all the staff serve with faithful focus and inspired energy.  The Bible class teachers and all those who labor every week in quiet ways are a consistent encouragement and example.  If asked to describe the Redwood Church in a few words, my answer today would be “loving and peaceful.” At the end of our first year, Debby and I thank you for becoming bits and pieces of us.  We are more because of you and would be less if you had not touched us.  Dennis Lynn 2007-08-19T23:13:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/adolescent_egocentric_christiansfurther_thoughts/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/adolescent_egocentric_christiansfurther_thoughts/#When:23:09:00Z First, let me give a big shout-out (I’ve always wanted to say that) to the hundreds of people (or less) who shared thoughts about the spiritual application of adolescent egocentrism. I have included a few of the comments I received related to the spiritual parallels of personal fable and imaginary audience.  Reminder:  personal fable (“it will never happen to me”) and imaginary audience (“everybody is always watching me”). My friend, Gina, from Portland, recalled the church experience of adolescence when it felt like everyone was noticing that she hadn’t been baptized yet (with accompanying pressure and judgment).  Gina wrote:  “Looking back, I wish I could have sat there knowing without a doubt in the world that I was God’s child and truly loved in the very state I was in.” My friend, Virda, (in an email from Hawaii) pointed out the immature focus on self that is often revealed in statements like, “This service didn’t do anything for me; they don’t meet my needs here, etc.”.  Reflecting on a false sense of invincibility because we’re saved by grace, she noted, “These ideas may give a security that blinds one to temptation and the possibility of succumbing to sin and its consequences.” My friend, Annette, (who is also my sister) from Kansas City, wrote about the false belief of the imaginary audience:  “One of its strongest manifestations may be seen in Christians who put on their ‘church face’ and try to make others believe that all is well with them and theirs.  Pride holds their masks in place like the too-tight rubber bands of a cheap plastic Halloween mask…Let us pray for the humility to share personal struggles with our church family so that they may be willing to reciprocate, and we can all encourage each other in the Body.” Preach it, Sister! My friend, Ken, from San Francisco, approaching the topic from a different angle, noted:  “The conclusions of adolescent egocentrism which are false in the physical world, are, in fact, true in the spiritual world…the eyes of Almighty God are on us, the Spirit of God is with us and in us at all times, and we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses who have gone before.  It’s unfortunate that after we grow out of adolescent egocentrism, we develop a new false perception that no one is paying attention to us at all.  As far as the personal fable, we are, in a spiritual sense, unique and invincible.  We are a royal priesthood, a chosen people, children of the King of the Universe.  God is living in us.  I never learned about adolescent egocentrism, but it seems to me that God might want us to develop a little adult egocentrism in our spiritual lives.” Perhaps the lesson in all of this for all of us is Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 4 to “grow up” in Christ.  Virda said it this way:  “I think the Christian walk is a continual maturing…growing out of our self-centeredness and selfishness and growing in our realization of how vulnerable we are…and how much we need God.” Thanks, friends. Dennis Lynn 2007-08-12T23:09:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/adolescent_egocentric_christiansunfinished_thoughts/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/adolescent_egocentric_christiansunfinished_thoughts/#When:22:46:01Z A normal cognitive developmental stage of young people is adolescent egocentrism.  Adolescent egocentrism is characterized by a heightened sense of self-centeredness and self-consciousness (egocentric means “self at the center”).  It is a developmental phase they journey through on the way to adulthood.  Two false conclusions of adolescent egocentrism are (1) the imaginary audience and (2) personal fable.  The imaginary audience is the belief that they are always on center stage, with all eyes on them, always assuming that everyone is intensely interested in them.  As a result, the young person can become very self-conscious about how they look, what they are wearing, how they are being perceived, etc.  Personal fable is the false notion of uniqueness and invincibility.  Personal fable contributes to the complaint that no one else could really understand them and their circumstances.  It also factors in to a sense of invincibility, leading to high-risk activities.  This sense of invincibility is likely involved in reckless behavior in driving a car, using drugs or alcohol, and engaging in inappropriate sexual interaction.  Because they falsely believe in their own invincibility, they are convinced that they will not suffer the consequences of dangerous behavior.  They will somehow not experience the terrible outcomes that happen to other people. Simply stated, teenagers or young adults often believe that “everybody is watching me” (imaginary audience) and “it will never happen to me” (personal fable).  We’re now at the point, noted in the title, of the unfinished thoughts.  I have a sense there are spiritual parallels to adolescent egocentrism, specifically the manifestations of imaginary audience and personal fable.  I am inclined to believe that there are spiritual equivalents or expressions of these developmental processes.  As you reflect on your own spiritual journey and maturation, can you think of ways you experienced the false beliefs of imaginary audience or personal fable?  I hope you can, because I’m going to leave this article unfinished for now, as I await your input.  Next week’s article will be titled “Adolescent egocentric Christians…further thoughts.” Write me this week (dennislynn@gmail.com) and share some of your ideas about the spiritual application of these false perceptions.  Thanks for your help! I must say that I’m a little embarrassed to not be able to finish the article by myself.  I know everyone is watching me, making harsh judgments, talking to others about me.  And I’m particularly frustrated at this point, because I just knew this would never happen to me.  No one else could understand how this feels.  I feel so alone.  No one gets me.  Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-08-05T22:46:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/a_kinder_gentler_faith_the_gospel_according_to_mister_rogers/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/a_kinder_gentler_faith_the_gospel_according_to_mister_rogers/#When:21:16:01Z “’Cause I believed every word you said, Mister Rogers, or can I call you Fred? Mister Rogers, I could use a friend… I’m sure you don’t have much time, But heroes are hard to find. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?” Mark Robertson, “Every Word You Said” When Fred Rogers died in 2003, NBC news reporter Bob Faw, observed, “The real Mister Rogers never preached, never even mentioned God on his show…He never had to.” For over 30 years, Mister Rogers opened his front door, walked into our living rooms, slipped on comfy shoes, a favorite sweater, and taught spiritual principles like forgiveness and kindness and respect.  He wasn’t loud or flashy.  As an ordained Presbyterian minister, he was faithful to his calling.  He’s my kind of televangelist. When we gathered around him, he reminded us that it takes a lot of slow to grow, that silence is valuable, that feelings are okay, and that everyone in the world is special and unique.  One time he took us with him on a tour of a pretzel factory.  There we learned that, many years ago, monks gave children pretzels as treats for remembering to say their prayers.  The pretzel dough was rolled into strips and crossed, to symbolize a child’s arms folded in prayer, and the three holes in the pretzel represented the Trinity. In her book, The Simple Faith of Mister Rogers, Amy Hollingsworth recalls the last question she asked Mister Rogers, “If you had one final broadcast, one final opportunity to address your television neighbors, and you could tell them the single most important lesson of your life, what would you say?” He paused briefly, then slowly said, “Well, I would want those who were listening somehow to know that they had unique value, that there isn’t anybody in the whole world exactly like them and that there never has been and never will be.  And that they are loved by the Person who created them, in a unique way.  If they could know that and really know it and have that behind their eyes, they could look with those eyes on their neighbor and realize, ‘My neighbor has unique value, too; there’s never been anybody in the whole world like my neighbor, and there never will be.’ If they could value that person—if they could love that person—in ways that we know that the Eternal loves us, then I would be very grateful.” May we, like Mister Rogers, truly believe that loving your neighbor as yourself makes a beautiful day in the neighborhood. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-07-22T21:16:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/faithful_doubting/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/faithful_doubting/#When:21:22:00Z C.S. Lewis wrote, “Talk to me about the varied practices of faith and I will listen gladly.  Talk to me about the challenges of faith and I will listen attentively.  But don’t come talking to me about the certainties of faith or I shall suspect that you don’t understand.” Frederick Buechner said, “Whether your faith is that there is a God or that there is not a God, if you don’t have any doubts you are either kidding yourself or asleep.  Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith.  They keep it awake and moving.” Philip Yancey asks the right question when he wonders, “So why, then, does the church treat doubt as an enemy of faith?  Why do so many of us feel as if we have to choose between being truthful traitors or loyal liars?” In a book about writers and their faith, Katherine Paterson refers to the powerful image of God as wrestler.  Just as Jacob persistently and painfully wrestled with God in Genesis, faithful men and women still care enough to struggle with God. Paterson refers to a book by Robert McAfee Brown where the author points out that the Jews have always recognized that the Bible is as much a book about men and women questioning God as it is about their obeying God.  “We Christians in some misguided definition of faith have seemed fearful of acknowledging this.  Listen to some of the questions in Genesis alone: ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’ ‘Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ ‘What is your name?’ As we go through the Bible, the questions become more anguished.  Job, Jeremiah, the anonymous singers of the Psalms, Jesus himself wrestling with the angel in Gethsemane and crying from the cross the question of all who have trusted and not seen their deliverance, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’” I’ve got my doubts.  How about you?  When innocent children are scarred for life, when war ravages on, when natural disasters destroy people and property, when the world is filled with hunger and disease, when our prayers seem to go unanswered, when scientific findings seem to contradict our faith…there are thousands of reasons to doubt.  Even John the Baptist (of whom Jesus said, “Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist”) doubted Jesus.  “Are you the one who was to come or should we expect someone else?” Faithful doubters doubt with faith.  As Brian McLaren says, “…here’s where faith comes in—a faith that leans on God himself, and not on our own understanding, including our own theological understanding…I believe Jesus when he said he’ll never leave us nor forsake us—and that includes even when we question.  Or as Paul said, even when we are faithless, God remains faithful.” If you have doubts, join the faithful cry of the ages for all honest seekers, “I believe.  Help my unbelief!” Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-07-15T21:22:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/you_can_learn_a_lot_from_a_friendly_atheist/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/you_can_learn_a_lot_from_a_friendly_atheist/#When:21:24:00Z In January 2006, atheist Hemant (pronounced HEH-mint) Mehta (pronounced Mehta) posted an auction on eBay, agreeing to attend worship services of the winning bidder’s choosing.  Jim Henderson, a former pastor in Seattle, won the auction.  He asked Hemant to attend a number of different churches and write a critique of each one.  Hemant eventually put his reflections in his book, I Sold My Soul on eBay: Viewing Faith Through an Atheist’s Eyes. I have just finished reading the book and find myself agreeing with Rob Bell’s comments in the foreword:  “It’s not just that he’s smart, insightful and honest.  It’s that so much of what he says is…well…true.  What will strike you in the pages of this book is that Hemant isn’t angry or antagonistic.  As you try to figure out exactly what his agenda is, you’ll probably arrive at the same conclusion I did.  I think he’s simply after truth.” Hemant was reared in a religious environment and deals respectfully with those who do not share his convictions.  Early in the book, he writes, “I have lived on both sides of the religious divide… I am an atheist, but I don’t fit the common stereotype held by so many in the religious community…I’m not trying to tear down anyone’s religion, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers…It is clear that most churches have aligned themselves against nonreligious people.  By adopting this stance, Christians have turned off the people I would think they want to connect with.” As he reflects on his “de-conversion”, Hemant briefly discusses some general religious themes and how an atheist might typically approach those issues.  He includes topics of prayer, suffering and misfortune, childrearing, cultural traditions, religious expression in public life, death, and the meaning of life.  Hemant visited a variety of churches in all shapes and sizes.  In the book, he shares his impressions and insights about fifteen of them.  Some of the largest churches he visited include the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas and Willow Creek Community Church near Chicago.  Toward the end of the book, he talks about what churches are doing right to reach out to non-Christians like him and where, in his opinion, churches are missing the mark.  Just as a teaser, the positives include:  good preaching, community outreach, dialogue with opposing viewpoints, and relevant sermons.  On the negative side:  insensitivity to nonreligious people, too much singing, members not paying attention in church, lack of opportunities to ask questions, and confusing rituals and traditions.  Hemant and I hold many different perspectives on God and church and spiritual life.  But I am challenged by his observations and encouraged to look at my own approach to those who believe differently from me.  I don’t think I’ve ever used this page as a book review.  Until now. Dennis Lynn 2007-07-01T21:24:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/gods_first_last_and_best_word_is_jesus_not_the_bible/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/gods_first_last_and_best_word_is_jesus_not_the_bible/#When:13:30:00Z Jesus is the Word of God.  He is The Word of God.  The Bible contains some of the words of God.  Christians believe that God is uniquely revealed in Jesus.  The Bible is not equal to Jesus as a divine revelation.  It is certainly not superior to Him.  Jesus is God revealed.  The Bible is a collection of books and letters that serve as a record of God’s revelation. I raise this concern, not because I have the answers, but because I have the concern.  I am concerned that, as we promote the Bible, we demote Jesus.  We become so accustomed to referring to “the word of God” (meaning the Bible) that we have perhaps, unknowingly, diminished the One who “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1) Ever since, as children, we first sang, “I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E”, we have perhaps given the Bible the place that should only be reserved for Jesus.  Jesus saves, not the Bible. Since the water’s not quite hot enough yet, let me add more wood to the fire.  Bible worship is idolatry.  The Bible is a story guide, a way to get to know the One who is the Way.  The guide is not worthy of praise and adoration, only God is.  Knowing every little detail about the guide is worthless if it doesn’t lead to the One who is worthy.  To the religious leaders of His day, Jesus said, “You diligently study the scriptures, because you think that by them you possess eternal life.  These are the scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have eternal life.” (John 5:39, 40) The scriptures do not exalt themselves. The written word always points to the Living Word. Attempting to squeeze the Living Word into a bound book makes it easier to categorize, classify and perhaps even attempt to control God.  But God will not be constrained by human efforts to contain Him.  He is too big, too mighty, too God for us to ever fully comprehend.  I offer none of these comments to minimize the Bible.  I offer all of them to make sure we never minimize God.  May the Bible always be a roadway to the heart of God.  May it never be a roadblock.  May we study the Bible in such a way that when we see phrases like “word of God”, we at least pause long enough to see if it is referring to Jesus rather than the scriptures about Jesus.  And may we listen to ourselves more carefully, so that we give the honor and glory and praise exclusively to the One “called Faithful and True…His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.  He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.  He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11-13) Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-06-24T13:30:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/happy_beating_up_on_dad_day/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/happy_beating_up_on_dad_day/#When:17:56:00Z In response to the oft-asked question, “Can anything good come out of Spokane?”, I readily answer, “Yes, indeedy!” Some of my favorite college students are from that region of Washington and nearby Idaho.  And don’t forget Sonora Dodd.  While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, she had the idea of honoring fathers with a special day.  Her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child.  He raised the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington.  Because he was born in June, Sonora chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910.  President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father’s Day in 1924.  In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday in June as Father’s Day.  President Richard Nixon signed the law that finally made it permanent in 1972.  Thank you, Sonora from Spokane! But then preachers got hold of the idea and messed everything up.  On Mother’s Day, we laud our moms, give them flowers and candy, breakfast in bed.  Sermon time rolls around and we wax eloquent with effervescent emotion.  We can’t say enough about how important they are, how much we love them, how we can never fully thank them.  And then the 3rd Sunday in June arrives.  And the sermon hits like a holy hammer.  Dads, grow up!  Dads, quit messing around!  Dads, your mistakes are ruining your kids!  Bad, sad, mad dads!  Wow, no wonder men run away from church like the bulls in Spain are after them.  Why would I want to go somewhere on a supposedly celebratory day and be made to feel like I embody all the worst characteristics of Tony Soprano, Al Bundy, Homer Simpson and Hannibal Lechter? On Mother’s Day, we hold moms up.  On Father’s Day, we beat dads up.  Now, I know this isn’t always the case.  But why is it ever the case?  Yes, it’s true that we can all do better.  Certainly, the biggest room in the house is always the room for improvement.  Believe me when I say I am keenly aware of my fatherly shortcomings. I regret things I said, things I didn’t say, things I have done that have hurt my children.  I know that list better than anyone.  But I’m not convinced that rehearsing my parental sins on a seasonal basis is necessarily the best way to help me grow in character and confidence. So today, let’s hear it for the dads!  Let’s say thanks to them, not because they are perfect or have done everything just right.  Let’s say thanks because saying thanks is not only good for them to hear, but good for us to say.  Through our words and our actions, let us use this day to make some fathers happy.  Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-06-17T17:56:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_way_of_namaste/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_way_of_namaste/#When:00:46:01Z Namaste (pronounced “namastay”) is a beautifully humble greeting originating in another culture and religion.  Taken literally, it means “I bow to you.” When spoken to another person, it is commonly accompanied by a slight bow made with hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointed upwards, near the heart.  In India, it is understood that the gesture itself signifies Namaste, so it is unnecessary to say the word while bowing. Though Namaste is a universal greeting, it has a stirring spiritual connotation. With reverence and humility, one person communicates to another person important messages like, “I honor the Holy One who lives in you.  That which is of God in me greets that which is of God in you.  I recognize the work and presence of deity in you.  I honor the Spirit in you that is also in me. I salute the Almighty within you.” What an affirming, respectful and humble greeting:  Namaste!  I see God in you!  It is a foundational principle we often neglect in practice:  “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27) God’s image in every person underscores every commandment related to how we are to treat each other.  God demands an accounting when one person takes the life of another because we are made in His image (Genesis 9:6).  In the New Testament, James points out how wrong it is to curse people who are all made in God’s likeness (James 3:9).  I was reading a World Vision article recently that noted this theological understanding: “This conviction ought to fundamentally shape the way that we as Christian individuals relate to each and every person.  The conviction is this:  that we are all made in the image of God. Every human being, no matter how tall or short, smart or silly, beautiful or plain, skilled or unskilled, able or disabled, no matter what their circumstances, every person is made in the image of God.  Every person therefore has immense value.” Larry James, president of Central Dallas Ministries, underscores the power of seeing and celebrating God in every person, as he describes their ministry:  “We tend to approach our neighbors as the embodiment of the Jesus whom we follow.  We take Jesus seriously when he said that whatever we do with and among the ‘poor’, we actually are doing with and to him.  We believe that we meet him in our encounters with the hurting, the excluded, the prisoners, the homeless, the sick, the hungry and the immigrant stranger.” May God help us see Him in everyone we meet.  Namaste.  Amen. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church P.S.  Question:  What if we can’t honestly say “I see God in you” to some people? Answer:  Perhaps we’re not looking. 2007-06-11T00:46:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/dead_man_walking_matthews_account_of_lazarus_and_the_lord/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/dead_man_walking_matthews_account_of_lazarus_and_the_lord/#When:23:46:00Z Okay.  I hear you.  I understand what you’re saying.  I’m convinced. I GET IT!  The story of Lazarus is only found in the gospel of John, NOT Matthew.  Let me explain.  The title of this article refers to the sermon I heard last Sunday by Matthew Campbell.  Whew!  That was close.  Now, may I continue?  Thank you.  As Matt was preaching, I began to wonder what Lazarus might have said if he had been interviewed by the religion reporter from the Bethany Bugle immediately after he changed from his mummy motif.  As I gently ease off the alliteration accelerator, let’s imagine a portion of the conversation… Hi, I’m Lazarus.  If you had said to me a few moments ago that I was dead to you, you’d have been right.  But, as you can see, I’m indisputably alive.  Seeing is probably not your only activated sense right now.  Let me apologize for the unusual odor.  Sis was right—after four days in the tomb, the essence of “cologne de corpse” tends to linger.  Sorry if I don’t smell good to you. I rather like it.  Catching an aromatic whiff of my formerly dead self is a pungently poignant reminder that I am dead no more.  To some, it’s the smell of death; to me, it’s the fragrance of life. And speaking of senses, you may have heard that right before I walked out of the tomb, Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” That part is true, but for the record, I want you to know that he wasn’t shouting for my sake.  He wanted everyone gathered around to hear the death-defying invitation.  As far as I’m concerned, Jesus could have whispered and I would have heard it.  With the softest tones, he could have spoken me back to life and his hushed voice would still have resounded through the galaxies.  I’m sure the angels heard it. I suspect the demons did too, and shuddered. One more question. My friends and family are waiting for me back at the house.  What do I think about Jesus crying?  I think about it a lot.  In a way, Jesus wore his emotions on his sleeve—the same sleeve he used to wipe his eyes.  Jesus lived an honest life, so he expressed honest emotions. I remember his huge smile when he was around children and child-like adults.  I remember his loud laughter at some of the parties he attended.  I recall his looks of discouragement, frustration and fatigue.  There were a few times he was good and angry (but still good).  Once or twice, he was even mad as…heaven.  What do I think about Jesus crying?  I think I love it. I think if anybody ever invents a printing press, I hope the tears of God get at least one small verse. Dennis Lynn 2007-06-03T23:46:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/what_they_wish_church_was_like/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/what_they_wish_church_was_like/#When:23:41:01Z Dan Kimball, pastor of Vintage Faith, a church in Santa Cruz, California, offers the following thoughts from people who are looking for a church (Outreach, March/April 2007, page 67).  He writes: “While our purpose isn’t to change our worship gatherings just so that people outside the church will like what we’re doing, I am all for designing them in a way that resonates with our hearts and culture without compromising the scriptures or the Gospel.  I still find incredible insight when I ask those outside the church what they wish worship gatherings were like.  Here’s their wish list: I wish church was not just a sermon but a discussion.  Don’t interpret that statement as emerging generations don’t want to learn or they’re against sermons.  They have a strong desire to learn about the Bible and the teachings of Jesus.  Rather, they feel they could learn better if they could participate and ask questions. I wish the church sometimes met outside the church building. The people I talk with desire to break out of the walls of the building and have church in other places—homes, coffee shops, dance studios, bars. I wish church was less programmed and allowed time to think and pray. Emerging generations highly value the opportunity to quiet themselves, reflect and meditatively pray. I wish church was a loving place. Overall, post-Christians outside the church feel that the church loves those who are like them or one of them.  Those with different beliefs, however, find no love or acceptance. I wish the church taught more about Jesus. People in emerging generations are respectful of and open to Jesus.  They like Him, or at least what they know of Him, and if they’re going to be part of the church, then they want the church to be about Him and His teachings. I wish someone would ask me to be part of the church. But the invitation has to come through relationships of trust.  They don’t want a stranger walking up to them on the street and handing them a tract.  Nor do they want a casual acquaintance putting pressure on them in a weird way to come to church.” There’s the wish list.  May the church be a place where Godly wishes really do come true. Dennis Lynn 2007-05-27T23:41:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/this_just_inpews_are_out/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/this_just_inpews_are_out/#When:21:30:00Z If I am ever appointed chief designer of church buildings, I will make them more like a family room and less like a lecture hall.  When the Monday night “Men After God’s Own Heart” group meets in our home, the first seats claimed are the couch and the recliners.  There is actually a nice pew-like wooden bench available for seating, but no one has sat there yet.  On Wednesday nights when 15 to 20 of us gather in Çlassroom B, we circle the chairs so we can see each other’s faces as we share our thoughts and our lives.  Historically, the early Christians met in house churches.  In 313 AD, when Constantine made Christianity an official religion, the architectural style of the church buildings was based on the most common design of public buildings in the Empire, the Basilica, which was used primarily as a law court (where people stood the whole time).  The style of the long rectangular buildings was further influenced by the theater with forward-facing seating and a raised stage.  Dan Kimball writes: The theology in this is fascinating—how we sit when we meet reflects what we place as important in worship.  The original vintage church met in homes, looking at each other in small rooms, discussing and teaching Scripture, praying for one another and eating a meal together.  You could walk around, have dialog, etc.  Then the church moved into buildings where the Table was the focal point and we stood, moved around the room, interacted, etc.  Then we moved into buildings where the pews caused people to sit in stationary positions, not looking at each other, but looking at the pulpit and all facing the same direction.  This drastically changes the culture and climate when the church gathers to worship.  It becomes more of a sit and watch and listen meeting, than an interactive community type of meeting. One article I read, “The Liturgical Effectiveness of Pews”, offered this observation:  Pews teach the lay people to stay in their place, which is to passively watch what’s going on up front…Pews serve the same purpose as seats in theaters and bleachers in the ball park; we perch on them to watch the professionals perform. When was the last time your family got together and lined up in rows behind each other?  Around the world, pews (or pew-like chair configurations) set the tone and direction for what happens when the family of God gathers.  Perhaps it’s time for all of us to re-think and creatively reconfigure church space.  What setting might be best to “encourage each other and stir each other up to love and good works”?  Surely, orderly rows are not the only way to have orderly worship. I can’t help but ask the question:  How do our church building designs fit with God’s design for building His church? Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-05-20T21:30:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/its_mothers_day_why_is_that_lady_crying/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/its_mothers_day_why_is_that_lady_crying/#When:23:50:01Z I like Mother’s Day.  I even like most mothers.  I loved mine.  I love the mother of my children.  I probably don’t like Mother’s Day the same way as florists, greeting card companies, jewelers, restaurants, department stores and many other businesses that smile broadly and profit greatly from this holiday.  I just think it’s a great idea to say thanks to Mom--especially if you have somehow neglected to say it over the last 364 days.  Most people probably like Mother’s Day.  But not everybody does.  For some among us, this is a painful day.  It underscores an experience of disappointment or guilt or grief.  Though it is essentially a day of cherished love; for some, it is also a day of remembered loss.  More than anything else, they would love to be celebrating this day, but they cannot.  The Hallmark cards that are most meaningful to them are found in a different section of the store, perhaps in the sympathy or comfort category. As we are bombarded with Mother’s Day advertisements, stories on television and in the newspaper, who among us might be particularly pained?  Whose silent wounds are cut even deeper during this season?  Here’s a brief list, though I know it is incomplete: Women (and men) who are infertile; mothers whose children died before birth, at birth or at any other age; mothers whose children are seriously ill and dying right now; mothers who are saddened by how life has turned out for their children; mothers who feel guilty or are burdened by the strain of being a parent; children (of all ages) whose mothers are dying or have died; children whose relationship with their mother is or was not pleasant nor healthy—and I could begin the list again with reference to grandmothers and the variety of their experiences and emotions on Mother’s Day.  Certainly, men also lament the loss of women who have played important roles in their lives. Am I saying we ought to boycott Mother’s Day?  No way!  I already said that I like Mother’s Day and most mothers.  I’m just suggesting that it is possible for families and friends to celebrate this holiday with great joy while also remembering that not everyone is experiencing the event the same way.  Let us be lovingly and sensitively aware of those about us whose hearts are heavy even when ours are light. Here’s my Mother’s Day prayer for all women:  May God, who comforts like a mother comforts her child, bless you today in all the ways you need. May you feel safe with your sadness, confident of His compassion, assured that if no one else understands, He does. Even if this can’t be a happy Mother’s Day, may God find a way to make it meaningful, loving and somehow blessed in a special way for you.  Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-05-13T23:50:01-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_place_of_grace/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_place_of_grace/#When:23:51:00Z Grace Cathedral, on Nob Hill in San Francisco, is a structure that almost seems out of place in a country as young as ours.  It is the third largest Episcopal cathedral in the nation. It’s European architecture, vast interior space and storied stained glass windows combine to create a breathtakingly beautiful setting.  Debby and I have enjoyed walking the labyrinths there with family and friends.  I appreciate the sensitivity of the Interfaith AIDS Memorial Chapel in the cathedral, providing a place of comfort for many. The pledge of Grace Cathedral to all who “are passing by” particularly encourages and inspires me.  I’m sure I don’t agree with every doctrinal position or scriptural stance of the people who gather to worship there.  That’s not all that surprising.  I disagree today with some of my own beliefs from yesterday.  And don’t get me started about your peculiar perspectives. Here are some of the words you read as you enter Grace Cathedral: A place of religious immunity If you are passing by and feel intimidated or angry because of religion, please know that there is immunity granted when you enter Grace Cathedral.  Immunity from the ravages of religion and misuse of divine revelation…Immunity from religious control is granted you upon entry.  Grace offers “sanctuary” to everyone and promises this glorious freedom of God as the climate to explore the healthiest living that religion affords. A place of anonymity If you are passing by and feel hesitant to join the ranks of a particular denomination or to buy into the creeds of millions, please know that most people who enter Grace every week are practicing no regular religious discipline.  The rule of Grace is the stranger making himself/herself at home…Perhaps you quietly dropped by wanting to reconnect in your relationship to God.  Or to confess shame.  Or to surrender a burden.  Or to pray for a loved one.  Or to bask in the beauty of holiness.  Or to meditate on a hard personal dilemma.  Or to find a moment of peace. A place of unity If you are passing by and feel that life is fragmenting into a vast number of irreconcilable, shattered pieces, then please know that Grace holds an outrageous hope that, in God alone, all aspects of life are in unity…In the midst of what appears to be an ever-increasing fragmentation of life, Grace offers a “House of Prayer for All People”, an abiding hope that there is a Oneness at the center of life. Oh, that these words might be true for all of God’s people all over God’s world.  May we always be a space where grace is in place. Dennis Lynn 2007-05-06T23:51:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/praise_the_lord_this_church_stinks/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/praise_the_lord_this_church_stinks/#When:23:54:00Z April 18, 2007 Dear Abby:  I suffer from food sensitivity. Recently, during an important yearly service at a church my daughter and I have not attended for long, I had some extremely loud and embarrassing gastrointestinal symptoms from having accidentally eaten something cooked in soybean oil at a restaurant.  This disturbance lasted more than 15 minutes, and everyone in our small church could hear it.  I am now embarrassed to return to church.  Is there any way to save face in this situation? IT WAS THE SOYBEANS! Dear Soybeans:  When the flatulence started happening, you should have stepped outside until it subsided.  However, because your concern is your fear of being remembered as the flatulent woman, you have no choice but to go back to church and give them something positive to remember. Okay, let’s get this out of our system.  Some of you smiled when you read this poor woman’s plight.  Some of you laughed out loud.  Some of you didn’t laugh at all because you’re either more mature than that or you relate all too well to this individual’s indignity.  Bottom line, you’ve had your share of indigestion indiscretions in church and in stores and in restaurants and infinitum.  But let’s clear the air.  Because I have rarely met-a-phor I didn’t like, what if this woman’s indelicate expressions of internal distress symbolized all of the ways all of us bring our internal distresses and external messes to church?  If people are embarrassed to come to church because parts of their life really stink, where else can they go?  When their stomach is tied up in knots, when their discomfort is almost unbearable, where will they turn to seek relief, if not here? The Great Physician had no aversion to men with leprosy or women with hemorrhaging issues or people like Lazarus, who might smell like death. He felt no dis-ease with anyone diseased—physical or spiritual.  May we approach those whose lives have a scent of stench with welcome and comfort and ease. The fellowship of the flatulent is for all who have stunk up their lives and fallen short of the glory of God.  Dear Lord: I suffer from sin sensitivity; sometimes sin insensitivity.  Recently, I was at church and people all around me became uncomfortably aware of what unsettling things I had been partaking of.  When it broke from me, I couldn’t find a place to hide.  I could tell I had really messed up their sanitized environment. I don’t think I could ever go back, now that they know what I’m capable of doing.  VENTING IN CHURCH! Dear Venting:  I honor honest expression.  I want to know what you’re feeling, even when it’s hard to bear.  I encourage you to return to the scene of their crime.  Don’t worry about those old…hearts.  You don’t have to go back and make a positive impression.  You already are one.  Your life is a fragrant aroma to me.  Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-04-29T23:54:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/earth_day_would_float_noahs_boat/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/earth_day_would_float_noahs_boat/#When:02:10:00Z “The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world and all who live in it” Psalm 24:1 Noah would get Earth Day.  He built the first animal protection shelter.  He made the ark and then saw the arc God made.  He heard God say, “I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.” (Genesis 9:13).  In Leviticus, the Lord says to Moses, “…the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants.” (Leviticus 25:23).  Oh, I get it.  The earth created by God belongs to God.  We are guests here, not the owners. We get to enjoy it and we are expected to take good care of it.  This doesn’t seem radical.  This seems right. When I think of Earth Day, I think of two Christian concepts:  stewardship and compassion.  First, stewardship: we are to be faithful stewards of God’s creation.  In the language of Genesis 2:15, we’re to “work it and take care of it”.  We’re not just to “till it”, we’re also to “keep it”.  We’re to sustain and protect it.  As Rodney Romney says, “The problem is we think being fruitful means we can overpopulate, that subduing the earth means we can trample and waste it, and that having dominion means we can rule creation according to our own selfish, shortsighted whims.” We’re called to be stewards, not stupid. Second, when I think of Earth Day, I think of compassion.  The outcome of our environmental abuse affects people in this country and around the world.  I read this week that more than 5 million children (mostly poor) die each year from diseases related to the environment—asthma, dysentery, cholera, malaria and many more.  Bob Musil, a professor of climate change at American University in Washington, DC, writes:  “…the environment is not simply some lovely green thing outside of us, apart from us.  It is in us as well.  Every molecule passes through us, through the ecosystems that we are part of and which sustain us.  God made the whole earth.  God cares for all things.  Not just polar bears, but people, penguins and the penniless, bunnies and babies, lilies and the learning disabled.” The decisions we make everyday affect not only the air we breathe, but the grandbabies we love.  Our choices affect a precious child on another continent.  Let us look at the world and all who live in it with concern and compassion. What can you do for the sake of the world?  Plant a tree. Replace a light bulb.  Bring your own bag to the grocery store.  Don’t drive everywhere you go.  Clean up your community. Recycle.  Here’s one more:  use your own mug when you stop for coffee.  Each year, Americans throw away 25,000,000,000 Styrofoam cups.  500 years from now, the foam coffee cup you used this morning will be sitting in a landfill. The earth is the Lord’s.  What on earth are we doing? Dennis Lynn 2007-04-23T02:10:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/jesus_knows_me_this_i_love/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/jesus_knows_me_this_i_love/#When:02:29:00Z Debby was working her way through a stack of shopping catalogs her sister supplied.  Can you hear me say “Thank you, sister”?  I don’t think so.  Fortunately (an antonym of the original Greek word meaning “who ate the fortune?”), Debby is more of a spectator than participant—a frequent browser and occasional buyer.  Like a gentle fisherwoman, the fun is in the find.  She can catch and release with ease.  But back to the catalogs…every few minutes she would say to me, “Look at this” or “Isn’t this cute?” or “I NEED this”.  Most often, she was pointing out a purse or a wall decoration or a purse or a cat accessory or a purse…you get the idea.  (Because she is the primary editor of these articles, be assured I will not be mentioning the “p” word again.  I can already picture her slightly perturbed expression and cute pursed lips).  Oops.  Anyway, as Debby was glancing at items in a particular catalog, I heard her softly say, “That’s good.” I sensed an “early Genesis” inflection in her voice, like she had come across a creation of power and beauty.  She had.  The plaque simply stated the words in bold you’ve already read, “Jesus knows me, this I love.” I remember my profoundly theological and deeply spiritual response—“Wow!”. Jesus knows me.  I love that He knows me!  Inside and out, peaks and valleys, noble aspirations and shameful secrets—He knows me completely and loves me completely.  Like a good shepherd knows his sheep, He knows me (John 10:14).  Like another shepherd declares in Psalm 139, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.” I haven’t always felt comforted by the knowledge of His knowledge.  Knowing that He knew me made me squirm a bit.  I could fool everyone else, but not Him.  In the stillness of the night, as I thought about me in relationship to Him, it didn’t always feel good to realize He knew me.  My discomfort, sometimes approaching despair, was because I didn’t know how good He is.  I knew me, but I didn’t know Him.  Here’s the gospel truth:  the only thing that could possibly exceed His knowledge of you is His love for you.  Jesus loves me, this I know. Jesus knows me, this I love.  It is not flippant, it is faithful to gratefully proclaim, “Good God, He knows me!”. But back to the catalogs…Debby spied one other clever plaque that she may find appealing because of my previous “pursonal” comments.  It read, “I love you more today than yesterday…because yesterday I was really ticked off at you.” Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-04-16T02:29:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/scared_to_death_of_death/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/scared_to_death_of_death/#When:02:31:00Z A song by Sara Groves raises a meaningful question many of us relate to: “I have a friend who just turned eighty-eight and she shared with me that she’s afraid of dying.  I sit here, years from her experience, and try to bring her comfort.  I try to bring her comfort.  But what do I know?  What do I know?  I don’t know that there are harps in heaven or the process of earning your wings.  I don’t know of bright lights at the ends of tunnels or any of these things.  What do I know?  Really, what do I know?” Even when I am able to move from the daunting emotional dimensions of death, I still find myself with more questions than answers.  My faith in a loving and powerful God certainly helps me in the hopefulness department.  The resurrected Redeemer declares that death is no longer a dead end subject, but rather a transition from life as we know it to life as we believe it could and should be.  But the “unknown-ness” of death can remain unsettling.  Sara’s question lingers: “Really, what do we know?” One perspective that brings me a sense of peace is a more realistic sense of life--now and later.  Eternal life isn’t somehow disconnectedly distanced from us on this planet.  Eternal life is going on right now.  We’re living in a smidgeon of a second of eternal life. Wonderful and/or wretched, it flies by at warp speed.  Our earth-life is a part of eternal life, but it’s an infinitesimally, immeasurably small part of our forever life.  It’s a chapter in our personal story of eternal life, or perhaps just a paragraph.  Maybe just a breath.  The recorded message we hear as we approach the airport security line rings true in the big picture of an eternally connected life:  “You will be required to take off your outer clothing before you can pass through this area en route to your departure.” Before you are free to fly, you’ve got to shed your exterior stuff.  It’s just a covering, a cloak. It’s a cocoon.  Sure, you’ve gotten comfortable in your own skin, but before you can proceed to your final destination, you need to lose it.  As Maurine Waun says, “We are not bodies having a spiritual experience, we are spirits having a bodily experience.” It’s a whole new, holy new way to grasp the reality of a full, complete, eternal life. C. S. Lewis said it best:  “You don’t have a soul.  You are a Soul.  You have a body”. Don’t worry about my feelings.  If you want to stop reading these ramblings and just camp on what Clive Staples said, do it.  Here it is again—the perspective that changes everything:  “You don’t have a soul.  You are a Soul.  You have a body.” You have a temporary tent.  You’re walking around in a flesh and blood body bag that will eventually wear out and release the real, eternal you.  What’s real is what lasts.  You are a Soul. And now back to Sara’s song.  One more truth that sets us free: “What do I know?  Really what do I know?  I know to be absent from this body is to be present with the Lord, and from what I know of Him, that must be very good.” As we say in church, “Amen.” Dennis Lynn 2007-04-09T02:31:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/rich_thoughts_worth_mullin_over/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/rich_thoughts_worth_mullin_over/#When:02:32:00Z Rich Mullins was a talented, insightful, courageous musician for Jesus.  He wrote several songs recorded by Amy Grant.  One of his best-known songs that many of us sing is “Awesome God”.  Rich Mullins had great respect for the life and ministry of St. Francis of Assisi.  Along with several friends, Rich took a vow of poverty and was never really aware of how well his records sold.  The profits from his tours and album sales went to his church, which divided it up, paid Mullins a small salary and gave the rest to charity. After graduating with a degree in Music Education from Friends University in Wichita, Kansas, he moved to New Mexico and lived on a reservation, teaching music to Navajo children.  Almost ten years ago, September 1997, Rich Mullins was killed in an automobile accident on his way to a benefit concert.  Listed below are several statements he made during his ministry, worthy of our consideration and imitation. Never forget what Jesus did for you.  Never take lightly what it cost Him.  And never assume that if it cost Him his very life, that it won’t also cost you yours. I think if we were given the Scriptures, it was not so that we could prove that we were right about everything.  If we were given the Scriptures, it was to humble us into realizing that God is right, and the rest of us are just guessing. We never understand what we’re praying, and God, in His mercy, does not answer our prayers according to our understanding, but according to His wisdom. Yes, it’s embarrassing to be born again, but imagine how embarrassing it must have been the first time.  At least this time you get to wear clothes. We do not find happiness by being assertive. We don’t find happiness by running over people because we see what we want and they are in the way of that happiness, so we either abandon them or we smash them.  The Scriptures don’t teach us to be assertive.  The Scriptures teach us to be submissive.  This is not a popular idea.  I am a Christian, not because someone explained the nuts and bolts of Christianity to me, but because there were people willing to be nuts and bolts. We are not saved because we’re good.  We’re good because we’re saved.  Never forget what Jesus did for you. If you want a religion that makes sense, go somewhere else. But if you want a religion that makes life, choose Christianity. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-04-02T02:32:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_gospel_according_to_jon_carroll/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_gospel_according_to_jon_carroll/#When:02:34:00Z Debby and I look forward to reading Jon Carroll’s column in the San Francisco Chronicle.  He can be a bit irreverent, but he can also be exceedingly relevant.  Last Wednesday’s article was a good news message about grace, forgiveness and starting over.  After attending a memorial service filled with loving family members, he wrote: My assumption about the people at that memorial service was that they had a normal kind of family, which means there were strains and stresses and probably big blowups and harsh words and bad behavior—the things that make us human.  And probably there are scars that have not healed, will not heal… Don’t we all want do-overs?  Don’t we all wish that we could rewind the tape to certain key moments in our lives, and over-dub our lines or walk through the scene one more time, only this time with the wisdom of hindsight?  Don’t we all wish we could have done the better thing the first time around? We shouldn’t be too hard on ourselves.  We’re dealing with mysteries here, so no wonder we have a hard time figuring out what’s going on, particularly when it’s going at the speed of life.  But here’s what I’m thinking about:  It’s not too late.  Some people have died, but others live on.  They are waiting for our phone calls…They will want to hear what we have to say.  Even if they reject what we have to say, they will want to hear it.  Because later on, they will remember the words, and meditate on them, and then maybe they’ll make their own phone calls, and the whole grace thing will go around the world again, chasing the demons. Some of us need to forgive ourselves for being human and making mistakes.  C.S. Lewis said, “I think that if God forgives us we must forgive ourselves. Otherwise it is almost like setting up ourselves as a higher tribunal than Him.” God has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12) and He remembers them no more (Jeremiah 31:34).  We can’t change history, but at the altar of mercy, we can alter the future.  In Jesus, there are divine do-overs.  We get to begin again, forgiven forever. And then, as Paul reminds us, “Forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32).  C.H. Spurgeon pleaded, “Let us go to Calvary to learn how we may be forgiven.  And let us linger there to learn how to forgive.” Love covers a multitude of sins.  Embraced by God’s love, we are drawn to forgive the sins of others.  James Bryan Smith writes:  “Forgiveness is a gift God has given us to wipe away the sins of others, not only for their sakes but for our benefit as well.  Forgiving one another sets us free from the stifling grip of an unforgiving spirit.” Here’s a gospel message we can live with:  First, when you fall down, get up.  Second, when you look in the mirror and see a wretched sinner, look again through the blood of Jesus--you will always look different through the filter of forgiveness.  And third, the time to make things right with someone is right now.  Get the “grace thing” going. Dennis Lynn 2007-03-26T02:34:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/i_stay_near_the_door/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/i_stay_near_the_door/#When:02:36:00Z “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus,“is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:28-31 Sam Shoemaker is known by many as a co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, along with his good friend, Bill Wilson.  Sam Shoemaker’s poetic essay, “So I stay near the door”, contains this compassionate counsel: I stay near the door.  I neither go too far in, nor stay too far out; the door is the most important door in the world—it is the door through which men walk when they find God.  There’s no use my going way inside and staying there, when so many are still outside, and they, as much as I, crave to know where the door is.  And all that so many ever find is only the wall where a door ought to be.  They creep along the wall like blind men.  With outstretched, groping hands, feeling for a door, knowing there must be a door; yet they never find it…so I stay near the door. I admire the people who go way in.  But I wish they would not forget how it was before they got in.  Then they would be able to help the people who have not even found the door, or the people who want to run away from God.  You can go in too deeply, and stay in too long, and forget the people outside the door.  As for me, I shall take my old accustomed place, near enough to God to hear Him and know He is there, but not so far from men as not to hear them, and remember they are there too.  Where?  Outside the door. “I stay near the door.” Unashamedly in the world, undeniably not of it.  The challenge is keeping our head and heart and hands turned to God AND others.  This is no small thing.  This is the really important thing.  Jesus said there are no commandments greater than these!  We are wrongly turned when we face God with our back toward others.  There is a story told about a time when a sinner, a really bad sinner, a disgusting with a capital D sinner, fell into a pit.  Though he wanted to get out, he couldn’t.  A pharisaic fundamentalist came along and smugly said, “You deserve your pit.” A psychologist came along and said, “Accept your pit and be happy.” His family members came by and took turns saying, “When you climb out of this pit, you can come home” or “It’s your mother, father, brother, sister, spouse, etc.’s fault that you’re in the pit.” Respectable people from many respectable churches came along and said, “We’re sorry, but we don’t associate with pit dwellers.” But Jesus, seeing the man, loved him, and reaching into the pit, put his arms around the man and pulled him out. May we, with Jesus, stay near the door.  May we stay near Jesus, who is the door. Dennis Lynn 2007-03-19T02:36:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/why_god_runs/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/why_god_runs/#When:02:44:00Z Scot McKnight, in The Jesus Creed, offers an interesting perspective on the prodigal son’s return home.  When the younger son has run out of money, out of friends and out of luck in a foreign land, he turns toward home.  McKnight captures an intriguing intercept by the boy’s Father, a loving “Abba”.  “Another surprising feature of this parable is that the Abba is the first to notice his son’s return.  Some Bible scholars observe a Jewish custom between the lines:  when a son disgraces his father through sinful behaviors, runs away from him, and then later returns, the elders of the city take the young man to the village center and break a pot at his feet.  The broken pot is a legal act of banishment.  These scholars also think, in this parable, the Abba runs to his son so that he can prevent the really awful event he fears:  others banning him from the community if they reach him first.  So, the Abba sprints to the son and announces, ‘Quick!  Bring the best robe’.” What a painfully astounding possibility!  In Jesus’ story, the disgraced Daddy runs to meet his son with love and acceptance before the righteous leaders can get to him with judgment and rejection.  Might behavior like this explain the bumper sticker I saw recently:  “I like Jesus.  It’s his followers I can’t stand”?  What if, even today, there are gatekeepers at the doors of the kingdom whose focus is not on inviting all people in, but on keeping the wrong people out?  Searchers, skeptics, sinners longing to find their way home to the wide-open welcoming arms of God…but who get stopped by closed-armed, closed-minded, fearful, frowning saints who are more interested in protecting the church than being the church. What a picture—God scrambling to reach a broken, desperate, downtrodden child before some of His other children get there first and sabotage His plans for rescue and redemption.  His purpose is to bless; their plan is to banish.  May God forgive us when He has to race past us because He can’t trust us to love like He does. But here’s the good news for all of us prodigals: God is fast.  Really fast.  He can cover the distance between you and your sins in a heartbeat.  Even when you are a long way off, He’s got His eye on you.  He sees you before anyone else does.  You are His prize, His finish line, His goal.  When you turn and head for home, He brings home to you.  May we always walk (and run) in the ways of God.  May we never get in the way of God. Dennis Lynn Redwood Church 2007-03-12T02:44:00-08:00 http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_lord_loves_an_honest_lament/ http://www.redwoodchurch.org/index.php/daily_devotional/the_lord_loves_an_honest_lament/#When:02:51:01Z The refrain of a hymn from my childhood haunts me still.  The chorus entreated me to go forth “with a smile on my lips and a song in my heart.” For a long time I lived under the pressure of a false belief, a lie that defined a faithful walk with the Lord as sustained sugary spirituality. Nobody had to ask me if I had faith.  If they couldn’t hear the holy humming of my heartstrings, they could see it in my naively blissful countenance. Was my consistently delightful demeanor impressive?  Most of the time, surely so.  Was it personally dishonest and oppressive?  Sometimes, definitely so.  Though we might aspire to be enthusiastic, optimistic and joyful, there are times that only the clueless among us can plaster on an authentic smile and sing a rousing tune in their heart.  Lynn Anderson recalls a conversation of one woman struggling with doubts and darkness.  She confesses, “I can hardly stand to go to church.  Not that I don’t want to worship God or be around His people.  It’s just that everything sounds so positive.  They sing bright songs, preach upbeat messages, and smile so much—and seem to ignore the pain that must be sitting in those pews.  It makes me feel so outside of everything there, so disconnected.” Lynn adds his observation, “Sometimes the mood seems to be, ‘Don’t talk about negative stuff at church.  That won’t attract folks.  Let’s bring ‘em in.  Pump ‘em up.  And send ‘em out grinning’.” Sacred sorrow is as much a part of worshiping God as singing songs of loudest praise.  Michael Card observed, “Biblical lament never loses sight of God.  It’s always a prayer to God.  The character of lament for us is different.  We don’t mourn as those who have no hope.” He continues, “There’s an evangelistic piece of this that connects.  Jesus wept with people and entered into their suffering and confusion—that’s a piece that’s missing from our world…they’re hungry to see this side of us.” Some have said that over half of the Psalms are laced with lament.  Psalm 13 is the shortest of the lament psalms, divided into three parts:  a statement of complaint (verses 1 and 2); a cry for help (verses 3 and 4); and a statement of trust in and praise for God (verses 5 and 6).  In my Bible, I’ve written David on his face (verses 1, 2); David on his knees (verses 3,4); David on