How to Subsidize Your Salvation

We attended several holiday theater events this year.

The Milwaukee Ballet performed one of their best ever editions of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker. Stunning music and choreography, true to the tradition. 5 stars, went to see it a second time.

And the Milwaukee Repertory Theater did just ok with a meandering,  somewhat morose take on Dickens' Christmas Carol. Adequate for 3 stars.

Before each event, an emcee politely reminded us that the cost of our tickets was subsidized. They didn't use those words,  but explained the price of the tickets would be far greater if not for generous contributions of commercial and private sponsors. The largest commercial sponsors were applauded and many private patrons named in the programs. Lead artists in the Nutcracker were personally sponsored by prominently named patrons.

And I appreciate that. As expensive as the tickets were - especially 7th row orchestra where I could enjoy the performer's facial expressions and hear musical nuances - we couldn't afford to attend if they were triple the cost or more. Many people would never experience the exquisite beauty of the Nutcracker if it weren't for these subsidies. The value is very real.

Its an easy way to think of our salvation.

The most commonly held view of heaven or life after death - in any global culture - is one of good outweighing bad. I will go to heaven after I die if I have been sufficiently good.
Deep down though, most self-aware people doubt that they are actually ahead on "good." And they're right.

The bible isn't as condemning or "judgmental" as many would like us to believe. It is honest, and it is fair.  It makes someone with a conscience squirm a little.

For the good: What is the measure of my kindness, generosity, compassion, mercy and forgiveness - as naturally expressed by me towards others? Including those who disagree with me?  That would trip up just about everybody during a presidential election cycle.  Plenty of ugliness, very little compassion on both sides of the debate.

For the bad: What is the measure of my personal pridefulness, selfishness, lust, wasted talent, laziness, greed, anger, intolerance (including toward spiritual diversity, or those who disagree with me).  I am tripped up by all of those at one time or another, some more than others.

I need a substantial subsidy to push my good past my bad.  Be honest, and you do too. We all do.  We know it, God knows it. The bible - and Christianity - don't condemn us for that, they recognize us for who we are.

The emcee at the Nutcracker didn't belittle me for accepting a subsidized ticket, he simply acknowledged the reality of it. They even gave away some tickets for free, all the beauty with none of the cost.  They want people to experience the joy and beauty of the theater. "We understand - you can't afford this - but we've provided a way." There is no shame in that.

You can sit in your theater seat and pretend you paid your way. But it's disingenuous.
If the full value were on the ticket, we would not get through the theater door.

The bible points out the need for a sponsor - someone to cover the cost of our sin. Someone's name next to ours in the program.  Jesus.  I am not ashamed to accept his saving grace.

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes. Romans 1:16

What do you believe?

Things got better when my boat motor broke...

Its easier for me to trust God when things are going well.
My faith tends to remain strong when I'm aware of the next 2 or 3 plausible alternatives where I know God can guide me through adversity. When I have to cool my heels without any clear outcomes ahead, I grow steadily uneasy and wary as each day or week ticks by.

Last summer I was fishing on a remote Canadian boundary lake with my daughter and son-in-law. We were three lakes away from our cabin....miles of big, open wilderness water plus one river passage and one rocky set of rapids.  I heard an unfamiliar rattling sound when I started our outboard motor a few times that day. Once started, the motor ran fine, and I made a mental note to check it later.

The fish stopped hitting so we wound or way back to camp, reversing the miles of open water, rapids and river passage. Later that same night my son-in-law and I trailered the boat to a smaller lake and caught a lot of bass. As dusk set in, I tried to start the motor and was rewarded with a loud clanging, grating noise under the cover. We soon discovered a damaged starter bracket. After much trial and error we cobbled together a start and nursed the boat back across the lake.

Things could have been a lot worse. Earlier that day we would have had a much greater distance to cover. No cell phone coverage and no other boats along the way, we would have been lucky to row back with many hours of back aching effort.  But things weren't great either, since we still had the better part of the week left to fish without our main motor.  Fortunately we had a small backup motor for the smaller lakes, so we kept busy and took our time enjoying those lakes. Then our cabin owners were able to rent a boat to us on the larger lake. Rather than venture too far with borrowed equipment that last day, we opted for a closer shoreline. That ended up being our best outing - catching more fish in a short period of time then we had anywhere else all week.

Looking back, we had a wonderful trip with fantastic fishing. But in the moment, we had broken equipment, "limited options" and were "forced" to fish along a shoreline we would have otherwise passed up.

Our family has had several significant health challenges in the past two years that have not quickly resolved.
The longer things linger unimproved, the less confidence I have in God's sovereign power. Slowly, my capacity to appreciate simple daily joys erodes and sometimes I simply determine that God won't, or can't, intervene in any positive manner.  I don't doubt God being God - but I do question (resent) the wisdom of his non-intervention in more helpful ways. And so I am no different than most.

But that's what it was like in the wilderness last summer.  I didn't even realize our motor needed repair - looking back, what an unknown blessing that it held together and we were not stranded. And though I didn't welcome an alternate plan/boat - we had some of our best memories together as a result.

A fishing trip doesn't begin to compare to health or other family struggles where we wait on God.
Of course not, and I'm the first to get that.

But right now, this has helped to remind and encourage me -- that I can't see around the corner for what God has in mind. That even in the midst of unresolved adversity, there can be blessings, even joy. It doesn't mean everything gets fixed as fast as I want.  But maybe the timing is better than it could have been. And maybe we'll travel to a different shoreline of experience that we might have otherwise roared past wth the big motor. Its not the way I would have planned it. But God is at work in our lives even when we don't see or sense Him.

Psalm 62: 1-2
My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my Stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

What do you believe?

I can't imagine heaven without...

I was surprised by what a friend said at bible study recently.

He said, "I realize my brother-in-law isn't a Christian, but he's a good guy and I can't imagine him not being with us in heaven. We would all be missing something without him there."


My friend has otherwise consistently explained the redemptive role of Jesus with clarity when he's said, "you can't earn your way to heaven, because its about faith, belief in Jesus, and what he did on the cross."

Amen to that. So, why this other, seemingly inconsistent reference to his brother-in-law? If not through good works (you can't 'earn' heaven), and not believing in Christ, how else will his brother-in-law find his way to heaven?

We all hold what I call a sentimental, heartfelt hope for unbelieving friends and loved ones, past and present, to be in heaven with God's peace.

But trying to put our personal spin on heaven is just the tip of a spiritually drifting iceberg.

The companion conversations start with,

"I can't believe in a god that would ______"
or alternatively,
"I would only believe in a god that would _____ "

A god.  A god as defined by personal beliefs or morality.

That is actually the start of a healthy conversation. Tell me more about that god. One of many gods? Sovereign over all others?  Accessible via prayer?  With a shared plan for all people to see?
These are all fair - and to me at least - interesting questions to raise and debate.

Its a debate because you can't genuinely reconcile these personally defined gods with God as we understand Him from the bible.

Our sentimental, heartfelt desire to say that heaven "wouldn't be the same without....." is natural.
But if God is truly the the sovereign Creator of all things, all powerful and worthy of praise and worship...then it may be that all our earthly personal relationships and life experiences fade in the light of His glory. And maybe the infinitely magnificent attributes and elements of God transcend even the most intelligently constructed (and convoluted) boundaries of our human attempts to define and shape Him to our expectations.

Of course we can't specify whom God has gathered to himself across the ages, or whom he has not. Its His call.  Surprises ahead!

That said, Christianity is confident to explain with surety the clear path that God himself has declared in the bible:  forgiveness of our sin, redemption and eternal life is through Jesus. And for our loved ones, those who believe in Jesus, there is no sentimental hope of heaven required. We can know. 1John 5:13

A believer in this God can best show their concern and compassion for loved ones by sharing what we know to be true of Him.  They'll hear plenty of other options - perhaps even create a few of their own.

What do you believe?

Safe sailing in a foggy harbor !

The weather changed abruptly several times during our sail on Lake Michigan last evening.

While we were raising the mast and getting ready to launch, the temperature dropped suddenly and then just as suddenly warmed up again, all within a few minutes. We had been tracking a passing rainstorm, so we continued to watch the cloud bank carefully.

After motoring out from the harbor slips, we came upon several larger boats which had not yet hoisted their sails. We were puzzled by their delay. Usually these larger boats simply motor out to open water while raising their sails. There is less sideways tension on the sail if you are steering directly into the wind. Less tension makes it easier to hoist (pull) the halyard sheet (rope) through the pulleys.

Then we looked offshore to the horizon - or what had been the horizon.
The fast temperature drop and subsequent rise of humid air had created a quickly growing shroud of fog. This was the first time we had been out on the water in the midst of fog cover.

It was initially disconcerting.
We could see pretty well for about  200 - 250 yards on all sides.
That kept us safe from the 3 nearby ships, but unaware of who, or what else might be coming our way.  Without our sail raised yet, we could not easily navigate out of harms way, should another boat come at high speed.

Then my first mate (also my bride!) started to think more clearly.
"Use the compass on your fancy wristwatch and get our bearing."

Ah, smart. No radar on our vessel, but a basic compass was sufficient.
We quickly surmised what was probably on all 4 sides of us - even what was unseen.
We had only ventured an eighth of a mile from the harbor slips, so that was a reference due west.
That put one concrete harbor wall to our south, the main breakwater was east, and a lot of open water to our north.

Good deal.
With that, we decided to raise the sail. We agreed to sail conservatively in an area where we would recognize landmarks as we came upon them, and that gave us a reasonable 200+ yard margin of visibility to see and negotiate other boats venturing into our space.
We would not go all the way out into the open water of Lake Michigan where the fog could surround us on all 4 sides with no visible references. Without sophisticated radar, that would be asking for trouble.

So we enjoyed cruising the breeze, and at one point began to hear a distant, booming horn. Then it got progressively closer. It could only be the high-speed car ferry coming across the big lake from the Michigan side. Sure enough, within minutes, a large, ghostly form began to take shape on our fog-shortened horizon. We had already navigated our way out of what we knew to be its usual heading to shore, and watched it materialize and power safely past us. Glad we had planned accordingly!

Later, as the temperature and humidity evened out, the fog lifted more. The city skyline broke through the top of the cloud bank and many large sailboats appeared further out from shore!
It was fun to know that we could navigate the unseen - with a compass and a few basic reference points - and still enjoy a beautiful, warm breeze and the noisy slap of friendly waves.



Now you'll know why I smiled at my daily bible reading this morning:
"For we live by faith, and not by sight."  2 Corinthians 5:7

I read the news and listen to TV reports of many jumbled and broken lives.
Its as though people - and cities and universities and nations - are plunging through a fog of issues and challenges. But there is no common compass or shared reference. So they bang into each other - and us - and take no responsibility for their own sense (or lack) of direction. Its a mess, and they seem irritated with offers of help.

And there is help. We do have a common compass that everyone can turn to.
The bible makes north, south, east, west as clear as the fancy watch on your wrist.

All of us in the harbor yesterday had the same frame of reference. It was not relative to what we thought it "should be" in "our interpretation."  God's direction is not relative to a person's perspective, it is the reference for perspective.
East is east. West is west.
You want to know that with surety when the immovable car ferry bursts through into the harbor.

I didn't bristle at the suggestion of a compass yesterday. I was glad. In fact, I was able to go about more freely, with more confidence. Still...somebody else could have chosen to ignore basic navigation and wiped us both out.  We can't keep the compass to ourselves - sharing it will make things safer for everyone to navigate -- and enjoy the breeze together!

We navigate by faith, and the reference is truth.

What do you believe?

Mix Part A with Part B

I bought fancy, self-molding ear plugs for target shooting.

They come in a package with two small packets of separate ingredients. Both were sticky and slimy.

The directions instructed me to mix them thoroughly before shaping them into the actual ear plugs. They would form-fit in my ears and then dry into that shape.
The writers admonished me at least three times to mix BOTH ingredients.
"Do not use separately"
"Product will not work if not mixed according to instructions"
"Unsatisfactory results if not used together."

I got the idea.

On the one hand, it was humorous. On the other, experience must have shown them that buyers would either not pay attention, or not understand without very clear directions.

We're seeing this same confusion over spiritual matters in our culture.
People go to church without claiming, or perhaps wanting to claim, Jesus' redemptive role in forgiveness and salvation.
Secular folks refer to select bible morals while refusing to acknowledge an encompassing, God-originated plan.

Do not use separately. Unsatisfactory results if not mixed together.

At times it seems almost humorous. Convoluted spirituality claiming Jesus as a "good man, if he existed" and the bible as "inspirational, though generally flawed." But the humor has taken an ugly turn as governments and public institutions encourage intolerance uniquely targeted at Christians (i.e. leave your faith at home or lose your job in the USA. Leave the country or die in the middle east.)

We need to more clearly and candidly help people through the process of getting to know God's love with all the ingredients. The bible called this discipleship.

Coming into a relationship with God through Jesus does not make someone a one-size-fits-all robot. Like my high tech ear plugs, there are basic Christian foundations that can't be ignored or it doesn't work -- at the same time, they allow the unique form and fit of the user. That's why it is called a personal relationship with Jesus. God loves the unique and spirited heart of every believer.

Like the clever ear plug manufacturer, God went to a lot of trouble to put simple, clear instructions into our hands via the Holy Scripture. Supreme and sovereign wisdom must have led Him to understand that people would need a user manual...

We need both, a spiritual connection to God through Jesus, mixed with the readable and actionable encouragement of His plan.

Do not use separately. Unsatisfactory results if not mixed together.

What do you believe?

Grab my hand!

"Grab my hand!"

I had a jumble of feelings coursing through me.
Fear, panic, frustration, embarrassment...

Embarrassment? How did that fit this picture?

"Grab my hand!"

I was balanced precariously on the rock face of a cliff in Ontario, Canada.
Everything had been fine during the boulder scramble from our beached canoe's to the cliff base. Then things grew progressively worse as the wall pitched nearer to vertical. Easy hand and footholds gave way to polished granite and slippery sand.

The embarrassing part was that my friends had already navigated this section and were looking down from a slim ledge beyond this chute. One had come back to talk me through.
I didn't think I could reverse course. I had already stretched past a tiny outcrop that now looked much smaller below my feet. My current hold was tenuous and slippery. This next move up was paralyzing me - if I couldn't get past it, I would truly be in a very, very dangerous spot.

"Grab my hand!"

I heard my friend, but it had not yet occurred to me to trust him.
He was right there. He had a solid purchase and was bigger than me. He had already gotten through.

But this was a new spot to be in. I was used to being the leader, confident of next steps, able to see my way through. How could I know that this hand up would truly save me from this miserable situation.  From my own fear and panic?  And what, I thought miserably, if it only got worse?

I grabbed his hand.

He pulled me through. We all made the rest of the way up together. Helping each other and growing closer as a result. And not one of these guys every chided me for my fear. Not then, not ever.

Everybody is afraid of something at some point. Something that paralyzes our ability to move forward. Often there is a hand held out right in front of us.
It's a friend, somebody we know, saying, "Grab my hand!"
And we ignore it, looking below, looking to the right and left.
How can they possibly have the answer that I haven't already thought of myself.

I experience this more and more as the years go by and I watch family and friends struggle. They have gotten to a juncture in life that frightens them. Below or behind them are broken relationships, muddled careers, maybe an unexpected health challenge. Here they are, holding precariously to a philosophy or spirituality that they've associated or credited with their forward progress to this point.

But its not giving them the courage or hope or confidence to keep going.

"Grab my hand!"

We tell people about Jesus. Saving Grace. Peace with God. The comfort of fellowship and support.
No accusers. No ridicule. Other people who had fears and misgivings.
Forgiveness, healing.

"Grab my hand!"

I can see many people - even friends, family - look right past me.
How can this guy know something that they haven't already thought of?
Some are even embarrassed to admit it. They're confident, self motivated. Independent.
And I see myself thinking the same thing on that cliff in Ontario - looking right past my friend and his hand.

But then I reached out - not yet knowing for sure the outcome, but fully understanding the consequences of doing nothing - and he saved my life that day.

That's what Jesus will do.

What do you believe?

That Long Hard Walk to the Cross...

Man, was I suffering this morning!
I was scheduled to play guitar at an earlier-than-usual service time at church.
We were out late for dinner Saturday night, so I had not yet organized my sheet music or written down key signatures - it takes some hunting to track down 11 songs.  But I could squeeze it in before breakfast.
Then I overslept, making it that much more rushed to have coffee and toast before packing up the guitars and heading out for a quick pre-service rehearsal with the music director.
And...cold?!!  Minus 2 degrees before windchill.
Plus...!    My bride, who usually carries the heavy music bag, was driving separate, so I had that AND two guitars to carry in.
Then - of all days - there was a water main break and I couldn't park anywhere near the side entrace to the church. I mean, I was out in the boondocks....at least 30 yards away, and walking into a miserable artic polar blast.

I looked at that distance, felt the heft of the weight of my guitars and music - shuddered at the freezing wind - and muttered something about the sufferings of a poor, unloved volunteer church musician.

That took about a second, and then something else got my attention.
I looked at the distance again - and figured I would cover it in about 2 - 3 minutes, tops.
On my way into the nice warm church where we have this beautiful cross in the sanctuary.

It made me think about this other guy.
Much longer walk, through filthy streets and crowds - dragging an actual cross, not a puny figurative one.
Not heading to a nice warm refuge - He knew it was only going to get worse. A lot worse.
Nails in the hands and feet. Spear in the side. Taunts from the selfish, prideful, ill informed and haters.

Yeah....I must have blushed in my embarrassment, because my face felt warmer for a moment.
Then I shook it off and headed inside to church, feeling much less sorry for myself with each step.

We had a fantastic worship service. Made some really good music. Looked up at the cross.
Thanked Him again - I know too well that I am not worthy of His sacrifice - but He is worthy of my praise.
And I am blessed, in Jesus' name, Amen.

What do you believe?