Oxygen Mask

Do flight attendants realize they are delivering Biblical lessons during portions of their pre-flight safety demonstration?

When Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is, He responds first with “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,” followed by “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:28-31).

The second part of His answer always struck me as interesting. A lot of people probably read the verse, and think, “Yeah, gotta go do something good for someone today.” But the implication is that we can’t truly love someone else until we love ourselves first. Not in a selfish, arrogant, narcissistic sort of way; more like a comfortable, knowledge-is-power, confident sort of way. Once we address and overcome our own difficulties and problems, then we can help guide other people through similar issues.

But we can’t do that until we take a long, honest look at ourselves and our own shortcomings, and deal with them. We’re all blinded by the big, honkin’ logs in our eyes, and they need to be removed before we focus on the specks in everyone else’s (Matthew 7:3-4). Nobody can remove them for us. We each need to recognize the size and shape of the plank, and choose to remove our own.

For years, I urged my mother to address a particular problem of hers, and sometimes the urging got harsh. Although the intent was good, my method of delivery was definitely not. I knew I was right, and selfishly wanted to control the situation and her. Once God showed me my total lack of control, I began to approach the situation with a little more peace. Only then did she cautiously begin to listen to what I tried to say.

We can supply life and hope in the midst of pain and panic and confusion if we have loved ourselves enough to admit, confront and address the our own sins and the issues keeping us separated from God. Which is why we need to continually work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, not some one else’s (Philippians 2:12). And why we need to be eager to make our own calling and election sure, not someone else’s (2 Peter 1:10).

After all, when the oxygen masks drop from the overhead compartment due to a loss of cabin pressure, who’s mask is supposed to be adjusted and secured first, before assisting others?

Training Tips

Those of you who read this blog back in February might remember something about me running a marathon. That was 5 months ago, so here’s an update: the race is still not until July 11th. It’s been a long time coming. But in the time I’ve been training, I’ve learned a lot, not only about how to be a better runner, but how some of those same lessons apply to my journey as a Christian.

I’d like to think the changes in my life over the past 5 months are a little more profound than burning so much energy that I eat like a teenager again and doubling our food bill. The preparation and training for this long distance race are similar to how we should all be practicing as Christians to meet our ultimate goal of crossing the finish line into heaven. So here’s a list of some training tips I’ve learned:

1. Verbalize your goal, out loud and by yourself. Then tell someone else, and then someone else. After a while, even the craziest sounding goal begins to seem reasonable.

2. Find people who understand your goals and will encourage you along the way.

3. Plan your life around what you need to do to meet your goal, not vice versa.

4. Accept the fact that there will be setbacks, and you probably will get hurt. See #2. And keep going as best you can.

5. Pace yourself. Burning out makes it 10 times harder to get going again.

6. How well you do is based entirely on your effort, commitment and perseverance, not somebody else’s.

7. If you want to get better, you’ve got to struggle up some steep hills.

8. You won’t get to the top of the hill by coasting down. See #7.

9. Don’t compare your results to the results of others. It’s your race. See #6.

10. Celebrate your accomplishments along the journey. Even if they seem minor, they are steps toward something major.

OK. Maybe my list seems obvious, slightly corny, or both. But I have come to believe that Roger Banister, the first person to run one mile in under 4-minutes, was on to something when he said “Running helps us do other things better.” Maybe running isn’t your thing, but we are all on a long journey. Even if you never plan to run a marathon, you are still in training for that journey, and need to “train yourself to be Godly” (1 Tim. 4:7).

What's that kid with the purple head saying?

I looked blankly at the kid with the purple head. He looked blankly back at me. And in the silence, he spoke loud and clear.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be a guest teacher at the local children’s museum as part of its after-school science class for kindergarteners and 1st graders. I planned to teach the kids some basic concepts about sound and acoustics, since it’s my job. I thought I had a perfect class ready for young kids. Cool sound demonstrations. Making music with rubber bands. Finding out who was the loudest kid by letting them yell for all they’re worth. But thanks to a scheduling mix up, 3rd and 4th grade boys got tossed into the class mix.

Not being ready for that kind of disparity, disaster ensued. The older boys produced a steady stream of complaints. “We’ve done that already.” “We’ve seen that already.”

And my personal favorite: “Uh, mister, that kid’s head is turning purple.”

A kindergarten boy had taken one of the rubber bands – one that would fit a small town newspaper weekday edition, not the New York Times Sunday edition – and squeezed his head through it up to his forehead. The elastic was so tight, everything above it was purple melon majesty, above his face so plain.

Even though he said nothing, I got the message.

In 1 Timothy 4:12, Paul implores us to be an example “in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” Paul mentions speech once in that list of five. That means about 80% of everything you communicate to people is potentially non-verbal. An angry look. The offer of a handshake. A smile. A turned back. A quiet confidence. Restless hands or feet. An overly eager nod or a slow shake of the head. All those actions, and hundreds of thousands more, provide clues to those around us about where our heart is, and offer a glimpse into our state of mind.

Therefore, 80% of our witness as Christians is non-verbal, too. Everything we do, everything we think, everything we like and dislike, and what we do in our spare time is all on display at one time or another. Behavior springs from belief, and demonstrates what is and what is not important to us.

It will not matter how eloquently we talk about Jesus if our actions do not jive with His teachings. People intuitively know when our words and our actions do not align, and they will turn away.

And if someone who’s watching you crams a rubber band over their head, trust me, you’ve lost them, even if they never say a word.

The Brook

The Brook’s aura said it should not be trusted. As the outlet of Bartlett Pond near White Horse Beach, this wily stream of warm water cut through the sand on its way to the frigid, clear waters of Cape Cod Bay. Murky-brown, eel-infested, prickled with broken glass, and polluted with strange substances beyond identification; or so our parents claimed.

My grandparents spoke of a time years earlier when the Brook flowed freely through the sand on its way to the ocean, and carved a different path every year. This was the root of the Brook’s sinister reputation because every year, its snaking path put people’s cottages in danger. Owners would arrive each spring to open cottages for the season, nervously wondering where the Brook would be. Sometimes it went straight out to sea. Sometimes it doglegged right. Sometimes it whipsawed left. Some years, they would find the Brook dangerously close to the cottage foundations, eating away and destabilizing the sand nearby.

Finally one year, the cottage owners banded together to stop the Brook’s meanderings. Huge boulders were brought in by the Army Corps of Engineers to form a permanent channel to force the Brook down a specific path toward the ocean and away from the cottages, denying the possibility of future mischief.

Where does your mind go when you let it run free? Scheming up ways to deceive? Focusing wistfully on past relationships gone bad instead of the one you’re in now? Dwelling on situations that have hurt us? Planning for revenge? Conspiring to gain control? Devising insults to be ready for the next time a certain person comes up in conversation? These types of thoughts pop into our heads pretty frequently, if we are honest. Although some ideas may seem alluring and appealing, they could begin to destabilize our lives if we let them wander unchecked.

Instead of letting those murky, questionable thoughts course freely though our minds, we need to “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5b). To do that, Paul implores us to focus on “whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (Philippians 4:8). In other words, focusing on Jesus and His teachings channels the weird thoughts away, and prevents them from destabilizing our lives.

Sean . . . . LIVE!!

I greatly appreciate the chance to write about deep thoughts and questions, like:

• When do we most feel God's presence in our lives,
• How can we be good, Godly examples, and
• Can Sean actually fit into a size-small 3-piece suit that cost $7.50 at Goodwill and flop around on stage without the pants splitting in front of a church full of people while lip-syncing the most horribly terrific version of O Holy Night ever recorded?

Jim Valvano said “To me there are three things everyone should do every day. Number one is laugh. Number two is think -- spend some time time in thought. Number three, you should have your emotions move you to tears. If you laugh, think and cry, that's a heck of a day.”

So to help you have a heck of a day, I humbly submit the following video of my, ahem, "performance" during our church's Cabin Fever Follies recently, so that you, too, can laugh, think and cry - probably simultaneously. I'm the tall guy in the suit; my friend Steve is playing the air keyboard. I found the song on the web a few years ago, and it's been love ever since. A Christmas staple at our house. A special thanks to Steve Mauldin for making the original audio recording years ago that has brought so much laughter, tears and thoughts to so many.

Marquee

Who is wise?

He will realize these things.

Who is discerning?
He will understand them. (Hosea 14:9a, NIV)

If you are wise, you will know and understand what I mean. (Hosea 14:9a, CEV)

Qualifying

Kristin arched her eyebrow when I told her. Now, I’m telling you, too: I’m going to run a marathon this year, which by itself is a lofty goal. But, I don’t want to just complete the 26.2 mile race. I want to run it fast enough to qualify for one of the most prestigious marathons in the country, the Boston Marathon. There. I said it.

My wife remembers my last marathon all too well. Eleven years ago, my friend Jeff convinced me to run in the Rock n’ Roll Marathon in San Diego. As I staggered across the finish line, my legs felt like I was dragging them through wet cement, and my skin color melded seamlessly with my soaked white shirt. My legs hurt so bad, I walked backwards for three days, and I avoided stairs like the front pew in the Sanctuary. Whatever I had done for training did not prepare me for the actual race, and I paid dearly for it.

But as Paul said in several references relating the similarities of physical training to spiritual training, I am starting by “forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead” (Philippians 3:13). I’m ready to go into strict training, preparing to “run in such a way as to get the prize” (1 Cor. 9:24).

My qualifying race is not until July, but preparation starts now. To achieve my marathon goal this time will require sustained focus, dedication, determination, discipline, patience, perseverance, sacrifice and commitment on my part, not to mention the support and encouragement of others.

Sound familiar? If not, then maybe it’s time to pay closer attention to those sermons on Sundays, especially the parts about how to live like Christ. Being a Christian is not a spectator sport. God calls for active participation, and that participation requires preparation.

Come July, I want to be so prepared that I will be sure of qualifying for Boston. Physically, I need to start increasing the miles I run and my speed. In my spiritual life, I want to be so prepared that my eternal calling and election will be sure (2 Peter 1:10), and to do that, I need to improve my prayer life. Over the next four months, I plan on making strides to improve both physically and spiritually.

What about you? What are the goals for your spiritual life to draw closer to God? How are you going to “train yourself to be Godly” (1 Tim. 4:7)?