Good News Sense

Last time, I wrote about the good news for all of us that we have a permanent home awaiting us. Since then, I have begun reading Madeleine L’Engle’s The Rock That is Higher: Story As Truth and her first chapter, “Story as Homecoming.” She wrote in the context of her hospital room far from home, following quite serious injuries in a car accident, and reflected on the truths in the stories of David, Daniel, and Jesus.

I have often noted how much people in hospitals and nursing homes want to be home. Twice my Mom spent time in nursing care, once following an accident and more recently after surgery. It was obvious how much she wanted to be in the familiar surroundings of her own house, even though, by this last time, she was living alone. In part, home is about seeing things that are your own, pictures of your own life, and a place that looks like it belongs to your.

Of course, as L’Engle notes, home is much, much more than that. Home is about relationships, about being with people you love and who love you. Home is about life, what Jesus described as life more abundant. Home is about oneness, unity, communion, communication, reconciliation, and not division, strife, and alienation. That’s why home is never quite here and now.

What a wonderful grace from God it is that we get glimpses of home; we have moments that are foretastes of eternity. Those are the times when we are truly joyful, even ecstatic; C. S. Lewis even wrote about it, calling it Surprised by Joy. One kind of preview for me is musical, but not just any music. When I get a feeling of heaven is, more often than not, when I hear a really exceptional choir. The voices sing in perfect harmony, the music is either a long-time favorite composition or is a newfound delight, and the sound of their singing is glorious. When I hear such music, I always want to sing!  Pipe organs have a similar effect.

Other experiences that give tantalizing hints of future bliss are excellent meals. For some reason, for me those are often German; I love wiener schnitzel, red cabbage, and hot German potato salad, and horseradish is an absolute necessity. I seem to find almost perverse delight in the sensation of losing my breathe from the unique heat that fresh horse radish provides and having just slightly too much. Is such a meal, somehow, a connection to my German heritage? Is that why it offers such a pleasant, homey afterglow?

We all get foretastes, and we all feel a sense of loss. We all look forward to things that we never quite accomplish. One of my former students published a blog with 70 things he wants to do before he dies. His goal is to live life fully, and if he remains focused, I expect he will live well. Still, I can guarantee that he will never achieve his complete list; and, in the unlikely case he does, he won’t be satisfied. Either his list will have changed (They always do!), or he will no longer be satisfied with his earlier dreams (We never are).

My list, once, would have included marriage, children, and by now grandchildren. It still would have a hope for really close friendships, something that has seemed to elude me. I have often imagined a spacious home where I could provide hospitality and entertain, a larger bank account that would permit greater generosity, and traveling to places with a least one close friend. I dream of doing other things, like starting a school for immigrants and refugees, indeed a large number of such schools in cities across the nation. Some of those things may happen; many will not. This world is not my home. Those wishes, hopes, dreams, and disappointments point ahead to Home, and it is there, waiting for us, sweet, good news.

(Republishing an earlier post that was lost, due to technical difficulties-JRW)

Today, I want to talk about two of my favorite words: grace and peace. For some time, I have been signing letters and emails with “shalom x 3” for the 3 directions of peace—with God, with other people, and within ourselves. Grace (Greek charis) is perhaps the most uniquely Christian word, in that it represents the thing that distinguishes the gospel from religion. In religion, people try to find their way to God through ritual, good works, or correct theology; people use religion to be “good enough” for God. In grace, God rescues those of us who know we can never be good enough; his generous favor, at the high price of His own son’s death, saves us despite our unworthiness.

I just read an article that brought these two words together in a way that especially appeals to the peacemaker in me. Here’s what Al Hsu had to say about grace and peace:

“Grace” or “Grace to you” sounded like the standard Greek greeting, but was infused with theological meaning. On the other hand, “Peace” was a Jewish blessing that sounds weightier in the Hebrew: “Shalom.”

Paul knew that many of his congregations were torn by factional strife. But he didn’t say, “Grace to you Gentiles, and shalom to you Jews.” Grace is not just for Greeks, and peace is not just for Jews. God’s desire was for the whole community to receive his grace and experience his shalom—not merely the absence of conflict, but the fullness of well being, harmony, wholeness, and life.

So Paul said, “Grace and peace to you.” Paul addressed Gentile and Jewish believers together, as members of one body. He wrote in continuity with their cultural and ethnic backgrounds, yet pointed to a new, countercultural reality. He combined a Greek greeting and a Hebrew greeting to create a distinctively Christian greeting.

Hsu goes on to suggest that other words might suit the divisions of our present culture, but I don’t believe any words can replace the power or importance of these two. Grace is the means by which God brings us into his family, one family not a multitude of bickering clans. Peace is the intent, the goal, and the blessing, not just for individuals to have inner serenity, but for all of us to enjoy the end of war and strife among us.

The Church of Jesus Christ could use more grace and peace. Our world, from the neighborhoods outside our church walls to the trouble spots like Darfur and Iraq, need to see the power of grace and the blessings of peace. In far too many of our families, grace and peace are missing, in a day-to-day display of God’s presence; therefore, too few folk get to see what genuine Christianity is all about.

The good news is that God hasn’t stopped being the God of grace and peace. Our shortcomings don’t prevent him from redeeming us, and they don’t keep him from renewing us. I take considerable comfort in that because I have plenty of shortcomings. Yet, because of his grace, I have peace with him, with other people, and within myself, and even more grace to deal with day-to-day needs. The news just couldn’t be much better than that!

The old saying says, “Home is where the heart is.” So, where is your home? I’m afraid, for many of us, our hearts are solidly anchored here, on the earth, in the present. Perhaps for those who don’t believe in God or an afterlife, materialism is their only choice, but believers should know better.

As the news reports daily of a crisis in the mortgage business, of people losing their homes due to borrowing too much money, and of banks facing their own crisis for loaning money unwisely, we need to ask, where is your home?

We have heard of the loss of farms in the same family for generations. I knew a man whose stepmother sold the family farm that he was to have inherited, and he had a nervous breakdown. In that community, the roads bear the names of families who settled there, families who still farm the same land. One such family thought they also owned the church their ancestor helped to begin. We might well have been asked them, “Where is your home?”

I recently had to move from the house where I had lived for nearly 20 years, longer than I had lived anywhere else. The move wasn’t my choice, and it was upsetting to leave that house. It wasn’t the best house, but it had been my home; I liked living there. Since then, I have asked myself, “Where is your home?”

I think I have a better appreciation for elderly folks, mostly women, who hang on to homes long past the time when they can still care for them or themselves. It’s hard to let go of the familiar and comfortable, especially if it has been filled with happy memories of a spouse, children, and grandchildren. Yet, many would be less lonesome if they moved to where there were others their age, perhaps even friends, where they could help each other.

The old song goes, “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passin’ through. My trophies are laid up somewhere beyond the blue.” Jesus said that he was going to prepare a place for us, in his father’s house where there are many mansions. Somehow, as the song continues, we should reach a point where we “can’t feel at home in this world any more!” Sometimes, I suspect the Lord permits extreme and even unpleasant things to wean us away from this world to prepare us for the next.

Whether God bless a Christian with a wonderful home and prosperous life or he permits harsher conditions, we are not permanent residents of this earth. Like the Tabernacle in the wilderness, we look forward to better provision and better accommodations; even the best here is not nearly as wonderful as what our God has waiting for us ahead. We are “strangers and sojourners” because we neither fit in nor find suitable homes here. Not only will we lose houses and lands, property that rusts and rots, and investments that lose value, but our very existence, the bodies we inhabit here, are temporary and dying.

Many fear death, even believers, and that is somewhat understandable. Even with the promises of Christ, physical death is often unpleasant and a transition to an unfamiliar place. Yet we have the promises of our Savior, who loved us and died to save us, going before to that place. The good news is that the one who cares for us is waiting for us there with luxury accommodations, a new and permanent home we will never have to leave.

Last time, I wrote about champions and referred to some of those who faced difficult challenges and prevailed. People often ask why God allows his children to suffer. I have wondered why certain unpleasant things happened to me, especially having served God most of my life.

I couldn’t help thinking about the three winners I mentioned—Kerri Strug, Lance Armstrong, and Dan Jansen. Their obstacles were injury, illness, and death, respectively. Would we honor their accomplishments as much if they had not suffered? As I looked for their stories, each of their names stood out, even though I had not been able to recall them (I have always had trouble remembering names). As I wrote yesterday, the images of their moments are burned into my memory, but I doubt I would remember any of them had they only won medals.

We’ll remember Michael Phelps because he has broken records, and perhaps the same would be true for Lance Armstrong. His 7 consecutive Tour de France victories are remarkable, but they are even more so, given his return to racing after overcoming cancer. At one point, he was not even expected to survive. He survived, regained his championship level of fitness, and then won the Tour de France from 1999 to 2005, giving hope to untold numbers of others facing cancer.

I have a new student, a 13-year-old who has struggled with learning problems. Many young people find learning less than enjoyable, but it is worse for those with limitations because their brains work differently. Yet, every child is unique and blessed with gifts, even if they are physically, mentally, or emotionally handicapped. Madeleine L’Engle was an only child with a sick father; she spent many hours alone and entertained herself with stories. As a result, she became a great storyteller. Famed inventor Thomas Edison, who said, “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration,” didn’t learn to talk until he was four. A teacher said that he was “addled,” ADHD might have been the modern diagnosis, but his mother home-schooled him.

Do you face a serious challenge? Does injury, illness, or death threaten to keep you from achieving your goals or fulfilling your responsibilities? Do you have a burden that weighs you down almost to the point of surrender? Does a cloud of sadness, sorrow, or uncertainty overshadow your life? Do you ask God, “Why?”

I have written previously that sometimes bad news is good. Remember the accomplishments of those I mentioned above, and countless others. Their achievements were not only greater in their overcoming, in many cases, success came directly a result of facing their troubles. Paul said, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” After being humbled, we can rise about our weakness through the grace of God. God provides the power, the strength, and the grace, but we must be willing to expend the effort, despite whatever hurdle we must overcome. Then our victory is all the more sweet.

We’re in the middle of the 2008 Summer Olympics, and we all have to be impressed with our own American champion Michael Phelps. He defines the phrase “best of the best,” with more gold medals than any other and more gold medals from a single Olympic competition. People have talked about his 10,000-calorie-per-day diet, which is amazing in that he works off so many calories. Most of us cannot even begin to identify with him as an athlete; and yet, as believers, we should.

In Philippians 3:13b-14, Paul writes, “(O)ne thing I do; forgetting what is behind me and straining forward toward what lies ahead, I keep pursuing the goal in order to win the prize offered by God’s upward calling in Christ Jesus.” This is the formula for a winning discipline, one clearly used by athletes such as Michael Phelps. Notice that discipline and disciple are cognates, based on the same root. What Paul is describing the commitment of a disciple, taken straight from athletic training, persistence, and even picking up after a defeat to try again.

I could list other athletes, some whose images stick in my mind—American gymnast Kerri Strug who went on to win despite an injured ankle, Lance Armstrong who fought cancer with the same determination and then returned to the Tour de France to win again, speed skater Dan Jansen who who finally won his Olympic gold medal despite the death of the sister who inspired him to compete. We all love our champions, but we love those who overcome obstacles even more. Theirs is like the ultimate victory of sinners who don’t let sin hold them back.

How does that happen? In our age, it may be harder for ordinary people to understand. Many of us no longer strive to rise above our challenges. Far too many come to see themselves as victims, defeated by circumstances, the evils of other people, and even their own failures. If only their luck was better, then they, too, might enjoy success.

Michael Phelps didn’t win 8 gold medals because he was lucky; he won because he never stopped pursing his goal. Did he face obstacles? On top of everything else, he faced a mental challenge, the one that every winner must overcome, the one that says, “How can I be the best when there are so many other great competitors?” I can barely imagine what it takes to become the best in the world, let alone the best ever. That isn’t luck; that is commitment, discipline, and unrelenting determination.

Christians aren’t competing with each other. We only need apply ourselves to the challenges God lays before us. Our prize is his, “Well done, you good and faithful servant.” Nevertheless, it requires a similar discipline and commitment, a rejection of the victim “I can’t” mentality, and a desire to strain forward and to press on toward that prize. The good news is that we don’t do it alone. Better than a coach, God is “at work in (us) both to will and to do according to his good pleasure.” Our job is to “work out (our) salvation with fear and trembling.”

I don’t think Paul was talking about being afraid of God; I think he was describing a sense of awe, not unlike what we feel when we consider an athlete like Michael Phelps. Our calling is to become champions in an even greater spectacle than the Olympics. Our contest is redemptive; when we win, sin is overcome, a sinner is delivered. Mark Spitz was the hero of an earlier Olympics, but a new champion has overshadowed his accomplishment. Our victories will stand forever; nothing will ever overshadow them, except the ultimate victory of the cross. We share in that victory, making our efforts all the more worthwhile.

Michael Phelps is a great champion.  We Michiganians can enjoy a bit of reflected glory, since he was a student at the University of Michigan.  Even better, we can achieve a greater glory and receive medals that will never tarnish or fade.  What could be better news than that?

This year we have heard lots of bad news about banks, mortgages, and the economy. The cost of food and energy have increased. If you listen, you will find it easy to worry about the future. The Democrats and their political allies in the media want you to worry and blame the President and and the Republican Party. That way you will be more likely to vote Democratic, forgetting that they have controlled Congress for the past 2 years, ignoring their own role in the crisis. For the Republicans, the fear is that, in election years as usual, the voters will blame the President, even for things that the President cannot control.

Should we be concerned about this financial business? As citizens, of course we should. Government had a significant part in causing many of the problems, but not necessarily the Republicans alone. Don’t forget who has held the majority. Big government advocates tinker with almost every aspect of business in this country. They interfere with processes that would often “self-correct” without that interference. They’ve been doing it for decades, long before Republicans had their brief stint of power; but Republicans aren’t innocent of tinkering either.

They also love to overtax people because they think they know better able to spend that money. At a certain point, this is not much better than theft, but legalized theft by the strong arm of the government. Many people accept or even approve this approach, thinking they will benefit from the government taking from some to give to others. What would Jesus have to say about all of this?

He already said it: “Seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things—food, drink, clothing, the necessities of life—will be given to you.” We don’t have to worry about whether we will have what we need if we put His kingdom and His righteousness first. That is first a message to each believer, but it applies, in principle, to government and society, too.

Of course, many American Christians have neglected this priority. They have become materialists with a tendency to look first to their investments and retirement accounts, or they look to government to give them bigger benefits—medical, Social Security, welfare. They give priority to earthly security and neglect their heavenly opportunities. Earlier in the sixth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, he records Jesus saying, “Don’t store up for yourselves wealth here on earth, where neither moth nor rust destroys and burglars break in and steal. Instead, store up for yourselves wealth in heaven where moths and rust do not destroy and burglars do not break in or steal.” Does this mean investments and IRAs are wrong? Is the government God’s enforcer to make sure the “rich” don’t stay rich? I believe God meant for people to use what they earn to provide properly for themselves and their families, but he doesn’t intend for earthly security to replace spiritual security. Abraham was a rich man, but he trusted God first.

The accumulation of wealth is what the tax and spend folks in government most seek to confiscate. I’m definitely not wealthy, but I still oppose redistribution. I cannot deny the damaging effect of wealth on faith and on hope. If you put your trust in riches, then the news today must threaten your confidence in a future based on them. The news is not better for those who look for security in the government, since those with power usually disappoint those who depend on them. The good news is that God provides regardless of economic circumstances, despite the interference of government, and even in the face of the most frightening enemy or danger. Make His kingdom and His righteousness your priority. He will give you everything you need, and bad economic news won’t trouble you nearly so much!

(Originally posted August 3, 2008)

Does God know when we’re struggling, afraid, doubting, guilty, or lonesome? Of course, he does. Jesus promised never to leave or abandon us, and nothing can separate us from His love. No matter where we go or what we do, He is there. No one of us is some distant stranger or anonymous servant; we are his siblings and his friends. He is the very best kind of brother and friend to us; he is aware of our situations, he knows what we need, and he is capable of providing it.

Last night, I decided to look up some Josh Groban videos on the Internet. One of my students’ foster parents had introduced me to his music, and I find it remarkably beautiful and compelling. I bought one CD and then gave it to a friend. I think I have another, some place, but I had to move recently; I have no idea where it may be, exactly. So, I Googled “Josh Groban video” and listened to the first song that popped up (Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up”).

The Lord has spoken to me recently through Madeleine L’Engle’s Walking on Water and Lee Strobel’s The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity, which I picked up at the church library because they “caught my eye.” I have already written about that elsewhere. Now “chance” led me to play this song that was unfamiliar to me. Given the song’s history and popularity, I don’t know how I had missed it till now, but I couldn’t miss it relevance to my life now!

You see, though I have trusted Christ as my Savior for most of my life, like everyone else, sometimes I still have doubts and fears. I have been in ministry of one kind or another for over 30 years, but that doesn’t insulate me from challenges and difficulties, or from heartache and pain. Just because I have chosen to write about “good news,” that I believe is to be found abundantly in Jesus Christ, doesn’t mean I easily or automatically apply what I know, all the time. In fact, the big challenge for me is to get what I know in my head, with absolute confidence, to trickle down to that stubborn heart, just inches away. In that light, the opening words of Groban’s song fit me well:

“When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.”

For me, the stillness isn’t always patience, and the silence is often prayerlessness. My doubt has been less in God than in myself; yet doubting that God cares is doubting God. Yet, while I may be sulking or simply closed within myself, He still comes; indeed, he was always there, just as he promised. The good news, here, the great news in fact, is that we don’t qualify to be raised up by being self-sufficient—good, strong, wise, or confident—we warrant his encouragement and provision by needing it. So, cast all your cares on him because he will take care of you.

“There is no life - no life without its hunger;
Each restless heart beats so imperfectly;
But when you come and I am filled with wonder,
Sometimes, I think I glimpse eternity.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.”

Tomorrow, part II will take this on into the redemptive power of love, not just God’s love, but the love of a godly parent, spouse, child, teacher, or friend to “raise up.” Hopefully, you will not only find this song a comfort, as I have, but a challenge. Stay tuned…

(lyrics of “You Raise Me Up” written by Brendan Graham)

One of my favorite passages is Matthew 18. Jesus begins by saying we must have the simple faith of children to get into heaven. Then he charges us to care for every child as if it were the one lost sheep of the flock. In the middle of the chapter, he commands that we go to the one who has offended us and seek, not expulsion but restoration; it is the foundational passage for Biblical peacemaking in which I have invested considerable time and energy. He finishes his message with the amazing idea that we should forgive others as often as necessary. When asked if 7 times is enough (How many of us have every forgiven another person even 7 times?), Jesus says, “No, not just 7 times but 70 times 7!”

God is the God of 70 times 7 chances, not just second chances. That is the ultimate in new beginnings. It means a fresh start, as often as we need it. He doesn’t command us to do more than he does, not by any means. That is good news beyond my comprehension because it is so amazing.

If you’ve visited here before, you may wonder what has happened. The familiar expression is “technical difficulties.” During necessary maintenance on the GNS website, we lost the blogs we had posted. I had most of them stored on my own computer, but I will have to re-post them. I saved some of them after I had finished editing. Others were just first drafts; those will need a bit more work. I can’t promise I will post in the same order, but that’s all right. Who knows what the Lord may reveal in the process!

If we haven’t met before, I’m Roger Wilson. I am the author of this blog called Good News Sense. I hope we have a nice long friendship. Mostly I will try to offer encouragement, good news to counter the unrelenting bad news in our world. I will share with you, from time to time, about the ministry of GNS, the Good News Station, and those who work to make it possible. I also hope to tell you about the good things that are happening in our community, especially the Lansing-area “Community of Christ.”

If you check at the bottom of each of these “posts,” you will find a button that says “comment,” I hope you will feel free to use it. We look forward to hearing from you.

(originally posted July 30, 2008)

A blog, short for weblog, can be many things from a personal diary to a commentary on news. As I begin a blog for GNS, the Good News Station, I will probably do both, as a day warrants, but I hope to maintain a sense, always, of the good news that comes through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A sense of promise, deliverance, and hope should always support and influence how we see the things of our lives, both personally and politically. If one believes, as I do, that God is sovereign over all His creation, then we should see His hand beneath, behind, and around everything that happens. Of course, people, believing and unbelieving alike, have pondered why evil and unfortunate events occur, but we should not allow our questions to obscure the truth. God is good, and He is patient. He hates sin, but He forgives sinners. He tolerates evil, but He has already defeated it. He has made promises that await fulfillment, but He will fulfill them.

Jesus promised never to leave us, yet we still feel alone and apart. He died for our sins, but we still must wrestle with sin’s power. He is, by right, and is not yet king in fact. He defeated death in His resurrection, but death still touches us for a little while longer. The news in this world seems ever more grim; still the good news of his deliverance is our sure and certain hope.

Perhaps, one of our biggest problems is that the incessant and persistent flow of information, increased by the technologies of publishing, radio and television broadcasting, cable and satellite transmission, and now the Internet overwhelm us. Who has the time to read, listen, or watch enough truth to balance those loud, persistent voices?

However, no matter how often we hear lies, truth is stronger. My desire is to supplement and reinforce the truth of the good news that you hear at church, read in the Bible, and perhaps watch on resources like GNS. One of my students recently asked me a question many have asked before, “Why do we only hear about the bad things?” It seems a perverse principle of our fallen human natures that what is ugly, unfortunate, strange, or terrible fascinates us. For many, it is a confirmation of John 3:19 that says, “Men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” As the media have learned and demonstrate: Bad news sells! Praise God that “light has come into the world!“

I hope you will come here often, perhaps even daily, to refresh you mind in the good news. Truly, God has provided us with an abundant source and an unending supply, and I will try to point it out to you. It will be good for me because I am prone to the same weakness, and I hope that it proves to be good for you as well.

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Who am I? I’ve been around the area for a long time. I used to broadcast on WUNN, Family Life Radio. I have been a teacher and substitute at New Covenant Christian and Lansing Christian Schools. I was a pastor for nearly 10 years in Leslie, I have preached in numerous area church, and I have served as an interim pastor in several of them. I have been a peacemaker with Christian Conciliation Service and served as executive director, most recently. Lately, I have become deeply involved with tutoring refugees and hope to start a school for immigrants. I post several other blogs, and you can find me on Facebook.