Yesterday the Mega Millions Jackpot was at a record high- somewhere in the neighborhood of $650,000,000.  Lines to buy lottery tickets stretched out the doors of the local Shop Rite and around the building! The scene was similar all around the country. It was a frenzy!  There was no escaping the hot topic of conversation; everyone was talking about it from newscasters to my walking partners: "What would you do with 600 MILLION DOLLARS?"
Translation: What would you do if you could do whatever you wanted?
This is a big question! After we go through the list of 'things we would do:" Pay off debt, buy a bigger house(s), or a car(s) or  a corporation, or an island... (come on, you've thought of escaping to your own private island!) And after we go through the list of who we would chose to help (or not) and charities we would choose to fund (or not)... maybe feed some starving kids, or do something to help the homeless, or dig a bunch of wells for people in Africa... pick your possibilities...
                                                                                                            Then what?
What would you do if you could do anything you wanted?
I suspect that for most folks, there are very few negative things on those lists of "things."  I can't envision many of us deciding to buy weapons of mass destruction or 20 boxes of machine guns with our mega millions.  And while most of us do long for 'world peace' at some level, we are more concerned with individual freedom.  We want to have the means to be able to live out our dreams.  We want to be the people we hoped we would grow up to be when we were young and perceived the world as an open door; people who could change the world! And although we may no longer  want to become astronauts, or  rock stars, or ballerinas, we do yearn for the feeling of "you can do anything" that those dreams brought with them. 
So maybe a better translation of "what would you do with $600,000,000" is: "What would you do with complete freedom to be everything you could be?"

Becoming the people we hoped we would be, or better, who God has designed us to be, when it comes  down to it, has very little to do with money, houses, private islands or being a ballerina.   It has more to do with how we see ourselves.  And if we are honest, most of the things on our 'to do' list (barring the purchases) are within our reach.  We may not be able to fund the digging of a well in Africa, but we can donate old coats to clothe the homeless.  We may not be able to  obliterate hunger, but we can buy a box of pasta for the local food pantry.  And while we may not be able to bring about world peace, we can certainly treat our neighbors a little better... maybe do a better job at caring for each other... maybe look less at what is not in our own hands, and instead notice the hands reaching toward us with needs greater than we can imagine.  (Sadly, we don't have to look very far to find someone who needs help)
Actually, if everyone who bought a mega millions ticket yesterday helped one person for each ticket they bought-  or spent the amount of time that they stood in line, instead helping their neighbor, we would be on our way to bringing about the kind of changing the world effect we dream about... we already have the freedom to become who we were meant to be, and we don't even have to buy a ticket to win.
Just food for thought...

Yet another Lenten season is upon us.  Last night  one of my congregants remarked that every year he comes back to the same question: "What is Lent all about?"  He also said that in previous years there have been times when he felt like he "got it," but it seems like a new challenge every year.

True enough! Each Lenten season brings its own unique 'wilderness' experience; primarily because (in theory), we are not in the same place we were last year.  In fact, if we have been journeying with God for 12 months, (or 12 minutes) we are undoubtedly changed in some way on the inside.  And since I am not the same as I was last year, how can I expect the Spirit that lives in me to allow a mere repeat of a previous experience? And, if this journey is to last the rest of my life, should I not expect to grow in new ways each season?

So for this year, in an effort to allow the Spirit to move in my life, I am going to try something new.  Instead of giving up something for lent, or denying myself the things that I believe keep me from experiencing God, I am going to explore the idea/concept, of a clean heart.  In other words, what would it mean for me to drop my expectations and desires of who and what I want God to be, and just let God be God? What if I went into lent this year with the belief that wherever God is calling me, or in whatever "wilderness" I find myself,  whatever God is leading me to do- that I trust that it is the Spirit that put me there... and that She has, and will have my back?

Yet  in order to do that, I have to be willing to embrace the truth; that God truly is powerful enough to have cleansed me of anything that I would use an an excuse to keep the Spirit captive within my brain space.  I would normally think of this as my 'giving permission' for the Spirit to move- but that still keeps things under my control.  Instead, I am going to try a paradigm  shift.  I am going to try to adopt the notion that the Spirit of God is truly bigger than my willingness (or lack thereof) to accept or reject Her. 
God help me... I can't wait to see 'what Lent is all about' this year!




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The other night at Bible Study we got into a discussion about weight loss (UGH!). It's a subject that seems that continually scream for our attention.  Many people in the room have gained and lost weight many times, and are just so tired of feeling like failures when it comes to maintaining their perfect weight.  (In the words of 'Fat Bastard', a Mike Meyers Character from the Austin Powers series "I eat because I'm unhappy, and I'm unhappy because I eat")

But when we dug a little deeper, we  spread that feeling of failure is not only pervasive in all areas of our society, but it is also crafted and implemented intentionally. 
We live in a society that depends on us not being "ok" with our appearance, our weight, our cars, our homes, jobs, government- you name it! It needs fixing!
Our economy thrives on this thinking.  If we can be made to feel like we have a problem, well, then that problem can be fixed by any number of products and/or ideas.  And what's more, there is no shortage of people to "help" us reach our goal.  (Whatever that may be- thinner, prettier, richer, safer)

When I worked in sales I learned three rules of selling:
    1. Create a sense of urgency (translation:create  problem)
    2. Offer a solution (moving all obstacles that may prohibit the sale, out of the way)
    3. Convince the customer that you are the only one who can possibly make their dreams come true.

Apply those simple rules of selling to every day life in our country, and you will see them all over, from car sales to fitness & health, to pharmaceuticals to factory farming, to education, to government!
"Not feeling pretty enough? We can fix your ugly smile, your bulging thighs, your nose that is obviously too big, your ankles that are too think, breasts that are too small..." "Kids not smart enough? Buy this... send them here..." "feeling alone? No problem... we have the perfect match for you"  (You get the picture...)

The problem is that all of us profess to know that you can do what you want to the outside, but inside each of us lies the "real" us- the one that was created by and is acceptable to the one who created us. Now, I say that we know this, but very few really believe it, much less live it out.  We buy into the lie- willingly- that somehow all of us are deficient in some way.  And That our deficiency need not hold us back from having everything we dream!

But there is another message- one that runs counter to the message of society.  And that is the message of the Gospel; that despite how you look, feel, thing, act- you are acceptable, and moreover, you are God's delight.  And while that is a difficult message to accept, and even harder to live out, (not to mention it doesn't sell or do one thing to boost the economy) it is, at your core who you are. 
I think it's time that we took back our self esteem and base our view of ourselves, not on what others say about us, but what God says about us.  You are OK!
Just food for thought...

Thomas always gets a bad rap as a doubter… but I think he just felt out of the loop.  Everyone else had experienced something great and he had missed it. And no matter what the group tried to do, they could'nt get Thomas to buy in to what had happened.  Sometimes you need to experience things for yourself.

Can you imagine how whiney and complaining Thomas must have been during that time? He must have been a complete pain in the neck to the other disciples.

But what happened to Thomas is what happens to all of us now and then, especially in church. Sometimes in the process of growth; spiritual, physical, emotional, we can sense things happening… and for many it is fantastic and exciting and the focus is all on the positive.  But for some, this kind of growth, (even if they know it's a great thing)- brings feelings of uneasiness… and discomfort… simply because its new. And that feeling that “everyone else seems to be in a place that I’m not in!” takes over, and folks can feel left out- marginalized- cast off. 

The group, by itself, couldn’t do anything for Thomas.  That is, except to continue on with him. They didn’t exclude him because he was becoming a pain in the neck- or because he wasn’t where they were (yet)… they kept him in the midst of them, and held on to their faith. All were included… even the one who wasn’t quite on board.

And at the appointed time, Jesus came and touched Thomas too.   And notice Thomas never actually touched Jesus’ hands and feet- he believed simply by witnessing the presence of Christ.

"Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”(29)

And I don’t think this was Jesus telling Thomas that he was an idiot for not believing without seeing… or that there was something wrong with him for not being able to believe and buy in- Jesus doesn’t condemn...
But rather  I believe Jesus was saying, 'look... you are going to come across others that also are right where you were at- and I’m not always going to show up physically for people to see in order to believe. 
But you can show up.  And you don’t have to be worried about people “getting it” or “not getting it” or whether you think they need spiritual growth or whatever other judgment or label you want to put on them.  You just show up- and let my power work through you…

Isn’t it amazing that sometimes we don’t give God credit enough to be big enough to take care of her own people? We all have opinions about what everyone else needs to do to get more spiritual.  But here’s what we forget…the spirit lives and breathes in us- it works through us… it doesn’t need us to think of a plan for people, or to exert our agenda of what we think is best for people, or what we think people need to do to get on board… the Spirit is plenty big to take care of things without seeking our wise counsel, especially l for somebody elses life.

  However, we can be the ones to bring that Spirit to someone else… we can bring it peacefully, lovinglyithout judgment or wanting it to change people like we think they should be changed. 

How about just accepting Thomas the way he is? How about just continuing to love him? Continuing to break bread with him and with each other? Cause I don’t know about you but there have been many times in my life when I’ve felt a lot like Thomas- odd man out.  And thank God there was a community who didn’t abandon me but continued to love me the way I was and honor where I was… even though I was a pain in the neck.

All we have to do is show up and let God do the rest. Just show up!