Living the Pentecostal Way

    My wife was raised by faithful followers of Christ in the Pentecostal Holiness Church.  I was raised by faithful followers of Jesus Christ in the United Methodist Church.  Though the “PH” movement grew out of the “Methodist” movement, when one begins to reflect upon these two denominations, one might imagine very different things.
    The PH church is often thought of a more conservative theologically but more liberal Spiritually.  Many lift it up as a place where they speak in tongues, the music is ole timey and lively, they dance in the aisles, and the preacher beats the pulpit, all of which for some PH churches can be true.
    Methodist churches, now called United Methodist Churches, are often thought of as more liberal theologically and more reserved when it comes to the Spirit’s movement.  Many see it as a middle class, middle of the road church that offers a little bit of everything for those who sing well, are mission oriented, and love structure, all of which for some UM churches can be true.
    When I first met my wife, I began to attend her church, and I will admit that many of the stereotypes of Pentecostals came to mind.  I confess that I was a little skeptical of their glossolalia (speaking in tongues), cautious of their theology, and even a bit reserved in opening myself up to many in the congregation.  I held on strong to my background and perspective, and resisted the urge to step in and fully engage, lest I find myself “sucked in.”  (Sucked into what, I don’t know, but it was just the way I was at the time.)  Interesting enough, the old adage began to come true that one should never “say no” or even “resist” God, because once we do, God will prove us wrong.
    As I spent time with the people of Ebenezer PH church in Nashville, NC, I found myself experiencing the Spirit’s movement in a different way.  There was a sense of God’s presence in their worship that was more consistent and obvious than I had often experienced in UM churches, and though I still disagreed with much of the theology, the preaching was centered in parts of the Bible of which I was less familiar. 
    The most powerful witness for me, however, was that those folks lived the faith in a different way than many UMs that I knew.  There was a palpable presence of the Spirit in more people’s day to day lives, than I experienced among “my own.”  And the message every Sunday always came back to “living life as one who was ready to die.”  It was a message that called all to the task of faithful living, day in and day out, as opposed to the demarcation of “faith and life” that can be so easily accepted by those in mainline denominations.
    I recognize fully that some of what I am conveying here are broad-brush generalizations, but for me, in participating in the life of that church for over a year, I found my faith enriched.  I was exposed to a different perspective of the Church, and I saw a different side of Jesus which instilled and solidified in me that this faith that I profess, is not just to be lived out in spurts and starts...or only when it was convenient...but is to encompass every aspect of life.

    This Sunday is considered the day of Pentecost according to the church calendar.  What many folks don’t know is that Pentecost was originally a Jewish Festival which celebrated the giving of the “Torah” to Moses on Mt. Sinai.  It was considered a Harvest Festival where God gave the first fruits of God’s love, and so God’s people respond by giving their first fruits.  Central to this festival was thanksgiving, then taking that thanks and applying it to their daily living.
    The scripture passage read in churches for Pentecost comes from Acts 2, and it is the story of the Holy Spirit coming “as a mighty wind in tongues of flame.”  The Spirit infuses itself in the disciples, and they are changed.  They are so filled with the Joy by the power of God’s love, that folks thought they were drunk!
    The message of Pentecost is that when the Holy Spirit came, it lived in those disciples, but more importantly, it was here to stay.  That is, the same Holy Spirit was sent to be God’s tangible presence among, within, and around all people and places, and because of that gift, all are able to live by that same power, day in and day out.
    There are many churches that celebrate Pentecost as the birthday of the church.  Many recount the Spirit’s powerful witness so long ago, and many observe again the infusion of the Spirit in the life of the Church.  But one of the foundational and most vital messages of this high Holy day is that the Spirit is with us 24/7.  This is a great gift, but it is also a responsibility and privilege, for if the Spirit is with us all the time, so are we invited to live in and by that Spirit 24/7.
   
    I experienced much in my time worshiping with and living among the folks of Ebenezer, but what God taught and reiterated to me time and time again through them, was that we are called to live by the Spirit in all we do.  Whether it’s in church or in our homes, in public or private, at work or on the highway, we are called to live for God.  It is a “Pentecostal Way,” for which I am grateful.

Where in our lives are we tempted to separate God out of daily activities?  Where is the Spirit alive and leading you?  How are you effectively living the Pentecostal Way?

It's Called a Journey of Faith

     Over the past 14 weeks I’ve spent most Wednesday evenings with 10 middle schoolers, a few adults, and about 10 high school mentors in Confirmation classes.  Confirmation is that time when one decides that they are going to step on a path with the saints of the church and live more deliberately as followers of Jesus Christ. 
    Often Confirmation language includes phrases like “being saved” or “becoming a member of the church,” and it can include these, but the longer I’m in it, the more I realized that Confirmation and the faith itself is less about the destination and more about the journey.  That when one becomes a member of the Church they live into the faith in a different, more intentional way, which when taken seriously and done deliberately actually should add more stress to life and more struggle than had one decided not to join the church.
    Such struggle and stress can come by simply committing to invest in a group of flawed, sinful people attempting to live in community.  That is, Jesus was correct when he said, “Nothing is impossible with God,” and thank God that’s the case because the call on the Church is to meld the hearts, minds, and actions of people of faith...which is indeed an impossible thing but for God’s grace.
    But the stress and struggle is deeper than just trying to all get along, for when one commits to follow Christ, one commits to follow One who was a witness to another way of living.  They strive to do things that the world doesn’t understand, and there are many who, like Jesus, make such a nuisance of themselves that they suffer the consequences.
    And so on Sunday morning 10 of our own, 10 who have been in many ways protected and cared for, will come forward, stand before the Body of Christ, and proclaim to the community of faith, “What you have, I want to have.  Who you are, I want to be.  I hope I’ve learned enough to live into this commitment.”
    On the flip side of this, we who have been at this for awhile stand before them and say, “Well, we’ll try.  We’ll share what we’ve learned, including the fact that there will be hard times and times when it doesn’t make sense.  There will be times when there will be great joy and hope, and there will be moments when all joy and hope will be gone because Jesus’ challenge to live by this odd way appear to be too much.
    Most importantly, however, both sides look at each other and realize that this agreement, this commitment, that we make is really a commitment to journey together.  It’s a commitment to state boldly that it’s called a journey of faith.  It’s not so much a belief system, but it is an acknowledgment that on a journey there are moments when the signage is few and far between, when what we say is not necessary what we do (and vice versa), and when it really does take faith, trust, and hope to make it to the next day, hour, or even minute.  And in making that commitment, we are emboldened by the Spirit to invest in the journey together.

    The ninth chapter of Luke’s Gospel begins with Jesus sending the 12 disciples out on a journey.  Up to this point Jesus has done some amazing and miraculous things, and they all marvel at what He can do.  But then he calls them together and says, “I give you authority and power to take care of demons and diseases, to heal, and to proclaim the Kingdom of God.”  And then, as if that’s not difficult enough, Jesus says, “...and you can’t take anything with you.  Just go on the journey.”  And they did.  They went on that journey, and God used them to reveal God’s power, heal the world around them, and preach about this new world that Jesus was ushering in.
    That had to have been a scary proposition.  It had to have been a hard thing because they didn’t know what was coming.  They didn’t have a clue how to do what they were called to do.  They didn’t know what it would look like, this journey, but they did it anyway.  They did it together, trusting, following, sharing, and learning.
    On Sunday morning as we pass on this faith to our young disciples, it’s as if we touch them and say, “My daddy and momma did this for me, and I’m gonna do it for you.  You now have the authority of God to heal and preach and live the way.”  And the authority is passed on to them.
    The truth of the matter is, it’s a scary proposition, for they don’t know what’s coming.  They have no clue what God might call them to do, and yet if they trust, follow, share, and learn, then they step into the journey of a lifetime. 
    And best of all...neither they, nor we, do it alone.  Instead, we journey together...and with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.


What has the journey been like for you?  What does the journey mean to you?...to others?

What does Love look like?

    Wednesday we shared our last Confirmation lesson, and our Youth Director, Tim Craft, started by asking the question, “What does God look like?”  The vast majority of descriptions resembled an old man with a beard sitting on a throne, but as we delved into it a bit deeper, we began to discuss some more abstract things.  The kids talked about God being all-powerful and all-knowing.  Sort of like saying that something ‘smells like it tastes,’ they toyed with the idea that God looked more like what is described as values.
    Tim had baited them, however, with this question, because he brought it all around to the first lesson that we shared with them in February.  For in that first teaching he talked about how we are made in the image of God.  Having reminded them of that truth, the question was asked of them, “Do you see God in yourself or in others?”
    As the kids were describing their images, my response was the very opposite.  I immediately jumped to the abstract and started thinking about God being love, service, giving, hope, peace..., but I then found that faces and people came to mind.  I thought of my parents and mentors along the way.  I remembered times when others invested in me, and even times when strangers revealed Christ to me.  Most specifically, I thought of Nancy Turner.

    This afternoon at 4 PM, I will lead a memorial service for one of God’s great saints, Nancy Turner.  Nancy Turner is one of those Christ followers who was always giving, always placing others before herself, and always loving.  She was a person whom others felt comfortable with and through whom God used to bless countless lives.
    She used to work in the church as music director, while also working at a bank, then taking over as payroll manager for a local health care system that grew from 600 employees when she came on to over 16,000 by the time she retired.  And what was so wonderfully unique about her was that her faith was tangible in all she did.
    It didn’t matter if it was through music or by doing the best she could, she let God shine through her.  If it was teaching children to sing or play tambourines or taking a break to talk and pray with an employee who needed a listening ear, Nancy would care.  Even in her waning days, as the cancer slowly grew, she would overlook her own pain and seek to assuage the pain of another.
    Last night at the visitation, one of her closest friends came up to me and said, “How can anyone have so many people who considered her their ‘best friend?’  Only through Jesus, the one who wants to be best friend to all.”  Such is the truth of Nancy’s life, and such is the legacy she leaves for those whom God touched through her witness.

    In the church there is a list of readings known as “The Revised Common Lectionary,” and many preachers and churches follow these readings week after week.  Appropriately, this week’s reading comes from John’s Gospel, the 15th chapter.  Jesus shares these words with his disciples as parting words.  He is about to die, and yet he wants his legacy to live on.
    He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you.  Now remain in my love...my command is this: Love one another as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command...This is my command: Love one another.”
      As I prepare for this memorial and remember my friend and spiritual mentor, I am led to these words of love, for to me and many, Nancy indeed encapsulated these word.  She lived them, and indeed she was one whom Jesus called friend.  She was one who called Jesus friend.  And she could be such a best friend to so many because Jesus was indeed her best friend.
   

    The prominent theme that came up in my mind as Tim asked that question on Wednesday was this – “love.”  When I see God, I see love.  When I think of Nancy, I indeed see God...I see love that was, and continues to be, shared unconditionally, always willingly, and intended to them be shared a legacy.  It’s Nancy’s legacy, but even more poignantly, Nancy would say, it’s God’s legacy.

An Hour Lost...

    Tomorrow morning at 2:00 AM we “lose an hour” of time.  Well I guess we don’t really lose an hour of time, but in order to keep the calendars, computers...the stuff of life...in order, we turn the clocks forward and all 60 of the 2-3 am minutes vanish.  The result is that the world’s clocks remain aligned with the world’s rotation around the sun, the days go back to being darker for a few weeks, the light shines a bit longer before night falls, and we lose an hour of sleep.  The adage reminds us that we “Spring forward, and Fall back,” but when it comes to the springing forward, the tendency is for us to want to fall right back into bed.  Whenever we go into or come out of Daylight Saving Time, I reflect upon the whole concept of time, including how I use it.      
     We are given a finite number of seconds in a minute, minutes in an hour, hours in a day, days in a year, and years in a lifetime, and like many things to which we can become acclimated, we simply expect the next bit of time to be ours.  But we know that that is not true.  We never know the day or hour when our time on earth will be done.  To reflect upon such things can become depressing... depending upon how choose to deal with it.
    It is always interesting how folks respond to discussions about death and dying, just as it is interesting to see how we respond to times of stress and change.  In these, and all situations, the ways in which these stressors affect us are directly correlated to how we choose to respond.  That is, if we choose to dwell on them and allow them to weigh us down, we risk falling into a downward spiral of emotions, thoughts, and actions.  If we choose to simply ignore them, we can delude ourselves into acting as if it will just go away.  However, if we choose to acknowledge the stress, reflect upon it, and realize that it can be a way in which God is speaking to us and teaching us how to live life more fully, we emerge as those who recognize and receive the kind of life Jesus offers us. 
    There are many, many factors that guide our responses.  Our response to each stressor can be different just because of the nature of the stress.  We approach each situation we go into differently, and that affects our choice.  Even our own health and well-being plays into how we approach such situations.  But again, what is important is how we allow those situations and stressors to affect us.
    As a pastor I am privileged to journey within and beside the lives of folks who are dealing with the realities of life.  Many are joyful and many are difficult, but what amazes me about the human spirit, is that there is an innate magnetism that connects the human spirit with the Holy Spirit.  What I have learned is that, those who are healthiest emotionally and spiritually, are those who see to connect themselves with the Holy Spirit, for when they do, they are able to place the stressors of life in proper perspective.
    To give an example, I have journeyed with many a parishioner who have suffered from devastating and lethal diseases.  Such situations are each unique, and they are each hard, but I will say that some are easier than others.  In fact, some are even a blessing to be a part of, even though the situation is dire. 
    Those that are blessings are those where the family and/or the parishioner is able to connect with God and allow God to bring the comfort, healing, and peace that is needed.  They are the ones where the sick one is ministering to those around them.  They are the ones where one can see clearly that God is at the center of how they approach their dis-ease, and when God is at the center, everything changes.  There is hope.  There is joy.  There is love.

    In the sixteenth chapter of John’s Gospel Jesus is preparing his disciples for his upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection, and part of this discourse centers around naming that they will weep and mourn, while the world will rejoice.  But then he says that their grieving will become joy.  He says, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” [John 16: 22]
    Jesus is telling them not to remain in their grief, but to look for God at work bringing hope, joy, and resurrection.  But in order to receive God’s gift, they will need to choose how they will approach what is to come.  For most of them, it was not until they were on the other side of the resurrection that they understood.  It wasn’t until they went through the struggle and saw where God had led them through, that they realized God’s invitation to approach every situation by turning and trusting in the Spirit.

    We are in the middle of the season of Lent, a time of introspection and examination.  It is a time of living more deeply and learning to go through the struggles.  Often Lent unearths the hard stuff, and it certainly reveals the difficult aspects of the faith, such as Christ’s suffering and death and the truth of our sin, but that’s the point.  Lent is a time to go to the depths by Christ’s example, looking to God, trusting in the Spirit, and placing all our chips on the truth of the Resurrection.
    In just a few hours, we will “lose an hour of time,” but the result of that “loss” is that we enter a new period where the days are longer, the light is brighter, and the season of Spring brings new life.  In “losing the hour” (yes, even the hour of sleep), we go through a change and emerge on the other side, renewed, refreshed, and ready for the season ahead.
    May this Daylight “Saving” Time be a time equal to Lent...a time when we might just be saved and renewed for all time.

What is the Spirit beckoning you to go through so you might lose it and be renewed?

Reconciliation...

   We’ve entered the season of Lent.  It is a time of reflection, self-examination, and up until this week, I’d never really thought about it being a season of “reconciliation.”
    I know, that may sound odd coming from a pastor whose favorite season is Lent, who loves the introspection, asking of questions, and unearthing all the spiritual debris that backs up in my soul and heart the rest of the year, but if I’m honest with myself, I tend not to really think about reconciliation as a focus of the season.  And yet, it most certainly is.
    The word “reconciliation” has come to mind because part of my daily discipline is to open my browser and go to: www.d365.org .  During the season of Lent the name changes to “Journey to the Cross,” but it is the same poignant message, written by ordinary folks, bumbling through life and faith as we are.  The theme this week is “Reconciliation.”  The front page of the site gives a title each week.  This week it reads, “For Reconciliation,” and each day the focus has been on what reconciliation is and how it is lived out.

    As I’ve thought about the whole concept, I have found myself reflecting upon what it means to examine oneself and what the purpose is.  Part of it has to do with preparing ourselves to receive the amazing grace of the cross and resurrection.  Part of it has to do with getting outside ourselves and our normal routine, so that we might see from a different perspective, where and how God is working in and around our lives.  But at it’s core, the preparing and the “change of scenery” is that which moves us to see and acknowledge where we fall short, where change needs to take place...and where God is in the midst of it. 
    It is through this process that reconciliation takes place.  The question is, with whom is that reconciliation made?  The answer is different for each of us.
    Through the process of Lenten discipline and devotion, some discover the need for them to be reconciled with those whom they have hurt or who have hurt them.  The lenten catharsis of laying oneself bare and being stripped to the core reveals the scars and open wounds inflicted by human to human interaction.  Reconciliation is the salve.
    Others find this season revealing the need to be reconciled on a more global basis.  That is, some chosen disciplines lead us to realize how much we consume, whether it be food, gasoline, or other resources, and through having our eyes opened to our greed, we realize that we need to be reconciled with God’s gift to us in Creation.
    But one of the most poignant and important places where lent reveals the need for reconciliation is in our relationship with ourselves.  Through the risk of asking God to reveal who we really are, as opposed to who we think we are, we can find ourselves led to places to which we don’t want to go emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.  In opening up we can come to realizations about ourselves that are painful or difficult to accept, and we resist.  But if we are willing to go into the places that we resist, we discover the gift of reconciliation.  We realize that the hardest things are often the life-changing things of life.

    In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (fifth chapter), he shares some thoughts about the ministry of reconciliation.  Part of his message to them is to be reconciled with one another, but then he shifts his point and speaks about Christ’s reconciliation with the world.  Because of Christ’s sacrifice and work while on earth, because of his death and resurrection, Paul says that we are reconciled, made whole, brought back into right relationship, with the world and God.  “Therefore,” he says, “regard no one from a worldly point of view...for if anyone is in Christ he/she is a new creation...God reconciled us to himself through Christ...Be reconciled to God.”
    This season of Lent is a time to honestly reflect on where we are in life, in our faith, in our relationship, and with ourselves.  It’s a time to be reconciled and made new through the risk of stepping out in faith and seeking God’s truth.

    Part of what I shared on Ash Wednesday is the Lent is a time when we take the time to examine and remember who we are and whose we are.  If we take it seriously, we can’t help but learn, grow, and be changed.  If we venture forth into this unknown, God will make a way for wholeness, true life, and reconciliation to be ours.


What does reconciliation mean to you?  Where might God be inviting you to be reconciled?  Who might you call on to help along the journey, just in case the truth seems to difficult?

14 day guarantee...

     For months now my 7 year old daughter has been saving up to purchase a fish.  Maybe it was in response to the deaths of our zebra finch and dog, but she has been fixated on getting another pet.  This time a fish, and so, she has been doing odd jobs around the house so we can add the funds. 
    This past Saturday she was ready to head to the pet store and seal the deal, but before we headed out she and I sat down and sorted the three pounds of money in the jar.  She had collected five ones, one 5, and the rest was made up of quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies for a total of $27.43.  We bagged each denomination of coins, placed them back in the container and headed to the pet store.
    Clutching her stash she was like a kid in a candy shop, only this was no candy shop.  It was instead the place where she hoped to bring home a source of fascination and fun.  Something to watch over, care for, and enjoy observing.  After all, one can’t pet a fish.
    We started by choosing the environment.  What kind of bowl should we get?  No need for a bubbler, since she her heart was set on a Betta.  Of course, she picked the biggest, most  attractive bowl she could find – a 1.75 gallon Brandy Snifter – which was also the most expensive.
    Though the rocks, objects, and plants would be important, we had to match them with the color of the fish, so we turned toward the object of my child’s affection.  Unfortunately it was slim pickin’s.  Only 3 were left, but she found one that, though small, had fins that were her favorite color – orange, so of course we picked up that one before someone else grabbed it.  Once that was chosen we turned toward the decorations aisle, where she picked out some colorful rocks for the base, a ceramic turtle as a companion, and of course, an orange plant (synthetic). We were ready to go, and boy was Anna excited!  With my wife’s and my arms full of supplies and her arm’s full of money, we headed to check out. 
    The 16 year old girl behind the counter was not too please to see us however, when we plopped the money jar up on the counter.  Come to think of it, neither was the guy behind us who had a cart full of dog supplies.  With a lack of youthful enthusiasm, the girl behind the counter turned to a fellow clerk and said, “They have it all marked out in baggies.  Do I have to count it all?”  The reply, “Yep.”
    With my wife to the side, somewhat embarrassed and amazed that we’d go through this, rather than simply pay for it and take the change home, Anna, the check out girl, and I sorted and stacked the coins.  I gave in to my wife and took the pennies home, but the quarters, nickels, and dimes were each quarantined to their specific areas on the counter, and Anna soaked the whole experience in.
    This was money that she had saved up.  She had worked hard collecting that which would purchase this fish and the supplies.  For me it brought back memories of similar times when I had used my earnings to buy a unicycle.  It brought to the surface a sense of accomplishment and pride that I had felt, but was now blessed to experience through my exuberant daughter.
    After paying $38.25, (yes, we kicked in a bit.  After all, the brandy snifter is pretty awesome!) We walked out, parents holding the supplies and Anna holding her prize.  We walked out smiling and ready to take care of this new pet.  Before we stepped out of the store, however, the girl who had helped us with the purchase said, “Just so you know, there is a 14 day guarantee on the fish and a 60 day guarantee on any of these supplies.  If something happens, we will either replace it or give your money back.”    “Thanks,” we said, and headed toward the car.  Little did we think that we might have to take them up on that offer.
    My wife and I were a little concerned when we finally got “B,” as my daughter named it, all situated and the fish didn’t eat anything.  We tried the pellets, purchased some flake food, and even got some dried bloodworms which are supposed to be a Betta delicacy, but to no avail.  The fish was not eating.
    Tuesday my wife came home from work and texted me, “I don’t think “B” is going to make it.”  I called, and she said that the fish was half floating and barely moving.  About ten minutes later my daughter came home from school, and I received another text that the fish had died.
    I picked up the phone to give a little pastoral care to my daughter, and I asked how she was doing.  In a quiet but clear voice she said to me, “I’m okay I guess.  When I came home ‘B’ gave one twitch of his tail and died.”  I could tell that she was processing this confusing loss, for on the one hand it was a creature that had died and she was responsible for caring for it, and yet she had not really grown attached to it.
    Over the past few nights we’ve been talking about the experience, and one of the more moving aspects of this was that during her prayers she asked God to take care of “B.”  But even more touching was that afterward she turned to my wife and, referencing one of the dear saints of this church who recently passed, said, “Mom, Ms. Nonie is taking care of ‘B,’ and I know they are alright.”
    The downside of the 14 day guarantee is that we had no flushing of the body or words to lay him/her to rest but instead had to cash it in.  The upside was that we walked into a store full of beautiful, bright, healthy fish.  Within fifteen minutes she had chosen her a new beta, only this one is a bright orange/red male.  And so far everything is going well, and “Frank” seems happy in his new environment.

        I’ve thought a lot about the whole concept of a 14 day guarantee, which in a way is a bit odd. After all these are living beings that are being exchanged.  At the same time, however, these are also delicate creatures and the risk of damage or sickness is relatively high.  Connect that with our capitalistic society, and it makes sense.
    Theologically, however there are no 14 day guarantees.  There are few guarantees in life, but there is one thing we’ve been assured by God, that in Christ we are given a gift beyond 14 days...a gift of eternal life.  And though we don’t exchange anything, Christ exchanged everything to give us that gift. 

    In making the transition from “B” to “Frank,” we’ve been able to speak with my daughter about the realities of life and death, and part of those discussions are about how we can’t just exchange our lives for a different one.  Instead, we are invited live life to the fullest, and part of what I am sharing with my daughter is that we can live in this way because of the life Christ exchanged for us, a life that is full, eternal, and not only brings joy but shares joy with all of God’s children.

How are you living your life?  Wishing for an exchange or living into every day?

God Provides...

    Mondays are my days.  It’s my day off, and I religiously take that time to regroup, rejuvenate, and simply let go of all the stuff I have to deal with on a day to day basis.  Last year I stepped up my running and decided to start running marathons, and when I did I realized that training takes a lot of time because one has to put in a lot of miles.  As such Monday is not only my day off, but it has become the day when I go out and run my long mileage – 12, 16, 20 miles – just my podcasts, the beauty of nature, and my thoughts all to myself.  I LOVE my Mondays.
    This week my training schedule called me to run a shorter distance, so I decided to run the Blue Ridge Parkway, which though it has some significant elevation changes, is beautiful.  This past Monday was a dreary day.  The forecast called for rain and/or freezing rain later in the morning, and  fog warnings were issued for the morning.  As I made it toward the overlook where I’d park, I realized that that was indeed the case.
    The fog on Parkway was not too bad at lower elevations, but the higher I ran the more socked in it was.  At the highest elevations visibility was about 5 car lengths ahead, which is why I was running with a headlamp and bright clothing (for that one car that passed me during the hour and a half I was on the parkway).
    It is fascinating and fun to run in the fog, because when doing so it’s like running in a tunnel.  It’s as if one is inside one of those hamster/gerbil tunnels, cocooned and enveloped in an environment which hides the reality around.  One can hear cars below, animals scurrying, and trees creaking, but see little to nothing.  And yet the isolation was not deafening or stifling, rather for me it was freeing.  Just God, me, and nature in communion together.  However, the fog was not what had the most impact on me during this run.  Instead it was what that fog became.
    As I reached the higher elevations, the moisture from the fog turned from simply wetting the roads and mountain down, to freezing into ice.  Only this was no ordinary ice.  Instead of hanging down from branches and signs, when the wind blew, the wind's power was stronger than gravity on the tiny molecules of fog, thus forming sideways icicles. 
    These icicles were not formed by dripping, instead, they were tiny needles of ice, much like a needle used to repair clothing, and the needles were side by side, connected at the body.  These needles were melded together and formed arching formations similar to a fin running down the back of a fish or lizard, all of them sticking out to the side, just as the wind formed them.
    Amazingly these formations took hold on everything except the road itself.  The pine needles were extended with ice needles, ice sculptures jutted out from branches and signs, and on the individual weeds and grass along the side of the road, the same.  Running through a tunnel of fog, I was surrounded by beauty I’d never experienced before, and I soaked in as much as I could.
    One of the things that I am aware is vital when running is to remain hydrated, for if one gets behind on water intake, then one can get into trouble physically and mentally.  This was a shorter run, so I didn’t take water with me on the run but left it in the car for my return, however when I reached the point where I needed to turn around I could feel the need for water begin to hit.
    Though it wasn’t an overwhelming urge it was there, and so I did the most logical thing at the time, I went to a tree and simply broke off the ice from the branches.  It was sweet and clean, and it was the perfect consistency to simply melt in my mouth.  The needles dissolved as the medicine that I needed at the time, and I looked around realizing that I had an endless supply of what I needed.  It was a beautiful thing.

    In the 22nd chapter of Genesis there is a difficult story – Abraham taking his son, Isaac, up the mountain to sacrifice him.  This old man being faithful to what he believed was God’s call, taking his only son to a place where a sacrifice would be expected.  I can’t imagine, and you probably can’t either.  And though I won’t get into the inexhaustible amount of theology that is wrapped up into this story, there is one point that is central, and that is that God will provide.
    In the 7th and 8th verses Isaac asks his father where the lamb was, and Abraham responds out of faith, “God will provide.”  And the author says, “the two of them went on together.”  They go upon into that mountain, maybe with a little bit of tunnel vision, trusting that God would provide, and God did.

    As I think about my experience Monday, I realize what a powerful reminder this was for me of God’s grace.  God provided the time, at the right time, in the right way, to see and experience communion.  God provided the space and the setting in which I experienced the grandeur and majesty of God’s world.  God provided the essential element of water in a most unlikely place, and when I received that gift it was the best I’d ever had.
    Where are you in your life?  Are you needing a God that provides?  God is providing.  Are you feeling lost and in a fog, living in a tunnel, or maybe even frozen by the winds of life?  God provides a way out.  Are you running away from something, someone, or even yourself?  Look beside you, and you’ll see the great Provider.  There may even be some mountains and treacherous roads ahead, and yet God provides.
    God provides.  Thanks be to God.


Where do you need to experience God’s provision?  Pray and look around.  The signs and assurances are there.