Wise and Foolish

Tomorrow's Gospel reading contains Jesus' story about the wise man who built his house on the rock and a foolish man who built his house upon sand. When the rains come, the wise man's house stood firm, but the foolish man's house fell..... SPLAT!

Wise and foolish have a variety of meanings in our world. Noah, who was wise and listened to God and built an ark when God promised a flood, was considered to be very foolish by his friends and neighbors. Is it wise to do as Mother Teresa did and give all to the poor of India, trusting God to provide even when she had no idea how that would happen? But thank God for the risks she took to show compassion to the poorest of the poor.

Perhaps the wisdom that Jesus is speaking of is a wisdom of where to lay our foundation. Once that is firmly built, we can build creatively and beautifully on that foundation.

God Speaking

Today, I was asked how we know when God is speaking to us. I think in our culture sometimes we are led to believe that God speaks to us in unmistakable, unavoidable, obvious, clear ways. Sometimes he does. Othertimes, God is more hidden, more subtle, more mysterious in how he speaks to us. Does God speak to us, most certainly. I believe that God speaks sometimes in our inner reactions, he speaks through our loved ones, he shouts out to us through the events of our lives. But sometimes it takes us time to sort out if it is God's voice we are hearing or our own hopes and desires. Still, we listen to hear where God is speaking to us.

In my Arms

I've recently found a new favorite song. The Christian Rock artist Plumb has put out a recording of lullabies, including the Sunday School classic "God will take care of you" and our favorite Swedish Lutheran song "Children of the Heavenly Father." But my favorite is "In my Arms." Here are a few words: "Clouds will rage and storms will race in, but you will be safe in my arms. Rains will pour down, waves will crash around, but you will be safe in my arms." It's a mother talking to her child, true. But is it also God talking to us? I believe so.
God knows the clouds in our lives, the rains, the storms and belief in God does not magically protect us from the clouds or storms. But God promises to protect us through them all, keeping us safe in his arms. We are so safe in his arms, no matter what!

He's never failed me yet

This is the song that the choir sang at Graduation this Friday. "I will sing of his mercy, every day, every hour, he gives me power. I will sing and give thanks to thee, for all the dangers, toils, and snares, that he has brought me out. He is my God and I'll serve him, no matter, what the test. Trust and never doubt, Jesus will surely bring you out, he's never failed me yet."
The energy and enthusiasm bursting from the choir was incredible. The song, that I first heard and loved in high school as well, was a reminder of how much God is always with us. There is great confidence in the words, "He's never failed me, he's never failed me, YET!" The song lists all the times that God has been with his people.... And still is.

Mama, Do you Love Me?

For our 1st reading tomorrow, we have the Isaiah 49 passage that declares that God will never forget us. Instead Isaiah says, God has carved us on the palm of his hand. God has not written our names in pencil so that he can erase them later. Nor has he used washable markers so that any mess can be washed off. He has carved our names and our lives on the palms of his hands forever. Even if our memories fade, we still are held in God's hand. Even if we wander away, we are still held in God's hand. No matter what happens to us in life, God remembers us and loves us. Before we learn to speak our our name, God knows it. When we have forgotten who we are, God loves us. What a tremendous love, to be carved on God's very hands.

PS. There's a great children's book called "Mama, do you love me?" that makes this same point exceptionally poignantly.

Floating Feathers

Never to be on the leading edge of computer things, today I will begin trying to BLOG... My hope for this blog is that it will help me be attuned to where the breath of God is blowing in my life, in our churches, through the world. Sometimes my posts may be short observations, other times comments about a good book or song, but always meant to be reminders of God's breath, blowing around us and in us.