Paradoxes comprise faith, and that continues to attract me—I like the concept of a God I can’t comprehend fully. Like Jesus’ statement, “if you save your life you’ll lose it.” Or, the tension between what we do and what God does in transforming us. I’ve battled that one. A lot...
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Connecting
Many may not identify at first with my next statement, but work with me a bit, OK? I missed church the last two weeks. The pic above tells why I physically missed it. Six years ago we rented out our Temecula house and moved to Thousand Oaks for a job, planning on returning to our home of 21 years. Those six years of renters’ neglect transformed a nice house into one needing work. Just one example, the once-green bank became what you see above—barren and dead, except for an 8’ tall weed/tree, along with a broken fence. Interior issues were worse. So, the last two weeks I missed church to get the place ready to move back in. I realize some followers attend worship rarely or sporadically, and “miss” it more than I. But they may not miss it. Get it?
Here’s why I spiritually missed it, and why...
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image by gpcchurch.co.uk
No Fear?
The year? 1974. The era? The Watergate frenzy peaked as people wondered if the Nixon presidency could survive the flood of revelations about the break in. Earlier in the day, I finagled a private tour of the Rhode Island State Capitol to see its charter—the first American colony to have full religious liberty, signed by the King of England himself.
As I looked at the charter in a back room, the nearby telex chattered—Nixon scheduled a major address that evening, called Vice President Gerald Ford back to DC, and reportedly would resign. In early evening I rode the Honda into Groton CN not long before the speech, and spotted “The Grotto,” a long, low bar. One that had a TV. Free. A wall separated the dark bar from the entry, so I turned right and peered inside. Kind of a redneck crowd, where a long-haired hippie biker might not be welcome.
So...
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Transitions
That barren pic above is my classroom, after the final group of students has gone, with most of the decorations removed. My room for six years; my school for eight. Just last week while writing an in class essay, one student saw me taking out the guts of the notebooks for the classes I’ve taught and said, “Mr. Riter, that’s so sad. Your life’s work going in the trash.”
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Counter Cultural--At Last
The role of faith in American culture is changing. Swiftly and strongly. A recent Pew poll revealed that in 2007, 78.4% of Americans identified themselves as Christian. For 2015, that number dropped to 70.6%, or about 1% each year. Court rulings have powered gay marriage being viewed positively by a majority of Americans, mostly in just the last five years. In a Facebook discussion, a friend from high school days stated that I, a minister who provides Christian weddings, should be required to marry gay couples who ask for my services.
Where are we heading?
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Praise--A Path to Closeness
That knife above isn’t much to look at. A bone handle yellowed from age and contact with a fisherman’s hand. A small blade, with much of its essence sacrificed from sharpening. But each time I open the tackle box and see dad’s old knife, I think of him. How he transmitted a love of stream fishing. How he showed me the courage a man should have. How he demonstrated sacrificing for others. How he gave me that knife when emphysema robbed him of the ability to journey to his beloved Sierra Nevada Mountains. Each look keeps those memories fresh, makes me appreciate him more, and restores...
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Whispers Lost
This semester will wrap up my teaching career, and it’s time. Just one of many reasons—in our discussion-based English classes, I frequently have to ask students to repeat their comments, but louder. When the old guy receives a questioning look, I merely respond, “Listened to way too much loud rock and roll at your age. Just wait…”
That listening loss bothers me. Sometimes I smile and miss parts of the conversation rather than asking for a rerun. It’s not bad enough for a hearing aid, vanity says. But perhaps all of this yields a metaphor...
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When God Pushes
Disciples make disciples. Seems pretty obvious, doesn’t it? Yes, we’re disciples; yes, our goal is to make disciples. But let’s reverse engineer that process by examining how Jesus describes a disciple. Full disclosure warning—this concept first touches current followers. Future followers are, well, future followers. Let’s first deal with our present.I explored some absolutes from Jesus that express the essence of following. Requirements. If we reject these, we reject ...
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