Healing Rays of Righteousness

For the past few years I have been hearing more frequently the phrase “ancient scriptures” when the speaker is making reference to or quoting the biblical texts. I do not know whether the speaker is using this phrase intentionally or because it is currently the more popular language among bible teachers. Either way, its usage gives me troubling concern.

Whenever I hear the word “ancient” I hear and visualize something very old and having outlived its usefulness; something lifeless, breathless and having no power; something antique and preserved for memories sake or tourist attraction; something I do not need for successful living in the modern culture.

For me to think and visualize biblical writings as “ancient scriptures” robs me of the thrilling and relevant teachings for living in today’s culture, and of the enabling wisdom and power they speak into my life.

So, with my questioning concern, I did a quick study of the words used in the Bible to describe these writings and to the dictionary to better understand their relevancy for today’s world.

Job 32:8 – “But it is the spirit in a person, the breath (inspiration) of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.”
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed (inspiration) and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”
2 Peter 1:21 – “For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though
human, spoke from God as they were carried along (moved) by the Holy Spirit.”

The word “inspire” means “to inhale; to breathe upon; to breathe life into.” The word “inspiration” means “the act of breathing in; inhalation.” And the word “moved” means “to progress in sequence, as in the development of a literary or musical composition; to prompt (someone) to some action; actuate”

From these several definitive sources, I am led to understand that the origin of these biblical words from ancient years are all God-breathed, and all have his almighty, eternal, abundant life and power breathed into them for all generations. Furthermore, it is only by the breath of the Almighty that we receive and are given understanding of these words.

Yes, some of biblical texts that were written by men inspired and moved by God, where written for a particular time and situation, and are clearly so stated. And yes, Jesus said that his coming fulfilled some of the earlier words from God. But most importantly, he claimed to bring God’s greater and clearer revelations and understandings to the earlier written inspirations and Holy Spirit promptings in men.

So for me and my fellow believers in Christ, please speak to us about the “Living Word” of God; or honestly clarify your intentions in choosing to use the characterization “ancient scriptures” when referencing God’s recorded messages. For I have experienced the following biblical characterization to be true and believe it will remain true until the end of time.

“For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword,
it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow;
it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)

“For the word of God is alive and powerful.
It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword,
cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.
It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.”
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT)

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 10, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com

The history of our country records many stories of people who left everything they owned and came to America with nothing but the clothes on their backs. They risked their lives and their future for what they valued more highly than everything they were leaving behind.

They were seeking freedom to live, work, and worship without suffering ridicule, persecution, imprisonment, or death. And their intense desire for this freedom prompted them to resist the governing authority of England and establish a new nation were these freedoms could be secured and enjoyed.

The Statue of Liberty stands at the entrance to the harbor of New York, holding a torch of lighted flame as a welcoming symbol of our nation’s commitment to the freedoms of life, work, and worship for all who become citizens of the United States of America.

These promised freedoms were at the core in the formation of our nation’s government. The Declaration of Independence states that freedom is from God and endows everyone with certain inalienable rights. And so, the right to live and worship in freedom is considered a birthright of every citizen and is guaranteed in our nation’s Bill of Rights.

Likewise, freedom is at the core of our Christian faith. And its welcoming symbol of freedom is the Cross of Jesus Christ standing on Golgotha’s hill. It may be less attractive, but is more amazing and awesome in its promise of freedom.

Just as the statue in New York harbor lifts her lamp, welcoming and lighting the way to political and religious freedom, so also the cross on Golgotha’s hill invites and lights the way to spiritual freedom and eternal life for whosoever will believe in Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

From that cross Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. …Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. … So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:12, 32, 36).

The New Testament begins with God’s announcement to Joseph that his “soon to be wife” Mary, would give birth to a son. God told Joseph that he was to name the baby, Jesus, “because he will save (free) his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21).

Jesus began his public ministry by announcing freedom as the purpose of his ministry and message – “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18)

In his letter to the Galatians (5:1, 13-14) the apostle Paul declared freedom to be God’s gracious gift to us through Jesus’ suffering and death – “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”

Having said that, I want to emphasize that although the foundational core element of our Christian faith and the predominant core purpose of our American politics are similar, the freedoms they offer are very different in scope and authority.

Spiritual freedom has very much to do with the preservation of political freedoms. I think it should be evident to us that spiritual freedom is the greater of the two, and is the strongest enabling power in the preservation of our national freedoms.

It is SIN, living apart from God, that prevents a person from experiencing spiritual freedom,
and it is SIN that deprives a nation of people from experiencing political, cultural, and religious freedoms. And so, I believe that there must be spiritual freedom before the other freedoms can be birthed and nurtured.

By accepting Christ’s gift of forgiveness and salvation, which he purchased for us with his own death on the cross, God sets us free from the guilt of sin. And by overcoming death through Jesus’ resurrection from the tomb, God sets us free from the fear of death.

Furthermore, in filling us with Jesus’ love and power through the indwelling Holy Spirit, God sets us free from self-contempt, insecurity, hopelessness, purposeless living, addictions, racism, and all selfish and unloving attitudes and actions toward others.

This greater and more amazing freedom that Christ offers to all who will believe and accept his Lordship is ultimate, complete, and eternal. And, I think that we who enjoy this freedom should celebrate its transformational liberty in our lives with grateful worship every day.

So, I say, let national freedom ring and let spiritual freedom reign, in the lives of people everywhere and in our nation always. Amen.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – July 3, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com

In last week’s blog, I said that Psalm 8 is about the amazing and indescribable glory of God made visible in all of creation.  But the psalmist doesn’t stop there.  He also reflects on who this glorious God is in relationship with mankind.

Gazing into the star-filled night sky, the psalmist believed that beyond the vastness of the universe is the vastness of his God. And in his looking and believing, he considers the moon and stars as merely “the work of (God’s) fingers.”

The psalmist imagines God molding and shaping the universe as a potter might form a bowl on his turning wheel. He sees the whole universe being created and now lovingly held in God’s admiring hands as recorded in Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”

While pondering God’s awesome glory, it might seem that people would be insignificant to him, and so, the psalmist asks, “What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them.”  The adjective “mindful” used here comes from the Hebrew word “remember” (zākar).  So the question being asked is; Will God keep us in His mind?  Will God keep His eye on us?  Being so small in comparison to the vast and seemingly endless universe, will God think of us, see us, and care for us?

The twofold answer to these questions is given in verse 5, where the writer describes humankind’s place in God’s creation: “You have made them a little lower than the angels.” Many scholars believe a better translation is, “a little lower than God.”  

The psalmist is most likely reflecting on Genesis 1:26, which says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness,’” Indeed, we are created to represent God’s likeness in this world by reflecting his character and living in an intimate, daily relationship with him.

But the psalmist adds something more in saying that God has “crowned them with glory and honor.”  In other words, God intended our glory and honor to be seen in the world as his own glory and honor is seen in the universe.

The “glory and honor” of this “crown” is given in verse 6, “You made them rulers over the works of your hands; you put everything under their feet: all flocks and herds, and the animals of the wild, the birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.”

The psalmist is again reflecting on Genesis 1:26, “… so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

That, my friend, is our God-designed purpose and vocation.  Our greatness, our “glory and honor” is seen in our being made a little lower than God, bearing his image and placed in this world to rule over the earth and its creatures.  It is participation in God’s rule; and a privilege, not a right.

However, sadly we see very little of God’s intended ordering of mankind’s God-like ruling over his good creation being followed. The reality is that humankind, in its greedy selfishness, chooses to be its own god, and thus has become a devil.  And so, this very good world that was created to be lovingly ruled and cared for by mankind is instead been grossly abused and raped by mankind.

But we also know and rejoice in our firm belief that Jesus, as the Lord and King of a new redeemed people, has through his death and resurrection, defeated sin, Satan, and death.

Furthermore, we gratefully believe that as God comes to this earth in his Son, Jesus, the greatness of God and the grandeur of the cosmos are awesomely displayed in the reconciling grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is Jesus Christ who is mercifully forgiving and restoring sinful humanity and this suffering creation.

Like a final chorus, verse 9 repeats verse 1: “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!” Our place in God’s order evokes this final note of praise. As you discover your divine destiny, please join me in making God’s name majestic in all the earth.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 26, 2019

www.geigler13.wordpress.com

Read Psalm 8

I had seen many beautiful pictures of the Grand Canyon and eagerly anticipated our visit there on one of our western vacation trips. I remember finally arriving, parking our travel trailer and walking up the path to the canyon viewing area.

WOW! I was overwhelmed with feelings of speechless amazement and awe as I stood gazing into the indescribable vastness, grandeur, and beauty of that canyon. It was “majestic” – impressively beautiful with a vast grandeur that is beyond descriptive words.

Neither can you walk along a beach at evening of day and not be stopped and held in holy awe as the sun slowly dips into the ocean at sunset. Along with all of nature, we fall silent, as if in a great concert hall. Human conversations become hushed as all eyes turn toward the sun until it disappears below the western horizon. The silent and majestic splendor of God’s sunset has worked its miracle in our hearts and we echo the words of the psalmist, “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!”

Psalm 8 is written by King David and opens and closes with these words of worshipful praise. David is declaring that God’s name excels all others. God’s name, his character, is holy, majestic, mighty, and glorious. His name is above all names.

King David continues, “You have set your glory in the heavens.” It is God’s majestic lordship over all things as Creator and Sustainer that reveals his glory. The whole creation, both earth and heaven’ give witness to God’s majestic glory.

Today, we marvel at the vastness of the heavens with more data than was available to David’s unaided eye. We now know that in one second a beam of light travels 186,000 miles, which is about seven times around the earth. It takes eight minutes for that beam to go from the sun to the earth. In a year that same beam travels almost six trillion miles. Scientists call this a “light-year.”

Eight billion light-years from earth is halfway to the edge of the presently known universe. Within the universe there are a hundred billion galaxies, each with a hundred billion stars, on the average. In all the galaxies, there are perhaps as many planets as stars, ten billion trillion. These statistics overwhelm our human comprehension.

Psalm 8 reminds us that beyond the vastness of the universe is the vastness of God. The moon and stars are merely the work of God’s fingers. The whole universe sits on His potter’s wheel; the whole universe stands on His workbench.

Recognizing the vastness of creation and the majesty of God “in the heavens,” King David ponders before the Lord: “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?” (vv.3-4).

In his worshipful thoughts toward this Almighty, Creator God, so glorious and majestic in the natural sphere, King David reflects on God’s relationship with us human beings. Reassured and inspired by God’s Spirit, King David declares “You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.” (v.5).

Again, I say WOW! God’s name is not simply majestic in all the earth; God’s name is crowned in our hearts, for we are born anew and baptized in God’s majestic name.

Our Father God, the God in whom we confess our faith, is not a generic, no-name deity. Our God is not a god who created and started the earth going like some cosmic watchmaker and then disappeared from the scene, never to be heard from again.

Our God, the God of the Bible, is not a faceless, nameless deity who must be appeased in order for us to have good fortune in life. And neither is our God some vague, spiritual being who conforms to whatever we happen to believe as long as we are sincere about it.

This is the God who gave the Law on Mt. Sinai, saying “I am the Lord your God. …You shall have no other gods before me.” (Ex 20:2a, 3).

This is the glorious God in whose “majestic” name we gather to worship, and by whose “majestic” name we are blessed and sent out into the world to live and act, bearing witness to God’s creative and redeeming work.

Truly, our one vocation in life is to participate in making God’s name “majestic” in all the earth. Daily we pray, “Father, help us make holy your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. …Amen.”

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 19, 2019

Whenever I feel threatened or am counseling persons facing difficult uncertainties, I read Psalm 91 for encouragement and reassurance. While many psalms stress how to trust or the importance of trusting God, Psalm 91 explores the strength that springs from trusting God. Despite the frightful images of life’s risks listed in verses 3 through 8, a protective calm permeates the psalm. It joyfully proclaims that protection and security comes to those trustfully abiding in the shadow of the Almighty.

In the first two verses we hear God being named by four titles, the Most High, the Almighty, the Lord, my God. These titles name God as being exalted above the earth and above all other gods as the most powerful and the most intimate God, who desires to be in a love relationship with us (v.14).

In these verses the protection and security provided by God is described with these four earthly comparisons;
1. Shelter – such as a secure place of protection from storms or wild beasts.
2. Shadow – like shade from an overhead cloud or tree that protects from the midday sun.
3. Refuge – being a safe place of escape from threatening storm or enemies.
4. Fortress – being a strong, fully surrounding thick wall of defense and protection.

And so, the psalm invites us to the sanctuary and into the sheltered intimacy of trust and refuge in the Lord. This is where we will experience God being our caring Father and our sovereign, almighty provider and protector. Most of all, in this place of safety, all fear is gone and all evil is dissolved. (Verse 4) – “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Verses 9-12 assure us that over against the destructive demons, ministering angels are sent by God to protect the faithful who “make the Most High (their) dwelling.” Whenever we experience demonic activity against us, the psalmist promises that angels will guard and protect us.

We are gravely misled if we read these verses as a blanket promise that nothing “bad” will ever happen to us. However, it is true that to dwell – remain, stay, tarry, have one’s abode – “in the shelter of the Most High” means we are in God’s hands and always protected, no matter what may happen to us while journeying through life on earth.

When we place our trust in the “Most High” and “Almighty” God who is surprised by nothing, we know that there is no loss so great that God cannot ultimately rescue us from it. The psalmist assures us that whoever chooses to “dwell” in the shelter, shadow, refuge, and fortress of God, will always be protected and rescued from the fears, pestilence, and plague of life’s threatening battles and temptations.

In verses 14 – 16, the psalmist lists eight blessings the Lord will bestow upon whoever trusts God and makes “the Most High” their dwelling place. “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him, I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

This picture of God’s protection could hardly be more comprehensive and confident. This is most likely the reason the Christian Church and the Jewish Prayer Book recommend reading this psalm before evening prayers or retiring at night.

The psalm ends with an acknowledgement that trouble will come to those who love the Lord. The world is filled with occasions to be fearful, but trusting believers have God’s promise of presence, deliverance, satisfaction, and salvation (v.15-16). What better security and protection could you desire than this?

However, we do need to remember that the security provided in this psalm is conditional. It is the gracious blessing of a continuing relationship with God. Jesus made this promise his disciples, “If you remain (dwell) in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you” (Jn. 15:7).

Finally, the psalmist reminds us that we need to call upon the Lord. We should not presume that because God is omniscient (all-knowing) there is no need for us to pour out our hearts to God. “He will call on me, and I will answer him;” (v. 15). So, I encourage myself and you to call on God and tell him what is happening in your life, and how circumstances and people are affecting you. Yes, my friend, he promised to hear and respond to our cry. May it be so in your life.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 12, 2019

The older I become the more I sense the importance of “remembering to forget.” This may sound strange to those of us who are haunted by the fear of forgetting when we cannot remember names or dates, or where we put our glasses or car keys. We fear forgetting because we keep telling ourselves that forgetting is the first sign of growing old and possibly becoming a victim of dementia. We fear becoming a useless and undesirable person.

However, that’s not the kind of “forgetting” that I’m speaking about. I’m using the word “forget” as meaning “to let go.” And so to “remember to forget” is about the need to forgive fully and forever. Biblical wisdom admonishes us to forgive fully and forget (let go) forever the old wounds from our past; to forgive fully and forever those who caused us pain and anger.

From Jesus we hear, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25).

And from the apostle Paul, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32).

Old resentments and lingering bitterness must be discarded in order for us to enjoy a good life of health and peace as we grow older. It is the only doorway to experiencing God’s abundant life of divine forgiveness, peace and joy.

And likewise, we also need to “remember to forget” (forgive fully and forever) our own self for the failures, the regrets, and the wrong choices we made in life. There is no sense or gain in torturing ourselves with regrets and remorse over what might have been or with our failures.

Psychological research regarding health and religion continues to confirm that being a forgiving person is essential to good health and happiness. When someone wrongs you, the feeling of anger or hatred only causes your life to descend into stressful misery and resentment. You are the one who suffers, not the person with whom you are angry. In contrast, remembering to forgive and forget erases the resentment and relieves the stress.

Everett Worthington Jr., a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and a pioneer in forgiveness research, has found that people who won’t forgive the wrongs committed against them tend to have negative indicators of health and well-being; that is, more stress-related disorders, lower immune-system function, and worse rates of cardiovascular disease than the population as a whole. In effect, he says, by failing to forgive, they punish themselves.

His research also suggests that unforgiving people experience higher rates of divorce, which reduces a person’s well-being, given that married men and women consistently do better on most health barometers, including longevity.

In contrast, Worthington’s research confirms that people who forgive have better health, fewer episodes of clinical depression, longer marriages and better “social support,” which suggest that forgiving people get along better with others, who in turn come to their aid in social-support situations.

When Jesus taught us to forgive those who sin against us, he was not just teaching holy living; but he was also giving us practical, down-to-earth advice on how to experience the abundant life, how to better enjoy the “golden years” of life.

The biblical Joseph had a lot of hurtful and bitter memories: the hatred and jealousy of his brothers, their treacherous betrayal, and their murderous act of selling him into Egypt. But he had learned the grace of forgiveness. He even named one of his sons “Manasseh” which means “God has made me forget.”

The apostle Paul also experienced much hardship, persecution and pain, and yet encourages us to live life as he does. “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13-14).

Yes, all of us, would be well-advised to “remember to forget” by fully forgiving the hurts and failures of yesterday and forever remembering them no more. We need to turn these painful experiences and emotions over to God, who alone can help us forgive the situations, events, and persons that caused us pain, anger, and resentment. Look to Jesus, and let his peace of forgiveness give you a wonderful today of joy.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – June 5, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com
Ray M. Geigley

In Matthew 25:31-46 we read of one of the most vivid parables Jesus ever spoke, and the lesson is crystal clear, telling us that God will judge us in accordance with our response to human need. Included in his listing of judgment criteria we read that he said to those on his right, “I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (v.36), and a few verses later he said to those on his left, “I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.” (v.43).

Whenever we hear these words about a prison, I think most of us would usually picture a building surrounded by high walls, barbed wire and guard houses where lawbreakers and criminals are housed in small cells with steel barred windows.

However, not all prisons have steel bars, and the prisoners seldom did anything wrong to deserve their imprisonment and separation from their family and friends. These imprisoned persons are the victims of unfortunate events that happened to them. Let me explain.

Prisoner number one is a seemingly healthy and active man who suddenly suffers a major stroke that causes a degree of paralysis in his body. He is no longer able to do, to go, or to speak as he had been doing until the moment of an unexpected and unwelcomed, forced imprisonment by the stroke. His freedoms are taken from him and he is given a life sentence of imprisonment inside a partially non-functioning body.

This imprisonment is oft-times reinforced by his need for nursing home care, further separating him from family and community life. His prison bars may not be made of steel but they are just as strong and confining. Feelings of loneliness, disappointment, and despair are his companions. This same imprisonment also happens to those suffering severe accident injuries that cause some degree of paralysis or very limited body or mind functions.

Prisoner number two is an energetic and skillful woman who manages her home and business responsibilities well, and who is known as a good thinker and conversationalist, but falls victim to Alzheimer’s disease. Sadly we watch as the slowly progressing disease forces her into confinement behind bars of lost memory, confusion, fear, paranoia, and isolation from the world of purpose, meaning, and relationships. Like prisoner #1, her prison bars are not made of steel, but they are just as strong and confining.

There is yet a third prisoner that we often fail to notice or identify as a prisoner. This prisoner is known and named as “The Caregiver”. The moment a loved one, whether spouse, parent, or child, is diagnosed with a disease such as Alzheimer’s, AIDS, Parkinson’s, Cancer, ALS, Stroke, Chronic Depression, or some other chronic emotional or physical illness, someone’s name changes to “The Caregiver”.

From that moment on their life is dominated by that title and their prison begins to take shape behind bars of continuous difficult labor, emotional strain, lost friendships, and feelings of fear and insecurity. Caring for a loved one is exhausting work, the pressure is unrelenting, and the hours are never-ending.

Even so, God forbid that “The Caregiver” would even dare to mention their pain, their loneliness, their feelings of imprisonment to anyone, for surely they would be tagged as being selfish and unloving. And so they suffer in silence, wearing a pasted smile.

I identified only three kinds of such prisoners and more could be named. But these three prisoner types are the ones I mostly saw in my work and ministry as chaplain and pastor. And I wonder how they would respond to the words of Jesus, “I was in prison, and you visited me.” Would they say, “Yes, I was visited and cared for by many.” Or would they say, “No, I was neglected and forgotten.”

These imprisoned persons are residents in our communities and members in our churches. And I wonder if we have really heard and truly understand these words of Jesus as the criteria by which our relationship with Jesus will be judged. To visit and to care for such prisoners as these is to serve Jesus. And to not do so, is to be condemned by him.

I believe our life mission as followers of Jesus, is to purposefully walk into these prisons and with loving compassion give support and assistance that enables the “prisoner” toward experiencing new freedoms, renewed hope, and new life.

And so, I gratefully applaud those who choose to work in our various health-care facilities for the unselfish purpose of being a caring friend and cheerful helper to those imprisoned by disease, illness or handicap. May God bless them, and may their numbers increase.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 29, 2019
http://www.geigler13.wordpress.com
Ray M. Geigley

The Memorial Day activities of parades and services to remember and honor those who died in our nation’s wars, left me wondering why the contrasting difference in the way our American society responds to the deaths of its citizens.  On the one hand, it responds with an all-out effort to remember and honor those who died in its wars, but on the other hand, it seems to encourage an all-out effort to quickly move on with life and suppress talking about the deaths of family and friends.

Because it hurts to remember, many friends of the family believe that they must somehow help the family to forget the death of a loved one and move on with life.  It is believed that to “bring it up” in conversation will open up the old wounds and cause more pain.  However, the truth is that people should and are going to remember whether we “bring it up” or not.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer said it well when he wrote, “Nothing can make up for the absence of someone whom we love.  …It is nonsense to say that God fills the gap.  He doesn’t fill it, but on the contrary, he keeps it empty and so helps us to keep alive our former communion with each other, even at the cost of pain.  …The dearer and richer our memories, the more difficult the separation.  But gratitude changes the pangs of memory into a tranquil joy.  The beauties of the past are borne, not as a thorn in the flesh, but as a precious gift in themselves.”

Nevertheless, there seems to be a universal fear of remembering and talking about those who have died.  But, contrary to the popular fear and myth, bereavement grief is not a process of forgetting; rather, it is a process of learning to reconcile one’s self to the lost of a loved one while also reliving the good memories of that relationship.

To not talk about our relationship with the person who died is to rob ourselves of good grief work and healing, as well as to steal significance from the one who died.

Establishing the significance of the life lived in our midst is key to the healing of the pain suffered in the loss.  Significance is established as we remember and share memories of that relationship with one another.

In his booklet, The Gift of Significance, Doug Manning writes, “The grieving process is a gradual change from the physical presence of a loved one to the sense of presence provided by the memories.  The goal is to learn to live with the person not being here.  Coping without their presence happens when we begin to find comfort in the memories.”

I believe that one of the most priceless gifts that God gives us through the life of another person is the memory of our relationship with that person.  Those memories are ours to keep, to hold, and to cherish – a treasure that no one can rob from us – a treasure that never needs to be locked up or buried.

Memories are gifts that we should both cherish and nourish by recalling them often throughout our lifetime.  Memories take us by the hand and lead us back through the mists of the past to the happy scenes and experiences of yesterday.  And when a life has been lived constructively for God and others, the memories of that life is like a beautiful walk through a pleasant garden.

The wisdom writer of Proverbs suggested this when he wrote, “The memory of the righteous will be a blessing.” (Pr. 10:7a).

The ability to nurture and enjoy the memories of a relationship means that we never need to do as is often said, “pay our last respects” to a beloved friend or family member.  Nurturing and enjoying the garden of memories given us by a person keeps our respect and love for them alive and growing.

In many memorial services held each year, candles are lit in remembrance of those who died.  As we light each candle we give name, face, and public acknowledgement of the unforgettable relationship that was ours with that person.

The tradition of lighting candles is significant in two ways.  First, it symbolizes the light and warmth that each of those persons brought into our lives and community.  And secondly, it reminds us of our Christian hope that shines as light into the darkness of death and loss.  That light of Christian hope encourages us to walk through the garden of memories knowing that our present separation is only temporary.

Again I say, that the memories given us by those now separated from us are very precious gifts.  Let us rightly cherish them and freely share them with one another.  In so doing, we will both bless and be blessed.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 22, 2019

When educational philosopher John Dewey was 89 years old, a young medical doctor expressed his low opinion of philosophy.  “What’s the good of such claptrap?” he asked.  “Where does it lead you?”  Dewey answered by saying, “The good of it is that you climb mountains.”

The young man scoffed, “Climb mountains!  And what’s the use of doing that?”  The professor answered, “When you climb mountains, you see other mountains to climb.  You come down, climb the next mountain, and you see still others to climb.”  Then he added, “When you are no longer interested in climbing mountains to see other mountains to climb, life is over.”

Professor John Dewey had a point.  He was right in suggesting that it is the challenges ahead of us that give life meaning and energy, and if there are no challenges, or mountains, then we may still have a heart-beat, but we are not really living and aging as God intended for us.

It is very interesting and probably instructive to note that the pivotal moments in the life of biblical Moses took place on mountains?  First, there was Mount Horeb, the mountain of God’s call.  Then there was Mount Sinai, the mountain of God’s commandments.  And finally, there was Mount Nebo, which I like to call the mountain of God’s commencement for Moses.

From this final mountain Moses was privileged to see the results of his life’s work – the land God promised to his people.  From this mountain he also entered the heavenly Promised Land, graduating from this earthly life and entering into eternal heavenly life with God.  For Moses, there was always another mountain to climb, until he was called home to heaven from the final mountain.

If you are a senior adult, like me, I ask you, for what purpose are you living during these latter years of life?  Is your purpose just to hang on as long as you can, like the bumper sticker states: “I just want to live long enough to be a burden to my children.”  I suppose that can be a purpose for living, and it may indeed prolong your life, or probably more correctly, make it just seem that way to everybody around you.  Obviously, we should possess a purpose that is much bigger and more appreciated than just having a negative or cantankerous spirit about life.

So, what keeps you going?  What is your purpose on planet earth, in your community, church, and family?  Even more importantly, is that purpose given you by God?  I’m convinced that if we have a purpose that daily challenges us to keep climbing and discovering new things and new understandings, we can be young at age 80.  If we don’t, we are most likely old at age 40, in both spirit and body.

You are old when you feel that tomorrow holds no meaningful challenge, no mountain to climb.  You are old when you say, “I’m too old for that.”  You are old when you think that you have learned all that you are going to learn about life and God.  You are old when you talk to people younger than you but you don’t listen and learn from them.  You are old when you talk about purpose for living in the past tense but not in the future tense.

But, if you possess a God-given purpose that daily motivates you toward discovering new learning and understandings, you are “young” no matter how many candles are placed on your birthday cake.

If you keep focused on your spiritual legacy, find a purpose for living, and follow God’s guidance, then every day you will climb to a new mountain peak, from which you may see tomorrow’s mountain, and then the next day’s mountain, until you reach your final mountain and from there, while standing on its peak, you graduate to your heavenly home.  What a way to live, and what a way to die.  And so, keep climbing mountains, and God be with you.

“Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 15, 2019

“After God created man, he stepped back, observed his work and concluded, ‘He is imperfect.  I must give him someone to complete him, to be his helper.’  So he created woman – loving, gentle, tender, kind, understanding.  Side by side they were to live and work – cooperating, trusting each other’s strengths and allowing for the weaknesses of each.” (Source unknown).

As his final and crowning work in the biblical creation story, God purposely “made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:22), to be an unique helper to man and the mother of all human-kind.  Many centuries later, the apostle Paul reminds us of this relationship – “Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman.” (1 Corinthians 11:12).

Mother’s Day is a day to give special recognition and honor to our mothers, both living and dead.  I heard it said that “Mother” is not a name, but a divine function.  “To mother” is to be the bearer of life and the one who nourishes it.

The world has been significantly blessed by women who, having committed their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, view their role as a good mothering parent to be a sacred calling from God.  To accept the responsibility of shaping lives and building character in a nourishing environment of a Christ-centered, love-filled home is often a difficult and frustrating challenge, but also a very rewarding responsibility.

Truly, a noble mother is the world’s most effective teacher and best companion.  Abraham Lincoln once said, “All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.”

Speaking of noble mothers, the writer of Proverbs says that “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.  Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.”  (Proverbs 31:30-31).

Called out of town to take care of a sick relative for a few weeks, a mother left her husband and children to run the house.  After a few days the mother began to wonder whether she was being missed at home.  A letter from her youngest son removed all doubt.  She read, “Dear Mom, Since you went away, this is the biggest house I ever saw.”

Little Brenda was about to “say her piece” in a children’s day program, but when she got in front of the crowd and saw all of the people in the audience, she panicked.  Every line that she had so carefully rehearsed faded from her memory, and she stood there frozen and unable to utter a single word.

Sitting in the front row, her mother was almost as frantic as the girl.  She gestured, she screwed up her lips to form the beginning words, but to no avail.  Finally in desperation she whispered the opening phrase, “I am the light of the world.”  Instantly little Brenda’s face relaxed, a smile appeared, and with supreme confidence she began, “My mother is the light of the world.”

Of course the audience quietly chuckled, but then on reflection realized that Brenda’s statement was not altogether wrong.  For good or for evil, mothers (and fathers) are unquestionably the light of their children’s world.

For that reason, I believe that the highest peak of influence for any woman is in the role of motherhood.   I once heard it said that to be a mother means managing a university, a clothing establishment, a laundry, a health clinic, and a restaurant.  Additionally, she is the president of the little state called home, as well as being its health officer and truant officer.

To be a noble and loving mother is an awesome challenge, and we need always to respect and honor their good influence in our life.  And probably the greatest tribute given to a mother was found on a cemetery headstone.  Below the name and date of the deceased mother, is this simple phrase, “She made home happy.”

No other word was needed.  What a testimony to a mother who was gifted, enabled, and committed to her calling and mission in life.  May their numbers increase in our world today, and may all of us, both mothers and fathers, daily endeavor to make our home happy.

                        “Healing Rays of Righteousness” – May 8, 2019