Why does God create people with mental illnesses? (Talk Back Series)

Why does God create people with mental illnesses (i.e. depression, bipolar disorder, etc.)? 

[Answered by Shannon and Josh]

  This is not the easiest question to answer because there isn’t any clear answer in Scripture about this.  Genesis 1:27 says that we are "created in the image of God".  If we are created in the image of God, then God doesn’t create people with any illness, whether mental or physical. 

Many people attribute illness and disabilities to “the fall of man” in Genesis 3.  There is some justification for this, because before Adam and Eve ate the fruit, they didn't know any wrong or even that they were naked.  At the fall, sin entered the world.  There was now the opportunity for people to choose between good and evil.  

God didn't create all of the bad things that happen to people and all of the suffering that many people face.  People throughout the generations have chosen to disobey God and to live sinful lives. We are all born sinners, and sin and its consequences have been passed on from generation to generation. Because of this, there have been negative results on our world and in our lives as human beings.  People are born into a world that is literally being destroyed by the people living in it.  

On the other hand, when Jesus was asked about the reason for the man's blindness in John 9:1-3, Jesus said that his blindness was not because of his sin or his parent's sin, but to bring glory to God.  That's not that reassuring for someone who is suffering with an incurable disease or a mental illness, but God has used the faith and lives of many people who have suffered to draw people to himself and to bring glory to His name.  

When we are suffering with something, it's really hard to be positive and think about the good that can come from a situation that we are going through. After we get through it though, we often look back and realize that God was with us the whole time and that we were never alone. Through everything that we have faced or are facing, God walks with us, and we can praise Him for strengthening us, healing us, and sustaining us regardless of what we are going through.   

       Also, the collective effects of human sin throughout the world are basically an un-creation, a descent into chaos.  However, God is constantly working for re-creation, healing our brokenness, setting things right.  God wants us to be healthy and whole here in this life, and God is working through his Spirit and people to move us toward more health.  But eventually, when Jesus comes again, he will set everything right.  He will make everyone whole and cure every disease and heal every wound.  For now, we keep taking baby steps toward healing in God's love, but we also look forward in hope to the total healing God will eventually give.

Why do so many people do good with bad results or do bad and are constantly blessed? (Talk Back Series)

Question: I 1000% disagree that what you plant, you harvest. Why do so many people do good with bad results or do bad and are constantly blessed?

There are several ways to answer your question.  Each answer is a little different, but all are true.

1. There is the idea of what it means to have bad results.  As Christians, we believe in the idea of God controlling ultimate justice. There are eternal consequences, both good and bad, for our actions here on Earth.  In the end, we are subject to God's judgement.  (See Psalm 1: “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...but his delight is in the law of the Lord...for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.”) Blessings are not derived from health, wealth or earthly success, but by knowing and living with and for Christ. John 17:3 talks about eternal life in knowing Jesus. If we envy the wicked, we are being shortsighted. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says that the suffering of the righteous is nothing compared to the weight of glory.
2. Often, when we think about God giving us good and bad things, we tend to think of people being either good or bad.  We say, why do bad things happen to good people and why do good things happen to bad people?  The truth is, none of us are good people.  We are all sinners, and we all deserve death and hell.  But we are saved by God's great grace and mercy. Romans 5:8 states: “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”  All of the good in our lives is already from God, and God loves all of us, even those who have not accepted Christ.
3. The idea that we reap what we sow is more the idea that if we treat others well and with love, then that often comes back to us in the form of love and friendship and seeing good happen to those we care about.  Those who live lives that are selfish and uncaring may still gain fame and fortune, but they will drive people away from them.  Eventually, people will see through someone and will know a snake when they see one. 
4. Often, the Bible actually presents two sides of the same issue.  The “reap what you sow” concept that Josh talked about last week is a great example of this.  Some parts of the Bible (like Proverbs) speak heavily toward justice here and now on earth.  The basic premise of Proverbs is that if you make wise choices, you will be blessed in this life.  This is the basic “rule of life,” the way life normally operates.  If you eat well and exercise, you are probably going to be pretty healthy.  However, if you eat pizza and icecream while watching TV all day, you’re going to need a fork lift to get out of bed by the time you’re 50.  You reap what you sow.  However, other books of the Bible speak more to the “exception to the rule.”  Sometimes, even if you do everything right, you’ll still get cancer and die at 30.  Sometimes, life simply isn’t fair.  Ecclesiastes is a book that goes more in this direction.  Both are true.  There are definitely basic principles for wise and healthy living, but just like English grammar, there are always annoying exceptions to the rules.

(Answered by Matt and Josh)

Sabbath Laws? (Nehemiah 13:15-22)

Jerusalem had been destroyed.  The best and brightest Jews had been carried off into slavery in Babylon.  The prophets said God sent Israel into exile because they neglected their covenant with God, especially the Sabbath - the sign of the covenant.  Jeremiah tried to prevent the exile.  He warned Israel: 

“If you obey me, says the LORD, and do not carry on your trade at the gates or work on the Sabbath day, and if you keep it holy, then kings and their officials will go in and out of these gates forever.  There will always be a descendant of David sitting on the throne here in Jerusalem. ... But if you ... refuse to keep the Sabbath holy, and and if on the Sabbath day you bring loads of merchandise through the gates of Jerusalem just as on other days, then I will set fire to these gates.  The fire will spread to the palaces, and no one will be able to put out the roaring flames.”  (Jeremiah 17:24, 27)

Later, while Israel was still in exile, Ezekiel explained that bad Sabbath practice lay at the root of Israel’s troubles for many generations.  Listen as God speaks through Ezekiel:

“I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.  And I gave them my Sabbath days of rest as a sign between them and me.  It was to remind them that I am the LORD, who had set them apart to be holy.  But the people of Israel rebelled against me ... They wouldn’t obey my regulations even though obedience would have given them life.  They also violated my Sabbath days  ... I swore I would scatter them among all the nations because they did not obey my regulations.  They scorned my decrees by violating my Sabbath days and longing for the idols of their ancestors.  I gave them over to worthless decrees and regulations that would not lead to life.  I let them pollute themselves with the very gifts I had given them ... so that I might devastate them and remind them that I alone am the LORD.”  (Ezekiel 20:11-26)

For the prophets, there were some clear connections here that may not be obvious to us.  First, Israel’s relationships with God was a blessings/curses covenant.  Obey the covenant, and God will bless Israel.  Disobey the covenant, and God will curse or punish Israel.  Second, keeping the Sabbath was the sign of keeping the whole covenant.  Not keeping the Sabbath was like abandoning God and God’s covenant.  So then, third, for the prophets before and during the exile, there was a clear connection between keeping the Sabbath and experiencing God’s blessings or curses.  

But exile didn’t last forever.  Eventually, Israelites started to return home.  With the leadership of godly governors like Ezra and Nehemiah, there was a great organizational, structural, moral, and religious revival in Jerusalem.  But then, Nehemiah was called back to Babylon for several years.  We don’t know who the governor of Jerusalem was at that time, but he wasn’t very good at running the city according to God’s rules.  When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem several years later, he had to begin several reforms all over again.  Listen as Nehemiah describes with shock what he found:

But in those days, I saw men of Judah treading out their winepresses on the Sabbath.  

Why Does God Allow Suffering? (Talk Back Series)

If God is love, and God is good, then why does a good God allow suffering (emotionally, physically, socially, etc.)?
[This is a response to a question shared on a "Talk Back" card at our church.]

When I was in Europe, I took a midnight train from Paris to Zurich. I was too cheap to pay for a sleeping car, so I ended up talking all night with a man named Yacov. Yacov described himself as a secular Jew. He is Israeli and grew up in Israel. He was educated in the Jewish faith.
However, when he saw a documentary on the Holocaust in school, he became an atheist. He said to himself, “There is no such thing as God or the chosen people, or else this would not have happened.”
Yacov is not alone. Many people have lost faith in God because of the suffering they see in the world. How can a loving God allow so much suffering? This is a huge question.

Take a minute and think about one instance of serious suffering. It can be something you went through, something that happened to someone you know, or something you just heard about. You can make it as personal or impersonal as you want.

How can a loving God allow so much suffering? This is one of the hardest questions for both Christians and non-Christians. I want to give a few disclaimers before we set into our discussion tonight.
1. The Bible does not give a complete answer to this question. The Bible is more focused on how to overcome suffering rather than focusing on why there is suffering in the first place.
2. There is no way that I can give a complete answer today. You and I both will probably leave here feeling at least a little unsatisfied with the answers we talk about today. Even though I can’t answer the question completely, I hope that I can at least make this issue more manageable for us.

Sabbath Sign (Exodus 31:12-18)

Every child who attends Sunday School knows the story of Noah’s Ark.  Humanity had become so sinful that God decided the best thing was to start over with Noah’s family.  Following God’s instructions, Noah built an huge boat (called an “ark”) and gathered representative animals to keep them safe. Then, a huge flood came that covered the earth, but Noah and the animals were safe in the ark.  

If you’re like me, you have 1,001 questions about this story.  However, for just a few minutes, skip past those questions to the end of the story.  

After the floodwaters went down and the earth became livable again, Noah and the animals left the ark and had a worship service to thank God for keeping them safe.  In that great moment in time, God made a covenant with humanity and the animals and every living creature.  

Then God said, “I am giving you a sign of my covenant with you and with all living creatures, for all generations to come. I have placed my rainbow in the clouds. It is the sign of my covenant with you and with all the earth. When I send clouds over the earth, the rainbow will appear in the clouds, and I will remember my covenant with you and with all living creatures. Never again will the floodwaters destroy all life.  When I see the rainbow in the clouds, I will remember the eternal covenant between God and every living creature on earth.” Then God said to Noah, “Yes, this rainbow is the sign of the covenant I am confirming with all the creatures on earth.”  (Genesis 9:12-17).

God is saying, “OK, after this big flood, you guys might be a little skittish.  You might get scared every time it rains, but don’t worry, this huge flood was a one-time deal.  It will never happen again, I promise.  In fact, I’ll give you the rainbow as a sign of my promise. When you see the rainbow, you’ll remember that I promise to keep the waters under control so that life can flourish on earth.”

The rainbow is a sign of God’s covenant commitment to life on earth.  It’s a sign that we have no control over, but it is a sign that God has control over us and our earth.

The next sign of the covenant comes as part of Abraham’s story.  

What does the Bible say about drinking? (Talk Back Series)

What does the Bible say about drinking? The Church of the Nazarene?  KNU International English Church?  Is there such a thing as drinking in moderation? Acceptable drinking?

[This is a response to a question shared on a "Talk Back" card at our church. Answered by Adam Jantz and Josh Broward.]

These are all very good questions, and we're glad you asked! 

First, let’s start with what the Bible says about drinking.  The Bible talks about alcohol over 70 different times, and many of them can seem confusing or contradictory. It is very common to hear one of two answers. “Yes, it is okay to drink as long as you don’t drink too much.”  Or “No, you should not drink at all because it is a sin!”

For example Leviticus 10:9 says “Drink no wine or strong drink, you or your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations.”  Judges 13:4 says “Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, “ - So we should never drink – check!

But according to Ecclesiastes 9:7 “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do.”  And Psalm 104:14-15 “ You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart. “  - So we can drink?!?

Also, Paul told Timothy to stop drinking only water and to drink some wine because it was good for his stomach (1 Timothy 5:23).  Furthermore, Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana in John 2:1-11.  It had to be real, high quality wine because the people said that Jesus’ wine was the best wine at the party!

On the other hand, though, the Bible is clear that drunkenness is dangerous and sinful (Ephesians 5:18, Galatians 5:19-21, Proverbs 23:29-35).  We should not be mastered by anything on this earth (1 Corinthians 6:12; 2 Peter 2:19), and drinking alcohol can easily become addictive to many people.   Also, the Bible explains that we shouldn’t do anything that might offend other Christians or that might encourage them to sin (1 Corinthians 8:9-13).

So what do we get when we put all of this together? 

Sabbath Liberation (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

       Meet Chan and Tin.  They worked most of their lives in the rice fields of Thailand.  After working all year on the farm, there was barely enough money to feed the family.  They struggled year after year in desperate poverty.

One day a recruiter for a company called Global Horizons came to their village promising high paying jobs on farms in America.  In one month in America, they could earn what they make in a full year in Thailand.  It was the opportunity of a lifetime to change the lives of their children and their whole extended family.

There was just one catch.  To enter the program, they had to pay a recruitment fee of almost $15,000.  They mortgaged their farms and their houses.  They talked their relatives in to mortgaging their farms and homes.  Tin’s loans ranged up to 80% annual interest, but Chan’s loans reached 152% annual interest.

When they got to the airport, Global Horizons forced them to sign a host of new documents - including a visa renewal fee of $8,000.  When they reached America, the recruiters confiscated their passports “for safekeeping.”  This meant that they had no identification and no way to prove that they were in the USA legally.

At first, there was plenty of work and on-time pay.  After a few months though, the work began to run out and the pay started coming later and later.  Often, they sent 100% of their pay checks back to Thailand so that their families could make the payments on their loans.  That meant they often didn’t have enough to eat, so they caught wild animals for food and gathered wild vegetables from forests.  They usually lived in overcrowded housing without enough beds for each person.  Sometimes the toilet wouldn’t work for weeks at a time.  They often lacked kitchens, washing machines, and sufficient heating. To limit their contact with outsiders, their handlers told them that Americans are greatly prejudiced against Asians and that leaving their housing grounds would be very dangerous.  

Surely this couldn’t really happen in today’s world, right?  They are free people.  They could just change companies, right?  Wrong.  Global Horizons was their legal sponsor and guarantor.  If they quit, they would lose their visas and be sent home to Thailand ... and their families would lose everything.  

Well, then, they could complain.  They could talk get help from the police, right?  Oh, you mean, the same police who arrested them as illegal aliens because they didn’t have proper identification?  They thought that if they went to the police, then they would be sent home - either by the police or by Global Horizons ... and their families would lose everything.

Well, then, surely, they could at least go on strike and protest for better working conditions, right?  Managers continually reminded them that if they complained, they would be sent home to Thailand.  Then, they would have no way to repay those huge loans ... and their families would lose everything.  The U.S. Justice department decided that Chan and Tin were “victims of human trafficking.”  They were officially, legally, modern day slaves ... in the United States of America ... in 2007.

They aren’t the only slaves.  The US government estimates that there are somewhere between 4 million and 27 million slaves in the world today - at this moment.

  This is a horrific tragedy, and the Church of the Nazarene and many other Christian and secular organizations are actively working to stop human trafficking and to protect those most vulnerable.  

However, today I ask you to consider that the problem of modern slavery is far more widespread than we have ever imagined.  I think you will begin to understand as we read our Old Testament lesson for today. 

Sabbath Texts

Last week, I told our church that during September, I'm going to try to talk about all the major Sabbath texts.  Today, I made a list.  These might not all qualify as "major," but they are all the places in the Bible that say something unique about the Sabbath.  To make it easier, I've added a brief summary for each text.

• Genesis 1-2 - God created the universe in six days, and on the seventh day, God rested.  That’s why we rest one day a week.
• Exodus 16:21-31 - God sends enough manna on the 6th day so that the Israelites can stay home and rest on the seventh for a Sabbath.
• Exodus 20:8-11 - Rest on the seventh day because God rested after 6 days of creation.

Why is it possible to try so hard and constantly pray and have faith and still fail?

That’s a good question.  Success and failure depend on a complex network of factors.  You mentioned three: effort, prayer, and faith.  These are definitely very important, but what about wisdom, knowledge, skill, and support for example?  

I may have the dream to climb Mount Everest, but effort, prayer, and faith aren’t going to get me there.  I’m going to need a whole lot of knowledge, skill, and support from a team.  However, that doesn’t even take into account the bigger question of whether climbing Mount Everest is the right dream for me to pursue.  Wisdom is knowing the right mountain and the right approach path.

But even beyond that, we have to acknowledge that there are simply many factors that are beyond our control.  For reasons that we can only guess, God doesn’t protect us from many of those: storms, disasters, drunk drivers, illness, the sins and mistakes of others, etc.  Sometimes failure comes from within, and we can rightly blame ourselves.  Other times, we just have to acknowledge that we had a few bad breaks, and it didn’t work out for us.  There doesn’t have to be “a reason for everything.”

I suspect that most of the time, when we fail after trying hard and praying hard, we are really missing wisdom and support from others.  Thinking that we can handle anything with just us and God sound all nice and holy, but it just doesn’t work in practice for most people.  There is something mysteriously powerful about humbly gathering with our brothers and sisters, confessing our failures, and honestly asking God to heal us together.  This is why Alcoholics Anonymous and other 12 step groups have spread around the world.  There is an aspect of God’s grace and healing that can only come to us through other people.  

Whatever it is that is frustrating you these days, here is my advice.  Get together with some good friends and get really honest with them.  Tell them exactly what you’re struggling with, and ask for their support and prayer.  You may find the truth of this ancient verse: “A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).

[This is a response to a question shared on a "Talk Back" card at our church.]

Sabbath Series 1: Quantum Sabbath

Quantum physics is rocking the scientific world.  At first, people thought that quantum physics describes what happens on the subatomic level - how our world works in its teeny, tiniest parts.  The sheer exploration of electrons and protons was shocking enough, but in the past decade, physicists have been discovering “that quantum behavior persists on a macroscopic scale.”  

I don’t really understand most of what is going on in quantum physics, but there is one point that makes a lot of sense to me: entanglement.  This is when two or more objects are mysteriously tangled together.  According to our normal reasoning, they shouldn’t effect each other, but they do.  “Even when the entangled particles are far apart, they still behave as a single entity, leading to what Einstein famously called ‘spooky action at a distance.’”  Sometimes, things are connected even when it looks like they aren’t.  

This doesn’t seem like that big of a deal to us when we’re talking about the super-microscopic level of what happens inside atoms.  Most of us don’t understand and don’t care about that.  But what physicists are discovering is that quantum physics are everywhere in our world - working even with larger objects.  There is “spooky action” all over the place.  Things are connected even when it looks like they aren’t.

Quantum behavior is counter-intuitive.  It “eludes visualization [in graphs and charts] and common sense.  It forces us to rethink how we look at the universe and accept a new and unfamiliar picture of our world.” (Vlatko Vedral, “Living in a Quantum World,” Scientific American, June 2011)

Social scientists are beginning to apply this quantum entanglement theory to family systems, organizations, and cultures.  Psychologists are applying entanglement theory to the inner workings of our minds and hearts.  Astronomers are exploring the possibility of quantum relationships in the largest parts of our universe.  We are quantum people in a quantum world.  Things are connected even when it looks like they aren’t.  

This forces us to rethink how we look at our universe and to develop a new picture for how our lives work in the world.  Sometimes we call this quantum phenomena irony.  How many of you have heard your mom or aunt say to some single woman, “You’ll meet Mr. Right just about the time you stop looking for him”?  There is some kind of quantum connection there between finding and not looking.  

Today, we begin our series on the Sabbath, with the basic premise that there is a quantum connection between our practice of Sabbath and the rest of our week.  Even our calendars experience quantum entanglement.  Good Sabbath practice leads to good weeks and good years.  Bad Sabbath practice has a “spooky action from a distance” that drags down our moods, our health, our spirituality, and our performance in school and work.  Some things are connected even when it looks like they aren’t.  

Are there “Nutrition and Food Security Programs” run by the Church of the Nazarene in Kenya?

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries slightly different programs in each country, but the Church of the Nazarene is huge in Africa.  Roughly 25% of all Nazarenes are African.  There are more than 20,000 Nazarenes in Kenya, and they are very active in serving those in need around them.  Let’s highlight a few key ministries:

• Famine Relief: “The Horn of Africa” is experiencing the worst drought in 60 years.  Large, overcrowded refugee camps are forming in Kenya and Ethiopia.  The Church of the Nazarene is working in these camps to address “malnutrition, hunger, shelter, sanitation and other basic necessities.”  For more info go to: http://ncm.org/africahunger/.
• Orphans and Vulnerable Children Program:  Because of AIDS, Africa has far too many orphans to build orphanages or special villages for them.  Instead, Nazarenes are working with local communities to identify and to support vulnerable children in their midst.  We provide livestock, seeds, garden tools, and basic life lessons to help local churches empower more than 10,000 kids first to survive and then to thrive.
• Farming and Food Security Program:  Local people provide some barren land.  NCM provides the tools and training to irrigate it and to turn it into a fertile farm feeding 200 families and stocking a food bank for times of crisis.  After irrigation, the land becomes 10 times more fertile than before!

Find out more about the Church of the Nazarene in Africa at: www.africanazarene.org.  Check out www.ncm.org for more examples of how Nazarenes are living as a loving community that changes our world.  If you see a program you like, you can give online or through your offerings in our church.  (Either way, be sure to mark your gift with the program code that looks something like this: ACM1796.)

[This question comes from a "talk back" card in our church bulletin.]

Trouble

Trouble. Transition.  Death.  Moving away.  Illness.  Conflict.  New job.  New stuff to do in your old job.  Sometimes life is hard.  

In times like this, one little thing Jesus said really helps me: “In this world, you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).  

There is no way to get out of the trouble in this world.  Trouble is part of the fabric of this broken world.  

But Jesus has overcome the world and its troubles.  Jesus connects us with the world beyond.  Jesus gives us a peace that comes from outside this world.  He is our life-line, and we connect with Jesus as we open our hearts to him and to each other.  Like a thousand bricks supporting each other and sharing the weight, we strengthen one another.  As we stick together, we stick to Christ.  

As we experience trouble and transition in various shapes and sizes, let’s go deeper together.  Life is uncertain, so don’t live it alone.  Open up to each other.  Pray together.  Take heart - together.  This is what makes us the body of Christ.

Rescue, Refuge, Rehab, Reassignment (2 Samuel 22)

This is our last passage in our series in 1 and 2 Samuel.  Most of this chapter is actually the same as Psalm 18, but it is included here as part of David’s story.  It is kind of a summary of how God helped him throughout his life.  We’re only going to read a few parts of the psalm because it’s really long, but listen for four basic themes: rescue, refuge, rehabilitation, and reassignment.

First there is an introduction section:

¹ David sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD rescued him from all his enemies and from Saul.  ² He sang:

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior.

my God is my rock, in whom I find protection.

He is my shield, the power that saves me,

and my place of safety.

Next is the rescue section:

⁵ The waves of death overwhelmed me;

floods of destruction swept over me.

⁶ The grave wrapped its ropes around me;

death laid a trap in my path.

⁷ But in my distress I cried out to the LORD;

yes, I cried to my God for help. ...

¹⁷ He reached down from heaven and rescued me; 

he drew me out of deep waters.

¹⁸ He rescued me from my powerful enemies, 

from those who hated me and were too strong for me. ...

Then comes refuge:

²⁰ He led me to a place of safety;

He rescued me because he delights in me. ...

³¹ He is a shield of for all who look to him for protection.

³² For who is God except the Lord?

Who but our God is a solid rock?

³³ God is my strong fortress ...

Next is something we might not expect: rehabilitation.

³⁴ He makes me as surefooted as a deer, 

enabling me to stand on mountain heights.

³⁵ He trains my hands for battle;

he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.

³⁶ You have given me your shield of victory;

your help has made me great ...

The final move may be even more surprising and uncomfortable: reassignment.

³⁸ I chased my enemies and destroyed them;

I did not stop until they were conquered ...

⁴⁰ You have armed me with strength for the battle;

you have subdued my enemies under my feet.

⁴¹ You placed my foot on their necks. ...

David finishes with a conclusion of praise.

⁴⁷ The LORD lives!  Praise to my Rock!

May God, the Rock of my salvation, be exalted!

Over the past two weeks, we had the great privilege to see this psalm lived out in Bangladesh.  Bijoli was an orphan as a child.  She faced staggeringly bad options: near-slavery as a worker in a house or sweatshop, homelessness, or prostitution.  However, she was rescued, and given refuge in an orphanage sponsored by the Church of Bangladesh.  Over the next decade or so, she experienced a beautiful rehabilitation.  Despite her difficult beginnings, she learned about God’s love and developed a beautiful personality of joy and peace.  She studied well and showed great potential for ministry.  

Retro Poem #11: Nothing Comes Out

Do you know 

   that when you cry

   I feel it?

Do you know

   that when you hold it back

   I feel that too?

Sometimes I feel you

   hold down a great big sob

   but nothing comes out.

Sometimes the tears are there,

   but the fears are there too,

   and nothing comes out.

Sometimes you’ve long since 

   stopped the tears

   and I hug you

   and everything wants to start again

   but nothing comes out.

A great big cry

   bundled up with pain and fear

   and whatever else - I don’t know -

   surges toward the surface

   and slams into the wall 

   of your determination.

I am not sure exactly 

   what you are determined to do

   except to hold that bundle down

   and nothing comes out.

Your will is strong;

   you can do almost anything you want.

But sometimes I wish 

   that you would not master your emotions.

I wish they were free to be released

   good, bad

   strong, weak

   attractive, or not

   I wish they came out.

When a sob surges

   it needs to be released.

Emancipate the prisoners,

   and emancipate yourself.

Retro Poem #10: Smart and Lucky

I am the smartest man alive.

Out of all the women in this world,

I chose you.

I am the luckiest man alive.

Out of all the men in this world,

You chose me.

[This is one of my favorites - maybe because I can easily remember it and recite it to Sarah when I want her to feel all warm and mushy.]

Leadership Tip: Choose the Right Form of Communication.

Should you write, email, text, IM, Facebook message, call, or go in person?  It all depends.  Who are you trying to reach?  How well do you know them?  How urgent is it?  What have you tried so far?  What is that person's preferred mode of communication?

Email is great - except when it isn't.  One of the regular complaints I get from beginning leaders is that they tried to gather a meeting or to recruit volunteers, but no one responded to their emails.  Some people are great email responders, and some just read everything and reply to almost nothing - especially if a reply requires thought or commitment.
One way to increase the effectiveness of an email is to combine it with a text message.  This reminds people to check their email.  (Some just don't check very often.)  Also, it is a small flag noting the urgency of the issue.  However, if the reply can be done with a text message, you might consider skipping the email altogether.    One nice thing about text messages is that people can still receive them while in meetings when they can't answer the phone.  Also, they can save them up and respond to you later when they are on a break.
Another option for email is to start with a mass email to get the easy responders.  Then, move to text message to get the next set of responses.  Finally, close out the slow responders with direct phone calls.

For people in your email contact list, a five minute Instant Message conversation with Google Chat or something similar can be the most effective way to touch base with a short Q and A session.  This avoids the annoying relay of emails with one short question after another.

Retro Poem #9: Owners of the Floor

Boldly dancing

with ease and grace,

their age melded with youth

to sing an aromatic duet

which evanesced through the room.

Though they seemed oblivious to all,

none could help but notice them.

[At the same jazz club (see below), one older couple danced with such grace and obvious affection that they stole my heart.  I copied this down on another napkin and gave them a copy.]

Retro Poem #8: Jazz Club

"The Jazz Club" by Phillip Maxwell

music lubricates my mind

the rhythm rolls my head

and my pen

music talks in mysteries

unmatched by words

(I wrote this one on another napkin at the same jazz club I visited with my sister in 2000.  I don't feel like it really finishes its thought, but I love the way the words roll, so I figured it is worth a post.)

Retro Poem #7: A Coy Smile and a Glow

The look in her eyes tells a story

   when she turns and waits for him

   to join her on the floor

She only wants to be with him

Style, stature, skill, and appearance

 -- all irrelevant to her.

He his her man,

and she only wants to dance with him.

(I wrote this on the back of a napkin at a jazz club in Houston in 2000.)

Why did David wait 20 years to help Mephibosheth? (Talk Back Question 3)

After David became king of Judah (in the south), there was a long civil war with most of the tribes of Israel following Ishbosheth (Saul’s son and Mephibosheth’s uncle) in the north.  After the David’s side one, he became king of the united Israel.  Next David dealt with Israel’s external enemies - either winning wars or making peace treaties.  After David’s kingdom was solidly established and Israel had a period of peace, David seems to have taken time to reflect on his promise to look after Jonathan’s descendants.  

So basically, David seems to have forgotten about his promise (or to have been to busy to fulfill it) until there was peace.  But then he did right by Mephibosheth.  Even though it was late in coming, it was still a pretty courageous act, considering that David had fought a civil war against Ishbosheth.

Who killed King Saul and Crown Prince Jonathan? (Talk Back Question 2)

The Israelites were at war with the Philistines in the Jezreel Valley, and the Philistines attacked on the slopes of Mount Gilboa.  They killed three of Saul’s sons - including Jonathan.  A Philistine archer severely wounded Saul.  Seeing that he would be captured, Saul killed himself by falling on his sword.  This ceremonial suicide was an ancient way to preserve honor in defeat.

By the way, since he was on the outs with Saul at this time, David was not involved in this battle.  (See 1 Samuel 31.) 

Also, cool ... check out this fascinating painting of this scene by Pieter Bruegel the Elder 

Ending the Cover-Ups (2 Samuel 11)

Read 2 Samuel 11.

I wanted to preach a nice, fairly traditional sermon on temptation and how to avoid it.  That is a fair and relatively easy application of this text.  But I couldn’t do it.  I sat down at my computer to write, and I ended up just surfing the web or playing games.  For two days, I tried to write the nice sermon about avoiding temptation - the expected sermon when dealing with this passage, but I just couldn’t get the words to come out.

Then, on Wednesday afternoon, I started digging into the passage again.  I went online and read every sermon or article I could find on this passage.  Danielle Shroyer, a pastor from Texas, knew the way to my heart when she asked: “Anybody brave enough to preach this one squarely?”

  What?  A controversial sermon on a difficult topic?  I never do those. OK, I’m in.

The David and Bathsheba story is famous because it deals with the big three: money, sex, and power.  It’s famous because it describes the messy fall of a hero.  It reads like a soap opera, and that’s why we like it.    

But this story isn’t just about the massive failure of one man and its many consequences - although that is the outline of the story.  If David and Bathsheba were simply about adultery, then - as Tim Elliot said at lunch on Thursday - this sermon could have one simple point: “Don’t do it.”  

This story is more complex and more painful than that.  We are not allowed to stand at a distance as people not concerned with this story - not when we really hear it.  This story is about the misconduct of a leader and the cover-up that followed.  And that, unfortunately, is something we know a lot about.  Just consider this very brief inventory of high profile abuse and cover-up in the past few years.