I am doing some theme sermons on happiness to begin 2010. This series will go through Easter, and is based on the premise that a Christian has an obligation to be happy. Believing as we do in the gospel of Jesus Christ, our lives should reflect a very different attitude than the surrounding culture. After all, this gospel claims to be the best news there is. If it doesn't affect our outlook on life, then what good is it? Nothing less persuasive than a grumpy, cranky, pessimistic Christian.
The basic building block of happiness is gratitude. A person who is grateful for life will have a very different path than the person who isn't, or the one who is simply overlooking the goodness in life. Gratitude is the greatest of all attitude adjustments. The person who is grateful sees abundance everywhere, even in hardship. I cannot overstate the importance of this. If you want to be a happy person, start by expressing your gratitude.
To express gratitude, don't go looking for the big blessing. That is where most people make a mistake. Gratitude begins small. As I write this, I am grateful that my fingers are working well enough to be able to type, which leads to gratitude that I was able to learn this skill. That is how it works. Start small, and see where it leads. It usually leads way past where you thought it would.
Durable happiness, the kind that lasts throughout your life, begins with expressing gratitude.
"...give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Back to work
My mother died on January 8, and I have been away from my blogging during that time of funeral arrangements and family activity. I thought about blogging during the process, and decided not to do it. I thought it might be a little too much.
I do want to share the eulogy I wrote for my mom that was read at her funeral (January 14) by my brother in law.
EULOGY FOR MARY SUE FIVEASH LYDA (1923-2010)
Reflections of her children on the occasion of her death
“It never was about her.”
After several days of reflection, that phrase came to us. For our mother, it never was about her. It was always about something else. Her family, her husband, her children, her church, people she served, people in need she never met. Most of all, it was about God. That is what made her unique among the people we have known. It never was about her.
Our mother experienced some terrible suffering in her life. This in itself is not unusual; many people have very bad things happen to them. What made our mother unusual was the way she responded to her pain. Instead of becoming angry, embittered, self absorbed, or cynical, she became compassionate. Even in pain, it was not about her. The poverty of her childhood made her generous. The stigma of lower class circumstances made her intolerant of bigotry. The pain of bereavement in her youth made her sensitive to the losses of others around her. Faced with hearing loss, she became an interpreter for the deaf. Faced with blindness, she found a way to communicate with people in need of encouragement. Unable to live on her own, she found ways to serve her children and grandchildren. It was never about her. Not even in death. At her demise, her instructions were to send her body to the University of Florida medical school. Still serving, even now.
Our mother had a passion for God. Always faithful as a church member, in her later years she became a devoted student of the Bible. Her knowledge was not intellectual, and her interests were not academic. For her, it was about the heart. It was frustrating to see her constantly judging herself for shortcomings and failings, but she took the call to holiness utterly seriously. She absolutely believed in grace, but was always engaged in rigorous self examination.
Her commitment to holiness did not make her judgmental of others, however. Hard on herself, she was very tender with others. No one who ever saw her cry over them could feel anything other than love. Her tears were more powerful than any paddle she ever used on us.
Her faith was not simply a personal piety. She had a powerful sense of social justice, and did what she could to change the world. We saw her not only be charitable to the poor, but take public stands for racial justice during the civil rights movement. She had strong political views which were tilted toward equality and opportunity for all people. In her later years she got involved in faith based community organizing in Gainesville, working on local issues. She could be compared to a biblical prophet, combining deep personal faith with a fierce commitment to social righteousness.
As she faced the possiblity of dying, we saw the ultimate in faith and trust. Knowing her mortality, she lived with an anticipation of death that paradoxically invigorated her life. She just would not quit living, even as her medical problems mounted. People around her marveled and were touched by her serenity. We believe that at the end she was living in God’s presence as much as in her earthly existence.
She was a teacher of faith, and a mentor in spiritual life. None of us feel worthy of the example she has set, but that example will be with us for the rest of our lives. Regardless of what happens, her life will always remind us: no complaining, no shirking of responsibility, no excuses for failing to live up to what we should be. Love and trust God, and live for something bigger than yourself.
Her legacy is an old fashioned blessing she gave to her children and grandchildren, holding each of us by the face and admonishing us to love God and be good people. That very special gift will sustain and instruct, and is the most precious inheritance . Even as she died, it was never about her.
I do want to share the eulogy I wrote for my mom that was read at her funeral (January 14) by my brother in law.
EULOGY FOR MARY SUE FIVEASH LYDA (1923-2010)
Reflections of her children on the occasion of her death
“It never was about her.”
After several days of reflection, that phrase came to us. For our mother, it never was about her. It was always about something else. Her family, her husband, her children, her church, people she served, people in need she never met. Most of all, it was about God. That is what made her unique among the people we have known. It never was about her.
Our mother experienced some terrible suffering in her life. This in itself is not unusual; many people have very bad things happen to them. What made our mother unusual was the way she responded to her pain. Instead of becoming angry, embittered, self absorbed, or cynical, she became compassionate. Even in pain, it was not about her. The poverty of her childhood made her generous. The stigma of lower class circumstances made her intolerant of bigotry. The pain of bereavement in her youth made her sensitive to the losses of others around her. Faced with hearing loss, she became an interpreter for the deaf. Faced with blindness, she found a way to communicate with people in need of encouragement. Unable to live on her own, she found ways to serve her children and grandchildren. It was never about her. Not even in death. At her demise, her instructions were to send her body to the University of Florida medical school. Still serving, even now.
Our mother had a passion for God. Always faithful as a church member, in her later years she became a devoted student of the Bible. Her knowledge was not intellectual, and her interests were not academic. For her, it was about the heart. It was frustrating to see her constantly judging herself for shortcomings and failings, but she took the call to holiness utterly seriously. She absolutely believed in grace, but was always engaged in rigorous self examination.
Her commitment to holiness did not make her judgmental of others, however. Hard on herself, she was very tender with others. No one who ever saw her cry over them could feel anything other than love. Her tears were more powerful than any paddle she ever used on us.
Her faith was not simply a personal piety. She had a powerful sense of social justice, and did what she could to change the world. We saw her not only be charitable to the poor, but take public stands for racial justice during the civil rights movement. She had strong political views which were tilted toward equality and opportunity for all people. In her later years she got involved in faith based community organizing in Gainesville, working on local issues. She could be compared to a biblical prophet, combining deep personal faith with a fierce commitment to social righteousness.
As she faced the possiblity of dying, we saw the ultimate in faith and trust. Knowing her mortality, she lived with an anticipation of death that paradoxically invigorated her life. She just would not quit living, even as her medical problems mounted. People around her marveled and were touched by her serenity. We believe that at the end she was living in God’s presence as much as in her earthly existence.
She was a teacher of faith, and a mentor in spiritual life. None of us feel worthy of the example she has set, but that example will be with us for the rest of our lives. Regardless of what happens, her life will always remind us: no complaining, no shirking of responsibility, no excuses for failing to live up to what we should be. Love and trust God, and live for something bigger than yourself.
Her legacy is an old fashioned blessing she gave to her children and grandchildren, holding each of us by the face and admonishing us to love God and be good people. That very special gift will sustain and instruct, and is the most precious inheritance . Even as she died, it was never about her.
Friday, January 01, 2010
Jesus is for everybody
This Sunday is Epiphany Sunday. I don't use the word "epiphany" often because it is obscure to most people. It means "revealing," and it is an important part of your Christmas observance. The season is not over until we have Epiphany. The story is in Matthew 2:1-12.
The "revealing" is of Jesus to the Wise Men, or Magi, who seek him out. These visitors are not Jews. They are foreign magicians or astrologers. They have been tipped off to an extraordinary cosmic event, and they travel great distance to see it for themselves. Their importance to the story is that they are outsiders. God is revealing something to outsiders.
God's revelation, which came to the insiders, is also for the outsiders. Jesus is for everybody! It is a simple idea but try living by it. You quickly find that churches are usually communities of insiders. It is nice to be an insider, and once you are, you tend to hold on to it for yourself. Churches are largely ineffective because they behave like insiders, and have forgotten how to welcome people from outside the circle. Being an insider will turn your faith very flat.
The arrival of this Jesus-who-is-for-everybody brought consequences. King Herod responded to the search of the Magi by killing all the babies in Bethlehem to make sure of eliminating the little one who might be a threat to his own position. To escape Herod's wrath the family of baby Jesus fled to Egypt, living there as aliens. Jesus is a threat to insiders everywhere.
For much of the last 1,500 years of Western culture the Christian church has had insider status. The USA thought of itself as a Christian country. Our churches, Protestant and Catholic, were sanctioned and blessed by secular culture (as long as we did not mess with it too much). We are no longer in that position. Churches are in staggering decline in membership, atttendance, and financial strength. An entire generation is finding no meaning at all in traditional religious practice. Megachurches notwithstanding, the church cannot be called a prominent force in American culture anymore. This relatively new development (unfolding over the last fifty years) has left us insiders grasping for identity and purpose.
The message of Jesus remains powerful even as the church weakens. What has happened? It is the first century all over again. We are now aliens, not insiders. We are like Jesus' family, living as immigrants in a culture that is not ours. We can lament, or we can realize that this is how God really operates. Living as aliens in this culture, we can reach out in God's unfathomable love to all people without regard for privilege, status, or power.
Epiphany is a good time to be reminded that we are a Jesus-is-for-everybody people. The gospel is not a national, racial, ethnic, social, economic, or ideological thing. God's revelation of Jesus to "the Gentiles" is a sign of radical love and inclusion of all people everywhere. Anything we do that does not show that is a failure of Christmas spirit.
The "revealing" is of Jesus to the Wise Men, or Magi, who seek him out. These visitors are not Jews. They are foreign magicians or astrologers. They have been tipped off to an extraordinary cosmic event, and they travel great distance to see it for themselves. Their importance to the story is that they are outsiders. God is revealing something to outsiders.
God's revelation, which came to the insiders, is also for the outsiders. Jesus is for everybody! It is a simple idea but try living by it. You quickly find that churches are usually communities of insiders. It is nice to be an insider, and once you are, you tend to hold on to it for yourself. Churches are largely ineffective because they behave like insiders, and have forgotten how to welcome people from outside the circle. Being an insider will turn your faith very flat.
The arrival of this Jesus-who-is-for-everybody brought consequences. King Herod responded to the search of the Magi by killing all the babies in Bethlehem to make sure of eliminating the little one who might be a threat to his own position. To escape Herod's wrath the family of baby Jesus fled to Egypt, living there as aliens. Jesus is a threat to insiders everywhere.
For much of the last 1,500 years of Western culture the Christian church has had insider status. The USA thought of itself as a Christian country. Our churches, Protestant and Catholic, were sanctioned and blessed by secular culture (as long as we did not mess with it too much). We are no longer in that position. Churches are in staggering decline in membership, atttendance, and financial strength. An entire generation is finding no meaning at all in traditional religious practice. Megachurches notwithstanding, the church cannot be called a prominent force in American culture anymore. This relatively new development (unfolding over the last fifty years) has left us insiders grasping for identity and purpose.
The message of Jesus remains powerful even as the church weakens. What has happened? It is the first century all over again. We are now aliens, not insiders. We are like Jesus' family, living as immigrants in a culture that is not ours. We can lament, or we can realize that this is how God really operates. Living as aliens in this culture, we can reach out in God's unfathomable love to all people without regard for privilege, status, or power.
Epiphany is a good time to be reminded that we are a Jesus-is-for-everybody people. The gospel is not a national, racial, ethnic, social, economic, or ideological thing. God's revelation of Jesus to "the Gentiles" is a sign of radical love and inclusion of all people everywhere. Anything we do that does not show that is a failure of Christmas spirit.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
A painful passage
Being a graduate of the University of Florida and a passionate fan of the Gators, I have been following with great interest the story of Urban Meyer. Meyer resigned his position as Head Football Coach at UF a few days ago, then rescinded the resignation in favor of an indefinite leave of absence. At a press conference on Sunday, he talked of some health issues that are behind this decision but he declined to identify the issues. He spoke more freely about faith, family, and priorities in his life. Many people found this a little confusing, given the passion with which Meyer approaches his job.
Urban Meyer is a phenomenally successful man. At the end of 2009, he has the best winning percentage of any coach in Southeastern Conference history (he is only 45 years old). He has won two national football championships in five years, and makes one of the highest salaries in the profession. What, short of a major illness, could provoke a man like that to want to quit?
Based on what I heard in the press conference, I wonder if this very successful man has entered the same dark passage that so many men have had to endure. It comes on in middle age (usually after age 35) and strikes particularly hard at those men who are smart, driven, competitive, and perfectionist. It takes the form of fatigue, depression, and physical symptoms. It is baffling because there are seldom any apparent reasons for it. Money, status, and fame lose their attraction. The ordinary prescriptions of vacations, hobbies, or activities don't work. It is a spiritual crisis. Each man in his own way has to find what God wants him to know about himself, his world, and his calling. It is the gateway to the rest of a man's life.
These things are seldom talked about openly. Shame attaches itself to the subject, and as a result too many men wander into this passage with no warning and with no guidance. A man can behave in very destructive ways during this passage. Much suffering could be resolved if men could be more open and supportive of each other during these times. When we don't talk about it, it remains a dangerous threat rather than a spiritual passage.
I wish Urban Meyer well, regardless of what his problems are. I hope that his public admission of pain will be an opportunity for men to see and acknowledge the importance of a spiritual center to life.
Urban Meyer is a phenomenally successful man. At the end of 2009, he has the best winning percentage of any coach in Southeastern Conference history (he is only 45 years old). He has won two national football championships in five years, and makes one of the highest salaries in the profession. What, short of a major illness, could provoke a man like that to want to quit?
Based on what I heard in the press conference, I wonder if this very successful man has entered the same dark passage that so many men have had to endure. It comes on in middle age (usually after age 35) and strikes particularly hard at those men who are smart, driven, competitive, and perfectionist. It takes the form of fatigue, depression, and physical symptoms. It is baffling because there are seldom any apparent reasons for it. Money, status, and fame lose their attraction. The ordinary prescriptions of vacations, hobbies, or activities don't work. It is a spiritual crisis. Each man in his own way has to find what God wants him to know about himself, his world, and his calling. It is the gateway to the rest of a man's life.
These things are seldom talked about openly. Shame attaches itself to the subject, and as a result too many men wander into this passage with no warning and with no guidance. A man can behave in very destructive ways during this passage. Much suffering could be resolved if men could be more open and supportive of each other during these times. When we don't talk about it, it remains a dangerous threat rather than a spiritual passage.
I wish Urban Meyer well, regardless of what his problems are. I hope that his public admission of pain will be an opportunity for men to see and acknowledge the importance of a spiritual center to life.
Monday, December 28, 2009
So What?
Yesterday's daily lectionary text included a verse I have always found important. Colossians 1:13 says "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (NASB). This text uses rescue as a metaphor for salvation, which adds an element of urgency to faith. The idea of faith as having been rescued from danger is often missing in Presbyterian churches. We need to revive it in order to recover some vitality for the missional church.
"The Domain of Darkness" sounds like a fundamentalist vision of culture, which is why I shied away from this for many years. The NRSV translates the phrase as "the power of darkness," but I think the concept of dominion is a more accurate description of what we are up against. Walter Wink's foundational work on spiritual powers, and Brian McLaren's recent book Everything Must Change call upon us to think of ourselves as living in an empire, a dominion system that seeks to define and control us for its own ends. This system is so pervasive that is unnoticed. It looks "normal." No one wins in the dominion system; in the end, even the most successful and powerful people are beaten by it.
It takes something disruptive to open your eyes to the domain of darkness. It takes something decisive to force you into an alternative way of being. We could call that disruption "conversion." We can conceive of it as being transferred into the Kingdom of God.
The great story of Christmas is the ultimate disruption of the dominion system. It is the story of God's insertion of God's own self into human history and society. It happened in the most subversive of ways, and it embraces the harshest of human circumstance. The story we celebrate at Christmas becomes the narrative by which we live in this world. No longer are we to be dominated by anything other than God's vision for how our world is to be.
Later this week the Christmas decorations will start coming down. For our culture, Christmas is over. For those of us who have been rescued, the reality of it goes on. It is our way.
"The Domain of Darkness" sounds like a fundamentalist vision of culture, which is why I shied away from this for many years. The NRSV translates the phrase as "the power of darkness," but I think the concept of dominion is a more accurate description of what we are up against. Walter Wink's foundational work on spiritual powers, and Brian McLaren's recent book Everything Must Change call upon us to think of ourselves as living in an empire, a dominion system that seeks to define and control us for its own ends. This system is so pervasive that is unnoticed. It looks "normal." No one wins in the dominion system; in the end, even the most successful and powerful people are beaten by it.
It takes something disruptive to open your eyes to the domain of darkness. It takes something decisive to force you into an alternative way of being. We could call that disruption "conversion." We can conceive of it as being transferred into the Kingdom of God.
The great story of Christmas is the ultimate disruption of the dominion system. It is the story of God's insertion of God's own self into human history and society. It happened in the most subversive of ways, and it embraces the harshest of human circumstance. The story we celebrate at Christmas becomes the narrative by which we live in this world. No longer are we to be dominated by anything other than God's vision for how our world is to be.
Later this week the Christmas decorations will start coming down. For our culture, Christmas is over. For those of us who have been rescued, the reality of it goes on. It is our way.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
The Practicality of Being Christian
After Christmas, it helps to remember that Christian life is just that: it is a life, not a set of beliefs or rituals. Much of the damage we can do is because we somehow allow ideology or tradition define Christian faith rather than the particular way of life it is supposed to be.
Colossians 3:12-17 can help us here. Paul gives us some specific instructions on how to live this life. For those who are "chosen of God, holy and beloved (and that includes anyone willing to receive grace), life is to be lived with the determination to:
Choose compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Even when we don't feel like it. Especially when we don't feel like it. Because this is what Jesus himself is.
Bear with and forgive each other. There can be no other way to reflect God's goodness to us.
Make love the goal for everything we do. Not success, wealth, power, or any of the values that culture tells us are ultimate.
Allow the peace of Christ to rule us. Even in the midst of strain, conflict, and doubt.
Let the word of Christ be our wisdom. Not Wall Street, the popular media, conventional thinking, or the political correctness of either the right or the left.
Do everything in the name of Jesus. Work, leisure, common tasks, relationships with others.
A complete lifestyle.
All of these are choices. They are part of a determined, disciplined life. It is the way of Jesus Christ, and it is for all of his followers.
Christmas is a great story; Christianity is a great way of life.
Colossians 3:12-17 can help us here. Paul gives us some specific instructions on how to live this life. For those who are "chosen of God, holy and beloved (and that includes anyone willing to receive grace), life is to be lived with the determination to:
Choose compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Even when we don't feel like it. Especially when we don't feel like it. Because this is what Jesus himself is.
Bear with and forgive each other. There can be no other way to reflect God's goodness to us.
Make love the goal for everything we do. Not success, wealth, power, or any of the values that culture tells us are ultimate.
Allow the peace of Christ to rule us. Even in the midst of strain, conflict, and doubt.
Let the word of Christ be our wisdom. Not Wall Street, the popular media, conventional thinking, or the political correctness of either the right or the left.
Do everything in the name of Jesus. Work, leisure, common tasks, relationships with others.
A complete lifestyle.
All of these are choices. They are part of a determined, disciplined life. It is the way of Jesus Christ, and it is for all of his followers.
Christmas is a great story; Christianity is a great way of life.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Christmas Eve
I am one of those preachers who feels the need to always be summarizing the faith for people. I want you to know what it means for your life in a clear and concise way. This isn't always the best way to preach, but it is part of my calling. I have to leave the stories to other preachers who do that better than I do.
So here it is. At tonight's Christmas Eve service, I will read the great text of John 1:1-14, and hear how the Word became flesh. Our theological term is incarnation. This Advent I have been doing sermons on incarnation, God taking God's own place in human life in Jesus of Nazareth. On this wonderful night, these conclusions:
God is for us, not against us. This really matters. If you believe God is against you, not much good is going to happen in your life. God has entered human life for you, and to carry Paul's thought forward, if God is for you, who can be against you?
God is found in ordinary life. This matters, too. Most people see themselves as too flawed to have much contact with God, but incarnation assures us that human life is holy. God is most reliably found in your daily routine.
God has a plan. The Bible is very plain that this incarnation is not some afterthought, nor some stopgap measure. God had this in mind all along, and it means you are part of a grand plan that includes the whole world. How is that for making your life more interesting?
Ponder this on Christmas Eve, because no matter what else you may be doing these truths are the basis for who you are. They make the rest of the year every bit as special as Christmas.
So here it is. At tonight's Christmas Eve service, I will read the great text of John 1:1-14, and hear how the Word became flesh. Our theological term is incarnation. This Advent I have been doing sermons on incarnation, God taking God's own place in human life in Jesus of Nazareth. On this wonderful night, these conclusions:
God is for us, not against us. This really matters. If you believe God is against you, not much good is going to happen in your life. God has entered human life for you, and to carry Paul's thought forward, if God is for you, who can be against you?
God is found in ordinary life. This matters, too. Most people see themselves as too flawed to have much contact with God, but incarnation assures us that human life is holy. God is most reliably found in your daily routine.
God has a plan. The Bible is very plain that this incarnation is not some afterthought, nor some stopgap measure. God had this in mind all along, and it means you are part of a grand plan that includes the whole world. How is that for making your life more interesting?
Ponder this on Christmas Eve, because no matter what else you may be doing these truths are the basis for who you are. They make the rest of the year every bit as special as Christmas.
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