Storms with high winds often result in “Red Flag Days,” when swimming at the beach is prohibited. It is always a sad sight on a vacation day to pull up to the beach and spot a red flag flying with the words “NO SWIMMING,”and realize the surf is too rough to play in. Of course there are some who ignore the warnings. Some surfers look forward to red flag days, as the surf produces huge waves. A red flag is posted at every beach access warning people away, so if you are visiting the Outer Banks and see one, go to the aquarium!

The phrase “red flag” has long been used as a warning against something. Teachers will report that a child’s behavior was a red flag pointing to a situation that required further attention. Spouses can discover something about their spouse that is a red flag indicating that something is very wrong. Currently there is a federal bipartisan bill being discussed in the Senate called the Red Flag Law which would enable those who have seen warning signs (aka red flags) to seek a court order to intervene and temporarily prevent someone who is in crisis from having access to a firearm. 

Think back to a time when something went wrong in your life. Can you go back a little farther and spot a red flag? One that you ignored?

I think the temptation to sin is often accompanied by flaming, flying red flags. You know the signs: that feeling you got just at the moment that you let a “harmless flirtation” (no such thing, by the way) turn into a full blown affair. That flash of warning that went through your mind before you yelled at your child in full blown anger. That thought of “I shouldn’t do this” as you raised your hand to strike, or lift a glass to your lips, or steal something, or to shoot something in your vain. That juicy piece of gossip that you couldn’t resist passing along even as your mind was warning you not to….

Red flags are the work of the Holy Spirit, who works hard on your behalf to keep you safe, whole and right:

1 Peter 1 (NIV)

Be Holy

13 Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. 14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

17 Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

That power of God that accomplished the salvation of the world is accessible to you in red flag moments. Even before the creation of the world, God was working on a plan to save you….from yourself. We are called to live out this time on earth in “reverent fear,” and are reminded that God judges each person’s work impartially. That, right there my friends, is a red flag with eternal consequences.

So be holy. Make holy decisions. Choose holy choices. Look out for the red flags God is putting up, and run fast and far away from that temptation that is sure to pull you into its undertow. You no longer live in the ignorance of evil desires. God calls us out of an empty way of life to live a holy life: our faith and hope rest in the safety of his grace.

Just…DON’T.

This headline fairly jumped off the page in an advertisement from my denomination’s publisher. It came unwanted and unbidden on a sunny day in August. You can probably already guess what they were selling: Christmas resources.

Yes, it is time to order Advent materials. No, I don’t feel the anticipation beginning.

You see, I live on the Outer Banks. I anticipate SEPTEMBER. September is a magical month where the weather is gorgeous, the beaches are less crowded, the air is cooler, the restaurants are still in full swing, and you can actually navigate the by-pass without getting stopped at all NINE stoplights between Colington and Kitty Hawk, which is only a four-mile trek. (Seriously, the by-pass traffic is a THING. I once wrote a song called “The By-Pass Blues,” and made my entire congregation sing it.)

Ahhh, September!

Perhaps that should read, “Ahhhhh, (hopefully hurricane-free) September!” When we get through the early fall unscathed by tropical depressions that turn into storms that turn into hurricane-force winds that turn into Cat 5s, we have had a good fall indeed.

Now that’s something to anticipate! (And BTW, stay away, Dorian!!)

Simeon was one of the best anticipators in the Bible. I offer this with an apology: it was not my intention to bring you a Christmas scripture in the late summer, but here it is. Apparently I should work for Cokesbury.

Luke 2 (NIV)

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31 which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

    and the glory of your people Israel.”

33 The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

Wow, so much to unpack here, but let’s stay focused on Simeon the Anticipator. He was waiting for the Lord’s Messiah, and was empowered in his waiting by the Holy Spirit. He had been assured by God that the Messiah would actually come in his lifetime and he believed that so much, he went to the temple that day led by the Holy Spirit, anticipating that he would see Jesus.

Let that soak in.

What are you anticipating today? Are you waiting with full assurance that you will encounter Jesus? Are you making your way toward his saving grace with confidence that you will be delivered?

Anticipation tells us that whatever we do, wherever we are, whatever sin we have committed, whatever burden of grief we bear, no matter WHAT, Jesus is ready. He is ready to heal, to direct, to rebuke, to fight for you….Jesus is ready.

Simeon teaches us to anticipate with hope. We are invited to stand firm on the promises of God in our lives and EXPECT to be delivered. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of Jesus:

Romans 8 (NLT)

35 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

38 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

“Neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.” God always delivers on his promises. Simeon saw Jesus, and we can too. Anticipate that, my friends!

Photo by Michelle Robertson

Sunday was a day filled with lots of children’s events at church, thus bringing out lots of children. As I waited by the back door, three kids ran past me to get to the sanctuary. They were from different families, and all three were shoeless.

I have adjusted to acolytes in flip flops, a common sight in my church but not common elsewhere. I love our laid back Outer Banks style. I love comfortable footwear on 10 year olds carrying the candlelighter with the seriousness of a welder powering up his flame. I especially love happy, shoeless kids running through the sanctuary to take their seat and wait for the fun to begin. I was two seconds away from taking off my own heeled pumps when I had a last minute “maybe-that’s-not-appropriate” thought flash through my mind.

Or is it?

I think the shoeless kids feel some kind of connection to the idea of “special, set apart and sacred” and want to have full physical contact with that holy ground that is the sanctuary. The joy of running on the old, worn, red carpet in a place that feels homey and safe is a delight to behold. Maybe we should all take off our shoes! Moses did:

Exodus 3 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

God Speaks to Moses

3 One day, Moses was taking care of the sheep and goats of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian, and Moses decided to lead them across the desert to Sinai,[a] the holy mountain. 2 There an angel of the Lord appeared to him from a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up. 3 “This is strange!” he said to himself. “I’ll go over and see why the bush isn’t burning up.”

4 When the Lord saw Moses coming near the bush, he called him by name, and Moses answered, “Here I am.”

5 God replied, “Don’t come any closer. Take off your sandals—the ground where you are standing is holy. 6 I am the God who was worshiped by your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

Moses was afraid to look at God, and so he hid his face.

Why the command to take off his shoes? Perhaps it was a way to warm Moses up for the BIG ASK that God was about to deliver. God would tell Moses that he was to go from that place at Mt. Sinai to confront Pharaoh and demand he set his people free from slavery in Egypt. Taking off his shoes was a reminder to Moses that God’s presence had made this place holy ground. Middle eastern tradition required the removal of one’s shoes before entering houses and temples, and so God was asking Moses to humble himself before both God and his plan. The shoes that bore the contaminants and dirt of the non-sacred places were to be set aside so that God could deal with him in a pure and vulnerable state.

This is what the children innately understand. Their purity and vulnerability are a sign to the big folks that we should emotionally and spiritually take off our shoes and garments and stand soul-naked each time we enter God’s presence. All of the fakery, the conceit, the embellishments, and the hypocrisy need to fall away before God can be encountered. When we submit to this stripping down of our facades, God can finally reveal his presence and plan to us.

What do you need to “take off” so that God can reveal your next step to you? What accessories are you hiding behind that block you from entering into God’s presence fully and humbly? Are there conceits that have you so conceited that the humble, holy ground has no appeal to you? Are you trodding around in shoes covered with the contaminants and dirt of the non-sacred places you frequent? Lay it down. Let it go. Take off your shoes and get over yourself.

God calls us to his Holy Ground today. Let us run barefoot into his presence, and be ready to receive whatever he has planned for us.

St. Simon’s Holy Ground by Kathy Schumacher

Littered every five to seven miles along the coastline, the Outer Banks’ famous Lifesaving Stations stand tall as reminders of a long ago era of shipwrecks and survival. Known as the “Graveyard of the Atlantic,” this area of the North Carolina coast is particularly hazardous for ships. The confluence of the warm waters from the Gulf of Mexico mixing with the cold Labrador Current makes the sea here particularly turbulent. Add the hidden sand bars, rough shoals, and unpredictable weather, and you can see what makes this part of the coastline treacherous.

In the days before electronic communication and GPS navigation, ships depended on the efforts of coastal lighthouse keepers and rescue surfmen stationed at these places to stay alive. The Outer Banks has a rich maritime history that includes famous shipwrecks, pirates, Civil War activity, World War II German U-Boats, sunken ironclad ships, and the like. Many people died off this coastline, but many others were saved.

Take a look at this passage from Paul where he reveals part of his own lifesaving strategy:

1 Corinthians 9 (NIV)

Paul’s Use of His Freedom

19 Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

I have always loved how Paul used all the the facets of who he was to woo others to who Jesus is. To the Jews, he was a Jew, to the Gentiles, a Gentile, to the Romans, a Roman citizen…..all in his attempt to live in and serve a culture in order to preach the gospel of salvation and be heard.

This scripture reminds us that Lifesaving Stations look different depending on the people who need saving, but they all perform the same function.

Some look like houses of worship.

Some look like rehab centers.

Some look like inner city homeless shelters.

Some look like pastors’ and counselors’ offices.

Some look like dorms that house addiction recovery groups.

Some look like AA, NA and AL-ANON meeting rooms.

Some look like prayer ministries.

Some look like Bible Studies and small groups.

Some look like home.

God is in the lifesaving business and his opportunities for helping you are endless. Most of the challenge is to admit that you need saving. Getting to a Lifesaving Station is the next step. It can be scary, humiliating, difficult, embarrassing, expensive….and can heal you and make you whole.

There is a Lifesaving Station near you that is ready to help. How much longer will you drown? Save yourself, and get to one today.

The beautiful arched Lifesaving Station architecture is still intact at the old Kitty Hawk Station #6, now the Black Pelican restaurant. This is where the Wright Brothers came to telegraph home about their first successful flight in 1903.

This misleading title might have you thinking that I am talking about a particular leadership style. Actually, a gentle leader is a type of dog harness that fits over the nose. Much in the same way that a bridle directs a horse, a gentle leader applies pressure to the sensitive snout area, thus giving the walker more control over 100 lb. terrorist Labrador retrievers. Strong-willed and strong-necked dogs can pull a walker down in their excitement to chew a squirrel if they are wearing a common collar/leash arrangement. Gentle leaders allow the walker to re-direct such nonsense into a more controlled and less hazardous experience for both dog and human.

Sometimes gentle leaders can be mistaken for muzzles. “Is that dog muzzled? Why is your dog muzzled? Will it bite??” No, m’am, my dog is not muzzled. As you can see, her mouth is not constrained by the thin strap over her nose. As to whether or not she will bite, just keep talking….

OK, so in full disclosure, I am going to talk about a particular leadership type. I was just using the dog to lure you in.

Matthew 11 (NIV)

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

If you love Handel as much as you love Hamilton, you will recognize that this passage is a beautiful part of Messiah. It is a lovely expression of Jesus’ call to come to him. He assures us that in him we will find rest and peace unlike any the world has to give. Jesus’ love for us comes from the gentle heart of a shepherd for his sheep.

The yoke described in this passage is a reference to the yoke born by two animals as they work in concert together. When a young ox is yoked to an older and more experienced ox, the heavier part of the metal yoke is strapped to the older one; thus the young ox experiences being yoked together with a leader, but having the easier part.

Jesus longs for us to yoke ourselves to him. He takes the heavier part. We are yoked in prayer, in purpose, in mission, in thought, word and deed….we are especially yoked together through the word. But too often we slip out from under the yoke and go it alone, confident in our ability to lead our lives and our ability to control everything.

Maybe you can’t find rest right now. Maybe your work load is so heavy that you long to just put it down and run. Perhaps peace is elusive and circumstances are crushing you under. Possibly you are trying too hard to control everything, and that is getting you nowhere. But that is not what Jesus wants for you:

John 14:27 New International Version (NIV)

27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Jesus reminds us to COME. Come unto him. Submit to his authority, let him take the lead in everything, and simply walk humbly beside him. HIS yoke is easy, and his burden is light. Just come, and do not be afraid.

Such a good girl…with her gentle leader.

The beautiful majesty of sailboats heading out to the Albemarle Sound is a pleasure we get to experience every Wednesday night in Colington Harbour. At 6:00PM we see sailboats from every canal making their way to the harbor and circle up until all are gathered. It is a stunning sight, one which I can see from my westward-facing deck. I’ll never forget the first week we lived here. I was washing dishes and looking out the eastward-facing window when suddenly I saw a huge “pole” moving behind the houses across the street. For a brief moment I had a “War of the Worlds” flashback, and imagined that this was the first landing of some kind of alien invasion. It turned out to be the mast of a large, fast-moving sailboat that was going to the weekly community sail. What a relief!

Check out what James has to say about sail boats:

James 3-4 New International Version (NIV)

Taming the Tongue

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

Yikes! Your tongue is a rudder with the potential to steer you WRONG. It’s a world of evil! So wrong, it might corrupt your whole body, set your life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. How is that for a how-do-you-do wake up call this morning?

That is enough to make you want to just stop talking. For some of us, that would actually be a great idea.

How many times have you wished you hadn’t said something? How often do you wish you could just take something back? Do words of anger bring hours/days/years of regret? Do you dwell in the remorse of knowing your judgmental words brought pain and shame on someone you love?

Well then, shut up.

Seriously. Shut up. The reason God gave us twice as many ears as a mouth is so that we would listen twice as hard and speak half as often. If you were to be honest, wouldn’t you like to go back to some (many) points of time and simply choose not to respond instead of spouting off at someone?

Last week I talked with a woman who would give anything to go back in time and choose to shut up rather than spew out. The incident she was recounting was one where she “flew off the handle” and said things she can never take back. It escalated to include many more people, and has compromised her integrity. She is now dealing with the aftershocks of her words. Another woman regrets her harsh appraisal of her teenage daughter, fearing that her judgment has propelled her child into an unhealthy situation.

If only we could take it all back. If only we would use our “rudder” appropriately. If only we would learn to shut up.

Today’s scripture challenges us to speak less, and listen with our two ears to that inner voice that is warning us to not say something. God invites us to listen carefully to what others are saying and resist the urge to respond with anything that is not loving, uplifting, kind, useful, and encouraging. And if that isn’t possible to do, then simply choose to shut up, smile and nod.

You will never regret the thing you didn’t say. Sail on, and use that rudder wisely.

Photo by Tim Neal.

Windmills are structures that convert wind into rotational energy by the motion of vanes called sails, or blades. For centuries, windmills have been used to power grain mills, pump water, or provide heat. Modern windmills are used as wind turbines that generate electricity. It is a clean, simple, efficient, and rather beautiful way to power up a community.

How do you power up your morning? Do you exercise, to increase your muscle strength? Do you drink caffeine, (raising hand) to power up the sleeping brain cells? Do you power up by plugging in to social media and biased news? Do you power up by starting your day immersed in God’s word?

If you are here every day At Water’s Edge, you are doing the last one, and possibly the second one as well. After all, on the eighth day, God created Sumatra Dark Roast. My fervent prayer for all of us is that we spend 5 daily minutes with Jesus and coffee, and thus power up the day in the best way possible.

While we aren’t technically “Pentecostal,” we certainly are people of the Pentecost. We know our source of power:

Acts 2 New International Version (NIV)

The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost

2 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

That last verse is curious. If you’ve been to a bar or a party where people indeed had too much wine, it is funny to think that that observers of the first Pentecost thought that about those who had received the power of the Holy Spirit. Surely in the intensity of that moment they lost control of their deportment and were likely running around in the sheer joy and overwhelming excitement of it all. I’m sure I would have looked like a flippin’ lunatic. It also reminds us that when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, others will indeed make fun of us.

As we work our way through Acts, we see the other manifestations of the Holy Spirit explained and explored. The Holy Spirit empowers us to have compassion, to pray, to exhort, to serve, to worship, to have joy, peace, patience, gentleness, self-control…the list goes on throughout the New Testament. We understand that God works through us through the Holy Spirit.

But take a look again at the first empowerment. The people at Pentecost received a fresh wind and a fresh fire that enabled them to SPEAK EACH OTHER’S LANGUAGE. This singular moment, which launched the beginning of the church, was for the purpose of UNITY. Jews, converts to Judaism, Cretans, and Arabs together declared the wonders of God in each other’s tongues.

Where have we gone so wrong?

In today’s divisive world, we need a second Pentecost. We need the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to descend and bring us to a new vision of One-ness in the Lord. We Christians need to take seriously the inclusive language in Galatians:

Galatians 3 (NIV)

Children of God

23 Before the coming of this faith, we were held in custody under the law, locked up until the faith that was to come would be revealed. 24 So the law was our guardian until Christ came that we might be justified by faith. 25 Now that this faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

There is neither Jew nor Gentile. There is neither slave nor free. There is neither male nor female. What overrides these separations of categories is that we are all one in Jesus Christ.

How would you do today differently if you approached everyone with an attitude that they are one with you? How can you employ and deploy the power of the Holy Sprit to bring something good to someone else, perhaps someone very unlike you? Where is God calling you to speak someone else’s language so that you can experience oneness with them?

Want a challenge? Start with a teenager.

We are invited today to be a windmill for Christ. To capture the power of the Holy Spirit and generate more power to love, serve, help, communicate, and do the will of God in bringing wholeness and oneness to his creation. Raise your blades! Pentecost is waiting.

Photo by Amy Wrenn.

Seriously, my family should never let me drive anywhere alone.

On the same trip where I went joy riding across someone’s farmland, I had another fun adventure on the way home. Whilst driving 70MPH in 93 degree heat, happily listening to NPR and feeling thankful about the weekend visit, I noticed that it was starting to get “whistlier” in the van. Whistlier and whistlier. I realized that the driver side window had somehow let itself down a quarter inch, and the hot air rushing in was creating a very loud whistle in the car. I hit the power window button to raise it and POP, the window made a sound and began a slow descent. By the way, POP is never a good sound. Not for windows, ankles, or weasels. Clicking the button a thousand times (surprisingly) did not solve the problem, so now I was driving 70MPH in 93 degree heat with my window completely down. Do you know how long it takes for your instrument panel to completely fog over in that kind of weather? I think it was less than three minutes.

I stopped at a gas station, and lo and behold, I pulled into a pump next to a van that said, “WE FIX WINDOWS. ALL KINDS OF WINDOWS.” Now I knew better than to expect the guy to be able to fix a car power-widow, but somehow I felt an instant kinship with him and just knew he would be my hero. He managed to wiggle my window back up, but of course it slid down as soon as he let go. A guy behind him filling up his Mercedes called over, “The only way to keep that up is to duct tape it into place.” Mr. We-Fix-All-Windows then explained he was already late for a call, and left. I went into the Quick Mart and bought duct tape, and returned to find that Mr. Mercedes had also left.

Looking to the right, I spotted two older gentlemen sitting under a tree at a picnic table, playing checkers and drinking beverages out of tall, frosty aluminum cans. They surely were to be my heroes! So I drove over to the picnic area, announced myself in need of help, and showed them my duct tape, presenting it like proof of my sincerity. In the sweltering heat, these gentlemen taped my window into place.

I told them that they were my “good Samaritans” and thanked them for blessing me so much. Neither of them were familiar with the Good Samaritan story, so I launched into it with great enthusiasm as they pushed, pulled, grunted, sweat, and taped the window into place.

Realizing that I needed to set the scene about how extraordinary it was for a Samaritan to help a Jew when I got to that part of the story, (since Jews and Samaritans were people from two different cultures who never even spoke to one another) I suddenly hesitated. Here I was, a white woman, talking to two elderly black men about two cultures that had a history of not getting along. I wondered if they saw me that way. I wondered if they wondered if I saw them that way.

I went on to say that Jews and Samaritans would only help their own people, and so helping people who were not “their people” was the point of the story. Jesus was trying to teach all of us about who our neighbor really is….and that we are called to be a neighbor to everyone, especially someone in need.

“Do you think that happens today?” the older one asked. “Not enough,” I replied, “I think if we all helped each other a little more, this world would be a better place. And I sure am glad you fellows were here to help me today.” He nodded in agreement as he smoothed the last piece of tape into place. “Yeah, if we all helped each other, maybe we wouldn’t feel like everything is going to hell in a handbasket.” Preach it, brother.

I thanked them for the blessing they gave me that day, and asked if I could take their picture for my online devotional. One immediately objected, saying that his wife didn’t know it, but he probably has children out there that even HE doesn’t know about who might recognize him. If so, he didn’t want her to find out. But after the other one insisted they have their picture taken, he consented. You know, since he wasn’t actually running from the law…just his wife. Who doesn’t read my devotionals.

As we parted, we shook hands and I thanked them profusely. The older fellow looked me in the eye as he grasped my hand and said, “Thank you for letting us help you today. I sho am glad we could help you. I just sho am glad!”

I wish Mr. Mercedes and Mr. We-Fix-All-Windows had stuck around to see it. They missed their blessing.

Hebrews 16 NIV

15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

God was pleased with my two new friends. I was safely on my way, having received more than a taped window. I got to share a Jesus story with two fellows who got to BE a Jesus story.

Where is God calling you to be a Jesus story? Take some duct tape along with you. It fixes everything.

Blessed are the duct tapers, for they shall be Jesus.

“…that he didn’t, didn’t already have.”

These lyrics from the band America’s “Tin Man” are an expression of the fact that the famous Tin Man of the Wizard of Oz already had a heart, but in Dorothy’s dream, had forgotten how to use it. The Wizard of Oz turns 80 this year, so perhaps we could spend a minute of homage here today. But I promise, no flying monkeys. I hate the flying monkeys.

But other than the flying monkeys, I loved that movie. I remember that it came on once a year (pre-VHS, pre-DVR, pre-streaming, pre-On Demand….yes, I am old) in the late summer. My entire neighborhood would shut down for an evening as families were glued to their TV sets, which were big boxy things that stood on four wooden legs. Every year we would watch Dorothy and her unlikely friends try and negotiate tornados, fallen houses, witches, poppy fields, chanting guards, and the aforementioned horrifying flying monkeys. Would she get home? All she wanted was to get home. There’s no place like home!

And then came that pivotal moment when the curtain was pulled back and the Great and Wonderful Oz turned out to be a carny huckster. No magic, no power, but he did have a hot air balloon. Dorothy woke up in her bed with her real friends around her and a greater appreciation for her black-and-white Kansas farmhouse and ragtag family.

The curtain scene always makes me think of a curiosity that happened at the crucifixion (I know…stay with me here…):

Matthew 27 New International Version

50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.

51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

54 When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!”

What does this mean?

The curtain had separated the people from the place behind the altar where the temple sacrifices were made. Only the priest could enter this “Holiest of Holies” to present the offering and receive the atonement.

When the curtain tore, God was telling us that he would no longer be confined in a temple built by hands. He would provide access to all people. He would use the sacrifice of Christ on the cross to provide a permanent atonement for all who repent. God would be everywhere, and nothing would ever again separate us from him.

A new covenant was established:

Hebrews 10 (ESV)

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

We have an accessible God who is waiting, willing and wanting to be with us. He keeps his promises and is faithful. No curtains, no smoke, no mirrors (and no flying monkeys.) This Power is the real thing, and with it, you can turn your life around.

So let us approach the throne of grace with the courage of the Lion, the wisdom of the Scarecrow, and especially the true heart of the Tin Man. Let us hold fast to the hope the torn curtain offers. Let us be ready to encourage one another, and stir each other into acts of good works. I’ll meet you there, on the other side of the rainbow.

Rainbow over my backyard.

Wedding scripture selections are up to the preference of the bride and groom. The one that most couples automatically default to is 1 Corinthians 13, also known as the “love passage.” You know the one: Love is patient, Love is kind…love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…”love-ly” for every occasion!

Certainly this is the gold standard classic, which was read at my own wedding. But I actually prefer a different scripture now when I officiate a wedding. It comes from the Old Testament book of Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 4 New International Version (NIV)

9  Two are better than one,

    because they have a good return for their labor:

10  If either of them falls down,

    one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

    and has no one to help them up.

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

    But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,

    two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken

It is that last verse upon which a strong homily, and relationship, can be built. The way it applies to relationships is this: there are two people in a relationship who are bound together spiritually by adding the “third strand” of Jesus Christ. Couples who come to the altar to make a covenant with each other and with Christ are inviting and including the power and presence of the Holy Spirit to provide strength and beauty to their relationship. Think of a braid. Two strands alone are weak. Three strands woven together are ironclad.

Does this mean Christian relationships are impervious to disruption? Sadly, no. When one or the other partner unbinds themself from the relationship, or from Christ through sin, the cord indeed can fall apart. In decades of marriage counseling I’ve heard the same story told with different characters. At some point of tiredness, ennui, boredom, or temptation, one pulls away from the braid and the relationship unravels. When “self-importance” overtakes the importance of “us,” that single strand elects to go wayward and the grip is loosened enough for the Enemy to pry in, and pry it apart.

I think it is fair to say that the Enemy, whose job it is to “steal, kill and destroy,” finds the breaking apart of relationships, marriages, and families a veritable playground for the havoc he comes to bring. Couples in jeopardy will spend years in the breaking-apart and putting-lives-back-together process. The grief, expense, overwhelming fatigue, anger, and debilitating soul-exhaustion that accompanies divorce can pull people away from their faith as they negotiate the troubled waters of permanent separation.

Keeping Christ at the center of your marriage, family, and relationships gives you the best weapon against this. When you turn your eyes upon Jesus and partner with him as a couple in your home, work, leisure time, finances, and focus, you stand a better chance of surviving the fiery darts that assault all marriages and relationships. And joy.

God invites you to find shelter in him:

Psalm 62 New International Version (NIV)

1 Truly my soul finds rest in God;

    my salvation comes from him.

2 Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

3 How long will you assault me?

    Would all of you throw me down—

    this leaning wall, this tottering fence?

4 Surely they intend to topple me

    from my lofty place;

    they take delight in lies.

With their mouths they bless,

    but in their hearts they curse.

5  Yes, my soul, find rest in God;

    my hope comes from him.

6  Truly he is my rock and my salvation;

    he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.

7 My salvation and my honor depend on God;

    he is my mighty rock, my refuge.

8 Trust in him at all times, you people;

    pour out your hearts to him,

    for God is our refuge.

No matter where you find yourself today, whether it is in a strong and committed relationship or in the chaos of one that is breaking apart, pour out your heart to God and trust in him. He is your rock, your salvation, and your refuge.

“Trinity Tree” by Kathy Schumacher.