The “Fake” Good News

I keep hearing about, and seeing reports of “Fake” News. Even the term “Fake” News is somewhat misleading–is it news? Is it False News? Is it “fake” because it never happened, or because it has been exaggerated or taken out of context? Or because it doesn’t say what I want it to say? How do I know what is “real” news anymore?

The biggest problem with “Fake” news is that it “feels” real, true, and important. In reality, it may be none of those things. Yet there if often a kernel of fact, or a dusting of truth that makes it hard to disprove or dispel. And, if it had already been accepted as legitimate news by thousands, it’s even harder to stop it from being spread.

But the more insidious problem with “fake” news is the time wasted trying to sort truth from fiction, and plain fact from exaggeration and distortion. If my friend sends me an article, or a video, or a photo, I may accept it as true on the strength of my friendship. But what if they’re just passing it on from another source? What if I see it from a recognized news source? Do I dare question it? And if so, where do I turn to verify it? There are several fact-checking websites, but even they have biases that cause them to weigh facts differently in various situations. Whatever assumptions we used to hold about “neutral” reporting have been proved wrong. We are being conditioned to trust none of what we hear and less than half of what we see!

What about the “Good” News that Christians carry into the world? Is it like the “Fake” news we see on TV or read about on our tablets? And if someone challenges our faith in God’s word, how can we prove that the Gospel is not “Fake”, and that our Faith is not just more hype with smoke and mirrors? If we are pursuing prayer, shouldn’t we be confident that our prayers are not in vain and that our faith is sound?

The claim of “Fake” news makes an assumption that there is such a thing as “True” news. Similarly, saying the Gospel is “Fake” assumes that there is an alternate truth. But the real burden of proof is on those who want to push for the alternative. The truths of the Bible have been time-tested, and shown to be real. The challenges I hear most often are to the exceptions, not the rule. I don’t hear anyone saying that “Thou shalt not steal” is a “fake” morality. Instead, I hear that, “Christianity is fake because I know Christians who cheat and steal.” I don’t hear people claim that “it is not morally wrong to kill.” Instead I hear them justify exceptions. “I’m not promoting abortion as a good thing. I don’t think it’s right to kill another human being, but this is just a fetus, and anyway, I’m just protecting a woman’s right to her own body.” “I don’t think it’s ethical to force someone to stay alive if they are in pain and they want to die.” “You can’t go around just killing anybody, but I think it would be better for everyone else if ___________________ (insert the name of a group– Down’s Syndrome children, Jews, Sunnis, Hutu/Tutsi) didn’t exist.” “I don’t believe the morals found in the Bible are wrong. I just don’t think you need to believe the rest of it to “be moral.”

People point to single passages, single verses, even single words to “prove” that the Bible is racist, sexist, intolerant, and promotes violence. The Bible includes many examples of people NOT following God’s laws, and yes, the results are grisly. And there are difficult passages when God calls for a wicked city to be destroyed completely. Critics are not wrong to point out that the Bible is not about perfect people behaving perfectly. And the same Loving God who frees the slaves from Egypt is the God who destroys Jericho, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Taken out of context, these few examples may seem to cast doubt on the authority of God’s word. Yet the same critics who pound away at the same few examples in the Bible discount hundreds of instances of historical events that highlight human sacrifice, genocide, mass infanticide, slavery, torture, and all sorts of other evil that occurred without the Bible’s influence. Moreover, I hear a lot about claims against “Christians” who fought in the Crusades or owned slaves–I hear a lot less about Christians who worked to end slavery and the slave trade, or Christians who founded universities, charitable institutions, or brought revivals that sparked decades of social progress throughout countries and continents.

I don’t hear many people claim that there was no such person as Abraham, or King David, or Solomon, or Nebuchadnezzar, or Pontius Pilate or Caesar Augustus. But they want to deny the historical reality of Adam and Eve, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Apostle Paul, who are found in the same Bible. Why? Because if Adam and Eve are real, there must be a creation and a creator. If Jesus really lived and said the things that are attributed to him, we must deal with the claim that he was Messiah. If the Apostle Paul really lived and wrote his letters to the churches of Asia Minor, we must deal with his claim that he encountered the risen Christ and his life was dramatically and eternally changed.

However, there is a “Fake” gospel– Good news that doesn’t match the Biblical account–a “Fake” Christ that only said or did or “would do” what we want him to say or do; a Christ that isn’t holy or righteous, but just loves us because it’s the “zen” thing to do; a Christ who is without power to save or to sanctify; a Christ who is without mercy and loves only those who look the part or say the right things. How do you spot a “Fake” Christ and a “Fake” Gospel? Get to know the real ones of the Bible. You’ll soon be able to spot an “imposter.”

“Fake” News will always fail the test of time and the challenges of real evidence. Good News will transcend the test of time and the challenges of faulty evidence.

Christ Has Died, Christ Is Risen, Christ Will Come Again! THAT’s the Good News!

June 30, 2025 0

Make Every Effort…

3His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. ⁵For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; ⁶and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; ⁷and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. ⁸For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
2 Peter 1:3-9

There are a great number of Christians who face discouragement and frustration in their daily life. Sometimes, this is because they are busy looking at their circumstances and feeling overwhelmed by them. But sometimes, there is a general discontent; a malaise of lukewarm commitment and lackluster results that can cause once fruitful Christians to wander away from the faith and even disparage their former churches. “I wasn’t being ‘fed'”… “It just wasn’t working for me”…”I got tired of the persecution (not genuine persecution, but the feeling of being left out or unappreciated) “…”the church just isn’t relevant anymore.” These are a few of the excuses I have heard from people who were once joyful and eager to share their faith. I don’t doubt that they experienced Salvation– but they are missing out on sanctification— they have done little to build on the solid rock. They blame the church, their pastor, other Christians, even God for their lack of spiritual growth.

Yet, in this passage, the Apostle Peter tells us that Christ has given us EVERYTHING we need to live a godly life– not the church, not other Christians, not the experience we get from a worship service– all we need has been given to us through Christ; his death and resurrection; his promises and his example of holy living.

But, like any gift, it must be used to be effective. A lamp may look good sitting on a table, but if it isn’t plugged in and turned on (or filled with oil and lit), it does little more than gather dust. Similarly, if I don’t maintain tools or appliances, I can’t expect them to continue to be useful– they will get corroded, filthy, worn, and broken.

Peter urges us to USE the gifts we have been given. This is not a call to base our salvation on works, or to make a checklist of “good things” to make us a “better” person. Rather, it is a blue print of building on the gifts we have to become more productive, more secure, more established in our Christian walk– to become the mature people God means for us to be. When we don’t follow this blueprint, Peter warns, something awful happens. We become nearsighted–we narrow our focus on our own experience and our own resources, rather than utilizing the wonderful gifts God has made available to us.

Faith–it starts here. If we don’t trust in God’s provision, His mercy, and His power, we won’t build on the right foundation.
Goodness–Such a deceptively simple word, but it is packed with power. Post-modernists like to sneer at the idea of goodness. It seems dull, meek, bland, and insufficient. At the same time, we want to assure ourselves (and everyone else) that we are, in our own daily life, good…good enough to earn respect, better than someone else down the street, “good” just because…we are not “bad”. It is difficult to concede that, left to our own devices, we will not achieve goodness automatically– it takes effort to deny our own desires and whims to do the right thing, the just thing, the “good” thing.
Knowledge–Sure, I “know” what the Bible says…right? I already “know” what Jesus would do– that’s why I wear the WWJD bracelet– to remind me of what I already know…How many Christians actually make a daily effort to learn more about Christ? How many blindly stumble along, confident that what little we know is more than enough?
Self Control– Not going around pointing out everyone else’s fault, but working to keep our own anger, bitterness, selfishness, envy, etc., in check. Actually making the effort and not adopting a false humility that says, “I know I still struggle with ________, but God’s not finished with me yet!”
Perseverance–Staying the course, even when it doesn’t “feel” good, or effective. Trusting that God IS still at work, instead of just using that as an excuse for not making a genuine effort to improve our relationship with Him. How many of us have missed out on blessings and miracles because we simply threw in the towel one day early, or didn’t climb that last step.
Godliness, Mutual Affection, Love–I’ve put these three together, not because they are the same, or because there is nothing to say about each one, but because I think this is where many Christians want to be, without going through the previous steps. We want to think that we are not only Godly, but God-like in our habits, words, thoughts, etc. We want to think that because we have a close-knit group of friends at church (our Holy Huddle) that we have mastered Mutual Affection. And we think that if we love at least the idea of people who are different from us, people who are oppressed or hurting, that we are not “hateful”–we deserve a crown of glory.

Unfortunately, I have fallen into the trap of wanting the results and the benefits of Christ’s gifts without making “every effort” they deserve. Saying “hello” to neighbors on the street or defending “morality” on FB is not the same as taking up my cross. And it’s not that there’s anything wrong with being friendly or standing up for what’s right– it’s a start. But like the lamp that isn’t turned on, I’m not sending out light– I’m not fulfilling the whole of my purpose. And until I make “every effort”, not just the ones that look good or feel good, or seem easiest or most important, I can’t shine in the darkness around me.

So today, I pray for the wisdom, the humility, and the courage to start, in Faith, to build on what God has already given me, through His Divine Power(!), to grow into a more God-filled, Christ-centered life.

June 27, 2025 0

Praying for the Enemy

Everybody has enemies. And when I use the term “enemies”, I’m mosl referring to two types of people. There are the people who are your enemies– they hate you. They are scheming to hurt or destroy you; people who defame or slander you; people who betray you; people who cheat and lie to and steal from and abuse you or those closest to you. Then there are the people for whom you are an enemy– you don’t like them, you don’t trust them, you don’t respect them; you probably defame or gossip about them, and you hurt them, even if it is unintentional. Some enemies fall into both categories, but not all.

And then there are existential “enemies”– not personal enemies, but those who live in opposition to our way of life, or our beliefs, or our nation. There are enemies within and enemies without– those who argue in the street, and enemies who plan catastrophic destruction to entire groups of people. And sometimes, those enemies can include “us.” “Us” v. “Them.”

I would love to say that I have no enemies–of any type. But, alas, they exist. God calls on us to love our enemies, to pray for them, to show them kindness, and to bless them! In our own power, we can’t do this. We can make the attempt to forgive the unforgivable, to love the unlovable, and reconcile the impossible, but we fall short in our attempts: the betrayal is too deep; the hurt is too overwhelming; the damage is irreversible, and the impossible is just…well…impossible.

Loving our enemies is one of the proofs of God’s existence, his goodness, his power, his own boundless love at work through our imperfect words and efforts. Praying for our enemies, showing kindness and grace in the face of hatred and betrayal–these are miracles that defy explanation. That is one good reason to keep praying for the enemies in our lives– God can work through us to effect reconciliation, healing, and peace. And this includes those enemies who want to do is immeasurable harm. We don’t have to pray for their triumph at our expense– but we should be praying for their salvation; for their safety; for their good! Yes, even “those” enemies. God can change even the most horrific situation.

Another good reason is that prayer changes US. Praying for our enemies is difficult. It is humbling. It breaks our pride and forces us to let go of the bitterness and recognize God’s rightful place as judge, avenger, and healer. It reminds us that God’s love, being boundless and eternal, stretches to those people who don’t deserve it, whether that is the hurtful person you don’t want to forgive, or the hurtful YOU who needs to be forgiven. God even loves those who seek our destruction. God loves those who hate HIM! God prayed for those who crucified Him– while He was dying. Can we say that we follow Him and do any less?

But praying for our enemies isn’t just about bringing peace and harmony or transforming us into better versions of ourselves. No amount of willpower, or good intention, or logic, or internal fortitude, or peaceful meditation, or persuasive rhetoric, or even powerful prayer will be enough to eliminate our enemies or make us perfect in love. Our prayers may stop neighborhood chaos or family feuds. They may even cause wars to cease. But they may NOT. Jesus is the Prince of Peace– not me. My job is to recognize that I cannot bring peace, but I can live in the Peace that passes all understanding– even in the midst of chaos and turmoil. And I can show love, even as I stand up for truth and hold fast to God’s Word. Love doesn’t mean that I will compromise. But I will respond with compassion– even in conflict.

We pray FOR our enemies, but not all of our enemies. There are two enemies we need to pray AGAINST– Sin and Satan. They are the true enemies, trying to destroy both sinner and sinned-against. They are not just our enemies, but enemies of God. Both are defeated. Their power is illusory, and their damage, while intensely painful, is temporary. And when we refuse to pray for our human “enemies” we serve their destructive purposes. When we follow our own fears, hurts, and feelings of outrage, instead of God’s wisdom in showing love to our enemies, they gain a temporary victory. And we end up on the losing end!

June 25, 2025 0

“Praying Favorites”

We all have lists of “favorites”– favorite color, favorite foods, favorite songs, favorite bands, favorite movies, favorite books…the list goes on and on. And we all have our comfort zones– preferences, habits, traditions, routines– that impact the way we go through our daily lives. There is nothing inherently wrong with having favorite things or preferences. But we can let such things become idols or obsessions that get in the way of prayer and worship.

We all know someone who has a “pet peeve”–it comes up in every conversation, overshadows more important issues, and becomes a defining characteristic of that person. “Grammar Nazi”, “Clean Freak”, “Political Junkie”, that person who always spoils the new movie by giving you their critique; the person who can spot a piece of lint on your sweater from across the room; the person at the restaurant who is never satisfied…

We probably also know someone who “plays favorites”– they show favoritism in their families, in the workplace, and in other situations, to the detriment of others. They are unjust in their treatment; giving very unequal amounts of attention, time, energy, and love to those around them. This world plays favorites– we have celebrities, rock stars, corporate bigwigs, power brokers, tyrants, and billionaires, while countless millions remain nameless, forgotten, and oppressed.

God doesn’t “play favorites.” He chooses to bless both the just and the unjust; he offers the same salvation and mercy to rich and poor, foolish and wise, famous and forgotten, sanctimonious and scandalous; to any who will receive him. We must remember this in our prayers. God wants to hear our heart-cry; he wants all of it– our favorite praises, our naked confessions, our pet peeves, and our deepest needs. He does not bless us based on who we are, or how urgent our request may be to us–remember, he knows what is on our mind before we do! AND, he already knows our deepest needs, and which seemingly unimportant moments will have the greatest impact in our lives, and in our world.

One of the benefits I have found in keeping a prayer journal is reading back requests and needs I have raised–for two reasons. First, I am amazed and encouraged to see all the ways God has answered prayer over the months and years as I look back. I am reminded, humbled, astonished, and grateful–I receive fresh inspiration to worship, evidence to trust, and encouragement to hope.

Second, I am watching to see if I am “praying favorites”–spending more time listing and praying for “rock star” requests (miraculous healing, “prayer chain” prayers from the internet for people I don’t know, selfish prayers, praying for people based on their “importance”, etc.) than for the “other things” (my friend who wants prayer because she’s having a bad day, that friend who wants me to pray that his mother’s car will start after a cold and snowy weekend, confessing that “little” sin, praying for my annoying neighbor who just lost her cat, etc. ), There’s nothing wrong with praying for the former, unless those prayers are squeezing out other needs and getting in the way of being wholly open before God and seeking His heart and others’ needs above my own preferences.

June 23, 2025 0

Just a Vacation?

There is an old joke about a church that invited a visiting pastor to speak. The church secretary called him to ask the title of his sermon, and he very pompously announced that he would be speaking about “Justification by Faith, and Not of Works.” He was astonished to find, when he arrived to preach, that his pronouncement had been misinterpreted. The sign outside read, “Come this Sunday– Just a Vacation by Faith, and No Work!”

Christians often give the impression, and sometimes operate under the false belief, that we are on vacation– permanently; that our lives are, or should be, ones of carefree enjoyment and counting our blessings. We say things like “Let, go, and Let God!”; “This world is not my home!”, and “Won’t God Do It!” We wait for God or someone else to “fix” the problems around us, saying that “I’m praying about it.” It’s not wrong to say any of these things in context– we SHOULD let go of our needless worry and our constant running after the things of this world. We should remember that our citizenship is in Heaven. We should remember that it is God working all things together for good, and that “He who began a good work (in us) will be faithful to complete it.” And prayer should always be the first step we take. But that doesn’t excuse us from action. The Bible never paints a picture of saints on vacation. We have a race to run, seeds to plant, and battles to fight. We are not tourists in our neighborhoods and communities. We have a job to do. God gave us hands, and feet, and voices, and brains. He intends that we use them for his service.

We must remember this in our prayer life, as well. We need to “carry everything to God in Prayer,” the little things, the tough things, the awkward things. We must speak words of truth and encouragement, and challenge, to ourselves as well as others. We must not grow weary of doing good. God has promised an abundant life, with an easy yoke and rest for our souls. He promises to strengthen and encourage us in the work we do. Best of all, he promises that we will be “Justified” by our faith in HIS finished work. Our work will not be in vain, and our faith will be rewarded– not with a splendid vacation, but with eternal life with our Creator. Now that’s a trip worth working for!

June 20, 2025 0

Batting Averages

It’s Baseball season, and one of the statistics that many people follow is the batting average. The batting average is the number of hits achieved over the number of times “at bat.” So, if a batter hits the ball once over the course of three times “at bat” during a typical game, he is batting at 33% or .333. Batting averages may fluctuate during the season. A typical batting average is around .250, or one hit for every four times at bat. That means the average player fails to get a fair hit 75% of the time! A really great hitter may reach a temporary batting average of .500! That means he is still failing at half of his attempts.

I don’t like to fail. I don’t like the feeling that my first efforts are sometimes just not good enough to succeed. But often my first efforts are not my best efforts. And it is better for me to fail and to learn, than to have easy success and grow proud and complacent. Failure means that I still have something to learn; I still have room for improvement; and I still need “coaching.” I can’t have success on my own.

I have a “prayer batting average.” And to outward appearances, my “average” is pretty low. For each time I pray, I may get a “hit”– an instant, positive, definitive answer– for one of ten or so of my many requests. That’s just the way it goes. I may pray for six people to be healed or have their health restored; two people to resolve relationship issues; one person to get a job or find a better apartment; and three lost souls to be saved. God will not immediately grant all those requests. That’s not because I am a failure at praying, however. Prayer is not a “magic bullet.” Prayer is a dialogue with God. When I pray over a long period of time for a certain outcome, God may be working to change the situation in His own way and in His own time. And He may also be working to change MY perspective or outlook on a particular situation.

Like the baseball player who practices his swing, I pursue prayer with a goal of becoming better at it–better at understanding how it works, and why it is so important to a closer relationship with God. My goal is not to have God automatically answer prayer “my way.” Rather, it is to understand how God is working in, and through, and around the situations I can see. In His wisdom, He works in ways I cannot see to accomplish His perfect will.

And as I continue to pursue prayer, God allows me to participate in that perfect will– even when my “batting average” seems low or inefficient. Life is filled with “fast balls” and “wild pitches.” I must learn when to swing, how to swing, and how to work as a “team player” in the Kingdom.

So today, let’s not get discouraged if our prayers don’t seem to be “hits.” Our job is not to be perfect– our job is to pursue fellowship with the One who IS!

June 18, 2025 0

A Prayer “Bucket List”

Have you ever considered making a “bucket list?” A bucket list is a list of experiences or goals you want to fulfill before you “kick the bucket.” Many people challenge themselves to do 212 adventurous things or visit 100 exotic places or reach 25 life goals (or a combination of several different experiences).

Such lists can be helpful as a way to challenge ourselves to come out of our comfort zone and try new things or visit new places. But they can also produce stress, as we try to achieve some goals or challenges that may be unrealistic or overly selfish.

In pursuing prayer, I have challenged myself to do certain things. It is a sort of “prayer bucket list.” And I find it helps keep my pursuit of prayer vital and exciting.

What does a “prayer bucket list” look like? For me, it involves some key challenges to stretch the way I think about, and practice, prayer:

Develop and keep a Prayer Journal– this helps me track my prayers throughout the year. Each day, I pray for a certain region of the world. It may be a nation, a state or province, a major city, or even a major geographical feature. I also pray for people I know who are celebrating a birthday or anniversary. And I keep a running list of current requests for health issues, family issues, etc. Finally, I leave plenty of space to track God’s answers to these prayers! Over the years, I can see how God has led me to pray, and how He has responded to those prayers. See more here : Prayer Journal
Make a consistent time each day to pray– I try to pray and do Bible study first thing in the morning. But you can do it at night, or on your lunch hour, or any other time. But it helps to be consistent in taking dedicated time out of each day to visit with God one-on-one
Pray corporately–I belong to a weekly prayer group that meets for an hour every Wednesday to pray for local concerns, our church leadership, the needs of people in our church and in our families, as well as national and global issues. While prayer is also a solo endeavor, it is amazing to pray with other Christians, whether in person, or on a streaming prayer service, or at a prayer event.
Learn about and practice different “methods” of prayer– I’ve challenged myself to pray a Psalm or a hymn, to write out prayers, to pray using the ACTS method (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication) and other outlines for prayer, reciting or reading a prayer like the Prayer of St. Francis or The LORD’s Prayer, and many others.
Pray “around the neighborhood”– literally walk around the block (or drive down the street or lane) praying for the households, businesses, people, or even the trees, fields, flowers, streams, etc. that you pass along the way. For your safety, it is best to say these prayers with eyes wide open! If weather or mobility prohibits this, you can draw a map or list and pray over that instead.
Pray the phone book– (I used to do this, but we don’t have phone books like we used to, so any random list will do)–pray for people on the list. You don’t have to be acquainted with them, just pray for the name. God already knows them far better than we do, anyway!
“Thank you for…”prayers–instead of closing your eyes for prayer, keep them open and thank God for everything you can see around you: the walls of the room, the furniture, the clothes you are wearing, your fingers and hands, the floor or carpet, the ceiling or roof– if you’re outdoors, you can thank God for the grass, trees, sidewalk, cars, buildings… I’m always amazed at how much I take for granted when I do this– pencils and breath mints and stamps in my desk, for instance.

And there are a lot of other “bucket list” items you can add:

Travel prayers–say a prayer in a cathedral in a foreign city; pray while traveling in a bus or on an airplane..
Rhyming prayers–try to make your prayer rhyme– at least some of the time!
Raised hand prayers– keep your hands raised to heaven for the entirety of your prayer. You’ll end up developing some arm muscles!
“Campfire” prayers– pray in a natural setting. This is especially meaningful near sunset or in a setting with a spectacular view of God’s amazing creation.
Prayer retreat– get away for an entire day to pray and commune with God
School yearbook prayers– go through one of your old yearbooks from school. Pray for all your classmates! Thank God for your teachers (or thank Him that you passed out of their class!) This also works for staff lists and bosses at your current place of employment.

Ultimately, prayer is not about a particular list or method or “experience.” But it should be part of the challenge of the Christian Life, and something that we pursue with intention and enthusiasm. If making a “bucket list” helps, then we should consider it as a way to build our prayer life and become part of our legacy.

June 13, 2025 0

Dance With Me

Have you ever had an “earworm”? You know– a popular song, often one that’s been overplayed, and you stopped liking it ages ago– “that” song pops into your head and you can’t seem to make it stop. Maybe it’s the theme song from The Flintstones, or a Celine Dion ballad that was wonderful the first fifty times you heard it on the radio; maybe it’s a commercial jingle, or Darth Vader’s theme from Star Wars. Whatever it is, it seems to follow you all day, or even all week.

I had an earworm the other week. It was a song that was popular a few years ago by a group called “Walk the Moon.” My husband and I took a brief vacation, and it seemed like every time we stopped to get a bite to eat, this song was playing. It’s called, “Shut Up and Dance With Me.” It’s a peppy, upbeat tune about a young man who meets his dream girl at a dance and decides that he and the woman are destined to be together forever. But instead of listening to his protestations of instant love, she simply pulls him onto the dance floor, saying, “Shut up and dance with me.” Pop music magic.

I say all this to set up an unexpected revelation. With this earworm playing in my head, it seemed to be distracting me even as I was trying to pray and read my Bible each morning last week. “Please, LORD, make this go away!” But there it was, just the same. Certainly not a song that Jesus would want me singing–even silently, right?

But then, I thought about the subtle message of the song– beyond the “love at first sight” and slightly pushy feminist vibe– “Stop talking. Stop trying to analyze everything. Just enjoy this. Engage with me. BE with me in the moment. Follow my lead.”

And suddenly, I could hear Jesus calling me. He would never use rude language, but how often does He gently ask me to stop fretting or trying to learn more about Him, when I could enjoy being with Him in the moment? When He invites me to “follow” Him, do I think of it as a summons to trudge along behind Him in grim obedience? Or do I see it as an invitation to let Him lead me in a dance? Last week, I wrote about following Jesus “more nearly.” Am I letting Him lead me through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23) or lead me in a dance at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19)? I think He asks us to do both.

Prayer doesn’t have to be solemn all the time. Yes, I need to acknowledge that Christ is far more than a dance partner at a discotheque. But Jesus wants to celebrate our relationship, to revel in it. There will be days of sorrow, pain, and grieving in this life. But there will be other days, now and throughout eternity, when Christ’s simple request is “dance with me!” Accept my blessings. Choose to revel in My Presence! May today be one of those days!

June 11, 2025 0

Walk This Way

There is an old comedy/vaudeville gag, where a character enters a stately home, or an office, or arrives at an important event. They are greeted by a “straight man” character, who tells them to “walk this way”. The “straight man” then turns and begins walking in a manner that uses exaggerated mannerisms. The comedic character doesn’t just follow in the general direction of the other character– s/he imitates the exaggerated mannerisms as well.

In the last of three prayers from the song, “Day by Day” (see this past Monday and Wednesday), I want to explore how to “follow Thee more nearly.”

I have this quibble with the song lyrics– I know that “nearly” rhymes with “clearly” and “dearly”, but it is not grammatically correct, as it implies that I almost, not quite, but nearly want to follow Jesus, instead of saying that I want to follow Him more closely, or become a better reflection of His character. That said, I sometimes think that I fall into the comedic trap of thinking that “walk this way” merely means following Christ with exaggerated mannerisms– I follow “more nearly” when I should be following more closely.

man wearing black leather jacket riding cruiser motorcycle on road

Years ago, a good friend of mine suggested that I read a book called “God On a Harley” (Review and summary here) It is a fable, and an interesting read. I don’t recommend it for theological content (the Christ it presents is more of a New-Age life coach, not a Messiah), but I’m glad I read it for two reasons: It challenged my conventional view of Jesus, and it challenged the way I thought about discipleship. At the time I was reading the book, I was also considering making some big changes in my life– changing careers, moving away from my home town, and trusting God to be “sufficient” in my singleness and lack of guaranteed income.

photo of a woman passing through the alley

When we talk or think about Jesus’ time on Earth, we generally focus on His birth, His miracles, His death, and His resurrection. We don’t usually think of His everyday life…where He ate or slept or how He lived. If He were to walk among us today, He wouldn’t appear like the paintings we see– flowing long blond hair (which has always been inaccurate), white robe and sandals. He might wear a T-shirt and jeans, ride the bus or subway train, and hang out at Starbucks or the corner convenience store. Jesus didn’t live in a “holy huddle.” And, though He famously walked on water, He mostly walked the streets. He lived and walked and ate and spent His days among ordinary people–in fact, it was His willingness to eat with and talk to the marginalized, the forgotten, the ostracized people of Him time, that got Him in trouble with the religious leaders and those in power.

I don’t think Jesus in our time would be a tattooed, beer swilling, biker– but I’m convinced that He would be found sharing a story or a pizza with one; and with the kinds of people many of His “followers” would shun. The Jesus I want to follow “more nearly” is Holy, but He is not “Holier-than-thou.” I can’t follow Jesus more nearly if I’m following an image that only exists in a picture or my self-righteous imagination. In my youth, I had a picture of what “following Christ” looked like– but it was more about following expectations and selfish desires– successful career, marriage, giving to the “right” charities, becoming a pillar of the community. There is nothing wrong with any of those things, but if God calls me to serve in humble (even humiliating) ways, doing thankless tasks, and spending time, not helping the needy at my convenience, but truly serving– pouring out my time and my heart until only His strength keeps me going–I have learned the joy and honor that transcends anything I once imagined.

I’m not a biker, but I love the image of Jesus on a motorcycle, asking me to come along for a ride. If I want to follow Him “more nearly,” I couldn’t come up with a better metaphor. If Jesus came and asked me to ride off with Him on a Harley, several things would happen that relate to discipleship:

First, I have to commit. You can’t “sort of” ride along — you either get on the bike or you stay behind. You might know all about the motor, you might know how to ride, you might know the traffic laws, you might even watch a video of someone riding, but you won’t experience the horsepower under you, the wind in your face, the road slipping away behind you. The same is true of the Christian life. You can know about God; own a Bible– even memorize it; you can sing God’s praises, all without experiencing a relationship with Him. But you’ll never know the full power of His grace and acceptance until you commit.
Part of that commitment is to be willing to go when and where He’s going…you can’t go on the ride and stay at home. You can’t go two hours after He does. And that brings me to–
Trust! You won’t get on the bike if you don’t trust His ability to drive and His wisdom in knowing how and where to go. Once you’re on the bike, hanging on from behind, you can’t see all of the road ahead. You can’t steer or hit the brakes. In my own experience, I ended up leaving teaching after seven years with no “safety net.” I had no job waiting in the wings, no money saved up, and no “plan” other than to take whatever honest work I could find and follow God’s leading. I learned by experience that I can trust God’s ways to be better than mine; better than my expectations!
Riding together takes teamwork. Just because God is doing the driving and steering doesn’t mean that I just sit back and watch the scenery (though I can do a lot of that, too). If I’m not paying attention at curves, intersections, stops, turns, etc., I can throw everything off-balance.
Riding together, with my arms wrapped around Him is the closest I can “follow” Jesus. It’s not about what I know, or what I can “do” for God– it’s choosing to be in a deepening relationship with Him. As I live with Him, listen to Him, and trust Him, the knowing and doing will come naturally.

I want to follow with abandon– not just to walk several steps behind, or wander in His general direction, or watch what He’s doing from a distance. I want to hang on and share the adventure. That’s the way I want to “walk” with Him. That’s my prayer, “Day by Day.”

June 6, 2025 0

“To Love Thee More Dearly…”

How can I love Jesus more than I already do? If I can love him more, does that mean that I don’t love Him enough? That I don’t really love Him as much as I think I do? That I love Him the wrong way? How can I “love thee more dearly…day by day”

I want to explore the second prayer in the folk rock song “Day by Day” from the musical “Godspell” (see my last post). When I write about pursuing prayer, this is a major focus of the pursuit– to develop my love for Jesus. But there’s more to it than just spending more time, or even “better” time in prayer.

silhouettes of couple kissing against sunset

I love my husband, and that love grows over the years– not because we are in an eternal “honeymoon” period, where life is rosy and all I know about him is the wonderful image I’ve built up–but because in living with him, working with him, even struggling with him, I learn to value who he really is. I learn about qualities I never knew he had. I learn to trust him and respect his judgment; I learn about the deepest part of his heart that he only shares with those closest to him. And even though I learn about his faults, I see him desiring to be the best that he can be. In his turn, my husband does the same with me– learning my strengths and weaknesses. Together we learn how to work together to strengthen and support each other. We even learn how to argue better!

But we all know marriages (and no marriage is immune) where doubt, distrust, disdain, and despair creep in. The very qualities that attracted us in the beginning become sore spots that tear us apart. The joy is swallowed up in little hurts that go unresolved; little misunderstandings that grow into lengthy silences and slammed doors. Struggles that should bring us together cause us to run to separate corners. Our feelings change, our hopes are dashed, and our relationship crumbles

woman and man sitting on brown wooden bench

Relationships require trust–if I say that I love God, but I don’t trust Him, I’m not being honest with myself. If I pray to Him, but I don’t really think He’s listening; if I read His word but make excuses for my continued disobedience–I don’t really love Him. I may idolize Him, even worship Him. But I don’t really love Him.

Unlike a marriage partner, family member, or close friend, God’s love for us never changes. We never have to pray that Jesus should love US more dearly. It’s impossible. The same love that spoke the universe into being and designed you to be the awesome and unique person you are, is the same love that stretched out his arms so they could be nailed to the cross– the same love that calls out to you no matter what you’ve done or who you are and offers you peace, joy, and rest. Loving Jesus isn’t a matter of measuring how I feel about Him from day to day, but spending each day learning to know Him better for who He is and not just what He has done or what He can do for me. The prayer should be for me to really learn better how to honor Him, how to trust Him, how to obey Him, praise Him, listen to Him, and walk close to him.

More about this last one next time…

June 4, 2025 0

Category: Prayer