My Prayer For The Situation In Baltimore

My prayer for the situation in Baltimore:

Lord, may the leaders who have genuine influence in the lives of the people involved in this matter use their influence to attempt to bring helpful, meaningful, peaceful solutions. May respect, common sense, and your wisdom be desired and achieved.

Bring healing to those who have been injured.

There are people who will want to create sides and somehow win from what is occurring. We pray that your truth will prevail.

We ask for these things in Jesus’ name.

Amen.

Take A Look At 33 Years Later

Way back before the turn of the century in 1982, during the great Pringles famine, a photo was taken of the youth and young adults at the First Church of God in Oak Lawn. Last night many, but not all, of the folks in the photo from 1982 were together and we took another picture. It’s amazing that in 33 years all of these people actually look younger, handsomer, prettier and, yes look closely, a bit more muscular in a rugged Arnold sort-of way. (You have to squint to see it.)

We all committed to getting together in 2048 (33 years) for yet another picture and we’re hoping that great strides will have been made in the fields of plastic surgery, joint replacement surgery, hair plugs, and in my case artificial aortic valves, by that time.

P.S.  We did not take the time to recreate the same order in which we were standing in the original picture.

This Is What Humility Looks Like

When Jesus’ public ministry got underway—fairly quickly—He began drawing bigger crowds than John the Baptist. This would be troublesome and disturbing for most people in John’s position. Most ministers desire increasingly larger crowds not increasingly smaller crowds.

John’s disciples were bothered by this turn of events and went to tell John about it. They assumed, it appears, John would be upset. I think they may have even believed John would do something to get the crowds back.

But John basically said [this is a paraphrase], “It’s alright. I’m genuinely glad to hear about His success. This is exactly the way it’s supposed to happen. He must increase and I must decrease.”

[You can read this story in John 3:23-30.]

John’s maturity and his understanding of his own role in the larger ministry of Jesus was exceptional and inspiring. This story from the Bible is incredibly helpful to me because it helps me see what true humility looks like. 

The Colors Vampires Wear

I just had a conversation with Rachel about the colors vampires wear.

I did not bring up the subject and, actually, I don’t recall how it even started.

The whole issue was surprising because I thought a vampire could wear any color but it turns out that is not the case. She told me certain colors “work” [that’s her word] for vampires and other colors won’t work.

This information was new and puzzling.

As the conversation continued, it occurred to me that I might try to wear some vampire colors—you know it would probably help me to add some striking or evocative qualities to the way I look and dress. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to be a vampire. But I think it’s high time for some personal flair… a little pizazz. You know what I mean?

But Rachel told me, “You don’t know how.”

“I don’t know how to wear vampire colors?” I asked.

“Right,” she responded.

“Can’t I just wear the colors?” I asked. “Isn’t that all there is to it?”

“No.”

So unfortunately, it looks like I will have to remain frumpy and unstylish.

We Should Be Willing To Put Our Cards On The Table

Everybody has a point of view, a way of thinking, a way of understanding reality. This is sometimes called a worldview. Because we all have a worldview—even if we don’t know the term or have never taken the time to specifically think about the concept—we will tend to have biases and, often, even an agenda of some sort when it comes to many subjects.

(Be extremely careful about the person who vehemently claims—perhaps while jumping up and down—that he is a completely neutral purveyor of nothing but objective facts.)

The fact that everyone has a worldview does not bother me. I understand this is how it will be with us humans. For example, I will readily admit I have an agenda. I’m a Christian minister. I believe Christianity is true. I would like for people to embrace Jesus. I believe this will be what is best for them.

What does bother me is when certain people or institutions pretend they are above the fray, so to speak. In other words, they want to give the impression they are presenting objective, unbiased facts and simple logical conclusions when in reality they are very intentionally, though surreptitiously, promoting a particular agenda.

This is a form of dishonesty and deception which happens in the media and, sadly, even in the scientific world more than some people may realize. For example, the practice of disguising an agenda as a scientifically settled issue can be a way of attempting to force a conclusion on a matter without even allowing legitimate discussion. It is an extremely unscrupulous and cynical tactic.

Again, the fact that human beings within the media, the scientific world, or anywhere else, for that matter, have a worldview and, therefore, an agenda is not what bothers me. I get it. I’m old enough to recognize this reality about people. What bothers me is when they very intentionally pretend to have no bias or agenda.

We should be willing to put our cards on the table.

Sgt. Joe Friday used to say, “just the facts, ma’am” when he was talking with a witness. But I notice Joe always had a little bit of a wry grin when he said it. Joe knew people and, therefore, he knew it was not likely he was going to hear “just” facts. 

Thank You Curt and Lorrine Nielsen

As I was looking through old photo albums at the church to prepare for our 50^th anniversary at the Oak Lawn location I came across this picture of Rev. Curt Nielsen and his wife, Lorrine.

Curt was the pastor at the First Church of God in Oak Lawn from 1974 until 1991. Curt is a wonderful man of God. He was a terrific pastor and mentor to me. It is impossible to even describe the deep, profound and, yes, eternal impact Curt and his family have had on my life and the life of my family.

I thank God for this man and his family.

Thank you Curt and Lorrine for faithfully serving God, my life has been changed because of the way God worked through you.

I'm Sorry For Apologizing Too Much

Someone told me I need to stop apologizing all the time. He said, “It’s embarrassing and unseemly that you apologize about everything. You need to stop it.”

I’ve given a good bit of thought to this matter and my friend is right. His words were a valid and helpful form of correction.

So, I just I want to formally announce that I am sorry for apologizing too much.

Five Simple Things I've Learned About Social Media

1)  Online relationships are not a suitable replacement for in person relationships. I know this is somewhat obvious but it seems that it may not be totally obvious to everyone.

2) Social media is neutral.

I have a friend who believes that social media is inherently bad. I disagree with his assessment. In my opinion social media is, basically, neutral. It is a communication tool. In that sense it is like a telephone, or a letter sent through the mail, or even a radio broadcast.

Is it possible for social media to be used in bad ways? Yes, of course it is.

But it is possible for social media to be used in good ways, too.

Is it possible for people to waste time on social media? Yes, of course it is. But people have been extraordinarily accomplished at wasting time loooooong before social media ever came along. Social media is not responsible for the fine art of time wasting.

(In high school, way before social media existed, I was an expert at wasting time.)

And it is possible for people to use social media in ways that optimize the use of their time, particularly when it comes to communicating a message.

3) If you are really angry and feel compelled to post something to express your angry feelings it would be wise to wait a few minutes. In some cases, it might even be wise to wait a day or two. Remember anything that is posted online can be retrieved again, even if it is deleted. Think about it like this: Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want every person you know (including those who are not online) to see, including your mother, your boss, your grandmother, your pastor/priest/clergy, your children, your grandchildren, the Nobel Prize Selection Committee… you get the point.

4) For some reason, many people seem to be willing to be more caustic, abrasive and mean-spirited online than they would typically be in a firsthand, personal encounter. It is best not to sink to this level.

5) It is easy to get fooled by content which is posted online. We have probably all seen examples of people re-posting—with righteous indignation—an article which verifies a point of view they espouse. They post with an attitude like this, “See? I told you people this was happening. This article substantiates what I’ve been saying all along!”

And then someone in the comments section points out that the piece is fictional. It is satire from a site like The Onion. Earlier today I heard a very smart man (a philosopher with two PhDs) talk about being fooled by content he had read online. Be cautious when it comes to online content. Whenever possible, check the source.

You’ve probably seen this line, it is a good reminder: “Everything you read on social media isn’t true.” – Abraham Lincoln

Dan Marler

The White House

Washington, DC

(Remember, it’s helpful to be cautious and verify what you’re reading.)

Victory Over Death, Jesus Is Alive!

Jesus claims to be the giver of life, true life, abundant life, eternal life.  He says things like this:  “Life is found in me!” 

Well, He can only be the giver of life, if He has experienced victory over death, himself.

It just happens to be the case that victory over death is what we proclaim at Easter.  Jesus is risen from the dead!  He has experienced victory over sin and death!  The grave could not hold Him!  Evil could not defeat Him.

He’s alive!  And because Jesus lives, you and I can live!  We can have life in Him.

Praise God for the resurrection of Jesus; for the truth of who Jesus is; for forgiveness of sins; for the hope we have in Him. Praise God for life! 

Happy Easter, Jesus is alive!

Fear And The Time In Between The Crucifixion And The Resurrection

Fear stinks.

Oh I know, there are situations in which fear serves a useful purpose. If a hungry lion escaped from the zoo and he’s been following you on the walking trail for the past couple of minutes you should have some fear or else you’re not taking the situation seriously enough.

But oftentimes fear is not good. Some people live with an unhealthy sense of dread and fear which prevents them from living life and doing the things they need to do and want to do. They live with a basic sense that they are alone, helpless, vulnerable and with the sense that whatever happens next will probably not be good.

I’m thinking about fear today because in between the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus it seems pretty likely His disciples were caught up in fear. Jesus had given them words of reassurance. He told them what would happen. He even said these specific words to His disciples, “Do not be afraid.” Jesus made it possible for them to experience peace and assurance but they tended toward fear instead.

It happens, doesn’t it?

In between the crucifixion and the resurrection, it looked dark. It seemed that, perhaps, evil would prevail. There was tremendous sadness, disappointment and confusion. I suspect some words to this effect were spoken: “What just happened? This is not how we thought this would go.”

Fear seemed reasonable.

Remember, though, it is not God’s intention that we live in fear.

Do not be afraid. Darkness doesn’t win.

God loves you. He loves you completely and perfectly. He loves you more than you can imagine. This is the truth. The more you know and genuinely recognize this truth the less fear you will experience.

And remember, even when things look grim, the story is not over. Easter is coming! 

Thinking About Jesus' Death

The way Jesus died is horrific.

The fact that He had to die for things I have done is sad, upsetting and, even, embarrassing.

That’s why I am so thankful the larger story is one of Good News and hope!

Today we think about Jesus’ death. It is right for us to do this; it is a necessary part of knowing and understanding the story. But even as we ponder the sad realities of this day, we know that Sunday is coming.

I am grateful that for those who trust in Christ even the somberness of Good Friday is entered into with the knowledge that there is, ultimately, hope, joy and… Victory!