Spiritual Battle

During Lent, Holy Week and Advent, our church uses the Revised Common Lectionary in worship. Sunday (2/28, the 2nd Sunday of Lent), we used the gospel reading from Luke, which was actually for the first Sunday of Lent (2/21). Okay so we were behind a week!

The reading was from Luke 4:1-13 about the temptation of Jesus by Satan in the wilderness following His baptism by John in the Jordan River. The first verse tells us that Jesus was "full of the Holy Spirit" and that the Spirit "led Him" to the desert/wilderness. Two observations we considered from that single verse:

• The Spirit of God sent Jesus ("God with skin on"- per Eugene Peterson) into the desert where Satan was waiting. Christ-followers tend to hold Satan responsible for every hardship or challenge (the desert moments) we experience. However, there are times when God sends Christ-followers to hard, or challenging places. These are opportunities (yes, even bad ones) to exercise our faith in God and lean solely on Him. Jesus trusted and relied soley on His heavenly father in the desert. His recorded responses to Satan's ongoing time of temptation reveal that He relied on God's Word instead of His own. Hello? Maybe it's time we relied more on God's Word when we are tempted than our all too flawed human intelligence. God's Word is full of stories about men and women who lost the temptation battle because they failed to stand on God's Word and rely solely on Him during a tough time. Samson, David, and Jacob come to mind but there are many more. Relying on our own ability, intelligence, (trying to "control" the situation), etc., instead of God's is simply disobedience. Jesus glorified His Father by obeying His Word and standing on them in every response to Satan (Deut. 6 and 8 are the foundational texts for his response to Satan). Lesson for me: Lean into the Word of God and let it speak to my life. Oh and by the way, I didn't say every hardship, or problem was from God either. Satan is definitely alive and well, but not every life challenge has his signature on it.

• Jesus took on Satan when He was "full of the Holy Spirit" not running on empty. If Jesus was full of the Holy Spirit when battling Satan, who are we to think we can do it on our own? All too often we try to battle Satan when we are spiritually unarmed. I'm a slow learner and many times as a Christ-follower I have engaged the enemy when I'm at a spiritual low. That's like trying to run a NASCAR race on tires from the previous race. It's just a matter of time before you are going to hit the wall and crash. Of course the enemy usually waits until we are tired, vulnerable and wary when He attacks us. However, we are by nature lazy and more often than not we are caught off guard. By faithful practice of the spiritual disciplines (e.g., reading God's word, devotions, fasting, regular prayer, worship, etc.) along with diet, exercise, rest, etc., we are in better shape to face the enemy. God has given us a spiritual nuclear arsenal which Paul describes in Ephesians 6. Read it and be prepared for battle.

The 40 days of Lent were rooted in this time of testing, trial and self-denial by our Lord. It was a time of preparation and increased devotion for Him. May it be for us as well!

Isobel: An Overcomer's Story

Five years ago Isobel, the sled dog went blind. The veterinarian advised her owners to take her back to Manitoba and retire her. However, she quit eating and drinking and lost weight. She was not meant to be a pet. Her musher, Gerald Azzure brought her back to the dog yard where the rest of the sled dogs are kept and she demanded to be hooked up. She wanted to run again with the team. Isobel has returned to the pack and runs with the other dogs.

She can't lead but she depends on the other dogs for direction and pace and they rely on her strength and power. Sled dogs are working dogs and Isobel refused to let blindness sideline her from her passion. What challenges are you facing? Don't let your circumstances determine your passion. Isobel reminds all of us that we don't have to be sidelined by life challenges. Even blindness is no match for grit, heart, passion, determination, joy and faith.

Isobel lives in the rugged terrain of Manitoba with her owners Gerald Azzure and Jenafor Ollander. Go online to Bluesky Expeditions to learn more about Isobel, or book your own sledding getaway.

A Golden Moment

Canada's Joannie Rochette took to the ice last night (Tuesday) to skate only two days after her mother died of an unexpected heart attack. Her mother, Therese Rochette, 55, had traveled from Quebec to see her daughter skate. She suffered a heat attack and died early Sunday morning in a Vancouver Hospital. No one expected Joannie to skate.

Rochette's score of 71.36 has her in third place as the skaters head into tomorrow's long-program final. She could even win the gold but none of that matters. Last night she skated for her mother and did not disappoint. It was pure courage on ice. It's what Olumpic athletes are made of.

Philadelphia reporter Sam Donnellon captured the moment: When she landed her first series of jumps, a hint of a smile crossed her lips. The second set, more of the same, her confidence building as the crowd broke into a rhythmic clap to her music, which she wore painfully on her face. This was more than Canada's story now. The world watching was a raw nerve, too..... Joannie Rochette had channeled her sadness into her art, had channeled her pain through every watching eye and produced something special. It wasn't golden, for gold is of this earth. This was something much more.

Tomorrow she will skate in the free skate part of the program and make a medal run. Her countrymen longing for gold will cheer whether or not she wins because last night she was gold as she honored and remembered her mother.

Let's Move On Now

Tiger Woods has made a public apology to his wife, family, friends, employees, and fans. For those of us familiar with recovery this was a first step. There are many more steps to come and they will be equally as difficult although hopefully not played out before the eyes of the world on live television. Recovery is a process and you can't put a time limit on it. It is different for every person regardless of their addiction. People in recovery also need lots of space and the privacy of group and one-on-one therapy to get at the root of their addiction and the tools to deal with it.

Whether he said what the pundits, analysts, commentators, experts, and we wanted to hear is unimportant. Already people are debating why he used a written statement. I have a degree in communications and I speak publicly for a living and I totally understand why he read from a written statement. I am also aware that he is not a politician, actor, or public speaker. Armchair quarterback's in the media are already questioning whether or not he was sincere, contrite or broken. None of us know that. Let me say that again, none of us know whether or not he was sincere. His wife and family are the ones who will know over time whether or not he is sincere in his apology. And that's the appropriate arena, not in front of cameras, reporters and tabloids.

It's time to move on. The story is over. For those who are chomping at the bit for him to return to golf back off. For those who are celebrating his fall remember this on the day you need and want some grace. He has his priorities in order. Golf is and needs to be on the back burner. Addiction, recovery, marriage and family should be his only priorities. Sorry if that ruins your Saturday or Sunday PGA viewing, but this isn't about you or me. In the words of Jack Nicklaus who commented when the story first broke, "That's a private matter for him and his family."

Let's keep some perspective here. This was a broken, imperfect, fallen human (like the rest of us) publicly admitting his sin and failure. He is not a god and hopefully not an idol. Unlike most of us, he is incredibly wealthy and an amazing athlete, but at the end of the day, he is a broken human like the rest of us.

I hope he has the space he needs to work on his recovery and his marriage. I hope he doesn't come back to golf until it's time whenever that may be. I pray for his recovery, his wife and their marriage. I also pray that through recovery he will eventually come to an awareness and knowledge of the only One who can wash across his heart with grace and free him of the chains of sin.

It's a sad commentary on our culture when the public apology of an athlete for marital infidelity brings the worldwide media to a halt with live coverage. In my world the sun came up this morning and it will come up again tomorrow. I am reminded that God is still in control and my need for Him has never been greater. Time to move on.

Go U.S.A.

Congrats to U.S. alpine skiers Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso! The pair have been competing against each other since they were children. Wednesday they captured the gold and silver medals respectively at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver! Congrats to their fellow Yanks and medal winners:

• Hannah Kearney
• Seth Wescott
  
• Johnny Spillane
  
• Shani Davis
  
• Apolo Ohno
  
• Chad Hedrick
  
• J.R. Celski

Here's to the Yankees! Now if we could just add a hockey medal to the collection.

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday. The Lenten season begins. It's a season of self-denial, sacrifice, repentance and reflection for Christ-followers. These 40 days of fasting and sacrifice echo the self-denial of Christ during His time in the wilderness in preparation for His public ministry.
We are preparing for His Passion and the incredible sacrifice He made for all people.

Jan Richardson has captured the heart of Ash Wednesday and Lent in a reflection that answers Joel's call to a sacred fast in Joel 2. She writes:

Ashes come as a reminder of the ways that humans across history have been horrible to one another, of how we have, with an awful finesse, reduced to literal ashes one another’s homes, buildings, cities, histories, and very bodies.

Ashes can also be a thing of wonder. This day in the Christian year, this day of ashes, tells us that ashes—dust, dirt, earth—are the stuff from which we have been made, and to which we will return. This day, and the season it heralds, seeks to ground us, to make us mindful of the humus, the humility, the earthiness of which our bones and flesh are made. And yet, in the midst of this, the season calls us to open ourselves to the God who brings life from ashes, who works wonders amid destruction, who cries out and grieves in the presence of devastation and terror, and who breathes God’s own spirit into the rubble. It is this God who breathes into us, calling our awful and glorious ash-strewn selves to speak words of life and freedom and healing amid violence and pain.

On this day of ashes, we do well to remember that we, who are made of such stuff, are capable—every one of us—of inflicting pain and destruction. Thinking we are above it makes us all the more prone to it. Yet this day reminds us, too, that God knows what to do with ashes, knows what can come from them. As we cross into the season of Lent, how will we give our ashy selves to the God who longs to breathe new life into us and into the world? Where is God calling us to be a presence of healing amid devastation? How is God challenging us to stand against the forces that deny freedom, the forces that seek the silence and captivity of others? What ashes is God calling us to speak upon?

In this season, what will we say?

May God work wonders amid our ashes in these coming Lenten days.

Angels Unaware

Tucked away in Hebrews 13 is a single verse about angels in our midst. The verse is found in a passage containing closing ethical admonitions for the faithful. It follows an exhortation in the first verse to let love rule. It reads:

²Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

I'm fascinated by angels. They are God's special messengers and serve God's agenda. I'm no expert on angelology so if you're a skeptic you'll get no debate here. Over the years I've read and heard lots of stories from regular people who have been cared for, attended to, or helped by a total stranger who they couldn't find or locate after the fact. Whether your a skeptic or believer, the fact of the matter is that at various times in various places unknown, or anonymous people show up to help us when it's least expected. I have no problem acknowledging that many of these are God's emissaries.

When you stop, or take the time to help people, you really don't know who you are helping! Imagine rendering help, aid or comfort to one of God's angels? Maybe that's one of our problems. I think scams, media, and culture make us skeptical and impede the level of kindness we are willing to express to others in practical ways. What do you do with the guy sporting the "Lost Job and Hungry," sign at an intersection? Are you hesitant to give? Do you look busy and hope the light will change before they approach your car? What about the man or woman who approaches you on a downtown sidewalk panhandling? Cars on the side of the road with the hood up? You get the idea. I'm not suggesting we suspend common sense and put ourselves in unsafe situations. I'm simply wondering if more people would be helped if we took this passage more seriously?

Two weeks ago my daughter's car broke down as she got off the interstate and exited onto a state highway on her way back to college. A family in a Tahoe stopped to help. They asked if she could get the car running and promised to follow her the hour drive to campus to make sure she made it. She was able to get back on the road accompanied by the caring strangers. I'm sure they exist and live in the area, but regardless, we are simply grateful that they attended to our daughter in her time of need! We don't even know who they are, where they live, or their name. As a father, in my eyes this helpful couple attended my "angel unawares".

I thank God for His angels and the compassionate people He puts in our path to help, comfort, console and provide relief. Next time you see someone in need imagine they are Jesus. Remember His words in Matthew 25:

⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?' ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.' ⁴⁶And these will go
away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."