A Time to Bloom

It’s that time of year, when we fret about what to give up for Lent. Grandma made the choice for a college lad who let out a stream of obscenities when he spilled his beer. She simply remarked: "You eat with that mouth." So first for Lent, watch what comes out of your mouth, for what comes out tells what is inside your heart. Using foul, dirty language or telling a smutty joke may make you feel important or special. But it betrays the fact that you are not one of the gang. Remember, coming to receive your ashes means you are one of Christ’s gang. You are God’s child, and God’s children simply do not talk like that.
A second lenten practice is to keep judgments from spilling out of your mouth. Maybe you can pick one day to be especially mindful to keep your judgments to yourself. Friday is a good choice in honor of Jesus’ crucifixion. This was also the day when he granted paradise to the good thief, someone we would have deemed unworthy of God’s attention. And so for each Friday of Lent, make no judgments about people, about their motives, their goodness or badness, their social standing, their defects, the way they talk, their clothing, their color, their jobs, their mistakes. Just see everyone as God’s children.
Third, try to control the verbal negatives that so readily comes from our mouths. I’m thinking about the subtle put-downs, the jabs that hurt, the insults, the criticism, the sarcasm, the harmful gossip, the rumors that smear. Again, if too much of a challenge to do every day of Lent, you may want to choose Wednesday as your no-negative-words day, as tradition holds that this was the day Judas let the words which betrayed Jesus fall from his mouth.
A fourth practice is to let the word "no" fall more often from your mouth. After all your "nos" define you every bit as your "yeses." Jesus is our guide. When he cured the man possessed of a demon and the man wanted to follow him, he said no. "Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you." You will give glory to God if you bloom where you’re planted. When Pilate questioned Jesus, he shook his head no and refused to answer, for he knew Pilate wasn’t really after the truth. He said no to pain-dulling hyssop offered to him on the cross. Jesus said no to turning stones into bread for he did not come to serve himself. So be like Jesus for Lent. Say no to the Apprentice nonsense on your cable. No to radio talk show hosts who make fun of people. Say no to drugs to keep you up all night to complete your school projects–try peppermint tea instead! Say no to drinking till you blackout. Say no to drugs that lie telling you there’s no harm. Say no to cheating. Say no to lies. Say no to marketing which wants you to buy more than you need. But say yes to the truth. Say yes to words that encourage and heal. Say yes to grandma’s words of wisdom. Say yes to small acts of kindness, charitable deeds and sharing. Say yes to prayer time. Say yes to get your studies and projects completed. Say yes to your family’s need for your presence and time. Say yes to Jesus.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that this Lent nourishes our souls to grow strong in your love and wisdom. May our Lenten workout keep us fit for the mission ahead to make your Kingdom bloom here on earth as it is in heaven.

The Designated Friend

Once upon a time, four friends brought a seriously ill buddy down from the rooftop and asked Jesus for a favor. Without hesitation, Jesus heals their friend but the editor wrote this line"..they were unable to get near Jesus because of the crowd." I often wonder about certain folks who find it difficult to get near the Lord because there’s something or someone, blocking their way. Let me share a story in the form of an allegory about people who feel guilty about their past and live in the "The City of Regret"

I had not really planned to take a trip this year, yet I found myself packing anyway. And off I went, dreaming it. I was on another guilt trip. I booked my reservations on Wish I Had airlines. I didn’t check my bags since everyone carries their bags on this airline. And I could see that people from all over the world were with like me dragging under the weight of bags they had packed themselves. I caught a cab to Last Resort Hotel, the driver taking the whole trip backwards, looking over his shoulder. And there I found the ballroom where my event would be held: The Annual Pity Party. As I checked in, I saw all my old colleagues were on the guest list: The Done Family–Woulda, Coulda, and Shoulda; both of the members of the Opportunity family were there–Missed and Lost. All the Yesterdays were there, too; there were too many to count, but all would have sad stories to share. Shattered Dreams and Broken Promises would be there, too, along with their friends Don’t Blame Me and I Couldn’t Help It. And of course, hours of entertainment would be provided by that renowned storyteller It’s Their Fault. As I prepared to settle in for a really long night, I realized that one person had the power to send all those people home and break up the party: me. All I had to do was, with some help, was to return to the present and welcome the new day with hope.

Unfortunately, many people suffer with their guilt from the past, always looking over their shoulders, always rehearsing what might have been, should have been, would have been, Always licking old wounds like a divorce, a betrayal, a disappointment, an unfairness–that’s a lot of people blocking the way. No wonder they are unable to get near Jesus. Our phobias, fears, defeats, sins and guilt get in the way. But hopefully you have friends who accept you as you are and will take you to meet their good buddy Jesus. The man from the City of Regret said that, with the help of a good friend, he could look to the future of love rather than a past of regret.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that they reach out to someone and help them bypass the crowd–those ghostly shades of regret, guilt and despair–and bring them to Jesus, because the fact is that they won’t get there without you. Or, to put it simple, YOU ARE THEIR DESIGNATED FRIEND.

The Face of God

Another grey day in Rochester and storms along the Atlantic coast can make everyday seem so dull and boring. So let me invite you to pick up your lens and search for that stunning shot and discover God in the everyday-ness of life. A teacher shared that young people sometimes have a difficult time seeing how the sacred relates to their ordinary experience. Holy lies beyond the everyday. The holy, the young say, and some adults, can only be experienced inside a church building but it has little to say to the rest of the week. In my ministry with pilots during 9/11, I learned how these flyers loved their work because it helped them "touch the face of God." So I ask my Sonshine Friends to reflect on an activity that has allowed you to "touch the face of God." I remember hiking in Isle Royale which on your local weather map looks like the eye of a dog in upper Lake Michigan. On the trail, I was searching for moose in the hope of snapping a stunning photo. Instead, I walked by this log that had dandelions swaying in the breeze and got down on my belly to snap this ordinary moment. At times, I prefer to distance myself from technology to an old way of life. It was nice just to feel the morning chill, hear the birds chirp, smell the pine trees, and just look around to see the birds, hear a woodpecker or avoid "moose droppings." The image of these puffy seeds, hugging the ground makes one realize that God’s Presence can be found on many levels.

We take lots of things for granted, the song of birds, the falling snow, the meandering scuttle of ants, the chirp of crickets, everything that God created. So often we look for God in the spectacular miracles, but there’s more to life than what appears on the surface–in the midst of the ordinary, natural settings of everyday life. More often we "touch the face of God" in the routine of life, in ordinary things and people, if we but notice. For behind what we see everyday, the people and our experiences, is a Presence, a caring God, a transcendent love. Valentine’s Day is everyday when we look and "touch the face of God" in wiping a tear, sharing a snack, laughing or smiling at our friends who reveal the beauty of God in our everyday boring, dull and resurrected hearts. Roses, stars, snow, sky, clouds, flower, thunder, birds, rocks, pathways, storms, sea, thorns, tree–are all ordinary. All reveal the face of God.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends as we go about our ordinary lives may we take notice of the glorious ways you fill our life with beauty and love. Let us pray that we may discover you in the healing, the forgiving, the kindness, the generosity, the caring that goes on in our everyday boring, dull routine. Pray deeply for those around you. For God’s strength. For God’s love. For God’s Presence. Happy Valentine!

Hunger for Healing

Statistics report 85 % of the people who visit a doctor are ill because of stress. The stressors range from traumas caused by auto accidents, hurricanes, tsunamis, tornados, assaults, robberies, rapes, plane crashes school shootings, fires, and other catastrophic events. Then we "hit the wall" or burnout from stress about money, jobs, conflicts with family, our health and the weather.

In gospel times, everyday stress was caused by demons which today we would label as some clinical disorder. However, there was a hunger for healing when word spread that Jesus was in your village. The sick might be a mother-in-law, an unclean spirit, a leper, someone dangling from your rooftop on a cot, a withered hand on a Sabbath. Each cry was a hunger for healing, and Jesus healed them. And I would like to suggest the same is true for you and me. We too have a hunger for healing inside of us, for ourselves, our family, our friends, so many people. Jesus said: "Those who are well have no need of a physician; but those who are diseased need a physician. I, Jesus, have come to heal those who are sick." In other words, Jesus was and still is the Great Physician.

But be honest and ask yourself, what is the unhealthy stress in your life at this moment? Are you really well? What Jesus really wants and needs from you is a hunger in your heart for a healing of those relationships, those conflicts, those stressors which are causing disabilities in yourself. Jesus wants us to have a hunger for healing inside our souls.
Let me share an image to help you heal from your pain and disease. Once upon a time, a little girl with leukemia was asked to imagine in her mind how her cancer was being cured. Our little girl imagined a river of life. She believed that it was like a river of white blood cells, and those white blood cells washed around the tumor at every side of it. That river of cells was washing her tumor away.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we imagine our tumors of despair and sickness being washed away by your healing power. Let us pray for our own wellness and pray deeply for the wellness of those around you. Pray deeply. Persistently. For God’s strength. For God’s healing. For God’s Presence

Rainbow Bridge

I received an unusual request last evening to offer a prayer for a Sonshine friend who had the difficult task to inform a dear friend that her dear kitty had died while she was away at a conference. Dennis and Stanley were brothers boarding at the vet’s who decided to give these cats their routine shots. Somehow the "routine" procedure turned into a nightmare for Dennis had gone into shock and died. Poor Stanley would be returning home without his brother and our Sonshine friend needed a prayer for words of comfort to tell this mom that her furry friend would not be coming home. So my prayer is for all my Sonshine Friends who miss their furry friends in the hope that someday we will walk with them into heaven.

Once upon a time... just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water, and sunshine and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who have been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent; his eager body begins to quiver. Suddenly, he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend (like Dennis) finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kitty kisses (feels like sandpaper) caress your face; your hands again stroke the silky head and his whiskers tickle as you once more look into the trusting eyes of your dear pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who brought home stranded friends like Dennis and Stanley. We miss their purrs, rolling in the catnip and holding them close on our laps when alone. Let our hearts never forget the gift these creatures great and small brought into our homes and may the happy memories bring us comfort and strength as we look forward to the moment when we will once again cross over Rainbow Bridge together.