As most of you know, I dearly love gadgets. One of my latest gadgets is an Android smartphone. It can’t yet wash the dishes, but it can do almost everything else.

One of its coolest apps (applications) is “Google Sky.” With it, you can point your phone towards any part of the night sky, and the app will give you a map of and the names of the constellations and planets in that part of the sky.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed a stunningly bright star. I knew that it most likely was not a star at all, but a planet. I pulled out my smartphone, started up “Google Sky,” and pointed my phone toward the star. Turns out that it was not one planet but two planets conjoined, Jupiter and Saturn.

This got me to thinking about the Star of Bethlehem. I knew there were all sorts of astronomical theories as to the identity of that star. I wondered if a conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn might be a possibility. So (what else?) I Googled it. Turns out, a conjunction of those two planets is not really a favored possibility. There seems to be a lot of support for the theory that the Bethlehem star was a conjunction of Jupiter and Venus.

The more I thought about all this, I just couldn’t get smartphones and the Wise Men out of my head. No doubt, we human beings are pretty smart to come up with all these fancy gadgets! It’s because we human beings, like the Wise Men of old, are naturally curious creatures who want to figure things out. Our scientific, technological progress shows us that we are pretty good at it. Unfortunately, we also can be pretty dumb. Wars and the state of human relations in our world reveal that.

Jeff Hull writes about his great aunt, called Momma J. At 96, she was the last of her generation. As the family was gathered at her sister's funeral, a cousin remarked to Jeff that they were soon to be moving into the family's oldest generation. Jeff looked at his cousin and said plaintively, "But, Mary, I don't feel like I know the answers yet."

After everyone had a good laugh, Mary turned to Momma J. and said, "When does that change, Momma?"

Momma J., from her wheelchair, smiled up and said, "I don't know YET, dear."

The scriptures are clear that we don’t have it all figured out. The Apostle Paul said, “We look through a glass darkly.” We are still searching. Like the Wise Men of old, our search has led us to Bethlehem.

 
©2010 C. David Hess

On July 14 through 16, the three West Henrietta churches will be having a “tent meeting.” We are going to set up a tent on the vacant lot across from our church. Services will begin each evening at 7 p.m. Food (hot dogs), drink, and fellowship will be available at 6 p.m. Special music will be presented each evening by singers from the three churches. The three pastors will take turns preaching.

Tent meetings or tent revivals bring forth all kinds of images. One of my favorite is of the old outdoor preacher who was hooping and hollering out one of his fiery sermons. At one point, he took in a particularly big gulp of air and, along with it, some kind of flying insect. He proceeded to choke and cough and hack. The site was so comical that the congregation couldn’t suppress the urge to laugh. When the preacher finally caught his breath and his composure, he declared: “At least I was biblical. I saw a stranger and I took him in.”

While tent revivals are no longer commonplace, they have certain advantages. First and foremost, they occur on neutral ground. They are neutral, not only in the sense that the services are not held in one particular church building, but they neutral in the sense that they are not held in a church building at all. Tents are open spaces. They are easy to get into and easy to get out of. No one feels like they are making a commitment to stay when they enter them. It is neutral ground between the church and the world. All are welcome. All are free to come and go as they wish.  

By definition, tents are temporary structures. They aren’t tied to any one place. They move about. Thus they are fitting to our lives, which are also temporary and fluid. 

When the children of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, on their way from slavery in Egypt to the Promised Land, God instructed them to build a tabernacle, a tent. It would be a place of worship. It would be a sign of God’s presence, a sign that He would be with them wherever they journeyed.

John begins his gospel by saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God; all things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.”  John ultimately reached the climax: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”

Scholars point out that the word “dwelt” indicates a temporary dwelling---like the Tabernacle of Israel’s wilderness wanderings. It might best be translated “And the Word pitched a tent among us.” So he has. 

I hope to see you and your friends in the tent.


©2010 C. David Hess

Of course, Finney was influenced by another. To be a member of the church is to be influenced by a legacy of giving. Ralph Waldo Emerson made the observation: "An institution is the lengthened shadow of one man." The institutional church is the lengthened shadow of one Man -- Jesus Christ who gave Himself for us all.

©2010 C. David Hess

Friday was such a nice day that I decided to do some work in my backyard. Job number one was to fill in some holes that my Keeshond, Buster, had dug over the window. I went to Walmart and got 3 big bags of dirt and some grass seed. I came home, put Buster in the house, and proceeded with the repairs. I filled about 7 or 8 big holes and spread the grass seed.

My next door neighbor saw what I was doing and asked, “You don’t really think that’s going to do any good, do you?”

I muttered something about “living in hope” and finished the job.

Sure enough, within two hours after I had put him back out in the yard, Buster had re-dug every single hole. I had fanciful thoughts of re-filling them and telling him that if he ever dug another hole, I was going to put him in it. I knew, of course, that he wouldn’t understand, and that I would be bluffing. Even if I weren’t, he would probably still dig. Such is the force of habit. 

Of course, I already knew that. I remember being a dinner guest in a church member’s home years ago. At the end of the meal, I arose and, without thinking, put a dollar bill on the table. The lady of the house exclaimed, “What are you doing?” 

What indeed? I was so used to eating in restaurants and leaving a tip at the end of the meal I was just following the engrained habit.  

Habits are powerful things, both the positive ones and the negative ones. Scripture says, “Let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.     (Hebrews 10:19-25)


©2009 C. David Hess

Last fall I read an article about a woman in the Adirondacks who had found a monarch butterfly with a broken wing. Rather than let it die, Jeannette Brandt emptied her water bottle and placed the butterfly in it. When she got it home, she and her partner, Mike Parwana, began nursing the butterfly with rotting pears and honey mixed with water.

As the butterfly grew stronger, they turned to the Internet and Googled “fixing a broken butterfly wing.” They found a website with a 9 minute video that demonstrated how to do it. Following the instructions, they held their butterfly still while they brushed its wing with contact cement. Then they applied shreds of cardboard as a splint. The butterfly was still weak. They worried that the cardboard splint was too heavy. After a week, as the butterfly fattened up on honey and pears, it began to flap around the house. They worried that their cat would get it, but it escaped that fate.

The time came that the butterfly was healthy enough to set free, but the weather had turned too cool. So they made their way to a nearby truck stop where they found a trucker who agreed to carry a small box south.

A few days later, the trucker called them. Their butterfly was loose in Florida, free to join tens of millions of other monarchs making their winter migration to Mexico.

Who could not be touched by such a story of two human beings condescending to give such extreme care to a wounded insect? It reminded me of another story of a God who would go to such extremes to save the small creatures inhabiting a speck of dust in the Universe we call earth, a God who would send His Son to the cross for them.


©2009 C. David Hess

An article by Froma Harrop recently reported that the Associated Press has prepared an advance obituary for Britney Spears. The press has long prepared advance obituaries for notable figures so that they are immediately ready when the person dies. What might be different about this is that Spears is only 26 years old.

Of course, deaths of hard living young celebrities are fairly common. Two young actors, Heath Ledger and Brad Renfro, have died of drug overdoses in recent weeks.

Harrop suggests that the preparation of Britney’s obituary may be good for her. It may help her mend her ways.

Harrop points to companies in South Korea which sell mock funerals for college students: ”The young people write their wills, put on the traditional Korean burial clothes and have themselves nailed into a coffin---temporarily, of course,. The point is to have them imagine their death, and in so doing, reorder their priorities.”

Advance obituaries have had notable effects in the past. In 1888, Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, was profoundly influenced by an obituary which erroneously announced his death. The obituary stated, "The merchant of death is dead" and went on to say, "Dr. Alfred Nobel, who became rich by finding ways to kill more people faster than ever before, died yesterday."

This influenced him to leave a better legacy after his death. He set aside the bulk of his estate to establish the Nobel Prizes, to be awarded annually without distinction of nationality. Among these is the Nobel Peace Prize.

Jesus used the same tactic in telling the story of the rich man whom he called a fool because he built up riches on earth without ever thinking of when his soul would be required of him.

How is your obituary going to read?


©2008 C. David Hess

Where is my Faith — even deep down right in there is nothing, but emptiness & darkness — My God — how painful is this unknown pain — I have no Faith — I dare not utter the words & thoughts that crowd in my heart — & make me suffer untold agony.

So many unanswered questions live within me afraid to uncover them — because of the blasphemy — If there be God — please forgive me — When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven — there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives & hurt my very soul. — I am told God loves me — and yet the reality of darkness & coldness & emptiness is so great that nothing touches my soul.

The above is a quotation from recently published letters of Mother Teresa. It is just one of many quotations in which she confesses her doubt and pain. At one point she confesses that she has been driven to doubt the existence of heaven, and even of God.

What are we to make of this? Some would accuse Mother Teresa of hypocrisy. She accuses herself of the same thing. I would not.

Anyone who is familiar with scripture would find Mother Teresa’s words familiar. Many of the Psalms are confessions of spiritual emptiness. The Apostle Paul often confessed his own darkness of soul.

Frederick Buechner wrote, “Without somehow destroying me in the process, how could God reveal himself in a way that would leave no room for doubt? If there were no room for doubt, there would be no room for me.”

The point is Mother Teresa and all of us are called to act on faith. The strength of our faith is not shown in how often we experience the presence of God, but in what we do when we have no sense of God’s presence whatsoever. When we feel like our prayers aren’t getting past the ceiling, we pray anyway. When we feel like our efforts are in vain, we still take up the cross and follow.

Rather than turning me off, the confessions of Mother Teresa make me appreciate her more. She is a saint to whom I can relate.

Her confessions magnify the greatness of her deeds. She would want none of this. She wanted her letters destroyed. She wrote, "I want the work to remain only His." If the letters became public, she explained, "people will think more of me — less of Jesus."

Speaking of Jesus--remember the words he spoke from the cross? “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Even in the midst of his feelings of abandonment, he still prayed, “My God, my God.” May we all remain faithful servants even in the dark night of the soul and thus follow in the footsteps of our Lord and Mother Teresa’s.


©2007 C. David Hess

Recently, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle published an editorial, “Gore must practice what he preaches on the environment.” The editorial pointed out that the electric and natural gas bills for Al Gore’s Nashville mansion were $30,000 for 2006. His electricity use was 20 times that of the average American. Gore recently produced a highly successful film on global warming, An Inconvenient Truth. The final frame for the film asks, "Are you ready to change the way you live?"

The editorial writer asks, “Well, are you, Mr. Gore?”

The writer concludes, “Leadership requires setting an example, not just talking about one.”

In a recent book, Rev. Bob Edgars, entitles a chapter on our nation’s fight against terrorism, “We’re the Good Guys---Let’s Act Like It!” His point is that we can hardly preach against torture and human rights abuses if we employ the same tactics as those we oppose.

I must admit that as a preacher, I’m uncomfortable when anybody starts talking about practicing what you preach. The Apostle Paul was not uncomfortable about it at all. He wrote: “Join together, my friends, in following my example.” (Philippians 3:17)

Of course, there is only one instance in which the Word truly and completely became Flesh. (John 1:14)

It is truly a great thing when a preacher practices what he or she preaches. On the other hand, we would have pretty poor sermons if preachers preached only what they practiced.

Please have mercy on us preachers! May all of us preachers and hearers of the word become doers of the word!

©2007 C. David Hess

When I think of our Christmas celebration I cannot help but be filled with joy! Our young folk did a great job with their Advent skits! Our “Christmas Dinner Theatre” was great as we all became a part of the story. Our deacons lovingly distributed fruit baskets to our shut-ins. One of our long time members told me that he thought our Christmas Eve service was the best church service he had ever attended! I have to agree that it was something special. The music provided by Beverly, and Dan and Sharon, and the choir was spectacular. It also was great to see our sanctuary packed!

Christmas was wonderful, but then there is always what comes after. The lights and decorations come down. Many of the toys and presents the children had so enthusiastically anticipated have been laid aside. Regular Sunday morning worship attendance is not so good.

That’s how it is after Christmas. The angels stop singing. The Star in the sky disappears. The Wise Men go home. There is a seeming return to normalcy. But not really. Normal has changed. Mary and Joseph couldn’t go back to Nazareth. They had to hightail it to Egypt. Then there are the normal changes brought about by any new baby. After the greatly anticipated arrival comes the diapers, the crying, the demands, and the disrupted sleep. Babies always bring dramatic change. Indeed, they bring about a complete reorganization of life for those in close orbit around them.

That is certainly true of the Baby Jesus. When Jesus enters the world or a life, normal is no longer normal. Normal for a Christian is something different than normal for anyone else. It has to be.

Luke tells us that after Christmas, “Mary pondered all these things in her heart.” I invite you to do the same. In this time after Christmas, ponder how your life is different because of the coming of this Little One.
 
©2007 C. David Hess

Well here it is late Tuesday afternoon. I’ve got an article to write for The Link, and I’ve just read an e-mail from Carol Love asking, “Can you change the church sign by December 1 to reflect the opportunity to bring in children in the area?”

Which shall I do? The newsletter article or the church sign? The latter seems the quickest and easiest. So I’ll do that first.

What shall I put on the sign? “Children Welcome at Christmas” No! That seems too generic and implies that we don’t want them any other time of the year.

It’s got to be catchy! And thought provoking! And short!

I know! I’ll do a search on the Internet for a catchy quotation. So I go to Google and so a search for “Christmas is for children”. I know. That’s too bland and obvious, but maybe it will lead to something else.

Ah! Here’s a good one by Thundercloud & Eightball whoever they are.

Christmas is for children,
Innocent and true,
And wouldn't it be wonderful
If just for one brief moment
We could be like children too?

That’s nice! But it’s way too long. It won’t fit on the sign. I need a shorter one. Oh, here’s one by Kin Hubbard.

Nothing's as mean as giving a little child something useful for Christmas.

That’s short, and it’s true. The children will appreciate my getting the message out, but it’s not very uplifting. Gotta find something else! Here’s one:

The earth has grown old with its burden of care,
But at Christmas it always is young.

That’s short, and it’s really nice too! And it’s a quotation from Phillilps Brooks who wrote “O Little Town of Bethlehem”. Nah! It’s got to have the word “child” or “children” in it somewhere. Oh, here’s one by Erma Bombeck.

There's nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.

I like that! It kind of reminds me of the Thundercloud & Eightball quote. It has the word “child” in it, and it gets you thinking!

Uh, oh! It’s still too long for the sign. Let’s see if I can cut it down and get it to fit...

HOW SAD TO
AWAKE ON XMAS
& NOT BE A CHILD

Bingo! It’s short enough! It’s still thought provoking! And what do you know? I’ve got my article for the newsletter done too.

©2006 C. David Hess