Artistic Voyage

Come enjoy an evening of art and music on May 22, 2010
6:30 pm Gallery and 7:30 pm concert

From its very beginnings, the Christian church has been a place of fellowship. Over the centuries, that fellowship has often reflected the character of geography, society, customs, traditions, and the spiritual gifts of God’s people. Christian fellowship expands into church life to include communal worship, prayer, study, teaching, sharing, giving, and more. There is this fellowship in virtually every aspect of the church… from building projects, to building maintenance… from sharing of resources, to sharing of time and talent… and from loving God to loving one another.

At Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda, California, the members (partners in ministry, as they call themselves) have a long history of sharing their time, and their amazing talents. The Messiah Fine Arts Ministry gives youth and adults an opportunity to develop and share their acting and dramatic gifts with the congregation and the community while working cooperatively to produce high quality stage presentations. There is also an excellent adult choir and an amazing children’s choir called Soul’d Out that is a performing arts group for grades K-6. Both the children’s music program and the adult choir are key parts of Messiah’s commitment to music as an important part of worship. All age groups have regular opportunities to contribute their gift of music to worship services and other special events. There are literally dozens of ways artistic gifts manifest themselves at Messiah: audio-visual presentations (which include worship materials, photography, and video), set building, architecture, construction, electronic media, music, drama, and art… to name just a few.

Messiah’s fellowship extends much further than their campus in North Orange County, as they support dozens of local charities, relief efforts, benevolence, and partnerships with other organizations and churches. In addition, the people of Messiah have a global vision to match their local efforts, and as such, support missions in Uganda, Peru, Mexico, and global missions throughout the world through the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Messiah is also home and patron to a developing cultural and artistic center in North Orange County where people can celebrate music and art.

Artistic Voyage is a Yorba Linda-based classical music and art exposition series with a worldwide vision. The series uses the transformative power of music and art to inspire people from all walks of life to unite behind a common purpose to make a difference in the world. A portion of the proceeds from each event within the series are donated to worthwhile humanitarian causes throughout the world.

Imagine for a moment the church as concert hall and art gallery. It’s not all that difficult to do if you’ve toured the great cathedrals and basilicas of Europe. The church as patron of the arts is one theme that has persisted in the church for centuries. Imagine an evening of art and music to bring attention, benefit, and give hope to worthwhile causes.

Each month, a new Artistic Voyage transforms the walls of Messiah’s Life Center into new and exciting artistic visions. During the gallery opening, patrons have the opportunity to stroll through the gallery, chat with the artists, enjoy a glass of wine and tasty hors D'oeuvres, and perhaps acquire a bit of fine art at a reasonable price.

As the gallery showing concludes, the Artistic Voyage continues in Messiah’s Worship Center; transformed for the evening into an intimate concert hall. Different world class musicians, bring their talent and musical artistry to each unique concert performance. Musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Julliard School, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, and the Colburn Conservatory, are just a few of the artists that bring great music to life in these incredible concerts.

One of the key ingredients that make the Artistic Voyage series so successful is world renowned pianist, Yana Reznik; founder and director of the Artistic Voyage series. She has been described critically as: “Phenomenal talent… expressing the extremes of human experience with textural refinement and blistering virtuosity.” Originally from Moscow, she has performed as a recitalist, chamber musician, and soloist with orchestras throughout North America, Europe, and Russia. In 2004, she gave a sold-out Carnegie Hall debut performance in New York as winner of the Artists International Competition. Ms. Reznik is also the choir director and organist for Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda; the host of the Artistic Voyage series.

Each Artistic Voyage event brings a focus on a different humanitarian cause. These have included Giving Children Hope (GCHope), St. Jude Medical Center’s Care for the Poor Program, and in May… Hope 4 Kid’s International’s: Hope for Women. Not only do a portion of the proceeds go toward the selected cause, but the humanitarian organizations are highlighted and have the opportunity to reach potential future donors and supporters.

Every event in the Artistic Voyage series has lived up to the billing: An evening of art and music to benefit a worthy cause. The next event is scheduled for May 22nd, 2010 and is billed as: Classical Gone Jazz. Tickets are only $20 for adults and $10 for students. Tickets, gallery and concert times, performance details, artists, and Hope for Women information can be found online at:

     http://www.artisticvoyage.org/

There are only a limited number of tickets available for each Artistic Voyage series event, so get yours today. Bring your sense of wonder and love of beauty, and bring oxygen, too… the art and the music are certain to take your breath away! I’ll see you there.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag

God’s Creative Spirit

Wednesday nights are really special to me. Every Wednesday (well, almost) I am blessed with the opportunity to hang out with a bunch of fun, delightful, exciting, and insightful people… as we study and open ourselves to God’s Holy Spirit while delving into His Holy Word. In other words: we meet for Bible study. Pastor Ron usually leads us, often sets us up for amazing revelations, and always challenges us to think, consider, and be open to the Holy Spirit. Schedules being what they are, the attendance fluctuates a bit, but… overall it is a very faithful study group.

Sara Stuckenberg is a part of our study group. She is not just a church member, or even a partner in ministry… she is a disciple of Christ. On Wednesday nights, we study for about an hour and a half. That time flies by so fast, that many of us usually hang around “in discussion” for a while. Recently, Sara was telling us about some Spirit-led art she had created. Knowing how well she writes and organizes her thoughts, I asked Sara to send me the pictures and some descriptive prose for the blog. So… today I share Sara with you. Enjoy!

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Though I do believe the gift of visions is still an active gift of the Spirit, I have only recently begun to explore what this gift looks like. Though I rarely paint, and have no talent as a artist, every once in a while I began to feel as though images or “visions” (if you can call them that) come to me as a gift from God with a story to tell. Sometimes they arrive during a favorite song or in the course of silent prayer; it always seems God imprints these images on my mind and moves me to complete them.

So, here are two of my most recent images. The person with the heart and cross I call: “Life from the Love of Christ.” The image came one Sunday morning during a sermon on love. A comment was made about how the love of God and Christ comes forth from within, almost exploding from your chest… and suddenly I had this image in my mind. It was powerful to watch this image unfold with the light of the love of God shining from within a grey person in a dark space. The original painting sits in my bedroom and is a constant reminder that the love of God and Christ is what really gives us life and light to the world.

The 2nd painting came during the song it is named after: “Lead Me to the Cross.” While singing this song a few weeks ago, I closed my eyes to hear God, and poof… this image appeared. It took me a while to draw it because sometimes the image provides an optical illusion and honestly, crosses are hard to line up straight. I remember thinking... “If I am truly living for the Cross, I leave it all behind me, all my sin and sorrows and frustrations...” and that is where I got the black mess from at the bottom. Obviously the cross and what Jesus did for us is what stands out and truly… the light symbolizes us drawing into the death and resurrection of Christ. Once again, the person becomes a shiny grey “essence”, pointing to the lost and undefined character of our selves.

I believe deep down a 3rd painting is near, and will somehow connect all three paintings together. Though faint images have appeared in my mind, nothing has stood out. God always surprises me though, on his timing and with his love; with his talents and his created masterpieces.

Thanks Be to God!
Shalom In Christ!
-Sara

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How about you? I have published lots of stuff from lots of people. How has God’s Holy Spirit inspired you in your writing, in music, in art, in photography, or in video? Since there are infinite ways that God inspires us, I’m pretty sure I left out a couple of ways YOU might have been inspired by God. Don’t be shy. Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket. Share it with us. Share your inspiration as a comment, or… if you want to include additional media, send it to me for consideration as a blog post (check out my profile on how to contact me).

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Overcoming the Blues

On Sunday, Pastor Ron Baesler was talking about the let-down that comes right after Easter. His message included him reciting his original Easter Blues. Being a fellow poet, I immediately wanted to post it on the blog, so… as Jeff Askew softly played a blues riff in the background, this is what Pastor Ron recited to the congregation:

Losing your job? Losing your lover? Gotta be singin’ them blues.
Waiting too long for economy to recover? Gotta be singin’ them blues.
Down in the dumps, takin’ your lumps? Gotta be singin’ them blues.

You know, the blues are music full of tears and sighin’,
Mournful low down music full of weepin’ and dyin’
Strange music, I know, to start an after Easter address
But trust me, this is more than just a pastor’s silly madness

Easters come and Easters go. Has anything ever changed? Does anyone really know?

Most of us got way up for this Easter season
We dressed pretty, did some cheerin’ …and all for good reason
The Lord had risen, the day was bright,
Yes, last Sunday was lily white…
But today sad to say, some of us are singing the blues.

Some of us got the grumps, the down in the dumps, the nothing ever changes blues.
Easters come and Easters go. Has anything ever changed? Does anyone really know?

I’ve stopped watching TV news; it always gives me the impression
That God is losing, the devil is winning; it drags me into depression.
It seems more people are angry these days; they all seem bent out a shape,
Instead of engaging and digging into life, they all are trying to escape.

Easters come and Easters go. Has anything ever changed? Does anyone really know?

Now I’m a Christian, and a pastor, and I believe in the resurrection
But neither my titles nor my believing give me any guaranteed protection
From those gloomy grumps, the bitter down in the dumps,
The nothin’ ever changes after every bloomin’ Easter blues.

Ron always challenges us to examine our thinking, our emotions, and our direction.

Easter; so what’s the big deal? It’s great that Christ died for our sins. I mean… REALLY… big deal! So He’s our savior?!? What’s really changed in my life from the days before Easter to the days after Easter? What’s really changed in YOUR life? Shouldn’t all this change something? How come our lives are still such a mess?

If you read my last blog post, you might remember that I mentioned that ANYBODY can be a savior. Of course, nobody but Jesus could be a savior of the entire world, but let’s ignore that for a moment. Let’s say you got pushed out of the way of a runaway truck, or saved from drowning, or given CPR after a heart attack. Certainly, you’d be grateful to your savior (rescuer), but your life probably wouldn’t change much because you got saved. So whatever was screwed up, unhappy, and out of kilter in your life is still screwed up, unhappy, and out of kilter.

Spoiler alert! Don’t read any further if you don’t want your life to change. Stop reading now if you don’t want to hear the Good News… if you don’t want to know the end of the story.

On Good Friday, Jesus died on the cross as our savior, but on Easter he rose from the dead. He has defeated sin and death (one in the same)! He is our conquering Lord! If you only recognize Jesus as your savior, don’t expect any change in your life. He calls to us, for us to make Him lord of our lives, as he called many times to Peter:

“Follow me!” - John 21:19

As Lord, Jesus calls gently to each of us to follow him. Only when we submit in faith to Jesus as lord of our lives will our lives change. If we still have the last word on what we do in our lives, then Jesus is not our Lord. It is necessary to open the door to your heart, and let Jesus take over.

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:20

With Jesus as Lord, your life WILL change. It may not get easier, but it will change. There is no description I can give you that will allow you to comprehend the incredible joy that is in a life where Jesus is Lord. With Jesus as Lord, there is no post-Easter letdown… there are no day-after blues. With Jesus as Lord, Easter is just another celebration… a remembrance… a tradition. With Jesus as Lord, every day brings new joy… as we follow Him.

If all this is NEWS to you, start a conversation with your pastor, or contact me, or just talk to me (if you find yourself on the Messiah campus). Don’t let another minute go by only knowing Jesus as savior… Jesus wants you to have the abundant life that God has planed for you… if only you accept Him as Lord.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Your Savior… or your Lord?

Happy Easter!

I know that Easter Sunday is filled with all kinds of commitments for you. There’s probably sunrise service, singing with the choir, putting on an Easter breakfast, setting out baskets and eggs for Easter egg hunts, hosting family and friends, and many other things that I haven’t even thought to include in my incomplete list. But before you turn away from reading this to bite the ears off a chocolate bunny, consider the following this Easter:

“A person can become a savior by dying, while saving your life. But they must be ALIVE to be LORD, because a Lord is in charge - He has the ONLY VOTE! If Jesus had NOT risen from the dead, would your life be different? Are you ONLY taking advantage of His death, as your Savior, or also His Resurrection, by making Him LORD?”
- Mark Gorman

As Lutherans, I like to think that we know Christ as Savior, but that we walk with Him daily as Lord. There is a deep truth in the greeting and response that Lutherans give each other on Easter:

“Christ has risen.”
“He has risen, indeed!”

Happy Easter!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave


The quote by Mark Gorman comes from the teachings in his book, "The 3 Heavens" on Spiritual Warfare. Mark is a friend of mine that I’ve often quoted. You can find more information, as well as his books and resources at http://www.markgorman.com/.

Singing with the Lutherans

SINGING WITH THE LUTHERANS
by Garrison Keillor

 

I have made fun of Lutherans for years - who wouldn't, if you lived in Minnesota? But I have also sung with Lutherans and that is one of the main joys of life, along with hot baths and fresh sweet corn. We make fun of Lutherans for their blandness, their excessive calm, their fear of giving offense, their lack of speed and also for their secret fondness for macaroni and cheese. But nobody sings like them. If you ask an audience in New York City, a relatively Lutheranless place, to sing along on the chorus of Michael Row the Boat Ashore, they will look daggers at you as if you had asked them to strip to their underwear. But if you do this among Lutherans they'll smile and row that boat ashore and up on the beach! And down the road!

Lutherans are bred from childhood to sing in four-part harmony. It's a talent that comes from sitting on the lap of someone singing alto or tenor or bass and hearing the harmonic intervals by putting your little head against that person's rib cage. It's natural for Lutherans to sing in harmony. We're too modest to be soloists, too worldly to sing in unison. When you're singing in the key of C and you slide into the A7th and D7th chords, all two hundred of you, it's an emotionally fulfilling moment.

I once sang the bass line of Children of the Heavenly Father in a room with about three thousand Lutherans in it; and when we finished, we all had tears in our eyes, partly from the promise that God will not forsake us, partly from the proximity of all those lovely voices. By our joining in harmony, we somehow promise that we will not forsake each other. I do believe this: People, these Lutherans, who love to sing in four-part harmony, are the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad!

The following list was compiled by a 20th century Lutheran who, observing other Lutherans, wrote down exactly what he saw or heard:

1. Lutherans believe in prayer, but would practically die if asked to pray out loud.
2. Lutherans like to sing, except when confronted with a new hymn or a hymn with more than four stanzas.
3. Lutherans believe their pastors will visit them in the hospital, even if they don't notify them that they are there.
4. Lutherans usually follow the official liturgy and will feel it is their way of suffering for their sins.
5. Lutherans believe in miracles and even expect miracles, especially during their stewardship visitation programs or when passing the plate.
6. Lutherans feel that applauding for their children's choirs would make the kids too proud and conceited.
7. Lutherans think that the Bible forbids them from crossing the aisle while passing the peace.
8. Lutherans drink coffee as if it were the Third Sacrament.
9. Some Lutherans still believe that an ELCA bride and an LCMS groom make for a mixed marriage.
10. Lutherans feel guilty for not staying to clean up after their own wedding reception in the Fellowship Hall.
11. Lutherans are willing to pay up to one dollar for a meal at church.
12. Lutherans think that Garrison Keillor stories are totally factual.
13. Lutherans still serve Jell-O in the proper liturgical color of the season and think that peas in a tuna noodle casserole add too much color.
14. Lutherans believe that it is OK to poke fun at themselves and never take themselves too seriously.

And finally, you know when you're a Lutheran when:

• It is 100 degrees, with 90% humidity, and you still have coffee after the service.
• You hear something really funny during the sermon and smile as loudly as you can!
• Donuts are a line item in the church budget, just like coffee.
• The communion cabinet is open to all, but the coffee cabinet is locked up tight.
• All your relatives graduated from a school named Concordia.
• When you watch a ‘Star Wars’ movie and they say, “May the Force be with you”, you respond, “and also with you”.
• You actually understand those folks from Lake Wobegon, MN.
• And lastly, it takes ten minutes to say good-bye

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This is as funny today as when Garrison Keillor first collected these musings about Lutherans prior to January of 2005. Some things are still true to this day. Lutherans DO poke fun at themselves, and they DON’T take themselves too seriously. I especially love the part (and know it to be totally true) about Lutherans being “the sort of people you could call up when you're in deep distress. If you're dying, they'll comfort you. If you're lonely, they'll talk to you. And if you're hungry, they'll give you tuna salad!”

Here’s a thought: Why not come sing with us Lutherans? I’ll be looking for you on Sunday!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Encountering Grace

I encountered Grace today; what an incredible blessing!

I had just finished up with the Sunday school opening. This morning, I had a lot of ground to cover with the kids. The lesson touched on Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, the clearing of the temple, the Last Supper, the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas’ betrayal, and the arrest of Jesus. It was way too much to cover in my allotted 10-15 minutes, so I had to pick my battles. I asked who could tell me about Palm Sunday, and one of the 4th graders gave a description that would have made a Pastor proud. Whew! No need for me to cover that, so I had them repeat the key verse of the day (John 15: 12-13), and then I launched into my story of how Jesus cleared the temple.

I had set up a table in the front with piles and stacks of poker chips. And I explained how the whole money-changing business worked: According to the Temple priests, real money was unacceptable to God, so you had to change your money into temple money… for a slight fee of course. I took out my ancient bull whip, but bits have snapped off over the years, it is half the length it used to be, and it just won’t crack anymore… no matter how hard you try. As a matter of fact, all I succeeded in doing was to whip my backside… to the amusement of all the kids.

I set the whip aside, and picked up a well wrung out, wet dish towel I had borrowed from the kitchen and rolled it into a tight rat-tail. I told the kids how the Bible says that Jesus wove a whip from cords, but that lots of things make for good whips… like the towel. Their laughter at my seemingly ridiculous statement gave way to surprised gasps when I snapped it at the edge of the table and got a loud “CRACK!”

Wide eyes were glued on me as I bellowed the words of Jesus as he overturned the tables of the money changers:

“My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.”
- Matthew 21:13

CRACK… went my whip, and money chips went flying like mini-Frisbees for 30 feet in every direction!

CRACK… went my whip again, and money chips exploded off the table to rain down on all the children!

And then… the chips were everywhere, as I lifted the table by one end, and overturned it by flipping it upside-down!

The kids were surprised that Jesus could become angry. I asked them: “Who was he angry with?”

They replied: “He was angry at the robbers in God’s house.”

In the end, as the children helped pick up the scattered chips, they each got to keep one. We called it temple money, and they kept a piece as a reminder that God doesn’t want us to bring special ‘holy’ money, sacred birds, or blessed offerings when we pray to Him. God only wants our hearts; nothing else is required.

After a prayer, an offering, and a final song, the kids all go off with their teachers to their classrooms to work on the rest of their Sunday school lessons for the day. I had packed up my stuff, and was heading out of the Life Center, when I noticed a man with a little toddler. It looked like he had come from the service, and I began to tell him about the wonderful child care available just at the other end of the building. He smiled, and said that his daughter didn’t want to go into child care… she wanted to be in with her big brother’s first-grade Sunday school class. As a matter of fact, that’s exactly what she voiced (quite loudly, too) as they peered through the glass into his classroom.

I told her that all the Sunday school children got a piece of temple money today, and asked if she’d like a piece, too? She nodded, followed me to my bag of chips, and selected one for her very own. Now she was content to follow me and her Dad back out into the courtyard. There I discovered a bright, articulate, inquisitive, happy, and polite little girl of just 21 months.

This then, is the story of how I encountered Grace.

Mom soon joined us, and immediately wondered why her daughter was clutching a poker chip. I told her about the lesson (but without the dramatic special effects), and she was delighted. As Grace went off with her father in search of a donut, Grace walked up to me, pointed her little finger right at me, and said: “Thank YOU!”

At that instant, a thought washed over me… “This is exactly how we often encounter God’s grace.” Sudden… unexpected… pure… and it fills you with an uncontainable joy!

The little girl was living up to her name. Awesome!

Then another thought struck me… here was a bright, intelligent, and joy-filled girl… worthy of my awesome 2 and a half year old grandson. No betrothal has been announced yet, but… you never know.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

By the way… here’s a portrait of Grace and her family. Make sure you say “hi” to them on Sunday.

Living under Pharaoh

A few weeks ago, I overheard a snippet of a conversation. I was in front of the Worship Center, on my way to the Life Center to be part of the Sunday school opening. Since I know almost everybody (at least in passing), I often find myself overhearing multiple conversations at once… especially in the hubbub between Sunday services.

The gist of what I heard sounded fairly political, and as I already said, I only heard a tiny portion of the conversation. A command and a question stuck in my head, though. The command: “read Genesis 47.” The question: “Do you think we are in danger of living under Pharaoh right now?” When I got home, I just HAD to open my Bible to Genesis and read Chapter 47.

The condensed version of Genesis 47 is the story of Joseph administering Egypt during the time of the famine. During the 7 years of plenty, Joseph (in the name of Pharaoh) had taxed the people 20% (one fifth) of what they produced. This was stored up in the cities in anticipation of the coming famine. Remember Pharaoh’s dreams? Look in Genesis 41 for the back story. What’s really impressive is the amount that was collected. In Genesis 41:49 the Bible states:

Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea; it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

When the famine came it was severe, but Egypt was prepared. As the famine spread over all the land Joseph opened the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians. Not only did he sell grain to the Egyptians, but to all the countries, as the famine was severe in the entire world.

Because of the famine, people were buying grain but unable to produce anything, so eventually their money ran out. They came to Joseph and begged him for food, lest they die. Joseph agreed to sell them food in exchange for their livestock. When the livestock was exhausted, the people sold themselves and their land to Pharaoh. Joseph gave them food to eat and grain to plant, and required that 20% of their harvest be returned to Pharaoh. This was the same deal they had during the years of abundance… expect now all the money, livestock, and land belonged to Pharaoh, and all of the people were now living (willingly) in bondage under Pharaoh.

Ok, now on to the question: Are we living under Pharaoh now? I predict (only somewhat jokingly) that many people would welcome paying only 20% in taxes. I’m sure many people would point to Social Security, government bailouts, federal jobs programs, and universal healthcare to make their point that the United States is already living under Pharaoh. I’m not so sure.

I think that the story of Joseph has been replayed over and over throughout history. I bet you can come up with many examples. People end up living under Pharaoh… in bondage to Pharaoh… when they turn away from God and look only to human rulers to save them.

Just substitute government for Pharaoh.

We beg government to bail us out of a financial famine. The government bails out car companies and ends up owning the companies. The government bails out banks and ends up owning the banks. Does that sound familiar?

We see a famine coming at us as we age and can no longer work, so beg government to save us. It taxes us to store up for future years of famine, and then it taxes what it pays out. Sound familiar?

A famine of joblessness sweeps over the land and we beg government to save us. Government creates jobs, and suddenly the people are in bondage to government.

But none of that could possibly happen to us, right? God has warned us of the consequences of living under Pharaoh. Surely we will heed God’s warnings, and not live under Pharaoh.

Who is Pharaoh, anyway? In the original story, he is the ruler of Egypt; a divine entity. His word was law and his every wish was to be carried out without question. Throughout history, kings, emperors, and tyrants have claimed to be divine… or at least claimed a divine right to rule over their subjects. It’s almost too easy for these rulers to get their people to willingly hand themselves over to them and into bondage.

When people turn away from God, and look instead to an earthly king to feed, protect, or save them, they have already turned themselves over to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh hides behind many guises. He goes by many names. Whatever his name, his goal is still the total enslavement of people. Fear, addiction, shame, lust, hatred… does one of these Pharaohs hold you in bondage? Usually, we don’t need to look as far away as the government to find a Pharaoh. Often he finds us; right in our home, our workplace, or even in our churches.

With Easter fast approaching, we need to remember that Christ died to free us from sin and death AND bondage! He’s already paid the terrible price to redeem you. Whatever it was that holds you enslaved to Pharaoh, Jesus has already paid for your release. Look up. Take Christ’s hand and let him lift you out of the slave pit.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Celebrate Your Gifts

Recently, I have been in situations where people demanded that I perform or respond in a certain way; specifically… their way. Has that ever happened to you?

For most of us, these demanding people come in an astonishing number of personas. They are parents, siblings, spouses, children, co-workers, church members, neighbors, and even complete strangers. These often well-meaning folks usually pressure us with a fairly effective weapon. The club they swing most often is: GUILT.

A difficult thing to remember is that God directs and guides us with love, NOT guilt. People are busy whacking away at each other with guilt, but mostly to get you to do something they want. Or they want you to act or conform to a certain expectation.

Now I KNOW that God has blessed me with an abundance of gifts; both physical and spiritual. I’m also quite aware that God hasn’t blessed me with EVERY gift. Just as I know that I’m not gifted as a jockey or basketball player, I know that I’m also not gifted as a caregiver or a chef.

Here’s an important tip: we all don’t have the same gifts!

What are your gifts? It’s often easier to discern your physical gifts than your spiritual ones. In the past, I might have encouraged you to develop your gifts. And there’s nothing wrong with developing your gifts, but I believe that there’s plenty of evidence that God will fill you with giftedness when you are involved in the plans he has for you. Besides the example of Moses and all the Prophets, take a look at Jeremiah 1:6-10. Listen to where God might be leading you.

And remember: you don’t like it when somebody dumps a load of guilt on you (I know I sure don’t). So resolve to lay guilt aside. Don’t use it against anyone, and don’t let anybody use it against you. The God of the universe yearns for an intimate relationship with you. Celebrate the plans God has for your life… how YOU are part of God’s plan, and celebrate… and share… your gifts!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

Intelligent Design

Every so often somebody sends me a neat little examination of numbers (I’ll get to that in a minute). After having explored the Mandelbrot Set in the eighties, I have definitely been able to see the imprint of an intelligent creator in the mathematical fundamentals of Chaos Theory.

The Mandelbrot Set… what is THAT?

Back in 1985, my friend, Mark Lehman, and I began an exploration of something wonderful. Scientific American had published an article about the Mandelbrot Set and the emerging science of Chaos Theory. It was heady stuff! We read about a number set within the complex number plane which contained an infinite variety of images; images which were amazingly compelling. Seemingly, every image in the natural world could be found replicated within this thing... this Mandelbrot Set.

It’s interesting to note that it is only the computational power of computers that allows us to explore the mathematical underpinnings built into the entire universe… from life cycles to galaxies! A genuine understanding of the math is what steers mathematicians and scientists to see what they call “intelligent design”. Such a breathtaking mathematical ordering of every system in the universe could not be chance, but could only come from the hand of an awesome creator!

One of the most poetic descriptions of the Mandelbrot set is still one of the finest:

“The Mandelbrot set broods in silent complexity at the center of a vast two-dimensional sheet of numbers called the complex plane. When a certain operation is applied repeatedly to the numbers, the ones outside the set flee to infinity. The numbers inside remain to drift or dance about. Close to the boundary minutely choreographed wanderings mark the onset of the instability. Here is an infinite regress of detail that astonishes us with its variety, its complexity and its strange beauty.”

- A. K. Dewdney, Scientific American, August 1985

To try and put the mathematics in laymen’s terms, let’s consider first that the boundary of the Mandelbrot set is an example of a fractal. A fractal is a mathematical object that is self-similar at every level of magnification. Nowhere will you find a fractal with more intricacy and complexity than the Mandelbrot set. And somehow, this infinite complexity is the product of a ridiculously simple formula. The representation of the Mandelbrot set at first appears to be nothing but an ugly bug with warts. But when you zoom in on its edges, incredibly intricate patterns begin to emerge. Spirals, jellyfish, bow ties, and many other beautiful, bizarre objects abound in infinite numbers on the edge of the Mandelbrot set. And everywhere you look, at every level of magnification, miniature versions of the Mandelbrot set keep popping up.

Here’s a quick trip into a tiny segment of the infinite beauty of the Mandelbrot Set:



Now, as promised, here is a neat little examination of numbers. Some of you will pull out your calculator to check on these computations (I know I did), but it all works out. This is really cool and fun. Consider for a moment…

The Beauty of Mathematics!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9

12 x 8 + 2 = 98

123 x 8 + 3 = 987

1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876

12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765

123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654

1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543

12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432

123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11

12 x 9 + 3 = 111

123 x 9 + 4 = 1111

1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111

12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111

123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111

1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111

12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111

123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88

98 x 9 + 6 = 888

987 x 9 + 5 = 8888

9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888

98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888

987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888

9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888

98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1

11 x 11 = 121

111 x 111 = 12321

1111 x 1111 = 1234321

11111 x 11111 = 123454321

111111 x 111111 = 12345654321

1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321

11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321

111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Mind Boggling...

Now, take a look at this...

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they

are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to

GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help

answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Then:

H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K

is

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E

is

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But…

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

is

1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D

is

12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close,

And Attitude will get you there,

It’s the Love of God that will put you over the top!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This last bit is fun, and can be used to encourage us, but it is just one of many substitution games that people play with words and numbers to produce a result that they want to achieve. Do you really believe that God created mathematics and set the universe in motion, so that we could try to fool people about the nature of God with parlor tricks?

With just a few seconds of tweaking, I can use the same trick to produce the answer to the question:

How can we achieve salvation?

I-N-C-H-R-I-S-T

and that is

9+14+3+8+18+9+19+20 = 100%

Yes, we do achieve salvation in Christ, but Jesus commands us to love one another… not trick one another! The bit about hard work, knowledge, attitude, and the love of God is fun, but it is a trick of man… not to be confused with the awesome building blocks of God’s incredible creation… that we dimly perceive as mathematics and science.

This week, as you worship and pray, open your eyes to the awesome wonder and beauty of God’s creation… of which you are a most beloved part. Can you sense the world spinning in its orbit around the sun? Think about our solar system being a speck in the rotating spiral arm of a galaxy. It is just as impossible for you to detect our galaxy’s flight through the universe, as it would be for you to detect the orbit of a single electron about an atom somewhere in your body. We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

In that infinite vastness… whether out to the unimaginable scope of the universe, or inward to the strange atomic forces that are just as unimaginable… in all of that creation God loves you. In all of that infinity, God knows just where you are. Open up your heart, let Christ in, and begin a real relationship with the creator and sustainer of the universe!

Your brother in Christ,

Dave

All I Have to Offer

What do you say to someone who has just suffered the death of a child... or a parent… or a dear friend? My words always feel so clumsy when I try to console someone who has suffered a loss of a dear loved one. I assure them that they are in my thoughts and prayers, as I’m sure they already know. But that always sounds so hollow to me. A hug, a smile, and a shoulder to lean on, or cry on, are all I really have to offer.

Jesus, on the other hand, offers so much more! He not only stands with us, comforts us, and supports us, but he has bridged the chasm that separated us from God. He didn’t do that for himself… he did it for us… he did it for you!

This week, the words to the contemporary Christian song 'I Have Been There' keep echoing in my head. I find this song by Mark Schultz to be very uplifting, so here’s the video… followed by the awesome lyrics:

     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX20vnf5hH4

I Have Been There

By Mark Shultz

In a room without a view
A new mother smiles and holds the tiny fingers
Of her brand new baby girl
Her husband takes her by the hand
So unsure about the future and no money
Can they make it in this world
And they pray, Lord all we have to give is love
Then they heard a gentle voice
Like an echo from above

Oh I have been there
I know what fear is all about
Yes, I have been there
And I am standing with you now
I have been there
And I came to build a bridge oh so this road could
Lead you home
Oh I have been there

He'd been a pastor twenty years
But tonight he sits alone and brokenhearted
In the corner of the church
He's tried to change a fallen world
With his words and with his wisdom
But it seems like it is only getting worse
And he cries
Oh Lord I just don't understand
And then he felt the hand of grace,
And he heard a voice that said

I have been there
I know what pain is all about
Yes, I have been there
And I am standing with you now
I have been there
And I came to build to a bridge oh so
This road could lead you home
Oh I have been there

An older man up on a hill
Holding flowers but he can't hold back the tears
He has come to say goodbye
He thinks about the life she lived
Thinks about how hard it's been
To live without her
Sixty years right by his side
And he cries, Oh Lord I loved her
'til the end
Then he heard a gentle voice say you'll see her once again

I have been there
I know what sorrow is all about
Yes, I have been there
And I am standing with you now
I have been there
And I came to build a bridge
Oh so this road could lead her home
The road could lead her home
Oh I have been there

Well I overcame the cross
I have been there
So her life would not be lost
I have been there
And I came to build a bridge
Oh so this road could lead you home
The road could lead you home
Oh I have been there

Are you in pain? Are you frustrated or depressed? Are you grieving? Are you worried about the future? Messiah Lutheran Church in Yorba Linda is a fellowship in Christ full of folks who ‘have been there’. I invite you to come meet us. I guarantee that besides being welcomed into our fellowship, you will make connections with people that will change your life and lift you up. We are a people that proclaim on our fountain: “Love One Another.” Drop by the sanctuary on Saturday evening, or Sunday morning, stop by the office, or catch up with me in the parking lot.

Your brother in Christ,

Dave Hoag