Warm hands, cold hearts

It seems we can come up with all sorts of ways of trying to please God with our worship. The Old Testament prophet Micah employs some extravagant hyperbole to expose the ends we will go to impress God. Yet, he points out that God is impressed when his people humbly serve those who are crushed by life's injustices.

With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He has shown you, O man, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:6-8 (NIV)

Today, we believe we can serve him through extravagant and well orchestrated worship celebrations. Many such events boast laser-light shows, smoke machines, and high tech pageantry by every imaginable means. Competitions to provide the coolest Sunday morning entertainment come with high stakes...drop your moxy just a bit for a week or so, and church shoppers will move on to another nearby show.

We also serve God or worship God by giving our tithes and offerings at our weekly gatherings. We dream of them benefiting some poor soul who needs just what our church offers. Do we sacrificially give so that we can have?

And then, at the end of the day we wonder why we are left unsatisfied. We have given our rivers of oil--our thousands of rams on the altar. And they are sold and paid to the bankers who finance our altars.

And those who need justice and mercy, sit in the cold today. They no doubt wonder at the fact that the most grand buildings in their town belong to churches who built them for the glory of God.

Good days...

I had a call last night. A friend's wife wants to meet with her husband and me when we have coffee next week. She wants to "outline and give me content for each chapter of a sequel for The Runaway Pastor, and then write the last chapter to end just the way she is hoping it will." Yes, she had a smile in her voice while making the offer.

So then, yesterday was an unusual day, and a fun one when it came to the book project. I had four people tell me (people that I didn't know were reading the book, and one of them from Oregon!) they had just read the book, and that they really liked it. A couple were getting more copies as gifts. The day before that a few others told me the same. My publisher gave me good news (if somewhat nebulous) about the amazon.com sales (I'm still wanting to know how many have sold).

Keep spreading the word. I'm counting on you to help me get the message of The Runaway Pastor out there!

This morning I drove north to meet with a church planter in Indy. Exciting work he has done over the past several years. Last night I came up as well to meet with leaders of Shepherd Community. Amazing ministry they are doing in the city. Their 501c3 has adopted 550 low-income or no income families, committing to help educate their children from the womb to age 25. Their goal: "To break the cycle of poverty." I'm encouraged by the way they have made a long-term commitment to the problem in the city...not just a quick fix meal program.

Tomorrow I had plans to see a "retired" (though incredibly engaged in ministry) Catholic Sister who helped mentor me in my early years. She is having another go-round with cancer, and things have gotten tough with her latest treatments. I received word that she will not be able to see me, and it is painful to think she may be failing. But tomorrow is hinting at some mystery weather--perhaps a bit severe--so I'll probably head south toward home a bit earlier than anticipated.

Peace to you.