Singing

‎"If we listen to John, we learn that in the end, you, I, indeed, everyone, will have a new beginning, either the most wonderful or the most awful beginning of all. It is an ending that leads to rhapsody because we stand before the reigning Lord and the redeeming Lamb or to woe because we are banished forever from their presence. In the end, what makes the difference is the song we sing." - Robert Lowery

This quote is from "Revelation's Rhapsody", a book by Bob that my classmates and I (who were in his 2005 Revelation course) were privileged to participate in creating. In his humble wisdom, Bob always invited the dialogue of fellow believers to inform his scholarship.

Bob is singing for Jesus in His full presence today -- and for all time. My head says "Rejoice!" -- my heart isn't there yet.

Simple Wisdom from an Excellent Teacher

Dr. Robert Lowery - Academic Dean of Lincoln Christian University's Seminary - PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen University - Teacher - Pastor - Friend - Grandfather - Father - Husband -- is nearing the end of his journey on earth. He soon gets to know if His understanding of what happens after his heart stops is what he's believed for 50+ years. I believe it will be even better than he or I or you can imagine.

One of Doc's final formal speaking engagements was February 19 at a seminar for Church leaders. I was blessed to be a part of the gathering. He said many, many thought provoking things (as Doc always does). But this I will cling to:

"When all the ink is spilled about the mission and the purpose of the Church: it is simply to glorify God. It is to make more and better disciples of Jesus, period. According to the New Testament, the Church is thoroughly organized when all God's people are spiritually equipped and empowered to serve God."

It sounds so obvious, doesn't it? But I see "us" (the Church) get in our own way many times through debating the finer points of "who?" "how?" and "when?" instead of focusing on the simple, clear, effective truth.

I pray that in honor of Bob and to honor God, I will keep my focus on what is simple and clear in order to be effective for His glory.

Get Real

Ignorance may, in fact, be bliss. I have days when I wish blissful ignorance would descend upon me. But, once exposed to the truth, God's truth, we are no longer ignorant and we become continually challenged with the need to be real and accept the "realness" of others.

I'm glad to live in the space where the curtain has been pulled back some...but it isn't easy.

Consider this past Easter weekend...

1. I had the privilege of helping a woman publicly tell her story of sexual abuse, turning her back on God, and looking for love in all the wrong places -- including alcoholism. After 40 years, God's truth has restored her to the woman she was intended to be. Powerful; but so real it feels like taking a gut-punch.

2. One of my dearest friends shared her own powerful story at her church in California. Also a childhood victim of sexual abuse and abandonment, she too has only recently become fully free by the power of God's truth. It was "the best day of my life," she reports. Still, someone she had counted on to support her, didn't show up. Another punch.

3. I learned today that my professor and friend Bob is in hospice care. Losing another precious friend to cancer is sickening, but I must sit with the pain and loss.

4. My cousin broke her ankle last week. And while for healthy folks this would be a painful inconvenience, for Jill medical complications made it a life or death issue. The reality of that fact is frightening.

5. I also "got real" with my 14-year-old stepson this weekend as we watched "The Passion of the Christ." The impact of the senseless violence that preceded Jesus' death was real to him. "I can't get the blood out of my mind," he said the next morning. I reminded him that he'd seen bloody scenes on TV and in movies before, and he said, "This is different. I didn't really care about those people." The Passion wasn't a made up event. It was real and so is its gut-punch impact. I thank Jesus so much for the sacrifice, but feel saddened to know (as much as a human can) the depth of his suffering.

No wonder many people choose to live at the surface. It doesn't cost as much as diving deep and getting real. The problem is that life's value is in its realness -- pain and all.

Today my prayer is to embrace what's real instead of bracing for it. Getting real isn't for faint of heart -- and it rarely garners applause. But it pleases God as we learn to mature and obey regardless of the cost.

Puttin' it Out There

I'm trained as a journalist. I love words and how they can crystallize thought.

For 25 years, writing has been a huge part of my "day jobs." I imagine that will always be true while I'm in the workforce.

But for some time, I've felt the nudge (or even push) to write more than a blog in my "spare time." I've had the desire to create a book. The problem is that I have had many good thoughts on how the book starts, but have not been able to create an outline that looked like a complete product...until now.

Recently, I attended a seminar called "Leading by the Book," conducted by my former seminary professor Bob Lowery. Bob, who is in failing health, is a force of humility, knowledge, and passion for God and for teaching others. That day, he repeated words that had crystallized a thought for me years ago. Bob asserted that God's grace is ever saving, sustaining, and surprising.

I've used that thought in sermons, in conversation, and in my personal meditations over time. But when he said it during the seminar, my mind and heart woke up to the focus the book to be written: "The Case for Grace."

The concept is a combination of stories from Scripture interlaced with personal experiences of how "real" God and His grace are in our lives. The work will by divided into the categories of saving grace, sustaining grace, and surprising grace.


Here's the prologue: God is alive. He’s as real as anything or anyone you can see or touch. Jesus, His son, came from heaven to earth, taught truth, died for all of our failures, and yet is alive again. Jesus’ sacrifice was a gift to all who will believe in Him. It was and is a gift of grace. Grace empowers all who believe those truths. It’s not a psychological crutch; it’s high octane, life-giving and life-sustaining fuel. How do I know these things to be true? I live it! But it wasn’t always that way…

I have signed up for "Write to Publish" seminar in June and need to have the outline and a 10-page chapter excerpt complete.

I'd like to know if this approach appeals to you as a potential reader or one who would recommend such a read to others.