Meditation of the morning

“1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said “Repent”, He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance.”

This is the first of Martin Luther’s 95 theses. I believe it was Timothy Keller who commented about the publican (tax collector) who walked away justified because of his true repentance. That publican would be the same way at the end of his life because he knew in a much deeper way than before that he was much more unworthy than he had imagined.

Jesus speaking in Luke 18: “⁹He also told this parable to some who trusted  in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: ¹⁰“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. ¹¹The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹² I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ ¹³But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ ¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Fast forward to the end of the tax collector’s life. He, as an old man, will still be standing far off, not lifting his eyes to heaven, beating his breast saying God, be merciful to me, a sinner….and be right before God.

I am mulling that over this morning.

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King of the nursery

The guy in the middle is Dennis. He is grew up in Montana. He drinks Moose Drool sometimes. He likes both kinds of music, country and western. He helped build his company and then sold it. He did OK. I think he has sold more tuna than anyone on the planet…..tuna by the truckload.

We used to meet every Saturday morning at 7am with some other friends. We used to talk about getting off the bench and onto the playing field. You know, not just sitting in Bible studies talking about stuff but actually doing something to make a difference in people’s lives. For Dennis that meant working in the nursery at church. Changing diapers. Changing little smelly diapers….and being the gentle giant that protects the little ones. One of our friends once asked Dennis, “so as you’re changing a smelly diaper do you pray for that little one?” Dennis said, “that’s exactly what I do”. Parents need not be concerned when the king of the nursery  is there.

So if you visit North Bible Church in Scottsdale, stop by the nursery. He’s The Dude.

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Not so gently (2 of 2)

Ten years after the towers fell in New York I still have trouble getting my mind around what I am to learn out of that event. In this link is a very difficult message to hear…a message delivered by Jesus Himself.  As horrific as 9/11 was, it is symptomatic of a greater terror.

After 9/11, there were Christians who claimed to know the specific cause and effect relationship behind 9/11, from the view of God. (Those who claimed to know should have thought longer before saying what they did.) Jesus, when discussing why towers fell says the people asking why should instead realize that they, the ones asking why, are currently in a position that is under the wrath of God….a terrifying place to be. That is the true backdrop of every person’s life without Christ. The problem Jesus came to fix is much bigger and terrifying than I normally think or feel.

Luke 13:¹ Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² And Jesus said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were greater sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this fate? ³ I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. ⁴ Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”

http://www.ligonier.org/rym/broadcasts/audio/when-towers-fall/

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Break it to me gently (1 of 2)

Ten years after the towers fell in New York I still have trouble getting my mind around what I am to learn out of that event. I think it may be because it is a difficult message to hear. It makes me think of a great story I first heard from a great speaker, Dr. Haddon Robinson.

A woman had dreamed all her life of taking a trip to Europe. She saved and planned for this trip for years. Finally, the day came and she flew to Paris. When she got there, she called home and asked her husband how things were going. He said, “the dog died.” She yelled, “YOU BRUTE! YOU ARE SO INSENSITIVE!” He said, “I’m sorry Honey, but it’s true.”

She replied, “YOU KNOW I HAVE BEEN PLANNING AND DREAMING ABOUT THIS TRIP FOR YEARS AND NOW YOU RUIN IT BY TELLING ME THE DOG DIED AS SOON I ARRIVE AT MY FIRST STOP!” Bewildered he replied, “I’m sorry, but what did you want me to say?”

She said, “Well you could have broken it to me gently. When I called today from Paris you could have said the dog is on the roof and I have been trying to get him down. Then, a couple of days later when I call you from Rome you could say the dog fell off the roof and I am taking care of him. Then, when I reach Budapest you could say the dog isn’t doing too well. Then, when I get to Munich you could say the dog took a turn for the worst and you are taking him to the vet. Then, when I reach my last stop in London you could gently say, I’m so sorry Honey, but I had to put him to sleep so he wouldn’t suffer………………………………..

Taking it all in he says, “I am so sorry, Honey, for being so insensitive. Please forgive me.” Having vented, she says, ” So, how’s mom?” He says, “She’s up on the roof.”

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September 11, 2001

On 44th between Avenue of the Americas and Broadway in Manhattan is a shoe repair place that kept the shoes of Sal Zisa in the window….They stayed in that window for a least a year after 9-11. The owner knew Sal died in our World Trade Center office.

My colleague Pete’s last memory of Trudi (Alagero) was her waving at him from the train platform that morning as she headed to work at the WTC. They were to be married in October. She already had her dress.

My fellow Arizonan, Gary Bird had flown from Arizona for  his second day at work for Marsh – a meeting in the WTC.

Ron Comer was a kind colleague I knew who died that day.

We lost 295. As the biggest insurance broker in the world our clients expected our claims and insurance experts to help with their 9-11 insurance claims…but many of those experts died. The first plane was a direct hit on our office.

I came to New York after  9-11 to help fill in. The city was eerily quiet. The cabs did not honk their horns. The streets were quiet. Tourists cancelled their trips. Broadway tickets for sold out shows became available.

I could smell ground zero from midtown (50 blocks away).

My company at that time, Marsh McLennan, acted nobly. It spared no time nor expense in caring for the families of the 295 we lost. I was proud of my company. They still hold a memorial service on 9-11 each year in an area adjacent to their midtown office that was created in memory of those lost.

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2001/memorial/lists/by-name/

The day I was there, the pastor of Brooklyn Tabernacle told his multi-ethnic congregation to mobilize to meet needs. He said that it was a window of time when people were open to God. He was right.

It is sad to remember but it is a reminder of what is important.

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“It makes me feel better about me”

You may have seen this show years ago…”As Good As it Gets”. This is the link to the final scene where out of crazy Jack Nicholson comes a compliment that melts a heart.

The fact that Jack sees things profoundly beautiful about Helen, a waitress with an apparently obscure existence, that others completely miss, makes him feel good about himself.

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Gibberstick

In the spring of 1971, my life was a train wreck. Over Easter weekend that year in San Antonio, God moved in my life. One wise man I met in San Antonio told me to contact Paul Gibson when I arrived back at Texas A&M where Paul and I were students. So began our friendship.

Paul and I became roommates at Texas A&M. He connected me to a group of believers in Jesus and helped bring a serious tone to my pursuit of God. We called him Gibber or Gibberstick. Yes, the Gibberstick.

I like to tell people that I know Paul. From the moment I met Paul I could tell we were very different. He told me in 1971 that since he was 11 years old he had wanted to help solve the world hunger problem. At that time he was a sophomore in college and was already working on that goal …and he still is. Paul has at least one PhD (and I think others) and has been teaching plant breeding, leading genetics and agricultural projects, and mentoring young scientists all over the world ever since he completed his doctoral work back in the 70s. He has invested in lives in Hyderbad, India; Zambia; the Ukraine; and is currently mentoring and teaching on the African continent. I am sure I have omitted some venues.

His first wife died very suddenly soon after they were married.  It was devastating. Later, Paul met Pauline. What a great match. Pauline had grown up in a missionary family and she herself had been working with, helping, and living as an adult among the very  poor in India. I used to sing a song as a kid in church, “Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world…” That’s how Paul and Pauline see all people. You can see that from the emails and letters and pictures I have received over the years from them from all over the world. They are lights to the world.

Paul may work in places that are obscure to us in the States but I believe he and Pauline are doing a great work…not only in science but in people. I am proud to know them.

Dr. Paul Gibson, wife Pauline and family

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