Coach K

1977. Jimmy Carter was President of the United States. Star Wars was the top box office draw. Atari 2600 was released in the United States. Jim Kessler started coaching Men’s Basketball at Grace College. 42 years later and over 1300 games “Coach K” has decided to hand the baton off to Scott Moore next season. Over 780 victories, 10 Conference Championships and an NAIA National Championship in 1992. Who can forget that season in the little “cracker box” gym when the cheers were, “Is this not a basketball?” Gathering during the Championship game to watch it on the “big screen” as we cheered David James, Scott Blum and the rest of the Lancers to victory. When I read about his retirement “Coach K” is more than statistics and accomplishments as he “retires”. (He is going to serve as Special Assistant to the Athletic Director). What has set him apart these four decades is that he loves his players and students. How many has he mentored over the years and helped to develop into winners not only on the court but in life? I do not know him well but just watching one can tell how much he cares for others. The amazing thing is that he has done this over four decades at the same institution which now has a court named in his honor at the MOCC. Philippian 3:14 is his favorite verse, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” We need more like Kessler in 2019 who as Followers of Christ put their faith into action. When the last buzzer sounds and his coaching career ends we all will say, “Well done good and faithful servant!” When time runs out on the clock of our lives may Jesus say the same to all of us in eternity!

Choose Life

My mother went to be with the Lord this past summer. I have had many moments remembering times when I visited her in Iowa. One time we were in the living room watching the news when there was a report about abortion. “How can anyone kill a child?”, she lamented as tears rolled down her cheeks. In February 1963 on Lincoln’s Birthday my mother lost my sister, Sandra, in childbirth. She grieved the rest of her life up to the day she died asking, “Do you think I will see her again one day?” The recent news on the abortion front has been appalling. This is not a political but a moral statement. A nation that allows the killing of children from conception to birth will not survive. History has proven over and over that any nation that devalues life, especially children, the disabled and elderly eventually collapses. The early Christians rescued Roman children who were put out for “exposure” to die if the parents did not want them. I have read about my Viking heritage where the Christians made an impact by rescuing the unwanted and changed their society. They did so because life does not come from the mother (or father) but from God Almighty. He is the giver and taker of life, who even in the Constitution of the United States is called the Creator. The Bible puts it poetically in Psalm 139:13-14, “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” This obsession with infanticide does not go unnoticed by God and He will judge America no different than other nations. But He also has mercy and grace. For the one who has been involved in having, encouraging, performing or legislating abortion there is forgiveness in Jesus. He calls us individually and as a nation to repent and turn from our sinful, wicked ways. There is also hope as a follower of Christ. If you have lost a child, even from abortion, one day you will see them again because they are held in God’s hand. My sisters and I encouraged our faithful Mother in her last moments, “Sandra is waiting for you.” She turned and looked at us with the biggest smile. When she died she left a testimony of peace on her face. It must be quite a celebration in Heaven! Choose Life...

Shepherds

After the birth of the King of all Kings the appearance of angels visiting shepherds is an interesting twist. They are out in the country tending sheep. Suddenly the starry sky is filled with beings telling them not to be afraid, something wonderful has happened! I’m sure they wondered why these celestial visitors came to them, lowly agricultural workers. They were instructed to go to Bethlehem and see this child who has been born. One of my Pastors, Scott Greene of WCC, threw in one of his rabbit trail thoughts recently in a message, “What did the shepherds do after the Angels gave them the news? They didn’t go to a local department store and buy gifts for one another! They went to see Jesus!” Christmas is a time for giving but if we don’t take time for Jesus...it really can be hollow and empty. The Shepherds, unlikely recipients of unbelievable news, headed to see the babe in the manger. Joseph and Mary must have been pretty surprised when they showed up with their flock! But Luke tells us, “When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.” (Luke 2:17-18) Christmas can be a stressful and lonely time for many. Part of the reason may be that we focus too much on gifts, gatherings and galas. This Christmas focus on The Gift, Jesus Christ, and like those herdsmen of yore share the Good News of His love, grace and mercy to your neighbors, friends and strangers. Go shopping, attend events and serve with a better attitude everyone will appreciate. Merry Christmas!

Plastic Jesus

I stopped at Central Park to take a break and look at the Nativity Scene. Joseph, Mary and Jesus made of plastic with lights inside glowing at night. It reminds those who pass of the real “Reason For The Season.” I wonder if there are times when people look at followers of Jesus (I’m including myself) and see us being synthetic. The world is starved for that which is real and don’t need factitious religious folks. Many years ago William Booth, the founder of The Salvation Army, was asked about a new translation of the Bible and whether Christians should be reading it instead of the King James Version. Booth’s answer was very insightful, “"I want to see a new translation of the Bible into the hearts and conduct of living men and women." He was alluding to verses like Colossians 3:16 that says, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly…” The figures in that Nativity scene are clean, serene and lifeless. Not like the young couple who travelled far and delivered a child in a smelly stable surrounded by livestock. Jesus, the Word of God, put on skin and lived in this messy world showing us The Way. His followers are not called to be statues but living witnesses who reach out in this chaotic world with His love and mercy. Christ should be “translated” into our daily actions as our lives are gifts to “Others” sharing the Good News of Christmas throughout the year!

Trusting God

Watching the 24 hour news cycle can be rather daunting at times. The competition drives the reporters to sensationalize current events. I am not diminishing that there is pain and suffering in our world today. We should never grow callous to the cries of others. One reporter was talking about the issues of our day and saying that this is one of the darkest moments in our history. I almost laughed out loud. Yes, we are divided and I pray we can find unity to solve our problems but we are blessed in so many ways. Take one hundred years ago. The “war to end all wars” had concluded with over 116 thousand killed and more than 200,000 wounded Americans. The numbers for other nations were staggering. During the war the worst flu pandemic in the history broke out. Over 500 million were infected worldwide and estimates of 50 to 100 million died, primarily healthy younger adults. Walking through Oakwood Cemetery one day I noticed in the older section many markers with 1918 or 1919 as the death year, many infants and young. Imagine the fear gripping Kosciusko County in those days! During World War I, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed on May 11, 1918: “‘It being the duty peculiarly incumbent in a time of war humbly and devoutly to acknowledge our dependence on Almighty God and to implore His aid and protection...I, Woodrow Wilson...proclaim...a Day of Public Humiliation, Prayer and Fasting, and do exhort my fellow-citizens...to pray Almighty God that He may forgive our sins.” Though public assembly was discouraged a few months later to reduce infection, calls for prayer to Almighty God spread across the globe. At the end of the pandemic 3-5 % of the world’s population had died. Today is not the darkest moment in our history. The murkiness of our day is that as a Nation we continue to push God out of our public life. A century ago the United States heeded the Word of God, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." - Psalm 50:15. In these days it would behoove us to look to the God we proclaim we trust and ask Him to forgive us of our sins. Live not knowing what the future holds, but always seeking and thanking the One who holds the future.

Joy Comes In The Morning

There is a “club” that exists in Kosciusko County and everywhere. It doesn’t have regular meetings because many times its members hide in pain. They stay in the shadows and don’t talk about their loved one who is far away from them and God. Alcohol, drugs, pornography to name a few prey on their weaknesses. Their loved ones watch as they spiral into the abyss of despair and destruction. Hope seems to go out the window. Relationships are destroyed by neglect and abuse. I am a member of this lonely hearts society. I wake in the middle of the night at times calling out their name to my Heavenly Father. Why don’t they change? Why like a dog do they continue to return to the vomit their sin draws them to? Why? It seems at times when we pray the sky is built of brass and our prayers bounce off of its surface not getting to Heaven. Romans 12:12 says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” In the story of the Prodigal Son I sense that the Father often went out and looked down the lane to see if his wayward son was coming home. One day a creature wearing rags and smelling like pigs humbly walked toward him. He ran toward him not caring about the stench or asking about the mistakes he had made. Only hugs and tears were given. That father had hope, though there were many sleepless nights. He had patience though many times afflicted with doubt. Prayers were lifted above and they went past the brass. They always do. Please be encouraged that God hears our cries. He can lead us through the worst of affliction. Even when your loved one is down, they are never out because God sends messages and help their way through you and others. Keep loving and do not give up hope because Jesus can reach and heal the darkest soul through His love and mercy. Find someone to share your burden with and don’t tough it out alone. Hold on...joy comes in the morning...

War To End All Wars

It was called the “war to end all wars”. 100 years ago this week World War I was coming to an end. Finally on the “11th month, 11th day and 11th hour” of 1918 the Armistice was signed and celebrations erupted that peace finally had come. But that war was really the foreshadowing of the horror of the 20th Century. According to Matthew White’s estimate in “Worldwide Statistics of Casualties, Massacres, Disasters and Atrocities” it is estimated that a total of about 123 million people worldwide died in all the wars of the 20th Century. Imperialism, Nazism, Communism, Socialism to name a few made that hundred years the bloodiest in history. Western Democracy bore the brunt of turning back these ideologies that threatened life, liberty and goodwill to all mankind. I am old enough to remember some of the Doughboys who fought “over there”. Two I recall were gentle souls who had been to hell and back. One Veteran who lived around the corner from us had been gassed in the trenches. He shook like he had Parkinson’s Disease and struggled to take care of himself. The other was homeless and suffered from what we would now call PTSD. Our church set up a room for him in the basement and he lived there as the “custodian”. Our parents communicated to us that if these men needed anything we were to help without question. Later they were taken care of at the Iowa Veterans Home until they died. Once in a message our Pastor read Matthew 24:6, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” I looked over at the “custodian” and he had his head bowed with tears moistening his eyes. He understood that the war he fought in was not the last as America at that time was calling its young people to Vietnam and thousands had died in World War II and Korea. As a follower of Christ we hope for that day when He returns and there is an end to conflict and bloodshed. Until then we owe a great debt of gratitude to Americans who serve in our Armed Forces around the world because war is not going away until Jesus returns. This Sunday, November 11th is Veterans Day. Please take a moment of silence to remember the sacrifice that has been given for Liberty over these 10 decades. At 11 AM the bell in the Kosciusko County Courthouse dome will be rung 21 times to remember. If there are other bells we encourage them to be rung too. Let us pray for peace and renew our trust in the God who has preserved us all these years. To those who currently serve in our Armed Forces and to our Veterans, both living and who have received their promotion to eternity...thank you...