Category: Hope

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HOPE: Inside An Herodian Jail Cell

Alone … Despair … Uncertainty … Doubt … Second Guessing … Fear …
Worry … Anxiety … Abandonment … Forsaken.

When you’re left to your own thoughts, you can easily fall into a dark hole by over analyzing everything. As John the Baptist sat in Herod’s prison these are some of the words that came to my mind that may describe the prophet.

I always saw John as bold and courageous. With his Elijah-like ruggedness, he prepared the way for Christ by calling people to repentance. When soldiers came for baptism he challenged them to act with integrity. When the religious leaders showed up to hear him preach, he called them out for their hypocrisy. And even behind bars, when given a hearing before Herod, he confronted the immoral relationship with his brother’s wife.

But maybe living in a dungeon kinda gets to you.

So when his own disciples brought him news of what Jesus was doing, the doubt surfaced. Was Jesus the One they were waiting for? Was his preaching to prepare the way for Jesus on task? So he sent two of his disciples to inquire of the Lord (Lk. 7:18-19). And the response John received was far from a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Jesus forced John to connect the dots.

First, Jesus returns to the Jubilee theme of Luke 4:18-19 by reminding John’s disciples what they’ve witnessed: the blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cured, deaf hear, dead are raised and good news is preached to the poor (Lk. 7:22). If the proof is in the pudding, then sit back and look at what Jesus has done. Beyond the miraculous nature of Jesus’ ministry lies a more important message. Jesus is pointing John back to Isaiah to remind him how he’s fulfilling Isaiah’s Messianic prophecy (see Is. 29:18-19; 35:5-6; 42:18; 43:8; 61:1-2).

Secondly, Jesus utters a blessing (i.e. a beatitude?) for John’s disciples, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me” (Lk. 7:23). I’ve struggled to understand why Jesus saw himself as a possible stumbling block to faith. Sure, I heed the warning. My actions and my words can (and sadly have) drive someone away from Christ. I get that. But how does Jesus own such words?

To say Jesus’ ministry was controversial is an understatement; it certainly held a scandalous layer to it. Simeon had predicted the fall of many in association with Jesus’ presence (Lk. 2:34). Throughout his ministry, Jesus offended the established to the point they were willing to execute him. Families divided will found themselves pitted against each other as some were whole heartedly willing to follow Jesus and others rejected him (Lk. 12:51-53). And even now, John’s imprisonment was a sign of Jesus’s coming.

So the blessing that Jesus pronounces (v. 23) is clearly owned by Jesus. He knew the controversy surrounding himself and feared losing people on the “drop-out track.” Thus, John can find strength and security in knowing Jesus is exactly who he thought he was before the doubt set in. His suffering in prison continues the preparatory role for Christ as one who must suffer himself (see v. 27).

And what about us? Following Jesus can still carry a divisive layer to discipleship. Sometimes Christ is lightening rod in relationships. We can be shunned, rejected and abandoned by friends and family because of our loyalty to Jesus. In our walk with him we can face loneliness and feel we walk alone. But like John, it’s in the solitude of our faith we find hope.

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Ray of Hope: Renew, Recast, Re-Envision

While visiting family over Thanksgiving, I found myself at the local Save-A-Lot store running errands for my mother-in-law. With my adult daughter, Taylor, in tow, we tried purchasing the correct corn meal and other items on the list (“tried” is the key word). However, outside the story was a Christian recovery group selling items like bracelets, necklaces and t-shirts. Intrigued, we stopped to look at their table. As we sorted through the merchandise, we saw one that caught our eyes. Playing off of the drug epidemic and recovery angle, it said, “Hope Dealer.” In true fashion, I purchased the shirt.

Soon after arriving at Sunshine, Gabe Coriell approached me about the possibility of doing a daily one minute radio spot. He thought with my storytelling background, a presence over the airwaves was not only possible but a positive move. After much discussions and vision planning, he, along with the other deacons, embraced Ray of Hope. We wanted an uplifting message rooted in Scripture, without using Scripture to pound its message. The world is filled with too much adverse messages, so we counter the negative with the positive. We wanted to offer hope. In March of 2018 it began to air on The Mix WNXT 99.3. We settled on a set time of 7:25 am and a floating time for the afternoon to appear sometime between 2:00-6:00, and then a repeat of one episode on Saturdays.

Ray of Hope made the positive impression we desired. The feedback was always encouraging. People were listening.

But the one flaw of radio ministry has two related elements to it. First, it’s expensive to purchase airtime. The cost for Ray of Hope was usually six hundred plus dollars a month. Over the long haul, that’s a lot of money to invest on a monthly basis. That leads to the second element, long term commitment is needed before you start realizing the benefits. If Ray of Hope was to have the maximum results possible (e.g. people attending our services), maybe we’ll see them after five year presence on the radio. Maybe. Significant funds is needed to sustain such a ministry. A number of churches have those resources. Unfortunately, Sunshine does not.

Last summer, Gabe, Aaron Kallner and I began talking options. What direction can we take Ray of Hope? To be honest, as much work as it took to write a daily spiritual message, I loved the ministry. But the truth was it was not going to be sustainable. We talked. We prayed. We tried envisioning what to do.

Enter another option. With the launch of Sunshine’s new website, an opportunity to reach more people through an online presence has been realized. Ray of Hope was not about to be shut down but re-envisioned. We will be creating an audio recording, like before, and formatting it to a podcast linked to our website. Jacob Miller is working on dynamic artwork to accompany the audio portion. Instead of a daily moment, we will be posting 2-3 podcasts weekly accessed through the church’s website and FaceBook.

I will miss the radio version of Ray of Hope, especially since a large number of people have tuned in for the message (and it helped that I grew up on the importance of radio as a medium for messaging). But as Bob Dylan once wrote, “The times they are a-changin,” and the online presence is both affordable and prolific. I am excited about this new opportunity to renew, recast and to re-envision a message of hope for everyone. After all, I am a “Hope Dealer.”

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. only God is glorified!)

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Trying to Psalm 148 When You’re Stuck in Psalm 130

The day is burned into my memory, and was the first marker of hope in four months of darkness. My dad had passed away before Christmas in 2003. He was a recipient of a liver transplant in 1997, but nearly seven years later he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. We had a family reunion to say “goodbye” to him at Thanksgiving, and after the first of the year we held a memorial service for him. While each of my brothers spoke, I gave the eulogy. 

What I never expected was how deep and dark the hole I was sinking into was going to be. For three months I never saw the Son’s ray break through the darkness, and there were times when I thought I’d never see the Son’s rays again. What made this journey more difficult was that I was preaching at the time. Every week I was standing before my congregation with a message of hope, given by someone who had all but lost hope. I distinctly remember one Sunday morning when my lips and tongue told the congregation of God’s love and mercy, but my mind was telling me, “I don’t believe it.” I was worshiping from Psalm 148, but emotionally and spiritually, I was living in Psalm 130. 

Psalm 148 is filled with hope, praise and adoration to God. God receives the glory and recognition for his creation. Everyone and everything bursts forth in praise. At the end of Psalm 148 everyone feels good, for God is in control. However, Psalm 130 is filled with despondency. The Psalmist is in the depths of despair and keeps crying out to God, a God who is not responding to the prayers of the Psalmist. It’s hard to strengthen your faith when hope is all but lost. 

So when the Psalmist stands before us and calls out Psalm 148 but you’re stuck in Psalm 130, what can you do? As someone who has been in that situation before, allow me to share with you some thoughts. 

● If you’re looking for a reason for the darkness, you may not find it. Ultimately, does knowing a reason change your response to your situation?  The story of Job places the audience in the “know” but keeps Job in the “unknown.” We know why Job was enduring suffering, but God never explains the reason to him. Maybe God knew Job wouldn’t understand, or maybe God needed Job to act in faith and to praise God in the midst of his pain, not in the absence of it. Never underestimate the power of praising the Light in the midst of darkness. 

● Draw from what you know is true, and your feelings will catch up. That morning I was preaching, I spoke the truth, though emotionally and in the moment I had a hard time believing. Given time, my feelings caught up to truthful faith and I whole heartedly believed what I said was the truth. Even if you’re stuck in Psalm 130, go ahead and sing your heart out in Psalm 148 because at some point, you’ll believe the words in Psalm 148.

● Remember that God’s final answer to suffering is the cross. When your life situation forces you to quote Psalm 22:1, remember that Jesus quoted that same verse as well. Take comfort and knowing that Jesus sits with you, not only through the darkness, but when the Psalmist is calling the assembly to Psalm 148 and you’re stuck in Psalm 130, he is praising God with you and the congregation (see Psalm 22:22;  Heb. 2:12).   

So if you’re stuck in Psalm 130, above anything else, keep reading Psalm 130. Even when the Psalmist cries out to God, his faith is fully entrenched in God, “I wait for the Lord . . . and in his word, I put my hope” (Ps. 130:5). Your faith needs that same entrenchment.

So the day that is burned into my memory is not the day my words and my mind held a crisis of faith. The day burned into my memory is that Sunday morning I turned to Cile and said, “The Son broke through this morning. Today, I worshiped.” What he did for me, he’ll do for you. 

Soli Deo Gloria!
(i.e. Only God is Glorified!)