Bubblegum Christianity

Dear Lord; Happy Monday Father!

It’s been a good while since I’ve laid our conversations to print Lord… Quite possibly far too long. Which is why when I once again felt You urging me to pen my thoughts, I nearly dismissed those promptings.

Nonetheless… Here we are again.

As you well know Lord, I’m nearing completion of yet another full read-through of the Bible, this time following a chronological reading plan I found on YouVersion.com. It’s been a wonderful way to absorb Scripture for me Father, helping to add more of something I believe is vitally important to reading and understanding Your Word…

Context.

Your truths are eternal Lord… I don’t question that. But I’ve also come to understand through intense study and prayer that those truths and Your intent are very much presented throughout the Bible and in our daily lives in a context that gives pronounced and specific meaning to those You’re addressing and guiding. Therefore as we read Your timeless words in an attempt to embed those divine truths upon our hearts, I believe it’s absolutely essential that we seek a sense of the context in which those events occurred to truly draw Your will from those pages.

And without that contextual perspective Lord… I’m very much afraid we lose the message for the words.

Social media is a double-edged sword Father. On one hand it allows us to stay “connected” to an amazing number of people and share ideas, inspiration and encouragement. However on the other hand, it also provides an easily accessible platform for distributing misunderstanding, intolerance and hate. Recently, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on same-sex marriages this past week, both edges of that blade have been well sharpened.

And while through study and prayer I have my own perspective on that subject of which You’re well aware Lord, what’s been especially grieving my heart has actually been the outpouring of sentiment from what I believe to be well-intentioned “Christians” using “soundbites” of Scripture, completely out of context, to condemn and attack those with beliefs different than their own.

Take one verse from Deuteronomy, add a dash of Romans, toss in a line from Revelation and stir gently…

One serving of Bubblegum Christianity ready to post.

And in many cases Father these Biblical tidbits are also served up with a side helping of pithy catch-phrases such as “Hate the sin, but love the sinner…” (Which to be honest I believe only You’re truly capable of Lord…) or “God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve…” (Which actually isn’t accurate either… You made Adam, Eve, Steve, Phil, Shannon, etc…)

All in all Lord, it’s a meal that’s not exactly prepared or delivered in the warmth of Christian Love… It’s nearly always served cold.

My point here isn’t to debate sin Lord… We do sin. Every day. All of us. It’s also not for me to decry the beliefs, perspective or choices of anyone… In the end, only You have that right. What I am speaking of is the need for us, as followers of Christ, to not approach Scripture as a collection of one-liners to be used in making a point, winning an argument or to malign others. Your Word is such a precious gift Father; one that’s worth every effort we can make to prayerfully and studiously gain Your true intent from those pages.

Therefore Lord, my prayer today is simple.

Open our hearts Lord…

Open our minds.

Guide us to see the true nature of Your Word and to diligently seek Your intent…

So that Your Love Story serves it’s purpose and draws us closer to You…

All of Your Children…

Together.

For it’s in Your precious name I pray Jesus…

Amen.

~Phather Phil

Another Chance…

Dear Lord; Happy New Year’s Eve Father!

As my mind wandered this morning Father, drifting along this past year’s erratic path and pondering the days ahead You spoke to my heart; a whispered phrase of things to be…

“Another Chance…” You promised.

 And with that I realized Lord… Every day I wake with breath in my lungs You’ve granted me Another Chance…

“I will never forget this awful time,

as I grieve over my loss.

Yet I still dare to hope

when I remember this:

The faithful love of the Lord never ends!

His mercies never cease.

Great is his faithfulness;

his mercies begin afresh each morning.” – Lamentations 3:20-23 (NLT)

Another Chance to recognize my mistakes…

And hopefully to learn from them.

Another Chance to receive Your gracious love…

And to share that love with others.

Another Chance to look with wonder at the Blessings all around me…

And Another Chance to worship; to lift my heart to You in gratefulness.

Another Chance to cast off the chains of my self-imposed guilt and failures and place them at Your feet…

And Another Chance to grow closer to You in the process.

Another Chance to read Your Word…

And know You more through each passage and verse.

Another Chance to gracefully accept the assistance of others when it’s offered…

And Another Chance to reach out to them in love as well.

Another Chance to strive for righteousness Lord…

Another Chance to draw closer to the man You desire me to become.

Thank You Father…

For Another Chance.

Amen.

~Phather Phil

It Began in a Lowly Manger

Dear Lord; Happy Christmas Eve Father!

When I think of Christmas Lord, so many things come to my heart…

Hope…

Love…

Peace…

Joy…

And an overall sense of Wonder.

And yet, with all of the situations that have surrounded me throughout this Blessed Season Father, I’ll admit that much of that child-like excitement has felt quietly subdued this year…

However this morning as we talked Lord, You breathed some life back into my weary spirit.

Today Father, I asked You a very pointed question and You very clearly answered it… Although I’ll admit Your response wasn’t even on my radar…

“Lord… You know my heart hasn’t been in the right place this Season, and for that I’m truly sorry.  I need You more than ever Father… Please tell me what You want of me this Christmas… What do You want me to learn?”

And in the prayerful silence that followed Lord, You Blessed me with an answer…

“Forgiveness, Phil…”  You whispered… “For yourself most of all.”

Silence returned as I grappled with Your intent…

Forgiveness??  At Christmas??

And then Father, in a moment of realization reminiscent of the Grinch’s heart enlargement it came to me…

Christmas is all about forgiveness.

In the midst of our pain, our sin, and our brokenness Lord,

On that Silent Night so many years ago,

You came among us in the humblest of ways…

That by Your life we could know Your will for us,

And by Your blood we would be…

Forgiven.

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.” – Luke 23:34 (NIV)

The redemption of our world…

All began in a lowly manger.

And today Lord, as I sought the light which beckoned the Magi You parted the clouds around my heart and let me see…

That I’d allowed my circumstances to define me, and permitted my self-imposed feelings of guilt and disappointment to divert me from that Holy Pilgrimage.  And that for me to begin that journey forward Father, You needed me to let go of it…

To forgive myself, as You forgave us all.

So as Christmas day approaches Lord, I yearn to meet You with a lighter heart; to rest by the manger’s side and know that sense of newness and hope.  To leave those burdens which keep me from You along that tired path, and renew my spirit with the peace You ushered in that Holy Night.

Come Lord Jesus…

~Phather Phil

The Isle of Misfit Toys

Dear Lord; Happy Thursday Father!

Ever since I was a little boy Lord, I’ve loved this time of year.  Beautiful lights and decorations adorn our homes, joyful Holiday music overwhelms the airways, and our hearts eagerly await the celebration of that Silent Night so many years ago.  And along with the many festive practices that grace this season Father, December also ushers the return of some of my favorite childhood Christmas shows…

Dr. Seuss’ Grinch once again attempts to steal Christmas…

Linus reminds us of the miraculous meaning behind this Holiday…

Frosty the Snowman makes us yearn for that serene blanket of white…

And Rudolph… Well, Rudolph’s story was on my mind as I drove into the office this morning…

“I certainly feel like I belong on the Isle of Misfit Toys…” I mumbled to myself…

For the first time in a very long time Lord, I’m having a difficult time filling my heart with the joy this Holy Season offers.

As You know Father, this year has seen a great many trials for my family and I; many of which still have uncertain endings.  And although I have faith that You’ll see us safely along this valley path in Your perfect time, the light from that Holy Star seems dimmer through the clouds this year.

And as I look around at the world joyfully celebrating this Season of Hope Lord…

I feel out of place… A “Misfit Toy” stranded far away from You.

And yet Father,

I know You’re with me all the same.

Even in my hurt…

Even through my pain…

And even on the Isle of Misfit Toys.

So Lord, as I make my weary pilgrimage to rest by the side of that Holy Manger this year, I pray that You walk that path beside me.  Give clarity to my sight Father, and resolve to my steps that I may seek this Celebration of Hope with the wonder and awe of a child…

Your beloved child.

For it’s in Your precious name I pray Jesus,

Amen.

~PhatherPhil

Reminded of the Promise

Dear Lord; Happy Wednesday Father!

Over the past couple weeks Father, I’ve been listening to and enjoying a sermon series called “Times and Seasons” preached by Steven Furtick, the lead pastor over at Elevation Church.  It’s been a powerful series for me so far Lord, and has touched on some areas of my life that are very raw right this moment.  This morning as I pondered the most recent message I’d listened to, You placed on my heart a guest post I wrote for Healthy Spirituality a couple years back.  I chased down the document containing the post, and as I reread the words You’d given me during a very different season of my life it dawned on me that even now, Your Promise still holds true…

The Promise

Stark…

Cold…

Bleak…

Unyielding…

Such is the way many choose to view the winter landscape.

And yet,

I believe that winter carries with it a deeper message;

A Promise from God.

I absolutely love taking long, quiet walks in the woods; spending that communion time with my Heavenly Father, surrounded in the majesty of His bounty.  In that Stillness, I find that I feel powerfully connected to God’s presence, and He’s used those moments of intimacy to bring me some wonderful revelations.

I try to visit our local forest as often as possible, even during the “less comfortable” seasons.  Seeing the many transitions and phases of God’s creation never fails to unveil new truths to me, and whatever the conditions are I always come away feeling Blessed for my time there…

Even in the dead of winter.

Hmmm… The “dead” of winter…

Not a very accurate description in my opinion.

I actually enjoy walking through the woods in the winter months.  Strolling among the leafless timbers, the barren landscape lies in stark contrast to the lush foliage that normally fills the scene.  And yet, while first impressions are that all life has left this place, nothing could be further from the truth…

Life still resides here…

Waiting…

Promising to burst forth and begin anew with the breath of spring…

Just as God designed it to.

And Funny enough, He designed our lives that way as well.  Like that forest, our paths are bound to the seasons God lays out for us…

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 (ESV)

Times of abundance, and periods of trial; both are gifts from God.  We celebrate those moments when His Blessings shine brightly all around us, and yet those times of wanting are also cause to rejoice…

When instead of dwelling on our pain,

We give thanks for His promise;

The promise that it is in fact, a season,

And that in the “dead” of our Winters, there is still life,

And there is still love.

Thank You for our Winters Lord, and Your promise of the Springs ahead.

Amen.

~Phather Phil