Music

Music is the sound track to my life. I can't remember a time when I didn't love music. Music moves me and it helps establish a timeline for my life. Whenever I hear certain songs they bring back memories. "Betty Davis Eyes" will always remind me of stretching exercises in 9th grade. "Oh What a Night" will always remind me of riding the bus to Kent Elementary in 3rd grade.

I like to listen to a variety of music. I'm a bit embarrassed to admit this, but before we moved to Wenatchee my families Saturday evening tradition was to eat dinner while watching Lawrence Welk re-runs on PBS. That's how serious I am about liking different kind of music. Last night after getting home from work at 9:00 PM, I ate a late dinner and watched a little TV. As I was flipping channels (quite the male stereotype I know) I ran across a concert on PBS that I settled into. Never heard of the gal before but I really enjoyed her music. She looks more like a librarian than a musician but I can now add Ingrid Michaelson to my timeline.

Spring has sprung

All of a sudden spring came out of nowhere. The orchards are in full bloom and today it was in the mid 80's. I went for a little hike this morning exploring the hills to the South of Saddlerock.

A big thank you to Robbie Craker for making me think and for inspiring me with her Lenten devotionals. If tradition holds, she'll write an Advent devotional as well and I'll share it with you all. Thanks again Robbie.

I started a post yesterday but never finished about our Easter service at Wenatchee Nazarene (www.wenaz.org). All i can say is WOW!! The spirit was evident on the faces of those present and we had a tremendous first service with our Transitional Interim Pastor Ron Tyler and his wife Jane. If you haven't had a chance to meet them or talk to them yet I know you'll love them.

I'm excited to discover together what the Lord has in store for this great body.

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

I often try to imagine what that night and day was like for the disciples and followers of Jesus. They had fled the scene – all except a few women. It was a “secret” disciple, who sat on the Council of the Sanhedrin, who took care of the broken and battered body of Jesus – placing it in his tomb.

They were behind locked and closed doors – did they celebrate the Sabbath? They were afraid for their lives. Devastated. Undone. Knocked down. Did they pray? Or were they in such shock they were numb and unable to function normally?

Did the sun come up on Saturday? We know it got dark early on Friday – even the sun hiding its face from the scene. Even creation groaning– earthquakes – tombs opened. Was it a dark day on Saturday?

The rest of the world is going about their routine, but for the disciples and His followers, darkness reigns. Heaven is silent. Everything that they had given their lives to is gone. Defeat.

Did they talk about what He had said to them? Did they remember His words about His death? What are they arguing about now? Are they full of grief for the way they treated one another? Are they full of remorse for not paying closer attention to His teaching?

We’ve all been there in some way haven’t we? It’s the dark night of the soul; when everything seems lost. When it feels like darkness reigns.

Psalm 88 – The Message

God, you're my last chance of the day. I spend the night on my knees before you.
Put me on your salvation agenda;
take notes on the trouble I'm in.
I've had my fill of trouble;
I'm camped on the edge of hell.
I'm written off as a lost cause,
one more statistic, a hopeless case.
Abandoned as already dead,
one more body in a stack of corpses,
And not so much as a gravestone—
I'm a black hole in oblivion.
You've dropped me into a bottomless pit,
sunk me in a pitch-black abyss.
I'm battered senseless by your rage,
relentlessly pounded by your waves of anger.
You turned my friends against me,
made me horrible to them.
I'm caught in a maze and can't find my way out,
blinded by tears of pain and frustration.

I call to you, God; all day I call.
I wring my hands, I plead for help.
Are the dead a live audience for your miracles?
Do ghosts ever join the choirs that praise you?
Does your love make any difference in a graveyard?
Is your faithful presence noticed in the corridors of hell?
Are your marvelous wonders ever seen in the dark,
your righteous ways noticed in the Land of No Memory?

I'm standing my ground, God, shouting for help,
at my prayers every morning, on my knees each daybreak.
Why, God, do you turn a deaf ear?
Why do you make yourself scarce?
For as long as I remember I've been hurting;
I've taken the worst you can hand out, and I've had it.
Your wildfire anger has blazed through my life;
I'm bleeding, black-and-blue.
You've attacked me fiercely from every side,
raining down blows till I'm nearly dead.
You made lover and neighbor alike dump me;
the only friend I have left is Darkness.

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Good Friday…as I read the scriptures this morning it seems more like BAD Friday to me.

Jesus, before the Sanhedrin being questioned by the High Priest – ridiculed, lied about – all alone.

Peter on the outskirts of the crowd skulking around among the servants denying he even knew Jesus.

Jesus before Pilate and Herod – the crowds calling for His death – give us Barabbas – we’d rather have a murderer among us than this man stirring up trouble.

Herod, finally getting to meet this miracle worker, Jesus, he’s heard so much about. But Jesus won’t perform for him. So he’s disgusted and sends him away.

Pilate washing his hands of Jesus…

The soldiers mocking and spitting, beating and laughing.

Peter lying – Jesus turning, looking straight into Peter’s eyes. Betrayed. Alone. Peter, running, weeping. Desolate. Alone.

Darkness reigns.

As Jesus is standing in the midst of all of this, is He remembering the temptations? Possibly. But He has taken the cup. He has set His course and He will walk the path all the way to the CROSS.

Now the cross is not just a thought in His mind. Now the cross is not just a fear in His heart. Now the cross is not His future. It is His reality. He must carry it, weak, bruised and bleeding, exhausted from the night of prayer and trial.

His Father has given Him this great task. It’s not an easy task. It’s painful. It’s full of self-denial. He won’t fail the Father. He will obey.

Through the city with the crowds following – some to gape at that horror – some to mock and ridicule – some to weep bitter tears.

Up the hillside in the stark light of the noon-day sun. The pain of stumbling on the rocky path. The nails pounded into His hands and feet. The agony as He is raised and the cross is dropped into the hole.

He had said it to His disciples last night as He broke the bread – this is my body broken for you. I wonder if He’s thinking about that now. I wonder if He’s remembering Satan’s words – “turn these stones into bread. There is another way.”

Is He regretting His choice of emptying Himself of the glory and power and honor of heaven? Look what He has now, humility, weakness, and seeming defeat.

The Father asked and the Son answered. His life wasn’t taken from Him – He gave His life away.

It is finished.

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Today is Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday. It is the day we focus on four of the events of this night in the life of Christ and His disciples…

The washing of the disciples’ feet recorded in John 13--

The Lord’s Supper which institutes our celebration of Holy Communion--

The agony of Christ as He prays in the garden for the cup to be taken from Him, but surrenders His will to the will of the Father—

Both recorded in Matthew 26, Mark 14, and Luke 22;

And the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot recorded in the same chapters above as well as John 18.

Here are the parts of these scriptures which spoke most to me today with a few comments along the way…

It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he now showed them the full extent of his love.

The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.–John 13:1-6

Jesus, who has all authority and power, bends down to wash the disciples’ dirty, stinky feet. What am I being called to do to serve those who are dirty and stinky? Will I bend down both figuratively and in reality?

When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me."

They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, "Surely not I, Lord?"

Jesus replied, "The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me, “–Matthew 26:20-22

When I read this I’m often thinking of Judas, his betrayal, and agonizing end. But today I realized that all of the disciples dipped their hands into the bowl and all did betray Christ by falling away. I’m included in that picture – I must remember the times I have betrayed Christ by poor attitudes and behaviors.

But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch."

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."

Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." –Mark 14:31-38

I see myself in Peter so often – insisting emphatically that I’ll never fall away, I’ll never disown Jesus. But what have I been overwhelmed with sorrow for? What have I been willing to sacrifice sleep to pray for? How many times have I refused to see what is breaking the heart of God because it would cause me to drink a bitter cup of sacrifice? Would I have stayed awake and prayed with Jesus?

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am I leading a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour—when darkness reigns." –Luke 22:52-53

Darkness reigns. Don’t rush to Easter morning and the victory of Life over death. Remember how darkness reigned. Remember the forces of darkness are still at work in our world – they don’t reign unless we give them a foothold – but they are at work. Darkness reigns in the lives of many.

“Father, we thank You for Your Son and His willingness to serve, to be broken and spilled out, to agonize in prayer over Your will and surrender to You. Forgive us when we forget the agony and darkness that reigned. Amen”

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

The Story of the Greedy Farmhands

"Here's another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.

"The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. 'Surely,' he thought, 'they will respect my son.'

"But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.' They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.

"Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?"

"He'll kill them—a rotten bunch, and good riddance," they answered. "Then he'll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it's time."

Jesus said, "Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles:

The stone the masons threw out
is now the cornerstone.
This is God's work;
we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!
"This is the way it is with you. God's kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed." --Matthew 21:33-44 (The Message)

All three synoptic gospels have this as the parable Jesus tells following the great celebration – Palm Sunday. All three record the withering of the fig tree and the authority of Jesus being questioned - and then this story. We might feel safe – we’re not the people Jesus is talking about. He’s talking about the Pharisees.

Some people look around at the church of today and say it is full of Pharisees. Be careful. It goes both ways – you could be one who is willing to destroy others to have the “vineyard” to yourself. Or you could be the one who feels called to protect the “vineyard” – not even letting the workers in.

This story, apparently so important to Jesus that He told it during the last week of His life, must be important to us. The cross is looming closer and closer. This story isn’t easy --we all want to believe we’re the “good guy.” We don’t want God’s kingdom taken away from us and handed over to others. And this doesn’t have to happen if we deny ourselves pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

Don’t let the Stone be a stumbling block to you. Don’t get smashed by the Stone. Allow Him to be the “cornerstone.”

Don’t look around and judge others – pastor, leaders, laity – pick up your cross and follow Jesus. The vineyard is ripe – don’t spend time arguing over trivial matters – get in and reap the harvest. Deny yourself, pick up your cross, and follow Jesus.

“Father – we want to be in YOUR KINGDOM. Remind us that it doesn’t belong to us – it belongs to You! Help us to see clearly and understand our place. Help us to let go of what doesn’t matter so we can focus on the harvest. We love You. Give us love for each other. Amen”

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Jesus went straight to the Temple and threw out everyone who had set up shop, buying and selling. He kicked over the tables of loan sharks and the stalls of dove merchants. He quoted this text:

“My house was designated a house of prayer;
You have made it a hangout for thieves.”

Now there was room for the blind and crippled to get in. They came to Jesus and he healed them.

When the religious leaders saw the outrageous things he was doing, and heard all the children running and shouting through the Temple, "Hosanna to David's Son!" they were up in arms and took him to task. "Do you hear what these children are saying?"

Jesus said, "Yes, I hear them. And haven't you read in God's Word, 'From the mouths of children and babies I'll furnish a place of praise'?"

Fed up, Jesus turned on his heel and left the city for Bethany, where he spent the night. –Matthew 21:12-17 (The Message)

Celebration-- Children and adults singing and shouting – waving palm branches – rolling out the red carpet - It’s Palm Sunday.

Following the celebration He heads straight to the Temple. I wonder if He was planning to spend time in prayer and worship. He often went away to pray following an intense time with the crowd. But He’s upset – let’s just say it truthfully – He’s angry. He’s not angry with the children, He’s not angry with the disciples, He’s not angry with the women, He’s not angry with the Gentiles – He’s angry with those who are to provide a place of worship and intercession for the people.

With their rituals and money-making schemes they’re keeping the people out. There’s no room for the women and children. There’s no room for the crippled and the blind. There’s no room for the Gentiles.

What would Jesus say to you if He arrived at your church on a Sunday morning? Would He find it a place for people of all ages? Would He find it a place for the unlovely? Would He find it a place for the broken – physically, spiritually, relationally? Would He find it a place for those who are different from you?

Or would He find it a place where we keep everything neat and tidy – no messy people please! No people with different opinions. No people with brokenness. No people of different color or socio-economic background.

And for a deeper look – how does He find your heart today? Does He see prejudice? Does He see fear of people who look, act, smell, vote, or worship differently?

Our hearts must be hearts of prayer. Our churches must be churches of prayer. Our hearts must be full of hospitality to all people. Our churches must be full of hospitality to all people.

So, today, as the cross looms closer and closer, what needs to be cleaned out, overturned, kicked over in your heart? In your church?

Father, once again we open the doors of our hearts to You. Turn over anything that needs to be turned over. Clean out anything that needs to be cleaned out. Kick over anything that needs to be kicked over. We want to have room for You and all those You’ve created. And we want the same in our churches. For Your Son’s glory. Amen

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

Yesterday on the Christian Calendar was Palm Sunday. Celebration-- Children and adults singing and shouting – waving palm branches – rolling out the red carpet. I wonder what Jesus was really thinking as he rode in humility among the crowds into the City. Was it a respite for him from the looming cross? He’s been talking about this trip to Jerusalem and telling the disciples what would happen to him there. I don’t remember Palm Sunday being on the agenda.

I wonder if He remembered the temptations in the desert three years prior. When He stopped along the road and looked over the City of Jerusalem and wept did He remember the promise of Satan?

“For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, "They're yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours."

When He road through the streets to the Temple was He thinking of the promise of Satan?

For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."

He’d been explaining all along about what was going to happen when He got to Jerusalem – humiliation, beating, and death. I wonder if He was the least bit tempted to go Satan’s way. Don’t set aside the humanity of Jesus and think these were easy decisions for Him. He was fully human – he experienced pain and sorrow, hunger and thirst, happiness and contentment. He was tempted in every way the same as we are tempted.

So what does He do? He goes to the Temple. He clears the Temple – making way for the crippled and diseased – making way for the children – making way for the Gentiles.

The cross is looming closer and closer, but He doesn’t take the easy way out. He isn’t frozen with fear – He’s active. He isn’t complacent with praise – He’s active.

In this last week of Lent, 2009, with the cross looming closer and closer – let’s not take the easy way out. Let’s allow Him to clear out our hearts. Let’s allow Him to make a place in our hearts for healing, for joy, for openness. Will there be pain and suffering for this to happen? Possibly; but the reward of a pure heart open and ready for service to the King will be worth the pain and suffering.

“Father, You have been so go to us. We don’t want anything to bar Your entrance to any area of our hearts and lives. Clean us – purify us – make us ready for service. We cling to the cross. Amen.”

God is everywhere

My wife has been sick for a few days with a high fever and has barely gotten out of bed. I had to be at church early yesterday because I had a lot to do to be prepared for the day. The only one awake when I left was Stephanie. I reminded her that she would be staying home with Mom and asked her to take care of her mother and to have a church service of their own.

Between services I called home to check in and see if everything was alright. Stephanie answered and said all was okay but Mom wouldn't get out of bed. She told me that she had asked Mom to get up several times for church and each time she said she'd be down in a few minutes but then never showed up. I told her to let Mom sleep and to not bother her again.

I asked her about her church service she was going to have and she filled me in on all the details. She had brought in a lectern we have in our entryway to use as a pulpit and had already made a bulletin (that's the picture up above on this post). Pretty good start to getting ready for a service I thought. But she had more to share. She had picked out a few Psalms to sing from a Psalter we have at home and informed me that it would all end with a sermon. I asked her who was preaching and she said she was. I asked her what her text was for her sermon and she told me she had picked a passage from Luke because it was Palm Sunday and then another passage from 1 Samuel. My heart swelled with pride.

I returned home to find my wife asleep on the couch. (I have pictures but I'm a kind husband) surrounded by the piano bench that was the refreshment table. Stephie had prepared hot spiced cider along with a tray of strawberry fig newtons and bit-o-honey's.

The girls played quietly all day without any fighting or arguing while Sue continued her slumber. I couldn't have been any prouder of them. Love you punkin and half-pint!!

Lenten Devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,” –Mark 10:32-33

We are on our way to Jerusalem in our Lenten Journey. I love this picture of Jesus – He’s leading the way, He’s striding out. This isn’t a walk in the park, people. This is a man striding out to meet His future and that future isn’t pretty. In fact the disciples are confused and astonished and the others following are afraid.

Jesus has just been debating with the Pharisees over divorce. He’s had to rebuke the disciples for not allowing the children to come close. He has spent some time blessing the children. The encounter with the rich man has just occurred and this is what has astonished the disciples and why the crowd is afraid. Here is a man who has kept the law since his youth and Jesus says it’s not enough. “You must give up everything and follow me. “ And where will we end up if we follow Him? At the cross. He knows where He’s going.

And in the midst of this you have Peter wondering if he’s given up enough and James and John wanting to be the most important. And Jesus, single-mindedly striding out, no one really understands like He does, but He’s leading the way. It’s uncharted territory for all of them, but Jesus is leading the way.

Father, we want to be on the WAY with Your Son. Forgive us for our fear and uncertainty. Forgive us for trying to out-perform each other. We want to allow Your Spirit to have full reign to lead us. Amen

Lenten devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

"Here is your king, "Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
--John 19:14b-15

I was reading through all the scriptures that point to the cross this morning and these words jumped out at me – “we have no king but Caesar.”

Wow, what a turn around. The Israelites were to have no king but God. They demanded an earthly king, which only caused them trouble. Now they have no Israelite king and they are willing to give lip-service to Caesar. Talk about a long journey in the wrong direction!

Here they are standing in the presence of the king of Kings and they have no king but Caesar?!? They are not only denying Jesus, they are denying God and their entire religious belief system. I don’t feel I need to write another thing…

Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul? –Mark 8:34-37 (CEV)

Father, forgive us when we give even lip-service to anyone but You. You are our salvation and our sustenance. Forgive us when we are tempted to deny You to avoid the crucifixion of our attitudes, behaviors, and preferences. You are our KING. Amen

Lenten devotionals from our DS's wife Robbie Craker

There is so much debate in the church right now –

Music, dress, food in the sanctuary, chairs or pews, politics, and the list goes on and on.

What does any of this have to do with the Cross? Am I hiding behind these issues that deal with personal preferences so I don’t deal with the real issues of my own heart? Have I forgotten that all of those things must be nailed to the Cross? And I’m not talking just about my personal preferences, but yours as well. No one’s personal preferences are more holy than anyone else’s.

We look back at the debates and misunderstandings amongst Jesus’ disciples and we laugh a little bit. How could Peter have been so mistaken? What were James and John thinking about – vying for position in the Kingdom? Why did the money-changers think they had a right to be in the Temple?

Are our debates and misunderstandings any less silly? No. When seen in the light of eternity they are insignificant. People of God let’s allow the Holy Spirit to work. Let’s allow anything that is hindering our “cross-walk” to be crucified.

I sometimes wonder if we forget that the church belongs to Jesus. It doesn’t belong to the pastor or the staff or the church board. The church belongs to Jesus. He was crucified for the church. Let’s allow Him first place – the central position. Let’s lay down our preferences and our lives for one another. This then will be the way of showing our love for God and for each other.

Let’s allow the Holy Spirit to point out what needs to be crucified in our lives. Let’s not hide behind the debates, let’s allow the cross of Christ to do its work. Let’s be washed by the Word.

Jesus began telling his disciples what would happen to him. He said, "The nation's leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law of Moses will make the Son of Man suffer terribly. He will be rejected and killed, but three days later he will rise to life." Then Jesus explained clearly what he meant.

Peter took Jesus aside and told him to stop talking like that. But when Jesus turned and saw the disciples, he corrected Peter. He said to him, "Satan, get away from me! You are thinking like everyone else and not like God."

Jesus then told the crowd and the disciples to come closer, and he said:

If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross and follow me. If you want to save your life you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me and for the good news, you will save it. What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What could you give to get back your soul?

Don't be ashamed of me and my message among these unfaithful and sinful people! If you are, the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. –Mark 8:31-38 (CEV)

Father, our hearts and minds are taken up with so many debates and issues. We need to hear from You. Please give us open hearts and minds to allow Your Word to purify us. Don’t let us lose sight of the cross as we journey. Amen

I love animal shows

I was up late tonight and happened to catch a fascinating BBC documentary. They've discovered a never before seen colony of penguins with unique abilities. Check out the clip below.