When I was growing up my dad drove truck on the weekends to earn some extra money. He’d get up at three AM, get in the truck, and head to the coal dock in Superior. Once there, he’d load up the first of three loads to be brought to the Iron Range. I remember asking one Friday night if I could go with him. I had no idea what I was getting into. What boy wouldn’t want to spend a day around big trucks, seeing front end loaders, and exploring the inner working of power plants? The next morning I woke up earlier than I ever had, grabbed my lunch box, and followed my dad, him with his thermos of coffee and mine full of hot chocolate.

I’d get very little sleep. The days would be long. The seats would be uncomfortable. Believe it or not, the excitement of big trucks and heavy equipment wasn’t enough to hold my attention and desire. But the presence of my dad in the seat beside me had me going day after day. To the best of my memory, there wasn’t a trip my dad took that I didn’t go with if I could. The lack of sleep didn’t matter. The discomfort of sitting in a truck seat didn’t matter. I didn’t care that there was nothing to entertain myself with. It didn’t matter where we were going, I just wanted to be with my dad.

I loved those trips. I’m sure there were difficult days. Days when the truck wouldn’t start, days with flat tires, days where my dad or I irritated each other. But I got to spend time with my dad. I got to know him better than ever. I got to go where he was going and do what he was doing. He didn’t need my help. In fact, in some ways, I am sure his day would have been easier without me, but he let me come. My dad was going to work and I was going with him.

God invites us along

There is no doubt that God is at work in the world. We don’t always know what that work is. Nor do we have a perfect understanding of how to do the work and yet God as our perfect heavenly Father invites us along. He will open up the passenger door and ask if you are getting in. You can pass if you want. He won’t force you to spend time with Him. But if you don’t spend time with Him, you will not know Him. If you don’t go with him, you won’t do what He is doing.

There will be days where being with God is going to cost you. You’ll lose sleep. You will be uncomfortable. There will be days you don’t even know where you are going. There will be days where there seems to be no earthly reason to continue on. Is the presence of God enough to keep you going? If you know Him as the Father He truly is, His presence alone is enough. The presence and closeness of God is what we should treasure most.

The Presence of God is the Point

In Exodus 33 the Israelites are in the wilderness after God has delivered them from Egypt. They are a sinful and rebellious nation. In the previous chapter, they had created a golden calf as their preferred god to worship. Needless to say, they were not being ideal children. God tells them to go into the promised land full of great blessings, comfort, and riches. He even says that He will send His Angel before them to drive out their enemies. He guarantees the Israelite’s earthly desires. But then says that He is not going to go.

Moses replies saying, “If your presence is not going to go with us, please don’t make us go.” He knew that to enter into a land full of blessings and riches but without the presence of God is far worse than staying put in the harsh wilderness with God at their side. He knew that it is better to be anywhere with God than in paradise without Him.

Will You go With

Getting in the passenger seat with my Dad was a little intimidating. I had no idea what was in store or where we would end up. I didn’t know how long we would be gone. But I did it and never regretted it. The same is true of going to work with God. It’s more than a little intimidating, it’s terrifying. You never know where He might take you or what He might expect you to do along the way. Do you want to be with your Father? If you’ll go, you will find He will take you on the ride of your life.

(The following account is entirely fictitious. All names, statistics, & quotations are purely fabricated).

Chapter One: The ROOKIE

Chet Baxter learned to play baseball before he could hold a Popsicle, which came as a surprise to no one. His granddad helped build the St. Louis Cardinal’s dynasty in the 1920’s. His father, and two of his four uncles played farm league for West Texas in the early/mid 50’s. His Aunt Nikki fell in love with Ted Williams watching him play for Boston, and from that point forward, only wore red socks. Growing up in a family like his, Chet was destined to play ball.

When he was a sophomore in High School, Baxter could throw a 96 mph fastball. By the time he graduated he’d racked up more base-hits, RBI’s, and home-runs than anyone in conference history. With a .315 batting average through 52 games, he turned heads at the collegiate level. In 1973 he moved to Rhode Island to play shortstop for the minor-league Pawtucket Red Sox.

In December of 1974 Chet Baxter signed a rookie contract with their major league affiliate in Boston. Beantown was talking, the Baxter family was proud, and Aunt Nikki got a team-issued pair of red socks for Christmas that year. With the minor leagues behind him, and the major leagues in front, Baxter was in route to a future place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Chapter Two: The INCIDENT

In the fifth week of spring training, however, everything came to a screeching halt. During a routine team practice, Baxter was hit with a knuckleball from teammate Jerry Billingham Jr.

A veteran “southpaw” from Indiana, Billingham thought little of the incident. When it struck him in the thigh, Baxter hardly reacted. A quick tip of the hat asking for pardon, and Billingham was ready to keep practicing. Baxter, however, couldn’t shake the thought of it. Though it had left a visible welt on his leg, it was the mental sting that hurt more than anything.

It wasn’t the first time Baxter had been hit by a pitch in practice. This was now the fourth instance since February, and that didn’t even include the times he’d been ‘grazed’. “Baseball isn’t supposed to be a contact sport” he kept telling himself, “Nobody in the major leagues deserves to be treated like this”. Baxter couldn’t help but to wonder whether these injuries were intentional. Was Billingham doing this on purpose? Did Coach Jackson tell Billingham to do it? Is the whole team in on this? Chet Baxter no longer felt welcome in Boston.

Chapter Three: The DECISION

Finally convinced that the entire franchise was against him, Baxter walked out on his team that day. He not only broke the contract he’d signed with the league, but the hearts of the people who loved him in Boston as well. When he left the field, he altogether left the game. In a single moment he erased everything he’d ever accomplished as an athlete since before he could hold a Popsicle. All because of a knuckleball.

With her authentic red socks, even Aunt Nikki shows more love for the sport than her forlorn nephew.   

Kevin Wilhelm, mayor of Boston said, “Boy, we all thought this kid was going to win us a few games. This is a big disappointment for us all. Big disappointment”.

Brian Campbell, a columnist for Sports Illustrated wrote about it. “I don’t know how he (Baxter) got this far in the sport with that kind of attitude. Who in the world doesn’t get hit by an occasional pitch? Whether it’s your boss or your brother, your coach or your colleague, your priest, your wife, or your dog, somewhere along the way, you’re going to get hurt. Again and again at that. But for God’s sake, you don’t just walk away from the game”.

Red Sox Head Coach Darrel Jackson said, “Well, it’s his career to flush if that’s what he wants to do. But if you don’t want guys like Fisk (Carlton) or Yaz (Carl Yastrzemski) on your team, I don’t know what the hell you’re thinking”.

Chapter Four: The END

Finishing first in the American League East that year, Boston ended their season by squaring off against the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series. By winning the pennant, his former teammates proved that the Red Sox didn’t need Chet Baxter at all. It was Chet Baxter who needed the Red Sox.

And although this account was purely fabricated, it’s based upon true story after story after story. Unfortunately, there are real “Chet Baxter’s” out there, and the church has seen plenty of them. They’re the ones who got swept away in a game they never really wanted to play. People who broke their contract and walked off the field. People who abandoned their team and disappointed their family. All because of a stray “knuckleball”.

What would make you break your contract, give up on your team, and leave this stadium?

“I actually called him about a week after that. He wouldn’t answer the phone. None of us knew what happened. I found out later that it had something to do with that knuckleball, but none of us can say for sure. It didn’t make sense to any of us. I’ve hit all the guys. Some of them have even taken it in the head, but we still like each other. I guess some people are just cut out for the game and others aren’t”

–Jerry Billingham Jr.

Months ago I began having a new kind of nightmare. The theme of these dreams is always the same, even though the details vary. Recently it was a horrifying car ride with a former work supervisor. Another time I recall trying to fight my way out of an unwanted hug. Maybe it’s little more than an absent-minded handshake, or an unexpected slap on the back, but each nightmare leaves me feeling the exact same way when it’s over:

Afraid…and full of remorse.

The reason my aforementioned dream so easily reached “nightmare” status, has nothing to do with the character or personality of my old boss. Rather, it’s that neither of us wore face-coverings in that car, and I didn’t realize it until after we’d parked! Nor is it that I have haphephobia (fear of hugs) which makes certain dreams so chilling nowadays. Rather, it’s when I’m being hugged by someone from a different household! Handshakes and backslaps aren’t usually too alarming…until they’re done with un-sanitized hands! I can hardly sleep lately…

I’m Not Alone…

I’ve confided in a few others about this issue, and realized that I’m not alone. Some of you are experiencing these same types of dreams, and I think I know why: Our brains have been so flooded with COVID warnings that we can’t stop thinking about them. The fear of violating these guidelines is so pervasive while we’re awake that we can no longer escape them by falling asleep.

Dreams like these are an uncomfortable byproduct of being deeply concerned…as we should be! Who (in their right mind) would want to be sent away from their friends on account of their own negligence? We’re living in a time when truancy reveals something about the heart. I, for one, don’t want to be missing church right now all because I won’t deny myself the pleasure of indiscriminate hugging. Our attendance at church these days says more than ever about the depth & sincerity of the love we have for our own Christian community…(or the lack thereof).

We Aren’t the First…

Call it what you will: Quarantine, isolation, or banishment, nobody wants to be “out of the club”. Ancient Jews called it “being unclean”. Anything from skin diseases to physical contact with a corpse could win you an extended trip away from your worshipping friends. Even secondary contamination was taken into account.

Talk about a nightmare! These guys had to be careful about everything. Neglect came with awfully strict penalties. Eat the wrong food, touch the wrong plate, and you’d be kept from corporate worship. Tread the wrong ground, and you could miss the annual celebration (see Jn.18:28). These were deep and abiding concerns for the people of God.

Uncleanness would weaken a person’s spiritual stamina, endanger that person’s life, and put the future of the entire congregation in a precarious position. It’s safe to assume that no kind-hearted Hebrew wanted to be seen as the one responsible for such inattentiveness.

Some Sleep Well…

Every community, however, has its own “violators”. These are people who see the “2-week” stipulation, not as a consequence for violating faith-principles, but as permission to do so. “As long as I’m willing to step aside for the necessary time”, they reason, “its ok for me to postpone all prior commitments to the things of God”. A week or two “outside the camp”, they suppose, and all goes back to normal once the time expires.

But is that really true? Two or more weeks away might eliminate the viral threat, but what has happened to that person’s heart while they were away? And what kind of mindset does a person have to begin with, that they can so easily “neglect the gathering of ourselves together, like some people do” (Heb.10:25)?

Truancy reveals something about the heart

Simply put, fellowship isn’t a high priority for them. They aren’t too concerned about whether their chosen lifestyle will require time away from their Christian community, they just want to enjoy life, and they aren’t going to let some silly hygiene recommendations slow them down one bit.

Exclusion from fellowship is a nightmare to some, but it’s a vacation for others.

Others Go Camping…

The campout was a real pleasure this year, wasn’t it? In spite of all the cancellations and restrictions we’ve seen, we were still able to safely come together for fun & fellowship. The extra care we’ve all taken in our personal lives may have been a bit of a nightmare, but I hope that our time together this weekend made it worth the effort.

Thank you all for making the necessary sacrifices to spend the time with me, my church in Duluth, and the rest of God’s family. Bad dreams or not, the reality is, your love for us is noticeable.

It started way back in the early 1900’s, deep down where no one could see it. A complex network of sewer pipe was installed beneath my house with the sole purpose of keeping things concealed. Disgusting things. Things we all try to keep hidden (you know what I mean).

And for the first one hundred and fourteen years, it worked great.

Over time, however, the system grew increasingly weak, and finally collapsed without warning. The sewer lines could no longer withstand the pressure, and the very things it was responsible to keep contained started coming to the surface.

With no idea how bad the situation had become underground, I went downstairs and discovered raw sewage mushrooming out of a hole in the basement floor. If I’m honest, it was a bit startling. Neither plungers nor prayers could stop it, so I did the only thing a clear-thinking Christian could do:

I called a guy on the phone and told him I’d give him money to come and deal with my mess.   

A Dirty-Rotten Job:

When he got there, the plumber started jamming things into that hole and pulling out stuff that I don’t want to talk about. By the end of his 30-minute visit, my houseguest had not only smelled my refuse, but had stood in it, and knelt in it as well. It was on his pants…his hands…

This just wasn’t supposed to happen, and I felt terrible for the guy. Knowing that he’d go home smelling like my toilet made me feel sorry for his whole family. Some things aren’t meant to be shared, and sewage is one of them. You never understand how bad things have gotten until innocent people start getting splattered with your excrement.

…this stuff doesn’t wash off easily

For the next week and a half, plumbers, excavators, and sewer repair professionals converged upon my home. Each one taking their turn at fixing the rancid mess I was accountable for. This was a first for me. I never realized how much work it can take, how expensive it would get, and how many people could be affected by an uncontrolled black-water problem.

A Long-Standing Concern:

The whole charade reminded me of that oft quoted statement Jesus made in Luke 6:45: “What you say flows from whatever’s in your heart”. Our minds are a system of inter-connected channels, buried deep down where nobody can see. Thoughts are pouring into those channels constantly, many of which no one needs to know about. They’re offensive & unwelcome, so you naturally keep them hidden.

The problems come, however, not because we keep them hidden, but because we keep them around. The heart is designed to function more like a sewer system than a septic tank. The waste of unholy thoughts & feelings are meant to be flushed away, not stored. Sin doesn’t wash clean on its own, and in due time, that spiritual sediment starts backing up, looking for another way out.

It usually comes to the surface in a friendly tone of voice, made to look like a humble admission (E.g. “Hey, I just want to confess that I’ve been secretly hating you for the last 114 years”). And you finally feel a whole lot better after unclogging your septic heart, but what about the unsuspecting sap on the receiving end of your “confessional”? No matter how pretty you tried to make it sound, they just got splattered with the sludge that came out. Now they get to go home with the foul reality of what you’ve been thinking about them for so long. And believe me, this stuff doesn’t wash off easily.

A Way Better Technique:

Flushing your mind of the filth that your heart can so easily generate is a quick and easy way to serve your Christian family, and it’s a service we all deserve. Any child of God can “Capture rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ” (II Cor.10:5). Learning to combat sinful feelings, silly offenses, and personal grudges is a skill not beyond your reach. It’s actually your responsibility.

The heart is designed to function like a sewer system

Every toilet is built with a flush-handle. Using it with regularity keeps everybody happy. Likewise with the heart. Once everyone in the household of God commits to doing that, we’ll all be able to enjoy the fresh air of fellowship again.

If that isn’t happening, you might be the one to blame for the stench.

A Deeply Buried Issue:

Well, it was a rough month at the Thomson’s house, but in the end, we all survived the putrid affair: The workers got paid in full, the pipes got buried once more, and my biffy flushes like it should.

And we all hope this never, ever happens again.

Ever.

Romans 12:2 tells us to not be conformed to this world. Proverbs 1:15 says not to walk in the way of unbelievers. Christians are expected to look different from the world. The priorities of our life will be different. Our actions, motivations, families, and possessions are to be indicators of our faith. The entirety of our lives should distinguish us from those who reject the truth of God.

When Jesus is speaking to His disciples during the last supper, He reveals one thing to be critical in characterizing us as Christians. John 13:35 says, “By this, all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  Of all the things that Christians are called to do and to be, it is our love for other believers that Jesus says is going to mark us as unique. 

Atypical love

If the love that we display is going to so uniquely distinguish us, then that love must be an uncommon love. It must be a love that can be found solely in true Christian fellowship. We would like to assume that our lives embody this love, but I believe it would be dangerous to think we have this down. Without a doubt, there is room for improvement in our church.   

It is easy to proclaim love and even show it for a short time when convenient. The question is, “Is that love sustained through time, difficulty, and disagreement?” If we compare the love we have for each other to the dictionary definition of love we are probably doing fine. We likely love each other as much as unbelievers do, but God expects more. What is it that should so define our love that it proclaims to the world that we are Christ’s?

How do we do this?

The Bible has a lot to say about Christian love, but in the verse just before his explanation that our love shows that we are His followers, He points to Himself as the example. John 13:34  “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” If we are going to love in a way that makes a difference to the world. We need to love the way that Jesus loved us. 

There is a way to love halfheartedly. This is the love that most of the world is all too familiar with.  In the church, this is a love that lasts only when convenient, self-serving, and agreeable. If this is the level of love that you have, you will find it no longer there when the church makes decisions you disagree with. This love doesn’t endure through pain and difficulty. It doesn’t last past a fleeting emotional high. This love does not put the spiritual and physical health of others above their desires. This is not the type of love that Jesus displayed for us. Jesus’ love was that of humility, total commitment, and sacrifice.

Humble Love

Just a few verses earlier we see Jesus washing His disciple’s feet. This gained Him nothing. The love that Jesus displayed wasn’t self-serving. You might find yourself fond of the church because of what you are getting out of it, but that isn’t real love. Will you love and serve the church with humility even if it gains you nothing in this world? It’s easy to express love for those who will pay it back. Remember Jesus was even willing to wash the feet of the one who betrayed Him. 1 Corinthians 6:7 tells us that for the sake of fellowship and unity we should let ourselves be cheated. Would you do that for the church?

Committed Love

Jesus took the love that he had for the church, His bride, to His death. In Matthew 26:39 we read that this was not necessarily what Jesus wanted, but out of love and obedience to God and a commitment to His people, He pressed on. It was a love that endured even when the good of the church conflicted with His own desires. 

Sacrificial Love

You can’t say that your love is sacrificial if you are only willing to sacrifice that which you don’t hold dearly. Jesus sacrificed His life, both when He lived and when He died.  What are you willing to give up for your brothers and sisters in Christ? Would you give up your passions and desires? Would you give up experiences that you’ve longed for? Are you willing to give up people’s opinions of you? Loving the church is going to cost, are you willing to pay?

The world loves when it wants to. Christians love each other even when nothing in their flesh desires it. Do people know that you are a disciple of Jesus by your love? There is an awful lot that looks like love in this world and a whole lot of it is not Christian. Check your life. Is it marked by a real love for the Church or instead is there only love for yourself? Let’s look to Jesus as our example. The church is far from perfect, but it is the bride of Christ and that reason alone makes it worthy of real love.

In the days before anybody kept tabs on social distances, my wife and I crammed our family into a gymnasium with several hundred strangers just for fun. It was a Saturday, and volunteers from the University were hosting a “track meet” of sorts for children of all ages. Our kids like to run, we like our kids, it all made sense.

The Ones I Call My Own

Nora, being in the “3-year old and under” bracket ran first, while I ran alongside. I paid little attention to whether she ran faster or slower than the other kids, because that wasn’t the point. I just enjoyed my time with her. Not sure why, but I was proud of her. Something endearing about trotting next to your daughter while she does her best to keep up.      

It’s important for a child to recognize that their dad actually likes being their father

Ira was different. I didn’t need to run with him because he didn’t need the same kind of coaching. He already knows which direction to run, and he knows what it means to stay in his lane. Even still, I was there at every turn, cheering for him, reminding him to pace himself, just glad to be a part of this kid’s life. I like being a dad.

Enjoying Fatherhood

We’re told that God loves us as a father loves his own children, but, if you’re like me, that’s sometimes a difficult concept to grasp. I sure enjoy being my children’s father, but does God really like being mine? I’m well-versed enough to know that I’m His son, but I want to feel like it too. I think it’s important for a child to recognize that their dad actually likes being their father, not just theoretically or doctrinally, but experientially.

As a child of God, I treasure those moments where His love for me is unmistakable. That Saturday at the gym was one of those times, although the lesson didn’t start until after my kids had crossed the finish line.

The One I’d Never Met

We were on our way out when the middle-schoolers took to the track. Among them was a cocky young man who was ready to show the world just how fast he was. The gun snapped, and off he went like a cheetah. Half a lap later, he was well ahead of everyone else, including the pace-setter. There was no mistaking the youthful arrogance of this character, but having run a race or two myself, I knew what the future held for a guy like him. He was about to hit a wall he didn’t know existed, and somebody needed to be there to help him through it.

The boy was losing speed fast. The pace-setter easily regained the lead with the rest of the pack just behind. One by one, from the fastest to the slowest, every single contestant passed him by. Dead last, red in the face, and barely able to breath, he was physically beat and emotionally humiliated.

I noticed that his father had given full attention to his Smartphone, and it crushed me to imagine my own children in this kids track-shoes. All alone and already defeated, without a dad to trot next to them. Looking at him only made me think of my own son. It was heart-breaking. I simply couldn’t bear it, so I hustled to the edge of the track and walked alongside the boy I’d never met. “Don’t give up” I said, with the best fatherly tone I could muster, “Whatever you do, never give up”.  

Loved Like a Son

I watched him all the way around the last lap to make sure that he would finish the race. And when he did, I walked right out on to the track just to congratulate him. He lost the race by a mile, but I felt like he just won the Olympics. As strange as it was, I was proud of that kid. It was all I could do to stop myself from hugging him. For a moment, he became like a son to me. There’s no way to explain why I felt like I did about that boy, other than that I have kids of my own, and I was able to love him because I already love them.

Loved By Our Father

God’s love for us is easy to overlook. We’re so busy running around all the time trying to keep up with each other, we pay little attention to what’s right in front of us. But don’t miss it…

There’s a mysterious Father standing alongside the track you’re running on, who counts you as His own. For some strange reason, you’ve caught His attention, and He loves you, even though you might not feel like it. He’s shouting encouragement at you, even if you can’t hear it. He doesn’t care how well you do in relation to others, He just doesn’t want you to give up. His heart yearns to see you finish well, even if you come in dead last on the track. And when you cross that finish line, He’s going to be right there to congratulate you.  

There’s no other way to explain it than that He already has a Son of His own…and He loves that Boy. Always has, always will. When He looks at you, He thinks of Him, and that’s how His affections for us can be as strong as they are. Take it from me, God likes being a Dad.

Only some of you might be fathers, but all of us are children…loved by One who truly enjoys watching you run this race.  

Happy Father’s Day kids.