Welcome to Pastor Jack Buckley's weekly blog and podcast.
You have three ways to hear his weekly message:
- Read Pastor Jack's GODblog.
- Listen now to an audio of the scripture reading and Pastor Jack's sermon.
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Monday, October 25, 2004
What a Difference a Day Makes
A powerful politician died and met St. Peter at heaven's gate. "Welcome!" said the divine doorman. "But before you settle in -- we rarely receive such high officials here so we don't know what to do with you."
"No problem. Just let me in."
"Well, I'm not authorized to do that. But I can let you spend one day in hell, then one day here, and decide for yourself."
Down in the elevator went our dignitary. The doors opened onto a beautiful golf course. By the club house many of his friends waved and called to him.
He ran over and they all hugged and began reminiscing about the good times they'd had getting rich, wielding power, and such. After a round of golf they dined on lobster and caviar. The devil himself was there, dancing and singing and telling the best jokes. Parting time came, with hugs all around.
Up and up went the elevator, back to heaven. For 24 hours our politico moved from cloud to cloud, joining contented souls in playing harps and singing hymns. Time passed quickly and soon St. Peter showed up.
"So then, which will you choose as your eternal destiny?"
Immediately the great man said, "Well, I never would have thought it, but as pleasant as heaven is I think I'd be better off in hell."
St. Peter escorted him to the elevator and pushed the Down button. At the bottom was a barren land covered with garbage. All his friends, dressed in rags, were laboring hard to pick up all the junk.
"I don't get it! Yesterday we played golf, wined and dined, and everything was perfect as could be. Now you're all miserable and this place is a total mess."
The devil looked him in the eye, smiled, and said, "Yesterday we were campaigning. Today you voted for us!"
Let's all vote very carefully on November 2nd.
posted by Jack Buckley at
9:30 AM
Monday, October 18, 2004
The Gift of Forgiveness
Teaching us how to pray, Jesus threw a curve ball when he got to forgiveness. Until then everything was sweetness and light. Faith, hope, love, trust -- the usual religious suspects.
Now, suddenly, comes a conditional promise: "Forgive us... as we forgive others." (Matthew 6:12)
Does he mean "since we forgive"? It's only fair for God to forgive us; we do it all the time. Sounds way too arrogant to me.
Maybe he means "the way we forgive"? Hmmm. That's scary, seeing all the ways we humans botch the job. E.g., Oscar Wilde once said, "Forgive people; it will drive them crazy." Others say, "I'll forgive, but I can never forget."
I get help by looking at this puzzling prayer from three angles:
1. The magnitude of our need to be forgiven: Two synonyms for "sin" show the extent of our responsibility to God. "Debts" are unpaid obligations, things we should do but leave undone. "Trespasses" are violated boundaries, doing things we shouldn't do.
Human nature loves a feud -- You owe me/us, and you're gonna pay! Israelis & Palestinians; Hatfields & McCoys; spoiled brats & black sheep. If God nursed grudges we'd all be dead meat. But God "does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities." (Psalm 103:10)
2. The majesty of being able to forgive: Someone said, "Any man can seek revenge; it takes a king or prince to grant a pardon." Holding a grudge or enforcing the law at all cost, diminishes us. Forgiving elevates and empowers us, sets us free. It gives up all claim on debts we could have collected.
Ironically, you lose everything in the transaction because you've reached a point where there's nothing to lose. And what's gained is worth the whole world. God did that when Jesus died (John 3:16). South Africa did it when they created the Truth and Reconciliation program. Face the facts, no shrugging allowed; accept forgiveness and begin a new way of living, as neighbors instead of enemies.
3. The mirror image in a forgiven forgiver: In the mirror of God's mercy I find a new sense of proportion. No offense against me measures up to my offenses against God. If God majors in forgiving me, how can I refuse to forgive you?
I also see a growing family resemblance in that mirror. Every time I forgive as God does, I become more like Jesus who shows us God in human skin. If we don't interfere with the process, it gets easier and easier to forgive when we're wronged.
Forgiveness is wonderfully contagious. When forgiven people pass it around the world is infected with open-handed mercy, freely given, freely received. It's not a dream, if Jesus really meant what he said.
I'm convinced he did.
posted by Jack Buckley at
10:09 AM
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Our Daily Bread
"Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). Now there's a realistic prayer.
One day at a time, says Jesus; that's how we should expect God to meet our material needs. It's the way we really live, anyhow, so why ask for more than we can handle?
One time Jesus fasted and prayed for 40 days, then he was tempted by the devil at his weakest point. "Make some bread out of those stones there. You can do it. You are God's son, aren't you?"
But Jesus knew there's much more to life than bread. Like, living in the light of God's truth.
His 40 days in the desert were a re-enactment of Israel's 40 years out there after Moses liberated them from Egyptian slavery. They fasted too, but not voluntarily. They just didn't have any food. When they grumbled God gave them a strange kind of bread -- Manna, which fell with each morning's dew.
That "wonder bread" came with a warning: Gather just enough for your family to eat today; hoarding won't work. Some tried it anyway but their stash got moldy and worse.
So we pray by the same principle. Worrying about what we'll eat (or wear, or put in the bank) doesn't help us get it. God is the one who makes it happen, and just one day at a time.
Suppose we stockpile for the long haul, and then tonight we die. What good did our planning do? Instead of clutching God's supply close to our chest, it's far better to open our hands in generous sharing.
Bread for your table is the product of farmers, millers, bakers, drivers, and merchants. You get it by driving, riding, or walking to and from the store. Then there are the makers and maintainers of trucks, cars, bikes, and shoes who help the process work. In and behind all of that is God, who never misses a beat in guiding the world on its daily course.
Life is all of a piece. Each of us helps to answer our own prayer for daily bread, and each other's. Imagine: You're God's answer to somebody's prayers.
posted by Jack Buckley at
9:10 AM
Thursday, October 07, 2004
Honest to God Blog
Welcome to my God Blog.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not so inspired that God needs me to speak through. But each week I want to share with you some honest thoughts about God.
About God at work in real life. About God as the realest part of life.
Someone wiser than me once said, "There's no real difference between sacred and secular. For a Christian every bush is a burning bush, all ground is holy ground."
I'm convinced the whole wide world vibrates and shines with God's presence.
Can we discern what God is up to? How would that shape our thoughts, beliefs, and behavior? What does faith have to do with real life?
The messages you'll read here are my stabs at answering such questions. I hope they scratch you where you spiritually itch. Honest to God I do.
posted by Jack Buckley at
1:02 PM
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