Author: Don

With the guidance of the Holy Spirit, I hope to share inspirational material from a variety of sources. Of course, my ultimate source is God's Word.

To Kneel or Not to Kneel

Growing up in the Church of the Epiphany in Washington, D.C., serving as an acolyte may be part of the reason for my bad knees. Even when the Book of Common Prayer indicated congregants could either stand or kneel, Rector Kane opted for kneeling. In fairness, I must admit that soccer, tennis, and football deserve most of the blame for my bad knees.

As a young adult, I found kneeling uncomfortable and spent part of the time on my knees, allegedly in prayer, praying that the prayers would soon end. Why would he put us through such torture? I wondered. As I look back on those days, I realize that I was trending toward the less spiritual side on the pendulum of spirituality,

Recently, I was reintroduced to Psalm 95, and the words—Come let us worship and fall down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker—caught my attention.  I wondered how many times the words kneel or bow down (related to the worship of God) appear in the Bible.  I discovered a score or more verses about bowing down to God and scores of verses that refer to God’s prohibition on bowing down to worship anyone or anything else.

Bow down – a verb meaning to bend at the neck, waist, or knees as a display of respect, honor, or obedience. It is an expression of humility.

It is noteworthy that the only verses in the New Testament that use the words bow down are found in Matthew 2:11 where the Maji bowed down to the baby Jesus, and the words Satan spoke to Jesus,
recorded in Matthew 4:9: “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

In Ephesians 3:14, the apostle Paul wrote about kneeling to the Father, but that was more of a comment on his personal practice, not a general prescription for prayer. Does that mean that bowing down (kneeling) became old school, something that was not required of followers of Jesus?   

I believe that New Testament writers used another word found approximately 70 times in the Bible: humble. Over the years, countless pastors have reminded their congregations, “If something appears three times in Scripture, God wants you to pay special attention to it.” What about verbs (action words) that appear repeatedly, like bow down and humble?

Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his
care. Psalm 95:6-7 (NIV)

The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. Psalm 145:14

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
1 Peter 5:6

So, what do we do about this? It is unlikely (and not something I would encourage) that our churches will suddenly start to include kneeling during prayer as part of their ritual. It would be uncomfortable for many and seem legalistic to others. There is, however, something every believer can choose to do on their own. In your quiet time, bow down in worship, kneel before the Lord our maker.

Recently I found myself in a dry period when it came to my prayers. I was saying the words, but my mind and heart were elsewhere. Then one morning, I don’t know if it was part of a devotional, remembrance of a sermon, or something I heard on the radio, but Psalm 95 came to me as a powerful
instruction. I got out of bed and went to my knees in prayer.

Instead of just praying because praying is expected, I felt I was in a genuine conversation with our Lord. Let me correct that; I was in a meaningful soliloquy with the Lord. I am listening more attentively, but the lines of communication have been inactive for a while. Psalm 95:8(a) continues, Today, if only you would hear his voice…

Lord, help us to hear Your voice and worship You in a posture that is
pleasing to You.  AMEN

Who is God to You?

This was an unusual weekend. I decided to drive by Tanyard Creek to see if anyone from Village Bible Church was handing out Bible tracts. I had joined two other church members in this evangelical effort last weekend—something way out of my comfort zone—but something I found to be unusually rewarding. If the team needed reinforcements, I was willing to help.

Arriving at Tanyard Creek, I was disappointed that no one was there. It was earlier than they normally start, so I headed home to knock out a few items on my to-do list. Time got away from me, and it was mid-afternoon before I gave the evangelical effort further thought.

The next morning, I was eager to go to church. I attend the 9 AM service. We also have a 10:30 service. As I turned the corner to enter the parking lot, there wasn’t a single car. I drove around the church, not a single person. Maybe there had been a power failure and I had missed the announcement, but there wasn’t even a note on the door. Momentarily, there was that sickening thought: The rapture happened, and I missed it. That’s the second time in the last few months that that thought came to me. Is God trying to tell me something?

Anyway, it finally dawned on me that I had been one day off starting with Friday; It was not Sunday, but Saturday. OK! I admit it, I’m getting old, but this turned out to be a fortuitous chronological hiccup. Tanyard Creek was on the way home. Entering the parking lot, I saw Mark Underwood. It turned out he was alone, so he welcomed my help.

Being a scientist and well-versed in the Bible, Mark is well-equipped to present the Gospel. He also has a wonderful approach to evangelism that can be used by anyone who loves the Lord. He starts with a friendly greeting in which he first gives his name and then says he is there to talk with people about their ideas about God. “Who is God to you?”

As I listened, his question elicited interesting responses: “My Father in Heaven,” “The Creator,” “Father, Son, and Holy Ghost combined,” and other straight-from-the-Bible responses. One woman offered a simple “I like Him.” A young man said, “He is my mentor.” One woman said she is a Christian and returned to let us listen to a lovely song she had found on TicToc: “Flowers” by Samantha Ebert.

Two Sisters from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints stopped by and shared their ideas about Jesus with us, as did three men with Rugged Faith Ministries, a group that offers “Adventure with a Purpose.”

One of the most interesting visitors was a young man who called himself “a low-watt atheist” Mark took that comment to mean that “the young man felt he was stumbling in the dark without enough light to see clearly (thus “low-watt”) to believe in God.”  Mark said he was especially glad when he returned from his hike—”He came up to us intentionally—to thank us again for the conversation and to say that he would be thinking more about what we talked about.  It’s great when the people come up to us instead of the other way around.” 

Mark added, “I will certainly pray for God to continue to work in that young man’s life to draw him back to faith in Him.”

The young man didn’t recommit his life to Christ, but he left with quite a bit to think about, as did I.

When was the last time you pondered the question, “Who is God to me?” We go to church. We pray. We tithe and try to love others as Jesus commanded, but how well do we know our God? As I stood listening to Mark, I found it difficult to put together in my mind a clear-cut answer to the question, Who is God to me?

For me, it is not a problem of too little faith, it is a problem of too much faith. It’s easy for me to believe the biblical descriptions of God because words like Father, shepherd, healer, guardian, comforter, master, teacher—even Lord are things I can see, feel, or touch, but God is so much more than all these combined. He’s hard to wrap our minds around.

Who is God to me? I am still working on that one. I’m sure it’s been said before, “A god small enough to define is simply too small to be God.”

Unrequited Love

The story is told about a kindergartener, who changed schools in the middle of the school year. He was having difficulty making friends, so he came up with the idea of giving Valentine’s Day cards to the kids in his class. His mother helped him prepare thirty-two hand-made cards, one for each child and a special one for his teacher. The day came, and he went off to school carrying a bag full of cards.

His mother was working in the kitchen when he returned home empty-handed. Fearing the worst, she asked him what had happened at school. He shook his head. “Not a one!” he said. “Not a single one.”

His mother was astonished when he suddenly broke into a broad smile. “I didn’t forget anyone, he said proudly. “Not a one!” He did not even give a thought to the fact that no one had remembered to bring a card for the “new kid” in class. The important thing to him was he had been able to show his love to everyone.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”  John 13:34-35 (NIV)

That is a humbling standard. It’s almost as difficult for me to get my mind around as Matthew 5:48, where Jesus ends his discourse on loving neighbors with the words, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

In the case of the kindergartener with his valentines, we have a glimpse of what perfect love might look like. His response to unrequited love was pure joy. He did what he did, expecting nothing in return. Sure, he hoped the cards would help him make friends, but he decided the best way to find a friend was to be one.

Easy for a five-year-old but not so easy for adults. Sometimes the risk of putting oneself out there doesn’t seem worth the pain. Maybe, you have been the type of friend Proverbs 18:24 describes as a friend who sticks closer than a brother. But you’ve been disappointed by, or even betrayed by your friend. You have been there through their ups and downs, only to have them walk away when you needed a shoulder to cry on. Unrequited love like that can trigger disappointment that can turn to bitterness that can lead to anger.

Are you angry because someone failed to respond the way you felt they should? It may help you move past your anger to remember love isn’t a quid pro quo virtue. There isn’t always a return on the investment when you are giving yourself. Sure, it’s human nature to feel disappointment when someone fails to reciprocate or respond appropriately to your kindness — it is Christ-like to forgive them.

God so loved the world…we can requite his love by loving him and by sharing his love with others. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  1John 4:7-8

Why Did You Leave Me

Recently I lost my Wife Bonnie. On the way to her Celebration of Life, I wrote a poem that expressed my feelings at that point. I don’t know what God’s plans are for me; I just know I miss my sweetheart and feel as if a part of me has been ripped out.

Why Did You Leave Me
How do you say goodbye to someone who is so much a part of you that your heart finds it hard to beat, and your lungs demand answers before they allow you to breathe?
Why did you leave?
I repeat, why did you leave?
Was God upset because I loved you so much, and lived for your touch, and the sound of your voice?
He gave me a choice; He should rejoice that I learned to love so deeply.
Did he call you home to bring me closer to Him?
Had my love for you become sin?
Did He open heaven’s doors and welcome you in to save me from being locked out?
Forgive my confusion and doubt.
I want to shout thanks for the time we had, but it still hurts too bad.
It still hurts too bad.

Where is Everyone?

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.  
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NLT)
My son John lives in Avon Park, a small community in central Florida. When he heard that I planned to spend Easter weekend with him, he went online to see just how far we would have to travel to find a special Easter service. Don’t get me wrong, every service that exalts our Lord and Savior is special. John and I are just spoiled from years of attending mega-churches.
   John decided that we should attend the 9 AM service at Grace Bible Church in Sebring, Florida. He arrived at my motel which was just about a mile from the church at 9:40. We were in the church parking lot by 9:45.
   The problem was there were no other cars. There were no other people, and there was no sign on the door to explain what happened.
   “John, I said, “The rapture happened, and we missed it!”
   I paused to consider the frightening consequences of being left behind. John interrupted my cogitation with an explanation: the Easter service had been moved to a coliseum on the other side of town. It was only a ten-minute drive, so we were in our seats before the service began. The music was familiar, there were baptisms, and the pastor gave a memorable message in which he started with Genesis and touched on all the books of the Bible, giving a short explanation of how all 66 of them point to Jesus.
   As we left the service I thought about my comment, “The rapture happened, and we missed it.” Of course, we didn’t. But what if it happens tomorrow, or the next day? Am I ready? Are you ready? Is anyone ready?  
The Bible tells us there is a way to be sure we are ready:
If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9 
The message from Romans is, “Don’t be bashful about your faith. Better to be embarrassed, criticized, mocked, or condemned than to one day find yourself standing in an empty parking lot wondering where all the Christians went.