Taking Flight Part 5: The Flight of the Illuminator

“Taking Flight Part 5: The Flight of the Illuminator”

By:  Pastor Andy Whaley

How many times in your life have your heard the phrase, “shine your light?”  It begins when we are very little as we are taught to sing, “This little light of mine”.  But what in the world is this light we are supposed to let shine?  The intriguing answer comes from Jesus Himself:

“so let your light shine before men that they might see your goods and

praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus says that “good deeds” are a light shining bright in the midst of a darkened world!  No, not for the purpose of earning salvation – that’s His job.  He did it once for all time when He climbed up on that cross and as He walked out of the empty tomb.  However, Jesus commands good deeds for a very important purpose - to reveal our Father in heaven.  To illuminate what God and His love looks like in real life.  Jesus did it first when He took flight from heaven down to earth.   He approached humanity living in darkness, and brought His light of life.  He is the very power that illuminates our lives!

In Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus proclaims the power of the illumination he brings, “blessed are you when you figure out that you are poor, blessed are you when you figure out that you are meek, blessed are you when you figure out that you’ve gotta’ depend on God alone – for everything.  Blessed are you when your life is touched in such a way that you are changed.  When you care about grace, mercy, justice, and peace!  These things empower you.  These things illuminate you.  These things send you out in the Father’s name to be a light in the dark. 

But beware, the darkness hates these things!

I love this phrase from Dr. gene davenport author of “Into the Darkness: Discipleship in the Sermon on the Mount”,

“The disciple must face the world fully aware of the desire of the darkness

to pervert and destroy the witness of the Light!”

The darkness will fight against the light!  That is true.  But an even more challenging truth is that we were called specifically to shine our light in the darkness.  Not to run from it.  Historically, there are four flight patterns people take when approaching their cultural surroundings:

1.)  The Separatists – Those who desire to simply escape the world and its darkness.  To evacuate.  To avoid being tainted by evil.  This is what the “Essenes” did.  They moved out to the desert and hid in caves.

2.)  The Antagonists –Those who desire to simply critique and judge the culture.  To point fingers at people - their decisions and actions.  Unfortunately, they offer no alternative/positive input.  No restoration.  No healing.  We see this evidenced in the Pharisees of Jesus day.

3.)  The Copiers – Those who desperately want to be “relevant.”  They mimic society, copy it and bring it into their spiritual setting.  But something unexpected happens when you copy the current culture – you begin to live out more of what you see in the world and live less like illuminators.  We see this in the Sadducees of Jesus day.  They held to their Jewish traditions but copied the Hellinistic Greek philosophy that stated, “there is no resurrection of the dead.” They followed the ethnic law but had no hope at the end of the story – can you imagine?

4.)  The Sell-Outs – Those who truly like what the culture is selling and buy it.  You see this in the Herodians, the people that ruled Jerusalem during the days of Jesus.  They sold out to the Roman occupation.  They claimed to be the kings of the Jews, but were only interested in serving themselves. 

Unfortunately, each of us, left to our own human nature falls into one of these 4 ways of approaching culture.  And that is one of the reasons why Jesus came.  To forgive us from this type of thinking and behavior.  To free us up to take a different approach!  To beat back the darkness with light!

In stark contrast, to the 4 patterns listed above, Jesus forever reigns as the true king of light in the midst of the darkness, and offers, by way of His own sacrifice, the gift of eternal life to all.  His flight is a majestic voyage of miraculous proportions filled with creativity and imagination.  He flew from heaven to earth with a cultural purpose: create a new society in which life thrives.  And as His followers we have been called to the same purpose:

1.)  To Bring Hope = Affirm the things that are good beautiful in the world – because God is behind it!

2.)  To Provide Clarity = Speak the truth to power in love! To stand in the middle of relationships. To bring about reconciliation, healing, and restoration.

3.)  To Create Direction = To provide positive, creative life solutions and produce Jesus counter-cultural goods.  Instead of just complaining about what is bad or only pointing out the negative.

4.)  To Uphold the Common Good = To Serve everyone! To have a positive impact on humanity!

Take a look at how Christians in the 2^nd Century lived this out:

The Christians...busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives go far beyond what the law requires. They love all mankind, and by all mankind are persecuted…They are poor, and yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance.

To put is simply:

What the soul is in the body;

So are Christians in the world!

(letter from “Mathytys” to Diognetus”)

“You are the light of the world.  Let your light shine before men,

that they may see your goods and praise your Father in heaven.”

Amen!

 - Andy

Taking Flight Part 4: Maintaining Orbital Integrity

“Taking Flight Part 4:  Maintaining Orbital Integrity”

By:  Pastor Andy Whaley

Orbit: A regular, repeating path that one object in space takes around another.

Integrity: The state of being complete; whole; having everything that is needed.

If you have seen the movie, “The Right Stuff”, you remember larger-than-life astronaut Gordo Cooper (as portrayed by Dennis Quaid).  Quite sure of his abilities, and never short on self-esteem, Gordo could be taken, at times, as a bit obnoxious. (A statement I’ve been known to represent, at times.)  Throughout the movie He repeatedly asks his wife, “Who’s the best pilot ya’ ever saw?” To which his loving bride was always supposed to immediately respond, “You are Gordo.”

On May 15, 1963 aboard the Faith 7 spacecraft, Gordo Cooper was launched into orbit.  And on that day, he was indeed the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen.  As the movie states, “He flew higher, farther, and faster than any man before”, orbiting the earth 22 times.  But take a look at the words he prayed on the 17^th orbit of that incredible voyage. 

“Father, we thank you, especially for letting me fly this flight …

for the privilege of being able to be in this position,

to be in this wondrous place, seeing all these many startling, wonderful things

that you have created.  Help guide and direct all of us that we may shape our lives to be much better Christians, trying to help one another, and to work with one another rather than fighting and bickering.  Help us to complete this mission successfully.”

A man known for boasting in his own abilities, was brought to his knees inside a tiny man-made capsule amidst the massive expanse of outer space.  Gordo finally experienced the greatness of God in a way he had never imagined.  At that moment, he understood his place in God’s universal family.  His prayer resonates with me personally and is a strong reminder of our societies need for a renewed humility, and a repositioning of orbital integrity revolving around God’s Word!

The prophet Micah faced a similar need for renewal in his day. His very name repeatedly begged the question, “Who is like Your Father?”  To which the Children of Israel were supposed to immediately respond, “No one!”  Unfortunately, God’s children had become fat and arrogant, resting on the assurance of their own abilities.  They had lost their sense of humility in the face of their Father God, and happily wandered into the spiritual wasteland of empty ritualism, idolatry, and self-gratification!   In Micah chapter 6 we are ushered into a courtroom to witness Father Yahweh lodge a legal complaint against His household.  The Father summons His children to listen to His Word and challenges them to prepare their response. He welcomes them into the vastness of the home He created for them, reminding them of His unfailing love, and the gracious way He has always acted on their behalf.  The children listen and respond by asking what they should do to appease their Father’s anger.  To no longer see the disappointment in His eyes.  To feel the warmth of His Fatherly love once again.  Micah responds directly to the children: You want to end the disappointment you see in His eyes?  You want forgiveness for not living by your Father’s rules while under His roof?  You want to feel His gracious love once again as before?  Don’t try and pay for it with a bad Father’s day tie once a year.  Don’t try and buy your way out of this with sentimental sacrifices that have no lasting effect.  You know what your Father requires of you? Act like His children!  Do what he says! 

“He has told you, children, what is good: and what does your Father require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8

Our family went down to Houston this past week to visit my mom and dad, Sam’s Grandpa Jim and Grandma Lynn.  It was good to be back in the Space City.  And we had a great visit.  While we were there Grandma Lynn pulled out the water-colors for our 3 ½ year old son, Sam.  We were sitting at the kitchen table painting, laughing, and having a good time.  Grandma Lynn lovingly explained to Sam how to use the water, and to be careful not to mix too many colors together.  Sam suddenly retorted with one of his go-to lines, “don’t tell me what to do!”  Immediately I jumped in with my first responders standard, “Sam, don’t talk to Grandma Lynn that way.  I want you to be a good boy.”  Looking up at my mom I recognized the inquisitive look on her face as she turned to Sam and asked, “Sam what’s a good boy.” Without even taking a moment to think Sam rolled his eyes and said, “Good boys listen to their daddy’s and do what they say.”  My mom jumped right back in and asked, “So what’s a bad boy.”  Sam answered, “Bad boys don’t listen to their daddy’s and they get in trouble.”  My mom kept the conversation rolling, “Sam, why should you do what your daddy tells you to?”  To my great delight, Sam quickly responded with, “Because he loves me.”  He then gave me two gentle pat-pats on the arm and leaned over to give me a kiss.  “Who could hope for more?” I thought to myself, but my mom had one more question to ask, “Sam, what does your daddy tell you to do?”  Sam looked at me, and then Grandma Lynn and said, “Be nice!”

Heavenly Father, guide us, direct us, and shape us, in order to complete this mission! Amen!

 - Andy

Taking Flight Part 3: Flying in Formation

“Taking Flight Part 3:  Flying in Formation”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

“No man is an island, complete in himself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.  Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.”            – John Donne (Christian Theologian & Writer)

Last week focused on heeding Jesus’ call of the wild; breaking free from the weight of the world’s ever-present seduction of, and our own sinful nature’s constant desire for - comfort, security, and self-serving religiosity; risking instead to take flight with Jesus on His untamed migration.              

Make no mistake, however, joining Him on this amazing adventure does not entitle us to simply go off in different directions, chasing our own desires, and living as though we have no responsibility to a greater community.  Yet, this is one of the greatest battles we currently face, the constant barrage of a deadly one-two punch:  

The first, reducing Jesus message solely to the realm of personal salvation (it’s all about me and Jesus, I made my decision, said my prayer, now I’m good to go) leaving us and the “gospel of the kingdom” that He actually brought with Him, woefully incomplete.

- Bam! The Right Cross of Ignorance!   

The second, highlighting our society’s alarming worship of individuality, over and above any sense of or bond to community.  Espousing a dangerously inhumane propaganda that you are more important than everybody else.  Instilling in us the insidious and highly addictive task of daily comparing ourselves to one another.

- KaPow! The Uppercut of Dissonance!

The painful truth is that this is neither a practical nor sustainable way of life!  Everybody gets tired.  Everybody falls down.  Everybody needs someone to lean on.  In the book of the Bible titled Ecclesiastes, we hear from the great poet king Solomon, (who tried individualism to its max), that when you live for yourself and you happen to slip and fall down - there is nobody there to pick you up!

What fool!  What a pity!  What a knockout blow!

(Eccl. 4:10b)

This however, is not the Way of life that Jesus calls us to!  In our Gospel reading for the week (Matt. 4:17-24), Jesus announces that the true call of the wild:

“Come, Follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people.”

flows from “the gospel of the kingdom!”  Proclaiming we are part of a greater community.  Calling us to renewed civic responsibility.  Promising us greater blessings and benefits as citizens living out this deeper reality.

Isn’t it a little embarrassing that even wild geese know better than to go it alone.  They provide us with a great example of what happens when we fly as a community.  1.) Flying in formation conserves their energy, and reduces wind resistance, adding at least 71% greater flying range to the flock than if each bird were to fly alone.  2.) Although the V formation benefits all of the birds, the bird in the lead position works the hardest. When it tires, he drops out of the lead position and falls further back in the formation. Another bird will rapidly move forward to take the lead and keep the community together. The two birds in the furthest trailing positions also tire more rapidly than those in the middle, so these positions are also rotated frequently. This cyclical rearrangement gives all birds the responsibility of leading as well as the maximum benefits of being in the middle.

3.) Flying in formation provides the geese with increased visual contact allowing for better communication and coordination within the group, keeping the flock together and minimizing the possibility of losing anyone as they cross vast distances. 

4.) Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of the group, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he dies, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with their original group.

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-13)

The kingdom reality that Jesus brought with Him promises us that we were created (Gen. 2:18), and redeemed (John 15:12-13) for love, compassion, and companionship as we live in the midst of an eternal community (Rev. 21:2-3) today and for all eternity!



- Andy

Taking Flight Part 2: Untamed Migration

“Taking Flight Part 2:  Untamed Migration”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

“Those that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”  

 - Benjamin Franklin
 

Today I want to share with you a parable by Soren Kerkegaard: a Danish theologian, and philosopher who lived during the early 19^th century.  He was a man who had a passion for pointing out the practical, and relevant way of life that Jesus gave His followers to live in concrete and substantial ways; over and above the simply abstract and ideological thinking of his day.

 “Soren grew up in the countryside surrounded by farms that raised domesticated geese.  Each spring he would watch as a new gaggle of goslings hatched and grew.  Over the course of their short lives, these geese would gorge themselves at constantly refilled troughs of grain until they were so fat they could hardly walk. He imagined that they believed their lives to be perfect, as every need they had was catered to in abundance.

However, when autumn came, a gruesome truth was revealed.

At this time, the wild geese that had spent the warm summer months in Denmark would gather in preparation for their southerly journey – an untamed migration.  They would circle in the skies high above the farms, echoing their call of the wild - to any stragglers on the ground - to join them in their heavenly flight.  At this point, the domesticated geese would lift their heads from the feeding troughs and look into the skies.  Desiring to heed the wild call of their untamed cousins, they would become animated, running as best they could around their enclosures, emulating flight.  Of course, their gluttonous diet and life of luxury had ensured that they were far too fat and lazy, to ever get airborne, and to be honest, at this point in their lives they probably didn’t really want to join their untamed cousins on that perilous journey risking the self-serving lifestyle that they had become accustomed to anyhow. 

But their instincts were strong, driving them mad for an instant, desperately trying to recall the beauty and nature in which they were created.  Sadly, they were left only to day-dream for a brief moment of what it must be like to fly.  The wild untamed geese would then fly off soaring through the skies together continuing on their untamed migration – while the fattened, domesticated geese would simply return to their barnyard existence satisfied with the enclosure and the walls around them, completely ignorant of the farmer’s grim ultimate purpose – they were destined for the chopping block, and the dinner table.

There is quite a difference between the wild geese soaring through the skies on their untamed migration, and the domesticated fattened geese destined for a gruesome end isn’t there.  What of us, reading these words today?  What kind of followers of Jesus have we become?  What kind of followers is He calling us to be? 

A storied interpretation of John 1:35-42a:

“The next day the wild-eyed prophet named John, you remember, the guy who refused to give in to the fads and fashions of his day choosing instead to cause quite a stir living out in the desert and wearing camel’s hair and eating honey for breakfast and locusts for dinner.  Yeah, that guy, he was there again down by the Jordan, with two of his followers describing how the wild, untamed life of a follower of Yahweh, is very different from the comfortable, domesticated, religious existence that the people around them had so easily settled for - when suddenly, he saw Jesus flying by. The wild-eyed prophet cried out – Look! there He goes that wild Messiah – the one we have been waiting for all these years – He’s on His untamed migration.  As He flies, He will break us free from the lies of our comfort, our luxury, and our religiosity - all that stuff that has been keeping us down for so long. He will set us free to be wild, to fly with Him on His untamed migration, and to echo His call of the wild to others.”

When the two followers of the wild-eyed prophet heard him say this, they immediately began to run after Jesus.  Turning His head mid-flight, Jesus saw them running alongside the river’s edge chasing after Him and He asked, “what do you want?” they said Rabbi – which meant teacher (of the wild and untamed life), “where are you flying off to?”  And Jesus replied with the call of the wild, still heard today -      

“Come, and you will see!”

After the two disciples had spent the day with Him, flying free and learning His way of untamed life –Andrew (one of the two) who was already remembering his instincts and his wild untamed nature took to flight in order to find his brother Simon.  As he set foot on the ground in front of him, Andrew echoed the call of the wild he had answered to his brother,  “Simon, we have found the wild, untamed messiah, His name is Jesus, – get up of the ground and fly with us!”

In a society so hell bent on chasing after comfort, security, and self-serving religiosity it is very difficult - indeed a true challenge on a daily basis to remember that we have been called to live a life in Jesus Christ that intentionally and consistently engages challenges, risk, and self-sacrifice.  Are we ready to follow the wild messiah on His untamed migration filled with adventure and yes, even risk?  Are we ready to leave the comfort, the security, the luxury, and self-serving religiosity of the farm in order to take flight and “Come and See”? 

As you fly this week, may you be blessed to know and to grow in the adventure of His Way of Life that you too echo out the call of the wild to those you meet.

And all God’s people said, Amen!

- Andy

Taking Flight Part 1: Born to Fly

“Taking Flight Part 1:  Born to Fly”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

This past week Sam and I were out on the playground in our neighborhood, and as is the case almost every time we are there, Sam ran over to the swing set and cried out with great joy and excitement, “Daddy, Swing me.”  As I walked over to the swing set I reached down and picked up this barely 3 foot tall bundle of life and set him alight upon his aircraft of choice – a light blue swing with slightly rusted chains – second from the right.  I gently took up my fatherly duty to swing him, and immediately the cries of, “higher, higher, higher daddy! – to infinity and beyond” rang out across the playground. I began to bubble up with fatherly pride and joy as other parents looked over to see who this suburban daredevil was. 

As he was swinging I engaged the fatherly task of instructing my boy on the proper way to take flight and keep flying – kick your feet up, drop ‘em down, straighten your legs, bend your knees – real simple instructions with practical and meaningful effect – someday!

But this day, as I am pushing him and calling out the instructions, Sam turns his head mid-flight and cries out to me, “Daddy do you see the plane.” “Yes!”, I replied,  “he is really flying high through the clouds, and going very fast isn’t he.”  And with child-like simplicity, alarming honesty, and deep sincerity written across his face he said, “Daddy, I think I forgot how to fly.“  I was taken aback for just a second by this statement so I did the only dad thing I knew to do and asked, “Did you know how to fly before.”  And Sam simply and very matter-of-factly replied, “Of Course, didn’t you?”

Then he said to me, “Daddy if you keep pushing me – I will remember!”

You see we were all born to fly – we just struggle throughout our lives with remembering how at times.  Sometimes it takes a 3 ½ year old boy to remind me of how simple it really is.  That’s exactly what today’s gospel reading is all about – Jesus coming to the river Jordan to be dunked under the rushing waters – bending his knees low as he goes under, and then suddenly flying up out of the water again, legs shot straight! It is in that moment that Jesus taught us all how to fly. He took all the dead weight that world had to offer, the stuff we all have inside us that would prevent us from ever being able to get off the ground and he took it all down with him deep into the waters – drowning it and leaving it there, and then he gave us all the freedom to soar higher than we could ever have imagined, when he shot back up out of the waters and into the air.  He did this to fulfill all righteousness – he said.  Freeing us from our sin and empowering us to fly to the highest of heights with him.  And as he did this for you and for me His Father looked down at Him and said, “This is my son in whom I find great delight – I love watching Him fly.”

In our baptism – we were all born to fly, just like Jesus!  And even though we may forget how, at times, our Father is always right there with us – pushing us once again, calling out simple instructions – bend your knees, kick your legs straight; go down deep into the waters, and shoot high into the air once again!

As Sam kept swinging and another glorious Texas twilight began to set in with the glorious colors she paints on the clouds - the oranges, the pinks, the reds, and the purples against a blue/graying sky, I noticed that Sam had become very quite.  And as he leaned his head back ever so slightly to feel the wind in his hair as he soared back and forth, higher and higher, I noticed that his eyes were closed and an amazing childish grin had spread wide across his face, and I asked him, “Sam, what are you doing – and he answered, “remembering how to fly daddy!”

And All God’s people said – Amen!

- Andy