Blessings to all on this gorgeous Tuesday,
Unless someone's isolation has included no radio, television, or internet access, it is impossible not to be aware of the unrest around our country in response to the actions of a group of police officers against a person who had been detained. Those actions led to a death. The protests and even some of the riots are like an exploding powder keg whose fuse was lit by that action. What is happening is more than outrage at one incident but a outpouring of a frustration that has been simmering under a thin layer of peaceful coexistence. 

I know that for many in the church, the frustration felt by minorities is an academic acknowledgement at best. I don't mean this as a criticism only to point out that unless a person has felt the humiliation of being targeted by authorities because of the color of their skin, the reality of such an experience remains an intellectual recognition.  However, the lens of racial bias is not limited to one skin tone.  Sometimes, it is also expressed in comments that communicate a preconceived notion of what is normal in the context of racial relationships.  Allow me to give an example of such expectations.  One of the biggest blessings and privileges that I have experienced is being called to pastor SLCC. Our church, although diversified, has a history in which the majority of the congregation is Caucasian.  Because of this fact, I have experienced comments by people that were white, black, brown, and even Asian which communicated surprise that such a congregation would call a Hispanic to be their pastor. There were even comments by other pastors that conveyed the assumption that  SLCC had called me to start a Hispanic outreach, but not to actually be the pastor.  I recall a conversation where I had to stifle a chuckle when an African-American gentleman said, "So you are the pastor here?" I said that I was, then he said, "but they are a white church, and you are Spanish, right?" I again said yes, and he finished with, "hmm, interesting?"  

Expectations based on the lens of perceptions we look through.  It is difficult to avoid looking at life through the perception lens of our life. And as long as we each see things through our individual lens, things will continue to look the same to us.   It is only when we succeed in looking and responding to life through the lens of Christ, that significant change will occur. This means that even in these tumultuous times, the primary need is to share Christ.  In Acts 1:8 His disciples, which includes us, were told to be His witnesses to all the corners of the earth.  That begins with the first person we come into contact with today. Let us strive to communicate  that the only real hope for change is in Christ. Let our zeal for Christ be superior to our feelings regarding what is happening around us. 

Blessings
Vic  

A blessing on this first Monday in June,
It is fairly normal that our eyes and ears can get so accustomed to something that we either no longer see it or hear it.  It is not a deliberate decision, it simply seems that our brains somehow tune it out.  For example, when Pam and I were newlyweds, we secured military housing at the Presidio in San Francisco. We had a beautiful place that had a view of the bay. This also meant that one of buoy lights flashed in our window at night. The first few nights in our new place found us struggling with going to sleep because about every thirty seconds, a flash of light would flood out bedroom. After awhile, we no longer noticed it or at least it had no effect on our sleep.

The same can happen with billboard signs, reader boards, and advertisements we see every day. It can even happen with a logo on a business card or bulletin.  Part of our logo includes the words that are found in Micah 6:8 [He has told you, O  man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.] While we may not intend to ignore the lesson in these words, we can fall prey to seeing them so much that they can almost become a mantra without much thought. The words translated as doing justice refer to doing the right thing more than judicial justice. The choice of the word "kindness" in English is limiting because the Hebrew word carries the understanding of practicing kindness, mercy, love, gratitude. The idea being that we do the right thing, and that because of the kindness, love, and mercy, we have been shown by God, our gratitude includes practicing those traits towards others.  Along with walking humbly (in right relation) with our God, the text speaks of our horizontal reality (behavior towards others) reflecting our vertical reality (our connection with God).  Justice (doing the right thing), mercy, kindness, love and a heart conscious of our connection with our God. This is mindset that is to guide our steps each day. 

There are times when such words can be blurred by seeing them often or our frustration at not seeing them practiced by others.  Sometimes it leads to doing something in the name of one of them but in reality demonstrating the opposite.  This weekend, there were three groups of people acting out in the name of justice. One protested, one destroyed, and one came to help clean up destruction. Which group lived out Micah 6:8?

Food for thought.
Have a blessed Monday
Vic

A blessed Saturday to all,
It is impossible to turn on the news or open up our news browser and not be flooded by stories of the protests across our country regarding the death of a suspect through what video shows is a disregard of proper procedure. The result of that event has sparked protests across our country. These protests communicate an anger that is difficult for some to fully understand because their experience with LEO (if any at all) has always been in compliance with standard procedure. Others find an avenue to vent frustration at unpleasant encounters with the police for a justified or unjustified reasons.  

In my life before Christ, I experienced both.  There were times I broke the law and the officers who detained me were professional and I never felt like my civil rights were violated. There were also some encounters with law enforcement personal who used their office and my violation of the law as justification for excessive force, racial bigoty, and an avenue to vent their own frustrations.  The reason I share this is convey that I understand frustration at injustice and people using their job as an excuse for unlawful behavior.

I also look at the riots and ask "how many of these people are actually outraged and how many just see an excuse for unlawful behavior?"  I also thought of what our society would be like if we demonstrated similar passion when we considered sinful behavior by others and by ourselves. 

Paul's words in Romans bring this question to mind. In Romans 2:22 he writes [You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?] and in Romans 12:9 [Let love be genuine. "Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.]  I am sure some who are throwing rocks at LEOs have a resume full of lawless actions under their belts.  Is it right to show frustration at sin by committing sin?  Is it possible to show our hatred of what is evil by not holding fast to what is good? Do we who are outraged by the behavior of the police officer who caused George Floyd's death or the unlawful behavior of rioters feel equal outrage at our own sin? 

Let's remember the danger of throwing rocks when we live in glass houses.
Have a blessed Saturday
vic

A blessed Friday to all
Letter of James addresses several themes that are easily applicable to daily life.  He provides exhortation on faith, testimony, works, and consistency. In the opening chapter of his letter, he writes in 1:5-8 [If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously  to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind, For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord, he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.]  While the immediate context teaches us about double-mindedness, which is understood as a doubting or being unstable in their faith. 

When it comes to instability of our faith and our testimony, there are few Christians who will say "oh, yes that's me".  However, I believe that instability, like ungodly behavior, sometimes is camouflaged  by other factors.  For instance, I don't wish to help someone in need and I will say to myself, "it's a scam" or "he (or she) will use it for drugs". I realize that we must be good stewards and practice discernment but my point is that it is easy to talk ourselves into not doing the right thing.  Another way that we can fall prey to double-minded behavior is in how we apply different rules to things that are not that different.  In case that last sentence did not make sense, let me try to clarify it with some perspectives on our current situation.

Folks will have no problem standing in line, wearing masks (or not), and maintain social distancing while they go to Walmart, Costco, Safeway, and various businesses that have remained open but when it comes to the thought of attending worship service, will declare, "It's not safe!"  What some will say, 'I will go to work, but going to church has to be put off because there is a danger of infection."  I have a friend whose church will open up next week (different state). The church Facebook page posted "When ____resumes worship services, we will be at least as safe as the Walmart you all go to"

The purpose of using these examples is not to make a political stand but to show that inconsistency and double-minded behavior is an easier trap to step into than we may think. Let us strive to demonstrate steadfast behavior in what we say and in what we do.
Have a blessed Friday
​Vic

A blessed Thursday to all
Yesterday I met with a fellow church member who had not been over at our home in a while. We sat on the back porch and before the meeting, he looked at our hill an pointed out the many changes that had taken place since we first moved in.  He said that unlike the many trees that had been there before, the trees and plants that replaced them demonstrated an intentionality to how they were laid out.  It was gratifying to hear that our work was bearing fruit.  One of our sons had said earlier that we should post some before and after pictures.  

As I sat and thought of the before and after, and about the comments regarding intentional design, my mind went to my spiritual growth over the years.  The work in our back yard is the result of many hours of work by Pam and I but we are not the only ones who have contributed.  We had brothers from the church come over and help put in a French drain; enlarge the retaining wall, and pour a large concrete pad area.  We had a sister in Christ spend many hours with us on the hill putting in plants and showing us how to put in a sprinkler system. Others have been a phone call away when I needed advise on something we were trying to do.  So the transformation on the hill is the result of intentionality, hard work, and the help of others. It is the same for our growth as Disciples of Christ.. 

In Galatians 6:2, Paul writes [Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the Law of Christ.] Eight verses later he states, [So then, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.]  My growth in Christ has come about through the study of Scripture, communion with Him in prayer, lessons learned through service, and through the support of brothers and sisters in Christ. They carried the burdens of my tears when I was hurting; carried me when I felt weakened by challenges; pushed me over hurdles of my own making, and encouraged me when I felt emotionally drained. My growth as a child of God did not happen without personal effort and it did not happen on my own.

Just like our back yard area, the progress is the result of the contribution of others.  Each day, we need to seek to build each other up. The transformation of our lives from before and after cannot happen without the help of others. The transformation from before and after of others cannot happen without us.  

Have a blessed day
Vic