Thoughts on St. Patrick’s Day: Saints or Sinners?

Have you ever wondered what St. Patrick’s Day is all about? What are we celebrating? Who was St. Patrick anyway, and why was he made a “saint”? And what does his “sainthood” have to do with the way St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated: parties, costumes, parades, leprechauns, shamrocks, boozing it up, etc.?

What is “sainthood” all about? The term “saint” carries both admiration and stigmatization. We sometimes think of a “saint” as someone who is above reproach, but not quite human. Not someone you can tell a joke to, or pat on the back, or engage in conversation about fleshly struggles you are experiencing. A saint is thought of as someone who can’t be tempted to do something sinful, like you and I may be. But is that what being a saint really means?

The Catholic Church has granted “sainthood” to more than 10,000 former inhabitants of planet earth. Usually it happens after the person is dead, when he or she can’t be here to enjoy the honor accorded to them. Some of the saints have universal Catholic acclaim and others have only locally ascribed “sainthood”. One of those 10,000+ saints has been granted a memorial day celebrated all over the western world – St. Patrick of Ireland, who is perhaps the most well-known of all the officially recognized saints.

Though St. Patrick’s Day is usually associated with and celebrated by those of Irish descent,  St. Patrick, Apostle of Ireland was born in Scotland, at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in the year 387; he died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland  March 17, 493 at age 106. His father, Calphurnius, was a member of a high ranking Roman family, and his mother, Conchessa, was a near-relative of St. Martin of Tours. So it appears that Patrick came from a family of saints and sinners, just like you and me.

At age 16 Patrick was kidnapped by Irish marauders and sold as a slave to a chieftain in Dalriada, a territory of the present county of Antrim, Ireland, where for six years he tended his slave-master’s flocks. In his “Confessio” (his confession of faith, written in his old age) Patrick relates how this captivity put him in a place where he had time to realize his own sinfulness and his need for a relationship with God. This time in slavery led to his spiritual   re-birth. His testimony is well worth the time to read it.

After a series of visions, dreams, escape from his captors, deliverance from roughneck sailors, and finally a return to his family, Patrick received a call from God through a vision, to return to Ireland to minister to the Irish people. He was then in his mid-twenties. Response to this call was the beginning of the rest of his life. Even though other missionaries had sought to Christianize Ireland, Patrick is credited with converting Ireland from pagan Druid demon worship to Christianity, almost single-handedly.  He was known as a gentle, soft-spoken man whose life was marked by long periods of prayer and fasting; out of that committed lifestyle was born a powerful force against the kingdom of spiritual darkness in pre-Christian Ireland. His “Confessio” summarizes his life and his beliefs.

There is a lot of myth surrounding St. Patrick that has grown up over the centuries, such as his driving the snakes out of Ireland. But if snakes and scorpions are symbols of demonic spirits, as in Luke 10:19, then he indeed drove the snakes out of Ireland.

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you.”

The promise in this verse was evidenced in St. Patrick’s life: he was subjected to frequent trials at the hands of the Druids and other enemies of the Faith. No fewer than twelve times he and his companions were seized and carried off as captives; on one occasion in particular he was loaded with chains and sentenced to death. But from all these trials and sufferings he was liberated by God.

Saint Patrick’s day was made an official feast day in the Catholic tradition in the early seventeenth century, but has gradually become a celebration of Irish culture in general. That which started out as a commemoration of the life of a saint, has devolved into a cultural celebration of mere “sinners”.

Even if St. Patrick had not received the “sainthood nod” from the Catholic Church, he would have still been a saint in God’s eyes; as is every Spirit-born, regenerated believer in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

In all of his New Testament writings, the apostle Paul refers to followers of Christ as “saints”. There are at least 45 references in the NT to the “saints”: Luke’s book of Acts, John’s book of Revelation, and each of Paul’s letters – all refer to God’s people as “saints”. If you are a regenerated believer in Christ, God considers you a “saint”.

Does this mean that we as saints never sin, never do anything wrong? No. Even the 10,000 “saints” of the Catholic Church were not perfect people. St. Patrick referred to himself as “a sinner . . . the least of all believers”.

We are not yet perfect “saints”. However, the Biblical designation of believers in Christ as “saints” sets a standard for us to live up to. Even though we still may sin and still occasionally do sin, we should not refer to ourselves as “sinners”, nor intentionally engage in sin – for this degrades what Jesus accomplished on the cross by dying to set us free. And “sinner” is not how God views us.

As Gal. 4:6-7 says:

^“Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” ⁷ So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.”

Perhaps we should each view ourselves as St. Marcy, St. Mike, St. Roland, St. Bruce, St. Susan, St. whoever you are -members of God’s family, called to be “saints”, who re-present our Heavenly Father as we pass through life here on earth.

I hope this give you something to think about today. And, oh, yes, Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

©2012, Marcy Alves

Related Post:

St. Patrick Was a Protestant!!

Election Year 2012

“Who are you voting for?” was a question directed at me last night at our lifegroup meeting from a 21-year-old woman. The question was in response to my admonition to the group members to make sure they voted in our NH Presidential Primary, if they care about the well-being of our nation.

If you have read any of my other blog posts, you’ll concur that I seldom make reference to politics or political issues. I’m more interested in proclaiming truths of the parallel kingdom of the Spirit. However . . . to illustrate that sometimes kingdoms collide and cause much concern, I’m leaving the narrow path and venturing onto the wide road for one blog. I’m doing this because . . . ?

2012 is an important election year.  It’s not just politics as usual.

Not just because of the lack of life-sustaining jobs in the US and an economy that has resulted in thousands being forced out of their homes by banks who received money from our government to help American home owners, then either misused or withheld those funds for their own interests.

Not just because we have the highest national debt in the history of our nation – not because any one party created that debt.

Not because our nation is fast succumbing to an “entitlement mentality”, both inside and outside of the Capital beltway and the Capitol Building.

Not because there’s more coming-in than going-out in nationally produced American goods and services, which contributes even more to our jobless rate and consequentially to our national debt.

Not because we give away billions of dollars to other nations who could care less about Americans, except as “sugar daddies”, rescuers, job suppliers for their impoverished people, because their own governments either don’t care enough or don’t know enough to take care of their own people – or are experiencing the results of their own ideological choices.

Not because we sell arms and munitions to those who are likely to use them against us.

Not because we don’t stand by our long-time ally, Israel, the only democratic country in the Middle East, but push her further and further toward dissection.

Not because our law-makers and court “law interpreters” cater to the loudest minority protestors who want special treatment in areas of race, religion, education, US border control arrests, birth/death choices, and rights of various sexual preferences (who knows where that may next lead us?).

It’s an important election year because our Constitutional freedoms will soon be on the auction block to the highest bidder – if we don’t have a change of ideological and political direction in the next four years. Already freedoms of speech, public expressions of religion and religious philosophy, the right to bear arms, and the right to choose to purchase or not to purchase our own health insurance are in serious jeopardy. I’m sure there are other endangered freedoms that I haven’t included here.

Even our American courts have been challenged and made concessions to both international law and laws of certain religious sects, where those laws collide with American law. I can envision a time when physical abuse and even murder cases may be deferred to certain religious institutional laws. When people chose to live in America, they should be subject to American laws. Concessions will lead to collapse to our own system of laws and their enforcement.

If you care about the USA and are planning to vote in the Presidential Primary in your state, or in the November 2012 elections, please do yourself and everyone else a favor by going on-line to the actual sites of the candidates – read what they stand for. Also, check voting records on issues that you care about. If you have time and opportunity, attend town halls and debates where various candidates will be speak and be available for questions. Address specific questions to candidates’ websites.

Please don’t vote if you are not an informed voter.

Don’t depend on network TV, radio or newspapers to faithfully report what each candidate stands for – everybody has a bias, even journalists. Some networks aren’t even trying to disguise their biases.

Don’t allow your vote to be purchased by empty promises, either on the local or the national levels.

Finally, pray about whom you should vote for; God, who knows “what’s in the hearts of men” and can alert you to a sense of things that are hidden – for He weighs the thoughts and intents of the heart. Ask Him for wisdom that goes beyond appearances and vote for the person(s) of His choice.

See you at the polls?

©2011, Marcy Alves

Witness: for Defense or Prosecution?

Have you ever been a trial witness? Being put on the stand can be an unsettling thing.

I have only once been called upon to be a witness in a courtroom; this was an insurance hearing for a personal accident in which I was the innocent victim.

Being a witness can be a tricky thing; lawyers have a way of casting doubt concerning the validity of a testimony.  My case was judged in favor of the plaintiff, the driver who hit my car, because his lie (or bad recall) was judged more believable than my testimony of the truth.

We’ve been following the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson’s personal physician, on ABC news for the past month or so.  Dr. Murray is being charged with involuntary manslaughter in the death of Jackson on June 25, 2009.

The testimony of a key witness for the defense was turned on its ear by the prosecuting attorney this past week.  Dr. Paul White, the expert defense witness for Dr. Conrad Murray, was supposed to be one of the strongest keys to Dr. Murray’s vindication for actions taken the night Michael Jackson died.  What resulted was a series of answers that actually indicated possible negligence on Dr. Murray’s part.

Though I have never been called on to be a witness in a criminal or civil trial, as a Christian, a Spirit-born follower of Jesus, a disciple of Christ, I am a witness!  I don’t know where I may have to testify for my faith, as many witnesses who have gone before me.

The disciples were told that they would be led before kings and governors for a witness of Christ Jesus.

Luke 21:13-15   “ . . .  you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. ¹³This will result in your being witnesses to them. ¹⁴ But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. ¹⁵ For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

John the baptizer was sent by God as a witness to the authenticity of Jesus – identifying him as “the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”.

John 1:6-9 “There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

Christians are also to “bear witness to the light”.  The way we become genuine Christians is through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit of God. The empowerment for our witness is after we have receive the Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Notice that we are not asked to be witnesses, we are told that “you will be my witnesses . . . “.

If you are a Christian, the question you have to ask yourself is not “Will I be a witness?”, but “What kind of witness am I being?” to people around you in your daily life and spirit beings in the unseen world who are watching you.

Heb.12:1-3  “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. ² Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Once people know that you are a believer, a Christ follower, they will be watching you closely. It’s not enough to say, “Don’t look at me, I’m not perfect.” and to use that for an excuse for being a bad witness.

Our Savior, our Heavenly Father, and the faith we ascribe to, are being judged by our behavior. That’s why the writer of the New Testament book of Hebrews says to:

“. . . throw off everything that hinders and the sin that gets us all tangled up”. Heb. 12:1

The way we live is more important than our words – it either validates or discredits what we say we believe. Sometimes people can’t hear us for what they see in our behavior; our words and our walk don’t line up.

My husband and I were watching a short documentary video called 180 recently. A sampling of people were asked if they would ever kill anyone. Most said “No.” Then the question was modified, “Would you kill if ordered to do so, as in the concentration camps in Nazi Germany and Austria.” They all said “No.” Then the questioner added, “What if they told you that if you did not comply, you would be shot, would you kill someone then?” Most of those interviewed, irrespective of age, said “Yes, I would.”

Our verbal witness has to be backed-up by our action witness – which can’t be based on a situational ethic. How far would you go for your witness?

Rev.2:13  ”These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword. ¹³ I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name. You did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives.”

There are nations where “Satan has his throne.” We have been praying for months now for Asia Bibi, the Pakistani woman who has been imprisoned for 2 years because of her Christian faith, and Iranian pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, who is facing a death penalty for his faith in Christ. Both are holding firm to their faith in their Savior Jesus, living witnesses to the love of God.

We are to be such witnesses to anyone and everyone regarding our relationship to Jesus:

Acts 22:15-16 “You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. ¹⁶ And now what are you waiting for?” (Ananias to Paul)

As I thought of this blog topic while sitting on my deck the other day, I asked God some questions: “Father, what kind of a witness am I?  Does my life point people toward You or give people a good reason not to have faith in You?”

I don’t want the “prosecuting attorney” – the “accuser of the brethren” – to be able to turn my testimony against my Savior in the eyes of the world; I want my beliefs, my words, and my lifestyle to form a consistent witness. It would be better not to talk about my Savior at all, than to give a mixed message.

As the lyrics of a Casting Crowns song entitled “Lifesong” say, “I want to sign your name to the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true. Let my lifesong sing to You.”*

Something to think about this week: are you a witness for the defense or the prosecution of Christ?

©2011, Marcy Alves

Laughter: A Natural Medicine

Has anything made you laugh recently; I mean really laugh? Or are you, like so many people, laugh-deprived?

There is so much serious, spiteful, angry, vengeful, critical, judgmental, accusatory, hurtful stuff filling the airwaves, video screens, Facebook posts, blog comments, and print media, that it’s sometimes hard to breathe in the thick atmosphere of malcontent.

There is so much bad news worldwide: national and international crises, human suffering, natural disasters, job shortages, stock market roller coaster rides, disease, murders, child abductions, etc.

I sometimes feel that I am suffering from laughter deprivation, humor depletion, a definite feel-good shortage. I find things to smile at – but little to laugh at. And most of the stuff on TV sitcoms that is classified as “humor” is either stupid or borderline obscene.

To balance things out a bit, last week ABC had a story on the benefits of smiling. Research has revealed that a smile makes people feel better, whether it’s a smile from someone else offered to you, or your own smile offered to another person. If a simple smile can do that, imagine what hearty laughter can accomplish.

I checked out the benefits of laughter and have decided that I need to do a lot more of it.

Laughter can have a positive effect on pain levels.  Not only can laughter give us a physical and emotional release from pain and stress, but it can actually give us an internal workout – on the abs and the diaphragm, as well as  relaxing other muscles, like those in the neck and shoulders.

Laughter not only reduces the level of stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, but it also increases the level of health-enhancing hormones like endorphins and neurotransmitters. Laughter also increases the number of antibody-producing cells and enhances the effectiveness of T-cells–those cells that are instrumental in fighting such diseases as cancer. All this means a stronger immune system, as well as fewer physical effects from the daily stress that’s in all of our lives.

When we laugh more through the day, it also takes our attention off of negative things that surround us. If we look for the humorous side of things or put a humorous spin on things, it can ease the stressful moments and give us a different perspective on the situation at hand.

I am a very practical person; I can easily see the roadblocks that could hinder a project or idea. This can sometimes lead to stress before things happen. I am a plodder and can push myself until something is done, whether or not I really want to be doing the project.  When laughter is injected into the planning or the work, things usually go smoother, with far less stress.

The Bible says:

Eccl. 3:4 There is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh . . .” (NRSV)

Though life has it’s time of tears, it’s not good to dwell on sad things. We need to look for and plan for laughing times.

David and I both realized a while back that we need to laugh more. So we began to tune into old sitcoms, like The Dick Van Dyke Show,  I Love Lucy,  All in the Family, and Keeping Up Appearances. We sometimes pull out an old funny movie, such as What About Bob? or the older version of such classics as The Importance of Being Ernest.

If you want to get your mind and body into a more healthy state, especially if you are fighting a disease, as I am,  you need to put more laughter into your life to help strengthen your immune system.

Prov. 17:22   A cheerful heart is a good medicine, but a downcast spirit dries up the bones.

Laughter is contagious. I love to laugh, though I don’t do it often enough. And I love to hear other people laugh. I have some favorites among the laughing population. My friend Joan has a catchy laugh and she can often see humor in the ordinary things of life. My friend Cheryl has a great laugh; sort of puts you in mind of the lion on the Wizard of Oz. There is a pastor friend of ours from Beebe, Quebec, Canada, named Bob Cargill who has a very distinctive laugh that is uniquely contagious.

But my very favorite laugh belongs to my husband. He has a great sense of humor and has a truly contagious laugh; it’s warm and friendly. I love to hear him laughing with others and encouraging their attempts at humor. His laugh makes me feel good, whether or not I am laughing with him.

I have a friend in Maryland named Dennis who often forwards emails to me that inevitably make me laugh as I read them. I usually end up sharing them with my household and friends and I laugh again with those people. I think I laugh louder and longer when I share the humor with someone else.

Look for ways to share your humorous moments and laugh-creating cartoons, videos, or emails with your family and friends.

Humor is a great pick-me-up for the blues.  So the next time you feel down, get with a friend who makes you laugh, watch a funny movie or sitcom, and ask the Lord to give you a spirit of joy in place of heaviness. Don’t let laugh deprivation ruin your day or your life.

What’s makes your humor thermometer rise? What makes you laugh?

©2011, Marcy Alves

Who’s in the Driver’s Seat?

Going for a ride in your car can be dangerous. And life in the fast lane can be especially treacherous.

There have been several tragic and fatal car accidents in the news this past week; two that are remarkable in their unique circumstances. One occurred at the Las Vegas speedway and the other at the intersection of Route 30 and Jessup Avenue near Marshalltown, Iowa.

The auto accident death with the highest national and international impact was that of IndyCar-driver Dan Wheldon.  He moved from England to the U.S. to be able to race in the Indy 500, which he called, “the biggest sporting event in the world.” Wheldon fulfilled his dream by twice winning the Indy 500.

This past week Wheldon was competing in the Las Vegas Indy 300 when the racing career of this 33-year-old came to an abrupt end, as did his life.

According to an article on the NASCAR website, “Wheldon started last in the 34-car field and was up to 24th quickly, but still well behind the first wave of cars that got into trouble on the fateful lap. Still, he had no way to avoid the wrecks in front of him. There was no time to brake or steer out of trouble. His car sailed into the fence extending high over the track barrier, and about two hours later, his death was announced.”

It was reported on ABC news later that he had died instantly from blunt force trauma to the head.

The other tragic accident referred to in my opening paragraph was that of Gordon and Norma Yeager of State Center, Iowa. The Yeagers were 72-year “marriage veterans”. Gordon (94) and Norma (90) had gone for an early morning drive that ended in their deaths several hours later. Their vehicle was hit by another car when Gordon failed to yield as he pulled away from a stop-sign into the path of another vehicle. There was no time for the driver of the other car to stop.

Gordon and Norma both died later that afternoon holding hands in the ICU room where they had been placed together.

Though “accidents happen” there are tragedies in this world that seem to be “other directed”.

Of all people, race drivers are aware of potential danger accompanying the thrill of racing, but are willing to take the risk. But, how many IndyCar races have there been at the Las Vegas track with no such pile-up as the one this past week?

How many people would consider it a risk to go for a morning drive? How many times have you or someone you’ve been riding with failed to look carefully before entering traffic from a side-road and have been spared from an accident, rather than becoming a victim?

There are other forces at work here.

Recently I spoke for a Christian women’s group in Sherbrooke, Quebec. On my way to Sherbrooke I picked up a friend in Newport, VT. On our way out of town on the evening before the speaking engagement, it was after dark as I approached an intersection where I clearly had the green light. Just as I increased my acceleration, a driver coming toward me suddenly took a left turn in front of me, cutting me off. I slammed on my brakes, stopping about 1½ feet from his front side passenger door.

About 35 minutes later, when my adrenalin pump had returned to normal output range, we were driving on a dark country road, when my passenger suddenly said, “A deer!” Only I thought she said, “Oh dear.” So I responded, “What’s up?”

She then almost shouted, “NO, A DEER!!!” To which I quickly responded with a foot on the brake pedal (adrenalin is a powerful, quick-action hormone) as “Bambi” bounded across the road. The deer had come in from my left in a blind spot created by the panel where the front windshield and the side window come together.

Another force was at work that night – one who did not want me to arrive safely in Quebec; one that did not want me to share my testimony with the women’s group the next morning. I rebuked that force in the name of Jesus. Thankfully, another power was with me that night.

My husband had a “driving” dream earlier this week. In the dream David was on a road not far from our house. He was riding in the passenger seat; no one appeared to be on the driver’s side. There was a steering wheel on his side of the van, another on the driver’s side, and one in the backseat. He was trying to steer with the wheel in front of him, but the car wouldn’t go where he attempted to direct it. He thought of switching over to the driver’s side of the car to use that steering wheel, but there was no seat on the driver’s side. It was scary to have absolutely no control. David woke up, glad to find himself in bed instead of in an uncontrollable vehicle.

I believe that David’s dream contained a message from God: it’s a message to all of us.

“My child, you’re in the passenger seat. I didn’t put a seat on the driver’s side of your ministry vehicle because I’m the driver, not you. There is a steering wheel in front of you and you will often feel like you should be doing something to steer the ministry. I will sometimes let you steer, but only when you take time to get directions from me. When the vehicle seems to be going out-of-control, turn to me. I will always be in the vehicle with you and will take over the controls any time you ask – trust me.

“The steering wheel in the back seat represents others who will try to steer your ministry course. Don’t let backseat drivers control the vehicle. Pay attention to me and you will not become a fatality of a wrecked ministry.”

How about you? Do you ever feel like your life has spun out of control? Or someone else is steering from the backseat? And just when you think you’ve regained control of the steering wheel, it seems to be disconnected from the tires on the ground? You’re heading toward a pile-up on the track and you can’t stop or steer around it.

How do you get back in control? Or should you even be in control? Are we ever really in control?

Long ago I surrendered my life to God. I asked Him to take over the controls of my life. I have to admit that there are times when I try to steer from my side of the car – the passenger side. But the Lord has allowed things in my life that are beyond my ability to control – I cannot dictate the outcome – such as dealing with cancer. But I can leave the driving up to my Heavenly Father, knowing that as I follow His leading, as I put my full trust in Him and His love for me, He will see that it all comes out just as He has planned.

There are no accidents where God is concerned. Though there is another force that would like to destroy me, as on my trip to Quebec, “greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world”. My Savior is in the driver’s seat and that is where I want Him to remain.

Who’s behind the steering wheel in your life? You or God?

©2011, Marcy Alves

Related articles

• Dan Wheldon dies in tragic IndyCar finale (topgear.com)

Pastor Appreciation: Saying “Thanks”

When is the last time you said, “Thank you” to your pastor or priest? Or have you ever done it? October is “Clergy Appreciation Month”. It’s a time to say, “Thank you for your service,” as we stop to think about the pivotal role of “pastor” in the life and health of the local church body. This is a national awareness month, a time when we honor those men and women whose vocational ministry and spiritual calling is to nourish, instruct, and shepherd the sheep in their appointed area of God’s spiritual pasture.

These are men and women who have been called by God and have responded to that call by committing their lives to training disciples of Jesus and equipping their congregants to do the work of the ministry in their individual areas of gifting.

This is no easy task.

There are many sheep whose inclination is to wander off from the flock and become prey for predators, to be obstinate and un-teachable, to butt and bite the other sheep, to become “cast down” so that they can’t get up without help, or to become sickly from eating the wrong food.

My husband, David (who is a pastor) and I have been watching ABC’s documentary on the tape recordings of First Lady Jaqueline Kennedy, wife of John F. Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States. On those forty+ year-old recordings she spoke of the terrible loneliness her husband experienced as he tackled the affairs of State, his sleepless nights, his doubts and fears over decisions he had made, and the tears he shed over the failure and loss of life resulting from such decisions gone bad, such as at the Bay of Pigs.

My heart is drawn to Mrs. Kennedy in her obvious compassion for her husband.  I identify with her sense of the weight of the burdens he bore, and with her desire to ease his distress. Although the responsibilities of the pastor do not compare with the weighty decisions of the President of the USA and their possible consequences of national importance, like the President, that’s where the buck stops if something goes wrong. And though the pastor is not involved in international wars, the spiritual impact of a pastor can have eternal results in the battle for good over evil.

Anyone who has not been a pastor cannot imagine the stresses and energy drain of pastoral ministry and the on-going spiritual warfare that is part of such ministry. Pastoral ministry can be an extremely lonely existence for the pastor, and for his wife and family.

I have watched my husband (my pastor) agonize in prayer over the course our church body should take and when things didn’t work out, to wonder about his ability to hear God. I’ve seen him flounder under undeserved criticism and misunderstsanding, fight against feelings of rejection or failure when families have left for greener pastures, wonder if he’s in the right place and if he should leave the pastoral ministry, puzzle over the lack of comprehension when he’s preached and taught what he believes is the heart of the Father – with sometimes little visible results. I’ve seen his struggle to accept a phone call when he’s already exhausted.

No one in his right mind who knew ahead of time about the temporal and spiritual challenges of pastoral ministry would choose such a vocation. Most of us who have been personally involved for any extended length of time (say, more than a year?) can no longer be casual or callused about the struggles inherent in pastoral ministry.

I have been a pastor’s wife for 20+ years now. Four of those years we were in local church youth/family pastoral ministry while also in part-time itinerant ministry. We also spent about 10 years in strictly itinerant ministry. Neither the years of youth-pastor ministry, nor the years of itinerancy,  during which we ministered to many pastoral couples, prepared us for the role of full-time local pastoral ministry.

We blush a bit now at the presumptions of some of our early “Come Away” ministries – four-day weeks of small group outreach to pastors and their spouses. We were encouraged as we watched their tensions lessen and their tired faces reflect some easement of their ministry stress.  But we did not know by personal experience the feelings of defeat and futility that pastors and their spouses often felt over their local church ministries. We now know it firsthand.

Besides the smile of our Heavenly Father that we feel in His presence, the warmth of His love that drains off the stress and exhaustion of pastoral ministry, there is one other thing that keep us going:  the expressions of gratitude from our church family.  There are things that make it all worthwhile: words of appreciation, the “ah-ha” reflected on the face of a congregant who “gets it” as he/she opens like a flower to the work of the Spirit, a simple “Thank you for that message”, or a sincere hug as someone leaves the worship service. And once in a while a card, or a gift, or a dinner invitation. Or we hear the pride in a voice as it says, “I’d like you to meet my pastor,” or, “You ought to visit our church sometime.”

If you are a member of a church, I’d like to challenge you – this month, this week, today – to think of a way to thank your pastor for his commitment and service to the Lord, to you, and to the rest of the church body. And if there is a clergy person from your past who positively affected your life, take a moment to contact him/her and say, “Thank you for caring about me and having an influence on my life. I’m a different person because of your influence.”

If you have a pastor for whom you are thankful, how about jotting down a few sentences and sending them to me. I’d like to include them in a post before the end of October. Also, share this post with others and remind them to thank their pastors.

Thank you!

©2011, Marcy Alves

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• October 9 is Pastor Appreciation Day / October is Pastor Appreciation Month (waynepark.wordpress.com)
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Encouragement: Producing Hope

Are you an encourager? Or a discourager?

Recently at our weekly Lifegroup meeting (a small community group from our church fellowship) we took a “self-examination” on encouragement.  There were fifteen “I” statements on the exam page. We were to rate ourselves on a scale of 1 to 5 – 1, being “hardly ever” up to 5, being “nearly always”.*

The self-exam had two columns in which to rate our encouragement to “family” and “others”. With my husband sitting next to me, this was a bit challenging. In case he was peeking at my self-scores, I didn’t want to overrate myself.  Self-exams are hard to do with a potential onlooker at your side.

Some of the “I” statements were tough to rate, like . . . “I have a healthy balance of affirming others for who they are and for what they do.” Sometimes I find myself defining who people are by what they do, their words and actions  – but “who” and “do” don’t always match up.

For instance, there are people who have been so beaten down by negative life experiences that who they really are becomes lost in depression, anger, fear, resentment, or hopelessness. If their circumstances were to take a turn for the good, without interruption by more bad circumstances, a whole “new” personality might seem to emerge. But sometimes that “new” person has been there all the time – just needing some encouragement to surface.

Anyway, at the end of our self-evaluations, we discussed our responses to the exercise.

Several of us felt we were more encouraging to “others” than to close family members. We seem to expect more from family members. Or family members may not feel as obliged to put their best foot forward at home, but expect their family to excuse their moodiness, grumpiness or rudeness. We don’t want to encourage bad behavior by being too nice, or so we reasoned.

Also, most of us tend either to put up with those negative moments from our family members, knowing (or hoping) those moments will pass, or we react in-kind – negativity for negativity. We often don’t think of giving encouragement to deflect unconstructive or pessimistic talk or actions.  So, we either reflect the negativity back to the offending person or ignore the person altogether.

From my experience with depressive talk, actions, or thinking from others, I have found that much of it comes out of a hopelessness that anything will ever get better.

There is always a cause for depression – a mental, emotional, spiritual, or physical trigger. Often it only takes an injection of hope into the situation to bring about positive change; the opening of a doorway out, or even a window to let light into the space where those who need encouragement live.

I have found several keys to help move people from discouragement to hope:

• be an attentive listener and ask questions to show interest
• pray with the person whom you are trying to encourage
• share Scriptures which assure her/him that God knows about and can do something about their needs
• offer to assist in setting goals and establishing first steps towards accomplishing those goals that will bring change
• don’t give up on people who need extra time and compassion – God didn’t give up on you

There are many Scriptures that deal with “encouragement”. Here are a few to ponder as you consider your role as an encourager or “hope-giver”.

Our Heavenly Father’s Example

Psalm 10:17 You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; You encourage them, and You listen to their cry . . .

Romans 15:5  May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus . . .

Heb. 12:5-6  And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:  “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,⁶because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.

(That last passage may not seem to be encouraging at first reading, but it is truly awesome that God accepts us as ‘sons’, with all the privileges of being His children; other people need to know that God will accept them.)

Our Assignment as Encouragers

1 Thess. 5:11   Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

1 Thess. 5:14   And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

 2 Tim. 4:2  Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

Heb. 3:13  But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

Encouragement and Hope

Romans 15:4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

2 Thess. 2:16-17  May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, ¹⁷ encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

As we talked through the results of our self-exam, most of us in the Lifegroup conceded that we are not there yet as high-ranking encouragers. Yet, we would like to be people of hope who pass that hope on to others. I think the encouragement exam will cause us to look for opportunities to be encouraging others.  As children of God, we want to reflect His nature to those around us. And He is the ultimate encourager.

How about you? Are you an encourager? Would you like to be? Think about it.

©2011, Marcy Alves

*How Am I at Being an Encourager? c. 2000 Ken Williams Ph. D, International Training Partners

Memorials: to Life and Death

This past weekend was one of memorials. It seems that on every news program there were reports about memorial preparations and video footage of memorial services held in honor and remembrance of those who lost their lives on 9/11/10.

There were stories of heroism and saved lives, loss and recovery, children who never met their dads; widowed- mothers who bravely moved on with constant reminders of their loss, the father-resemblance etched on the faces of their offspring.

Often as we viewed the images on our TV screen and heard the words “We will not forget”, we were moved to tears. Those tears expressed pride in our resilient countrymen and in the dedication and heroism of first responders, professional rescue workers, and fellow office workers at the Twin Towers and the Pentagon.  There was also pride in and amazement at the braveryof those who downed the plane in Shanksville, PA; those who knowingly sacrificed their lives to save other lives.

As part of last weekend I also attended a Christian memorial service for a friend named Bill who had bravely fought, but lost a war with cancer.

Bill left a legacy behind, expressed in the testimonies of friends and family; a legacy of toughness and bravery, humor, dedication to his Savior, concern for the eternal destiny of others, and tough love that expressed itself in action to those God put in his path. Bill had discovered God’s love and forgiveness in his life and was dedicated to helping others find the same spiritual healing and release from the prison of addiction and sin; to help them discover a life of joy and peace.

But there is a third memorial that the 9/11 weekend calls forth in my mind: it’s a commemorative of wasted lives, destructive acts caused by a handful of men who were groomed by hate and bitterness against an “enemy” of their  imagination. They were groomed by others who hid in obscure places, preserving their own lives by sending others to do their murder for them. These hit-men commandeered aircraft for the sole purpose of killing others, without regard to the individual innocence or guilt of their victims.

These were men driven by the perplexing  philosophy of a strange religion that appears to be a belief in a “god” who hates, a “god” of violence.

These young men committed acts of random carnage for what? They committed suicide for what? A moment of glory that will pass away as the blades of grass? The promise of 70 virgins in paradise?

What about their wives and children left here on earth to mourn their senseless loss? What about their parents and brothers and sisters and their grief? Surely Muslims mourn these losses, as we should also mourn such a waste of life.

There is such a contrast in these three memorials:

• the one at ground zero – a memorial to the innocent people who lost their lives, to acts of heroism and bravery by many, and to American patriotism and solidarity.

• the memorial to our friend, Bill – which was a tribute to the God he loved and served: a God of forgiveness, purpose, joy, love, and kindness

• and the memorial to the hijackers of 9/11/10 – a memorial to carnage; acts of confused minds driven by hatred, revenge and false promises of eternal reward; a memorial to wasted lives.

I desire that my life be a memorial to the living God who gives the sure promise of eternal life to those who trust in the sacrificial death of His Son, the One who died to give life, not to take it.

May my life be a memorial to our resurrected Savior who stands with His arms open and says in Matthew chapter 11:

 ²⁸ “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

And may my life be a memorial to the living God, our heavenly Father, who reminds us through the Apostle Paul in Romans 12:1 to:

“ . . . present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”

Such a living memorial will bring honor to the God of love who calls us to life, not death.

If you have never met the living God, He is only as far away as a prayer: “God, I would like to know you, please show me how. I want to experience the gift of spiritual life that you are offering me.”

I would love to be of help to you in your search for life with meaning and purpose – a life of peace and joy.  Please feel free to contact me.

©2011, Marcy Alves

Related articles

• No Prayer at 9/11 Memorial Service: ‘Has America Lost It’s Way?’ (logoschristiancenter.wordpress.com)
• Fallen Heroes Left Behind (onlyspartanwomen.wordpress.com)

Waiting for Hurricane Irene

There’s a strange, ominous kind of feeling in the air today – though hurricane Irene is several days away from New England as I write this blog and sun dominates the landscape here in New Hampshire.

Most folks here have one eye on the weather reports and the other on precautionary storm preparations. Many are purchasing generators, flashlights and batteries, oil for oil lamps, bottled water and extra shelf food, and are filling their gas tanks.  Most people are securing their houses – especially those living closer to the coast – boarding up windows and glass doors, sand-bagging, putting away yard objects that could become damaging missiles in the expected fierce winds.

New York City and Philadelphia are closing down their public transport systems – the subways and elevated trains – and their tunnels, due to expected flooding and high winds. Lower Manhattan is being evacuated and hospital patients are being sent off by ambulance and helicopters to other hospitals located on higher, safer ground.

It’s actually sort of scary/exciting to think about this major storm moving up the east coast – sort of like those ghost stories we used to tell as children. Only this “ghost” is real – just how real, we will find out in about 24 hours in mid-New Hampshire; for this invisible menace will have very visible results.

Some, who have never gone through such a storm as Irene is predicted to be, will do nothing to prepare for her coming. Some will stay to face the storm and will  need to be rescued by others who will risk their lives in those rescues.  And some will die.

There is another storm coming – not just to the US, but to the whole world. It will be a devastating storm as predicted in Scripture – a battle to-the-end between good and evil – between God and the enemy of the souls of mankind.

Yes, I know, this battle has been going on since before the beginning of time when Satan was ejected from God’s throne room and cast out of heaven. But we have only seen skirmishes so far.

This enemy’s ugly face was revealed in space/time when Adam and Eve fell victim to the divisive, destructive plans of evil-personified, in a beautiful disguise, in the Garden of Eden – the very place which God had designed for man’s safe dwelling place on earth.

The battle for dominion of the earth and all its inhabitants has continued through the centuries since the Garden encounter.

But what we have seen so far is nothing compared to the storm that is out ahead, nor the climax of the face-off between King Jesus and his armies and the forces of the Anti-Christ.

Many who have been fore-warned of the end times have already made preparations for such an encounter, should they be alive at that time. Others will be totally surprised and overwhelmed by the flood waters of destruction left in the wake of that storm.

I’m not one of those “kooks” who attempts to set a date for the end of life on earth as we know it.  But there are warnings all around us, and if we could view things from heaven’s radar screen we would be moved to action.

First we would make sure of our own relationship with our Father God. Have we made peace with Him through the provision He has made in sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins? Have we confessed to Him our sinfulness and received the cleansing that His Holy Spirit brings when He is given access to our spirit, mind and body?

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Second, we would check our power source: are we living on the power supply of God’s indwelling Spirit? His energy generator – His source of light in dark times, His warmth when facing cold winds that blow around us, His shelter from howling storms?

2 Peter 1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

Next, we would clean up our “yard”. We would  make sure we have we put away things from our former way of life that could become flying missiles to harm us or others in stormy times – sins, habits, selfish attitudes, knee-jerk reactions, anger, bitterness. Have we dealt with destructive words: profanity, critical barbs, sensuous talk, words that create doubt, fear, distrust; words that destroy self-worth or faith in God?

Col. 3:5-10 Put to death therefore whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now, you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

I like to think of using the word of God – various Scriptures – to “tape up the windows of my spirit” so that fierce winds of doubt, fear and anxiety don’t shatter my walk of faith in the God who loves us.

Prov. 6:20-23 My son, keep your father’s commands [words] . . . Bind them upon your heart forever; fasten them around your neck. When you walk, they will guide you; when you sleep, they will watch over you; when you awake, they will speak to you.

So, are you ready for Irene? And are you ready for the final great storm?

©2011, Marcy Alves

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Dealing with Fear

What are you afraid of?  How do you handle fear? It you didn’t have enough of your own worrying-issues to deal with, there are plenty troubling things going on around the world and here in the U.S.

The past week’s headline news paints a disturbing picture:

• Fires and looting in London creating fear and mayhem
• Iran (sworn enemy of the US and Israel) developing a nuclear bomb
• Thirty soldiers killed in a helicopter shoot-down
• Shock waves from a roller-coaster stock market (is a tsunamis coming?)
• A drop in financial “ratings” for US, France, Germany and others
• Continuing starvation in Somalia
• Massive joblessness in the US
• Tight-fistedness in the banking industry in spite of government bailout
• Gridlock in the US Congress regarding debt ceiling and budget balancing
• US foreclosure prediction, 1 in 3 homes by 2012
• Massive flooding, then drought across our nation’s south and mid-west
• Predictions of permanent deserts ahead in current U.S. drought areas

The fear network is alive and well on planet earth. And the enemy of our souls would like to keep us in a constant state of panic and anxiety, to drive us away from the shelter of our Heavenly Father’s arms, to damage our faith-walk with God, to destroy our peace.

While we can’t ignore the catastrophic events in the US and around the world, we have many encouraging words from a higher authority when it comes to dealing with fear.

49 times in the Old Testament and 17  in the New Testament we are told not to fear.

 Is. 41:10  So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

There are things about fear that we learn from Scripture:

Fear is not from God

2 Tim. 1:7 for God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind;

We are not to fear as the world does

1 Peter 3:14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.”

Love combats fear

1 John. 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.

A significant passage in Mark reveals a scene in which Jesus and the disciples are facing a serious storm on the lake:

Mark 4:35-41:  As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water.

³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

After Jesus spoke to the wind, he spoke to his disciples: vs. 40 “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

What is Jesus saying?

Faith and Fear are mutually exclusive.   So, how do we go from fear to faith? Here are five steps that I have found are successful combatants to fear:

1.  Pray about it –

 Phil. 4:6-7. ⁶ Do not be anxious [fearful] about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Most of us have yet to discover the power of believing prayer. ABC news a few nights ago shared the story of a young boy attending a beach party with his church who was swept out on a rip tide and could not get back to shore. He was underwater for 15 minutes before divers located him and brought him in to shore. He showed no vital signs. However, the moment he got in trouble with the waves, church members had dropped to their knees and began to pray.  The boy was resuscitated and put on life support; he gained consciousness a short time later with no apparent permanent damage.

2.  Turn your fearful thoughts over to Christ and rebuke fear.

 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ³ For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. ⁴ The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Fear is defined in 2 Timothy 1:7 as a spirit. Admit to God that you are up against fear, and in the authority of the Holy Spirit, rebuke that fear. Then ask the Lord to remove those thoughts that gave fear an in-road into your mind and emotions.

3.  Change mental subjects – think about good things

Phil. 4:8-9   ⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

When we were kids we used to sit out on our porch in the dark of a summer night and tell ghost stories – the scarier the better. But walking alone to the outhouse in the dark after such sessions was terrifying; something fearful lurked in every shadow. We had set ourselves up for fear to take over our thoughts. I did not know as a child how to combat fear with faith.

4.  Get God’s word in you and believe it – memorize Scriptures that counteract fear and speak them out.

 5.  Rely on the character of your heavenly Father. And remember:

• God is good
• God is love
• God loves you
• There is nothing too big for Him to handle
• He is the One who says, “Fear not for I am with you. . .”

So, how do you handle fear? Which of the five actions above do you most need to apply?

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