Behind my house there is a paved alley for walking, which is part of the city’s park system.  It also has speed humps for vehicles that are looking for a shortcut.  We usually walk our dogs at the park, but, on occasion I will walk them in the alley if the weather is bad or we’re on a tight schedule.

I was noticing the other day the number of No Trespassing signs affixed to several of the houses where we walk.  And as I thought about it, I had to chuckle because the thing that struck me first was, if there was no sign, does it mean that it’s okay just to walk right into their homes?  Of course not.  So what’s the purpose of the signs?  I understand Beware of Dog signs or No Trespassing signs at the edge of large property, but posted on houses that are probably no more than fifteen feet apart?

I suppose the sign means, Don’t come in my house without permission, AND I REALLY MEAN IT. Whatever happened to neighborly love?  The funny thing is that there are Welcome mats on most of their front porch entrances.  Society has become increasingly private, keeping those around them at arm’s length. My guess is that the No Trespassing issue goes a bit deeper.

At the Methodist church where we attend it is common to be asked to recite the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) during the service.  We use the Anglican version, and one phrase of note occurs a little over half-way through the prayer and says, “… forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Other versions use “forgive us our debts” or “forgive us our sins.”

But I like “trespass” because it brings forth the idea of crossing a line.  As we trudge  (or skip, or jog, or run) on this road toward eternity, God has placed shoulders on each side, with warning tracks cut into them, so that we are aware when we are about to drift past his commands into areas of danger.  Of course there are convenient exits along the way, also leading to trouble, in order to allow us to willingly obey and stay on the narrow road.

And like the NO TRESPASSING signs in my alley, we erect such signs in our hearts.  We communicate to others by words, looks or body language that they can only go so far with regard to our private lives. Cross over that line, and there’s no telling what we might say or do.

I think God wants us to remove those signs.  Jesus clearly showed how we are to handle those who compel us (Matthew 5:38-42).  We should respond openly, fairly and honestly for two reasons:  First, God wants us to; it’s called obeying.  Secondly, it teaches us how to love. Jesus goes on to say that we have a tendency to only love those who love us.  What’s the benefit in that?  We should work on showing love to the seemingly unlovable, while still promoting the “comfortable” love.

Trespassing is the tension that helps us grow.  We’re either doing it, or having it done to us. The challenge is how to get back on the narrow road and how to love those who invade our space.  God’s forgiveness is readily available, and his help is at the tip of our tongue in prayer.  All because his love is abundant.

On July 4, 2011 the United Church of Christ (over 1 million members) declared their independence from “God the Father.”  In an overwhelming majority they voted to render God gender-less.  In their constitution and bylaws they want references to God as “heavenly Father” changed to “the triune God,” which doesn’t make much sense because triune means God in three persons:  Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

While the UCC is one of the fastest-shrinking Protestant denominations, it joins a growing trend among modern churches and Bible translators to take the heavy off of the guy references in the Godhead.  Who is behind this movement?  Women.  But why?  I’m not sure, but I think it has something to do with the fear (or weariness) of male dominance.

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And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. Mark 13:10

I often forget this important command of Jesus.  I used to believe that preaching the gospel meant telling everyone I came into contact with (who wasn’t already a Christian) that Jesus came to die for their sins and that they must accept him as their Savior or risk an eternity in Hell.

Gospel means “good news,” and nothing about burning in Hell can be good. So what else could good news mean?  What did it mean to the people that Jesus brought it to?

It would be good news to people who thought that their God had forgotten them, to find out that he loves them — always has and always will.  It’s good news for them to know that their religious leaders are not necessarily God’s pristine examples of how one should behave who claims God. And it’s good news to know that, even though we fail (sin), God is not going to give up on us. He will use discipline, just as any loving parent would do to teach their children well.

Hey, that good news (gospel) still fits for me today!

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It’s that time of year again.  Trees budding, flowers blooming, palm fronds waving, egg decorating and the opportunity to once again sing, “Up from the grave He arose …”  For religious folk, it’s time to focus on death, particularly death by crucifixion, and resurrection.  In my wife’s childhood church, akin to the Plymouth Brethren, the weekly Lord’s Supper (worship service) is centered on “the death of our Lord Jesus.”  Every Sunday.  The entire year.  Having participated in it for years after our marriage, and now looking back, it seems so morbid.

Most Western Christians like the best of both worlds.  Jesus bled and died for our sins (sad face), but was resurrected in a glorious body (bright face).  Now, where did we hide those eggs, and could you pass that Easter ham down this way?

As I have mentioned before, I get a lot of my ideas for these articles from church signs that I observe while driving around.  I attend a Methodist church, and our sign has no slogan.  Just the church name and the pastor’s name below, which gets obliterated part of the year when the shrubbery grows up too far.

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I heard on the news that New York is leading the nation in total number of abortions.  That’s not a surprise since the state has a population of over 19 million.  What was interesting, though, was a recent poll about abortion in the state.  64% (consisting of 50% women) of New Yorkers felt that abortion was okay, but that there were too many being performed at the present time.

What?  Is it giving your state a bad name?  If you’re for abortion, then who cares what people think about your state?  And just how many is too many? Aren’t all of the unborn children being terminated?

Abortion has been, and still is, a hotbed for debate in political and religious circles.  The term “unborn children” sounds like an oxymoron.  If they’re not born yet, how can they be children?  But many mothers will identify and communicate with the child in their womb, preparing for the day when he or she will take their first breath.

Other mothers don’t even consider themselves mothers.  They see the “thing” as just a growth inside them, like a cancerous mass.  They need to remove it in order to improve their quality of life.  But malignant cancer, left to itself, will eventually kill you.  A fetus, left to itself, will become fully developed into another human being.

This “growth” will likely one day take care of you when you can’t care for yourself.

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I remember as a child playing a game called Red Rover.  It consisted of two teams who formed lines about thirty feet apart.  One team would announce the name of who they wanted to receive (Red Rover, Red Rover, send Stevie right over.).  The person selected would rush at the opposite line, attempting to break through.  If he or she broke through, they could pick one of the two links broken to join them back on their team.  If they couldn’t break through, they remained as a part of the receiving team.  I never got called because of my size.

Picking sides has always been a part of childhood games.  If you were picked first, you felt special.  If picked last, you felt like a loser.  In today’s society political correctness requires everyone to be a winner in children’s games. No longer are they taught how to lose gracefully.

In 1877 Frances Havergal wrote the words to the hymn, Who Is On The Lord’s Side? The hymn was allegedly written based upon Exodus 32:26 (KJV), where Moses asks the question (from the title) of the children of Israel?  They had been bad while Moses was up on the mountain talking to God.  They made an idol and worshiped it.  When Moses asked the question, one tribe stepped forward.  For their dedication they got to kill 3,000 of their brothers and sisters, mothers, fathers and children.

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I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

- Jesus (John 8:12)

I love light.  When we have too many overcast days in a row, especially during winter, I can feel my inner light begin to flicker, and the cold seems that much colder.  But when the sun finally starts to peek through the clouds, it’s like God saying, “I’m back!”  I particularly enjoy it when the light bursts forth in distinct rays, like announcing a grand entrance.  Scottish theologian and author George MacDonald wrote that God gave the British so many nasty days that they might appreciate the good ones.

Jesus is often portrayed in the gospels and in Revelation as a glorious being, emanating a great light. While John of Patmos may be referring to a physical feature (Revelation 1:14,15), and likewise the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9), Jesus’ comment is of a spiritual nature.

Prior to the Son of God’s arrival, the world was in darkness.  Even the established religion of the land felt oppressive.  God felt less like a father, and more like an awesome force to tremble before.  And even with Christianity’s 2.5 billion followers, much of the world still seems in darkness.  The light of Jesus is needed now more than ever.

It’s interesting to note that he called himself the light of the world.

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Doesn’t everyone want to be loved?

I think everyone does, but not everyone realizes it.  A lot of people don’t even understand what true love is. Love makes the world go ’round, but hate makes the world go ’round wobbily. Love is the fodder for countless songs of passion, vainly pledging fidelity to the current object of affection.

The Greeks had five different words for love, three of which are normally found in Christian teaching:

Eros (sensual love – root word for erotic)

Philia (friendship — like Philidelphia)

Agape (self-sacrificing love)

Truth be known, Agape is not exclusive to Christianity.  In the Greek it could mean being content with a good meal.

The two lesser-known words are

Storge (affection – “I love my children”)

Thelema (desire to achieve – “I’d love to get promoted”)

While the word “love” is used to address each of these concepts, in fact, we need all of them to make the world go ’round.  Daily doses of love leave no room for hate.  Our prudish position on sexual intimacy refuses to allow that same passion to be the driving force for our exciting, sometimes grueling, journey, yet we freely use the word passionate to describe our various loves for things.

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Romans 8:38, 39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life,
Neither angels nor demons,
Neither the present nor the future,
Nor any powers,
Neither height nor depth,
Nor anything else in all creation,
Will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The Apostle Paul seems to go to great lengths in order to assure us that God’s love is greater than anything that would attempt to keep us away from him. It’s a wonderful verse, and I believe it with all my heart. But most “Christians” don’t.

What can separate us from God’s love? Can hell? Are those that are in hell now on the outside of God’s love? How can he still love them and burn them forever?

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How true. But as I drove past that particular church, seeing the sign, and knowing something of the doctrine of that particular denomination, I could only shake my head and say, “But they don’t really believe it.”

How could I possibly make that claim? Because their reference to “no one” is, at best, limited, and, at worst, conditional. No one applies only to those who are living in this world. Does God still love any who have rejected him? Sure, they say; God will continue to love them, up until they draw their last breath. But, what happens when they die with rejection still on their lips and unbelief still in their hearts?

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