Have a Little Faith

I just finished reading a great little book, Have A Little Faith, by Mitch Albom. If the author's name sounds familiar, you might know him by his best selling book, Tuesdays With Morrie. Have A Little Faith is about the author's relationship with an 82 year old rabbi and a black Detroit pastor-a reformed drug dealer and convict-who preaches to the poor and homeless in a decaying church with a hole in the roof.

The book starts with an unusual request by the rabbi, he wants the author to deliver his eulogy. Feeling unworthy, Albom insists on understanding the man better, which throws him back into a world of faith that he had left years earlier. Moving between their worlds, Christian and Jewish, African-American and white, impoverished and well-to-do, Albom observes how these very different men employ faith similarly in fighting for survival: the older, suburban rabbi embracing it as death approaches; the younger, inner-city pastor relying on it to keep himself and his church afloat.

This book is a great read for the times we are in. Our world faces huge challenges economically, politically and spiritually. I am convinced that as Christians and for myself as a church leader, we must facilitate and resource relationships as a main vehicle for seeing people's lives changed and touched by the power of God. It is great to come together and worship and see the same church family members week after week, but we must do much more than this. We have got to find creative ways to bring people together who desperately need hope for the future and share with them the good news of the Gospel. If you get a chance to read Have A Little Faith, I think you'll know what I'm talking about.

Christmas Past

The 2009 Christmas season is over. Our last guests left today. We had non-stop guests in our home from December 23rd through January 9th. We never had less than 8 people at our table and some meals had 15. Kathy wished she had kept track of how many times our dishwasher ran, usually it was more than once a day. Today, we'll move the last of our indoor Christmas decorations downstairs and next Tuesday I'll pull out all the boxes out, put everything away, and that will be that.

As adults, with adult children, spouses and grandchildren, Christmases take on such a different character. I've reminisced on this blog about childhood Christmas memories. As an adult, however, this time is so different. This year we really missed having our oldest son and his family up for Christmas. Even though all the rest of our children were here, there was a big hole. I loved watching our older children interact with each other, but I missed watching their oldest brother and sister-in-law be part of that process. I really missed being able to watch our grandsons open the presents we gave them. I would have enjoyed putting the Legos together with them.

We had the joy of having Kathy's parents here for Christmas. 4 generations together is a lot of fun. Catching up on life's events, giving and receiving advice, playing games, watching Christmas movies, looking for great Christmas lights, celebrating Communion together, eating some great food, are all memory makers. Regardless of what may come in 2010, God has truly blessed us and for that we are thankful. We are all eternally grateful for a Savior who was born for us, who gave His life to redeem us, and for the love He so freely gives us. It's because of His love that we in turn can love each other. Christmas 2009 was blessed...