Christ In the Storm

A few years ago I was introduced to the Henri Nouwen book, The Return Of the Prodigal Son. The book was a wonderful study of the scriptural story of the prodigal son, his father and brother, and some great applications to our lives. I was so struck by the cover art, also titled Return Of the Prodigal Son, by Rembrandt, that I purchased a print, had it framed and hung it in my office. I have re-read the book many times.

Yesterday I downloaded an iPad app titled Rembrandt Paintings. On the cover was a painting that captured me just like The Return Of the Prodigal Son had several years ago. It depicts the terror of the disciples as some of them try and get the boat under control. It also shows the moment that other disciples wake Christ up from a nap and say to Him, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" (Matthew 8:24-25) From the punctuation marks, you can tell this was not a soft and gentle wake-up conversation. I suspect they woke Christ up with their yelling for Him to save them. In verse 26, Matthew records,  He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!" 


I suppose this painting made such an impact on me because right now I could be one of those disciples yelling "Lord, save me! I'm going to drown!" The answer, however, is in verse 28, When he (they) arrived at the other side... For you, the wind may be howling, the waves may be crashing, and the situation may seem totally out of your control. The same Christ that calmed the sea in Matthew's account, is the same Christ who will see you to the other side. Let's meet up there and compare notes.

An Interesting Job Interview

Last Wednesday I had a "first" in job interviews. I met via Skype with a search committee at a church in southern California. In the past few months I have had several telephone interviews, some of those were on a speaker phone. The farther away a person was sitting from the speaker phone source, the harder it was to hear questions or comments. The Skype interview was great because I could see each committee member and hear them all well. The hour flew by... Now we'll wait and see if the process continues.

Today I had an in-person interview at a large St. Louis compassion ministry. Obviously, those are the best. I had already spent 90 on the phone with someone from this ministry a couple of weeks ago. This interview came as a result of that phone interview that went very well. Again, the hour flew by. I think it was a very good interview. I guess I'll know for sure if it was in a few days.

As I was driving home from today's interview, I was reminded of the most unusual job interview I ever had. Kathy and I had been invited to First Assembly in Grand Junction, Colorado to visit for a few days. I spent some rehearsal time with the choir, prepared music for the Sunday services, and met with various groups and people. On one of those evenings we were invited to the home of one of the board members. This couple had built a gorgeous home right next to the National Monument. The Colorado National Monument preserves one of the grand landscapes of the American West. It has towering monoliths that exist within a vast plateau-and-canyon panorama. It has sheer-walled, red rock canyons that were visible from the back yard of the house we were at. Two other deacons and their wives came over and we had dinner together. After dinner, the three deacons and I put on swimming suits, I had to borrow one, and we all jumped in the outdoor hot tub while the ladies visited inside the house. The landscape was spectacular and the stars were amazing. For about an hour I was asked all kinds of questions, and I was able to ask questions as well. When we were done, (both done talking and shriveled as prunes), one of the deacons said, "well, as far as I'm concerned, you are hired." Two of these deacons told Kathy and I that if we would come to be the ministers of music, they would bring us coffee shop coffee every Sunday morning. (for 4 1/2 years, almost every Sunday morning we had hot coffee from a local coffee shop) While it was the pastor who extended the invitation to join the staff after Sunday services were done, I think the "deal was sealed" in the hot tub.

Even though I haven't had any hot tub interviews this time around, it has been a real adventure as I've met so many nice people, answered a lot of questions, and told my story many times. Maybe the next interview will be in a hot air balloon... :)

All Because Two People Fell In Love

Kathy has a plaque hanging in our kitchen that says "All because two people fell in love..." This morning as I was praying, and pacing back and forth in our living room, I looked at several framed photos that we have on top of our piano. I have seen these photos hundreds of time, but this time I was overwhelmed with a tremendous sense of gratitude and thankfulness, to God, for the people in those photos. The groupings in the photos are of each of our married children, their spouses, and children. One son a university professor, another son a missionary in Europe and a daughter who is a children's pastor in Oregon. Each of them finding the perfect life-mate that God had set aside for them. In each case, their spouses complementing and helping each of our children achieve all that God has designed for them. I'm not sure there are seven more talented, intelligent and cuter grand kids in the world. If there are, I haven't seen them. When you add our three adopted children that we are still raising, there are eighteen of us.

Kathy and I have a running joke between us. Before we were married, we discussed the number of children we would like to have. I wanted two, she wanted four, so we comprised at six. :) I'm not totally sure how that happened, but this morning, as I thanked God for so many blessings He has granted us in our marriage, I was overwhelmed at these sixteen blessings that I saw in front of me. Parents, you know that raising children is not easy. There are many challenges, heartbreaks and disappointments. But there are great high points in celebrating achievements and successes. Overriding all of our experience in raising children is the tremendous love that God puts in our hearts for them. We have been raising children for thirty six years. I'm not sure we'll ever have an empty nest...but I wouldn't trade the experience for anything else. So today, I am an especially thankful, and blessed, father and husband...all because two people fell in love.