STILL DIRTY

Ready or not....here's our dirty laundry. Well, it was washed, but because garage and chore rags tend to keep their stains, they still look dirty. To keep my fixer-husband happy, I do a “rag wash” every so often. As I was pinning them up to sun-dry (NO way will these greasy rags go in the dryer!) I thought of the phrase “hanging out your dirty laundry.” I've learned the idiom came into use about 75 years ago and referred to letting others know your family's dirty secrets when they really don't need to know.

Has that happened to you? It has to me, several times, in person or via letter. As I endured the negative communications, I asked myself why I was being told this. I also realized this person was wanting to vent and have somebody pity them than submit to a healing course of action. So...I did the best thing I can do when somebody throws dirty laundry at me: pray.

In situations like this, I'm encouraged by the counsel of the apostle Paul when he had to have some frank words with new Christians who had long lines of “dirty laundry” as they came out of pagan worldliness. From sexual impurity to anger problems, they had a lot of re-learning to do as believers. Listen in:

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up...Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice” (Ephesians 4:29-31)

There must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be any obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking which are out of place....(Ephesians 5:3-4)

Besides person-to-person contact, such “dirty laundry” comes into our homes through the media. Some of it is labeled as “entertainment,” “social media,” or “news.” But it's still like stained rags.

I've heard people complain that the restrictions of the pandemic have brought out the ugliness of human interaction. Dare I suggest that the problems of the First Century are still around in the 21^st? But Paul's advice is just as appropriate for us as for those early Christians:

Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them....Be very careful, then how you live—not as unwise but as wise...(Ephesians 5:8-10, 15)

Know the advice that immediately follows that counsel? To sing! Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs (5:19). To be thankful to “God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (v. 20). And especially be thankful that God can lovingly transform any spiritual “dirty laundry,” no matter how stained.

PRESIDENTIAL FAITH

It wasn't January but April in 1789, in New York, when George Washington took the oath of office for the first President of the United States. A military hero, he was humbled by the task before him. He is reported to have said, “But lest some unlucky event should happen unfavorable to my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentleman in the room that I this day declare with the utmost sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the command I am honored with.” Even though he had helped fight other nations for the colonies' independence, he also once said, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”

Historians have speculated about Washington's faith—he was raised in the Anglican church and known to have prayed alone and with others—but events surrounding his death reveal a lot. Enough, in fact, that Campus Crusade founder Bill Bright—whose “Four Spiritual Laws” went around the world to tell people about faith in Jesus—called Washington his favorite historical person apart from biblical characters. In Bright's final book before his death of lung failure, Bright told of visiting Washington's historic home on the Potomac, Mount Vernon:

The guide took me to his (Washington's) bedroom and motioned to a chair at the end of his bed. Washington knelt there for an hour every morning and evening to read his Bible and pray. As he lay dying, he ordered that a tablet over the door of his tomb be inscribed with the promise of Jesus in John 11:25: 'I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.'”(1)

His death came ten and a half years after he took his Presidential oath of office. Once again running his estate at Mt. Vernon, he'd gotten chilled on a horseback ride that December day. He went to bed and soon local physicians were trying their “cures,” which included the “bloodletting” popular in those days along with what we'd today call quack medicines. They likely did more harm than good. He struggled to breathe, probably due to a severe throat infection. Barely able to speak, his last words to his doctor were these: “I have been dying a long time; my breath cannot last long—but I am not afraid to die.” He was 67.

As a footnote, some have criticized Washington as being a slave-owner. However, his will stipulated that all his slaves be freed upon his wife's death. She reportedly expedited that, freeing all in the year after his death—not waiting until hers.

An internet search yields poignant quotes attributed to Washington. Some worth considering:

“It is better to be alone than in bad company.” *It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one.” “99% of failures come from people who make excuses.”

Such aphorisms sound a lot like the book of Proverbs, which no doubt Washington read, including verses about national conscience like this one:

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” (Proverbs 14:34)

(1) Bill Bright, The Journey Home: Finishing with Joy (Thomas Nelson, 2003), pp. 23-24).

DOES JESUS CARE?

 A monthly feature on a hymn of the faith.

Do ministers ever get discouraged and depressed? Of course, they do. Even ones whose natural disposition tends to be on the sunny side. That was the reputation of Pastor Frank E. Graeff, who led a Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. In fact, he was dubbed the “Sunshine Minister” for his cheerful disposition. But the cheer wasn't always there.

Something happened that cast him into discouragement and depression. According to one historical account, he and his wife had a beautiful daughter. In those days—the late 1800s—the girls and women wore floor-length dresses with layers of lace or other frills. Homes at that time were usually heated by wood-burning stoves or fireplaces. His daughter got too close to one such fire and her clothing caught on fire. It happened so fast that nothing could be done, and she burned to death. The grief was more than Pastor Graeff could bear.

One day he meditated on 1 Peter 5:7--”Casting all your cares upon Him, for he cares for you.” He also found comfort in the hymn written 75 years earlier by another who'd known great sorrow, Joseph Scriven. That man, who immigrated to Canada from Ireland, had who lost two fiancees to death. Afterwards, Scriven spent his life in poverty serving his community's poor. Only one hymn survived of Scriven's spiritual journey, a poem he wrote to comfort his own mother across the Atlantic since he couldn't afford to visit her. We know it today as “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”--and it continues: “all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer.”

Besides songs like Scriven's, Pastor Graeff also found comfort in Bible passages like these:

First Peter 5:7: ”Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Isaiah 55:4: “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-5: “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; who comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”

His gloom eventually lifted as he took to heart the truth that God truly did care for him, even in his greatest heartache. From that experience he wrote the hymn, “Does Jesus care?” The first verse hints at the depth of his despondency:

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained

Too deeply for mirth and song;

As the burdens press and the cares distress

And the way grows weary and long.

After each of four questioning verses comes the chorus:

O yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary,

The long nights dreary,

I know my Savior cares.

Pastor Graeff loved hymns and wrote thirty-six that were published, but this is the one still best known. It's comforted untold thousands since first publication in 1901. He would live another 18 years after its publication, dying in his 59^th year.

==============

In a similar vein, someone has suggested these steps to “casting” our cares and sorrows about the Lord. Using the acrostic CAST, it goes:

C—Commit the burden to Jesus. He cares more than you can realize.

A—Ask in prayer for the Lord's help.

S—Search scriptures for passages of encouragement

T—Trust Him for comfort and healing. He does care for you.

Sing along with Mark Lowry (of the Gaither Vocal Band) in this meaningful blend of two hymns, including Graeff's:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=%22Does+Jesus+Care%22%2bMark+Lowry&view=detail&mid=EAE8C0ADF2021F1EE806EAE8C0ADF2021F1EE806&FORM=VIRE0&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3d%2522Does%2bJesus%2bCare%2522%252bMark%2bLowry%26FORM%3dSSRE

RENEWED

 Look carefully: this is a forest coming back from a devastating fire several years earlier. Some trees survived, their trunks blackened. Toothpick-like ghosts of dead trees and emerging new trees and shrubs fill in the landscape. This area is prone to fire and it is also a major east-west highway through Washington's Cascade Mountains. I remember traveling it one year as a fire burned itself out. A state vehicle with a blinking red light on its roof led a limited numbers of cars at a time through the still-smoking pass. But there was no smoke on our most recent trip, just the marvel of how the land regenerates while still leaving reminders of the old fire.

Life also has times when we pass through a “fire zone.” Speaking of his wayward homeland, Isaiah prophesied: “When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze, for I am the Lord, your God” (Isaiah 43:2b-3a). For the Israelites, the “flames” would be the searing sorrow of being yanked away from their homeland as captives of Babylon. But the whole section of this prophecy emphasizes God's enduring love through their difficulty. Renewal, new life, would come.

I've lived long enough to watch many people I cared about (and prayed for) make bad decisions. Big chunks of their lives were burned up as they walked away from God. One day I answered the phone to the sobs of a young woman who'd attended a Bible study in our home. She'd yielded to her boyfriend's demands for sexual intimacy before marriage. Now, she regretted it and felt God would never forgive her. As I rushed over to her apartment and hugged her, trying to comfort her with God's counsel, I recalled this verse for those who truly repent of their sin: “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12). She cut off the relationship and sought a fresh start with Christ. Later, God did bring into her life a committed Christian man, and they married.

Trials will come in life. That's a given. But so is God's renewing presence:

...for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. (1 Peter 1:6-7)

In central Washington, where I live, we've had our share of runaway, destructive fires. But every spring, forest management teams plan “controlled burns” to reduce the fuel for future fires. In many ways, that's a picture of what happens when people get “burned” by their bad decisions, then confess and turn away from them. Such times of sorrow are God's reminder: Don't go there. Don't make those choices. The pain isn't worth it. Renewal, though it may take time, will come. Stay the course—God's course.

LISTED

This sign I spotted at a tourist attraction gift store made me pause and ask, “Who could be so perfect as to be all of that!” Then I realized that every character quality it named is worthy of embracing. Impossible goals? Not with this admonition tucked into the end of Peter's second letter to Christians trying to live in a messed-up world. (And how contemporary his words!) He closes with this: "But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen" (2 Peter 3:18 NIV).

I have an author-friend, Lucinda Secrest McDowell, who annually chooses just one word as her spiritual focus for the year, usually a character quality she wants to consciously cultivate. She has written devotional books that do just that: expand on dozens of words with spiritual-growth implications.* 

As a new, uncharted year opens before us, why not choose a “goal word”? This plaque has great suggestions for personal reflection and aspiration, but there are many more out there. Whatever you choose, consider posting it somewhere (like the bathroom mirror or above the kitchen sink) where you'll see it regularly. (One year I taped mine, “Inspire,” over the camera “dot” of my laptop computer.) An added idea: write out below the word a Bible verse explaining it. 

Here are some I thought of in connection with the plaque's “qualities” list: 

TRUE—Paul urged us to think on things that are true (Phil. 4:8), not half- or shaded-”truth.” We're to draw near to Jesus with true hearts (Hebrews 10:22). 

SMART—More Paul-advice: “Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity” (Ephesians 5:15-16). 

HUMBLE—God watches for those who are God-focused, “contrite and lowly in spirit” (Isaiah 57:15). Peter, again: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time” (1 Peter 5:6). 

CLEAN—This isn't just about washing machines, showers, or housekeeping—although taking care of our possessions is part of showing appreciation to God for His provision. It's also about heart-care. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). 

 INVOLVED—My favorite role model, an ancient seamstress (also known as Dorcas): “Tabitha...was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:56). 

GRATEFUL—Making gratitude a lifestyle: “Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Pursue the habit of arrow-gratitude—quick prayers that begin, “Thank you, Lord, for....” 

POSITIVE—From the heart of Paul, who experienced terrible opposition and barely escaped alive from scary situations: “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). 

STILL—Pursue times away from the constant busyness of our media and electronic lifestyle: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

PRAYERFUL—Live above the mundane, with hope and expectation: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving [see “grateful,” above], present your requests to God” (more advice from Paul, Philippians 4:6).

The sign in the shop probably didn't weigh more than a couple pounds, but oh, how heavy the words inscribed on it! Each is worthy of “dwelling” on for a year. Or maybe you have your own word. If so, could you share in the comments section of this blog? 

*For exceptional insights regarding "single words,"  *I commend McDowell's Dwelling Place and Ordinary Graces, both published by Abingdon Press (2016, 2017)