Pastor's Perspective - More Than Genetics

Today, before counseling someone in my office, I showed them photos of my family, while providing a brief commentary on each. As I identified each child by name, I took the time to share something endearing about them. By the time I got to the last photo, I have to confess, I got a bit misty. In that moment of just sharing a bit of myself, before hearing much about them, the Lord touched my heart and reminded me of His matchless love for Michelle and I through each precious face. Each face represented a miracle and Heaven’s sloppy kiss on our life together.

Before we married, we both knew that someday we wanted to be adoptive parents. We had no idea what a prominent place adoption would have in our marriage and home.

So many times during the last dozen years, we have heard sweetly-intended comments like, “How beautiful that you took these children into your home”, or, “They are so blessed to have you as parents.” Yet, it is Michelle and I who are blessed beyond measure! The joy and love our children give us daily eclipses anything we could ever provide them.

Real ‘family’ is more than genetics. It’s about the love of God mysteriously and miraculously interweaving souls for a greater purpose – His glory and our good.

If you’re opening your heart and mind to adoption, please know that the results far outweigh the concerns and effort. Thousands upon thousands of beautiful little ones, made in His image, are currently dreaming about you. They long for someone who will accept and love them without conditions; give them a name and place at the table; and offer them something they cannot give themselves – a family.

Once there were two women
who never knew each other.
One you do not remember
the other you call Mother.
One became your guiding star,
the other became your sun.
The first gave you life
and the second taught you to live in it.
The first gave you a need for love
and the second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality,
the other gave you a name,
One gave you the seed of a talent
the other gave you an aim.
One gave you emotions,
the other calmed your fears.
One saw your first sweet smile,
the other dried your tears.
One gave you up--
it was all that she could do,
The other prayed for a child
and God led her straight to you.
And now you ask me through your tears,
the age old questions through the years,
Heredity or Environment--
which are you the product of?
Neither my darling-neither
just two different kinds of love.
Anonymous.

Pastor's Perspective - Don't Say Nuthin'

Legendary baseball manager Casey Stengel once held a position on the board of directors for a California bank. According to a story that originally appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Casey described his duties this way: "There ain't nuthin' to it. You go into the fancy meeting room and you just sit there and never open your yap. As long as you don't say nuthin' they don't know whether you're smart or dumb."

I’ve learned from the Bible, and from graduating Summa Cum Laude from the ‘School of Hard Knocks’, that the best thing you can say sometimes in the cringing face of crisis is absolutely nothing.

As preachers, we have the priceless privilege to be listened to weekly. Sometimes while I’m in the middle of a message it hits me, “This is kinda weird! All of these people sitting in front of me are actually listening to me. (Okay, three of them are!) They come back and do it every single weekend. Wild!” As I’ve said many times, I believe one of the biggest sins we can commit as teachers is to bore folks with the God-breathed and living Word. Absolutely shameful! There is never a Sunday that goes by that I don’t think, “How cool. What a privilege to communicate the truths of the Bible. I never planned this for my life. How neat that I live in a country that this can happen regularly. Lord, thank you for the blood shed on a cross and on countless battlefields for me to do what I do.”

However, the privilege and spotlight of preaching oftentimes is accompanied by traps. Some of these traps sound something like this – “There is an expectation placed on me to provide a sound biblical commentary of everything happening right now.” Another trap – “Because I have a degree, an office in the church building, and a handful of business cards proving it, I will appear inept if I don’t comment on something with some degree of cogency.” Both are self-imposed traps based in ignorance, and a heaping helping of human pride.

The Bible provides ample evidence that being silent in certain situations is sometimes the best avenue – the godly thing to do. For four hundred years God Himself was silent, before sending an angel to Zechariah’s workplace. Jesus was silent for forty days in the desert. During His mockery of trials, Christ’s silence was deeply unsettling before His accusers; and Isaiah tells us that He would be silent led like a lamb to slaughter (53:7). When Job was afflicted in the most severe ways, we read that his three friends, “sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was” (2:13).

Recently as I watched a dear friend pass away, just two feet from his bedside, I cried with his family, without words. In their extreme heartache, they didn’t want or need my Bible college explanations or half-baked attempts at rationalizing their nightmare. In that moment, it would have been insensitive, anything but Christ, and frankly, downright offensive. Instead, my prayers and my presence was my “I love you” and sermon.

Therefore, you can only imagine my head-wagging disappointment at the comments by Pat Robertson, trying to explain and pin Haiti’s devastation on a sworn pact with the devil made back in the 1700’s.

Friends, the world is so tired of our insensitive and packaged clichés we so effortlessly espouse as believers. A dehydrated, malnourished father digging through the rubble in the darkness of what once was his Port-au-Prince shanty home, desperately looking for his trapped child, cares absolutely nothing about convoluted history lessons. What he needs most isn’t words, but help. Whether he knows it or not, what he wants is to see and touch the presence and love of Jesus.

Later in Job, those same three friends would show great insensitivity through their callous cross-examination of him. I think Pat Robertson stepped in one of those ‘traps’ I mentioned, and showed great insensitivity to an impoverished nation in torment, offering an explanation where none was wanted or welcomed.

As you know, one of the ‘fruits of the Spirit’ (Gal. 5:23) is self-control. That God-exalting gift and attribute oftentimes comes, not through our fancy theologically-correct words and shadowed “I told you so’s”; but instead, through our prayers, our presence, and our silence.

If you don’t know what to say, don’t say anything.

To quote the prophet Casey, “As long as you don't say nuthin' they don't know whether you're smart or dumb."

Sometimes silence is the smartest thing.

Pastor's Perspective - Helping the Bookers

On behalf of the Booker family and First Christian Church of Suisun, CA, we thank you again for your steadfast prayers and support. To say these last few weeks have been a challenge is an understatement. Yet, in many ways, the challenges are just beginning. Jonathan ...was diagnosed with lupus recently and a full recovery was expected. However God had other plans and called JB home. Although we mourn his loss, we also rejoice... knowing he is with The Father and is no longer suffering

We are called by God to care for widows and orphans (James 1:27). It is our desire to serve God by serving Viola, Victor, and Jasmia in every way possible. First Christian Church has decided to set up a fund for the Booker family, both to meet immediate and future financial needs. Immediate concerns are funeral expenses and ongoing household expenditures. Please prayerfully consider coming alongside them with a financial donation. During this difficult adjustment and transition there are going to be many changes that have to be made. It is our heart's desire to alleviate as many concerns as we can, so that Viola can focus on healing for herself and the children.

Again, we are asking you to search your heart and give generously. Knowing with full confidence that God will bless your gift. Please also continue to pray for them as they journey through the difficult loss of their husband and daddy.

Donations can be made by going to the nearest Wells Fargo branch. Account # is 2068776497. Or you can send your donation through PayPal. Email: bookerfamilyfund@gmail.com. Thank you!

In the Fight,

Steve

**You can share your sentiments and favorite memories of Jonathan with his family by signing his guest book at bryanbraker.com