Monday, September 24, 2007

A Tale of Two Stews: Is Bigger Really Better?

On September 23rd—whether you realized it or not—autumn officially arrived. The beginning of fall means lower temperatures, changing leaves, high school football games, and—one of Pittsylvania County’s tastiest cool weather treats—homemade Brunswick Stew. In Southside Virginia, a stew isn’t merely something you eat, it’s something you experience. Furthermore, the stew itself is not simply a combination of meats and vegetables you cook in a pot. It’s a true work of art, with hours and hours of patient preparation contributing to the final masterpiece. You won’t eat any stew anywhere in the world that’s any better than what you can find right here in Pittsylvania County.

This undisputable fact leads me to comment on a news story of a few days ago. On September 15th, it was reported that the largest pot of stew in the history of the world was cooked in — not Virginia — but Venezuela, of all places. (Honestly, when you think of stew, isn't Venezuelan stew the first thing you think of?) President Hugo Chavez’s government set up a huge stainless steel cooking pot in downtown Caracas. The giant cauldron contained some 3,960 gallons of stew—obliterating the previous record listed in The Guinness Book of World Records, a pot of 1,413 gallons prepared in Mexico back in July. (Why on earth would you cook stew in Mexico in July? For that matter, why would you cook stew in Venezuela in September, when the temperatures are still in the 90s?)

The giant cooking pot used by the Venezuelan government actually had a capacity of 5,413 gallons. When asked why it was “only” three-quarters full, an official said, “We didn’t add more for security reasons.” Security reasons? Hmm, I guess that sounds a whole lot more important than just saying, “We were afraid we might spill it.”

Chavez’s government claimed that their record-setting stew was enough to feed some 60,000 to 70,000 people! (According to the photographs, it didn’t look like they were dishing out very big helpings.) As the stew was being prepared, workers stood on raised platforms stirring the simmering concoction with long poles. Then, they dished out servings to a crowd in a state-run market. Reportedly, the stew contained 6,600 pounds of chicken (that’s a lot of birds that gave their life for their country!), 4,400 pounds of beef, and tons of vegetables. (Who knows what else was in it. From what I saw in the photos, the strange brew wasn’t very visually appealing.)

All of this leads me to some observations.

First of all, bigger isn’t necessarily better. Indeed, sometimes less is actually more. That’s true whether you’re talking about stew…or about life in general. For example, I’d much rather get one small bowl of Brunswick stew carefully prepared by one of our fine local culinary experts than I would a whole cauldron of Hugo Chavez’s mystery concoction. (Of course, I’m not too interested in anything Chavez has to offer. That’s why I don’t buy Citgo gasoline anymore.)

You see, it’s not about quantity. It’s about quality. Have you ever heard the expression, “A mile wide and an inch deep”? That describes the Christian experience of a lot of church people. They’ve busily spread themselves thin with all kinds of seemingly wholesome activities, but they’ve become shallow spiritually because they’ve forgotten to keep the main thing the main thing. You see, we can get so caught up in all kind of peripheral stuff that we gradually lose sight of the One around whom everything supposedly revolves. Someone once put it this way, “We’ve gotten so busy in the work of the Lord that we’ve forgotten the Lord of the work.”

Another thought. Anything worthwhile in life takes time. There’s a whole world of difference between a savory stew that’s been slowly simmering and carefully stirred for hours on end and a can of Dinty Moore that we open up, put in a bowl and zap in the microwave.

We live in an instant generation. We want everything now. But faster isn’t necessarily better. And there’s certainly no such thing as instant spirituality. Growth in the Lord, growth in faith and character and spiritual maturity—all of that takes time. In fact, it takes a lifetime. A lifetime of day-in, day-out soaking on the things of the Lord. A lifetime of daily letting the Spirit of God stir in our hearts.

We’re also impatient when it comes to seeing God work in our circumstances. We live in a day of instant gratification. We want quick results. We want to see God act quickly. We want to see God answer our prayers immediately. But, like a good stew, the working of God takes time. Don’t rush it. Remember that there are many lives and events that God is carefully orchestrating together in order to achieve His grand purposes. So learn to be patient and “wait on the Lord” as the prophet Isaiah instructed us. Remember that, with the Lord, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day (2 Peter 3:8). God’s timing is not always our timing. But God is never late. And God is never early. He’s always right on time.

Waiting on God is a lot like waiting for all of the elements of a good stew to come together. Truly, it’s worth the wait, for—as the writer of Ecclesiastes tells us—“God makes all things beautiful in His time.”

Pastor Danny

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

A Visit to Amish Country

One of the most essential components of a trip to southern Pennsylvania is a visit to beautiful Lancaster County, the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Some have said that Lancaster County is one of the most beautiful counties in the United States. After seeing it for myself, I certainly couldn’t disagree. The county’s reputation for beauty is derived from its seemingly endless acres of peaceful and picturesque farm land, unspoiled for the most part by any sign of what we generally call “progress.” The reason for the land’s preserved beauty is that it’s primarily owned and diligently maintained by members of the Amish community.

The Old Order Amish are an intriguing people. Because of their strong religious convictions, they maintain a careful distance from the world-at-large in an effort to protect their homes and families from worldly influences. They have no electricity or telephones in their homes, because they want no direct connection with the outside world. They neither own nor operate automobiles, so as not to be tempted to venture too far from their homes and become enticed by the ways of the world. Instead, they typically travel by horse and buggy. They live close to the soil, but refuse to use tractors or other power-driven farm machinery, preferring teams of mules or horses to pull their plows. They dress in very plain and modest—but certainly strictly regimented—attire, so as not to promote vanity or draw attention to their individuality. One would imagine that their simple 19th Century lifestyles—in stark contrast to the world around them—would cause their numbers to be dwindling. But, actually, nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, since 1960, the Amish population in Lancaster County has almost tripled! (The Amish generally have large families, and a high-percentage of their children embrace the faith and remain with the community when they grow up.)

People from far and wide find themselves drawn to Amish country. In fact, in many of the villages and towns of Lancaster County, the main thoroughfares are busy with traffic generated by the growing tourism trade. (Supposedly, tourism really hit a spike in Lancaster County following the 1985 Harrison Ford film “Witness” which was filmed on location there.) I imagine that Amish buggies find it challenging to safely navigate highways filled with so many out-of-state automobiles. Honestly, Sandy and I were somewhat surprised at the touristy nature of things along the main roadways. (A lot of businesses seem to be profiting from the Amish. Of course, some of the Amish are profiting as well.) But when you get out on some of the rural back roads—where you have just one Amish farm after another—you can still drive for miles and miles and enjoy tons of breathtakingly beautiful, non-commercialized scenery. Farmhouses and barns and silos and cornfields and fences and horses and cattle and covered bridges—it’s Norman Rockwell Americana at its best.

What were some of our favorite things about the Amish country? Well, without question, we had the best pretzels there that we’ve ever had in our lives. Soft, buttery, fresh-from-the-oven. Hmm. Hmm. I’ve never had another pretzel anywhere that even comes close! I suppose that from now on I’ll think of a Pennsylvania Dutch Country pretzel the same way I think of crab cakes from Baltimore. There’s nothing else quite like them. And no pretzel (or crab) cooked anywhere else is ever going to measure up.

Another thing we enjoyed was homemade root beer. Several of the farmers made it and sold it right off their farms. Again, I’ve never had anything quite like it. Not too sweet. A very unusual, but natural flavor. Certainly an altogether different taste than A & W. We also had dinner at a couple of well-known family style farm house restaurants. Good ole country cookin’. Then, there was the farmers market. We bought some different canned goods like apple butter, blackberry preserves, tomato jam, and pickled beets.

We also learned more about the Amish and their beliefs and practices, which was quite interesting. During our visit, we tried very much to be respectful of the Amish, who don’t like having their photos made. I’m sure they get tired of gawking tourists. Sandy and I saw some amazing scenes of Amish families working in their fields. Men were mowing their lawns by pushing old-fashioned, human powered lawnmowers. (The kind my grandmother used to use, always swearing that they cut so much better than a gas-powered mower.) We saw Amish children walking to school, and Amish women doing their household chores. It was all somewhat like a scene out of Little House on the Prairie. But a lot of those scenes we couldn’t photograph because it would have been impolite to do so.

By the way, if you want to learn about the Amish by reading some good Christian fiction, Sandy has been reading some works by Beverly Lewis which can be found in our church library. Beverly Lewis has done several series of novels using Lancaster County, Pennsylvania as the setting.

The Amish certainly are an interesting people. Although I personally would not wish to emulate their lifestyle, there is something indeed refreshing about their “less is more” approach to life, especially when contrasted with the fast-paced, stress-inducing age in which we live. Their simplicity looks quite appealing when laid alongside the hollowness of today’s “whoever-dies-with-the-most-toys-wins” philosophy of life.

I’ll just make one or two comments about Amish theology. The Bible teaches us to be separate from the world. But this obviously can be taken to extreme. Separation is not virtual isolation. We certainly are in the world, but not of it. But we are definitely in it. So we cannot retreat fully from it by hiding our heads in the sand like an ostrich. We have to engage the culture. We have to build relationships with others. Like Jesus, we have to go where other people are, and personally show them the love of God.

Another thing. Legalism is a dangerous path for a Christian to navigate. When we start putting all kinds of manmade rules on what we wear, where we go, what we can do, and how we can do it, we start becoming not unlike the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Our “faith” degenerates into little more than a set of rules to which we must conform. One’s strict adherence to rules can even become a source of spiritual pride or arrogance. The unfortunate thing about this is that so much emphasis is placed on externals, that it minimizes the more vital matter of focusing on the inner person. Truly, the outward expression of our lives should flow from what is on the inside of us, and not from anything less.

Pastor Danny

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Pivotal Points in History

During our recent “history tour,” Sandy and I stopped at a number of sites that had provided the backdrop for some of the most important events in U. S. history.

At Gettysburg, we toured the famous battlefield where the Civil War’s pivotal battle was fought. Americans from north and south—fighting for different interpretations of the American dream—collided head-on at this sleepy little Pennsylvania hamlet, forever catapulting it from obscurity to a place of prominence in the annals of military history. As we surveyed the rocky ridges and grassy knolls that once had echoed with gunfire, we reflected on the momentous events that had unfolded there some 150 years earlier. From the courageous Union defense of Little Round Top, during which the tenacious 20th Maine Regiment (along with other units) resisted the repeated onslaughts of the advancing Southern troops…to Pickett’s Charge, the Confederate army’s fateful, last-ditch effort to boldly advance across an open field in a hail of bullets and cannonballs…to the serene stillness of the National Cemetery were Abraham Lincoln, four months after the fighting, uttered his unforgettable Gettysburg Address...every stop we made confirmed that something of great magnitude had happened there. We even saw cannons representing the positions of artillery units from Danville, Virginia, serving under the command of General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. One wonders what would have happened had the battle of Gettysburg ended in a different result. What would our country (or countries) be like today? One can only speculate, of course. But one thing seems certain. The United States of America would not be what it is today. Gettysburg was indeed a pivotal point in our nation’s history.

Later on, we visited Baltimore’s Fort McHenry, the site of another important—but largely forgotten—battle. During the War of 1812, Fort McHenry was under the command of Major George Armistead. (Interestingly, his nephew, Lewis A. “Lo” Armistead—a brigadier general for the Confederate Army—would suffer a mortal wound at Gettysburg during Pickett’s Charge, some 50 years later.) During the Battle of Baltimore, Fort McHenry was our last line of defense against an invasion by the British navy. On September 13th, the fort came under intense bombardment. The Americans responded in kind with cannon fire from the fort. The battle was loud and long, raging throughout the night. Amazingly, when the new day dawned and the smoke cleared, the massive 15-star, 15-stripe American flag was still flying proudly over Fort McHenry. The British fleet withdrew. Francis Scott Key was so inspired by what he witnessed that he wrote down these immortal words, “O Say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, o’er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming. And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there…” Many American today don’t give much thought to the War of 1812. It was the last time our U.S. mainland was invaded by a foreign military force. And it was the war that truly solidified us and gave us credibility as a young nation. Had Fort McHenry collapsed, the outcome of that war may been different. But thankfully it did not. Fort McHenry—the home of the Star-Spangled Banner—was a pivotal place in American history.

Sandy and I also made a stop at Valley Forge, the place where General George Washington and his weary troops hunkered down & endured the harsh winter of 1777-78. No battle was fought at Valley Forge, but it nonetheless was a pivotal place in American history. As winter drew nigh, the superior British forces seemed to be prevailing in the war effort. Washington and his more poorly supplied continental army needed a safe haven where they could retreat, retool, renew and ready themselves for the continuation of the struggle for independence. Valley Forge fit the bill. Although many hardships were endured during those bitterly cold winter months, the following spring the army emerged from their encampment stronger and better prepared to carry on the fight for freedom. Valley Forge proved to be another pivotal place in U.S. History. For where would we be today if Washington and his troops had not been able to carry on?

When we visited the city of Philadelphia, we saw historic Independence Hall, the place where it all began. The place where our founding fathers courageously gathered to adopt and sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776, as well as the U. S. Constitution in 1787. The place where political giants like Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and James Madison made their mark, giving birth and shape to a brand new nation and a brand new form of government. The place from which freedom rang out to every corner of our land. When you think about, it’s absolutely amazing to consider the concentrated creativity, courage and conviction that sprang forth from the hearts and minds of the men who participated in those historic gatherings. Without a doubt, the stately red brick structure on Liberty Square represents a pivotal place in our nation’s history. For where would be today had those important gatherings stalled and stalemated? Or what would have happened if the signers of the Declaration had panicked and gotten cold feet? Or if the framers of the Constitution had come up with a form of government that was wholly different from what we now have, such as another monarchy? Independence Hall was truly a pivotal place in our history.

In our country, there many pivotal points that have shaped who we are today. Each of them should inspire us to be grateful for what we have, and mindful of what so easily might have been.

When I think about pivotal points in history, however, I cannot help but think of another place, far away from our country. A place where another drama played out, long, long ago. A place far across the sea. In the Middle East. The region of Palestine. Just outside the city of Jerusalem. A place called Golgotha, or Calvary. A place where once stood an old rugged cross upon which the Prince of Glory died. The Bible says that on the cross “God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.” But what if Jesus had not stayed on the cross? And what if Jesus had rejected His destiny as Savior of the world? What if He had chosen another path? Or what if God our Creator had simply washed His hands of us and let us go our own way? Where would we be today?

Thank God that we don’t have to answer those questions. Because when push came to shove, and everything was riding on Jesus, He did not falter. He did not fail. He did not forsake us. His love held firm, and His grace reached out and caught our falling souls. It was a pivotal moment for all of us. For truly it changed the course of history—as well as all eternity—for you, for me, and for all that will receive His message of forgiveness and His gift of eternal life.

Pastor Danny

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

Presidential Home Tour

On our recent vacation, we took a history tour through Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. I’m sure this would have absolutely bored some people, but my wife has learned to endure these things with a smile.

We stopped at five—yes, count ‘em, five!—presidential homes. (I was a history and political science major in college, and my favorite part of history has always been presidential history.) Four of the historic homes we visited on our trip were right here in Virginia, “The Mother of Presidents”. Those homes were Washington’s Mount Vernon, Jefferson’s Monticello, Madison’s Montpelier, and Monroe’s Ash Lawn Highland. (Sandy has decided now that we need to give our Virginia home a name, just as these founding fathers did.) The fifth presidential residence we visited was Eisenhower’s farm home in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

We had been to Mount Vernon before, several years ago, but never to any of the others. Our son—who lives in the D.C. area—took the day off from work to join us on our visit to Mount Vernon, which was kind of neat, in that the three of us had visited the historic site together back in the early 1990s when he was a boy.

Mount Vernon has an incredible new visitor’s and educational center, making it more along the line of the presidential libraries of some of our more recent presidents. If you haven’t been to George Washington’s home in the last year or so, you really need to see it again. You’ll be amazed. (That is, unless this kind of thing just bores you silly.)

Our visit to Madison’s Montpelier also was quite notable. Presently, the house is undergoing a major renovation and restoration, both inside and out. For years it was privately owned by the DuPont family, who acquired it in 1901 and made extensive modifications to it. It was willed to the National Trust in 1984. Right now, historic preservationists are working to remove the additions and facades added by the DuPonts, returning the structure to how it appeared during the days of James and Dolley Madison. (By the way, my only disappointment with that whole stop was that they didn’t offer us any free samples of Dolley Madison’s famous snack cakes!)

In the past, Sandy and I have visited other presidential residences like FDR’s “Little White House” in Warm Springs, Georgia, Lincoln’s home in Springfield, Illinois, and Truman’s presidential retreat in Key West, Florida. It’s quite interesting to see where and how our various presidents have lived. I feel it gives a deeper insight into the men and their times.

But in the final analysis, people are just people, aren’t they? Whether you’re a president or a pauper, whether you live in the White House, the jailhouse or the poor house, we all have to put our pants on the same way—one leg at a time. And, eventually all of us are going to have to meet our Maker and give an account of our lives. And neither fame nor fortune nor power nor position can exempt us from that. Thus, when it’s all said and done, all that’s really going to matter for any of us is what we did with Jesus. Did we receive Him or reject Him? Did we live for Him or for ourselves?

Right now, several presidential aspirants are jockeying for position, striving to win their party’s nomination, with the hope that eventually they’ll be the next inhabitant of the White House. It would be nice to live in the White House, I suppose. (Imagine being able to call down to the kitchen any time of day or night and get a fresh omelet or a BLT or a filet mignon, no questions asked!) But, think about this: Four years later—eight years, at best—and it’s all over. A president, truthfully, is nothing more than a temporary resident. At the end of his term, he’s back out on the street.

Jesus, however, has an eternal home waiting for us. He declared that “in My Father’s house are many mansions.” And He told us that He was going on to Heaven ahead of us in order to prepare that place for us. And it’s a place unlike 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in that it won’t be a temporary abode. Rather, it’s one in which we will dwell with Him forever and ever and ever.

It’s quite intriguing to visit historic homes where notable figures once lived, gleaning insights into their personal and family life. As I have opportunity to do so, I hope to visit more presidential homes in the years to come. But someday it’s going to be a whole lot more exciting to see and experience the home that God has in store for those of us that are His children. For, truly, that home is going to be out of this world! And, best of all, it’s for keeps!

Pastor Danny