Over Packing by Lorraine Triggs

It was July 2001, two months pre-9/11, and our multitude of bags were packed and ready to go on the first STAMP trip to Russia. We were off to summer camp to help the national staff with crafts, sports and all around entertainment (of which our skills were many).

I have always prided myself on my packing skills even with the following list:

• camp clothes

• good walking shoes

• first aid kit, including pouches of grape-flavored Pedialyte

• googly eyes for sheep craft

• black and white yarn for sheep craft

• construction paper, glue, tape

• scissors

• soda ash

• dye from art store

• rubber bands

• white t-shirts

The only thing I neglected to pack was a month's supply of sticky fly paper, but I digress.

Packing for the trip home was a lot easier:

• dirty camp clothes

• one broken walking shoe

• pressed wildflowers

• our own autographed tie-dye t-shirts

We left behind the shirts, one for every camper and camp staff, now dyed in blues and magentas, leftover craft supplies, first-aid kits, sports equipment, some of our suitcases and our hearts.

Though proud of my packing skills, I never list it as other skills on my CV. Too bad, because when it come to carrying baggage, I could teach a Master Class.

Let's see, there's the baggage of childhood hurts:

• fourth-grade teacher who played favorites (I was not one)

• unfriended by best friend, Kathy, prior to Facebook.

Things happen. Bad or sad. If I look back for them, I can find them from any stage of life.

I probably shouldn't even mention the baggage Facebook adds to my life, but since it is a Master Class, here goes—I have zero pairs of matching Christmas pajamas, same for vacations to any of the 48 contiguous States this last year and not one photo of cute little children frolicking in the snow.

As I start to inspect my baggage, it's clear that Facebook isn't the problem. I am, and my stubbornness in carrying around jealousy, discontent and grumbling. Here's a stinging joke, like a pair of extra pants that I don't need. An unresolved disagreement is like a heavy, itchy wool sweater that takes up way too much room than it should. I add to my load the hurts and disappointments of life not going the way I had planned. I take no pride in these packing skills.

There's hope for habitual over packers like myself. It's in the One who invites the heavy laden to come and find his rest and to learn from his gentle and lowly heart. Jesus invites us to exchange our burdens for his burden that is full of light and grace and truth.

And that involves forgiveness. For me and for those who handed me stuff I don't need, that only makes traveling heavier and harder than it needs to be. Jesus frees us from all that and gives us something new. Back when we went to Russia with so many suitcases, we unloaded them and gave most everything away to help tell the campers aboutJesus and to give them anything that might be a help in the days ahead. I want to let go of heavy bags and give away the blessings God gives.

When I look for the God who gives, my heart, not my suitcases, is filled. I think of the friendships forged with Russian Sunday school teachers turned camp counselors for the summer. They never dreamed it would be possible to have children's camps and there we were doing just that in a Soviet-built school. Think of the eyes of the children at camp, bright-eyed as we unwrapped their shirts revealing bright colors of summer that came from the other side of the world. Think of the wonder of sin washed away. The one and only Savior who came with nothing more than himself, not from the other side of the world, but all the way from heaven, teaching, touching, humbly dying, rising, giving new life and calling us to follow him.

The next time a mad moment of over packing pride hits me, I will remember another childhood memory, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he might exalt you in due time. Casting all your cares upon him; for he careth for you." (1 Peter 5:6, 7 intentionally in the KJV)

The Questions I Ask Google by Susan Zimmerman

From early 2014 until mid-2017, I worked as an editor in the marketing communications department of a large corporation. Our department, overwhelmingly comprised of graphic artists, was a newly formed Mac computer island within a corporate sea of PC platforms. So, whenever any of us called corporate IT for help with a tech issue, the answer was usually, “Umm, you’re on a Mac? I don’t know what to do.” Even when the IT person did try to help, there were long delays waiting for an answer.

I’m not the most tech savvy person, so when I ran into inevitable computer problems, it was frustrating not to have ready help from corporate IT. I would privately fume at the slow and sometimes inadequate response.

Then, like everyone else in our department, I discovered Paul. Paul was our image coordinator and a Mac wizard. I joined the line at his desk to get answers, or emailed him, or sent a quick text asking about my latest tech snafu. And Paul was great. He was patient, knowledgeable, and his answers worked! It was like having my own private IT department at my side.

But Paul was a very busy guy. He and the team he led were processing hundreds of images a week. It was unrealistic to expect him to keep up with an unofficial, and unasked for side gig of assisting everyone with their Mac issues. And one day, when I stopped by his desk with yet another query, he looked up, smiled a bit wearily, and said, “Susan, you know you could Google that question and get the answer. That’s what I do sometimes, too.”

Ahh, Google! I felt slightly chastened, but what he said made perfect sense. I went back to my desk and did exactly as Paul suggested. And there it was, the answer to my computer question in five easy steps. Why hadn’t I thought of doing that before? I had used web search for hundreds of other questions, but Googling to unsnarl my Mac hadn’t been one of them.

And now, years later, whenever I encounter a computer issue, I always remember Paul’s advice, “You could Google that.” Unless my computer is actually dying, I can usually find a quick solution.

Yes, Google (or other search engines) is great for all sorts of practical advice. Fixing a Mac. Diagnosing the leak from our dishwasher. Figuring out what’s causing the worrying rattle in the car. Or maybe even discovering how to keep squirrels from digging up bulbs (my latest search).

But wisdom for life’s big questions? Like, how to deal with the current anxiety over the pandemic and all the huge crises in front of our country? Where to invest my time, talent and treasure? How to have a lasting impact on my children and grandchildren? And even more importantly, how to set aside the recurring idols in my life and depend on Christ only for joy and sustenance? For these questions, Google is like my former corporate IT department, “I don’t know what to do.”

Another Paul, the apostle, has something to say about finding wisdom in I Corinthians 1:19-25:

For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.”

It’s all too easy for me having become conditioned by the quick and easy answers from Google to expect the same from “Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” As I did when seeking answers to my Mac problems at work, I often privately (or publicly) fume at what I in my limited vision consider a slow or inadequate response. I want five easy steps. And I want them now.

Christ offers a different way to wisdom. James 1:5-6 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

In my notes from Pastor Moody’s sermon from August 30 on this passage, I read (my paraphrase of his words): “The great secret of life is to inquire of the Lord. He gives generously, without reproach, in love as a Father. But the condition for this wisdom is faith. Not make believe or positive thinking, but commitment. ‘Without doubting’ means trusting God even if we don’t get it. Trust God and be steadfast.”

I’m slowly learning how this God-given wisdom is so much better than asking Google, or family, or friends, or a self-help article or book. It comes through steadfast commitment, through reading God’s Word, through the daily exercise of faith and dependence on my Lord and Savior. It’s not a quick hit on my computer screen or five simple steps, but it’s ultimately far more satisfying and long lasting. It is the “good gift” and the “perfect gift” that is “from above.” (James 1:17)

A Prayer by Wendell C. Hawley

From his book A Pastor Prays for His People

Blessed Redeemer, beautiful Savior,

Author of all grace and comfort.

We approach you with the deepest reverence—

not with any presumption, nor with servile fear—

but with respectful boldness—because of your gracious invitation.

In the days of yore, you met the invited penitent at the mercy seat.

There the sprinkled blood was a covering for sin.

Today, our needed blessings are to be found at the throne of grace.

Here it is that we find grace in every—every—every! time of need.

It is easy for us to elaborate our needs, as trouble upon trouble piles up on us:

fragmented friendships,

hostile relationships,

adversarial conditions,

financial roadblocks,

family nightmares,

unanswered questions.

Some of these heartburning situations have plagued us without relief,

and we have pled with you to alleviate—

yet still we wait for a divine answer.

Lord, we have nowhere else to go but to you,

and so we again cast ourselves upon your mercy.

Maybe you delay because of the insidious sins

we tolerate or turn a blind eye to!

Galatians tells of good old Barnabas and influential Simon Peter who were

captured by flagrant hypocrisy.

Maybe that’s our sin today—protection of self—

desiring the approval of the crowd rather than God.

Father God, it will take a detergent as strong as the blood of Jesus Christ

to wash away that sin.

We confess with tears all the times we played the hypocrite

and curried the world’s favor—in the world’s place—

and tried some face-saving, self-serving falseness around God’s people.

Forgive us, Lord, as we pray now for deliverance from such sin.

Thank you, Father, help us to never again indulge in hypocrisy.

In the name of Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life.

A Good Laugh by Lorraine Triggs

The element of surprise on each of our STAMP trips to Russian summer camps was the campsite itself. There was the camp at a school where the water was turned off every afternoon. Or the camp in an old Soviet Young Pioneer camp with huge fallen trees resting on rickety cabins (including ours). Then there was the site which was simply an open field in rural Russia. They called it "Russia extreme" and many of the camp leaders were curious to see how we American Christians would handle it.

At this camp, without running water period, the camp cook cut the bottom off an empty five-gallon water jug, turned it upside down, lashed it to a tree, filled it with river water, and created a handwashing, dishwashing station—you just had to remember to open the cap exactly right to prevent water from gushing out.

Considering what happened next, it's a good thing that jug was fillled with river water, not drinking water.

I headed to the water station to wash my hands after arts and crafts, waving to the cook prepping the evening’s meal under the food tent. At the station, I unscrewed the cap. Oh, oh, just a bit too far lefty loosey. I quickly tightened the cap and tried again. Oh, oh, more water poured out.

It was in between attempts number four and seven, as I quickly closed off the makeshift tap, trying to spare the precious water for uses other than my hands, I began to laugh each time the cap fell into my hands and more water poured out. As amusing, embarassing and clumsy as it was, I figured my hands were clean, so I did a grand puddle stomp in the mud puddle I created, looked up, waved goodbye to the cook and went on to join the next activity.

That evening, the camp director (a friend from our previous STAMP trip) mentioned the washing station incident to me. She had heard about it. An apology for wasting water was on the tip of my tongue, but she continued, “The camp cook watched you the whole time, waiting for the American to get impatient and angry about the water. Instead, he saw you laughing at yourself. That impressed him. He said that Russians have a hard time laughing at themselves.”

I think it’s more universal than that. Adam’s fallen race doesn’t like to laugh at itself. When we laugh at ourselves, it’s a blow to our self-importance; it’s a blow to our pride; it’s a blow to carefully crafted reputations.

The apostle Paul didn’t write “laugh at yourself” to the Philippian Christians, but he did write, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)

Self-importance, pride and reputation aside, sometimes, honestly, I'm unintentionally  funny. There's general acceptance that laughter is good for our physical and emotional health. It's good medicine, but it isn't the cure for Adam's fallen race. The cure came when Jesus "emptied himself of all but love, and bled for Adam's helpless race."

One closing note on laughing at oneself—according to my mother, if we laugh at ourselves, we always have something to laugh about. There are days when I am a never-ending source of comic relief.

A Prayer for World Leaders by Ellen Elwell

As we begin our Missions & Community Outreach Festival

Two prayers from Prayers for Every Occasion by Ellen Elwell
World Leaders

Sovereign Lord, you are God over all the nations of the whole world. . . and yet you are personally engaged with each one of us. This brings us comfort and hope—not just for our personal circle of family, job, friends, and activities, but also for world events. When we hear about developments in countries we're not familiar with, we're grateful you wield supreme power there, too. You hold the whole world in your hands as lovingly as you hold each of our individual lives.

This prompts us to pray for world leaders around the globe. You created each of them, Father, and you alone know their hearts and minds. History records heads of governments who followed you and were instrumental in bringing your righteousness and justice to various situations. History also records leaders who didn't know you, yet whose hearts were directed by you nonetheless.

Please help each of these select few to make wise choices that ultimately honor you and honor the people they serve. And even if they don't make choices that seem wise, we acknowledge that you remain supreme Ruler of the world. Thank you, Father, that you are always in control.

National Leaders

Sovereign God, you are the ruler of all nations and all people. No king, prime minister, president, or other authority governs without your consent. History is full of both good and evil rulers, and that is the reality of our nation's legacy too. Thank you for leaders of the past who submitted to your will, people who valued justice, mercy, and service as their high calling.

Lord, I pray for those who lead our nation today. May they guide with wisdom, understanding, care, and humility. Move in their hearts in ways that only you can. Give them a desire to serve, fortitude to stay true and honest, and wisdom to gather knowledgeable advisors around them. Remind us of our duty to pray for and submit to these authorities, even when we do not agree with their beliefs and policies. Should times come when we must obey you rather than our rulers, give us courage to stand up and wise words to speak. You have promised to give us your help in such times.

May our nation flourish under godly leadership that only you can provide. In Jesus' name, amen.

Surrending All by Wil Triggs

The first commandment is a pretty direct imperative from our Lord.

“You shall have no other gods before me.” (Exodus 20:3)

A clear vertical command, no other gods before me. It doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room.

The thing is, I like a little wiggle room. The competitors for space in my soul, the place where God wants to reside fully and freely, are more welcome there than I care to know or admit. I’ll confess, there are many, and all are horizontal, encroaching on God’s first commandment space. Yet I persist in thinking that they are all good.

And most of them are. Good books. Reading. Good coffee. The best chocolate. Late summer harvest. In terms of time, the creation and consumption of media. These are just off the top of my head.

I started thinking about this in relation to the first amendment of the U.S. Constitution. I'm not sure what brought it to mind, probably all the political reporting. The first commandment and the first amendment. I liked the juxtaposition, the pairing of the phrases and it got me thinking.

A quick civics class refresher of the first amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

This is a good thing. There is much to love about it. For a news junkie and one who is sometimes mistaken as a member of the press, freedom of the press is kind of a thing for me. This is especially true when I monitor the persecution of Christians in countries where the press is not free to report. Free speech is definitely not a universal right, but one that we and our neighbors all enjoy and maybe even take for granted.

And the freedom of religion—I find great hope that our forefathers did not establish an official religion. That means I can freely believe and follow Jesus, as can other people. Seeing majority religion countries enshrine one religion as official leads often to them aiming their ire at minority Christian citizens and churches. Established state religions so often seem to turn faith into history, regular people seem to abandon them in daily lives. These are cautionary reflections when I look in the mirror and see myself and my home.

In the course of our political and social upheaval these days, I wonder if my citizenship in the country where I was born carries more weight in my heart than my citizenship in heaven, where I am a son of the most high (and humble) king. I hope not.

You may have seen the campaign signs “Jesus 2020” on the internet or in social media, maybe even in your neighborhood. This is a strange mixing of the horizontal and vertical. I kind of like it and I kind of don’t, but it’s interesting.

The idea came from some women at the Sampey Memorial Baptist Church outside Montgomery, Alabama, when their community was in COVID-19 quarantine. They wanted to make something that would point people to Jesus.

“We don’t see Jesus' name out there,” said Joyce Hubbard, one of the women in the church who made this happen. “We’re going to put him out there. He’s the one that doesn’t lie to you, who keeps his promises.”

This church gave away more than 7,000 signs and then the website they set up sold 30,000 more across the nation (as of three weeks ago). They don’t mean for us to start a write-in campaign. It’s not literally political. They're trying to point people to Christ.

It's the secular and sacred, the horizontal and vertical, constantly colliding. Life gets messy like that.

Lorraine and I got into the car one Sunday afternoon a few weeks back, and the classical music station WFMT was on. As we drove, I interrupted Lorraine’s talk. “Isn’t that a hymn?” I asked.

We turned up the volume.

“It is,” she said. Sure enough. It was a contemporary setting on piano of “I Surrender All.”

It brought back memories of altar calls and televised Billy Graham Crusades, walking the aisle to give everything to Jesus, to surrender everything over to the loving Savior.

All to Jesus I surrender

All to Him I freely give

I will ever love and trust Him

In His presence daily live

All to Jesus I surrender

Humbly at His feet I bow

Worldly pleasures all forsaken

Take me, Jesus, take me now,

I surrender all

I surrender all

All to Thee my blessed Savior

I surrender all

All to Jesus I surrender

Make me Savior wholly thine

May Thy Holy Spirit fill me

May I know Thy power divine

Surrendering all to Jesus is more than an item on my Saturday to-do list It's a faiithful choice to focus on the Savior of the world instead of the things of the world. In last Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Ben Panner said, “In our hearts there is spiritual adultery against God. …He demands and he deserves full allegiance, full devotion, full loyalty. …God will not share space with anyone.”

Jesus, why do I let so many idols in when you gave everything that I might have your peace, your life, your all-devouring grace. Help me surrender over the spaces of my heart to make more room, actually, to make all the rooms of my life, open and filled with only you, not the cares of this world, the little sins I like, the good and noble causes I fight for, or my favorite coffee in the world.

(It’s Kenya; thank you, Jesus, for making it.)

A Pastor Prays for His People by Wendell C. Hawley

As we scroll through the news, it’s easy to feel that everything is falling apart, until we remember who God is.

A prayer by Wendell Hawley

Majestic God, who extends mercy,

We acknowledge your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ,

as our only Savior, the Preeminent One.

He is the Creator of the earth

and all that lies therein.

He is the governor of the universe,

Judge of the living and the dead,

Head of the church,

Savior of sinners.

Sovereign Lord, your greatness is unsearchable.

Your goodness is infinite.

Your compassion unfailing.

Your mercies, ever new.

You are altogether lovely—superior to all things.

You are our only refuge,

our only foundation,

our only hope,

our only confidence.

Grant us, in our brokenness and fear,

to gather courage from the fact that you hold all things together.

Open our eyes to see the fullness of your excellence.

Remove the lopsided and distorted images of Jesus

that weaken our worship

and hinder our obedience

and prevent our growth.

We try to shoehorn our desires and wishes into circumstances and attitudes

that are ill-fitting to those who claim your sovereignty.

We are afraid to let go of that which we mistakenly think we control for fear

everything will fall apart—

when in reality, you, the Supreme One, hold all things together.

Help us to grow in the knowledge and conviction of your preeminence,

letting you take reign—

in our home,

in our business,

in our plans,

in all our relationships.

We pray, O Lord, that as we confess our sins,

your wonderful forgiveness will wash over us,

cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Thank you, Lord Jesus.

Suffer the Children by Wil Triggs

Four children are a far cry from the forty we typically welcome the first Sunday of the school year. But we still had Kindergarten Bible school this past Sunday—not play time, not childcare, but real live Bible school, masks and all.

We made a cotton ball sheep craft, searched for lost coins, watched the Gospel Project’s story of the lost sheep, the lost coin and the lost son. We had some help from Fred the sheep in retelling the story, sang a song and and started telling the missions story about a boy in a land with no Bible. The only thing missing was the Goldfish crackers.

On Friday, we came full circle to a different reality.

Glenn Deckert, who serves with his wife, Ann, Lorraine and me in organizing the Friday prayer meeting for the persecuted church, began his prayer sheet this week with some jarring prayer requests.

1. Children in war-torn lands like Syria and Yemen or those of displaced families as in Nigeria and Burkina Faso who have missed years of schooling as they have had to move from place to place.

2. Children in places where they are forbidden to have religious education of any kind as in China and Tajikistan.

3. Children who have lost one or both parents as in Syria and Mali, and those who have lost limbs or eyesight from bombings and devastating Islamic attacks.

4. Those who as early teenage girls have been kidnapped, forcefully converted to Islam, and sexually abused and/or married to much older Islamic men, as in Pakistan, Egypt, and Nigeria.

These requests for children hit hard as I read through them and kept seeing the faces of the children we had the joy of teaching for the first Sunday since March 8.

In the King James Version, Luke 18:16 reads, “Jesus said ‘Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for such is the kingdom of God.’”

Suffer little children. No, Lord, we don’t want little children to suffer these atrocities. Suffer, no, Lord, we don’t want anyone to hinder these little ones from coming to you.

And then another dimension of this hits me with new force in an email from one of our persecution-focused ministries. They reported:

Boko Haram Is Recruiting Young Children in New Drive

09/15/20 Nigeria (ICC) Boko Haram continues to plague Nigeria and the Lake Chad region with extremism and violence. Recent research has shown that the group is increasing its efforts to recruit children. They recruit younger children to act as suicide bombers, and older children, many of whom are already victims of the group’s violence, as soldiers or suicide bombers.

HOW TO PRAY

• Pray for protection for vulnerable children in this region.

• Pray for Boko Haram leaders to come to know Christ.

• Pray for protection for local Christian communities from attacks.

Horrifying. But the prayer request for Boko Haram leaders to come to know Christ is worth taking seriously. Imagine all those lost sons in Nigeria running into the Father's open arms, repenting and receiving forgiveness. And as we pray for this kind of faith and repentance, why limit our prayers only to Boko Haram?

Let us pray for China and its President Xi Jin Ping and North Korea and Kim Jong-un and his sister Kim You Jong.

Let’s pray, too, for the Christian families in places like China and Tajikistan, who face the dilemma and challenge of teaching their own children about Jesus and being charged with a crime.

As contentious and difficult as our pandemic situation is, our children are free to come to our church and learn about Jesus. We are free as Kids’ Harbor leaders to teach them about Jesus. Parents can point their children toward Jesus. It’s rough going for us with school options this season, but we were free to teach our children the glorious truths of Scripture last Sunday. And with that, there is much joy. (Parents, we're ready for your kids! In eight days, all grades open up.)

As we enjoy the freedom to openly teach our own children at College Church, let us give thanks to God for each one of the little hearts for theirs is the kingdom of God. And not our kids only, but the hearts of children facing so many different challenges across the globe.

Jesus is not far from any of this. He had words of woe for those who do harm to the little ones. KJV "suffer" means allow them, don't forbid them; yes, children, come, come. Good Shepherd love—a harbor, a refuge, a light for every child in every country.

“Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Pray with me. May revival come soon. Yes, Jesus loves them.