At the Vigil, I read the following letter that I am sending off to President Barack Obama as soon as the postal guys are back in play.  I encourage you to write one of your own, with a conciliatory spirit.  And please keep praying!

Here goes…

Dear Mr. Obama,

Greetings to you from Lexington, Kentucky.

In just two days you will become the President of this great country of ours—and I am certain that you have a whole lot on your mind and on your plate.  I first want to welcome you warmly to this position.  You are to be commended for the inspiring campaign that brought you to the place where you now stand. 

I have to admit that you were not my first choice to be our President.  But even so, there are several aspects of your Presidency that I eagerly look forward to.  Let me share some of them with you…

First of all, I’m glad that you are an African-American.  Both black and white citizens of our country need to see examples of capable young African-American leaders in our society.  We all need to believe again that America really is the land of opportunity…for everyone.  I believe that you have been chosen for this, and I am happy that my own small children will grow up thinking that it’s perfectly normal for a black family to occupy the White House.

I also look forward to getting to know your family, mostly because all of you seem so down-to-earth.  You have a lovely and brilliant wife and two adorable daughters.  While I don’t know a whole lot about your girls, my hope is that they are the kind of young ladies that my own young daughters will soon be able to look up to.  Thank you for being a good example of a leader…who is also a family man. 

I guess, though, that there’s one thing that I look forward to most about your Presidency, and it’s the reason I’m writing you.  What I’m talking about is your unique ability to inspire hope.

Hope is the ticket that you ran on.  Hope is the ticket that you won on.  Hope is the subject of one of your books.  When people listen to you talk about hope, Mr. Obama, they hear something far more than just some hollow slogan.  They truly believe that hope is something that you truly believe in.  And clearly millions and millions and millions of Americans have placed their trust in your ability to deliver on this promise…especially during some recent times that have felt pretty hopeless.

Hope is what got you where you are today.  And hope was the theme of that unforgettable speech back in 2004 that first catapulted you into the forefront of America’s hearts and minds. 

I remember vividly what you said that night, and how you said it.  You brashly thumbed your nose at the very idea of hopelessness, at least here in America.  You even inspired me as you attempted to define real hope when you exclaimed these words:  “…I’m talking about something more substantial. It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; and the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.”  And then you ended by proclaiming:  “Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!”

Four years later, most of our nation is holding its breath to see if you really can audaciously bring real hope back to us.

As you take your oath of office on Tuesday, we’ll be focused on two seemingly hopeless situations:  first, our faltering economy; and second a prolonged war over in Iraq.

Let me say that you can certainly count on my prayers with those two issues.  Any hope that you can bring to either of them would benefit all Americans, including me, and I would be grateful to you for it.

But I’m writing today to ask for your help—and your hope—with what I consider to be an even more critical issue, if you can imagine that.  In my humble opinion, the issue I’m talking about has cost our nation far more than any recession or depression ever has, or will, or could.  And in terms of lives lost, this issue’s American victims alone significantly outnumber the death toll in Iraq and Afghanistan…by about 50 million.

I’m talking about legalized abortion here in America.

And since hope is a language that you speak fluently, let me explain to you what toll the last 36 years of abortion have taken on America’s state of hope.

Each year, over a million young women—women who look a whole lot like your wife or mine—find themselves facing an un-hoped-for pregnancy.   As they seek a place to turn, an option is presented to them which flashes before them a sort of flickering neon light.  This option gives them the “good news” that the baby inside them is simply some kind of mistake, not at all affiliated with a Creator—that he or she is no more than some tissue that can be painlessly and privately and legally erased.  This promise of ‘hope’, so quickly doled out to them, tells them that their ‘problem’ will just disappear forever.

And yet for those who believe this lie, the burden that they inherit is a million times more unbearable than the responsibility of figuring out how to provide for a child.

You see, it wasn’t tissue that was removed.  It was a baby, and it was all the joy, and the dreams, and hope…that God intended to go along with him or her.

Mr. Obama, tell me what kind of real hope thoughtlessly takes the life of an American child who is just as innocent as your own precious daughters.  What kind of hope is it that would inflict a lifetime of emotional pain on a woman?  What kind of hope robs a man like me or you of the joy-filled burden of getting to be called “Daddy”? 

I don’t know how to tell you this gently, so I’ll just say it:  No matter what political promises you have made, no matter what rationalizations you have believed—legalized abortion simply does not and cannot coexist with a policy of real hope.  Any endorsement that you give to it is a vote of no-confidence in our nation’s children, our nation’s women and men, our nation’s future, and even our nation’s God.  It is a vote of no-confidence in hope itself.

The other day I was able to tour All God’s Children, a home for unwed mothers and their babies in nearby Nicholasville, Kentucky.  While there, I was able to walk through a room where ten of these kids, ages newborn to four years old, were taking a nap while their mothers were at school.  As I considered the reality that each of these children had literally been saved from a modern-day Holocaust, it dawned upon me that the place where I walked was hallowed ground.  It was sacred.  It was—if nothing else—a place where the unwanted were wanted, where the unplanned for were being provided for, where those whom society had deemed worthless had found worth, and where the truly hopeless had found hope.

A place like that embodies the America that you have promised to us.

Just this week you referred to our nation’s founding principles as “a set of ideals that continue to light the world.”  And then you said these words, and I quote:  “…our rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness come not from our laws, but from our maker.”  Let me state it again, Mr. Obama:  you yourself just said that our right to life…comes from our Maker.  And so if we have laws and policies and funding in place which insures that every American doesn’t have the right to life, then I ask you:  where does that leave us as a nation before the Maker of whom you spoke?

Mr. Obama, I understand that you are not a Supreme Court justice.  And I also understand that it’s easiest just to sidestep this question, as you did at Saddleback.  But if I could today, I would implore you—even beg you—to rethink your position, to humble yourself before God and your country as our highest leader, and to take two action steps as our next President.

The first is this:  Please re-think your promise to sign the Freedom of Choice Act.  I fully realize the immediate short-term political advantage to you of signing that Act.  But I also know in advance that God simply will not bless that decision.  On your conscience will be a penstroke that sowed hopelessness…and reaped a whirlwind of despair and death.  Mr. Obama, please swallow your pride, reverse your course, take a long look at your daughters and your wife and all that you hold dear.  And then…do the right thing.  If you took just that small but courageous step of simply not broadening the hopelessness of abortion, I would never stop telling my children and my children’s children about your heroism and courage.

But here’s the second action step that I implore you to take:  Share with our nation a real God-given hope that extends even to–especially to–the unborn child.  And share this kind of all-inclusive hope just as powerfully as you did about hope for the slaves, and about hope for the immigrants, and about hope for naval lieutenants, and about hope for the millworker’s sons, and about hope for the skinny kids with funny names who believe that America has a place for them too.

That would be real audacity, Mr. Obama.

That would be a real legacy.

That would be real hope, a promise from God upon which you could make good.

One hundred fourty-four years ago, an inexperienced former Illinois Congressman rode a train into Washington, D.C. amid the most turbulent and divisive of times.  As he took his oath of office, he had no intention of putting an end to the injustice of slavery.  It was nowhere on his agenda, nor had he campaigned for anything of the sort—in fact, quite the opposite.  His only goal was to bind our nation back together without extending the boundaries of slavery.  But over the next four years, as events unfolded and as he matured, he was used by the Lord when he courageously and abruptly removed this institution that had brought shame and judgment and hopelessness to our nation for decades.

Abraham Lincoln is remembered and honored today for that very courage.

And you would be too, Mr. Obama.

The time has come for a new Emancipation Proclamation–an Emancipation Proclamation for our children, for our women, for our men, for our moral fabric.  And for hope itself.

I am asking you to be that leader, Mr. Obama, and to set our people free.

I humbly submit this request to you, Mr. Obama, in the spirit of Romans 15:13, which says these words:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Sincerely,

Phil Roberts

Here’s the problem.  A banner and a sermon title don’t really guarantee that any of us will have a fresh start (although they look mighty nice).

So what’s involved in a fresh start for a new year (besides remembering to do this blog more regularly)?  Here are some ideas…

• Taking a good look at the Lord and what He might ask of you (Micah 6:6-8 )
• Receiving the forgiveness that Jesus came to make available to anyone who would come to Him (John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9)
• Loving and forgiving and talking directly to people that you’d rather keep at arm’s length (Matthew 18:35, Ephesians 4:32)
• Living a life that honors the body that the Lord has given you, a temple of the Holy Spirit, made in His image (1 Corinthians 6:19, Genesis 1:27)
• Living a life that honors the body of Christ–the church, His Bride, by choosing to enjoy the fellowship rather than tearing her down (Ephesians 5:25-27, Acts 2:42-47)
• Finding a place to serve in your church, your community and your home (Matthew 20:28 )

At the end of the day, Satan has a well-crafted plan to keep us from enjoying a fresh start together, but the Bible tells us that the one who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world…which means that only one person can stop you from having what God is holding out to you.

I’m looking forward to learning more with you about what this fresh start looks like…and then living it out!

I had the opportunity to share for a few minutes there, and in lieu of a sermon or sermonette I shared a poem that I had written earlier, which I suppose I haven’t really titled yet.  But at least one person asked me for a copy, and so I thought I’d post it here.  If you can share it or use it any way, please do so with my full permission.

Here goes (oh, by the way, it’s kind of long)…

1.

The snow fell softly on the hills,

and not a word was spoken:

We shepherds slowly herding sheep,

the silence left unbroken…

Until a noise disturbed our peace

and pierced the darkness through—

Loud bleating heard there in our flock—

a snow-white pregnant ewe.

She laid there on the freezing ground—

a quaint sight to behold,

And soon we stopped to welcome

a new lamb into our fold.

I picked him up, so tiny—

and there in my arms he curled—

How strange to have left a warm, safe place…

to wake up in our world.

2.

This lamb was spotless, perfect, pure—

no blemish to be found—

His mother seemed to know this

as she shivered on the ground.

For a snow-white lamb like this one

would sell at no small price

And go up to Jerusalem

to become…a sacrifice.

How sad to think that on this pure,

unblemished little one

Would fall the sins and wrongs that some

flawed man like me had done.

I held him tight to keep him warm

and tried to sympathize,

But he ended up warming me as he nestled close

and closed his eyes.

3.

And then from out of nowhere

came an awesome, brilliant light

And the voice of some mighty warrior

broke into our silent night.

When our eyes finally adjusted,

it became completely clear

That an angel—from God’s presence—

had left heaven and come here.

And we trembled to imagine

what harsh judgment would be made,

But then heard his bold voice gently

saying, “Do not be afraid.

I bring you news that’s very good,

glad tidings of great joy.

In your little town of Bethlehem

lies a newborn baby boy.”

4.

The angel claimed this baby

was sent to us by God’s design

And he told us to go see Him,

and then gave a cryptic sign:

This special child had come to us

as a poor, unprivileged stranger

And would be the only baby

in a feeding trough–a manger.

No sooner had he told us this

odd news that seemed…so wrong

When an army of heavenly angels appeared

and erupted into song

And told us of God’s glory,

and of heavenly peace…on earth

That would come to all who know this child

and celebrate His birth.

5.

And when they left…our eyes saw spots

and heads continued ringing

As we asked what baby this could be,

who had God’s armies…singing!

Then we looked at one another…

as we simultaneously wondered:

Could Messiah be the one of which

this angel choir had thundered?

The long awaited son of David—

the Shepherd—could it be?

Born in his town, old Bethlehem?

We had to go and see.

And as we ran I realized

that the lamb I held—so small—

Had not even stirred at the angels’ song,

but slept soundly through it all.

6.

And so on this snowy, wintry night

that felt as cold as death

We scurried around our little town

till we were out of breath.

But none had heard of a newborn child

or a mighty angel song

And clearly they thought that something

with some shepherds had gone wrong

Until a kind man beckoned us

and gave us a place to begin—

He pointed to a stable

just a stone’s throw past his inn

He said an expectant couple came

and needed a place to stay

But the only beds he had for them

were ones there in the hay.

7.

And so we sauntered down the path,

not sure what we would find,

With a thousand unasked questions

left burning in our mind:

Like, why did the angels find us

 when they could have asked anyone–

Some royal prince, or head of state,

to greet this ‘royal son’?

And why was this child out in the cold

on a night so fraught with danger?

And couldn’t God find a better cradle

than an ox and donkey’s manger?

And wouldn’t Messiah restore Israel’s glory

and fulfill all of God’s decrees?

So why a stable for this one who’d bring

Caesar’s armies to their knees?

8.

We reached the barn and saw the scene

as we shivered in the cold—

There in a lowly stable

was what angels had foretold:

A tired peasant huddled close

to a young girl, softly weeping.

Both gazed in awe into a feedbox

at a newborn baby sleeping.

And we yearned to sing, or shout, or tell

why we had come this way,

But there in the stillness of the night

there was nothing we would say.

So I held my lamb and prayed to God

that He’d use this…little boy

To fulfill the angel’s promises

of good news…and of great joy!

9.

Just then the newborn lamb I held

awoke and—to my shock—

Sprang from my arms onto the ground

and tried his best to walk.

And he wobbled toward the stable

as I froze there where I was,

And I watched him do the kind of thing

an animal instinctively does:

He walked straight to the feedbox,

and then stopped, and looked around,

And, finding a mother and fellow newborn,

he plopped down on the ground.

And the parents seemed unbothered

as they huddled, so serene,

That a pure unblemished lamb had come

into their manger scene.

10.

The lamb seemed to find comfort there,

though I couldn’t figure why

What newborn child could comprehend

that this lamb had been born to die

To take away the guilt of sin,

to pay another’s price,

To be offered in Jerusalem

as a perfect sacrifice.

And while I thought, “How sad this is,”

I couldn’t help but see

That the baby’s eyes–now opened—

were looking straight…at me!

And had I stopped and thought it through,

I might not have taken this chance,

But I slowly walked to-ward Him

as if I were in a trance.

11.

And I stood next to the manger

in my ragged, tired condition

And I asked to touch the baby,

and was given their permission.

So I stroked the matte of coarse black hair

and thought that it seemed odd

That a man like me could touch a baby

who’d just been sent from God.

Adoring him, I stopped and stared

and much to my surprise

Standing frozen I began to see

the future in His eyes:

Scenes I saw unfolding there

were more than real to me,

Short glimpses of this baby’s life

and of what would come to be.

12.

I saw wise men from eastern lands

as they moved across the earth,

Following the light of a special star

that told of a great king’s birth.

They worshiped him and verified

all that had been foretold,

Then gave him gifts fit for a king:

 incense, and myrrh, and gold.

And as they left, this family

was forced into swift flight

As darkness tried its best to stop

being overcome by Light.

And as I watched the boy grow up,

God’s perfect plan unfurled:

This little baby in the manger

had come to light our world!

13.

Next I saw the boy grown up,

by the sea of Galilee

Calling simple fishermen      

by saying, “Follow me.”

And as he taught he encountered hate

and resistance and anger and strife,

But His teachings showed that He was God’s…

only way…and truth…and life.

And miracles that He performed

showed power from beyond,

And newly healed men saw that into

the darkness God’s light had dawned.

And just when I thought that this king was about

to cut Rome down to size,

I gasped to see the scene of a hill

in Jerusalem…there in His eyes!

14.

There Romans grabbed and beat Him

and nailed Him to a cross—

This one who was heaven’s gift to us

now seemed like heaven’s loss.

And as He hung there in the dark

in excruciating pain

His eyes met mine, and I saw who He was…

the unblemished, being slain.

And His eyes pierced through as He saw me—

in my sin—for who I am

And He said, “Father…please forgive…”

                and became God’s perfect Lamb.

For a snow white Lamb was this one…

sent for me at no small price

And He’d go up to Jerusalem

to become…my sacrifice.

15.

So as I touched this baby there

and saw in His eyes His fate

I wept for my sins that sent Him there—

my pride, my lust, my hate.

But I saw then three days later,

emerging from a tomb,

This triumphant king from Bethlehem

for whom there’d been no room.

And I saw Messiah reign on high

over all of heaven and earth—

Sin vanquished, darkness overcome,

by this one from such humble birth.

And as I moved my hand away

from the head of this beautiful child

I’m convinced that God-With-Us–Emmanuel—

looked up at me…and smiled.

16.

Back to the hills we shepherds went,

having witnessed God’s heavenly glory.

And we told this good news to anyone

who would listen to our story:

A story of peace on this earth of ours,

and of God’s light sent to shine,

And a Lamb that came to atone for sinful

lives like yours and mine.

To all who will receive Him,

in this world of sin and strife,

He holds in the here-and-now the hope

of heaven—eternal life.

So this Christmas look not at the manger

like it were in some museum:

The light is here, God calls you now

to leave who you were and see Him.

And she’s right.

I’ll combine that penance with another area in which I need to repent of my disorganization.  About a month ago, I shared something in one of the gratitude messages called “The Other Side of the Coin.”  At least two people asked me for  a copy.  I told them, ‘No problem.’  A few days later, with my Etch-a-Sketch head shaken several times, I could not remember who had made the requests.  So if you’re out there, and reading this, here it is.  I hope it will help all of us during our ‘long national downturn.’

The Other Side of the Coin

I am thankful…

…for the teenager who is sitting around watching TV because that means he is at home and not on the streets.

…for the taxes that I pay, because it means that I am employed.

…for the mess to clean after a party, because it means that I have been surrounded by friends.

…for the clothes that fit a little too snug, because it means I have enough to eat.

…for my shadow that watches me work, because it means I am out in the sunshine.

…for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing, because it means I have a home.

…for all the complaining I hear about the government, because it means that we have freedom of speech.

…for the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot, because it means I am capable for walking and that I have been blessed with transportation.

…for my huge heating bill, because it means I am warm.

…for the lady behind me in church that sings off key, because it means that I can hear.

…for the pile of laundry and ironing, because it means I have clothes to wear.

…for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day, because it means I have been capable of working hard.

…for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours, because it means that I am alive.

—–

Okay, so, there you have it.  And typing all of that sure felt like penance.  I’ll be back…hopefully before I have to make a New Year’s Resolution of it.

May the Lord bless your Christmas celebration!

These days my 2 1/2 year-olds are starting to engage in altercations that are not just physical (hitting and biting) or territorial (“my toy”).  They’re starting to become intellectual, and has a lot to do with our “little red baby car.”

We own a used conversion van, which is roomy and loaded with carseats and goes anywhere where the whole family needs to go.  And then we have a practical car, a compact red Chevy Cobalt, which–though newer–mainly serves as a good gas mileage shuttle between home and work (in fact, I’m pretty sure it’s the last vehicle on earth that doesn’t have power windows…but I’m not complaining )

The #1 most popular dispute among our three 2-year-olds (by far) centers around whose turn it is next to get a ride in the “little red baby car.”  For each of them, this shuttle represents individuality and something different, and–let’s face it–red is cooler than gray in anyone’s book.

And so, constantly, 2-year-old discussions have to do with whose turn is next to ride in that car, and then whose turn is after that, and then whose turn is after that, and on into infinity.  If someone in our house wants to push a sibling over the edge, s/he simply has to insinuate that that person’s name has been mysteriously omitted from the little red baby car rotation.

I have to admit that these disputes were cute for about the first 100 times.  But as one of the two little red baby car dispute referees, I have to admit that it’s getting a little bit old.

So where do you go to get some good adult conversation?

May I suggest Hill-n-Dale’s Sunday morning Adult Bible Classes?  They meet at 9:45 every week, and we have a variety of classes, teachers and studies that fit various age groups and personalities.  The teachers have the full confidence of our elders in their ability to teach and to monitor godly adult conversation about the Bible and life (even in areas where we might not perfectly see eye-to-eye).

In many cases, the only thing missing from these classes is…your presence.

How about giving one or two a try, and see if you don’t come away with a healthy adult discussion…and maybe you’ll learn something from God’s Word too!

The TRUTH!

Okay, well, actually, he’s just bringing us a thing called The Truth Project.  Produced by Focus on the Family, this video/discussion small group curriculum is designed to help any of us understand what it truly means to have a biblical worldview.

I have never gone through the Truth Project, but I will be going through it this fall…hopefully with you.  I encourage you to ask questions and pay close attention over the next few weeks as we unveil The Truth Project and let you know how you can jump in.  We are going to initially offer just a few groups, so be sure to sign up and dive in headfirst!

————-

Thank you for the many encouraging comments about our new service format changes.  All of us will have to make adjustments, but we are confident those adjustments will be well worth it, if the end we have in mind is to engage more strongly in real worship of our awesome God!  Please let us know how we can help you adjust…and bring others along too!

————-

I am going to be out of the office all week, taking some time to study and pray and catch up and get ahead on some sermon and planning areas.  If you get a chance to pray that this week will be productive and refreshing for me, I would humbly appreciate it very much!

May the Lord bless your week in all that you do…as you draw closer to Him!

Here’s how it works:  Each Wednesday, starting in September, we want you to come to a great meal from 5:15-6:15, then go to a Vertical Challenge group (if you’re not in the choir or in an already-existing class or group).  In each Vertical Challenge group, we will be studying and memorizing and talking about the book of James, from September through May.  The goal is that by May, you would have the book of James memorized!

Our first encouragement is for you to volunteer for one of our kids’ groups.  We need enthusiastic volunteers with them, because their groups are going to be very fun and interactive, but–if you will be there–you will learn more there than you will with the adults!

Over the month of August, we will be promoting this and explaining it.  We need your excitement and buy-in, and it will be a meaningful, unique ministry that reaches out to kids and adults at whatever stage of faith they might be!!!

Let’s get vertical together!

Ken had just returned from two weeks in Orlando the previous day, and he carpooled with Cindy that morning.  Very good excuses, but still a small consolation!

Welcome, Ken and Katy!

Ken McDaniel joins us as our Adult Discipleship and Outreach Minister.  He and his wife Cindy are Delaware natives who have lived most of their adult lives in Lexington.  Ken comes to us after ministries at Southland Christian Church and Mount Zion Christian in Winchester.  Cindy is the director of the Assurance Pregnancy Center here in Lexington.  They have three kids and one granddaughter Avery, who lives a long way away but in Orlando :) .  Welcome, Ken!

Katy Lines comes to us as our Children’s Minister.  She is from Colorado, her husband Kip is from Pennsylvania, and their sons Patrick (9) and Brian (6) have spent most of their entire lives in Kenya, where the Lineses have been missionaries among the Turkana people with CMF.  In the next few weeks, Kip will start a Missions PhD program at Asbury, and over the weekend they moved into their new home, not far from the church.  Welcome, Katy!

And so the BIG QUESTION, amidst all of my excitement here in the early morning office, is this:  WHO WILL GET TO WORK FIRST TODAY?  It’s almost like seeing which twin will be born first, but with possibly even bigger stakes than a birthright.  A matter of seconds could determine which new staff member occupies the bottom spot on the totem pole.

(I am leaving town tonight, but will try tomorrow to post the answer to this big question here on the blog).

Regardless of where they land on the totem pole, I know I speak for the whole congregation in welcoming both Ken and Katy, and of saying how excited we are for what the Lord is going to do through you–and in you–while you serve here!!!

Okay, so I’ve never been much of a nature video guy, but I’ve now got on this blog two sped-up versions of amazing things that the Lord is doing in nature (this one, and a beach sunrise from a few weeks ago).

Ken and Gretchen Borror are Hill-n-Dale members, who invited us the other day to come to their home at sunset to watch their primroses come open.  I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a truly amazing and beautiful thing.  I set up a camcorder on the tripod and videotaped about 45 minutes of this event, which I have sped up into a 28-second thing.  Even sped up this fast, you can still see some of the hummingbird moths, which come in and pollenate the flowers.  Beautiful.

The Lord who causes the sun to rise each day, and who uses it to open and close ‘the lilies of the field’–has even bigger, more beautiful, daily plans for your life.  Are you letting Him have that effect on you?  Is His will unfolding in your life?

Have a great week in the Lord, and thanks for the encouragement that you give to me and my family.  It truly makes a difference!!!