The Significance of a Dream

Much has been made in the last few days of the significance of a dream.  With the fiftieth anniversary of the march on Washington this past Wednesday, we have heard the echoes of past dreamers, like Dr. Martin Luther King.  The late summer of 1963 brought nearly 250,000 people to Washington in search of a dream of equality and fairness for all people.  The late summer of 2013 finds the partial realization of some of those dreams and the reality that there is still much work to do. 

Dreams are the kindling for the fires of change that bring needed transformation in our lives and in our society.  As stories have been told of Dr. King's speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, one that I find interesting is the encouragement of a voice in the crowd that perhaps spurred Dr. King to the words that inspired a movement and a nation. Gospel singer Mahalia Jackson was the last singer to perform before Dr. King rose to the podium. Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and other well-known performers had addressed the gathering congregation on the mall that day.  Jackson, however, sang two powerful spirituals that stirred the crowd and certainly reminded them of the roots of faith at work in their movement. As Dr. King rose to speak, he had a prepared text that he had been working on for quite some time.  He had listened the day before to advisors who encouraged him to focus on certain aspects of the civil rights movement, but he left them to retire to his hotel room that evening to pray and prepare further for what he believed God would have him say.  Through the first part of the speech he stuck to his prepared remarks, delivering the carefully crafted words as had been planned.  Then a voice was heard from the crowd immediately surrounding Dr. King..."Tell them about the dream Martin...tell them about the dream."   It was the voice of Mahalia Jackson.  Dr. King had spoken of his dreams in other speeches and perhaps Ms. Jackson was recalling those words.  For whatever reason, however, her challenge to Dr. King elicited a different approach, and extemporaneously, he began sharing the last part of that speech where his dreams portended a much brighter future for children of different races.

 

The Bible is full of dream stories.  Biblical writers often attribute the movement of God's Spirit in the context of dreams. We also speak of our hopes and aspirations as dreams that we hope to see fulfilled.  So, what are your dreams?  What is stirring your slumber or filling your daylight thoughts with possibility?  What might God be saying to you in your dreams and be prompting you to do as a result?  I cannot answer that question for you, but I can encourage you to listen for the voice of God in the midst of the dream, then dare to open your heart and day mind and act on that dream. The possibilities are breathtaking.

 

Finally, perhaps you and I, like Mahalia Jackson, can gently prompt a friend or loved one to share their dreams.  "Tell them about the dream Martin...tell them about the dream."  Who knows what God might do?

Jim Abernathy

Chills

Three words send chills through children and parents at this time of year...twelve little letters that call them to return to a way of life that seems distant in the glow of summer: Back to School.  Most likely you are hearing these words right now in the context of an invitation from retailers advertising their seasonal sales on everything from pencils and backpacks to shoes and cell phones.  It is a well known fact, at least advertisers would have us believe so, that one cannot return to school without spending large amounts of money in preparation for that return.  Going back to school, however, is much more that the accumulation of stuff.  For some it is a first-time journey into a world that holds great promise and great fear.  That can be said of kindergartners and college freshmen.  It is a reminder of the continuing and ever-changing seasons of life that open new and challenging doors.  In its traditional setting, it is also a reminder of a familiar movement toward the fall and winter months, holding for us their own blessings and challenges. No wonder there are chills in the midst of a sunny August day! 

 

Some of us would say such transitions are no longer part of our story, and yet, for most, if not all of us, there is an ever-moving rhythm of life that continues to usher in moments of preparation for something on the horizon.  Fear, uncertainty, joy, excitement, hesitancy...these and other emotions and expectations become partners to us along this journey.  Last Sunday we talked about Joshua and the challenges before him and the children of Israel as they prepared take their next steps across the Jordan and into the realization of God's promise.  The Lord encourages Joshua for his first day on the job through these words of encouragement: "Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  That assurance didn't suddenly make all the giants in his path disappear, but Joshua did find courage in these words to step out in faith and the people followed.

 

Whatever lies before you as a challenge this day, keep those words in mind.  The chills can be overcome through a power greater than you or the circumstance you are facing.

 

Jim Abernathy

Wonderfully Complex!

I have been married to an early riser for thirty-one years.  I thought at first it was just a phase that she would grow out of, or at worst, a bad habit that I could help her change.  I gave up on that theory thirty years ago!  At 4:45 every morning, the alarm sounds, Cindy jumps out of bed, and with our miniature schnauzer Max following her every step, she greets the day with enthusiasm and great expectation.  I made a mistake a few years ago of buying her a glow-in-the-dark alarm clock with enlarged numbers just so she could be reminded of how early she was waking me up each morning.  The problem with this alarm clock, however, is that it not only has an enlarged clock face, but also an enhanced bell that rings loud enough to stir the blissful dreaming of residents within a half mile of our house.  She usually is pretty good about turning the ringer off fairly quickly, but most mornings, the damage has already been done. 

 

Now, understand, I am not a late sleeper, usually rising before 7 a.m. each morning.  Those extra two+ hours of sleep, however, when missed, do make a difference in my approach to the day. Some mornings I roll over and drift back into slumber, but that is not always the case.  I could get up and join Cindy and her walking buddy for their pre-dawn tour of our neighborhood, but I would only be in the way.  They walk and talk at such a fast pace I would quickly fall by the wayside.  I have an ally in Clayton who occasionally questions his mother's morning routine, wondering why anyone would voluntarily choose to get up so early, but he too has learned to accept these strange happenings as just another of his parent's traits not to be emulated.

 

In the end, we all acknowledge that these unique qualities on display within our family mark us as individuals whose choices are our own.  I suppose that is something to be grateful for, although, I must admit, that's not on my mind when the bell tolls at 4:45 a.m.

 

Psalm 139:14 says that we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  The New Living Translation says, "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!"    The uniqueness of all of God's creation is on display before us every day.  That is a gift to be treasured...a gift to be made room for...a gift to acknowledge and celebrate.

 

Some of you may have to set your alarms a bit earlier this Sunday as we begin our August Sundays at Westwood.  Worship begins at 9, followed immediately by fellowship time for everyone in Whitten Hall, then Bible study there for adults in one joint class beginning at 10:15, while children and youth attend their regular classes. This change allows some of our teachers a break, an opportunity for greater fellowship, and a bit different format for worship each week.  We will conclude around 11:15 each week so you can head out for further adventures with your family and friends.  Dress comfortably and invite a friend or neighbor to join you.

 

Yes, Lord, thank you for making me (and everyone) so wonderfully complex!

 

Jim Abernathy