"One In the Bond of Love"

Wednesday evening, the Hope Class hosted the www.go group for dinner and fellowship.  This is the second year in a row that these young adults have hosted our seniors and I, for one, found it a most enjoyable evening.  At the same table, I was involved in conversations about empty nest strategies, the energy necessary to keep up with grandchildren, and the "bestest-ever" roller coaster ride at Disney World.  There were infants and octogenarians, five-year olds and fifty-five year olds, eating, laughing, and playing together.  It was a wonderful picture of family too rarely seen in our often age-segregated world. Certainly we have different interests and energy levels, freedom and constraints of time, and life perspectives informed by our different levels of maturity and experience.  But I would argue that there is more to connect us than separate us...more to unite than divide.

 

From time to time we plan activities at Westwood that remind us that our church family is a varied and vital community.  The uniqueness of each individual and each different age does not have to create obstacles that keep us apart.  Just as the apostle Paul reminded the Roman church that the human body is made up of many parts, all working and dependent on each other, so too is the body of Christ, the church, made up of many members, united in purpose and calling.  

 

Yes, we have age-graded classes for our children and youth, and many of our adult classes are formed around people who share a variety of similarities, including age, but how remarkable it is when we come together across all of those and other lines that threaten to divide us, to honor the Lord as we worship, minister, and fellowship together.   Thanks to all who remind us we are truly one in the bond of love!

 

Jim Abernathy

Transition

Good Saturday Morning!!!

The Party's Over....ah yes, vacation comes to an end. Cindy and I have been away the past ten days. To say that we have enjoyed these days would be to overstate the facts just a bit. Certainly there have been good times, renewing acquaintances with old friends, reading, shopping, visiting historic sites, playing golf, etc. There have been bittersweet moments as well during these days, for included in this trip was an act of separation as we moved Clayton into the dorm at the University of Kentucky for his freshman year. Though this move has been eighteen years in the making, it seems to have come so quickly...where did the time go?

Moving him into the dorm was reasonably uneventful. The mothers of the roommates got everything organized and settled in its place and we left Clayton on Friday afternoon with the assurance that we would see him again the next day for the freshman induction ceremony. Saturday afternoon we stopped by his dorm to drop off a few items, and I warned Cindy not to give in to the urge to straighten up what I assumed would be a now disheveled room. My assumptions were correct and Cindy, to her credit, bravely resisted her motherly instincts to clean and straighten, and we headed off to Memorial Coliseum for the induction ceremony.

There had been few tears along this journey. We had been prepared by others to expect a rush of emotions as we made our way through this rite of passage. As the induction ceremony got under way, the president of the university stood to welcome and challenge the class of 2016. A rising sophomore then reminded the new students that she had sat where they were now sitting the year before, offering encouragement for their new adventure. The students were inducted by reciting a pledge of commitment together and then a choral group sang the song all Kentuckians revere, My Old Kentucky Home. Tears were flowing as parents across the room were overcome by this special moment...except for me. As a native Kentuckian I am often moved by Stephen Foster's great tribute to the bluegrass state, but as I sang along with thousands of others on this day, there were no tears, no obvious emotion. I was handling this experience much better than I thought I would.

Then something happened I wasn't prepared for. The marching band came running into the coliseum and commenced the playing of the UK fight song. It was a loud, boisterous moment when tears were to give way to a unified celebration...except for me. With the drums beating, the brass blaring, and the batons twirling in the air, tears began streaming down my cheeks. I was caught off guard by this sudden emotion that seemed a bit out of place. People around us were clapping and singing, some pounding their fists in the air to the beat of the drums, and I was tearing up. Now I have counseled people through the years that grief can grab one at the most unexpected times. The playing of the the UK fight song was certainly one of those unexpected times. As I stood there wondering why I was crying when everyone else was joyously celebrating, it hit me, that this very song was something Clayton and I had hummed, whistled, and sung together whenever we watched a UK basketball or football game. Over the years, whether watching on TV or having traveled to Rupp Arena, we had shared experiences that had marked our allegiance to the Wildcats, and in a very real way, to each other. We would still celebrate this connection, but now, in different places and different experiences. I pulled myself together long enough to clap as the majorettes strutted out of the building and the last echoes of the drums were released into the late afternoon air. I dried my tears, smiled at Cindy, and acknowledged yet another transition in our lives.

Few tears have been shed since that day. The moment of release had come. Now, we begin the daily routines of our new lives. Texting, email, and phone conversations keep us connected. And of course, come November, some five-hundred miles apart, we will once again share a connection, with Clayton at Rupp Arena and me in our family room watching by television, as the familiar sounds of the fight song are played...On, On, U of K, we are right for the fight today.

Excuse me, I need to find the box of Kleenex.

Jim Abernathy

Pressure and Distraction

The Olympics are coming to a close this weekend in London. Organizers have proclaimed the games a great success, not only for the athletic competition, but also in viewership as the IOC estimates a potential global audience of over 4.8 billion people. I know I sometimes get a bit nervous standing over a four-foot putt with only three people watching. Imagine trying to balance yourself on a 4 inch beam, or stop a slicing soccer ball from going into the net, or clear a hurdle while running at full speed knowing that there might be 4.8 billion people watching!! The ability of those athletes who focus their attention on the moment and task at hand, blocking out the pressures and distractions all around them, is what often separates them from other competitors.

How do you handle pressure? How easily are you distracted? Few will ever have to perform before the glaring eyes of billions of people as Olympic athletes do, but for most of us, it doesn't take that kind of crowd to do the job. The pressures of work or school, even family sometimes take their toll and the easiest of tasks are made more challenging. Elite athletes often have some kind of strategy for dealing with that kind of pressure and distraction.

So, what is your strategy? I think the apostle Paul had a pretty good handle on the challenges he faced that brought pressure and distraction to his journey. He wrote in Philippians 4:11b, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." This isn't apathy or disconnected indifference. Contentment, for the person of faith, is living in the moment with all its pressures and distractions, trusting that God is present with you as you do your best to accomplish the task...to do whatever must be done. Gold medals aren't often awarded for the daily challenges we face, but the assurance that God is with us empowers our actions and sharpens our focus. In the midst of pressure and distraction, that is our greatest strength.

Jim Abernathy  

Interruption and Opportunity

I awakened early yesterday morning to take my wife Cindy to BWI to catch a flight to Indiana for her high school reunion. As we were leaving the house at 4:30 a.m., I glanced at my phone to check email and saw that Delta Airlines had emailed at 1:23 a.m. to let us know that Cindy's connecting flight had been canceled. It's a bit disconcerting when walking out the door to find that arrangements for your ultimate destination might be in question. After some frustrating moments on the phone with the airline's automated system, we finally decided to go into the terminal and speak with a living, breathing human being. With appropriate encouragement, the agent found an acceptable connecting flight and Cindy was on her way.

Life changes in a moment. Cancellations, postponements, revisions, adjustments...these are all a part of the journey we experience. They sometimes wreak havoc with our schedules and our perceptions of what is fair and what is not. Occasionally we have control in these moments, but often, not.

I heard someone say recently that God is at work in the interruptions of life. In the middle of the uncertainty about destination and outcome, one wonders about God's hand. This is not to say that God pre-ordains these interruptions, but that in the midst of them, God can work to teach valuable lessons, and to empower thought and action that enable decision making in the midst of the moment.

In the case of our early morning "interruption," there was nothing we could have done to prevent it, nor was there anything that we could have done after being made aware of it to fix it. What we were able to do, however, was not to panic, not to succumb to the frustration, but to resolutely and calmly find an appropriate resolution. Every interruption is not so easily managed, and certainly there are other interruptions more significant in nature. The Psalmist's response to his "interruptions," gives us a good word for today..."Why are you downcast, o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, My Savior and my God," (42:5) The interruption presents an opportunity for God to work, and for you to seek God in the midst of whatever is going on around you. The little word "yet" tells the story...there is still hope.

Jim Abernathy

There Is a Better Way

Cindy and I went to a new restaurant today for lunch. It was the kind of place where the menu is on the wall and you order at the counter, then take a seat and wait for someone to bring you your food. That's not unusual. Sounds like your typical fast food restaurant. What set this place apart from other hamburger joints we've been to, however, was the detail of each menu item listed on the wall. Not only was the particular burger listed, but also its calorie content, organic origin, and its designation as "free-range" meat. Now we didn't go there because of any of those things...we just wanted a good burger! Every condiment and additional topping that could be added was also listed on the wall and beside each listing, the calorie content for each one as well. After a while, it became too difficult to keep track of the calories; that was just too taxing when the smell of grilled onions, french fries cooking, and the occasional chocolate milk shake that was being delivered to someone near my table captured my attention. It was all just too distracting, and I was simply too hungry to get caught up in the particulars that this restaurant thought I was either interested in or should know.

When our food was delivered, it looked and tasted wonderful. As I took the last bite, however, my mind wandered once more to the board and all the information listed there...the healthy information the management had displayed for my good and perhaps to ease their consciences. It was then I began to ponder..."Is it good to consider the degree of sin in the midst of the moment, or just forge ahead and consider the consequences later?" For this day, I must admit, my hunger got the best of me. The calories added up to more than they should.

I suppose our momentary weaknesses produce the kind of sin that brings recognition, like that calorie-laden burger just before the last bite is finished. The apostle Paul must have struggled with this sort of thing to some degree. He wrote to the Christians In Rome that he found himself doing the things he didn't want to do while often not doing the things he knew were right to do. That is the struggle with sin that we all face. Paul came to the conclusion that there was nothing good enough within him to overcome that sin. "What a wretched man I am," he wrote in the seventh chapter of Romans. "Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord." His hope was not in his own ability to overcome, but in the power of Christ to help him overcome. When we stop to count the calories...the sin, we recognize that there is a better way. Paul was right...Thanks be to God--though Jesus Christ our Lord!

Well, it's nearing dinner time. I'm grateful that Cindy hasn't listed the calorie content of the meals she prepares on the wall...yet.

Jim Abernathy    

I Continue to Trust

As citizens in a free society, we live in a reactionary state where triumph and tragedy breed responses that exhilarate and confound, sometimes at the same time. In this twenty-first century, we live in very dangerous times where safety can evaporate in a moment's time, or in the case of a theater in Aurora, Colorado earlier this morning, in the span of a few frames of a motion picture.

By now you have most likely heard of the horrific shootings at the Century 16 theaters in Aurora, Colorado. As I write, fifteen persons are known dead, fifty others injured, several of those, critically. It seems unthinkable that something like this could occur, and yet, the unthinkable once again confronts us with a savagery that has become all too common. In the aftermath of such tragedy, there will be calls for measures to be put in place to prevent such things from happening in the future. These reactionary changes may have some effect in slowing such activity, but the best precautions cannot always anticipate the mind of one bent on destruction or whose twisted sense of notoriety causes him to do such terrible things.

In the aftermath of 9/11 new security measures were introduced that made certain experiences more challenging, from airport security, to entrance in government buildings, even certain sporting events. We are all a bit more aware of our surroundings, perhaps even more selective about the places we go and the kinds of events we attend. Overhead signs on major highways tell us to be watchful and to call government hotlines if we suspect terrorist activity. This most recent shooting will spark passionate debate about safety in the public square...the kind of debate that is necessary in a free society.

Our freedom is both our greatest asset and deepest threat. Danger always tempts the kind of reaction that limits freedom. In certain circumstances that is a necessary response that indeed saves lives. But most of us will not choose to live under such heaviness, seeking instead to live our lives within reasonable parameters of liberty that allow for personal choice. Hence, the choices we make and the way we make those choices becomes vital to our own well-being, and to some extent the well-being of others around us.

As a person of faith, I believe that the ability to think and make choices is a gift from God. I also believe that my best choices are made when I am walking in right relationship with the One who has made me. Trusting myself into God's hands isn't a guarantee that I won't face danger, but I do find peace in recognizing that God is with me, no matter what I face. I don't believe that I serve the Lord best when I cower in fear, but when I trust God to go with me everyday into the unknown. The promise of Jesus to his disciples as he ascended into heaven is the same promise for us in the midst of continuing uncertainty..."I will be with you always."

Cindy an I will be going to the movies later today. Our lives continue in the midst of great tragedy. Our reactions to life's challenges help define our next steps. I continue to trust the words of the One who has promised to be with me. In heartache, joy, and threat, that will not change.

Remember the families of those victimized in this terrible tragedy. 

Jim Abernathy

WOW!

WOW!!!!

I know that is not a very interesting or thoughtful opening line, but "WOW!!!" is really hard to improve on when describing this year's Vacation Bible School. I could talk about the record number of children enrolled, or the generosity of the children and their parents in their daily offerings for ServeTrust, or the wonderful organization and leadership skills of our VBS staff, but most importantly, we talk about people. From the youngest child to the oldest volunteers this was an incredible week that reminded us of the significance of community where every person is important and every opportunity to share God's love, truly a treasure. At parent's night on Thursday evening as each group got up to sing, I marveled in watching preschoolers, children, adults, and senior adults singing and sharing in the wonder of God's love. I have said on a number of occasions that Westwood does large things well and this year's VBS is certainly evidence of that. Together, we accomplish so much more than we could apart, and together, we honor the Lord through the gifting of ourselves for the cause of Christ.

This afternoon there are probably a lot of naps being taken...mostly by adults, I'd guess. Those moments of rest and solitude have been earned through faithful and loving service. Thank you Westwood family for reminding me and our community once again, that God is at work among us. WOW, indeed!!!

Jim Abernathy