Super Heroes and Super Pets Are Not Real

   Molly, our 4 year-old Maltese-Bichon guard dog, watched me as I pulled backwards down the driveway of our home the other day. With my daily list of have-to's and want-to's accumulating in my mind, I couldn't help but compare my day with hers: Molly will nap on the couch, exit her dog-door, circle the yard, bark at some kindly passing neighbor, return inside and nap some more, only to repeat this beautiful cycle throughout the day until we return. Oh, the life of a domesticated pet!

   But it has not always been that way; some years ago, Molly had a secret vocation. She was playful pet around our home, but when bedtime stories were being told, she became SuperMolly. The tales of her adventures were legendary among two little boys I am quite fond of and her daring escapades were...daring! In those stories she'd make her way outside, round the corner of the house, and then take to the air to find the bad guys and win the day.

   I am struck by a couple of points as I take a trip down memory lane, thinking back to when Sam and Jack and their dad were all younger. The first is, super pets would make for a great movie idea or even television series (which is probably why Disney released Bolt on the big screen in 2008 and they have had Perry the Platypus saving the day on their hit show, Phineas and Ferb, for over three years now). But second and more importantly, none of it is real. Despite their popularity, those super heroes are fictional and the stories are made up.

   Super Heroes are made up but the battle between good and evil is very real. I understand the story goes like this: God's love for each of us throughout history is the continual strike against the force that would seek to do us eternal harm. Our choice to accept this undeserved love of God is our best possible response to grace, and nevertheless we remain in the midst of a struggle between good and evil. Paul, a first century expert on how this struggle plays out in the life of every woman and man, went so far as to admit that he was unable to choose the right in the face of wrong in many cases in his own life (Romans 7). But all is not lost, said Paul, thanks to Jesus' work on the cross. We are far from super in our ability to resist temptation, but with the Holy Spirit we act powerfully to bring the Kingdom of peace and righteousness closer to reality. 
   I still love telling and hearing stories of super acts of heroism that defeat the bad guys. They provide comfort and even inspiration. We are attracted to Super Heroes because it is easy, but the truth is much more difficult to believe: we are the ones called to fight the good fight against injustice and harm. 

A Matter of Inches

   We need our space. More specifically, we need our space in order to be able to see things clearly. From the world of anatomy we learn that the term for this space, or distance, is the amplitude of accommodation. It is a measurement of the eye’s ability to focus clearly on objects at near distances. Our eyes have “ciliary body” tissues that contract and relax to adjust the lens of each eye in order to focus well. Each person needs a certain distance to be able to see clearly. While it is not something any of us are thrilled about, in fact, the distance needed to focus on object up close gets longer as we get older. The amplitude of accommodation for a child is usually about 2-3 inches, for a young adult 4-6 inches,  for a 45-year-old adult around 20 inches, before going up to as much as 60 inches later in life. This gives new meaning to needing our space, doesn’t it?

   Regardless of how the numbers vary, the truth remains; everyone of us can see the world more clearly when viewing it from some distance. We need distance to get perspective. Our minds oftentimes need the same thing.  How many times have we been helped by stepping back to see the bigger picture? When we are able to focus beyond the object in front of our vision to see the surrounding context, we are so much better able to assess the situation. It has happened countless time when we sit opposite a trusted friend and shared our story, only to find that hearing it out loud and gaining their perspective sharpens our ability to understand and comprehend. This is where growth happens. This is where clarity is achieved.

   That is exactly what our annual Charge Conference this week allowed our leadership at Epworth the chance to do; step back, and get some perspective.  When we take a step back, we are able to look back and see where we have come from.  We are also able to look forward and see where it is we are going.  The beauty of being able to allow our eyes to see both directions is truly a gift of God.  For it is God who has placed us in His great story, that has a clear beginning and end, and it is God who wants us to find our place in His story of the world’s redemption.

  Let us offer words of appreciation to all of our leaders who have served with distinction this past year, and to all of those who are continuing on or joining their ranks in the coming year. Also, a special word of thanks to Susan Snider, our really great Church Administrator, who helped compile numbers, lists,  signatures and names to allow our night to be one of celebration. Most of all, let us give thanks to the One who showers us with time and talent that the great work of the Kingdom might happen.

   Grace and Peace to you, Scott

Sometimes, Winning Happens Later On

   Brief remarks about the Atlanta Braves on Sunday were acknowledged by nearly everyone in worship that hour. Further proof that the Braves remain America's team and their progress is followed by a majority of folks around these parts, whether they are winning or losing. In the past month, they were mostly doing the latter.

   The Braves missed the National League playoffs last week after leading the wild-card race by 8 1/2 games on September 5. The blame is spread everywhere from pitching and hitting to injuries and even a hurricane in late-August. Read more here in the AJC. For what it is worth, I saw lots of hope for the future. I saw a wealth of young talent, called up from the minor league teams, take the field and contribute right away. I am thinking about Constanza, Minor, Vavarro, Teheran, and Vizcaino. They all contributed, not to mention the daily efforts of Freeman and Kimbrel, both rookies this past year. If you can get past the recent bad news, the future can be seen with great optimism.
   I think another reason we can relate to the recent woes of the Braves is that their struggles sometimes mirror our own. We have been the ones who have dropped the ball and struck out. We have gotten it wrong, and even looked ugly doing it. Despite all of that, we desperately cling to hope in the future.
   The scriptures tell of just such a story happening in the early church: it is the story of John Mark. A companion of Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, John Mark left the trip before it was completed. This past action was the cause of a split between Paul and Barnabas when they began making plans about a second trip, for Paul was adamant that the young man would not accompany them (Acts 15). Yet, despite his failings of the past, this young disciple would later become one of Paul's trusted aides in winning souls and cities for the kingdom (2 Timothy 4), to say nothing of the fact that he would author the first-ever written account of Jesus' life that we know as the Gospel of Mark.
   Sometimes, failures are the reality and the wins come too far in between. Sometimes the future seems far off. Other times, if would just allow ourselves the courage to hope with a vision for what will be, the truth is that what is coming is greater than we could imagine. Let it be...for our lives and for our church's relationship to our community (and for our Braves, too!).