“The Devine Barnyard” Part 10
“Up and Coming, Maybe?”

You can see them gathered about the yard, young strong birds that appear to have bright futures ahead. Male and Female they are all around us. The potential is there for all to see. They are the future of the “flock”. Those now in command of the “Barnyard” are having their day and it will pass all too soon. Time “Marches on”, or at least walks along! The bright combs and sparkling eyes of the birds in their “Prime” sometimes overshadow the unrealized possibilities of these youngsters. If they attempt to put themselves forward the older more experienced birds are libel to “fly into a feather losing fit!” With experience comes a sort of “Elder Arrogance” which muffles youthful energy. The “Boss” rooster bullies the young males into submission and the chief “Mother Hen” mothers the young ladybirds into quite obedience. True the youngsters may not know a weasel from a groundhog at this point in their lives but then every generation must undergo its own “growing pains”! The power of youth unleashed is sometimes frightening to older flock members. The young birds have to bide their time and fight their way to the front of the flock before ever being heard! Yet, they will inherit the reins of the “Barnyard” the transition is as unavoidable as the sunrise! Too bad chickens cannot find some way to impart to the young the wisdom of maturity while making use of their abundant energy! It would be a wise “ole Bird” that takes the young “under his/her wing”! The older have much to impart to the young. The young have much in the way of “vibrant spirit” to share with the mature members of the flock. So it is in the always-changing “Barnyard” of life.
In the modern church a battle is always being fought over who directs and controls the life of the church proper. Sometimes folks want to hold on to assumed “power” at all cost! Sometimes young adults and youth lose heart when their voices are never heard. Perhaps it is time for us all to look around and realize God has placed us in a very wonderful “Barnyard” indeed! We just need to step back and take the “long-view” of our spiritual lives. The church is eternal in that it is of God and for God’s people and purposes. We all, young and mature, have a great part to play in the life and ministry of the church at all junctures of our lives! Let the young seek out the wisdom and experience of the more mature. Let the mature adults not “fear” but “foster” the spiritual energy of the younger. Let us “grow in Grace” together as we seek to follow the one who loved people of all ages and stations of life. The church is a sleeping giant until it is able, by God’s Grace, to join all its parts in the unified ministry of the “Body of Christ”. We NEED each other to be complete! Let us join hearts and hands as God’s “United Flock”! Then we need not fear each other or the unseen future. The “Barnyard” and all its creatures belong to the one who is “Love Incarnate”! Trust, therefore, the loving Father of the whole flock.

Seeking the Unity of God’s Flock,
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 9
“Slithering Along!”

I must have been no more than ten years old and certainly not more than 4 and half feet tall. I had far too many “jobs” to do on a daily basis! I was pouting about all this “work” I had to perform! At ten any work is too much! Among the “back-breaking” labors I was forced to accomplish was the daily feeding of chickens and gathering of eggs. My Mother used to remind me that I was very ready to eat those eggs and so must gather them in. I don’t think I ever “made a gather” without dropping at least one or two eggs! Sometimes that was done with “malice a forethought”! I suppose I thought if I broke enough eggs Mom would relieve me of the task! Not so! This was my job win or lose. On this particular afternoon I had other pressing business to see to. Eggs and hens were not my prime interest. I went to the hen house with great reluctance, dragging my feet every step of the way. Most of the nests were of a height that allowed me to see into them prior to reaching under the hens or just picking up the eggs from empty nests. On one side however there were three nests that were built higher than the rest (I never knew why?). I had to stand on my tiptoes and reach up to my greatest height in order to be able to reach over into these nests. If a hen were sitting on these nests I sometimes got pecked for my trouble! On this day, however, things were to be different! There are many lessons that young boys need to learn, many “rule of thumb” that need to be put to memory, one such states: “Look before you leap!” I would learn that one for good on this fair day! I was on the first of the “high” nests when it happened: I reached in and got a hand full of chicken snake! This monster was 40 feet long and weighed 300lbs.! He had fangs 18 inches long and was man killer if ever I saw one! Really he was about a foot long and was more frightened that I was! I jerked my hand out of the nest and somehow managed to drop him around my own neck! I ran in terror with the snake flapping around my neck to the back door where my courageous Mom killed the creature before he could devour me! I learned, that day, that you can’t depend on things to be, as they seem! We need to rely on powers beyond our own to “save” us on this dangerous journey called life. There are many dark and dangerous placed into which we must look and reach in the journey of life. Sometimes they are not really so dangerous after all and sometimes they are! The good news is that God is with us no matter what we find in the “nests of life!” In truth we do need to “look before we leap” but in all circumstances trust God to hold us tight even when snakes bite and darkness comes! While gathering the fruits of life don’t fear the “slithering serpents” that sometimes lie in wait. Be careful and lean on the Lord! In the morning, in the Kingdom, we will all feast on “fresh eggs and tender bacon!”

Yours in Christ,
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 8
“Eat At Joe’s”

When I was in the Air Force, 300 years ago, we had a little “dirty spoon” café just off post. You could smell the place from a half a mile away! I doubt if they ever cleaned the grill where a million burgers had been fried over who knows how many years! If you could eat at “Joe’s” and survive you did not need survival training! Some folks however will eat anything!
In our “Barnyard” we have one of those good folks” Goats you see will eat anything! They are the garbage collectors of the “Yard”! I don’t know if the “Almighty” gave them an unending appetite or they just don’t want anyone else to have anything? However that may be they DO clean up after everyone else. The thing about it is: what they eat by no means has to be eatable! They will eat cans, leather, metal of all kinds, old nails, burlap sacks if you let them get to it they will eat it! I know of no way to teach them what is good to eat and what is, for any other species, impossible to digest! They have no sense of right and wrong. Another thing about Goats: they can’t be led they must be driven! Goats are hard to keep a “handle on”! They eat through fences and work hard at being “cantankerous”! I want to be very intentional about what I want to say next. I don’t want to seem to be pointing the finger at anyone or any particular interpretation of the Christian faith. The following is an “overview” of what I see as an ever-growing problem in the Christian community. What, we might ask just here, is the unadulterated truth of the Christian faith
To what can we look for enduring orthodoxy? It is an important question considering the proliferation of “free & odd” understandings that now cover the landscape. We, as Christians, must own and digest the basic tenants of the faith as described in the “Apostles Creed”, the “Articles of Religion” and the “”Doctrinal Standards” (all in the UM book of Discipline). We must know the truth that we not are led aside by every vagrant wind that blows over the world of faith! Remember Wesley’s Quadrilateral: to make any informed Christian decision we look to “Scripture, Tradition, Reason and Experience”. To do otherwise is to allow ourselves to become “Spiritual Goats” who feed on whatever is shiny, new, different and at odds with the norm! If you don’t inform yourself about the basic truths of the faith you are an easy target for religious “Cults” who trumpet: “We have the answer!” when the church for 2000 years has said it is a “Mystery”! Let’s not be goats who can be driven anywhere, but the Lord’s sheep who follow His voice only!

Lying down in His green pastures,
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 7
“The Duck Among Us”

There they are all spread out across the yard, young birds, older ones and little chicks too! What a picture of compatibility they make in the bright morning sunlight. They just “look” like they all belong to the same family. They are all comfortable with each other; each one knows where he/she fits into the “Big Picture.” No discord here! Nature seems to like it that way. If a solid white or black wolf is born into a wild pack it often times is driven off or even killed. Mothers of many species will not accept a nursing infant not their own. Open inclusive love seems to come hard to us sometimes! Perhaps this is a good time for a “disclaimer”:The subject matter of this little series is provocative and, it is hoped, entertaining. As I related in the very first installment, don’t think for a moment I’m “pointing” any of this at a certain group or person! Or that I am pretending to say that any of these situations are currently in effect here at St. James! I’m just outlining the personalities and situations that “can” arise in our relationships. Please don’t take it personally! Now, back to the “Barnyard.” Once upon a time a Duck egg somehow was hatched in the same brood as our usual Hen’s eggs. No one can say how this happened! It happens in the best of barnyards! The Mother Hen was shocked but willing to raise her “Unusual” little one as her own. The trouble began when the brood was old enough to go out into the yard! The chicks, you see, were all little yellow “fluff” balls, the Duck was Black and, oh horrors, had web feet! He didn’t cluck! No! He quacked! Nothing like this “ever” had been seen in the quaint-quiet barnyard before! Something must be done before this “outsider” grows up and wants to claim permanent residence! To say the little duck was persecuted would be a monumental understatement! After all you can’t have “quacking” disturbing the status quo! It just will not do! There ought to be a law prohibiting such things from downgrading good neighborhoods. What we do with the “ducks” in our midst says volumes about our Christian spirit. They don’t have to be strident quackers to disturb us. They don’t have to have “web feet!” Anyone and anything that differs from the established “norm” will qualify as an outsider. Different social, financial, educational, regional, cultural and yes religious backgrounds and “Bam!” the Duck is among us! We only want “our kind of folks” in the Barnyard/Churchyard. We need (as Christian people everywhere) to “Grow up into the image” of Christ! Not that we accept as compatible with Christian teaching all life styles and all modes of human activity. We must, however, know and practice the fact that all people are of worth in the sight of God and are worthy of the love and grace available through the “Body of Christ;” the Church! Not that we accept the wrong/sinful but that we minister to those caught in sin with the love of Christ who came to “The Least, The Last and The Lost!” Seeing to the needs of the Ducks among us, I remain,

Yours in Christ,
Chuck
 

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 6
“Pulling The Load!”

Nothing gets done unless someone gets “down and dirty”! It takes “worker Bees” for any hive to prosper. In our “Barnyard” the “heavy” work always falls to those bastions of physical power: The Mules! Now a mule is a strange oddity! What we have here is creature that is a combination of things by definition! So from the “git-go” they can be hard to deal with. A Mule will fool you if you are not used to them. They can go where horses can’t, pull loads horses will die under, stay steady on slippery trails where others will fall by the way side! Mules “Endure”! Yet they have their own mind about things. Did you ever try to “move” a Mule when they don’t want to go? Sometimes a 2x4 “long-side” the head is the only way to get their attention! You don’t “reason” with a Mule, they see things their own way! The trick is to teach them to trust you, to convince them you have their best interest in mind. Not that you can “fool” them, they seem to have an unerring instinct about motives. You have to sincerely “care” about them in order to receive their cooperation. In the old days there were “Mule-Skinners” those whose profession was the “taming” of Mules for very hard labor. Some of these folks used the “Bat and Behave” method: that is they beat obedience out of the animals! The best of the lot used a sort of spiritual connection to achieve results: that is they taught the Mules to trust them. Another thing about a Mule: you can’t over work them! When a Mule has had enough he will simply quit on you (unlike a horse that will work itself to death). So we can see that getting work out of a Mule is an “Art Form”!
In the church we have those who both can, and in the right circumstances, will do the necessary work of the church (both physical and spiritual). Unfortunately we sometimes abuse them spiritually and emotionally: that is we overwork and under love them! We take them for granted, overlooking their spiritual needs while looking to the needs of less involved folks! Remember I said we must truly “love” our workers if we are to receive their best efforts! Without these hard working folk the ministry of the church would grind to a halt! Let’s resolve to recognize and laud the work of those we depend on so much! The hard working Mules of the Barn/Churchyard make the whole show “Go On”! God Bless them! They are always there when we need them. We don’t have to look for them when the going gets rough; they are right where God needs them in the fabric of the Church proper! From the bottom of the Churches heart, “THANK YOU!” to all who do so much behind the scenes! We know your faithfulness and so does your Father in Heaven! Keep on “Pulling the Load”! the church of the “Risen Christ” is on the march because you work so hard!

Sharing the Load,
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 5
“Unseen Raiders”

It’s a fact: chickens and most other animals don’t look up! They are so keyed in on the things of the moment that they are easy targets for the unseen “Sky-Raiders” known as Hawks. Busy with the business of “pecking” about the barnyard many an innocent “bird” has been snatched right out of this world! Standing alertly in a corner of the yard the “Boss” rooster seems to be watching over the flock; from all appearances he has everything well in hand! No danger here! Everyone in the yard is accounted for and going about their business. No Weasel or Fox is libel to come around in the bright sunshine of a quiet noonday. Everyone feels safe and secure in his or her own little world. Soundlessly an unnoticed shadow crosses and recrosses the yard. The Rooster never looks up; the guard dog in another part of the farmyard is oblivious to the silent threat! The chicken hawk is on the prowl! Lots of fat and tender chickens are out in the sun for him to choose from. They don’t recognize the threat; never even suspect all might not be well. An unseen observer (that’s us!) might well hold their breath! Surely death cannot come to such a place in such a peaceful moment> With lightning speed and laser-like perfection death comes in the afternoon sunlight! A young bird just coming into her prime is “taken”: A flash of beak and talons, a scream of agony and fright, a rising picture of the killer and his victim and its over! Nothing but scattered feathers and the bright splash of blood to show anything has transpired! Life has fed upon life even as it has ever since “Eden” was left behind! Time (only moments) passes, ruffled feathers are settled into place, the “Yard” quickly returns to normal. Life goes on as if nothing out of the way has occurred. Indeed, nothing out of the normal has occurred! Disaster and death are a part of normal-happens here in our Barnyard! The Watchword is: “be alert the Raiders of life are all around us”!
The church goes along smoothly, all is well in our little corner of the world and then from a completely unexpected direction “Trials” come! Why are we surprised? We are after all a part of the “real” world! Our faith does not promise (contrary to some TV evangelist beliefs) that we will be free of trial and trouble! No! We must be aware of the unseen Raiders in our lives! Life does have its sudden changes for us all! Back in my football days when our defense intercepted a pass we were all coached to cry out “Lions!” that was the signal to all that a “sudden change” had occurred and we were to change directions on the spot! It was a rallying cry! As the unseen “Raiders” of life (sickness, war, broken relationships, death) circle around us; let us “Rally!” around the Cross of Christ. We serve a God who is equal to all the circumstances of human life! Thanks be to God for protecting us under the shadow of His wings! We need not fear any unseen “Raiders!” “God is with us!”

Under the shelter of His wings,
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 4
“Big Boss Man!”

Every society has to have a “Boss”, somewhere that must be written down in “blood”! Now there are bosses that get to their elevated station in life by pure ability (that happens seldom in my experience). Then there are those who, by means of political intrigue and even assignation (of reputation if not life!) gain their position by striding over the fallen bodies and souls of their brothers and sisters. One thing seems to be a given in those who strive for “high position”, Pride! Yes, even that pride that goes before a “hard” fall! It is amazing how many folks seek “first place” that obviously don’t have the talent or ability to fulfill the post once obtained? Be that as it may you find them from “parade ground to podium to pulpit”! With puffed up chest and bright plumage they “strut” their supposed superiority. I can see him now in my mind’s eye, pride fully making his rounds of the “Barnyard”. Every feather is in place. His blood-red comb flashing in the noonday sun. Half a head taller than any other bird in the flock, chest puffed out and stomach sucked in! It is pure selfish pride that burns in his eye. The “Big-Boss” Rooster is on display for all the underlings to view and pay homage to. It is “His” flock you know? If you don’t believe it just ask him! He will make all the important decisions (others may have opinions But--). Every eye and ear is on him. Why, even the sun can’t come up unless he “crows” it up! His voice is the one heard over all others. You look at him first whenever you view the “Yard”. He wants, no! He needs to be out front and admired! He feels that he was born to lead. Others, just as able, move aside for him because of the way he presents himself and because he has “always” been the “Top Bird”! To challenge him would be social boldness indeed. Some young birds cover their frustration and let him have his way rather than “rock the boat”. He makes a good show, however when the Hawk is circling overhead he is the first to seek cover! He has never faced down a bloody-faced Weasel and never will! It is all done with arrogance and mirrors. Oh, he looks good! As muddy and bloody infantry used to ask about bright clean Calvalry (in the Civil War), “they be purrty, but can they fit!” What in the world does this say to the church today? “Looks and Loudness” do not a leader make! Longevity in power does not necessarily equate with ability. Just because a certain voice has always been heard first does not mean it should be! A great outward show sometimes conceals a rotten interior! In the Church as in personal interaction selfish motives lead to trouble. Not every person who holds a position in the church and not every pastor appointed to a given church is the right one for the moment. Jesus had no selfish interests! It is high time the church that uses His name learned from His example. Humble servants are to be prized over “strutting” birds every time! Rule of thumb: Those who want visible positions of power the most are often the ones who need to have them the least! Service not pride is the answer! The good of the whole not self-aggrandizement is the key. Love and service as Jesus witnessed to us is what a faithful life is all about. So let the proud ones “strut” their stuff! Let us follow the Master and serve others!

In the service of His flock,
Chuck
 

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 3
“Look Who Came To Dinner!”

The “Nest” is made with loving care. The process of “Homemaking” is a very spiritual one even for the lesser species. The process of producing new life is not to made light of under any circumstances! The interplay of life and death: the dance of eternity is the very “stuff” of life itself! The needs of one life form are played off against the needs of another. However there are some “Players” whose burning need to destroy goes far beyond the normal and unavoidable necessity of life “feeding” upon life. Even in the animal world there are always, lurking in the shadows waiting for opportunity, “Terrorists” who seem to draw pleasure from discord and fear! Sometimes the “Blood-letting” is beyond all reason. So our “Barnyard” has its murderers and its vandals!
In the quite of the mid-night hour he makes his appearance. No Rooster on guard, no farm-dog asleep in the shed, no well meaning farmer warm under the covers can prevent his coming. As sure as the earth turns he will have his way. It is not just physical hunger alone that drives him: there seems to be a deep-seeded “need” to tear up and cause fear! He drinks in the terrified “Squawks”, the mad scramble for safety, the smell of death as if it were find wine! One death will never satisfy him: he will kill so long as there are chickens to kill! Left unchecked he will leave the scene covered with blood and still-warm bodies. Satisfied only when he has torn apart the lives of all he can reach: he slips away to lie up full and completed by the chaos he has caused. It is the Weasel! God’s most perfect created killer! It is as if, in a fallen world, there must be an agent of total chaos to remind us what we have lost in the way of true “Fellowship” (see Hitler, Stalin!)! Oh my! “Look who has come to Dinner”! The very Devil’s henchman! Now you may ask: “What do Weasels have to do with the church?” While they may not really shed blood, there are those among us who have a great talent for “Killing” the spirit of the church just to see the “Feathers Fly”! A friend of mine calls these types “Aginers”! They are against everything not of their own choosing! If it’s someone else who begins a program or just has an idea or dream for the church’s ministry: they will whisper and plan and work until it is “killed” and then sit back and feel fulfilled as they observe the chaos they have caused! If there are rumors to spread, “No” votes to cast, dark glances of disapproval to offer or the chance to stand against ANY change: guess who will be first up to take a swing against spiritual togetherness? That’s right: the Weasels among us! Sometimes they are unobserved until the very moment they strike! They can lie dormant until the right moment to deliver the unexpected blow! There are “Sleeper Cells” of these spiritual terrorists hiding in the very best congregations. God’s people need to be on guard always against the “Weasel Clan”! The church is not the private club of any ne or any group of members! The decisions and activities of the church are carried on in an effort to bring the saving knowledge of Christ to a lost world! The church is not “Burger King” you don’t always get it your way. There is a great need for Christians to stand together in this very dangerous, permissive culture we live in. Are we serious productive members of God’s “Barnyard” or secret agents of the Weasel faction? Well, I guess spiritual self-examination is in order? Next time we look at the “Big-Boss” of the Barnyard. Till then: keep your eyes open! That Weasel could be anywhere! Even behind your own eyes!

Standing with you, watching for that Weasel!
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 2
“Fuss and Feathers”

She can, and does, raise all kinds of “sand” every time anyone tampers with her little corner of the henhouse! It is an ongoing phenomenon just how much noise one little hen can make! Of course she is never alone in her discourse. If one thing is true it is that when one hen goes “batty” they all go “batty”! Somewhere it is written down in “blood”: Be it known to all who may be concerned; the only “issues” of any importance at all in this henhouse are the soul property of the resident “Mother Hen”! She cares not if 42 of her “flock” mates are taken by the ole Chicken Hawk, if her sister Sally has her “neck-wrung” for Sunday dinner or if ole “Red-Comb” himself is deposed by the puniest rooster in the yard, just as long as all goes as she wants in her little part of the world! It is not that she thinks herself better than these others; she just does not think of them at all!
Now, friends of the “Barnyard” let’s take stock: without “Mother Hens” some things would never get done, the hatching of new chicks for instance, the making of dry warm nests, the “Fuss and Feathers” of the barnyard choirs that is music to the ears of all farm folks everywhere. It’s not that she is so bad: if you are a lost chick Mother Hens look mighty good; it is just that she “knows” everything and is little loathed to tell you in no uncertain terms! There is no getting around her. Every decision, every action or lack of it must go through her. The old Top Rooster may strut around like he owns it all but just let a controversy arise and see how fast he defers to “Mother”! If a newcomer would survive for even a little while he must identify the “Fuss and Feathers” hens and pet them till they “purr” or he won’t be around for long! However, they do make the place seem like home! The modern church has its resident “hens”. For the most part they mean well! Perhaps just a little “flexibility” would be in order? One thing is for sure: As we walk through the ole barnyard we had best look out for the fragile feelings of these indispensable old birds! God bless them! I’ll listen to their noise as long as they keep loving the Lord and caring for the church, even if it must be on their own terms (who knows sometimes they learn better!) See you next week as we look at who has come uninvited to the nesting place!

Gathering God’s fresh eggs,
Chuck

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“The Devine Barnyard” Part 1

Life, friends and neighbors, is a very funny, that is strange, experience! The patterns just keep repeating themselves. There are certain kinds of characters to be found wherever you may roam! When you deal with the public you learn to identify and react to these always-present personality types. If you would survive you have to learn to “duck and dodge!” Knowing what you’re dealing with is a must! “Yes”, you say, “but the church is different from the world at large”. Well, I hate to disillusion you but that “Ain’t necessarily so!”
The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of fractious human beings! Every type of personality you encounter in society at large you will also find in the church proper (Lay and Clergy). The church, I’ve found’ is a lot like a Devine Barnyard! Now “Barnyards” are interesting places! Life there is a mirror image of the world of human beings. I think it might be fun and informative to look at some of the chief personalities present in any “Barnyard”. In order to do this we must be ready to confront ourselves in the most unexpected places! In order to make this journey we must be able to laugh at ourselves. Now, it is a given that some of the personalities we will look at have a hard time with introspective humor! By their very nature they take themselves far too seriously! But for that reason alone the trip is worth the emotional cost. Change comes hard in the world of the Christian church! Perhaps by looking at “The Man in the Mirror” we can see ourselves for the first time “As others see us”! Then, knowing the truth, maybe we will be truly free! I expect we are going to have some fun along the way, most likely shed some tears and maybe blush just a little! Looking at ourselves is a torturous contraction of will that “bends” the soul into new shapes with new possibilities. Are you ready? Are you willing to look yourself in the “Spiritual” eye? Be aware, you may be surprised with what and who you meet. In the weeks to come we will meet such “Critters” as Big-Chested Rooster Bosses, Strutting young male birds looking to take power, Fussy Hens both out-spoken and the behind the back variety, protective Mother-Hen types, shy Moles always hidden under the service, circling Hawks and last but not least Blood-thirsty Weasels! Oh, there are some positive types also! We will meet them at the end of the tour. I hope you’re ready for the earthy smells and raw truth we are going to confront! If so, tune in next week as we open the gate to “the Devine Barnyard”.

See you behind the haystack,
Chuck