ROAD REPORT Journal
Hey, Road Report subscriber. It’s been so long since I’ve done a post, I’m writing this just to see if this thing still works. I’ll know because I’m one of my subscribers. If I get this then I’ll presume you did too. However, you if have my contact info, shoot me an email or text to say, “Yup, I got it.” Thanks.
Glenn
I propped a bluetooth speaker on the porch ledge last week to play Christmas music while putting up outdoor holiday lights. A version of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by the band, Casting Crowns, drew me into the season’s sentiments.
(CHORUS:)
And the bells are ringing (peace on earth)
Like a choir they're singing (peace on earth)
In my heart I hear them (peace on earth)
Peace on earth, good will to men
The song then ruminates on the dark mood of the world in 1863 when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow penned the poem that later became the song.*
And in despair I bowed my head
There is no peace on earth I said
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men
The mood of 2020 seems similarly somber. Between COVID-weariness, including restrictions that have all but obliterated family/friends celebrations, and having just emerged from a bitterly contentious presidential election, I wonder if anyone is feeling the peace the bells want to celebrate? Pile on all the normal abnormal challenges life brings and maybe we should put the bells away until our situation improves.
The song turns again to draw attention to a hope that Christmas unveils. Despite all the despair and hopelessness, the bells keep ringing, persisting, insisting that an all but forgotten promise from long ago is in fact emerging from behind the scenes..
Then rang the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead, nor does he sleep
(peace on earth, peace on earth)
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men
Less than 60 years after the first Christmas, the apostle Paul reflected in his letter to the Galatians,
“But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.
(Galatians 4:4, NLT)”
Then, as now, just in time, at just the right time and repeatedly down through history, Christmas descends to cast an extraordinarily luminous glow onto the scene of the otherwise bleak condition of humankind.
2020 seems another right time for Christmas to arrive on our scene to show us that the broken record of humanity can be mended and redeemed. The lights that I string on and around my house and yard are one of my own little ways to rejoin and call attention to the hope the bells herald - of Jesus arriving on our scene to anchor a promise made long ago.
Notes:
1) Two of my favorite versions of “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day:”
By Casting Crowns, 2008, “Peace on Earth” album
By Mercy Me, 2006, “Christmas Sessions” album
2) * Song origins: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" is a Christmas carol based on the 1863 poem "Christmas Bells" by American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.[1] The song tells of the narrator's despair, upon hearing Christmas bells during the American Civil War, that "hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth, good will to men". The carol concludes with the bells carrying renewed hope for peace among men. See Wikipedia
Roadside color, 2014 Fall Ride
Michigan’s lush, green forests and woods and stands of hardwoods and evergreens turn to oranges, rusts, reds and yellows in autumn. Then the hardwoods drop their leaves to be raked and bagged, piled or burned by homeowners tidying up for winter.
In late October or early November, my wife, Cindy and I would take an all-day, autumn color drive that we simply called our “Fall Ride.” What started out as just the two of us later included our children when they were little. When the kids got older and lost interest, we invited a couple friends to join our annual ride. More recently, our group morphed to Cindy and I and her mom and sister, Norma and Judy.
Camera ready, we stopped often to snap pictures of the radiant foliage or pause driving to stroll in a park or pumpkin patch. Many years, we perused roadside stands for pumpkins, corn stalks, gourds and even hay bails to decorate our porches. Whenever we noticed traces of smoke along the way, evidence of leaf-burning going on, Cindy insisted we crack the car windows to sniff the aroma.
As another Michigan autumn wanes, I think often of Cindy who died 18 months ago. We loved to rake leaves together in our yard. She was better than me running a leaf blower, even prided herself to clamber up to our roof to blow the leaves piled there onto the ground.
I tried a couple fall rides since she passed but they are not the same without her. However, when I notice a trace of smoke as I’m driving along, evidence of leaf burning going on, I hear her plea in my mind to crack the car window to sniff the aroma.
And as I do, I longingly remember her.
“You have made my heart beat faster, my sister, my bride;
You have made my heart beat faster with a single glance of your eyes.”
2015 Fall Riders: Cindy, Norma, Judy (and me, the picture taker)
Notes:
The post banner photo is Cindy and mom, Norma raking and burning leaves in Norma’s yard in October, 2009. (Again, I was there as well, a helper and picture taker!)
My wife Cindy would have marked her 64th birthday today. Instead, she is forever young-ish, locked into the age when she passed, exactly one month shy of her 63rd birthday. So at 62, she is forever - young-”ish” as our daughter might say (who is known for her “ish” endings that seem quite appropriate here.)
When Cindy and I married at ages 23 and 22, respectively, 62 seemed pretty old to us, even “over the hill.” Nevertheless, as with all couples on the day they marry, we were committing to each other for life, vowing to mark our “old age” birthdays together until “death do us part.”
Well, death did part us just a little while after we marked our 40th wedding anniversary at Beaumont Hospital where Cindy was receiving treatment for leukemia. Seven days after that anniversary, Cindy achieved remission, a first necessary milestone on the way to survival and resumption of life that was not assured but she resolved to give it her all.
She gave it her all but an infection arose at an inopportune time when her immune system was at rock-bottom and all of a sudden, she was gone.
A little more than a year now since her passing, I am muddling through living solo while sorely missing being part of the couple that she was the other, better half of. She was the center of our family and I am sorely lacking in much she did so naturally and well. In her work, her roles in our church, her nurturing of our family and hers and mine, her absence is a ginormous, jaggety void.
My frequent thoughts of her are sobering and sad but also good. Living in the house we shared for 25 years, she graces every nook and cranny and I find myself speaking aloud as if to her about something she would have waded in about.
I’ve devoted considerable time to organizing our lifetime of memories and photos. Although she was not much a keeper of memorabilia, I have many pictures of her that I am turning into various keepsakes to preserve and celebrate the wonderful legacy of her in our lives.
She would have been 64 today but, sadly, she is forever dialed in at 62, forever young-ish. I would prefer to celebrate with her but, alas, I celebrate her and also my missing her.
Here are some of my "last” pictures of Cindy at her “Forever Young-ish” age of 62 (except for one - can you guess which?).
I dreamed about my wife, Cindy last night. Since her death a little more than a year ago, she is constantly on my mind but this dream is a first.
In the dream, she was going away and we did not know if we would ever see each other again. We tried to quell our anxiety about her leaving by absorbing as much of each other as possible - spending all our time together, talking, walking, eating, touching, hugging, holding each other.
Ultimately, none of that made the final goodbye any easier. The actual parting was very hard as was the insatiable longing for her after she was gone. This was where the dream left me.
In truth, we didn’t have any of that. When we went to the hospital that night, we had no inkling whatsoever that she would never return home again. No final goodbye.
At least I was at her side when she died, although she was long unconscious by then so I don’t know if she was aware of me. A few others were with us too - a couple of my sisters, her sister, her mom…..
Why this dream now? Perhaps a subconscious response to the gripping stories of so many families losing a loved one to the COVID-19 virus, also with no final goodbye? Imagine dropping your loved one off at a hospital to never see them alive again. Then, no visitation, no funeral or burial ceremonies after. At least we had all those ceremonies for Cindy. Might not seem important but I can tell you it was very important then and still.
All in all, even with no final goodbye, I’m doing OK. How? I generally credit my faith in God who is steady and unshakable and who provides and supports me in multiple ways, including a wonderfully supportive network of family and friends. I tend to see my entire life in the context of Him. To endure the loss of Cindy without God seems unimaginable.
God’s word, the Bible, has much to say about God sustaining his people through life’s many difficulties. As a seasoned believer and follower of him, I’ve found his assurances dead-on often (pun intended). Such as….
… they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31, ESV)
Perhaps this dream is God’s way of prompting me to pray for families who lost a loved one to COVID-19 - that they would discover God holding them up, sharing their grief and loss.
Even when we are left with no final goodbye, God is more than able to hold us up. Best of all, He is willing and eager to do so.
Notes:
Banner photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash
Today marks one earthly year since the beloved person we know as Cindy passed from our lives into another existence about which humans hold various beliefs. Cindy and I believe in Jesus Christ and we thus apply the beliefs of the (Christian) Bible regarding where she is now.
For this first anniversary of her passing, I share a re-worked rendition of her memorial/funeral service held April 12, 2019 at Ward Church in Northville, MI. “Re-worked” because I added and synced images to the audio recorded that day to coincide with the songs, readings and messages presented by participants in the service.
What we have now is something more, my visual interpretation of the audio recording that not only illustrates what was spoken, read and sung but also presents a series of snapshots of Cindy’s life as represented that day.
I pray that you who knew her will find that this presentation represents Cindy well, albeit incompletely. If so, then you who did not know her will gain an understanding about her that is inspiring, encouraging and hopeful in this very challenging time on planet earth. Furthermore, I pray it offers a winsome view into and about Cindy’s faith in Jesus Christ that is at least intriguing if not much, much more.
I’m pretty sure that no one is more embarrassed about all of this fanfare about Cindy than Cindy herself. Therein lies the beauty of this project, as well as my motivation for bringing it to you. As eulogist Julie said about her, “She lived simply, loved abundantly, protected fiercely, and savored the life that God gave her.” Julie also noted, “Cindy’s life took many dramatic turns... She responded admirably in ‘un-dramatic’ ways—reflecting her steadfast faith & practical nature.”
People like Cindy - simple, steadfast, practical, undramatic - don’t make the pages of our world’s histories. Rarely do their funerals feature seven eulogists. But in God’s world, Cindy is known, very well known. I am grateful that she and I share “being known” by God.
While experiencing this service again may be difficult for some, know it is here at Road Report Journal to be found if or when you are ready.* I do not intend to fan or resurrect the pain you are trying to get beyond due to Cindy’s passing but to hold this woman, so vibrant in the life we enjoyed with her, as still alive and vibrant and still able to inspire us to receive and be moved by the Person that gave her life when…
and Who still gives her life now.
Click here to begin: CindyT’s Memorial Service, 4/12/2019
Service Order:
(YouTube format; 1 hour, 24 minutes; you may drag cursor to any section in the program to view selected parts vs. all at once)
Call to Worship - Psalm 121 - Pastor Doug Walker - where does my help come from….?
Welcome & Prayer - Doug
Song - “Salt & Light” - by Lauren Daigle, sung by Heather Yanke Lunneberg
Readings ( Char, Deb, Brian)
Eulogies ( Bryan, Emma & Lindsey, Karen, Kim, Mamie, Julie, Glenn)
Message - Doug - John 14: 1-7 - in my Father’s house are many rooms…
Song of Reflection - “And Now My LifeSong Sings” - by Casting Crowns, sung by Heather
Psalm 23 - Doug - The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want….,
Credits
* Note: This is an unlisted YouTube video so you need this link to access the presentation. It is not findable by searching on YouTube.
Producer’s note: Not included in presentation are 2 songs sung at the service - “In Christ Alone” and, “Trust in You,” a Cindy favorite that was the third song performed at a special night organized by Heather in honor of Cindy’s many years as a vocalist with the Grace Chapel Worship Team. To see the video of that performance, click here: Night of Worship held on June 15, 2019
Has it been almost a year since my beloved wife Cindy slipped away? Turns out, I’m the one left behind in the “until death do us part” agreement we struck on our wedding day in February 1979. Even though we both knew that death would one day part us, I thought she promised I would go first!
I was not ready for her departure and wish we’d had the chance to say goodbye. Then again, is anyone really ready to lose someone loved so dearly?
I miss so much about her but her voice is near the top of my list. I really miss her voice - all the conversations we had, the laughter, the playful banter, the discussions, sharing, life-processing, gushy love talk, decisions and, of course, her singing. How do I not have even a small recording of her singing?
Everyone who knew her knew she loved to sing and that she was in her element participating in various choral groups in junior high and high school and church. Informally, she enjoyed singing at Sunday services and impromptu sing-a-longs with family musicians during holidays and around a lifetime of campfires.
She particularly LOVED being a vocalist with our church, Grace Chapel’s praise team for fourteen years. Just a few months after she died, her friend and praise team leader Heather Yanke Lunneberg organized a special night of worship in Cindy’s memory. Below is a link to the video of that amazing performance for your viewing and listening enjoyment.
“Night of Worship” was an inspiring tribute to God who Cindy revered greatly. I pray listeners receive a welcome boost in the midst of this dreary COVID-19 pandemic, reminding you that God is still in complete control and, best of all, you matter to him beyond measure.
Many of the songs sung during “Night of Worship” were Cindy’s favorites. So connect to a decent speaker, crank up the volume and let it roll. If you are especially attentive, maybe you will catch a few strains of Cindy’s sweet harmonies floating down from heaven…
Link: Night of Worship - “Giving Glory to God for the life of Cindy Trevisan”
June 19, 2019 at Grace Chapel Church, Farmington Hills, MI
Cindy is front row, 3rd from left. Notice pronounced blond streak (lifelong).
Cindy-front row, 1st person alongside many dear friends in Christ.
Cindy and sister Judy singing along with brother Bryan on guitar
Mother’s Day. Heather-piano, Cindy-vocals; David-guitar; Roy-bass
Cindy sings with Rich and Craig on guitars and Glenn holding the music book.
Heather, piano & vocals; John, electric guitar; Marc on bass; Cindy, vocals; Doug, acoustic guitar & vocals and Jim, drums.
Louise and Cindy, vocals; Heather, piano & vocals and Roy, bass, Fred on keyboard and Jim (on right, out of the picture) on drums.
Thank yous…
1) To Heather for putting this night together and all the performers who brought their best for the Lord and to honor Cindy (see credits scroll at end of video)
2) To songwriters whose music was played that lifted us to beautifully worship our amazing God.
3) Finally, thanks to our (Cindy’s and my) daughter, Laura Trevisan Mosher for painstakingly syncing the audio and video portions of this night to create this production for YouTube for all of us to enjoy.
A poem I wrote to Cindy after one of our first dates - sitting together near the water on an autumn Saturday at Deerfield Park in Mt. Pleasant, MI.
Yes, I have indeed dedicated much thought to Cindy since her passing on April 8. I even made a “Cindy” playlist of songs that remind me of her, some new since her passing but most that I played for her as a loving endearment….
“Goodbye My Friend” by Linda Ronstadt; “I Know You By Heart” by Eva Cassidy; “Anywhere We Are” by Nichole Nordeman; “Treasure” by Ruth Fazal; “Angel” and “Broken Together” by Casting Crowns; “Was It This Lifetime” by William Ackerman; “Love In Not A Fight” by Warren Barfield; “The Sweetest Gift” by The Piano Guys; “Where Dreams Are Born” by Douglas Trowbridge; “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor...
So far, 29 songs….
Now, another ending and beginning. While time is nebulous, I willingly participate with most of my fellow humans to use time to measure and mark age and milestones. So as we bid 2019 goodbye, I reluctantly part with the year when I last saw and held my dear Cindy whose name I could attach a dizzying string of glowing descriptors and superlatives.
I know she was trouble for me often enough during our 42 years together including 40 as married partners but for the life of me, those memories now seem lost and forgotten. Only her sweetness remains and the ache of my love for her as she has slipped from my grasp to God’s.
By faith I hold to the assurance that she is safely home, whole and full of a joy that encompasses and consummates our Lord’s purposes for her while enveloping all that she was and is to me and others she encountered in her journey through life. Grudgingly, I trust that her going now was not untimely to God even if difficult, even tragic, for those of us left behind.
So without further adieu, goodbye again my dearest, most precious, beloved Cindy. Until we meet again.
Notes:
Banner Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
“Saturday Shelter” poem by Glenn Trevisan, 10/23/1977
New angel I named “Cindy”
I’ve decorated with outdoor Christmas lights for as long as we’ve owned a house. Lights complement our celebration of the season while hinting to passersby that Jesus is our reason for the season.
Of course, lights alone are a pretty subtle hint. Plenty who don’t believe in Jesus decorate their house with Christmas lights. Like many well-worn symbols in our world, a Christmas lights display presumes no belief by the homeowner.
For several years, I wanted to add something to our outdoor lights display that would more emphatically represent the true meaning of Christmas, that the Messiah has now come. A manger scene would do it but our next door neighbors already have a very nice, front-lit, cut out manger scene. Rather, I wanted something simpler and also unique from theirs so our two, side by side houses could present the same message differently. If just one figure, what?
A couple grapevine angels in our church’s Christmas decorations a few years ago first sparked my interest in a heralding Christmas angel. Technically, heavenly angels appeared to shepherds in the field outside Bethlehem to announce the Savior’s arrival as reported in Luke 2:8-20. Note the angelic heralds were the only really “supernatural” indication that something was up that first Christmas night.
Inspiration: Grapevine angels at church
Works for me!
While I figured grapevine material like the angels at Church would withstand the outdoor elements, these were not only hard to find but more expensive than we were prepared to spend. Then we found one in a store constructed from wire and lights that was perfect but also pricey. We balked to buy but also found it on Amazon, stuck in my wish list and there it sat for three or so years.
My wife’s sudden death in April after a too-brief battle with leukemia triggered something in me. As shopping for this angel was something we did together, finally getting one this first Christmas helped me to keep her sweet spirit close as I grieved her passing.
Drum roll please as I hereby introduce my Christmas angel, named “Cindy” in honor of my beloved wife to herald the arrival of the Messiah “moving into the neighborhood” to redeem us and gather us all to himself.
I believe she is with our Savior now and, soon enough I will join her. Meanwhile, I pray my Christmas angel, “Cindy” sparks something in your heart to seek the Savior “she” announces.
God sent angels as yet another way to tell us how much we matter to him.
“reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;”
Seems like after 63 years of life including 35 following Christ, I would have no unplowed ground in me. But I do.
“To God, our lives are like fields that need to be worked. Once we have worked one field of change, we move on to the next plot, where He bids us to get back to work on other character flaws by tilling weed-infested soil. Sometimes this takes more time that we’d like, but we have to keep driving that tractor back and forth across the (stingy) soil.”*
Pulled this from a daily devotional I recently started following again. “Driving that tractor back and forth,” struck me. Back and forth, over and over again captures the arduous process well, of working on an ingrained problem or sin. Drawing from farming, tough, unforgiving work under a hot, relentless sun...when tilling only seems to churn the dirt into dust that coats and clogs everything.
I’ve got this “unplowed field” to somehow make ready for tilling and another “field” that is under-performing.
While I’m resolved to toil, I discourage easily, more inclined to quit than continue. The rough field is so set in its manner, resistant and synced to my brokenness. Ofttimes the process seems to cause more worsening than correction.
Meanwhile the underproductive field tempts me to abandon further trying because it is in fact yielding a decent crop, even if short of its potential.
The devotional draws from Biblical stories to offer hope for continuing.
“Change will happen, and the Bible gives us insight into how it happens. Think of Joseph in an Egyptian jail. Moses in the desert. David’s fugitive years. Jonah in the whale. Gideon in a cave. Job’s catastrophes. Elijah’s encounter with the widow. King Nebuchadnezzar’s riches-to-rags-to-revelation. The apostle Paul’s blinding encounter with God.”*
Seeing these stores cast this context, many of my favorites, the analogy of driving a tractor back and forth, back and forth, over and over settles into me. Guess that’s what I’m doing as well. Imagining God's watchful eye, supervising from the deep blue sky overhead is evenly oddly romantic.
Sow righteousness for yourselves,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the Lord,
until he comes
and showers his righteousness on you
(Hosea 10:12, NIV)
--------------------------------------------------
Notes
1. * Excerpts from devotional “Every Day for Every Man” by Stephen Arterburn, Fred Stoeker and Kenny Luck, May 25.
2. Image source site: Tractor plowing a field
Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
Nearly ten years after being dismissed from a 30-year endeavor that, at the time, defined my entire career and much of my calling, my new normal continues to evolve. Somewhat comforting is that setbacks and detours and the sense of having lost my way is a widely shared experience with those I most admire.
In his book, “Detours, the unpredictable path to your destiny,” Tony Evans insists that “Everyone has a destiny and a purpose to fulfill. Each member of the body of Christ has a unique role to play.”
He cited several of my favorite Bible heroes whose life purposes are virtually indisputable…
In none of their stories was the line between purpose and fruition straight or short. Each endured a series of detours that prepared them for their purpose. Drawing from Joseph’s story and many of his own experiences, Evans offers insight about how the path to purpose may unfold and factors that may influence the duration and difficulty encountered along the way.
Purpose realization is often influenced by the degree that we trust and obey God and accept and submit to the challenges he allows or leads us to face.
While no one who knows me well would hesitate to label me stubborn, I find my own stubbornness more than a little frustrating because God has always provided and proven his goodness to me over and over. What’s with my resistance to “let go and let God?”
I recently prayed about the vagueness I feel about my life purpose. Several years ago, I developed a personal mission statement to guide my search for a new career. A Lent project in 2011, version one emerged in April of that year. Since then, I’ve revisited and tweaked it often. Here is its present form (with footnotes in [brackets]):
“GLENN’S PERSONAL MISSION[1]
“We matter to God”
How God regards human beings[2] informs my calling[3] to engage and exhort people to “know[4]” Him and to convey how much we matter to Him. I acknowledge certain gifts such as creative expression, encouragement, administration, leadership and humor to engage people I encounter along life’s roads.[5]
I labor[6] to responsively encourage people to recognize our world as “God-bathed and God-permeated”[7] while, with fellow believers, I “work out my salvation with fear and trembling.”[8]”
For all the effort devoted to developing this mission, my search suffered a series of setbacks before I retreated from mission guidance to simply securing a job to help pay the bills. Having tweaked our lifestyle to balance our means with our needs, we are doing OK now. Meanwhile, I emotionally vacillate between simply being content and wondering whether God has something more in mind for me.
This “Detours” book was recommended by a friend, prompting me to consider that my personal mission statement may speak more toward my life in general than my career in particular. Indeed, experiences and detours have altered my perspective.
Noted Evans, “it took forty years in the wilderness to develop Moses” and “Abraham was on a twenty-five year detour...The greatest apostle in the New Testament, Paul, went on a three-year detour to the desert” before launching fully into ministry. Then we have the convoluted story between Joseph’s dream at age 17 and being elevated by Pharaoh to prepare Egypt for famine…
My latest thought is that all my setbacks including my present “just pay the bills” job is all part of how God is guiding my life.
I suspect my story is similar to yours, that purpose is more often vague than clear, more meandering through agonizing detours than zooming fast and straight to a stunning destiny..
Only when I pause, take a slow, deep breath and tend to God’s still, small voice do I recognize and appreciate how his hand is guiding me..
Mission footnotes
[1] This Mission Statement was inspired by Dan Walker who spoke at a Career Ministry workshop on 2/24/2011 at Our Lady of Sorrows Church. I began the project on 3/9/11 (during Lent). The first version emerged 4/20/11.
[2] People engagement is a prominent theme in my life. It is reflected in an idea I’ve titled One Cor36 based on 1 Cor 3:6 “I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God makes it grow.” (NIV). Also, “ the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a human being. (Genesis 2:7).
"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare…There are no ordinary people. You have never met a mere mortal.” (C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, pg 15.)
[3] I am guided by a conviction that processes and people are the “soul and heart” of all worthy enterprises (organizations, companies). Jim Collin’s books, “Good to Great” and his companion monograph “Good to Great and the Social Sectors” (read in 2006) articulates ideas that resonated with me along this line.
[4] To “know” in the “biblical” sense. My 2006 ornament, “Bride of Christ” expounded on this inspiring principle.
[5] “roads,” specifically curvy, black-topped “back roads” with a freshly painted yellow centerline. I so enjoy driving roads like these with my wife that I have many road photos taken during these drives. Black-topped road driving inspired the name and banner of this "Road Report" blog, launched in 2012.
[6] “labor “ as in “my effort in concert with God’s will and empowerment” Vs default to “forget” to engage God as I push into life thus rendering me more critical than joyful and more guarded than engaging.
[7] “Jesus’ good news about the kingdom can be an effective guide for our lives only if we share his view of the world in which we live. To his eyes this is a God-bathed and God-permeated world. It is a world filled with a glorious reality, where every component is within the range of God’s direct knowledge and control—though he obviously permits some of it, for good reasons, to be for a while otherwise than as he wishes. It is a world that is inconceivably beautiful and good because it is of God and because God is always in it. It is a world in which God is continually at play and over which he constantly rejoices. Until our thoughts of God have found every visible thing and event glorious with his presence, the word of Jesus has not yet fully seized us.” (by Dallas Willard, Divine Conspiracy, page 61)
Photo by Jason Briscoe on Unsplash
I meet and pray at our church with three guys on Saturday mornings. Officially we meet from 8 to 9 a.m. but our time together often meanders for an additional 10 or 20 minutes.
We discuss, confess and pray with each other about our lives and faith and the life and ministry of our church. To meet there where we as church convene to worship, do life together, plan and serve is important in a manner similar to how God himself confers sanctity to certain places in his grand story as cast in the Bible.
On any given week, one or more of us brings something from our personal life and faith to weigh into together. I especially appreciate their insights and prayers when I am wrestling with something personal or regarding my relationship with the Lord..
The particular matters are less important than the sense of tough love and wisdom the guys extended even if difficult for me to initially receive well. Their emphatic guidance that I turn away from myself and dial instead into the Lord is how iron sharpening iron works. (See Proverbs 27:17)
Sometimes I am frustrated with striving as much as I do. Why am I so often anxious, so distracted, so often seeking comfort or joy where it cannot be found? Why would I ever want to engage in escapism from life that is so vibrantly radiant with God’s very essence? Why indeed?
Perhaps because I don't truly grasp that Jesus’ straightforward claims and teachings about the “at-handness" of the "kingdom of God” is as accessible and near as he so emphatically asserts? The present reality of life on earth vehemently refutes all such claims.
I'm reading for the third time a book that really spoke to that idea of God's nearness on a day-to-day basis better than anything I ever read before or since - “The Divine Conspiracy - discovering our hidden life in God” by Dallas Willard. Published in 1998, I first read it in 2003 then again in 2013, and now I am listening to an audio version.
Bringing the kingdom or realm of God near was in Jesus’ teachings and mission and not because this was something new. Rather, Jesus ministry demonstrated and his message conveyed that the kingdom of God or the heavens was nearer due to him.
A concern of Willard's was that translators of Jesus’ messages sometimes chose words that convey the kingdom as not so near. For example, phrasing that Jesus used to express the idea of the “kingdom of heaven” (Greek, tou ouranous) could have been literally translated as “air” or “surrounding atmosphere,” instead of the words that were used, like “sky” or “heaven.”
“Now our English sky means something quite different from air, and heaven means something quite different from either,” Willard explained. “The translation becomes entangled in these meanings. The sky is more a limit than a space, and as a place it is farther away than the air. Hence, we say, 'The sky’s the limit,' not 'The air’s the limit.' Heaven, of course, is strictly out of sight for us, beyond the moon for sure and quite likely “beyond” the physical cosmos.” (The Divine Conspiracy, page 71)
I don’t know about you but the thought of heaven as near as the surrounding air or atmosphere feels a lot nearer than it residing in the distant sky or unreachable cosmos.
I bring this up not because its essential to know, only because it shows yet another way how much we regular people living out our mundane lives matter to God and Jesus. Frankly, I never thought of the kingdom of God as far away or lacking access but I'm inspired by the idea that the kingdom is as close as the thin air around us. How about you?
As inspiring as this is for me, my most applied experience of the "kingdom of the heavens" comes from regularly doing life with fellow Christians, such as Saturday mornings with the guys. Us sharing life and faith and mulling over the God’s word in Scripture together personifies another message Jesus offered that posed no issues for translators to clearly impart.
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them. ”
God draws near to us when we draw near to each other in relevant faith discussions, supporting each other, musings and prayer...
Right here in the surrounding atmosphere.
Notes:
1. If you've not read Divine Conspiracy by Dallas Willard, here's a little excerpt from my book’s cover jacket:
In an era when many Christians consider Jesus a beloved but remote savior, Willard argues compellingly for the relevance of God to every aspect of our existence. Masterfully capturing the central insights of Christ's teachings in a fresh way for today's seekers, he helps us to explore a revolutionary way to experience God - by knowing Him as an essential part of the here and now, rather than only as a part of the hereafter.
2. My practice of Saturday morning fellowship with godly guys actually began in March 1983. The “Christian Men's Fellowship” ("CMF") met many years at St. Owens Catholic Church in Franklin, MI. I withdrew from that group in 2001 in order to devote Saturday mornings to personal devotions and later to join the prayer group meeting at our church that I reference in this post. Meanwhile, CMF still meets including a few of the original members from a study facilitated by the late Fr. Dwayne Stenzel in late 1982 at (then) Duns Scotus Monastery attended by some 200 or so Catholic men from all across southeastern Michigan. After the study concluded in the Spring of 1983, local fellowships were formed to continue meeting, including ours. At one of those meetings in September, 1983 I recommitted my life to Christ.
Photo by Kristopher Roller on Unsplash
Are you tracking destiny in this season of life? Solidly connecting with the Lord each day of life? Is his word and calling your primary guidance source?
I am asking myself questions like these this Lent. A friend recommended a daily Lenten study that is drawing me into Jesus’ journey to the cross.
Day 16 shadows Jesus’ emotions and actions following his “Triumphal Entry” into Jerusalem that we now mark as Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week. Luke captures Jesus’ sobering words as he processes on a colt into Jerusalem.
“If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.” (Luke 19:42, NIV)
Then, a chilling prophecy about the fate of the holy city that would be fulfilled just 50 or so years later.
“The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” (Luke 19: 43-44, NIV)
The passage riveted me. Whereas I generally read this as a modern observer of past history, not this time.
“If you … had only known what would bring you peace….”
You, as in me! My first thought, “Do I know what brings me peace?”
Peace from living up, syncing in my giftedness, purposeful, relationally strong, nurturing others in my life and who cross my path, in tune with my Lord, resisting temptation and keeping short accounts when I falter.
Some of that is going on but way too often I’m skidding right by the sweet spots. Overly focused on myself, I am often disappointed, even angry, when things do not go my way. Instead of automatically taking my doubts and questions to the Lord, too often I cheat by soothing myself with escapism which only leaves me feeling guilty and crippled.
I, I, I, me, me, me. See the pattern? Searching for peace where it cannot be found.
When I repent, doubt often lingers as I wonder how much longer the Lord will tolerate me. How long until his offer of peace is withdrawn, no longer available - “hidden from my eyes?”
Here is where regular reading, studying and meditating on Scripture pays off. One of many promise rises from my memory.
“persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed.” (2 Corinthians 4:9, NIV)
My take is that Jesus’ frightening warning regards those who refuse his redemption invitation. Many years ago, the Lord’s persistent pursuit of me FINALLY broke through my hard heartedness. Now I pray for others to also let the Lord in. I believe the invitation extends through our mortal lifetimes.
So if not from God, the discouragement and fear comes from elsewhere. Scripture instructs that its hold on us continues until we resolve to deploy the tools God puts into the hands of every believer - his word, obedience, and faith.
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. (Ephesians 6: 11-12)
I love that about the Christian faith - lots of mind, body and soul engagement. Nothing mamby pamby about it.
From Day 15 of the study: “Actions reveal beliefs because beliefs inspire actions.”
To give myself over to sin is to reveal diminished belief in God. Fortunately, God only sees me only through the lens of Jesus so while my grip on him may be feeble at times, his hold on me is not.
True peace in this life is ONLY found in the Lord.
“You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.”
We trust and he holds How very peaceful.
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Notes:
Lent study: “40 Days of Decrease” by Alicia Britt Chole
Photo by Tobias van Schneider on Unsplash
Not for lack of writing, Road Report posts have faltered a bit. A growing list of paused messages await further inspiration.
An off-blog comment from a reader a few months ago scored a direct hit to some of my strongest doubts about this blog project - that my writing lacks the fluidity I desire, that a labor over messages.
Too often, Road Report Journal is way too much like my actual journal and thoughts - choppy and meandering and only occasionally lucid, natural and crisp.
I realize that doubt and brooding have dubious spiritual undertones. The song, “Through His Eyes” by Jenny and Tyler regards how Satan taunts along those lines.
Blank pages for months
And the sound of his voice rings in my head
Saying I should give up
And all that I write is meaningless
He says, no one else has to know about this
No one else has to know
Discouragement and secrecy gives “him” away. (See Zechariah 3: 1-2; Revelations 12:10)
Abandoned guitars
Dust covered shelves, laundry piled high
Tell me I’m not enough
And I know that they are wrong
But I still believe these lies
He says, no one else has to know about this
No one else has to know
No one else has to know
More discouragement and secrecy and, of course, lies. This is Satan’s M.O. (See John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 11:14)
To recognize a counterfeit, study the real thing. Our enemy’s intent is that we give in to our doubts and despair, set aside our resolve and by all means, abandon and question the claims of our Bible while slowly succumbing to "his” lies.
Faith is the antidote to doubt.
...whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. (Jesus, Matthew 21:22)
… faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. (Romans 10:17)
Satan deceives believers into trusting feelings while Jesus teaches that faith intentionally engages God’s word, developing discipline to connect feelings with the power of the Holy Spirit at work within our beings (hearts, mind, spirit).
Mature believers still doubt but they languish less before bringing doubt and disappointment directly to the Lord. Siding with God is the best way to rebuff and the lose the tempter. (James 4:7).
When what I’m doing isn’t going where I think it should be going or working out how I thought, I tend not to notice the “I” part of “my” desires while the urge to silently slink away and not attract any attention is very, very strong.
At these low points, Jesus will find us if we don’t go find him first. (Psalm 139) “Transfer your load to me,” he essentially urges. He takes everything and frees me to live large no matter what is going on or how I feel about it.
Jenny finishes the song with a flourish
Ooh I want to see myself through Your eyes
Ooh Father help me see myself through Your eyes
To see ourselves as God sees us is to reflect the radiance of Jesus. Others might notice us doing so.
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Notes:
1. Jenny’s explanation of their song, "Through His Eyes"
2. Photo by Tobias van Schneider on Unsplash
As I write this, the 2018 North American International Auto Show is underway in nearby Detroit, the self-proclaimed center of automobile manufacturing worldwide. While science and technology is generally credited with shifting human potential into hyper mode, automotive technology puts all this accumulated know-how on the road and into the hands of everyday men and women.
A driver of older cars myself, I cruised the internet for views about must-have automotive technology for 2018.
1. Connected Mobile Apps - to remotely lock and unlock the doors, check fuel level and tire pressure, and start the car on cold mornings.
2. Teen Driver Technology - notify parents if the car is driven over a certain speed, disable the stereo if seatbelts aren't used, and even keep the stereo from being turned up past 7
3. Adaptive Cruise Control - automatically match the speed of the car in front of you, allow car to be brought to a complete halt and then resume automatically in stop-and-go traffic
4. LED/Xenon Headlights - LED bulbs that never need replacing, swivel to illuminate around corners and auto-high beams that prevent blinding other drivers while maximizing driver’s view
5. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto - Plug in your smart phone and it replaces the often user-unfriendly do-it-all screens of the automaker with an interface more like the more familiar look your phone offers.
6. USB Ports - every new car comes with one or two, but the Chrysler Pacifica has nine. Some vehicles are even coming with the same 110-volt power outlets that you'll find in your home.
7. Rear Cross-Traffic Alert - sensors alert to approaching vehicles, shopping carts, or pedestrians in low-speed places like parking lots where many accidents occur. Some cars can even automatically brake before a collision occurs.
8. Lane Departure Warning - cameras that determine if a car has drifted across a marked lane line. Some systems even help nudge you back into the proper lane, a life-saver if you were heading into opposing traffic.
9. Automatic Emergency Braking - sensors to determine if a forward collision crash is imminent and automatically applies the brakes to diminish the severity or avoid a crash entirely.
10. 360-degree Camera - that can show a virtual top-down view of your surroundings and avoid the mishaps that insurance claims indicate are the most likely to occur.
Against this technological dazzle, a recent adventure in our family revealed that even the latest and greatest innovations have their limitations. My wife drives our “newest” car, a 2006 SUV declared “pretty basic” by our son whose lease car is one of today’s “electronic-everything” varieties. However, I just helped him haul his all-of-a-sudden, non-running car to a repair shop due to a mysterious electrical issue triggered by the recent sub-zero cold snap. The car starts but cannot be put into gear. (Fortunately, the truck we borrowed to pull the car hauler trailer featured an older, “mechanical” shifter that performed reliably!)
Wrote the prophet Isaiah,
“All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God will stand forever." (Isaiah 40: 6-8, ESV)
While we love to boast about our gadgetry and credit technology with taking humanity to new heights, all we are and ever will be pales before the majesty of God, like grass that withers and flowers that fade.
A good perspective to fall back on when our stuff lets us down, as it surely will.
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Notes:
New Year’s Day starts the wave of packing up Christmas and hunkering down for the balance of winter here in the north. For those who observe the tradition, only the Epiphany remains, marking the arrival of wise men from somewhere east to honor the Christ child.
Our legend of them is larger than what we really know. That learned people like them are part of the Christmas story certainly adds another layer of intrigue to this already incredible story.
A virgin, a census trip, no suitable birthing place, a manger/animal stall, a star, angels, shepherds and now these scholarly men from afar.
While the they adorn most of our manger scenes, the new family was in a house when the wise men or “Magi” arrived (see Matthew 2:1-23). The actual story doesn’t say how many they were, only that they presented three gifts to the child - gold, frankincense and myrrh. Wise “men” suggests no less than two of them.
I find their inclusion in the story fascinating because the supposedly learned people of our day stake all knowledge on soley, evidence-based reality that is generally devoid of cosmic and divine inputs. Conversely, more than the star guided the Magi to Jerusalem. They new about one to be “born king of the Jews.”
How would they know? If they hailed from Babylon, the writings of the Babylonian exile, Daniel would equip them as would other ancient Jewish texts like this fourth oracle of Balaam:
“A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” (Numbers 24:17b, NIV).
While they might not be astronomers per se, Pastor/teacher Alistair Begg regarded them as “theological scientists” in his recent radio message entitled “The Wise Men.” Through the ancient and medieval periods of history spanning some 62,000 years, the divine and material realms were unquestionably complimentary. Sterilizing the material realm by dismissing all divine elements has taken hold in just the last 500 or so years.
I’ve recently begun some reading to improve my understanding of the historical basis for my Christian beliefs. While on one hand, all that is known literally stands on the accumulated knowledge of the past, most modern people are historically naive and have no interest in becoming less so.
I confess to and I am bothered by that bias. Nevertheless, that notably wise people, like these wise men, Magi, are unabashedly drawn to the Lord fascinates me.
While I don’t think myself particularly wise or astute, my faith is bolstered by fellow, believing men and women whose grasp of literature, science, history, and the cosmos unquestionably reflects serious intellectualism. I am an appreciative audience when they articulate their faith.
Think about it. These learned men, probably guided by considerable study, inspiration and conviction, undertook a perilous journey to find to worship a newborn they resolved to be from God.
I am so glad God included them in his story.
Notes:
1. Banner Photo by Inbal Malca on Unsplash
2. The Wise Men by Alistair Begg
3. Also see "The Wise Men Visit the Christ Child" at HeReadsTruth
Christmas morning 2017
While the snow that started around noon made for dicey driving to and from our family’s annual Christmas eve celebration, it also ensured a snowy Christmas day. Growing up here in the north, snow on Christmas added to the wonder of the holiday, unchanged for me even though I’m also now north of 60.
“Snow-geeked” Christmas morning, I clicked on the holiday lights then bundled up to clear snow from around the woodpile. A while later, I settled into the early morning lull with a fire roaring and fresh coffee in hand. Soon enough, everyone would awake to launch into Christmas day.
During my childhood, a Christmas eve snowfall might lure me away from ravioli dinner to press my nose to a window pane to scan the night skies for signs of a reindeer-drawn sleigh. While I would feign difficulty falling to sleep, I was long gone when “Santa” crept into my room to leave a stocking stuffed with surprises to hold me until mom and dad’s signal next morning to traipse down the stairs to check out presents gushing out for under our Christmas tree. But first, we always looked for telltale crumbs from the cookies and milk left for Santa the night before.
As I recall those memories, I’m grateful how mom and dad managed to build ceremonial moments into Christmas morning to gather around the manger scene to mark the baby Jesus’ birth. We carried that forward when raising our family.
Gradually I grew then eventually I knew the difference between the fantasy and the reality. Turns out the reality’s wonder bested the fantasy and we raised our own children in that wonder while respecting traditions fellow parents chose. Our children are now grown and gone but, thankfully, come home for Christmas.
We’ve really been “into” Christmas this year, launching into it all Thanksgiving weekend. We added to our outdoor display and got caught with my ornament project, gifts, greeting cards, church and various “convenings’ of the season.
We’re wearing out favorite Christmas CDs. One song in particular is Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s “I heard the bells on Christmas day,” written in 1864. Remakes on Christmas CDs by Casting Crowns and Steven Curtis Chapman are particularly good but my favorite is MercyMe’s version. [click and listen while reading on...]
Recall how it goes? The Christmas day bells herald a familiar refrain, “peace on Earth, good will to men.” The listener is initially bolstered by hearing the bells but later despairs as the reality and persistence of strife and hate on earth mocks the claim.
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
We Christians live in this tension that sometimes overwhelms and teases our faith. But as we meditate and persist with sound doctrine and counsel and prayer and obedience, God’s presence and power rises, rallying the refrain to a building crescendo.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep
God is not dead nor does He sleep
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on Earth, good will to men
MercyMe’s ending stirs me,
“I can hear You! I can hear You! I can hear You! .....
Oh yeah, yeah
I could still hear You!
The world can hear You!”
Sometimes I think we’ve applied too much fake fairy dust to Christmas that needs no such treatment from the likes of us. Its wonder stands on its own. Nevertheless, at this moment, I want to stay in the stillness of Bethlehem for just a while longer before venturing back into the harsh realities of day to day life and ultimately, to the cross.
Beyond Bethlehem, Jesus’ real work beckons, where the world takes issue with what we believe and know to be true, that Jesus is indeed who he says he is. Nevertheless, I’m staying put today, basking in this moment of wonder and stillness.
Tomorrow will come soon enough.
I just launched journal number 40 with a thematic cover that is similar to journal 39. Usually, journal covers are different, each reflecting a theme in my life at the time. This time however, I felt I needed to correct for #40 "incorrect" phrasing on the cover of journal 39.
Notice the "Doug Walkerism" statements near the bottom of each cover.
P.S. A "Doug Walkerism" is my own coined phrase in honor of Doug Walker, the pastor of Grace Chapel, our church since mid-1997. He usually follows this and many of his "isms" phrases with something like, “The Gospel changes everything.” This phrasing derives from a greater, gospel philosophy Doug brought to Grace Chapel when he became our pastor in 2004.
Journal 28 cover by daughter, Laura - a 2006 Father's Day gift
I've been keeping some kind of notebook or journal since 1972, my junior year in high school. Thematic covers like these started with journal #28 in 2007 when our daughter Laura gifted me a journal with a decorated cover for Father's Day 2006. I liked it so much, I decorated all my subsequent journal covers.
After I locked the “Grace” version onto the cover of #39 in March (2017), Doug used the term in one of his messages. Only he used “Gospel” not “Grace.”
“Darn," I thought. "I got it wrong. How could I after hearing him say this all these years?”
Resolving to get it “right” with the next journal, I created the cover for #40 a month or so prior to completing journal #39. After replacing “Grace” with “Gospel,” I locked the cover in with a contact paper layer.
Didn’t have to wait long for Doug to use the phrase again. Except this time, he used “Grace” instead of “Gospel.”
Turns out they are interchangeable! Dah. Apparently, I'm not one of Doug's star pupils. Perhaps I should invite him to grade me on this next sentence. The Gospel is the source of Grace and Grace flows from the Gospel. Gospel and Grace go hand in hand - interchangeable as long as grace always contexts the gospel.
A two-sentence statement on our Grace Chapel monthly bulletin summarizes the philosophy, beginning with, “The gospel is the story of God’s work as He restores a broken world full of broken people through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”
The gospel restores brokenness through Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the work of Jesus and Grace is the redemption we receive through faith in Christ.
So you see, Gospel and Grace build off each other.
So did I “waste” this #40 journal cover to correct what didn’t need correcting? What do you think?
Subsequent journals also "covered"
Notes:
Other favorite Doug Walkerisms:
Treadmill reading light mount
(Banner photo: Manger creche building created by dad along with mom's ceramic figurines.)
I do much of my reading on our treadmill. In support of my treadmill reading, I made a gizmo, a small shelf that is mounted on the cast-iron drain pipe next to the treadmill. I attached a reading light, drilled a pencil hole and have little room left over for a highlighter and ruler.
I come by gizmo-making from my dad. He was gizmo-making guy able retrofit any space for maximal purposefulness. It seems I am my father’s son.
My wife would agree a little too wholeheartedly. She would probably lead with how I am dogmatic like him, claiming certain “principles” as true and certain and ranting about ideals. Along with his bent toward creating practical household gizmos, like him I build and fix stuff, am systematic - a place for everything, and have a strong work ethic.
Dad went home to the Lord in December 2014. Thinking about him on the date he passed, I recalled a remark Jesus made about his Dad.
Me and dad, 2003.
My Father's house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? (John 14:2)
As he looked ahead to his death, resurrection and ascension, Jesus offered this assurance to his disciples and all, like us, who receive him as Lord. I’m going ahead to prepare your room, he promised, then I’ll come back for you and take you there as well.
Dad's toast grabber - a Christmas gift to each of his 10 children. (Year?)
As the oldest of my father’s ten children, I have lived in many, “many-roomed’ houses. Skilled with tools, design, building, painting and fixing, dad’s loving touch literally graced the rooms of all those houses.
Dad also crafted many beautiful objects that still grace our lives - a keepsake box and an initialed chest, a tool for plucking hot toast from a toaster, and a creche for our manger set. My basement workroom is modeled after his - the workbench, pegboards, even a radial arm like his.
Dad is home with the Lord and I look forward to seeing him again when the Lord calls me home. Perhaps we will reunite in one of those many rooms Jesus mentioned.
Wonder what kinds of cool gizmos dad will be working on when we do?
Our 2017 Christmas lights
Took advantage of the mild temperatures to get our outdoor Christmas lights up on Thanksgiving weekend.
Our outdoor decorations show well both day and night. Garlands, bows and ornaments for daytime while lights take over after dark. Nearby neighbors also put lights out so our end of the street is nicely "Christmasy" during the holiday season.
When I was growing up, my dad decorated our house with holiday lights so I often think of him when I put our lights up. Something about Christmas lights….No matter how cold the weather, I stroll our block several times during the season to enjoy Christmas lights.
My wife and I usually plan at least one Christmas lights driving tour every season. A neighborhood across town is a favorite for its many large homes that are stunningly decorated. However, ours is my favorite house because our outside Christmas lights reflect the faith we live inside our house year-round. As we walk life out with the Lord, we grow more and more grateful for the gift of salvation in Jesus.
Just inside our front door is a little ceramic plaque bearing the last sentence of Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
Our outdoor Christmas lights proclaim the same message.
“For at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)
