Tag: faith

First Light

~ Brad Sheppard ~ Leave a comment

Something about the first light of day
lifts my soul to begin anew
like a promised kept
it fulfills its way
from the horizon to my heart.

Do you ever wonder how God felt when God created light? God spoke and light appeared. What a moment! And, of course, the light took on vast and expansive forms in countless galaxies throughout the universe. And all with a word. No wonder God called it “Good.”

I find myself in the grey days of winter particularly lifted in mood when I see the first light of the day from our east facing windows. Unlike God, I am rather speechless; I cannot exactly put into words how that light makes me feel. I do know that there is a certain comfort to it. Like, okay, we can do this. The sun is rising and a new day lies before us. We can rise to meet it—whether with ease or strain. It is like a promise kept and that makes a real difference for the day.

I can recall hiking in the mountains of the Carolinas and observing how the sun moves up and over the ridges and in and through the valleys. It is different. It can take longer for the sun to appear but when it does it seems so sudden. As well, it can quickly set leaving only a curious hue behind until it is completely dark. I have also spent time on the North Dakota prairie where the sun rides in on the wind and lingers late in the day on long summer nights. And what a glorious sunset! The sun sets slowly as if it is reluctant to relinquish the day and leaves with such magnificent splendor. One is not only breathless but a little exhausted!

I can recall sunrises on the South Carolina coast and sunsets while sitting on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. All unique. Yet all the same sun keeping its promised course and making each day new and possible.

These days are fraught with much to fear. Heck, one might even to elect to stay in bed. But I’m going to keep getting up and waiting and watching for that first light. I am going to claim its promise and remember the maker of the promise behind it all.

Of Bumblebees and Gratitude

~ Brad Sheppard ~ Leave a comment

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your faithful shall bless you….
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 145:10, 21

I tend to notice bumblebees. They tend to be slow and take their time meandering from one flower to another. I tend to be slow and take my time meandering from one flower to another as I water them. So, I usually see the bumblebees. I also notice how the flowering plants come and go from spring to summer to autumn so that there is always something blooming from which the bumblebees can feed. I delight in how nature works that way and am humored by how pollen clings so heavily to the bumblebees that I wonder how they can fly!

As I read Psalm 145 I find myself wondering too about how the bumblebees thank God. I can honestly say that I really had not considered that question before now. Yet, the psalmist claims that all of God’s works shall give thanks so that must include the bumblebees. Maybe it’s something expressed by their buzzing. Maybe it’s how they just be as bees without worrying about anything. Maybe it’s in how they delight God in a way not so different in how they delight me.

It seems to me as it does this psalmist that gratitude is essential to who we are. As creatures we recognize our reliance and dependence on our Creator. In reality there is no more a self-made person than there is a self-made bumblebee. We simply cannot make it on our own. We belong to and depend on an intricate web of life created and sustained by God. When we can acknowledge that we can then appreciate it. And, then we realize the essentialness of gratitude.

So I am going to continue to attempt to make gratitude a habit—a practice I choose each day. Hopefully, it will stick like pollen to a bumblebee! And, hopefully, my gratitude expressed the best way I know how will delight God and bless God’s name forever. I invite you to do the same. Say thanks to God and practice gratitude in the best way you know how. I assure you God will be delighted!

All Kinds of Folks

~ Brad Sheppard ~ Leave a comment

Went to Sam’s to pick up a rotisserie chicken and a macaroni and cheese for supper—convenient and quick after getting back from a marching band regional competition at 3:00 AM. I noticed and appreciated all the diversity I encountered—the different generations, a multitude of hues and accents, various ethnicities and countries of origin. I felt a certain joy in it. I found myself thinking, “This is the America I desire. A place where all kinds of folks find welcome and home. A place where we can make and share community together. Heck, where we do the simply things like shop at Sam’s together and make space for one another as we check out the prepared foods.”

But I know this not the America everyone wants. Too many minds and mouths are full of racism, bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and all other kinds of discrimination based in hatred and fear. Not a few of them will just as quickly profess faith in Jesus. Honestly, I simply cannot comprehend that. Now, I know the long history of Christian faith and practice being poisoned by hate. It’s just hard for me to see folks so blinded by it.

So some humble advice, be aware of how easily hate and evil can slip into your thinking about others—especially others who are different from you. And as well, be aware of folks who can as easily proclaim Christ as they can spew fear and hate and dehumanize others. Ask yourself, “Do they really know Jesus?”

Well, I must say if you haven’t tried Sam’s rotisserie chicken you’re kind of missing out on a tasty deal. And if that’s not your thing, at least take a stroll through a Sam’s or Costco, a local festival, a farmer’s market or some other place where folks gather, and find there a certain joy in the diversity we are and the diversity we ought to embrace and celebrate.

Traveling with the Holy Family

~ Brad Sheppard ~ 1 Comment

On a mission trip to eastern Europe in 2005, I acquired not one, not two but three nativities of the holy family. The clay one pictured above I prized the most and to this day it remains one of my favorites in my collection. When it came time for our group to return to the States I carefully wrapped and packed the holy families in my carry-on backpack. Astonishingly, on each leg of the trip as we passed through security lines and by custom officials I was not even once stopped or inspected despite the fact that others in the group routinely had to open their bags for examination. Afterwards and to this day, I always give full credit to those holy families that traveled with me for getting me home without avail!

Now, as I did here, I always tell this story a bit tongue in cheek! I don’t particularly ascribe much power to these nativities but it certainly makes for a great story! That being said, I do find an important lesson for the life of faith in this humorous coincidence.

When we enter the season of Advent to prepare our minds, hearts and lives for Christmas we often speak of it as a journey. We travel through the season of Advent to make our way to Christmas. Much the same, we think of the life of faith as a journey. Again, we make our way along a path in which we strive to follow Jesus ever dependent on him for guidance and strength. This journey is not seasonal but yearlong and year upon year upon year. It is our life’s work to walk the way with Jesus.

Each Advent season my family places our numerous nativities on display in our home. This task in recent years has been taken up by our son Ian—lover of all things Christmas. We see these various nativities all season long and up to the celebration of Epiphany. Then they are carefully packed away until next season comes around.

But not all of them. There is a very small one piece nativity—composed of Mary, Joseph, the babe Jesus and two llamas that sits year-around on my desk at home. It remains there as a reminder—a reminder of the One I seek to follow and the One who seeks after me. It reminds me that I do not travel the road of faith alone but with great companions. Not only am I reminded of Jesus and all that he did and does for me, I am also reminded of the remarkable faith and tenacity of Mary and Joseph who’s “Yes” to God changed the world. They inspire me to try and say “Yes” to God day after day.

You too can walk the journey with the holy family. As you make your way through Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and the whole year long, may the presence of these three guide and inspire you all the way home.