Friday, May 16, 2025
For Public Benefit
It was surreal. An ornate white carriage, the clip clop of hooves, a plethora of vegetation, fountains, ponds and thousands of people enjoying a myriad of events with their friends and loved ones. I was experiencing my first trip to Central Park. What an enjoyable experience! The carriage ride and snacks were a little bit pricy, but worth the splurge.
I have lived only a few hours away from the Big Apple for 30 years, and I have been to the city many times, but I had never taken the time to visit this iconic landmark. I have since learned that the 843-acre oasis is the most visited urban park in the United States; it sees over 42 million visitors each year. Our guide informed us that it is also one of the most filmed locations in the world. (over 500 movies and TV shows) And this jewel is smack dab in the middle of the largest metropolitan center in the United States.
Thoughtful guests of the park will quickly realize that the creation of such a place required that a group of people have great foresight to provide this park and an even greater determination to care for their creation. The idea of a public park, open to all classes of people, was first proposed in the 1840s. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calver Vaux, who transformed a rocky, swampy portion of Manhattan Island into paradise. They began construction in 1857. A year later portions of the park were opened to the public and people began flocking to the park. It would eventually take 15 years to complete, at the cost of $14 million.
New Yorkers and tourists enjoyed this famous park for decades until it began to fall into disrepair. In the 1930s, it was renovated, but then it fell into disrepair again. In the 1960-70s, as structures and plantings were untended, crime increased and the park ceased to be what it was designed to be. In fact, it became undesirable and dangerous. So, in 1980 The Central Park Conservancy was founded. Since that time, people who have recognized the value of Central Park have donated over a billion dollars, and a major restoration has been accomplished Today the annual operating budget is over $74 million. The park is carefully maintained and is patrolled by its own NYC police precinct. In addition, there are volunteers who provide medical emergency care. Everyone is benefitting from the generosity of a group of people who saw the value in a place for rest, fellowship, recreation and relaxation.
There is another kind of greenspace, or oasis, that is needed in our hectic world. It is a space where people can find peace, solace and hope. But spaces like that take effort, generosity and diligence. For me, church has been that oasis. It has been a place where truths are spoken and sung, and where people unite together to share in one another’s troubles and joys. There is nothing as peaceful and reassuring as a place where God is central, and where worship is directed at God. There is nothing as grounding as a time when I can talk to God and where He can speak to me.
Unfortunately, churches are often unappreciated until a 9/11 disaster or a pandemic. Even then many may not realize that church is not supposed to be an institution; it is supposed to be a wonderful space that is created and tended by people who value all that it provides to those who go out of their way to enjoy it. You may have lived nearby such an oasis for years… maybe it’s time to see why so many people choose to attend.
Friday, May 02, 2025
Beyond Belief
It was early in the morning, and I was eager to get started on my summer job of scrapping out the apartment building my employer was building. I climbed into the dump truck and headed to the job site, but within a few blocks the engine coughed and shut down. I was young and had little experience with engines, so I did my best to troubleshoot. I tried jiggling the key in the ignition. I tried starting it in neutral and the a few other gears. Nothing worked.
Embarrassed, I called my boss, and we explored the situation together for a good while. Come to find out, my perfectly good dump truck wouldn’t start because it had no gas. That problem had not crossed my mind because I had filled it up the night before. But, during the night someone had syphoned the gas tank dry. That is why trouble shooters often begin their work by asking questions like: “Is there gas in the tank?” or “Is it plugged in?”
There is a prominent tale of a trouble-shooter in early church history that might raise eyebrows if it happened in many Christian circles today. It centers around the Apostle Paul who was considered one of the most prominent leaders of the new group people were calling Christians. (He later wrote much of what is now called the New Testament.) While doing missionary work Paul found a group of believers and began his conversation by asking some trouble-shooting questions. His questions and subsequent actions reveal that he didn’t think just believing in Jesus was enough; he obviously felt that there was something beyond believing that gave people the upper hand in the war between good and evil. Here is the story:
While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul traveled through the interior regions until he reached Ephesus, on the coast, where he found several believers. “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” he asked them.
“No,” they replied, “we haven’t even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
“Then what baptism did you experience?” he asked.
And they replied, “The baptism of John.”
Paul said, “John’s baptism called for repentance from sin. But John himself told the people to believe in the one who would come later, meaning Jesus.”
As soon as they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6 Then when Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied. 7 There were about twelve men in all. (Acts 19:1-5 nlt)
Where did Paul get his theology? It was a pattern that can be seen in his life, and the life of all the disciples. He believed, but then God called him to a new life and gave him power to live that life when Ananias laid hands on him. (Acts 9) The twelve Disciples of Jesus were believers who traveled with Jesus for 3 or 4 years. Then came Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection and ascension that redefined their faith. As instructed by Jesus, after his ascension into heaven 11 of them returned to Jerusalem where God gave them the power to live out their faith. (Acts 2) It was beyond belief. It started with believing, but they needed power to live out their faith. When they opened up to God, He filled them with His Spirit. God is still giving people that kind of power!
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