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NAKED FAITH

Former American Press staff writer Sunny Brown Farley writes "Naked Faith," a look at faith in its natural form: lived out in the day-to-day lives of ordinary people.

 Meet the Blogger

So Close

Posted March 1, 2010 at 5:43 pm
Filed Under Faith & Religion | 1 Comment

A few years ago while serving at a church, I met a man named Ron. Ron was amazing. He went off to fight in Vietnam as a young man. He came back safe and sound and somehow didn’t let all of the post-Vietnam war stuff get to him. He took a job at a warehouse – working for some big company and he was responsible for stocking the shelves and keeping track of products and so forth. Well, one day while on the job, something bad happened. A big, heavy crate fell from a high shelf and landed on Ron. Miraculously, he survived, but he broke his back.

I remember him telling me the story of his long stay in the hospital. He had several surgeries and was subjected to intense physical rehab. The doctors and nurses made him stretch and more and do all sorts of exercises in order to regain the use of his limbs. He said it was like completely starting over. It was as if he had never used his arms and legs. At one point, he told me they had him try to feed himself and was focused on getting his hand to his mouth and he just kept hitting himself in the face. He said he laughed and laughed at himself because it was just so ridiculous.

God love Ron. His attitude is unbelievable in the face of the adversity he has faced. He is one of the cheeriest people you have ever met. Ron did regain some use of his arms and legs. And he remained unstoppable despite his disabilities. When I met Ron he was serving on like three church committees, he was the lay leader of the church, he put out the church newsletter and perhaps most remarkably, he was involved in the Meals on Wheels program. Do you know the Meals on Wheels program? It is designed to bring a hot meal to those who are elderly or disabled? Well, every Monday, Ron would pull up to church in his specially-designed Suburban – a suburban that was outfitted to make it easy for him to drive – and someone from the church would load up his vehicle with a stack of hot meals and he and a partner would take off and deliver food to maybe a dozen or so people in the area who were not much worse off than Ron. I can’t tell you how many times I thought that he should be at his house and we should be bringing him a hot meal. Ron was seemingly unshakable.

I submit to you that he is the exception to the rule.

I think most folks, when in the face of such extreme hardship and pain and suffering might become – instead of cheery optimists like Ron – something more like a bitter, pathetic, angry person.

Think about it? If you were paralyzed, how would you respond? I will just confess to you that I wonder if I would become angry and frustrated and maybe even hopeless.

This is how I imagine the paraletic man in John 5:1-9. He is sitting by a pool of healing water and he can’t get to it. Every time it gets stirred up, others jump in and he can’t get in. Apparently the healing powers of this pool were only effective when the waters were first stirred and so there are all these folks who immediately jump in and the poor paraletic man can’t compete with them. He has no one who will carry him in – no one who will champion his cause and get him to the place where he might be healed.

He just lays there, day after day, watching others get healed, unable to do anything to help himself.

I can imagine he was angry and sad, and frustrated and bitter and then again, maybe he had just lost all hope. Maybe he had just given up.

The worst part is that the solution to his problem was so close but yet so far.

I wonder if there are solutions to your problems that are just out of reach.

Have you ever said the words, if only?

If only I could get this job or if only my pay raise would come through my finances would be saved.

If only, I could get in to see this one doctor, I might could get the healthcare I need.

If only someone would carry me over to the healing pool, I would be able to walk again

If only – fill in the blank…..

I wonder if this was what was going through our poor paraletic’s mind as he sat by the healing waters of the pool.

Seemingly, the solution to all his problems was right there…. Just out of reach…. So close, but yet it might as well have been miles away because he just couldn’t reach it.

So close….

How many times in life, have we felt like something good was close but just out of reach? We keep looking ahead and saying things will be different for us in the future – once I get in the water, I will healed…. after this big project at work, I’ll have more time for the family. After I get through final exams, I will start working out and eating right. Once I retire, I can go and have some fun with my spouse. We see something better – a better time – a better life, but we can never actually attain it.

About 10 years ago, my husband and I went on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua. I don’t know if any of you have ever been to Nicaragua, but it is a poor, Central American country and in the poorest villages there, the people live side-by-side in shacks they make out of scrap pieces of cardboard and wood. These shacks don’t have any flooring so its just dirt and mud underneath them and flimsy walls on every side. One evening as we walked through a shanty village, I noticed something shocking. These shacks had electricity. The wires were strung from shack to shack and many of these homes had small televisions – not the big flatscreens like many of us have, but small, old televisions that picked up weak signals with rabbit ears and aluminum foil.

And what were they watching on tv? American television programs – they were watching Friends and Entertainment Tonight and MTV. Shows about people who lived far from them – not just in terms of miles but in terms of how they lived. I have thought about that scene so many times. Poor masses of people huddled around a television in a third world shack. Those televisions were like windows to a world they would never know – glimpses into lives they would never have.

Is there any wonder why so many people want to come and live in our country? I wondered how many of them were saying, “If only I could get to America”

If only I could reach the pool of healing water….

There are so many if/onlys and when/thens in all our lives.

But if we are honest with ourselves I think we have to admit that in various aspects of all our lives, we are still sitting on a mat like the paralytic man in our scripture. And maybe, like him, we have been sitting there for some time unable to move closer to our goal.

We are stuck. And I wonder if it’s because we’ve focused on the wrong things. Our eyes are fixed on the healing waters, the financial windfall, the potential for our situations to change by way of luck or human intervention and we forget completely about God’s role in all of this.

In our gospel story, our poor paralytic is transfixed on the pool – the seeming solution to all his problems. I can see him – eyes locked on the water and here comes this stranger. I wonder if he even looked at Jesus or if his eyes stayed focused on the pool of water. I wonder if Jesus had to wave his hand in front of the man’s face to get his attention.

Isn’t it funny how God has to get our attention sometimes when we are locked in on something? We just get an idea of what will make our lives good and whole and happy and well, we lose site of the One who is the author, creator and sustainer of goodness, wholeness and happiness.

And so God gets the attention of the paralytic… Jesus says to the man, Do you want to be healed?

The man doesn’t even answer Jesus’ question. Rather, he expresses his frustration – I can’t get to the water! The water, water, water, water…. Everyone jumps in ahead of me! No one will give me a chance!

Our paralytetic remains transfixed on what he is convinced is the solution to his problem.

And then something amazing happens. Something wonderful.

Jesus heals the paralytic.

Jesus says to the man, pick up your mat and walk! And at once, the paralytic was cured and he picked up his mat and walked. After 38 years of paralysis, the man is healed.

I think its important for us to remember that the man was paralyzed. It was impossible for him to move himself or to heal himself. He needed help and no one around him would help him. In fact, they got in his way and kept him from reaching the pool.

And here comes God into his sad and seemingly hopeless situation.

Jesus heals him without the water – Jesus didn’t need the water. He didn’t even need the man’s permission or his faith. None of that is in the story. Jesus just stepped in and made it all happen.

The paralytic thought he was so close to his healing. He was even closer than he thought, wasn’t he? Because the healing he needed could be found in the man standing next to him.

Brothers and sisters, let’s look up from our mats. Let’s look away from what we are so certain are the solutions to our problems.

Rather, let us fix our eyes on Christ, the One who is close by, waiting to heal us and make us whole in every way. Amen.

Dusty Road

Posted February 18, 2010 at 8:17 am
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season. We, like Christians who’ve gone before us observe this season as a time of spiritual preparation leading up to Easter.

We are reminded during this time that before there was a resurrection, there was a crucifixion. Before there was salvation, there was suffering.

We are reminded that we are part of a great story. We are part of salvation history. During Lent, we are reminded that our story begins with dust. God created us, humankind, from the dirt of the ground. And it will be to this dirt that we return.

In between, we walk a dusty road.

Our journey is one that takes place in a fallen and imperfect world that is, like each and every one of us, in need of redemption.

As we make our way through Lent, we wrestle with ourselves and look within our hearts and lives to see the imperfection that is within each of us.

We are not a perfect people. We are all sinners who fall short of the glory of God, as the apostle Paul reminds us in his letter to the Romans.

We struggle with temptation and recognize those things in our lives that would separate us from God. Maybe they are obvious things: like drugs or sex or maybe they are less obvious, like Facebook and pizza.

What is it that dominates your time, your life? Is it God or is it something else?

During Lent, we often give up different things – maybe chocolate or television – so that we might refocus our attention on what really matters: Our Lord, who gave up so much more than chocolate and television for us.

May these acts bring us to repentance and to a right relationship with our God through Christ Jesus.

But, but …

Posted January 31, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

I love the story of the call of Jeremiah.

When God called Jeremiah, Jeremiah said what a lot of people say when God calls them to do something. Jeremiah said, “But, but … ”

There are many “But, buts” in the Bible. Consider Moses: “But, but… I stutter.” How about Jonah: “But, but… I don’t want to go to Ninevah.” Or how about Gideon: “but, but I am too young and hail from an unremarkable tribe of people.”

As a campus minister, I try to encourage students to overcome the “but, buts” in their lives.

Yes, they may be young, but God uses young people – that is what we find in the case of Jeremiah and Gideon and, of course, later in the case of young Timothy the disciple of Christ.

All of us have “but, buts” we must overcome in order to be used of God. All of us have conditions, situations, circumstances that would seemingly make it impossible for God to use us.

Some of us have big “but buts” and some of us have small “but buts,” but we all have “but buts!”

What are some of the obstacles to our fulfilling God’s will for our lives?

Maybe it is age, gender, level of education, experience, socio-economic status, physical appearance “But, but God, I can’t because (you fill in the blank)!”

Now, don’t feel bad because you feel unworthy of serving God. Truth is, you ARE unworthy! All of us are. None of us is perfect. All of us fall short of the glory of God because all of us are sinners. That’s what it says in the Book of Romans. And it’s true. If we were not dreadful sinners, we wouldn’t need a Savior.

It isn’t about whether or not we are worthy, it is about whether or not we are willing.

We are fleshly, human, imperfect people. And yet, God chooses to use us in all our unworthiness to accomplish his will in this world.

Jeremiah says to God: “But, but I am just a boy.”

God says to Jeremiah: Don’t say you’re just a boy, because you will go where I send you and say what I tell you and don’t be afraid because I am with you to deliver you!

God effectively tells Jeremiah that it isn’t about Jeremiah’s abilities or lack thereof. God has got his back.

God is the power and strength in Jeremiah, enabling him in what God wants him to do. The young prophet won’t be relying on his own strength and power, but on God’s.

It’s amazing how God used Jeremiah. Jeremiah preached to the people a message of judgment and hope. God used him to help the people see the error of their ways. Jermiah tells them that they have placed their faith in the wrong things – temple worship and the covenant of God with the dynasty of David. Instead, they needed to return their faith to God Himself.

As we know from history, Judah soon fell to the Baylonians and the people suffered many years in exile, but the people of God were not be abandoned by God. Jeremiah preached a message of hope in the midst of the hardship. Jeremiah proclaimed to the remnant people that they would renew their covenant relationship with God and faithfully follow God’s law – because it would written on their hearts.

God is still concerned with our hearts today. Ours is a religion based on heart. God wants our love and devotion.

What was it Jesus said was the most important commandment? To love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength…

When you love someone, you want to make them happy, right? And so when we love God, we want to serve God. Service to God is not born of some warped sense of obligation but the result of an overflow of the heart.

So, whose job is it to serve God? It is all our job. That is why we are the Body of Christ. We all function together in different roles to do God’s good work and accomplish God’s good purpose in this world.

What a beautiful thing it is to see the Body of Christ in action. If you turn on the news, you can see Christ all over the world. In recent weeks, we have seen Christ in Haiti. Christians have rallied to bring comfort and provision to a poor, suffering people. We see Christ in the faces of those handing out bottled water and removing rubble. We see Christ in the tear-stained faces of those who have lost so much but have been drawn near to God in the midst of their pain and grief.

On the campus where I serve, one can see the Body of Christ in action. I recently made a newsletter highlighting everything going on at the Wesley Foundation and I included photos of our students. After I put it together, I noticed something. The photos of our students show them living out their faith. There’s a picture of one student preaching a sermon. There’s a picture of another painting a house while on a mission trip. There’s another picture of yet another student volunteering with children at a local church.

The other day, I took some students to worship and on the way home, there was a woman stranded beside her stalled car at a busy intersection. We no sooner noticed her and one of my students was out the door, racing through five lanes of traffic to push her vehicle to safety. Later that day my three-year-old son said, Brad helped that lady with the broken car. He’s like Superman. I said to my son no even better, he’s like Jesus.

So, how do we know what God is calling us to do?

Sometimes, God’s calling presents itself to us in an opportunity or a need like the woman at the intersection. Sometimes it is something we feel drawn to do or perhaps there is a spiritual gift God has given us or resources we have and God merely wants us to use that gift or resource for his glory.

One thing is for sure: God is calling! God is calling each and every one of us!

And so how will we respond? Will we, like Jeremiah, come up with an excuse for why we can’t do what God wants us to do in our lives? Will we say to God, “But, but … ” Or, will we say to God, “yes Lord, we will be part of the Body of Christ knowing that we can live out your plan for our lives in your power and strength.”

God in the Rubble

Posted January 18, 2010 at 10:23 pm
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

When bad things happen in this world, it is natural to question where God is in the midst of those things.

The earthquake in Haiti and the devastating aftermath is no exception.

Why did this happen? Why is there so much suffering and pain? How could this happen to a country already suffering as a result of extreme poverty?

I saw recently that a televangelist attributed the quake to the sins of the Haitian people. I shudder to think someone could believe something so horrific.

Rather, many responsible Christians hold to another doctrine. We believe that we live in a fallen and corrupt world in need of redemption through Christ. This is the result of sin, but not the sin of a few. It is the result of all our sin – from the beginning throughout the ages. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God!” (Rom. 3:23)

In this fallen world of ours, there is death, disease, natural disasters. None of us are exempt from these things! Bad things happen to all people.

Children get cancer. Nice people get killed in car accidents. Hurricanes, fires, tornadoes happen.

And so where is God in the midst of all of this?

Right by our side.

In Haiti, God is in the midst of the rubble. God is in the tent cities. God is in the hospitals.

God is bringing comfort. God is strengthening those who are weak. God is sustaining those whose lives have been shattered. God is the peace amid the chaos and confusion.

Brothers and sisters, let us pray and help the people of Haiti in every way we can. As Christians, we should be where God is.

Where is God? God is in Haiti.

The Revolution in Here

Posted January 15, 2010 at 7:04 am
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

One of my favorite scriptures is Rom. 12:1-2.In it, the Apostle Paul encourages us to offer our bodies a living sacrifice. In some translations, this offering is described as a reasonable “act of worship.”

Author Shane Claiborne talks a lot about what it means to “do” Christianity. He says so often, Christians focus on the “don’ts” instead of the “dos.” Being a Christian is an active way of life. It is about radical love for God and others – a love that is not reserved for friends and family, but one that must necessarily be poured out for all of humankind – even our enemies!

This week, I met with our student leaders and challenged them to live as radical Christians – as revolutionaries for Christ. I asked them to pour out their love to everyone they encounter both on and off the campus at TJC. I asked them to seek out every opportunity to be Christ to the world.

This is, after all, merely a reasonable act of worshipping the One whose life, death and resurrection is our example of how to be a radical.

Viva la revolution!

On Victims and Volunteers

Posted January 9, 2010 at 10:29 pm
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I just finished reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

It is a story set in recent history about the author’s life in family of six with an alcoholic dreamer for a dad and an emotionally unstable artist for a mom.

I could not put this book down. I checked it out at the library this morning and finished it some six hours later.

I just couldn’t believe the circumstances of this woman’s childhood.

Her parents moved the kids around from place to place and they hardly had a bite to eat. They lived in leaky, shanty houses with rats and cockroaches. They shoplifted clothes and stole groceries.

The children ate from the trash.

It was heart-wrenching. And yet, as I read the book, I kept thinking about something someone said to me once: “Up until the age of 18, you are a victim. After that, you are a volunteer.”

The Glass Castle is a book about a child, and her siblings, who endured incredible hardship and survived. It is also a book about a person who, upon reaching adulthood (at age 17, albeit) decided to take control of her situation and lead a better life.

It is nothing short of heart-wrenching to talk to young people who have had to face adversity. They come to colleges like the one where I serve and tell of parents who abandoned them. They tell stories of moms and dads who drank and abused them. They talk about going hungry and having nothing nice to wear.

They talk about having no one to rely on and no one to turn to when things got tough. It is enough to break your heart.

Yet I remind them all that it is now their turn to make the decisions that will affect the rest of their lives.

They no longer have to live in misery. They get to choose. In other words, they may volunteer to remain victims or pick something else.

No doubt, this is hard. There is much to overcome for many, but nothing is impossible with God!!!

One of my mantra scriptures is Phil 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!”

Of course, it is here that we all must be reminded that WE are the body of Christ in this world. It is up to each of us to rise to the occasion and meet the needs of those who are less fortunate.

As we tell others to get with the program, we must necessarily tell ourselves the same.

God, help us all to be strong and to overcome and to help others do the same in Your power! Amen!

The Dance

Posted January 3, 2010 at 9:45 pm
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

Today, I listened to a friend of mine preach on a podcast.

It is a great sermon so I thought I might share it with yall.

There are so many great sermons available online. There are so many great blogs and theological discussions going on out there.

Anyway, after listening to my friend’s sermon, I said a little prayer: “God, dance with me. I am just a dorky, uncoordinated wall flower but I want so much to dance with You. Amen.”

What it’s all about

Posted December 28, 2009 at 10:56 am
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

IMG_0032IMG_0001IMG_0071IMG_0074IMG_0048IMG_0053IMG_0018IMG_0060IMG_0083My mom and dad bought my son a digital camera for Christmas.

He’s only three so they got him one of those toddler-proof, plastic-encased ones. It’s really cool. He can look through the two viewfinder holes to line up the perfect shot. He can take pictures and look at them on the little screen on the back.

Then, when he gets a handful of pictures stored on the camera, mommy and daddy can download them to the computer.

My husband and I were curious to see what our son would take pictures of. We handed him the camera first thing Christmas morning and told him he could shoot whatever he wanted. At the end of the day, we downloaded the pictures and had a good laugh.

He took a few pictures of himself. We don’t know if this was an accident or if he simply likes himself. We hope its because he knows he is special!

He took a picture of his mom having a cup of coffee with him at breakfast.

He took pictures of his dad in his favorite Christmas shirt. He took pictures of his Uncle Na Na making funny faces. He took pictures of his Aunt Mel filling her plate with turkey. He shot pictures of his Nana and Popi on an after-lunch walk around the neighborhood. He even took a picture of his best friend – our yellow lab, Sally.

There were a few pictures of Christmas decorations and his breakfast, but mostly he took pictures of family. There wasn’t a single picture of the toys Santa brought.

I like this kid’s priorities. It would seem that he knows what the holidays are all about. They are about relationship.

On Christmas, we come together as families and friends. We spend time together, laughing, sharing and loving one another. And, the very occasion we celebrate is one that demonstrates the importance of relationship to God.

On Christmas, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus – the one who makes it possible for us to have a relationship with God.

Praise God for relationships! May we all live in peace and love with one another in the glorious light of our precious Lord! And may our photos and our lives reflect our priorities!

Embracing God

Posted December 24, 2009 at 2:52 pm
Filed Under Faith & Religion | Leave a Comment

Today I thought about what it must have been like to be the mother of God: Mary the God-bearer.

I can imagine looking into the face of baby Jesus.

In a newborn there is so much hope and potential.

In the face of Christ, I can imagine it would be all the more. What an exciting and incredible event.

I can imagine wrapping my arms around baby Jesus. I can imagine loving him and kissing him and holding him close.

It seems so impossible to embrace God, except in the form of a precious little baby.

In my heart this Christmas, I so want to embrace God the way Mary must have embraced her child and my Savior.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Peace on earth!

Good will toward all of you!

The Storyteller

Posted December 9, 2009 at 8:05 am
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Today the American Press family mourns the death of Hector San Miguel.

Hector fought a long, hard battle with cancer. He was tough and brave, but the cancer proved relentless and overpowering.

On Facebook, friends and colleagues of Hector have been posting memories of the newsman.

Hector had an amazing life and career.

He covered the news in Southwest Louisiana for more than three decades. He was just a teenager when his career in the news business began. He was at the American Press back when the newspaper was located downtown – back when reporters smoked cigarettes at their desks. He was part of the industry when phrases like “cut and paste” literally meant to cut and paste.

He rode out the transitions in the news industry as typewriters were replaced with computers and computers were replaced with laptops. He saw operations move from downtown to the upscale American Press facility on Hwy 90.

Hector worked under managing editors Buddy Threat, Jim Beam, Brett Downer and Bobby Dower – incredible newsmen all.

I am sure every one of these editors would say Hector was the most passionate journalist to ever work at the American Press.

Anyone who knew Hector knew his enthusiasm.

He was full-speed ahead on any assignment. He would recount the details of even the most routine news like an excited kid.

He was most in his element when he covered breaking news. He fed on the energy of elections and unfolding events.

He wasn’t afraid of hurricanes, political scandals, drug busts, anything.

I can still see him rushing out of the newsroom with a notepad in his hand.

I guess what I will remember most was Hector’s ability to tell a story.

He was an amazing storyteller. You could see it in his writing, and you could hear it in his words.

He had so many stories – good stories. Hector told stories to the readers of the American Press and to those of us who were his friends and colleagues. He told the stories from his desk, from a barstool at OB’s and from a seat at a table full of friends at Papania’s (that is, when he wasn’t on the dance floor).

Hector’s stories could top any story, as he sometimes reminded us!

In the news business, we often end a story with “-30-“ The number signifies there is no more news to come.

Some of Hector’s friends have been posting this on Facebook, signifying the end of his life story.

Indeed, his life here has ended. The story is over in some ways. Then again, his work lives on as part of the history of Southwest Louisiana. And for those of us who knew and loved Hector, the story of who he was will forever live on in our hearts.

We love you, Hector, and will miss you dearly.

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