Author Archives: Bill Dalgetty

The Divine Power of Truth

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Do we appreciate the power of truth?

St. Paul talks about truth having divine power when he says, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God.” (2 Cor. 10:3-5)

Truth, the knowledge of God, his word and work, has divine power. It demolishes lies, deception, and all manner of error. Since truth is from God, it is eternal and never fades or dies, in contrast to lies and deception which may last for a while, but are eventually discovered and proven false.

Truth on the other hand may lie dormant for a time, but is always discovered and demolishes the stronghold of lies. Examples in our world today include such questions as when life begins, and what constitutes marriage. If we discovered biological cells on another planet, the headlines would declare “Life Exists on Another Planet,” yet a human egg fertilized with a human sperm is not? Genesis and all of nature declare that marriage is between a “male and female” who become one to “be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it,” but the wisdom of this world through our highest court says it is not? Is our culture exchanging the “truth of God for a lie,” as Paul describes in Romans 1:25?

When Pilate was trying to determine who Jesus was and whether he was a king, Jesus said the reason he was born and came into the world “was to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” (John 18:37) Pilate, like many of our leaders today, not recognizing the embodiment of truth standing before him, asked, “What is truth?”

History testifies to the power and lasting nature of truth. The Roman Empire oppressed and persecuted Christians for almost 300 years. Yet historian Will Durant, not necessarily a friend of the Christian faith, eloquently observes:

“There is no greater drama in human record than the sight of a few Christians, scorned or oppressed by a succession of emperors, bearing all trials with fierce tenacity, multiplying quietly, building order while their enemies generated chaos, fighting the sword with the word, brutality with hope, and at last defeating the strongest state that history has known. Caesar and Christ had met in the arena, and Christ had won.” (Caesar and Christ, p. 652)

In recent memory we have seen regimes such as Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union seek to oppress and outlaw the truth of God, but instead the power and eternal nature of truth brought each of them crashing down.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching…you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” May we never lose confidence in the power and eternal nature of truth against the lies and deceptions of the world.

God Inhabits the Ordinary

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Are we experiencing God in the ordinary events of our daily lives?

After the baby Jesus was presented in the temple, Luke reports, “When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.”

How ordinary! The Son of God is born of Mary and entrusted to Joseph and her. With the exception of a few humble shepherds and the Magi, people gave them little notice.

Joseph and Mary were practicing Jews who observed the laws and traditions of Judaism. Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and consecrated to God in the Temple in Jerusalem as was required for first born males of Jewish families.

The Gospels give us few facts about Jesus’ childhood other than the incident when he was 12 and stayed behind in the temple during the family’s annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The likelihood is that Jesus’ early life was very ordinary with Jesus growing up as a young Jewish boy, experiencing all of the things any Jewish boy would have experienced with family and neighbors. They would observe family traditions and the practice of Judaism in a small village. Jesus likely learned his father’s trade of being a carpenter, and was probably a carpenter himself during his early adult years.

God inhabits the ordinary. He did this with Jesus. He inhabited the ordinary in preparation for the extraordinary. He did this with the prophets that went before Jesus. He does this with us. We cannot expect to experience God in the extraordinary if we are not experiencing him in the ordinary.

The ordinary includes the daily commute to work, taking out the trash and helping our children with homework. It includes our daily contact with co-workers, standing in line at the checkout counter and the many choices we make each day, large and small.

Jesus tells us in John 14 that if we love him, the Father and he will come and make their home in us. One of his last words to the disciples was that he will be with us always. He is in us and with us if we choose to act on his presence. As a result, instead of cursing the person who cuts us off on our way to work, we bless him. We show patience to our children in helping them with their homework. We listen to a co-worker who wants to share a problem. We forbear in reacting negatively to an inattentive retail clerk.

Ninety-nine percent of life is ordinary. If we are experiencing Jesus in the ordinary, we are experiencing the kingdom of God, which Jesus says is here and now. When a need or crisis hits we can then experience Jesus in the extraordinary as we pray with a sick friend for healing, bring reconciling words to a troubled relationship or love to a forgotten stranger – anticipating that God will act in and through us.

Serve, Then Proclaim

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How do you share about Jesus?

When Jesus sent out the seventy-two, he gave them explicit instructions how they were to stay with one host instead of many in order to build relationships and to serve their needs like healing the sick.

Only after they had established relationships and met the needs of the people, were they to proclaim that the kingdom of God was at hand. “The seventy-two returned with joy and said, ‘Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.’” (Luke 10:17)

Apparently the actions of the disciples in going out gave the people a greater hunger for God because Mark reports that it led to “so many people coming and going…from all the towns” seeking them further, that the whole process culminated in the gathering of the five thousand where Jesus preached and multiplied the fish and loaves. (Mark 6:31, 33, 35-44)

As Christians, we are encouraged to witness and share about Jesus, and this we should surely do as God gives us the opportunity. But Jesus offers a guideline through his instructions to the seventy-two that emphasizes building relationships, loving people by serving their needs and then proclaiming the good news.

In Hope for the Workplace-Christ in You, there is the story of Diane who provides financial and insurance counseling to clients. One day when a client named Don came to seek advice about his 401K, he confided about injuring his back and struggling to find work that did not require heavy lifting. Diane mentioned that God wants to be with us in our struggles and asked if she could pray with him that God would give him guidance and find the right job.  Diane then remembered that there was a security guard company next door that might have some openings, and asked Don if he would like her to introduce him to them. She made the introductions and they did have some openings, but to apply for the job, Don needed her assistance in downloading and completing some forms.

It was now 6:30 p.m. and Don said, “You know, I have really found that Christians are nice people.” Diane asked, “Are you Christian? He said he was but that he didn’t go to church. Diane then shared about her faith and a ministry to which she belonged. She asked him to consider attending a weekend retreat the ministry was sponsoring.

In reflecting on the experience, Diane observed, “When you hear someone say, ‘I’m having a hard time,’ that is a signal from the Holy Spirit that we have an opening to bring the presence of Christ to that person. We build God’s kingdom when we listen to someone’s need and act on it.”

It is interesting that Diane was initially not trying to evangelize Don. Her first response was simply to listen to his concerns, act on them in introducing him to the security guard company and helping download and complete the application forms. Only when those needs were met and after Don made an observation about Christians did she share about her faith.

This is a formula that missionaries have been following for centuries. Build relationships, love and serve needs, share the reason for your love – Jesus.

Prayer and Fasting for a Family Vacation

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Have you ever prayed and fasted for a family vacation?

Last week our family which includes a single daughter, four married children, their spouses and thirteen grandchildren vacationed at a beach house on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. That’s 24 people under one roof, including nine teenagers and four little ones five and under, besides the 11 adults.

In preparation for the week, my wife and I decided that we needed to pray for all who would be present, seeking God’s presence, blessing, peace, love and protection, which we reinforced with fasting.

The blessings were amazing! While the potential for chaos was possible, there was no fussing or bickering among teens or adults. The teens, both siblings and cousins, hung out together on the beach, jumping waves, using the paddle board, building sand castles for the little ones, sunning themselves, taking walks, cooling off in the pool, or relaxing in the hot tub, walking into town for an ice cream cone, and videoing themselves for a video trailer commemorating their week.

The married children also enjoyed hanging out with one another, catching up and sharing their lives. My wife and I just enjoyed taking it all in, engaging with adult children, spouses and grand- children alike.

Each family took responsibility for an evening meal with the teens preparing the last dinner on Friday night. Each evening meal was preceded by 24 people standing in a circle holding hands to say grace, led by the father of the family preparing the meal and one of the teens on their night.

Fathers and sons went deep sea fishing one day, while one mother organized an in-house spa day for the daughters. The men felt like the disciples when Jesus asked them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat. The catch included fifty-seven mahi-mahi, two mackerel and one 47 pound tuna.

All returned safely home, with no injuries, mishaps or accidents. We were spared the presence of sharks which had attacked swimmers on Carolina beaches in prior weeks. The weather included sunny skies during the days and showers only at night.

St. Paul says, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” We know that Jesus encouraged prayer and fasting because he gave us instructions on both in Matthew 6:5-18. Jesus encouraged us to ask and seek God’s presence and blessings. He said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.” (Mt. 7:11)

We asked, and God answered beyond all our expectations.

In this day when God’s institution of marriage and the family seem to be under attack, we were blessed to experience and celebrate marriage and family the way we believe the creator of all things intended them to be.

Today, we offer a prayer of thanksgiving. “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.” (Psalmfamily-1 89:1)

Do Not Be Afraid

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Have you ever become fearful about whether you can handle a new task or situation that appears formidable?

Many Possibilities – The possibilities are many and varied — taking on a new job whose scope and responsibilities appear to exceed your skills and experience; facing the loss of employment; trying to restore a relationship that is broken; persuading a rebellious child to change his or her ways; providing ongoing care of a loved one; facing an illness involving suffering, disability or even death. All of these circumstances can give rise to fear and doubt.

Moses and Joshua – When Moses appointed Joshua as his successor for taking the people of Israel across the Jordan River into the land of Canaan, he told him, “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

Taking a people into a new land and removing the people who were previously there is indeed a formidable task and it was understandable that Joshua was experiencing fear and doubt. Moses told Joshua to “be strong and courageous.”

New Assignment Outside My Comfort Zone – After serving as an attorney for a large international oil company for most of my career, my last assignment involved overseeing our corporate policy and compliance of environmental, health and safety activities of the company worldwide. The entire staff was made up of engineers and technical people, taking me way out of my comfort zone. There were times when our staff was challenged when attempting to bring certain compliance issues to the attention of senior management and our Board of Directors. Although tempted by fear to back away from our findings, I prayed that the Lord would go before us. Interestingly, on every occasion when this happened the senior management of our company supported our findings and ordered changes in how things were being done.

Jesus’ Words – When Jesus was calling Peter and Peter responded that he was a sinful man, Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid.” When the angels approached Zechariah, Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, on each occasion they said, “Do not be afraid.” At the Last Supper, Jesus said to all of the disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.”

St. John Paul II opened his pontificate with the words, “Be not afraid!” He went on to say, “These are not words said into a void. They are simply the words of Christ himself. Do not be afraid of God who became man!”

Are you moved by fear and doubt when facing adversity or do you ask the Lord to go before you? Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.”

No Retirement from the Great Commission

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When was the last time you talked about your faith or Jesus with someone who is not Christian or a practicing Christian?

In these days of political correctness, it is always easier to forgo the opportunities that come our way. Yet, we are familiar with the Great Commission of Jesus, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” (Mt. 28:19)

A few years ago, our family traveled to Lee’s Summit, Missouri to celebrate the 100th birthday of my wife’s mother, Mary Louise. We had a wonderful celebration, with all of her children, some grand children and great grandchildren being present to honor her life. From teaching eight grades in a one room country school in the 1930’s to taking care of elderly parents and other relatives until she herself was 82, her life was a witness to a deep faith in God filled with love and service to others.

Although her life in recent years was confined to an assisted living home where she and about 40 other residents lived, she had not forgotten the words of Jesus in the Great Commission in terms of reaching out to people and inviting them to church. In the course of our many conversations she mentioned that she had invited her friends Millie and Dodie to start attending church services that were held every Sunday at the home. “Dodie had not been to church in 50 years,” she said. “And Millie had not been for a long time either, but I got them going with me each week now.” “I try to help them understand what the Bible says and means when I get the chance,” she added.

In Isaiah 49:6, the prophet says, “I will make you a light to the gentiles that you may bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.”  At age 100, Mary Louise was still being a light to the people God put in her life. She was still being faithful to God’s plan of working through us to be his presence and to bring his presence to the people and circumstances of our lives. At 103, Mary Louise was welcomed into the arms of Jesus. She never stopped sharing her faith.

Are you talking about Jesus with the people in your life, or inviting them to church, a Christian event or other opportunity where they can meet Jesus and his Word?

A Special Christian Community

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Do you experience Christian community with people who have an extra measure of compassion, love, acceptance and understanding?

This is what my wife and I experience with the families of the friends of our daughter Emily who was born with Down syndrome. Emily was blessed to attend Paul VI Catholic High School in the Arlington, VA diocese with its special program for children with developmental disabilities. Last Saturday we celebrated the 10th graduation anniversary for Emily and her friends along with their families at a backyard cookout. Almost fifty people including Emily’s friends, their parents and a couple of former teachers joined in the celebration with games, food, drink and conversation.

What distinguished this gathering was the nature of the people. Emily and her friends, now all young adults, have an inclination to love with absolutely no guile and a purity of heart that has impacted all of us. As a result, parents seem to have an extra measure of compassion, love, and acceptance, along with a focused determination to be an advocate for the needs of their children. Over the years, most of them have had to advocate for their children with geneticists, doctors, surgeons, therapists, teachers, school administrators, counselors, job coaches and employers. They know what tough love is.

My wife and I have experienced Christian community with our church, a parish prayer group and a covenant charismatic community. They have all been a blessing in our lives, but Emily’s friends and their families have a special place in our hearts.

The folk hymn, They Will Know that We Are Christians by Our Love seems quite appropriate here.

If you have never been acquainted with a special needs child, seek out the opportunity. You will see the face of God in their big smiles and innocent hearts.

Do We Value the Holy Spirit?

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According to St. Paul, when we receive the Holy Spirit we can know the mind of Christ. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has for those who love him, but God has revealed it to us by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 2:9-10) He goes on to say that no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. In the Holy Spirit, we may understand what God has freely given us – words taught not by human wisdom, but by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

In contrast Paul also says, “The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned…But we have the mind of Christ.” (1 Cor. 2: 14, 16)

The Holy Spirit gives me a sense of belonging to God – a feeling of security, knowing that the God of all creation is my Father. He is not distant and out of reach. He has made himself available to me by becoming one of us through his son, Jesus, the Messiah. I can see how much he loves me by how he sacrificed his life through the tortuous death of Roman crucifixion. His Spirit gives me the desire to overcome my selfish nature, and love and serve my wife, family and others as much as I am inclined to serve myself.

The Holy Spirit helps me to understand that I am to be a good steward of the people and circumstances in my life, including family, work associates and friends. He has taught me to have courage and trust when faced with the life threatening illness of cancer, a family challenge of a disabled child or circumstances that threaten a career path.

The Spirit gives us knowledge and understanding in our perspectives, conduct and relationships. For example, he enables us to see the natural order of God’s creation. Some people see conflict between science and faith, but the Spirit shows us that science is simply the discovery of the mysteries of God’s creation

How remarkable! Who can equal God’s love for us and the gift of the Holy Spirit which is our enabler in love, wisdom and truth?

I once heard that the contrast between living life in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and not doing so is similar to the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.

Jesus said, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?  You may believe in God the Father and God the Son, but are you experiencing their personal presence through the gift of the Holy Spirit?

Lord’s Prayer Awakens a Soul

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When was the last time you listened closely to the words of the Lord’s Prayer?

On Sunday mornings once a month, I take communion to Catholic residents at a nearby nursing home, including a few residents in various stages of Alzheimer’s. Some of the Alzheimer residents are not able to receive communion, or are often asleep when I arrive, so I usually just say a short prayer with them.

Last Sunday, when I came to one of the women who had her eyes closed (let’s call her Alice for the sake of privacy), I gently touched her on the shoulder and asked her if she would like to say the Lord’s Prayer. She opened her eyes in kind of blank stare. I knelt down beside her, put my hand on her hand, and started to slowly recite the Lord’s Prayer. Her eyes began to open wide and she started to say the words with me. Her eyes became wider and wider as she saw herself remembering the words. A slight smile spread across her face. She appeared as if she were proud of herself for remembering the words. As we finished a small tear appeared in the corner of one of her eyes. I said, “Alice, would you like to receive communion?” “Yes,” she nodded, and I placed the Eucharist on her tongue.

This was the first time that I had ever seen Alice receive communion. It was as if the Lord’s Prayer had awakened her soul and memory, enabling her to recite the entire prayer. It made the back of my neck tingle.

I, too, was impacted by seeing the power of Jesus’ words on Alice, words Jesus suggested to his disciples when they asked him how to pray. (Luke 11:2) For many of us the Lord’s Prayer has become so familiar we may recite the words, but their meaning may no longer penetrate our mind and heart.

I must confess that I was impacted in one additional way. When I first started to take communion to the residents of this nursing home, I was very uncomfortable with the Alzheimer’s residents. In fact, on my second visit I skipped going to their floor. But after seeing the impact of Jesus’ words on Alice and watching how those words awakened God’s presence in her, I received a new love for Alice and all her fellow residents. God was moving in my heart as well as Alice’s. I will never skip her floor again.

Do you have a perspective on a person or situation in your life that God would like to change?

Laser Tag and God’s Design for the Family

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Laser Tag

Laser Tag

Can God’s design for the family include laser tag?

Story: This past weekend, we were visiting two of our children’s families to attend the high school graduation of our oldest grandson. Following a post-graduation party and dinner, we were sitting around visiting with the two families, including our grandson’s paternal grandparents, when his siblings and cousins came up with the idea that the two grandfathers, should take the six of them to play laser tag at a local game arcade. Not only were we to take them, we were to join them in the game.

My first reaction was to decline, but a huge lobbying campaign ensued by the six grandchildren, being egged on by their parents (our children) who all thought it was a hilarious idea. Suddenly I felt the nudge of that inner voice saying, “You should do this.”

So here we were, two white haired septuagenarians and six teenagers, ages 12 to 18, driving in an eight passenger van to a local laser tag arcade. For those who have never had the experience, laser tag is a game where you put on a vest with four electronic targets located on the chest, back and both shoulders, along with a hand-held infrared laser gun. You are put in a low light room with two levels and various structures to run around and hide behind while aiming your laser gun at another person’s target areas. A hit on another person gives you 100 points and a hit on you subtracts 50 points and disables your gun for three seconds. The person with the most points wins.

Both the kids and the white haired old guys had a blast! The old guys were quite proud of themselves and will long cherish the memory. Hopefully the young folks, separated by two generations, will as well.

Reflection: God created us in his image, male and female. He said, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. He put us in the garden of his creation “to work it and take care of it.” (Genesis 1:27-28, 2:15) The family is the natural result of this creation and all that follows. God calls us to carry forward his design from generation to generation. This is a blessed calling, ordained by the one who created all that exists. It is filled with challenges and sacrifice, but can be balanced with deep love and unforgettable blessings.

In this case, there was love in the request from the one generation, and there was love in the acceptance of the request by the generation once removed. Upon arriving back at the house there was joy among all three generations by what had taken place.

What was the source of this joy? God’s design for his creation was being lived out through three generations of family, ironically and humorously highlighted through a mundane game of laser tag.

Do you see God’s hand in the ordinary circumstances of your family?