The Most Beautiful Love Story Everyone Should Know

Yesterday my world changed by a love story I never knew before. It is one of those warm and deeply moving ones that you happen upon in once in a life time. Yet you do not know the whole story as you stare at the simple plaques on the ground.

My mom and I, together with Alida stood at the remote and hidden graveside of Joseph Scriven – the author of the well known hymn, “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”.

We started our journey with a ride and picnic in the country – far away from everyone and everything. Our journey took us around the north and then east end of Rice Lake, which is between Peterborough and Lake Ontario. Then we proceeded along the south side of Rice Lake until we arrived at Bewdley, a small tourist town filed with fisherman and fishing derbies.

It was there that we saw the first interesting monument to Joseph Scriven. (I had stopped at the general store to ask if anyone knew any more about the man Joseph Sciven. The young Chinese man behind the counter pointed me to a road where we found the monument…but he was busy selling some vegetables to fishermen…)

We completed our journey around the Rice Lake on the west end then headed North to Peterborough.

After reading the words on Bewdley’s Scriven monument and on a whim, I turned right down a simple, gravel country road… part way we turned left again… the right at the next road just falling a whim… until this road petered out and we could do nothing but turn left again – heading north. The road is remote and only traveled by cottagers that enjoy the north side of Rice Lake.

There on the right in a very unassuming spot is a large blue and gold, official Ontario – Archeological and Historical Sited of Ontario sign with the short story of Joseph Scriven being the author of the hymn…and teacher of the Pengelley Family. Nothing more…except a simple little path way was to the left of the sign…with a small white gate at the end.

We began to walk to our discovery….

But in order to understand you should read of Joseph Scriven… first.

From Christianity Today article(July/August 2004)
More than a century ago, on the streets of Port Hope, Ontario, a man could be seen walking along carrying a saw and a sawhorse. One day a rich man from across the street saw him and said to a friend, "He looks like a sober man. I think I'll hire him to cut wood for me." "That's Joseph Scriven," the friend replied. "He wouldn't cut wood for you. He only cuts wood for those who don't have enough to pay." And that sums up the philosophy of Joseph Medlicott Scriven, a devoted member of the Plymouth Brethren Church, who took the Sermon on the Mount literally.

Scriven was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1819. He fell for a lovely young woman, but on the eve of their wedding she accidentally drowned.

Scriven never recovered from the shock. The Irishman began to wander, hoping to forget his sorrow. At age 25, he finally settled in Canada.

His faith led him to do menial tasks for poor widows and the sick. He often worked for no wages and was regarded by the people of the community as a kind man, albeit a bit odd.

He later fell in love again and planned to marry a wonderful Canadian woman. But again, tragedy struck. His fiance died after contracting pneumonia.

In 1855, a friend visited an ill Scriven and discovered a poem that he had written for his ailing mother in faraway Ireland. Scriven didn't have the money to visit her, but he sent her the poem as an encouragement. He called it "Pray Without Ceasing." When the friend inquired about the poem's origins, Scriven reportedly answered, "The Lord and I did it between us."

Scriven never intended for the poem to be published, but it made its rounds, and was set to music in 1868 by musician Charles Converse, who titled it "What a Friend We Have in Jesus." It has since become one of our greatest hymns.

Scriven died in 1886 (ironically, in an accidental drowning). He was 67 years old.

From Wikipedia…
Joseph Scriven was born at Dublin, Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin and embraced the teachings of the Plymouth Brethren. He was known to be eccentric but was a born philanthropist and devoutly religious; he gave freely of what money he had, even his own clothing and his services to all poorer than himself who needed them. He died at Port Hope.
His fiancée drowned in 1845, the night before they were to be married. The grief-stricken young man moved to Canada. There he again fell in love, was due to be married and the young woman suddenly fell ill and died. He then devoted the rest of his life to helping others. After spending the evening with others, he disappeared one night and his body was found in the water nearby.
He wrote a poem to comfort his mother called "Pray Without Ceasing". It was later set to music and renamed by Charles C. Converse, becoming the hymn "What a Friend We Have in Jesus".

Now for the rest of the story that few know…
We walked to the white garden gate and could then plainly see that it was entrance to a small graveyard. The grass had been trimmed neatly. The rustic stone fence that surrounds it has very old cedar root fence topping that. There in the back right corner, tipping slightly to the north is a tall monument with the name “Scriven” inscribed on it. This is where he is buried. The authour of a hymn that comforts so many at almost every funeral for over 100 years.

The actual graveyard is for the Pengelley Family with a number of their grave stones standing around the yard. The love that the Pengelley Family had for their teacher is in front of you so plainly – he is one of them.

All around the tall monument the inscription of three verses of his famous Poem/Hymn is included. It is very moving to read it the words at that point. I wanted to cry…

But the best part was just to the front and literally under my feet. There with the grass growing over it… are two simple, flat stones with more inscriptions on them. In the middle directly in front of the tall monument is the first one… that simply states, “Joseph Scriven”. Then the most powerful one to the right that simply states, “Scriven’s Sweetheart”…no name…only that.

Then tears came to my eyes… the second girl he fell in love with while in his early life in Canada…and had died also before they married… had been move moved by someone that remembered how much he had loved her… they were together after all these years.

I want to cry now…

This simple story is quietly hidden in the forgotten back woods of Ontario – far, far away from 2008’s bustle.

Am I ever glad we found her with him.

The slightly sad part of the mystery is… Scriven’s Sweetheart has no name… for us to know…but she may well be one of the reasons he wrote this great poem/hymn.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

http://www.christianitytoday.com/tc/2004/004/11.16.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_M._Scriven
http://www.stempublishing.com/hymns/biographies/scriven.html
http://www.porthope.ca/departments/historical/history/scriven.htm

What A Friend We Have In Jesus
What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear!

What a privilege to carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Oh, what peace we often forfeit,

Oh, what needless pain we bear-

All because we do not carry

Everything to God in prayer!

Have we trials and temptations?

there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged:

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Can we find a Friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our very weakness-

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Are we weak and heavy-laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?

Precious Savior, still our refuge-

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

In His arms He'll take and shield thee

Thou wilt find a solace there.

Amen

Small Stuff

As we have begun the journey in raising awareness for the new ministry – Ontario Provincial Chaplaincy… I have been in contact with a many of my friends. There has been a definite ground swell of interest. I am amazed at what is happening and very grateful. Money has come into the ‘ministry’ but not to us personally.

(Side note – as many have been following this thread of a new ministry…money in my own pocket now is a problem until the E.I. is set the way it should be. Yesterday I could report that I have actually NOT received any money yet. When that begins happening it will change I am sure.)

At this stage it is like writing a huge amount of Resumes to dozens of people and companies. Then I sit and wait. But waiting is good of me… I think.

There is a promise and a hope – in waiting. It is in waiting that good stuff will come from it all.

A long time ago Alida used to make Bread…just like my grandma did. The kitchen was filled first with the smell of flour…then the yeast… then the sound of the water being poured into the big mixing bowl with the flour & mixture on the bottom….the yeast with its strong smell was brought into the mixture. Most importantly there was the wait. Then grandma would take the cover off the huge ball of dough and beat it… with her fists… sometimes letting grandsons help…then wait some more…

Each step was a small part of whole that made delicious bread. And if you waited for the full stage to take place and the hot oven to produce the wonderful smelling bread – the treat was all yours….one huge and heavily cut piece of fresh bread cut…covered with butter and smeared with fresh strawberry jam…. Mmmm Mmmm…good!

Small stuff matters to help big stuff take place. One of my close friends felt badly because they could not do something big to help us financially. Yet when we looked at it together… they are doing far more with small stuff... listening…caring…just being there for us.

Small stuff matters.

I received an email from a very old friend that promised to let us have $20 when she gets it. She is as old as me…unemployed… and in a remote area where jobs are not a lot. But she wanted to do something for the possible ministry building…someday…something small…

Small stuff is Big Stuff when God gets a hold on it. An old song said “Little is much when God is in it….” Our old friend in Walkerton, Ontario by the name of June Reuber was the only one that could sing that song… and oh it touched my soul back then. Because that was all we had was little…

Oh I have millionaire friends. They are great folk. And no... they have been very careful with their money.... No contributions yet…

But the ones that really count are the tons of little guys and gals that have made a difference.

I made some quick calculations when setting up a small plan for donations. If we can raise the awareness enough… getting just 2 people in each Ontario Government Elected official’s constituency… to give $38 per month or $456 over a whole year… that would provide exactly what is needed to do the work. There are 107 elected leaders, times 2, times $38, times 12 months. This would meet the budget that is set for us. It would cover a salary for Alida and me. It would cover office material and equipment and the tons of travel, telephone calls and all the rest it takes in a Province wide ministry. It would then possibly allow hiring more staff as well… then there is a place to stay in Toronto… sheesh this is like being a politician! Asking for more money and then spending it before I get it….?!

When I talked with my mom about this her reaction was fascinating. She believes in her son but had some good words for me! She said, “Whatever you do to get your support, don’t get all old people…they will die on you!”

Mom is 87 years old. And she pointed to her own situation when she said I know I don’t have a long time left….

She told me of one of her sisters that was supported as a missionary by a considerable number of older people. In fact that was where mom drew her illustration from. Most of these older people my aunt and uncle had supporting them died about the same time. When they died – so did their money.

I know a church where that has happened too.

Another older person suggested the best route to go… “Many hands make the burden lighter.” His suggestion was that perhaps by spreading the whole budget out to as many people as I knew as possible… then it would be met soon.

Small stuff matters.

Go back to the fresh bread story again. One time Alida made bread and forgot the yeast. Yeast is actually very small when placed in a whole batch of bread. That bread was something else. Another time the yeast was no good. Yuk! You could beat something with the loaf it was so hard.

Take your small stuff out of what you do…and whatever you are doing will certainly fall apart.

I want to say thank you for your part in supporting us…small stuff is important and so is your part in our lives.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
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Locked Doors and The Magic Card

As the large door made a buzzing sound and the small click came – I knew I was in. The young lady beside walked a head of me down the long hallway. My destination room was on my right side – Chaplain’s Office. I stopped, reached out and opened the door. This one wasn’t locked.

I had made it that far by following the young lady with the magic card. The new security system of our new hospital is good. People that shouldn’t be in certain areas are kept out. People that should be there; breeze through open doors.

When I had completed my task at the Chaplain’s Office dropping something off for one of the staff Chaplains I returned to the large door. Oh oh… it was firmly locked from both sides and I had no magic card. The hallway was deserted – I was locked in almost the center of the hospital with no way out! What a feeling of helplessness.

Background…
As one of the On Call Chaplains at our hospital for 10 years I have been to the hospital many times…weekends, late nights, afternoons, terrible times and tough times – standing with families at crisis moments. It has become a way of life. My training and willingness has been put to full use often. But that has been in the old hospital. This one, the brand new hospital, is right next door to the old building that is now coming down. And everything is new.

I found someone that was in a side office. I asked her to let me out with her magic card. She smiled and shook her head…”I left mine at home today as well.” So together we went to the next office where she borrowed another magic card to get us both out – me to freedom, she to the bathroom.

My new magic card was waiting for me in another office on another floor. What a relief to have the new card firmly in hand and allowing me to go almost anywhere I needed to go. For the fun of it I walked up to a number of doors and swished the magic card over the sensor… which was followed by the buzzing sound and the small click came… I was in… YES!

Back in the locked hallway earlier as I waited, pondering what to do I had a strong feeling of being in jail. (I also visit in our prisons in the area and you go no where inside without waiting for locked doors to be opened – and sometimes the wait is longer than you expect.) Panic sets in quickly.

Last evening I pondered longer on this thought. This is so much like life for me. I need to move about quickly. I need to access certain areas to get on with life. I need certain answers to be able to function. But there is opposition and obstacles that slow me down – or even stop me.

The burdens and barriers are just too great for my ordinary ability to get through. Even my past and my other abilities will not do. I need a magic card to go further and access the new freedom to move on. But the magic card is either forgotten at home or has yet to be picked up. And if you don’t have that special, brand new, magic card you are stuck inside!

The magic card that I am in need of is a new application of “faith”. The obstacles and doors that are seemingly locked are the immediate life around me. At times I must wait for someone with a “faith key” to open doors. Other times it is far easier to simply possess you own “magic faith card” and swish your way through. But don’t lose your “faith card”!

The journey from the security of the former Pastorate to the unknown of a new position with a fuzzy support….that we are walking toward is a whole lot like my hospital experience of yesterday. The old ways and thoughts will not work. This is God’s new way and new challenge that we are taking. We need a new “magic faith card”… or simply and old step of faith that may have been left home or buried in the old life style of safety.

A long time ago..
A long time ago a large family had been blessed and was confidently secure with their present life. But that was to be shaken. All that they had come to appreciate and live by comfortably in was torn to pieces. Virtually WAR came to their door steps.

The former leaders around them moved on. They had died and new leaders moved in to the scene. The large family was viewed as a threat to the very existence of the new leader. Something had to be done to stop the large family from prospering more – and possibly growing as a threat to the new leadership… so the leadership put extra heavy burdens upon them with cruel tasks. The new leadership also ordered that all the new babies being born to the large family be carefully watched at the moment of birth – if the baby was a boy it was to be killed on the spot.

Can you imagine what it was like for them?

You may recognize the story of the Children of Israel. When they entered Egypt many years before they were very small in numbers and were immigrants to a new country. Now, they numbered so many that they were a threat to the new leadership who didn’t appreciate what one of their sons had done for the country to make it great. That was Joseph.

Now fast forward this story to the side of large and very deep body of water. There are millions of these family members standing beside one man, their new leader Moses. Behind them is coming a massive and most powerful army that is intent on their destruction. What do they do? Where is their “magic key” out of the impossibility they face.

I read this story again yesterday. I love it and need it.

Behind them and in front of them and around them is not an enemy but rather their God. And this God is the God of all power and all love and all grace and all EVERYTHING.

In Exodus 14 you can see this snap shot of their moment…
12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."

15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.

Then it says….
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

Moses at that moment stretched out his “magic card” (a lot better than my hospital security card) – his staff and God did the rest.

Today – you and I need a miracle. Time is running out and the fear is slipping into control. We need a God Intervention…and right about NOW would be RIGHT ABOUT THE RIGHT TIME!

Today I make a choice to trust God and not anything else. I make a choice to “Stand firm… I will see the deliverance the LORD will bring to us today.”

He is my hope! How about you?

Dry ground under your feet.... instead of a sea bed that has always been covered with water – no way!? Really? You betcha!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Resources:
Exodus 14

When Elephants Came to North America

This account is a sordid one that involves good church people, lively entertainment and mass crowd appeal mixed with money making entrepreneurial types – later called ring masters. It also has the origins of the phrase, “Jumbo Size” – mixed in with Saint Thomas, Ontario – for that maybe where Jumbo Size had its first usage.

So when did the Elephant first come to North America?

In 1796 Captain Jacob Crowninshield arrived in New York with a 2 year old elephant he had purchased in India. The entire venture cost him $450…and in 1796 that would be a lot of money.

But being an original entrepreneur, Captain Jacob charged people to see the creature. At the first showing another man by the name of Owen bought it for $10,000. The two year old elephant became a fixture on American soil. And the first Used Car Salesman, actually Used Elephant Salesman, was born. From a $450 investment to a $10,000 return would kind of predict a possible new business for these early people of America… wouldn’t you think? Your right!

You see in 1796 the largest animal that one might find any where was likely a horse or cow in most civilized areas. There was deer and possibly moose in some parts and if you really went to wild areas the huge grizzly bear with its smaller black bear neighbor would raise some excitement too.

People paid good money to see these large beasts that were only read about in best sellers like the Bible at that the time… and other world tour books of the time. People first paid 50 Cents to see the Elephant. Which means that likely the really rich people were the only guests to the large enclosures made for the beast.

As the entrepreneur moved the Elephant from place to place the price dropped to 25 cents.

Now consider that the average salary of the day was very low… 50 cents and even 25 cents was extremely high entrance fee. (the average of a Congressman in the USA was $1500 making his daily salary about $5. The ordinary person was no where near the Congressman’s salary.)

It seemed that good church people didn’t appreciate a good show – especially on Sunday. The place was in Maine. “Old Bet” was the second elephant that came to the USA and while they were walking her down the street early in the morning, before daylight so that local people could not get a free look at her, staunch supporters from the ‘Blue Laws’ group – shot and killed her. The ‘Blue Laws’ people were church goers that believed that it was evil to have entertainment of any kind on Sunday. The date was July 28, 1816. Imagine the church service that morning…a large, dead elephant lying in the street, everyone now gawking for FREE, and the church was likely empty! Tragic – but funny at the same time. Is there a lesson here or what?

My, how we have changed in society and in our churches… It seems that one of the best ways to get people to church is by great and new entertainment. And some churches have done that – even with an elephant (see link below).

On the side… unless your church has a mega band and a super worship leader – you are dead as a congregation. People want to watch more than participate. But worship is about participation where man comes to give to God his voice, his mind, his whole being. Isn’t it?

It was announced this week that another church in Peterborough is closing.

In the 1800s and into the 1900s – the ring master was paid more than the minister. Today that may be different. But both are entertainers. Without that ability to do the entertainer part – neither will get the audience. As a pastor I had thought of a different garb that would catch the attention of the folk… some people felt I did that any way. Memories…

There is something sad about our history. I don’t want the days of ‘Blue Laws’ and killers of elephants… but it would be nice to see a day of rest/worship take a larger part of our lives than it does providing a refocus of what we do and be.

This reflection today comes after a couple weeks away from “the show” that has been apart of my life for 39 years – the Pastor that must perform.

Maybe that was why the “Blue Law People” killed the elephant in 1816… it was a greater show than the local Pastor had in the church?

My, oh my, did I need an adjustment.

Oh Oh…Oh
In my opening statement to this Blog I talked about “Jumbo Sized” and Saint Thomas, Ontario.

Quoting from “The History Buff”…
In 1882, P.T. Barnum offered the London Zoo $10,000 to buy their elephant named Jumbo. The elephant was the largest in the world and measured 10 feet 10 inches tall, weighed 8 tons, and had a trunk 27 and a half inches in circumference.

Jumbo was first shown at Barnums' Hippodrome that same year. The animal traveled in an especially designed palace car. Millions of people paid to see Jumbo. On September 15, 1885, while on a layover in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada, Jumbo was standing on the train track when a train rushed upon him. Jumbo was caught between the line of circus cars and the oncoming train and killed. His hide was preserved and later given to Tufts College, while the skeleton was given to the Museum of Natural History.

Jumbo was loved by so many people that, after his death, people automatically began referring to anything larger than normal as being "jumbo-sized." To this day, over a hundred years later, the term has stayed a part of the English language.
~ end quote ~

Now if… on some Sunday… you find me in a movie theatre… sipping a Jumbo Sized pop… and eating a Jumbo Sized bag of popcorn… it will make more sense… specially when it is a minister doing this. But then he is now retired and one of “Order of the Pew”.

Confession time…
About one year ago… during the summer time… we had no church on a Sunday evening… my grandkids begged me to got to an exciting movie with them… so I did. We walked into the very entertaining entrance to the line up to buy our tickets. ( a few years ago I wouldn’t be caught dead here as a minister…)

My grandkids were bouncing around as this was to be a VERY EXCITING SHOW!

I looked over at the next line… and there was one of my fellow ministers, same denomination, different city, waiting to buy his tickets also. We laughed heartily and then looked around for more of us. His comment was… “Nuts… I drove up to Peterborough so no one from my church would see me on a Sunday… going into a theatre! Now I see you!” My comment was, “I won’t tell anyone that it was you!”

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Resources:
History Buff – Elephants
Old ‘Bet’ Dies in Alfred, Maine
The Elephant came to the Church of the Glades
Peta and the Church of the Glades
The Elephant and the Church by the Glades

"There's a sucker born every minute."

The plan was brilliant! You only need to give “the Rich Jerk” $9.95 and he will give you a load of things that will help you well on your way to becoming a Millionaire! No kidding! Just $9.95! How in the dickens does he get the “stuff” to make such a promise? And is it true that he makes a Million each year?

Well when you read RJ’s web site it says in more than one section… with very offensive statements... some outlandish promises. And under threat of a copy write infringement – when you read the bottom of his page – I cannot make a copy paste quote here!

Offensive? I think it is. Yet as his web site states – he has sold his program for $49.95 and at times for$199. Today it is only $9.95 – but that price will be going up shortly.

Who would buy something like that…spending $49.95 or $199 or even $9.95? Probably me…or people like me. You see $9.95 and $49.95 is not a lot of money…about as much as you can spend for lunch some places on Sunday noon. That is a big Swiss Chalet dinner or a one selection bill.

"There's a sucker born every minute." – is a famous quote with its own weird history. (See the link below for an amazing story as well) P.T. Barnum, a man named Hannum and another by the name of George Hull were all involved in this one. Thousands upon thousands of people paid good money to see a Cardiff Giant that had been buried and turned to stone. A very good story to read… and another scam in the late 1860s.

Back to The Rich Jerk. When you view his Web Site there is an offensive video that you can watch. After seeing it you want to tell the guy – you really are a Jerk – Rich I am not sure about – but Jerk I am sure about! Who would give this idiot the money they have.

Well… good people like you and me did. And so far on another web site The Work at Home Watchdog – it states that 811,115 people have voted on his business and the average has given RJ a “C” rating. The Work at Home Watchdog started up in early June 2008 and already has 19,209,844 thousands hits!

The Work at Home Watchdog gets about 20,000 hits per day!

Now back to the RJ. If 811,115 voted on this guy’s business so far – likely all of them have tried his product in order to vote…he made $8,070,594.25 at $9.95 a person! Or if it really was $49.95 (which it could be as other things will be sold after the first package is bought) – it could be RJ made $40,515,194.25 !

RJ is telling the truth! One million a year is nothing! It is likely much more.

Why are people still like they were in 1860s? Gullible and ready to accept anything they are told – would pretty much sum up the total of what they are.

But when you are not making ends meet and the price of gas is rising all the time…plus the cost of most food items… you will do just about anything to make ends meet… including giving a total stranger your $9.95 or $49.95 or even more.

There is an even more startling claim made by a writer of another very old Web Page… his name was Paul. He said
19But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (The KJV Web Site- Philippians 4:19 )
19And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (The NIV Web Site - Philippians 4:19)

Paul’s Web Pages have been read by more people through out the centuries and I believe hold true. I only need to trust them… and it doesn’t cost anything!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Resources:
"There's a sucker born every minute.”
The Work at Home Watchdog
About Work at Home Watchdog

Ferdinand "Fred" DeMara – Imposter

I receive a daily Bible Devotional by email. The other day this one caught my attention. Some of the opening words stated…

~ Quote ~
Ferdinand "Fred" DeMara, also known as "The Great Imposter," was infamous for pretending to be something other than he really was. After graduating from high school, DeMara passed himself off at one time or another as a military man, a civil engineer, a doctor of applied psychology, an attorney, a child-care expert, a Catholic monk, an evangelical Bible college professor, an editor, a cancer researcher and an expert in numerous other jobs. He was finally exposed during the Korean War, while doing surgery on wounded soldiers as a Canadian naval doctor whose identity he had stolen.

Fred DeMara grossly lacked the virtue of integrity. But he is not alone in this world!

Integrity includes the quality of being whole. A bridge without integrity may collapse; a database that contains corrupted information is said to lack integrity. You have integrity when you are who and what you say you are. It means you are "transparent," readily understood, honest and free from pretense or deceit. But let's see what God says about integrity.
~ Quote ~

Searching the Internet for facts and even for business is the most evident one where Integrity today is a challenge. You don’t know who or what is writing to you.

I received an email from a company telling me that I could make big money by paying only $39.95. I tried it and found that I had to do so much that I didn’t have time to do…that I couldn’t make any money doing it. They promised me that I could do virtually nothing. And most importantly it was a company that stated there was a guarantee of money back. Oh yah – I was scammed….but it sounded so good!

Integrity comes from consistent everyday hard work. After days performing that way a man can state clearly – “I am a man of my word.” He can state that because people have watched what he does. They see him for who he is.

It is hard to do that on the Internet.

In most of our churches with the program that is presented each week there is little to connect people – in that service. It is largely entertaining. Good worship leader (used to be called song leader), good announcements, good sermon(expected to be), and a small amount of interaction(handshaking and greeting).

In our spread out world we have no idea who the people are that worship with us on Sunday. We know nothing of Integrity…the truth of the person that has just shaken our hand. How can we? We are too busy moving too quickly to our next encounter with life.

Integrity issues are there and people like Fred DeMara get away with unbelievable stuff when we are the way that we are… too busy… stressed out… and not paying attention close enough.

One man I met in church was not the man that was at home with his wife. He looked spiritual – but at home he was a joke.

Looking good comes with days, months, years of life time consistency. Looking good is integrity with a good life worn before others.

Oh that today I would be a man of Integrity. Oh that at the end that would be said of me. What he said and what he did were the same – that is Integrity!

Now I have to prepare a good resume. No – that should read a true resume…one of Integrity.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Atlas and the Weight of the World

The World’s Biggest Problem had just settled on my shoulders.

I felt at times like the old story of “Atlas” – where he is carrying the entire world across his back.

The Myth from ancient Greece goes as follows…
"Atlas was the son of Iapetus. Unlike his brothers Prometheus and Epimetheus, Atlas fought with the other Titans, supporting Cronus against Zeus. Due to Cronus's advance age, Atlas led the Titan's in battle. As a result, he was singled out by Zeus for a special punishment and was forced to hold up the world on his back."

What a history Zeus has! He is not the kindest God – or the most understanding. He treats people and other Gods that oppose his ideas and plans in cruel ways.

Now granted you need to read all the story in order to understand fully.

It seems that the idea and concept of Zeus has carried over to our present generation after all these years. We still view God as a powerful and as an “over lording being” that punishes us. We also take any weight that we carry in our lives as punishment for something we have done wrong. Pretty common to feel that way I am sure.

We have a phrase in English that describes it best – “He is carrying the weight of the world on his back.” That is a direct reference back to “Atlas” and his punishment.

First Step…
Yesterday I attended the “First Step” program at a local community run program that helps unemployed people begin looking for jobs. As I am eligible for E.I.(Employment Insurance) now Unemployment is part of my life… I was encouraged to attend.

(For those that are just reading or catching up for the first time in a while – I was laid off from our church because of a lack of funds)

As I entered the room, there were about 15 people sitting around the table. None of them were talking to each other. No one knew each other. All were there because of the fact they were without a job. All had lost their jobs for one reason or another. There was a heaviness to say the least.

I attempted to speak with one person. The reaction was very interesting – the person wanted to say nothing!

I realized very quickly that almost everyone in the room was hurting with the sting of losing a job…and their livelihood. Everyone either had rent or a mortgage to pay. Without a job we could lose it all.

The group’s leader, Barb, described what we were all feeling. “I know that losing a job after working so hard is depressing. We have all gone through this stage. I have lost my job in the past and know what you are going through.” That was it. The entire group was down – and “under the weight of the world” with the loss they had experienced. No one was going to talk or participate in any way because of what they were feeling.

There was little hope for any of us. We were all there to find some hope.

We had all been to the Government E.I. Office and had gone through the same thing – on a computer completing the 30 minute information and registration towards your application for E.I. When you were almost done the warning appeared on the screen – something about fraud and the severe warning that if you have scammed the Government – you were in BIG TROUBLE!

The guys at the Official Counter were kind but simply pointed you to the computers to fill out the registration. Then they informed me that I might get $413 dollars per week…but if I worked at any job the amount that I make will be deducted from the money that E.I. gives out…and Tax is deducted on top of that. Now I have worked for 39 years at this job and about 10 years before that…paying into E.I. every year… the full amount!

In the car that day as I was returning home – I cried deeply. I sobbed with a broken heart. I hate admitting this – but it happened. I had no hope left. Too old to do what I used to do – move to the other side of the country when one job is finished and another one is offered. That day in the car I broke down completely.

Now I can read and write. The man across the table yesterday – cannot. How did he ever do the Computer Thing at E.I.? How did he feel when he heard what the words on the screen said about fraud? No wonder he looked as if he was about to die. He said something about having three little kids and a huge amount of bills to pay…

Any Big Announcement is wonderful – but with it comes a new Weight of the World. I feel like Atlas for sure. And all you good people will already have noticed that the Photo of the Atlas Sculpture shown above – the dude is naked!

In this vulnerable position of “the Unemployed” you are naked spiritually and emotionally. In this state – you have nothing…not even Hope. “First Step” was designed to give Hope – or show you where you might find Hope.

But after preaching about God and what God does for people and how God intervenes for people who have No Hope… I am now listening to my own words. And the weight of the world is there.

An email… that came yesterday…stated in one part…
"Don't tell God how big your storm is, tell the storm how big your God is!!!!!"

Yes oh yes – oh yes – oh yes…!

~ Murray Lincoln ~

Resources
http://www.classicsunveiled.com/mythnet/html/pics08.html

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Murray & Alida Lincoln,

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Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 5W1.