Over the past year – or so – different people have suggested that something I could do – in retirement or before – was to put into book form – or something similar – some of the stories and memories I have shared during my years of ministry. This is an activity I am seriously considering, though “retirement life” will need to slow down considerably if this is to happen. If, though, I were to start on the project today, the title I would give it would be “Heavenly Pours”.
Every week this email concludes with the words of Jesus from John 4.13-14: “Remember, everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” In other words, what we receive from Christ in his word is an unending series of heavenly pours … or one continuous pour “of water welling up to eternal life.”
In a corner of our basement there hangs on the wall a gift from our sons. It is the end of an oak barrel bearing the words, “Hetzner’s Heavenly Pours Tavern, Est. 2018 – Chesterfield, MI”. It came as a gift after they had completed finishing our basement … and I will let you make your own conclusion as to what else they put in that corner. The screened addition of our cottage is now referred to as “Heavenly Pours North”. Both our condo and our cottage I view as heavenly pours – incredible gifts from our generous Redeemer – coming under the subheading of “my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23.5)
And, as I look back over all +70 years of my life, I realize that my entire life falls under that same subheading! Part of me says that the sign of my life reads “Hetzner’s Heavenly Pours – Est. March 6, 1953” – the date of my baptism. Another part suggests the title is accurate, but the established date should be the date of my birth – February 16, 1953. However, in reality, the date – according to the word of the Lord through Jeremiah – was sometime well before those dates … “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you.” (Jeremiah 1.5).
I don’t remember the day of my baptism, or, for that matter, many particulars of the first decade or so of my life. When my mother was still alive, she expressed frustration every time she heard me say this, and I understand why. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home that provided me with an incredible foundation … and my parents continued to be supportive throughout their lives. My father was called home in 1991, my mom in 2007. My earliest memory is the morning of my infant sister’s crib death. The next earliest comes from a photo of our family taken at the Detroit Zoo – while I must have been 6 or 7 years old in the picture, the white purse that my mom is holding hangs in front of me, giving the impression that I was still in diapers!
My parents buried both of my sisters as infants. Mary Jane was stillborn about four years before I came along. Heidi Jean was born on October 22, 1957. She died on April 16, 1958 – two months to the day after my fifth birthday. Within the twelve months surrounding that day my mother also buried her mother and her father. Heidi was a Down Syndrome baby (they called it “mongoloid” back then). Years later she would say to Monica (who heard more of the story than I ever did), “The day God took Heidi home he gave me back to my family.” I was blessed with parents who were given the understanding that even when we “walk through the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23.4) the heavenly pours continue – though I am not sure they were thinking that in 1957-1958.
I believe that, when we look at our lives through the lens of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, all of our life stories are the same – an unending series of heavenly pours … or one continuous pour “of water welling up to eternal life.” There may be death and tragedy – did you know that one of my grandparents I will not meet until I get to heaven and the last one went to his eternal rest when I was in eighth grade? It may be that, rather than like me hearing it from day one, you never really heard the Gospel until later in life … and I cannot begin to speculate on all of the different twists and turns that the lives of those who read this may have experienced. One thing I do not need to speculate upon is that “from everlasting to everlasting (Jesus) is God.” (Psalm 90.2).
The focus of this entire psalm of Moses is upon these heavenly pours. It begins with the words “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” (vv. 1-2) and concludes by stating, “Let your work be shown to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands.” (vv. 16-17). The “work of his hands is shown to (us), his servants” when his Spirit pours into our hearts faith in these words: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to and end; they are new every morning; great is (his) faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, ‘therefore I will hope in him.’” (Lamentations 3.22-24)
So, my friends, do you find yourself drinking mostly of the “earthly pours” of which Jesus speaks – “everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again” – or of the “heavenly pours” that come from Christ’s word of the Gospel (remember what Jesus says, “whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”)? What I encourage you to do this day is to spend at least 5 minutes every day hearing this word. If there is something more that Jesus might do for you through me in this regard, please let me know … because I am sure that heavenly pours – incredible gifts from our generous Redeemer – coming under the subheading of “your cup overflows.” (Psalm 23.5) AND NOTHING LESS – are flowing upon you through the baptismal waters of his grace today and every day.
