Author: Ian Bothwell

When Daniel Shechtman first discovered a new crystalline chemical structure that seemed to violate what we thought were the laws governing crystalline structures he was ridiculed by his colleagues and ultimately exiled from professional circles.  Yet he won the Nobel Prize in chemistry.

There are so many lessons we can draw from this.  First is the crowd isn’t always right.  Second is stand firm when you know you are correct.  Third is truth will ultimately be known.  Fourth is we don’t know all the laws of nature and the ones we think we know can be very different than what we think.

I am sure there were very depressing days when Dr. Shechtman’s friends rejected not only his work but his very presence.  His discovery was in 1982.   Almost thirty years is a long time to wait for this kind of vindication.  I’m sure there is great happiness in his home tonight.

The history of the world is filled with stories like this.   Graves are filled with people who never received recognition for their work.  Then there are martyrs who perished for believing and holding strongly to their faith.  Hebrews 11 is a very impressive list of such.   Hebrews 12 begins with “Seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 6, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

I have a zit on the tip of my nose.  I am a combination of me, W.C. Fields, Jimmy Durante and Karl Malden.   When I was thirteen and this happened I would be mortified thinking all of my classmates were staring at it.  Now I don’t think it really matters that much except for trying not to keep touching it.  If someone does notice, so what.  I think most of us lose our sense of vanity after our chin doubles, dark bags grow under our eyes and age spots show up on top of the saggy cheeks. So what’s a zit but just another blotch?

When we were thirteen we were the center of the universe.  Now I am just grateful to be part of the universe.  I realize the center is far, far away and people have much to think about other than me.  It’s a good place to be in life.  It was so difficult being the protagonist.   I now realize center stage belongs to the One who really is the protagonist.  Jesus is the center of the universe.   He made it and He keeps it operating.  It is not a clock all wound up.  It takes attention.  Paul wrote in Colossians 1, “For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: and he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Please don’t fail to notice the last phrase.  Things consist because He exists. We live and breathe because of His attentive care.  After all do you really think Satan wants us around telling people how wonderful Jesus is?

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 5, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

I am eating an ice cream popsicle – vanilla dipped in chocolate.  It would be a perfect gastronomic treat except my dog is sitting in front of me just staring with the most soulful eyes.  Ever so carefully she watches every bite.  There is a string of drool spilling out of the left side of her mouth.  The tip of her red tongue barely protrudes from her black lab mouth.  She is beautiful and pathetic.  I am awash with guilt. How can I continue to do this?  So I eat off the chocolate shell, since that is poison for her, and yield the vanilla ice cream.  I must say she is a lady.  Ever so delicately she cleans off the stick without once biting it.  I feel good.

Whether it is my dog or a child or one of my students I have to say it feels so good to share.  Since we were made in God’s image I believe we can safely assume He loves to share.  Paul says in Ephesians 2 that God plans to shower gifts upon us throughout eternity.  We will have no end of resources that we too can shower gifts on all we meet.  One of my students once asked me why God made us.  My answer was that it made Him feel good.  When He pronounced at the end of creation week, “That is very good” it had to feel good.

One very big difference between God and us and me and my dog is my dog gets the remnants.  God never gives us leftovers.  Everything from His hand is first class, top of the line with all the bells and whistles.  We don’t even have to stare with soulful eyes.  No drool from the side of our mouths.   How grand!

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 4, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

I got three spider bites last week.  I have no idea where I was when I became lunch for the eight-legged creature.  A spider bite is a mosquito bite multiplied by twenty.  An ugly blister rose surrounded by a large blood red erratic pattern.  It’s not a pretty sight.  Then there is the itch. The worst itch I ever had occurred while I was preaching.   There I was holding forth in front of my congregation when suddenly on the bottom of my foot in the middle of my arch screamed this incredible itch.  I tried my best to ignore it.  I was sure if I concentrated on my sermon it would fade away.  It only got worse.  How could I stop and say, “Excuse me folks while I take off my shoe and scratch?”   I’m sure it was not my finest hour as I hid behind the pulpit and tried to pull my foot out of my shoe by holding the edge of the sole firmly to the floor with the other shoe.

One of the two times the word “itch” is in Scripture is referenced to “itching ears” – not quite the same context.  However, maybe there is a lesson here.  Often our itching ears delight us when they hear something very unkind and usually unchristian about someone we don’t agree with and so we pass it on.  My email box fills with some very unkind things about politicians passed on by people I know are good Christians.  I assume their itching ears have been scratched and they want to delight others. But they are things they would, I hope, never say to someone’s face.  Oh, it is difficult to be a really good person, especially when we itch.

Written by Roger Bothwell on October 3, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

There was no joy in Mudville.  Or was that Boston?  The mighty Red Sox who on September 1, 2011 had a 99.6 percent chance of being in the playoffs had choked.  It was over – not even a wildcard.  Remind me now what does I Corinthians 10:12 say. Wasn’t it something about thinking he stands and then falling?

I was chastised once by one of the saints for expressing some knowledge of sports.  “Times,” according to my rebuker, “were too intense and too fraught with peril to be distracted from being ready for Jesus to come.”

Perhaps he had a point.  Except he made it sound like getting ready for Jesus to come was a full time task that should occupy our every waking moment.  I must confess I don’t quite understand that considering in John 5:24 Jesus promised us if we believe in Him we have already crossed over from death to life.   I thought how strange it would have been for one on Noah’s sons to be constantly worried about having a place in the ark.  Why should we worry about what we have?   Yet, the caution is I Corinthians 10:12.  Lest we think we stand.  Perhaps the answer is why we stand.  If we stand on our righteousness then we are fallen.  If we stand on Jesus’ righteousness it really is a sure thing.  Standing on, living on the promises is what brings lasting joy into our lives.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 30, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Greek purists (every language has them*) must have gone crazy when they initially read the first part of Ephesians 2.  Paul pays little attention to the rules of grammar.  He starts sentences and doesn’t finish them.  Sentence fragments dangle.  Translators have tried to clean it up. So what was going on?  Paul was a highly educated man.  He knew better.  Understanding that makes the passage just so much more wonderful.  Ephesians 2 is Scripture’s preeminent passage on grace.  Paul is so overwhelmed by God’s incredible gift to us he just soared.  He paid no attention to construction he just opened up his heart to the wonder of salvation being God’s gift from start to finish with nothing left for us to do except accept it.

The idea that we are saved so God can spend eternity showering us with gifts of grace was and is so amazingly overwhelming there wasn’t time to grammar check.   This is a bird singing who cares not about music theory.   This is a child bursting past speechlessness when she receives the most beautiful doll of her dreams.  It is no wonder Paul says we best get busy doing the things God desires for us to do.   There is a plan for each of our lives so let’s live it lest we disappoint God and ourselves.

Before you go to bed tonight, please read Ephesians 2 for yourself.  If you are not moved we can help you with a heart transplant.

*While sitting in a college committee I was challenged by an English teacher who said, “That is not a word.”   “Did you understand what I meant to say,” I asked.   “Yes,” she said.   To which I responded, “Then it’s a word.”

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 26, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

Hurricane Irene has moved north from Massachusetts.  Here in the center of the Commonwealth it was not too bad; a few hours of hard rain and some gusts that were very helpful for me.  I had a few dead branches beyond the reach of my pole-saw.  Irene got them down for me.  She was a good pruner.   It isn’t unusual to see the ground covered with leaves in New England but it is a bit different to have them all be green.  There are even a few well used nests strewn here and there.

Storms come in many forms.  Some of the ones most difficult to deal with are internal.  They also can do some serious pruning.  Often time things are taken away that we long to hang on to.  The best pruning takes place in the hands of a master gardener and not by the capricious events of life.  The last evening Jesus was with His disciples He paused in the moonlight to talk about pruning.  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15.

While I indeed long for a much fruit experience the pruning worries me.  I know I am in the hands of the one who loves me more than life itself.  I know He would only do what is the very best for me. But my humanity is still ever present and there is this human need to be in control.  The idea of total surrender and allowing God to take over isn’t completely natural.  Pruning doesn’t come easy.

Written by Roger Bothwell on August 28, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

I am sitting here looking at a coupon that will enable me to purchase thirty dollars worth of clothing at a consignment store for only fifteen dollars.  Now that’s a bargain.  Usually thirty dollars worth of clothing for thirty dollars is a bargain at a consignment store.  But this is really over the top.  How can I refuse to use it?   Except there is one small detail.  I have stopped buying clothes.  I have enough clothes.  I will die before I wear out the clothes in my closet.  Except maybe I might need a new pair of church shoes.  The pair I have now I bought in 1988.   I have had them reheeled four times and resoled twice.  Perhaps I can get that done one more time and then they will last me to the end.  They are wingtips and if I polish them nicely they will look good in the coffin; except they won’t show. If you don’t need something it isn’t a bargain no matter how inexpensive.  So I will pass up on this coupon.

When it comes to getting new clothes there is one garment all of us need.  It’s actually mentioned in the Old Testament.  In Zachariah 3 is the story of the high priest getting new clothes.  They were spotless.  Again in Revelation 7 the redeemed are wearing white robes.  They are made white by the blood of the Lamb.  How grand that is!   They were not purchased at a consignment store.  Oh no.  These were purchased at Calvary.  Jesus paid for them with His life and we will have them in our wardrobes forever.  They will never go out of style.  They are the best.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 20, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

 

 

I discovered Stephen Meader when I was in fifth grade.   My school library had several of his books which I quickly gobbled up.  Decades later I began to collect them.  It was an almost impossible task until the advent of eBay.  Today was a rainy day.  It was a perfect day to take one off the shelf and be eleven again. As my hands opened the book and the smell of aged paper and ink filled my nostrils, I was with an old friend.  Sinking deep into my reading chair I traveled back to another time and relived the experience of a young boy in early America.

Old books are like old friends.  They warm us with life.  As I read the last page and once again closed the cover I wondered if reading the Gospels produced such wondrous nostalgia.  I concluded that for me they do not.  Instead of filling me with memories, John, Matthew and Paul fill me with incredible thoughts of a glorious future.  Instead of reminiscing about times past I want to travel to what is yet to come.  In John Jesus tells us that we can right now step over from death to life.  In Matthew Jesus challenges us to grow into His likeness.  Paul tells me that God wants us to be saved so forever He can shower us with grace and gifts of love.

I find reading books from my childhood fill me with memories; reading Scripture fills me with excited anticipation that the best is yet to come and once there, the best will still be yet to come.  Scripture is about our future.  Scripture is reading a travel brochure.  Scripture is our ticket to endless adventures.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 23, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org

We have a long hallway on our second floor lined on both sides with family pictures.  I love to move slowly from photo to photo relishing the memories each image produces.  I see my sons when they were little guys and move along the progression of time that made them fine men.  Today I found myself wondering if God has some great family album lining a hall in His house.  Not only can He see us now but He can remember how we were.  One of my friends told me that God can move through time like it was a circle and go back to whenever.   I don’t think so.  In my very limited intelligence I see time being linear and God sees us in the past like we see in the past, by using His memory.

One of the reasons I do not care for the idea of time being in a circle that God can easily go to at His will is that would make all things forever.  Sin would be forever. Jesus would be on the cross forever.  He would be dead in the tomb forever.  In Hebrews we are told He died once for time.  It is done.  It is finished.  I can only think that it is really over, never to be experienced again, but to have forever benefits.

So the question arises, “Can He see us as what we will be?”  In His dreams as we do so in our dreams.  I realize I am very limited when thinking about God.  I am sure He is many times and many ways more expansive than what I can begin to imagine. I am speaking and thinking in ignorance.  Yet I do believe time is linear.  Someday we will know the truth.  How grand.

Written by Roger Bothwell on September 22, 2011

Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574

Rogerbothwell.org