My mom was famous for saying, “Everything happens in three.”

If a movie star died, she’d expect two more deaths in short amount of time. The number three is quite popular.

We have the Trinity, “yes, no and maybe,” red, yellow and green on the traffic lights. I’d like to think of myself as a soul comprising a body a mind and a spirit.

The Pennsylvania Germans have a phrase, “zvet dritzig” which means two leads to three. First hearing it, I thought it sounded like the name Polish Football player. (I’m one-quarter Polish blood).

Not long-ago Allistair Begg was talking about a trinity of things that cause havoc in the lives of Christians. Reformer Martin Luther would talk about “The Devil, the world (that part of it contrary to God) and our own sinful selves” causing the havoc.

For Begg it was “Anger, Immorality and Unforgiveness,” I can see how each condition of his trinity can be used by Luther’s diabolic trinity.

Some time ago, going through some of my daughter’s old things, I’d find an Alf hand puppet. We used to live to watch the TV show when our kids were little. Alf was short for Alien Life Form, and was a furry little fellow with a big nose and a bigger habit of getting himself into trouble. I’m sure you can watch him on one of the many streaming outlets. I felt sorry for him as he was the last serving member of his race, from the planet Melmac. I really enjoyed watching the show.

Using his name and Beggs’s trinity, I formed it into an unholy trinity of my own. Our spiritual journey can meet with the stumbling blocks we have with Anger, Lust, and Forgiveness.

Every day we have to deal with ALFs. I always liked the term “walking war” as a definition of a Christian. We are justified by God’s grace by our faith in Jesus and the faithfulness of Jesus. We are washed clean of sin’s penalties in our Baptism. But as my prof would say, “But Luther reminds us that the Devil is a good swimmer.” While declared saints, we have to deal with the Dark Knight, every day.

I’d like to think as Christian I should be able to bound out of bed each day, yelling “Praise the Lord!” Sometimes I can, but sometimes I find my mind like a Salvador Dali surrealistic picture, complete with ants, dead chickens and melted clocks. Sometimes, given the ALFs, I will be ticked off with someone, sometimes lust will have me envying a new product, sometimes I’m just plain unforgiving.

Dealing with anger is a problem for many. We should always remember there are cases for righteous anger. I’d hope if you saw someone being abused for their gender, political views, or religion or race you would not sit by passively.

Too often, though, we can cross the line. There is a big difference between being assertive and being aggressive. When you are assertive you are stating the case, but keeping the other person’s well-being in mind.

When you are being aggressive, you don’t. As a pastor, a leadership principle for me was to praise in public and reprimand in private.

In my first parish we had a person who had a problem with anger. I cautioned her about it. Going back for an anniversary celebration, I was told she had had a stroke and was bed-bound in her 50s. Anger can open us to some behaviors that are not optimal. In correspondence with a colleague who was dealing with substance abuse, I noted that while most liquor tastes like battery acid to me, I have been known for destroying my refrigerator after difficult church council meetings. For a guy who has to watch his sugar, that isn’t being smart.

In dealing with lust, I get a giggle. In German it is perfectly all right to say “Ich habe lust fuer …” It means you really, really, really like something. But we all have things, if we are honest, can be great temptations. It’s like you really, really, really have to have it. It can end up being really, really, really bad for you. While it is associated with sexuality, it is much more.

I love Billy Graham’s counsel. “The first look is normal, it’s what you do with the second that counts.” Our word “respect” is interesting. Break it down and it means “to look again.”

I’ve always liked “The Ephesians double nickel.” In the fifth verse of the fifth chapter, greed or covetousness is linked to idolatry. Martin Luther would say that whatever you heart clings to may become a god.

In dealing with a spirit of unforgiveness, nothing can be more irksome, time consuming or hazardous to your spiritual health. I can tell you first hand of wrecked relations, church schism, marital distress and other things I’ve seen in my years in the parish.

I was intrigued by a teaching that had to do with golf. A golfer will yell “fore!” That means you better duck because something might be heading your way. It’s short for “Ware Before.” Be aware something might be coming to crack your cranium. To for- give, can mean to give as before.

Nothing is more gratifying as being reconciled to a brother or sister. I’ve found, afterward, a fog has lifted. When reconciled to God who forgives us our many sins, and our neighbor, it is truly like being born again.

The philosopher Nietzsche was prone to depression. When it lifted, he coined the term, “neuschmecken.” (new taste) Everything tasted differently, the air smelled fresher, the day was brighter.

My Mom would put the food out and afterward ask “Schmeckt gut?” Confessing our anger, lust and forgiveness problems, and being given strength to work with them, can provide a “neuschmecken” experience in our lives.

Dealing with ALFs, Luther counseled us to make the sign of the cross and pray the Lord’s Prayer (especially that part about “Lead us not in to temptation and deliver us from evil”). People have trouble with that verse.

God does not lead us into temptation, that’s the work of Satan. A modern translation says “Save us from the time of trial.”

Think about it.

If you’re being “lead not” into some you are being led away from it. I might also add, take three deep breaths, to help calm the body and mind down.

Just recently, after a discussion about nagging and intrusive thoughts, common with PTSD, I had a healing dream.

It must have been in the context of Vacation Bible School because there was a kid everywhere you looked.

I had to go to the bathroom, (it was a waking dream) and this church must have had a full bath. Just as a I got to the door, this little kid shows up with a little red wagon full of tub toys. I kindly ask him to step aside.

May we all find relief in knowing we have a God who I stronger than any ALF. May each day we return to God in repentance and sorrow for our sins. May we take the promises of our Baptism seriously, and know that each day a new person arises to serve God. That God gives us the power to tell the ALFs to step aside. We have enough toys to play with.

Heavenly Father, we pray for deliverance from whatever ALF may be knocking at our door. Hold us, hear us, heal us and help us that we may be filled with your presence, love and strength. Casting ALFs aside, may we be your presence, your love and your strength in the world. Amen.

Keep up the God Work!

The Rev. Hazel is a retired pastor from Palmerton.