Christmas is right upon us. I know some of you feel the sadness and grief still from the tragedy in Connecticut, as do I. It is a little difficult for many of us to get into the proper spirit of Christmas with this kind of sorrow hanging over our country.
And yet, the world that Jesus entered on that very first Christmas was also a terrible place. Herod committed the same horrors at the birth of Christ (Matthew 2:16). So how could the shepherds and the angels rejoice with such abandon? Simply this: Christ’s entry into this tear-stained world was intended to transform a world under siege. Christ came to transform us first, from the inside-out, then to change the world for the better and to wipe away every tear.
And so He is doing!! Do not hold back in your celebration!! Joy to the World, the Lord has come, let earth receive her King!!!
Friday, December 21, 2012
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Further Thoughts on the Tragedy at Sandy Hook
This afternoon was another terrible day for watching the news. I saw an article on the web about Dylan Mockley, a six-year old boy who died in the arms of his favorite teacher during the massacre at Newtown, CT. It was offered as a small consolation to an otherwise horrible scene which left 29 children and teachers dead. I cried on-and-off for an hour after reading that story. It was little consolation.
In my last blog entry, I shared my anger over this mindless tragedy and the ease with which some people quickly blame God. My own thoughts on how we as a society have created a culture of death and then are surprised when someone actually takes our culture’s devaluing of life to its logical conclusion, is in my last entry. I also offered some ideas from the prophet Amos in the Old Testament in which God may be trying to get the attention of a nation through a series of calamites (see chapter four in the Book of Amos).
But, I am afraid I may have been slightly misunderstood. Some thought that I was directly blaming all citizens of the U.S. for this tragedy. Others asked whether this might be an argument that people might use to reject God. Another question was, “How do you assuage the fears of people who are faithful to God that their children might become ‘collateral damage’ as God disciplines a nation?” These are both legitimate misunderstandings and excellent questions. So, amidst the grief we are all feeling and our attempts to make some sense out of this horror, allow me to clarify.
1. I don’t believe that every citizen of this country is to blame for this mess. Adam Lanza is primarily to blame. He made choices and they were horrible and evil choices.
2. On a side note, I take offense at some of the reporting going on that directly or indirectly links Adam Lanza’s killing spree with being a boy with Asperger’s (a milder form of autism). As the parent of a child with autism (and having met hundreds of children with autism and Asperger’s), this is a reckless connection.
3. I do believe that we as a society must corporately face the fact that we have become a culture of death and, as such, this is a major ingredient in the soup that we are all in. We don’t value life if we would honestly look at what passes for gaming, what passes for entertainment, what we are willing to do with an inconvenient pregnancy, what we believe about the human soul, about our origins, etc…
“You cannot expect a civil society inside a moral vacuum.”
Nor can we let ourselves, collectively, off-the-hook when our culture generates such an obsession over death. Lt. Col. Dave Grossman has written extensively on how the military trains its soldiers to mentally override our resistance to kill through simulation. Grossman then points out how the simulation in our modern video games is exactly the same stuff. Below is a link to one of Grossman’s articles.
http://www.killology.org/art_teach_virus.htm
So, yes, we as a society DO have to accept some responsibility for what is happening in our country even if individually, many of us lead very non-violent and decent lives. And mind you, none of this madness in our culture is advocated by God, yet He seems to be a magnet for blame.
4) So, what about the person who takes this argument and runs with it in order to reject God? HonestIy, I have no control over that. Chances are likely that anything we might offer would be used to reject God. The question is not what someone will do with an argument, but whether the argument is true and cogent. People do all kinds of things with truth. The prophets in the Old Testament said truthful, pointed things and they were a very unpopular bunch. Jesus said some very controversial, truthful things and shrunk a movement of thousands down to 12 and then down to nothing and then got Himself crucified.
5) The question for Amos chapter four is simply this: Is the biblical text offering us a principle for understanding tragedy on a national scale? And then, is this text applicable to our current situation?
6) How can I assuage the fears of the faithful who are fearful that God’s judgment will sweep away their children? Well, I think that this is too simple a way to look at God’s judgment for starters. God’s judgment is often the removal of His restraint on a society bent on rebellion against Him. Sometimes (often times) God’s judgment is little more than Him turning us over to our own ways and the natural consequences of our decisions (see Romans 1:18-32). We bring many of these calamities on our own heads and that is God’s judgment too.
7) Inasmuch, how can I assuage fears? I am afraid I cannot. Do we really think that evil discriminates between the elderly and the child? Or the guilty and the innocent? No- and that is what makes evil so EVIL!! That is why God hates evil. That is why we are called to holiness and to resisting evil and to transforming a world under siege!! But, I cannot promise anyone that if they go to church and read their Bible and pray that some person hyped up on the drugs we are legalizing and the violence that we are mass-producing won’t have a psychotic break and perpetrate some unspeakable evil. Read Lamentations!! Read the story of King Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23. Here was the most godly king to ever sit on the throne of Judah, yet because of the abject rebellion of the nation, Josiah was killed by Pharaoh Neco and the nation of Israel - men, women and children - were dragged off to Babylon in exile (see 2 Kings 23:25-29).
8) God is faithful, mind you. I am strongly convinced that so many more of these incidents should be happening save for the restraining work of God in society - something the Reformers called “common grace”. I do believe that prayer is a difference-maker. But, it is no guarantee. I believe that a godly lifestyle and a path guided by God’s wisdom will certainly sidestep the unnecessary troubles of this world.
9) I believe that the hope of a world restored and renewed at the return of Christ is our true comfort and it stands in stark contrast to the nightmare we have created.
My sole consolation in this grievous moment in time is that God’s mercy will see these children into the new heavens and new earth, and by the grace of Christ they will be held again by their loved ones and never experience these nightmares again. Here is my comfort and I hope yours as well:
2. On a side note, I take offense at some of the reporting going on that directly or indirectly links Adam Lanza’s killing spree with being a boy with Asperger’s (a milder form of autism). As the parent of a child with autism (and having met hundreds of children with autism and Asperger’s), this is a reckless connection.
3. I do believe that we as a society must corporately face the fact that we have become a culture of death and, as such, this is a major ingredient in the soup that we are all in. We don’t value life if we would honestly look at what passes for gaming, what passes for entertainment, what we are willing to do with an inconvenient pregnancy, what we believe about the human soul, about our origins, etc…
a) If we really are more highly-developed animals in the evolutionary process of natural selection with its survival-of-the-fittest mentality, then there is really nothing to be shocked about. The weak were weeded out, end of story.There are no morals in a godless society!! Morality and godlessness are mutually exclusive because it is ultimately illogical to be moral if nothing ultimately matters. As Mike Huckabee said during a television interview recently,
b) If we are simply a by-product of our DNA then we are all programmed to do something quite apart from any antiquated ideas of morality. Adam Lanza just did what his DNA told him to do. If these are our beliefs, then why get angry or blame God?
c) If we are soulless beings who will one day die and then cease to exist, then Nietzsche was right and we are all the walking dead on a clump of dirt floating mindlessly through a dark, lifeless vacuum…and nothing matters because we will all eventually cease to exist with no memory of anything good or joyful or beautiful.
13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.
14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. 15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”
17 The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let those who hear say, “Come!” Let those who are thirsty come; and let all who wish take the free gift of the water of life. (Revelation 22:13-17)
Monday, December 17, 2012
Tragedy and the Questions of God
December 17, 2012 - Three days have passed since our country experienced one of the worst tragedies in recent memory. A young man named Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and began shooting and killing teachers and children. In all, 29 people (including Adam Lanza) lost their lives during a time when everyone is gearing up for the most festive time of the year- Christmas. I heard the news around noon on Friday while in the car running errands. At first, I turned off the radio when I heard the initial reports. I would not hear such horrible pain. No, no. It cannot be. Not little children. The rest of the details began to come in like a dark overcast cloud that shut out the sun. I will not repeat them here. Today, I sit at my office desk. To my left are the pictures of many of those children and their teachers. The smiles, the futures, the hopes - all there in color on page A6 of the Wall Street Journal. And on the next page are the articles on renewed voices in our legislature on gun-control laws or what made Adam Lanza do what he did or what we could have done to prevent this. And, of course, the ever-predictable question: “Why did God let this happen?”
The day before, on Sunday, I felt the Spirit of God move me to ditch my sermon which I had prepared. It was going to be on the topic of the undignified and the chair at the table that God has for them as we looked at the shepherd story in Luke chapter two. Instead, God moved me to Amos 4 and the question of calamity.
One of my seminary professors - Dr. Walter Kaiser - was once asked about another tragedy. It was 1963 and President John F. Kennedy had been assassinated. In the front row, “Bill” asked, “Why did your God do that?” The class erupted into many theories as to why God allowed the president to die - booze, womanizing, how the Kennedy family made their money. Donkeys and elephants ran all over the room, until Dr. Kaiser asked, “Maybe we should look at this a different way. Why did God let this happen to us? After all, we are Americans and this was our president.” The next question was, “Well, how do you know if God is trying to speak to the nation with tragedy?” Kaiser had been quite confident up until that last question, but was now pondering in his own mind, “Yeah, how do I know? I was dying to hear what I had to say.” But, then it hit him like a thunderbolt - Amos chapter four: “Here is how you know - if the tragedies come in a series - that may well be God trying to call a nation to repentance.” In our service, we then read Amos chapter four which talked of God allowing famine…but the people would not return to Him. And then, drought… but the people would not return to Him. And then, locust. And then, plagues like in Egypt. And then, war and military defeat. Yet, you would not return, would not return, would not return. Amos draws his prophetic utterance to a climax:
“Prepare to meet your God, O Israel” (Amos 4:12)
And certainly, this tragedy is not an isolated incident. Have we forgotten what happened at Chardon High School just under a year ago? What about in the theatres of Aurora, CO? Was Hurricane Sandy just an aberration, or a tragedy in a series of events? And now, Newtown, Connecticut, joins the list.
This Monday afternoon, as I ponder more images and more news and more “solutions” and more questions, I am feeling angry. I am angry that these children have been torn from their families in the most horrific and violent of ways. I am angry that these families will see under their Christmas trees packages that will never be opened by their intended recipients. And I am angry that we still keep asking questions like, “Why did God let this happen?” Yes, I am angry about that question, because we keep asking it and never bother to seek an answer. And perhaps the answer is, “Why is God to blame?” These thoughts have been uttered before, but since the question continues to be asked, the answer I’ll give need repeating.
- Was it God who began questioning His own existence for the purpose of being freed from a Judeo-Christian morality?
- Was it God who introduced the idea that humans were simply more-developed animals, that the soul was an antiquated piece of superstition, that life was merely a cosmic accident and our current state was the result of a mindless (and often bloody) process of natural selection? Did God eradicate the idea of us being made in His image or did we?
- Was it God who wrote the legislation to remove Him from our schools, from our courts, from the public square, from even the Nativity scenes that celebrate a “holy day”?
- Was it God who began to devalue human life to the point where six million died in concentration camps during WWII, 20 million died while Stalin tried to create a communist utopia in Russia, 50+ million died while Mao Tse Tung tried to create a communist utopia in China and 25 million babies have been exterminated in the wombs of their mothers, 94% of the time out for convenience’s sake?
- Was it God who produced sequel after sequel after sequel of the blood-thirstiest movies one could ever imagine? To watch even one of the “Saw” movies is to watch the simple shaping of a culture of death - human beings dismembered in the most ghastly and creatively macabre ways, solely for our entertainment!
- Was it God who then developed new ways to participate in this fascination with death, making the slaughter more interactive through the technology of gaming? Now, you can actually earn POINTS by killing! That, apparently, is the only value left in human life.
At every turn, our culture and our country have de-valued the sacredness of life and the goodness of God’s commands. We have lost our way and now we have lost our minds. And then, someone comes along and cashes in on our society’s values…AND IT’S GOD’S FAULT?!!!! Yes, this makes me angry!!
Amos’ answer to this question is this: why have you not yet returned to God? Why have you not yet repented of the world YOU have created? We as a country stand condemned by this horrible act!! The question is not,
“Why did God let this happen?”
The question is,
“Why did WE let this happen?”
And the answer is not, “Well, we need new legislation!” That may (or may not) be true to some extent but it is not the solution. Have we not yet understood the point of the entirety of the Old Testament?! They had laws on top of their laws!! And yet, those laws could not change the human heart. If anything, the laws simply inflamed more rebellion (Romans 7:7-25)!! The answer is not banning certain guns or certain video games or certain movies. That is treating the symptoms. No, we are called to prepare and meet our God. And that God is Jesus of Nazareth. When we meet our God, we meet a God who forgives sin, restores the soul, inscribes His laws onto our hearts (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-28; 37:24-28). The answer is one of surrender. Allow God to reshape your understanding of life and sin and redemption and goodness through Jesus. Receive from God the beginning of a new journey by accepting His grace through trust in Jesus and His atoning death for your sins. Do not compartmentalize your belief about God, but allow it to reshape your worldview. Don’t accept the values of our culture simply because they are the values of the culture.
As I write this entry, I am looking at two pictures in particular. One of little Emilie Parker - because she reminds me so much of my own daughter - and one of Vicki Soto, a 27 year old teacher who died in that horrible massacre. One picture brings me profound sorrow. Emilie was supposed to be drawing Christmas cards for people with her crayon set today. But she cannot. She is gone. The other picture brings me hope. Vicki Soto lost her life as well. But, she offered what no one could offer holding a view that human life is of little-to-no value. She offered her life for her students. She acted as a human shield between the gunman and the children. She pictured for us something that is completely irrational if our culture is to be believed - self-sacrifice. She gave us a picture of Christ and a reminder that this culture of death has not completely enveloped us yet.
But, the choice, as a nation, is ours now. Can we stop blaming God enough to look at ourselves and what we have become…and return to God?
Friday, December 14, 2012
Needy Sinners and Fearsome Angels
The story of the shepherds at the birth of Jesus is one which we tend to romanticize, a part of the story that can become pale and lifeless if not seen through the biblical lens.
In Jesus’ day, shepherds were a scurrilous bunch, generally speaking. They were considered liars and thieves by the general public. They came to the manger in desperate need.
We also tend to downplay the fear that is in this story. The shepherds on the Hallmark cards are mildly reverent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that we tend to come to this scene in the Christmas story and we “no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us.”
This Christmas, make sure to paint the Nativity scene with needy sinners and fearsome angels. Paint your Christmas story with the bold colors that surround the coming glory of God veiled in flesh. Cast aside the tame and rather dull Christmas portrait and see again the Christmas story of the Bible - a wild, extraordinary, supernatural event that would turn the world upside-down!
In Jesus’ day, shepherds were a scurrilous bunch, generally speaking. They were considered liars and thieves by the general public. They came to the manger in desperate need.
We also tend to downplay the fear that is in this story. The shepherds on the Hallmark cards are mildly reverent. Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote that we tend to come to this scene in the Christmas story and we “no longer feel the shiver of fear that God’s coming should arouse in us.”
This Christmas, make sure to paint the Nativity scene with needy sinners and fearsome angels. Paint your Christmas story with the bold colors that surround the coming glory of God veiled in flesh. Cast aside the tame and rather dull Christmas portrait and see again the Christmas story of the Bible - a wild, extraordinary, supernatural event that would turn the world upside-down!
Friday, December 7, 2012
Joy To The World
I don’t think I could say this any better than one of my true spiritual heroes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Concerning the joy of the Christmas celebration, Bonhoeffer says this:
“Joy to the world!” Anyone for whom this sound is foreign or who hears in it nothing but weak enthusiasm, has not yet really heard the gospel. For the sake of humankind, Jesus Christ became a human being in a stable in Bethlehem. Rejoice, O Christendom! For sinners, Jesus Christ became a companion of tax collectors and prostitutes. Rejoice, O Christendom! For the condemned, Jesus was condemned to the cross on Golgotha. Rejoice, O Christendom! For all of us, Jesus Christ was resurrected to life. Rejoice, O Christendom!...All over the world today, people are asking, Where is the path to joy? The church of Christ answers loudly: Jesus is our joy! Joy to the world!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Christmas: A Revolutionary Event!
Our culture has been so influenced by Christianity that we sometimes miss some elements in the Christmas story. The story is so familiar to us that we perhaps don’t realize just how revolutionary the birth of Christ was!
For instance, at the birth of Jesus there was a lot of talk about this “child”. We might miss the impact of this word, but in Jesus’ day, children were often the objects of scorn by Roman culture. They were seen as weak, fearful, and helpless.
There was a stark contrast between Jesus “the child” and “Herod the Great”. Herod was not the cardboard villain of our children’s Christmas plays (if he even gets a part in the play). Herod was the guardian of the Pax Romana. He was considered nearer to the gods than the rest of the peasants. He was feared. He was the “king of the Jews” and a “friend of the Romans”. He was famous for his ambitious building projects. He was, in his day, truly “Herod THE GREAT”.
No one ever called this “child” born in a stable, “Jesus the Great”. And yet, how Jesus turned history on its proverbial head! How Jesus turned our perspectives on life, human worth, God’s grace and even children on their proverbial heads too!
Never forget that Christmas was a truly revolutionary event: indeed, THE revolutionary event in all of history!
For instance, at the birth of Jesus there was a lot of talk about this “child”. We might miss the impact of this word, but in Jesus’ day, children were often the objects of scorn by Roman culture. They were seen as weak, fearful, and helpless.
There was a stark contrast between Jesus “the child” and “Herod the Great”. Herod was not the cardboard villain of our children’s Christmas plays (if he even gets a part in the play). Herod was the guardian of the Pax Romana. He was considered nearer to the gods than the rest of the peasants. He was feared. He was the “king of the Jews” and a “friend of the Romans”. He was famous for his ambitious building projects. He was, in his day, truly “Herod THE GREAT”.
No one ever called this “child” born in a stable, “Jesus the Great”. And yet, how Jesus turned history on its proverbial head! How Jesus turned our perspectives on life, human worth, God’s grace and even children on their proverbial heads too!
Never forget that Christmas was a truly revolutionary event: indeed, THE revolutionary event in all of history!
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Choosing with Discernment
Decisions face us every day and that can be scary!
What we decide means not simply what we choose, but also what we reject (every decision means you and I have decided against something in making a positive choice). In fact, the word “decide” is rooted in the word “to kill” - de-cide, like “homi-cide”, “sui-cide”. We choose, and thus we kill, other options. And in doing this all-important act, I am more concerned than ever that Christians do this well.
The Book of Proverbs calls us away from choosing randomly, or by our emotions, or even by reason! Instead, we are called to use the gift of discernment. Reflect on Proverbs 2:1-10 in which we see a simple “if-then” format for how we get this wonderful treasure called “discernment” (the Hebrew word - binah - is sometimes translated “understanding”).
You will find that while not all of us can be members of Mensa, we can all acquire wisdom and discernment through the simple practice of loving and living God’s Word…if we choose!!
What we decide means not simply what we choose, but also what we reject (every decision means you and I have decided against something in making a positive choice). In fact, the word “decide” is rooted in the word “to kill” - de-cide, like “homi-cide”, “sui-cide”. We choose, and thus we kill, other options. And in doing this all-important act, I am more concerned than ever that Christians do this well.
The Book of Proverbs calls us away from choosing randomly, or by our emotions, or even by reason! Instead, we are called to use the gift of discernment. Reflect on Proverbs 2:1-10 in which we see a simple “if-then” format for how we get this wonderful treasure called “discernment” (the Hebrew word - binah - is sometimes translated “understanding”).
You will find that while not all of us can be members of Mensa, we can all acquire wisdom and discernment through the simple practice of loving and living God’s Word…if we choose!!
Friday, November 16, 2012
The Doctrine of Vocation
Gene Edward Veith’s little book titled God at Work is a very refreshing book on the doctrine of vocation.
In this book, Veith talks about how God has provided food for him and his family, brought healing to him and his family, etc…. Of course, as he explains it, God provided food through a local baker. God provided healing through medical professionals. God got other goods and services to him through the hard work of others. This is the doctrine of vocation - that God typically uses our talents, gifts, efforts and jobs to serve one another.
What meaning is brought to those areas of our lives when we realize that whether we do something highly-skilled like bypass surgery or something innovative like run a business or perhaps something non-sensational like raising children or changing the oil in cars, we are serving God by serving our neighbors.
This is why we are called to hard work and find satisfaction in a job well done.
In this book, Veith talks about how God has provided food for him and his family, brought healing to him and his family, etc…. Of course, as he explains it, God provided food through a local baker. God provided healing through medical professionals. God got other goods and services to him through the hard work of others. This is the doctrine of vocation - that God typically uses our talents, gifts, efforts and jobs to serve one another.
What meaning is brought to those areas of our lives when we realize that whether we do something highly-skilled like bypass surgery or something innovative like run a business or perhaps something non-sensational like raising children or changing the oil in cars, we are serving God by serving our neighbors.
This is why we are called to hard work and find satisfaction in a job well done.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Commitment to Prayer
Last week was another wonderful Milestones event where we celebrated family dedication, new members, remembering those who passed away this year, communion and baptism. It was so exciting to celebrate these moments for each family and individual!
One of the things we did during Milestones was a vow of commitment. Along with vows to honor God in our families, with our marriages, children, etc., was a pledge to begin and end each day with prayer specifically for one’s family and the Fellowship family.
I would like to make sure that anyone who was not able to attend Milestones will nevertheless have the opportunity to make this pledge of prayer! We need to pray for our families, for our church family, and yes - for our country. Make sure that the first and last thing you say each day is a prayer for others!!
One of the things we did during Milestones was a vow of commitment. Along with vows to honor God in our families, with our marriages, children, etc., was a pledge to begin and end each day with prayer specifically for one’s family and the Fellowship family.
I would like to make sure that anyone who was not able to attend Milestones will nevertheless have the opportunity to make this pledge of prayer! We need to pray for our families, for our church family, and yes - for our country. Make sure that the first and last thing you say each day is a prayer for others!!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Slow To Speak
One of the lessons I am learning is to be slower to open my mouth. Proverbs 13:3 cautions us to control our tongue for a longer life and James 1:19 urges us to be quick to listen and slow to speak. We are told that even fools can look wise by simply not talking (Proverbs 17:28).
So, I am trying to be less foolish than I already am by being slower to speak. But, as I thought about the wisdom of silence, I was drawn to the ultimate example - Jesus. When you read Isaiah 53:7 where this “Suffering Servant” refused to open his mouth or Matthew 27:13-14 where Jesus left Pilate completely perplexed by not answering a single charge, you cannot help but see Wisdom in all of its embodiment.
The next time you feel like you just HAVE to get in your two cents, you feel the urge to speak over somebody else, or you need to find someone with whom to air your grievances, consider wisdom in the flesh: Jesus, the Silent One, who accomplished more by not talking than the entire history of humanity’s clamoring.
So, I am trying to be less foolish than I already am by being slower to speak. But, as I thought about the wisdom of silence, I was drawn to the ultimate example - Jesus. When you read Isaiah 53:7 where this “Suffering Servant” refused to open his mouth or Matthew 27:13-14 where Jesus left Pilate completely perplexed by not answering a single charge, you cannot help but see Wisdom in all of its embodiment.
The next time you feel like you just HAVE to get in your two cents, you feel the urge to speak over somebody else, or you need to find someone with whom to air your grievances, consider wisdom in the flesh: Jesus, the Silent One, who accomplished more by not talking than the entire history of humanity’s clamoring.
Friday, October 26, 2012
A Friend Who Sticks Closer Than A Brother
I hope all of you have someone you can call a true friend…a friend with a mature Christian walk.
Solomon, the second wisest man to walk the planet, wrote: “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. I have lots of friends in the sense of people with whom I hang out or with whom I am on friendly terms. But, I can honestly count my true friends - the people who are allowed into the inner-regions of my soul - on one hand (besides my wife, who comes first). And through life’s journey, I have realized how absolutely critical it is to be choosy - to have a close bond with people who will always have your back, but will always speak the truth to you; who will encourage virtues like grace, courage, integrity and yet someone you can be yourself around, even if it is not the “yourself” you would present to just anybody.
Being “rooted in community” is not simply a by-line in our philosophy of ministry. It is wisdom endorsed by God’s Word that takes place at the most rudimentary level of true friendship. It is a channel of life and strength!
Solomon, the second wisest man to walk the planet, wrote: “There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”. I have lots of friends in the sense of people with whom I hang out or with whom I am on friendly terms. But, I can honestly count my true friends - the people who are allowed into the inner-regions of my soul - on one hand (besides my wife, who comes first). And through life’s journey, I have realized how absolutely critical it is to be choosy - to have a close bond with people who will always have your back, but will always speak the truth to you; who will encourage virtues like grace, courage, integrity and yet someone you can be yourself around, even if it is not the “yourself” you would present to just anybody.
Being “rooted in community” is not simply a by-line in our philosophy of ministry. It is wisdom endorsed by God’s Word that takes place at the most rudimentary level of true friendship. It is a channel of life and strength!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Engaging Your Family With God's Word
I decided to reassert myself in terms of helping my kids engage with God’s Word. Sad to say, I have gotten a little lazy. Oh, we read the Bible at night as I tuck them in, but I wanted to give them a little more guidance.
So, last week our family began to read through the psalms together. It was tough getting Micah to stop getting into the snacks, trying to keep the puppies from distracting Jordan and Josiah, and settling everybody down...made me almost chew my own foot off! But, we finally did get settled. We looked at Psalm 1 (a nice way to begin because it is only six verses long), and actually had a wonderful conversation about which voices we listen to—do we listen to God’s instructions or to the influence of our friends? It was a reminder to me not to get discouraged about good habits, even if the first couple of tries don’t work out right.
I encourage you to continue engaging your family with God’s Word. Don’t let past attempts that failed discourage you!
So, last week our family began to read through the psalms together. It was tough getting Micah to stop getting into the snacks, trying to keep the puppies from distracting Jordan and Josiah, and settling everybody down...made me almost chew my own foot off! But, we finally did get settled. We looked at Psalm 1 (a nice way to begin because it is only six verses long), and actually had a wonderful conversation about which voices we listen to—do we listen to God’s instructions or to the influence of our friends? It was a reminder to me not to get discouraged about good habits, even if the first couple of tries don’t work out right.
I encourage you to continue engaging your family with God’s Word. Don’t let past attempts that failed discourage you!
Friday, October 5, 2012
The Family and The Church
One of my favorite pastors to read is Richard Baxter. Baxter was a very practical teacher and a Puritan pastor who lived from 1615-1691. Anyone whose books are still in circulation after 350 years must have had some good things to say!
I found myself reading some chapters out of The Godly Home after a very honest conversation with one of my kids in which I was face-to-face with some significant faults as a parent. Baxter wrote that for parents (the “governors” of the family), “…these three things are of greatest necessity: authority, skill, and holiness and readiness of will”. It was a pointed moment of clarity in which I realized that I am in need of the skills, in particular, since this was the area that I had handled a situation so clumsily.
That is one of the areas in which the church can come alongside the family as a help, for “skill” from a biblical definition is really the meaning of “wisdom”. That is my prayer for our church: that we can be a place to gain and share skills for living out the Christian life, especially as it pertains to all the facets of the family.
I found myself reading some chapters out of The Godly Home after a very honest conversation with one of my kids in which I was face-to-face with some significant faults as a parent. Baxter wrote that for parents (the “governors” of the family), “…these three things are of greatest necessity: authority, skill, and holiness and readiness of will”. It was a pointed moment of clarity in which I realized that I am in need of the skills, in particular, since this was the area that I had handled a situation so clumsily.
That is one of the areas in which the church can come alongside the family as a help, for “skill” from a biblical definition is really the meaning of “wisdom”. That is my prayer for our church: that we can be a place to gain and share skills for living out the Christian life, especially as it pertains to all the facets of the family.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Family Portrait
Some years back, Desiree and I were able to contribute to the spiritual well-being of a friend named Mindy. It’s not what you might think. All we actually did was get a picture for the church directory back in Springfield. But, the photographers were way behind and as we sat for the next 45 minutes, Josiah (then 4 years old) decided to strip off his clothes and take off down the church hallway. When we took our eye off of Micah (then 2 years old), he began to head in another direction. By the time we got in to take our picture, Josiah was crying and a steady stream was pouring out of his nose. He shoved his hand into his mouth in defiance of the photographer. Micah was smiling, but had reached behind Desiree, grabbing a hand full of hair and pulling back. I was more grimacing than smiling as I tried to hold Josiah still. And every time our friend Mindy is feeling a little down, she reaches for that directory and looks up our family picture for a good chuckle.
Family photos are what we want people to see, not necessarily how things are. One of the important aspects of the gospel is to change us from the inside out, not to create the perfect family photo, but to actually cultivate honest, healthy relationships in the family that will serve as anchors for all involved. It is when our family, flawed as it is, works off of the principles that God lays out for the family that we will see a beautiful picture of what God intends for community and for His church.
Family photos are what we want people to see, not necessarily how things are. One of the important aspects of the gospel is to change us from the inside out, not to create the perfect family photo, but to actually cultivate honest, healthy relationships in the family that will serve as anchors for all involved. It is when our family, flawed as it is, works off of the principles that God lays out for the family that we will see a beautiful picture of what God intends for community and for His church.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Jesus, The Pattern Breaker
Brokenness is our lot in life, especially in the family.
I know this first-hand, having watched my parents divorce when I was 11. The startling thing has been the recent revelation that this brokenness was passed down to me. I have a good marriage to a wonderful wife, though we, like everyone, have our struggles. But, I have caught myself following some of the patterns that I thought I would never repeat. My dad disengaged prior to the divorce, and it was only accentuated afterwards. It has been a source of pain in my past.
So it was surprising to me that one day, I felt God confronting my own pattern of disengaging with my kids who wanted me to engage with them. It was a reminder of what we see happening in Genesis 4. Adam’s and Eve’s sin passed along a pattern of brokenness that expanded and worsened to their kids and the kids after them.
Thankfully, we also have a pattern-breaker in Jesus, whom we get a glimpse of in the birth of Seth (Genesis 4:25-26) and in the birth of a second “Lamech” in Genesis 5:28-29 (a good “Lamech” to replace the bad one in Genesis 4:19-24.) The life of Christ in overcoming brokenness in our families is one of both recognition of what we are negatively affected by, but also what has the potential to change and transform us into new people!!
I know this first-hand, having watched my parents divorce when I was 11. The startling thing has been the recent revelation that this brokenness was passed down to me. I have a good marriage to a wonderful wife, though we, like everyone, have our struggles. But, I have caught myself following some of the patterns that I thought I would never repeat. My dad disengaged prior to the divorce, and it was only accentuated afterwards. It has been a source of pain in my past.
So it was surprising to me that one day, I felt God confronting my own pattern of disengaging with my kids who wanted me to engage with them. It was a reminder of what we see happening in Genesis 4. Adam’s and Eve’s sin passed along a pattern of brokenness that expanded and worsened to their kids and the kids after them.
Thankfully, we also have a pattern-breaker in Jesus, whom we get a glimpse of in the birth of Seth (Genesis 4:25-26) and in the birth of a second “Lamech” in Genesis 5:28-29 (a good “Lamech” to replace the bad one in Genesis 4:19-24.) The life of Christ in overcoming brokenness in our families is one of both recognition of what we are negatively affected by, but also what has the potential to change and transform us into new people!!
Friday, September 7, 2012
The Family
As we begin this new series on the family and how God, Family and Church combine to create a powerful new remedy to what is ailing the modern home, we know how crucial this topic is!
Our culture has been busy presenting all kinds of traditional family alternatives. Our politicians want to re-define marriage and our TV shows want to present new models that make a traditional family look antiquated, irrelevant and often times, the poorest of the options presented. But, the family—as God designed it—is still one of the most powerful forces on earth.
I can tell you that if it had not been for families that came alongside me as a kid, I would be so lost in the cacophony of ideas, I would not know where to even begin when it comes to marriage, parenting, etc….
I am praying and hoping that God gives us all a clear picture of the way forward and I invite you to be part of the Sunday services, and also to connect with some of the additional helps, like InGauge on September 22! And keep your eye out for someone in your circle of influence who might be helped with the concentration on the family!!
Friday, August 31, 2012
"Let Me See Your Glory!"
The passage from Exodus 32-34 is so rich with insights into the person and character of God that we could spend weeks on just three chapters. But I direct your attention to a prayer/conversation between God and Moses in Exodus 33:12-23 as Moses prays fervently for Israel’s protection and for God to forgive them. And once God grants forgiveness and restoration, Moses throws in an additional request: “Let me see your glory!”
Wow! What nerve! What gall! What chutzpah! And God loves it!!! Granted, in order not to kill Moses with His overwhelming holiness, He only grants Moses a sliver of His glory. But what a prayer! It is a reminder to not stop asking for big, potent exposures to God’s presence. Israel had been willing to settle for a golden calf—something you might find in a tacky furniture store—compared to the glory of God. And it seems they were content to pray inane, useless prayers to it.
But Moses gives us so much more in his example! You want a nice, portable deity that looks like a “Dirty Santa” gift? Then pray wimpy, flimsy prayers that are filled with trite expressions and clichés that say nothing and ask for nothing. But, if you want to start experiencing a God with a face, then pray big, bold prayers that engage Him and His priorities and just see what happens!! Show us Your glory!!
Wow! What nerve! What gall! What chutzpah! And God loves it!!! Granted, in order not to kill Moses with His overwhelming holiness, He only grants Moses a sliver of His glory. But what a prayer! It is a reminder to not stop asking for big, potent exposures to God’s presence. Israel had been willing to settle for a golden calf—something you might find in a tacky furniture store—compared to the glory of God. And it seems they were content to pray inane, useless prayers to it.
But Moses gives us so much more in his example! You want a nice, portable deity that looks like a “Dirty Santa” gift? Then pray wimpy, flimsy prayers that are filled with trite expressions and clichés that say nothing and ask for nothing. But, if you want to start experiencing a God with a face, then pray big, bold prayers that engage Him and His priorities and just see what happens!! Show us Your glory!!
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Communication - Going To School On Our Politicians
What a sad state of affairs for our country! Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback Church, decided to not have his presidential Q & A this year like in 2008 because the tone and civility is so bad between the two parties and the pundits. I have to say, I have not seen anything so ugly as this election. I have seen a Paul Ryan look-a-like shove an elderly woman over a cliff to describe his views on Medicare. I watched a conservative commentator shout over every statement her liberal counterpart tried to make in what was supposed to be a dialogue. Words and phrases like “felon”, “war on woman”, “racist” and “animal abuser” have been slung around like…well, mud. One ad portrayed Mitt Romney as complicit in someone’s death. Others have continued to badger Barack Obama about the legitimacy of his U.S. citizenship.
So how do Christians respond? How do we enter the public arena of ideas without descending into this breakdown in communication? I don’t know. How do you have an honest conversation when one side is throwing out talking points and all you can do is defend and counter? Or should you? Perhaps a starting point for the people of God is to go to school on the pundits and politicians. Perhaps we start with what NOT to do when engaging in a dialogue of ideas as we watch them demonstrate the demonic art of demagoguery. Here are seven that I have gleaned from the mudslinging that seem so basic and yet, have slipped away from the collective mind so easily.
1. Take turns and listen. Not only do we have to stop trying to shove our comments in at every possible crease in the conversation, but listening also means not reloading your next round of arguments while the other person talks. After all, you would wish for your points to heard and pondered before a rebuttal, wouldn’t you?
2. Don’t assume the worst. Your counter-part is not bad because he or she disagrees with you. They may be wrong and yes, they may even be bad, but don’t assume they’re bad because their opinion is different than yours. When you assume the worst about someone, it leaves little reason to listen to them, much less share with them.
3. If you know it’s your opinion, don’t pretend it is fact! This is simply cheating in an argument. I have both seen, and committed, this foul in debates with people (even my wife) about issues well beyond politics or ethics. If you are cheating, you cannot be trusted to have a fair dialogue because you are only in the argument to win it, by fair means or foul. So why talk?
4. Strive for clarity, not necessarily agreement. No one said that we all have to agree. Everyone CAN’T be right. Some opinions are demonstrably wrong, but how can you honestly come to any conclusions if no one is listening and understanding?! Who wants to talk to someone who will assume what you really mean is X when you are clearly explaining that you mean Y? Who wants to talk to a person who is intentionally going to distort your position because they don’t want to know what your position really is? If you are going to disagree, at least know what you disagree on.
5. Treat people with respect because all humans are image-bearers, even the worst of us! This is a uniquely Judeo-Christian truth. When you shout down other people and their views, you are inherently seeing them as without worth and thus they have nothing to say. But we are all image-bearers. We all carrying the stamp of God’s handiwork and thus deserve respect even in a heated dispute.
6. Treat people as you wish to be treated in terms of dialogue! The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31) applies to the way we talk to each other. Our politicians, by and large, don’t get this one. Politicians apparently sees conversations as opportunities to advance an agenda and make someone else look bad by slipping in the zinger. But a Christian conversation starts with this principle. How would you wish to be treated in a dialogue?
7. If you are wrong, admit it. If someone else is wrong, don’t batter them over the head with it. If people see that you can admit the weakness of your argument or position, if they know you won’t use their weaknesses to bludgeon them with it, there is a greater likelihood that you can have an honest conversation. It is safe to be wrong in this environment. It is safe to point out weaknesses because weaknesses are not an opportunity to create a weapon. And there is an opportunity to come to a better understanding, if not even a resolution of sorts.
I have had to learn these lessons the hard way, but I cannot think of a time more apropos to deal with how to fight fair, how to dialogue and how to be civil. Thanks, Rick Warren, for bringing this issue to a head!
So how do Christians respond? How do we enter the public arena of ideas without descending into this breakdown in communication? I don’t know. How do you have an honest conversation when one side is throwing out talking points and all you can do is defend and counter? Or should you? Perhaps a starting point for the people of God is to go to school on the pundits and politicians. Perhaps we start with what NOT to do when engaging in a dialogue of ideas as we watch them demonstrate the demonic art of demagoguery. Here are seven that I have gleaned from the mudslinging that seem so basic and yet, have slipped away from the collective mind so easily.
1. Take turns and listen. Not only do we have to stop trying to shove our comments in at every possible crease in the conversation, but listening also means not reloading your next round of arguments while the other person talks. After all, you would wish for your points to heard and pondered before a rebuttal, wouldn’t you?
2. Don’t assume the worst. Your counter-part is not bad because he or she disagrees with you. They may be wrong and yes, they may even be bad, but don’t assume they’re bad because their opinion is different than yours. When you assume the worst about someone, it leaves little reason to listen to them, much less share with them.
3. If you know it’s your opinion, don’t pretend it is fact! This is simply cheating in an argument. I have both seen, and committed, this foul in debates with people (even my wife) about issues well beyond politics or ethics. If you are cheating, you cannot be trusted to have a fair dialogue because you are only in the argument to win it, by fair means or foul. So why talk?
4. Strive for clarity, not necessarily agreement. No one said that we all have to agree. Everyone CAN’T be right. Some opinions are demonstrably wrong, but how can you honestly come to any conclusions if no one is listening and understanding?! Who wants to talk to someone who will assume what you really mean is X when you are clearly explaining that you mean Y? Who wants to talk to a person who is intentionally going to distort your position because they don’t want to know what your position really is? If you are going to disagree, at least know what you disagree on.
5. Treat people with respect because all humans are image-bearers, even the worst of us! This is a uniquely Judeo-Christian truth. When you shout down other people and their views, you are inherently seeing them as without worth and thus they have nothing to say. But we are all image-bearers. We all carrying the stamp of God’s handiwork and thus deserve respect even in a heated dispute.
6. Treat people as you wish to be treated in terms of dialogue! The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31) applies to the way we talk to each other. Our politicians, by and large, don’t get this one. Politicians apparently sees conversations as opportunities to advance an agenda and make someone else look bad by slipping in the zinger. But a Christian conversation starts with this principle. How would you wish to be treated in a dialogue?
7. If you are wrong, admit it. If someone else is wrong, don’t batter them over the head with it. If people see that you can admit the weakness of your argument or position, if they know you won’t use their weaknesses to bludgeon them with it, there is a greater likelihood that you can have an honest conversation. It is safe to be wrong in this environment. It is safe to point out weaknesses because weaknesses are not an opportunity to create a weapon. And there is an opportunity to come to a better understanding, if not even a resolution of sorts.
I have had to learn these lessons the hard way, but I cannot think of a time more apropos to deal with how to fight fair, how to dialogue and how to be civil. Thanks, Rick Warren, for bringing this issue to a head!
Friday, August 24, 2012
Re-Orient
For our family (like many families), this week has been something of a re-orientation. The kids are back in school. Football practices and open houses are requiring new strategies to divide-and-conquer. Lunches need to be packed. Puppies make a break for it when the kids head to the bus. Oy! And yet, this need for re-orientation is part of the larger story of God.
One-third of the Book of Exodus is devoted to a detailed description of the Tabernacle because the place of God’s dwelling is a major priority for God. And then the Book of Exodus closes with the presence of God invading the tent and forcing everyone out (Exodus 40:34-38) until the Book of Leviticus re-orients the people in terms of how to re-enter God’s presence (Leviticus 1:1 starts, literally, with the words, “And then the LORD called to Moses…”. Why start with “And then…” unless Leviticus is picking up where Exodus left off?). There is another shift (and another re-orientation) in 1 Kings 8 when the Tabernacle is replaced with the Temple.
But the New Testament presents us with another shift, another re-orientation; one that we still do not fully comprehend. Jesus is pictured as the new tabernacle (John 1:14) and the new temple (John 2:19) until He shifts His presence over to the church. You and I are a new temple (1 Corinthians 3;16-17)!! All who are in Christ are the new dwelling place of God’s presence! Can you imagine what the significance of this means? Just the thought calls us to ponder what it means to be the new “Holy of holies”. Time to re-orient again!
One-third of the Book of Exodus is devoted to a detailed description of the Tabernacle because the place of God’s dwelling is a major priority for God. And then the Book of Exodus closes with the presence of God invading the tent and forcing everyone out (Exodus 40:34-38) until the Book of Leviticus re-orients the people in terms of how to re-enter God’s presence (Leviticus 1:1 starts, literally, with the words, “And then the LORD called to Moses…”. Why start with “And then…” unless Leviticus is picking up where Exodus left off?). There is another shift (and another re-orientation) in 1 Kings 8 when the Tabernacle is replaced with the Temple.
But the New Testament presents us with another shift, another re-orientation; one that we still do not fully comprehend. Jesus is pictured as the new tabernacle (John 1:14) and the new temple (John 2:19) until He shifts His presence over to the church. You and I are a new temple (1 Corinthians 3;16-17)!! All who are in Christ are the new dwelling place of God’s presence! Can you imagine what the significance of this means? Just the thought calls us to ponder what it means to be the new “Holy of holies”. Time to re-orient again!
Friday, August 17, 2012
5-Hour Energy
Last week for my family’s vacation, we drove down to Florida. And on the way, I discovered a product that really opened my eyes…literally. It was a 5-Hour Energy Drink. We drove through the night on the way down and at about 1AM, we needed to refuel. I also needed to wake up, so I tried this energy drink and I was wide awake all through the night! It’s funny how when something works, when something is the real deal, we cannot help but talk about it.
That really caused me to think about the Christian faith. Do we brim to talk about our faith because it is the real deal, because we have truly experienced freedom and joy and new life? Or has it gotten stale or ho-hum because we have forgotten what it meant to receive Christ and experience that first gust of energy and renewal? Or have we never actually tasted the goodness of God and settled for a Jesus-Lite substitute?
I encourage you to take some time this week to reflect on the goodness of God and the greatness of the Cross and resurrection and ask the Spirit of God to renew you again.
That really caused me to think about the Christian faith. Do we brim to talk about our faith because it is the real deal, because we have truly experienced freedom and joy and new life? Or has it gotten stale or ho-hum because we have forgotten what it meant to receive Christ and experience that first gust of energy and renewal? Or have we never actually tasted the goodness of God and settled for a Jesus-Lite substitute?
I encourage you to take some time this week to reflect on the goodness of God and the greatness of the Cross and resurrection and ask the Spirit of God to renew you again.
Friday, July 27, 2012
The Power of God
There are some movie scenes that I never get tired of: the rally speech in Braveheart, the reunion of Red and Andy in The Shawshank Redemption, the frozen flagpole licking scene in A Christmas Story. But, I have to say, I am a sucker for the moment in both The Ten Commandments and The Prince of Egypt when Moses splits the Red Sea! Or should I say, when God splits the Red Sea?
It is the power of God coursing through the weak human flesh of a servant that just pulls me out of the ordinary and routine and reminds me again of the majesty and awe of God. Isaiah understood this well! In Isaiah 51:9-11, he pictures the splitting of the Red Sea in terms of a war between God and the forces of chaos. And the New Testament pictures the splitting of the Red Sea as the onset of the Christian life (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-2).
I hope as you read on your own this amazing story, that you will pause for a moment and relish in the greatness, the power and the salvation of God Almighty!
It is the power of God coursing through the weak human flesh of a servant that just pulls me out of the ordinary and routine and reminds me again of the majesty and awe of God. Isaiah understood this well! In Isaiah 51:9-11, he pictures the splitting of the Red Sea in terms of a war between God and the forces of chaos. And the New Testament pictures the splitting of the Red Sea as the onset of the Christian life (see 1 Corinthians 10:1-2).
I hope as you read on your own this amazing story, that you will pause for a moment and relish in the greatness, the power and the salvation of God Almighty!
Thursday, July 19, 2012
The Mission of the Church
The Book of Exodus is so critical to understanding the mission of the church. There is a split about what we are called to do and what the gospel is. Are we merely called to preach a message of personal salvation? Are we merely to attend to the needs of others?
Exodus 5-12 fleshes this out for us—it is both. It is what the Bible teaches in Exodus when God frees His people from real slavery and when He proclaims His covenant to the people in chapters 19-24. It is what the Bible teaches in the gospels when Jesus proclaims the kingdom and heals people of oppressive maladies (and commissions His disciples to do the same. It is what the Bible teaches in James when we are to proclaim God’s grace and show it through acts of care and compassion, for faith without works is dead! It is what we see in the Book of Acts as the church goes about proclaiming Jesus and seeing people surrender their lives to Christ (Acts 2:36-41) and taking care of the weak (Acts 6:1-6; 20:35).
When Stalin took over Russia, he did not outlaw Christianity. He simply took away their ability to meet people’s needs. That duty now belonged solely to the State. And the church in Russia almost died.
View the six-minute video at http://youtu.be/RohCIHXBZxY and see some of the work of the International Justice Mission in the life of a Ugandan woman named Grace. The cross was already a part of Grace’s life. And now the kingdom is having a tangible effect on her plight too! Such is the mission of the church!
Exodus 5-12 fleshes this out for us—it is both. It is what the Bible teaches in Exodus when God frees His people from real slavery and when He proclaims His covenant to the people in chapters 19-24. It is what the Bible teaches in the gospels when Jesus proclaims the kingdom and heals people of oppressive maladies (and commissions His disciples to do the same. It is what the Bible teaches in James when we are to proclaim God’s grace and show it through acts of care and compassion, for faith without works is dead! It is what we see in the Book of Acts as the church goes about proclaiming Jesus and seeing people surrender their lives to Christ (Acts 2:36-41) and taking care of the weak (Acts 6:1-6; 20:35).
When Stalin took over Russia, he did not outlaw Christianity. He simply took away their ability to meet people’s needs. That duty now belonged solely to the State. And the church in Russia almost died.
View the six-minute video at http://youtu.be/RohCIHXBZxY and see some of the work of the International Justice Mission in the life of a Ugandan woman named Grace. The cross was already a part of Grace’s life. And now the kingdom is having a tangible effect on her plight too! Such is the mission of the church!
Friday, July 13, 2012
"Who am I?" "Who are You?
I have to say, I am so excited about our Exodus series. It is one of the books that made me truly fall in love with the Old Testament early on in seminary. I still remember a lecture from one of my profs, Ray Ortlund Jr., on Exodus 32-34 that just echoed within me for years.
As we come to Exodus chapter three, I would like to share one thought that I had to edit from the final draft of this morning’s sermon (I assume no one wants me going 90 minutes+, hence the editing J). Moses had two questions for God when God called him to be His delegate to Egypt in order to free the people: “Who am I?” and “Who are You?”. And here is the interesting thing about the answers - God never addressed the “Who am I?” questions (which were really excuses for why God should pick someone else). God only addressed the “Who are You?” questions. God told Moses, “I am the One who will be with you”, “I am the One who will give you power”, etc…. The absence of any comments to Moses’ “Who am I?” questions is an answer in and of itself.
It doesn’t matter how weak or insignificant you feel. It is about the power of God to work in and through us according to His good pleasure!
Friday, July 6, 2012
iHOPE and The Shawshank Redemption
I am so excited about this series in Exodus. As many of you know, I have a deep love for the Old Testament (especially the Torah). And I love the idea of paralleling this study with some of the insights and ideas from one of my all-time favorite movies: The Shawshank Redemption.
Let me make sure if you are going out to rent it that you are well aware that this is NOT a movie for children. It is a real and honest look at the despair and hellish existence inside a prison. You can bypass the very harsh language by watching it on TV (it is often on the AMC channel). But, I chose this story because it is such a brilliant tale of redemption even in the worst of places. Much like the Exodus story! God’s redemption is so much more than praying a prayer and saving yourself a spot in heaven! As we will see in the story of the Exodus (and the exodus that occurs in the movie), redemption is about living out freedom even in the midst of oppression and pain. It is about facing the powers-that-be with the truth of God’s superior power to bring freedom.
So as we go through this series, my adjuration is to think about what oppression and captivity looks like for you and to read Exodus through the lens of the cross where Jesus Himself proclaimed that He had come to “proclaim release to the captives…to set free those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). What will freedom look like for you? What do you have to hope for?
Monday, June 25, 2012
Unleash Love
As our Community Group was walking through Acts 19 this past Wednesday, one of the questions was, “Why does this world system react so aggressively towards Christianity when it shares the gospel? Why is the hatred sometimes so palpable and intense?” Some concluded that Christians have, at times, brought it on themselves because of their hypocrisy (which has been true at times). Others concluded that it is a conflict in values that creates the intensity (which is also true). But, at the end of the day, the “why?” question was replaced with the “how do we respond?” question. And the guys in the group responded in unison - “Love”.
One piece of our overall vision is to “unleash love”. I wanted to use a phrase like “unleash love” rather than “be loving” or “show love” because the best way to be the church and preach the gospel is to as aggressively love our community as we do everything else.
Evangelism is really quite simple. Understand your message, speak it clearly and live a life of love that counters any antipathy that Christianity might have incurred.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Forgiveness
As we finish up the Gospel of John today (and a recap next week), it is important to see how John ends his gospel.
You could have stopped at John 20:30-31 and no one would have noticed the loss of John 21. But, in John 21, we see a critical loose end that needs to be tied up - Peter has betrayed Jesus and needs restoration! One wise man said that in order for true forgiveness to happen, the person who broke trust needs to come with one gift to the one offended - truthfulness. I can tell you personally how tempting it is to deal with someone who hurt you by just getting past things quickly so you can both move on. But, the truth is, without that kind of honest resolution, you will not have the kind of relationship God intends for you and I to have. It is the harder way, for sure. But, we are called to a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Make sure that you take time this today to pray over any broken relationships you currently have. Ask God to open some doors and show you how to start moving in that direction… and heal.
You could have stopped at John 20:30-31 and no one would have noticed the loss of John 21. But, in John 21, we see a critical loose end that needs to be tied up - Peter has betrayed Jesus and needs restoration! One wise man said that in order for true forgiveness to happen, the person who broke trust needs to come with one gift to the one offended - truthfulness. I can tell you personally how tempting it is to deal with someone who hurt you by just getting past things quickly so you can both move on. But, the truth is, without that kind of honest resolution, you will not have the kind of relationship God intends for you and I to have. It is the harder way, for sure. But, we are called to a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18).
Make sure that you take time this today to pray over any broken relationships you currently have. Ask God to open some doors and show you how to start moving in that direction… and heal.
Friday, June 8, 2012
Atonement, Power, and Faith
I was fascinated by some of the little details that John includes in John 20. John includes these so that we will think about the three appearances that Jesus makes after the resurrection.
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene after she sees the empty tomb as a picture of atonement.
Jesus appears to the disciples and offers the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, Jesus appears to Thomas and offers answers to his lack of faith.
Atonement, power and faith. What an important trio! Here are three things that John would like us to know about what we have in Christ. We have atonement through Christ - we have been cleansed and brought back to God. We also have power - through the Holy Spirit to be effective in ministry. And we have faith - a belief that leads us to obedience when obedience seems so counter-intuitive.
Here is where the resurrection meets us directly and John wants us to see how this truth transforms life!
Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene after she sees the empty tomb as a picture of atonement.
Jesus appears to the disciples and offers the empowerment of the Holy Spirit.
Finally, Jesus appears to Thomas and offers answers to his lack of faith.
Atonement, power and faith. What an important trio! Here are three things that John would like us to know about what we have in Christ. We have atonement through Christ - we have been cleansed and brought back to God. We also have power - through the Holy Spirit to be effective in ministry. And we have faith - a belief that leads us to obedience when obedience seems so counter-intuitive.
Here is where the resurrection meets us directly and John wants us to see how this truth transforms life!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Blossom Super Serve
Thanks to the 250+ of our Fellowship family who helped out at the Blossom Festival Super Serve.
There were some really great stories that came out of the weekend and I wanted to highlight one of them for you. One of our folks was buying gift certificates for food at a local restaurant to pass out to people as a simple act of Christian love when the owner came out and asked what was going on. Our volunteer explained that our church family was serving the community and he asked, “Well, are you with so-and-so’s church?” Our volunteer had a great response. “We love them, we agree with their Christian beliefs, but we want to spend as much energy going out to people as we do drawing people into our church on Sundays.”
Couldn’t have said it better! We want people to come and worship with us, but we know that to do that, we need to go to them, live in their world, serve at their festivals, love them as we love ourselves and show, truly, our love for God, for Jesus!! After all, by doing that, we are simply acting as Jesus acted!!
Way to go, church!
There were some really great stories that came out of the weekend and I wanted to highlight one of them for you. One of our folks was buying gift certificates for food at a local restaurant to pass out to people as a simple act of Christian love when the owner came out and asked what was going on. Our volunteer explained that our church family was serving the community and he asked, “Well, are you with so-and-so’s church?” Our volunteer had a great response. “We love them, we agree with their Christian beliefs, but we want to spend as much energy going out to people as we do drawing people into our church on Sundays.”
Couldn’t have said it better! We want people to come and worship with us, but we know that to do that, we need to go to them, live in their world, serve at their festivals, love them as we love ourselves and show, truly, our love for God, for Jesus!! After all, by doing that, we are simply acting as Jesus acted!!
Way to go, church!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Jesus Christ, The Ultimate Hero
Joseph Campbell once wrote on the topic of Memorial Day: “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.”
This Memorial Day weekend is always an opportunity of remembrance and thanks to our soldiers who have given their lives for the safety and protection of the country we are so privileged to live in. And while our allegiance, as Christians, is always and utterly to God, we can nevertheless stop and thank Him for the many men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and for us. Indeed, their sacrifice, and Joseph Campbell’s sentiments, are reflections of a greater truth - the ultimate hero, Jesus Christ!
So thank a vet this weekend, remember the fallen, and worship the greatest of heroes - the Lord Jesus Christ!!
This Memorial Day weekend is always an opportunity of remembrance and thanks to our soldiers who have given their lives for the safety and protection of the country we are so privileged to live in. And while our allegiance, as Christians, is always and utterly to God, we can nevertheless stop and thank Him for the many men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice for this country and for us. Indeed, their sacrifice, and Joseph Campbell’s sentiments, are reflections of a greater truth - the ultimate hero, Jesus Christ!
So thank a vet this weekend, remember the fallen, and worship the greatest of heroes - the Lord Jesus Christ!!
Friday, May 18, 2012
Prayer
When Jesus prayed for His church in John 17, He sent them into a world that is, at best, unclear on biblical Christianity and at worst, antagonistic towards it. John 17 is sandwiched between Jesus’ instructions to His church (John 13-16) and Jesus’ own redemptive actions to bring about salvation (John 18-20). Prayer, it seems, is the glue that brings together teaching and actions in a world that does not know what to do with Christians trying to live out their faith.
All of this to say that we are geared up this coming week to minister in the name of Jesus at the Blossom Festival. If you are in town and able, I hope that you have sought God on how you and your friends and family can minister in some way to the thousands that will gather just a few miles away from our location. And now, one more need - prayer! Deep, specific, intercessory prayer!! That will be the glue, the undergirding of all that we do to bring glory to Christ.
All of this to say that we are geared up this coming week to minister in the name of Jesus at the Blossom Festival. If you are in town and able, I hope that you have sought God on how you and your friends and family can minister in some way to the thousands that will gather just a few miles away from our location. And now, one more need - prayer! Deep, specific, intercessory prayer!! That will be the glue, the undergirding of all that we do to bring glory to Christ.
Friday, May 11, 2012
Chuck Colson
Several weeks back, the Church lost an amazing leader when Chuck Colson passed away at age 80. What a model of transformation, servanthood, grace, truth and missional living!! His first 45 years were spent as an ambitious politician who was later convicted and sentenced to prison for his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Shortly after prison, Colson was witnessed to by a friend in his driveway…and for the last 35 years, the world has been a better place.
He saw his mission as combining a clear, unapologetic declaration of Jesus as Lord and Savior and acts of compassion and mercy for those in prison and their families. He was the poster-boy for how God takes our deepest pains and regrets and turns them into avenues of grace, how God causes all things to work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
What a model for us as well: passionate about unleashing love, passionate about acts of mercy, having an amazing redemptive effect on a world under siege. We echo what is surely God’s Word to this man’s life - “Well done, Chuck Colson, well done!”
He saw his mission as combining a clear, unapologetic declaration of Jesus as Lord and Savior and acts of compassion and mercy for those in prison and their families. He was the poster-boy for how God takes our deepest pains and regrets and turns them into avenues of grace, how God causes all things to work together for good, for those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
What a model for us as well: passionate about unleashing love, passionate about acts of mercy, having an amazing redemptive effect on a world under siege. We echo what is surely God’s Word to this man’s life - “Well done, Chuck Colson, well done!”
Friday, May 4, 2012
Love One Another
Our lives seem to be filled with all kinds of tough decisions that need to be made and difficult choices that we wish we could avoid. Sadly, ultimately, the choices must be faced with integrity while driven by principle, prayer and grace. And in the middle of all of this, the church is called to love one another. Jesus tells us plainly: “I am the vine and you are the branches…now, remain in My love. If you keep My commands, you will remain in My love…My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:5, 9-10, 12). No matter how hard the choices that we make are, no matter what conclusions we feel we are driven to by prayer, by principle, by grace, we still have the duty—no, the privilege—of doing it all in Christ-like love. And by God’s grace, so we shall.
Friday, April 27, 2012
Cohesion
If you missed it, you missed a great celebration!! I am talking about Milestones last Sunday, in which we celebrated Family Dedications, New Members and Baptisms.
These are the things that really create cohesiveness.
In physics, two of the ways that substances stick together is through adhesion or cohesion. If two substances are different, they require adhesion (e.g. adhesive tape to connect a paper with a door). The problem is that such a connection will fall apart the moment the tape loses its stickiness or is stripped away. But, cohesion is like water poured out on the counter. If you watch, the water beads. Water molecules like to stick together.
And that is the church when it is living out what it is! That was what Milestones (which happened last week and is coming around again in November) is all about. It is an opportunity to bring cohesiveness and wholeness to Fellowship Bible Church. We prayed for families, we worshipped, we celebrated, we committed to one another. That is cohesion!! That is where the church grows in wholeness and stops trying to piecemeal tape everything together!!
These are the things that really create cohesiveness.
In physics, two of the ways that substances stick together is through adhesion or cohesion. If two substances are different, they require adhesion (e.g. adhesive tape to connect a paper with a door). The problem is that such a connection will fall apart the moment the tape loses its stickiness or is stripped away. But, cohesion is like water poured out on the counter. If you watch, the water beads. Water molecules like to stick together.
And that is the church when it is living out what it is! That was what Milestones (which happened last week and is coming around again in November) is all about. It is an opportunity to bring cohesiveness and wholeness to Fellowship Bible Church. We prayed for families, we worshipped, we celebrated, we committed to one another. That is cohesion!! That is where the church grows in wholeness and stops trying to piecemeal tape everything together!!
Friday, April 20, 2012
Take Time To Pray And Listen
I don’t know how many times I have to learn this lesson because it is so obvious, yet so easy to forget. Here is the lesson: take time to pray and listen.
You would think we wouldn’t have to be reminded of that, and yet, I caught myself sitting at my desk on a long Wednesday workday trying to plow through a bunch of different things, only to hear a still, small voice gently rebuke me. “You aren’t trying to do ministry all by yourself, with only your own thoughts and efforts, are you?” So I got up, found one of my favorite nearby spots to pray and listen and (big surprise coming) it was amazing what God led me to think on, act on, to consider!
If life is sweeping you away like a river after the Spring rains, stop!! Take some time—in fact, PLAN SOME TIME—and get by yourself and pray. Ask God to show you whatever it is He wants to show you. You may very well find this time to be the most productive hour of your week!
You would think we wouldn’t have to be reminded of that, and yet, I caught myself sitting at my desk on a long Wednesday workday trying to plow through a bunch of different things, only to hear a still, small voice gently rebuke me. “You aren’t trying to do ministry all by yourself, with only your own thoughts and efforts, are you?” So I got up, found one of my favorite nearby spots to pray and listen and (big surprise coming) it was amazing what God led me to think on, act on, to consider!
If life is sweeping you away like a river after the Spring rains, stop!! Take some time—in fact, PLAN SOME TIME—and get by yourself and pray. Ask God to show you whatever it is He wants to show you. You may very well find this time to be the most productive hour of your week!
Friday, April 13, 2012
Draft Picks
On Wednesday I received “the other Bible” in the mail: The 2012 Pro Football Weekly’s NFL Draft Preview. OK, maybe that is a slight exaggeration :-), but I have always been a draft-nik. I love watching how teams utilize the draft to build up their teams…except the Browns! Usually, when they get to their picks (with the exception of the last couple of years), I want to put my foot through the TV because they so often overreach for a player (use a high draft choice to get a player they could have gotten in the later rounds)! Not that I am bitter....
As I watch how teams build themselves through player selection, I cannot help but think that if God were putting together a team through the draft, everyone would be left scratching their heads at His picks. You, me, us…He WAY overreached for us!! He traded up to the top pick of the draft with His own Son to claim us. No one in their right mind would have done that! But, that is both the amazing grace of God and the amazing genius of God. Somehow, through a plethora of mind-boggling choices, He crafts a winning team - His church. He coaches us, teaches us, puts us into the right position and empowers us.
Yes, on April 26th, I’ll be eating wings and watching with bated breath as the Browns choose their players for the future. But, I will also rejoice in the grace of God and how He has personally chosen every one of us!!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Foreshadowing in the Old Testament
Considering that Matthew wrote to a much more Jewish audience than John did when they were writing their gospels, John really draws out a lot of Old Testament imagery as he tells the story of Christ. The story begins with allusions to the Genesis creation story. Further along (John 1:51), Jesus proclaims Himself the new ladder from Jacob’s dream (Genesis 28:10-22). But it is the work of Christ on the cross that preoccupies John the most. Indeed, John spends chapters 13 to 20 basically detailing the last week of Jesus’ life. And it all reflects back on the foreshadowing of the story in the Old Testament - stories in which God purifies His sanctuary of sin by applying blood to the cover of the ark of the covenant: a flat surface with two angels, one on one side and one on the other, looking down upon God’s mercy where the blood is applied. So, this week, look into John’s telling of the passion of the Christ. But, more importantly, stoop into the cave in John 20:11-12, and see what Mary Magdalene saw - the flat surface where Jesus’ body had been lain and an angel, one on one side and one on the other, looking down upon God’s great mercy for us in the cross and the resurrection of Jesus.
Monday, April 2, 2012
The Real Shepherd
As I was thinking about John 10:1-42 and the theme of false shepherds and the real Shepherd - Jesus, in case that was unclear :-) - I really got to thinking about how important it is for us to choose our leaders wisely!! I have served under great leaders and poor ones…and ones in-between. I have also thought how critical it is that we really choose our friends (the people who we really live life with!) wisely also. If we want to be more like Jesus, then the people who will have the most influence on our lives (to the extent that we can have some say into this), should reflect this Good Shepherd’s personal make-up. If we want to be courageous (Jesus was the most courageous human to ever walk on this planet!), then we need to select people who exhibit courage! If we want to combine grace with courage…and wisdom and humility, then we should look for people with those kinds of traits, or who really pursue the development of those virtues. We are so shaped by the people over us and around us. And in John 10, we see Jesus giving us the ultimate Person whom we should model ourselves after…but being rooted in community means that we are called to look for people who love Jesus and live like Him to shape our own lives. Paul even told the Corinthian church - “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1) Choose wisely then, because there is a lot of fake and flimsy in this world!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
"Lost Cause"
During my Wednesday morning community group, we were going through the Book of Acts chapter nine and the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Here was one of the most vehemently anti-Christian crusaders to ever walk the earth. He was arresting Christians and even overseeing some stonings. So what does God do? He decides to recruit Saul for His team!! And Saul soon became Paul, and went from one of the most brutal persecutors of the church to its greatest missionary. It is so easy to see people who are completely antithetical to the faith and see them as enemies. It is so easy to hold people who scorn God in contempt. But, from God’s view, these are the first-round draft picks for His team!!
So, here is my challenge: think of someone in your life who would be easy to view as a “lost cause” or the last person who would ever receive Jesus as Savior and Lord and begin praying for them, for open doors to discuss the faith with them. Try to imagine them as someone completely the opposite. You may just begin praying for the next Billy Graham or Mother Teresa or Apostle Paul!!
So, here is my challenge: think of someone in your life who would be easy to view as a “lost cause” or the last person who would ever receive Jesus as Savior and Lord and begin praying for them, for open doors to discuss the faith with them. Try to imagine them as someone completely the opposite. You may just begin praying for the next Billy Graham or Mother Teresa or Apostle Paul!!
Friday, March 16, 2012
Encouraging Things...
I was at our seniors’ luncheon on Tuesday and was thinking about the past few weeks and how easily we can allow encouraging things to get drowned out by the discouraging things. So I asked the group to name one thing in the last several months that was an encouragement to them. The first two people spoke of how this church is truly unleashing love both in the Body and in our community. That, in and of itself, was an encouragement to me. Of the several I gave, one was hearing how the Blakkolb family felt so loved by their church family (way to go church!) and the other was a lady who saw me shopping with Micah and asked if Micah was autistic. She then began to tell me of this church right on 306 that ministers every month to her sibling who has a special needs child and what a wonderful church it had to be (yeah!!).
And then I read 2 Corinthians 4:1…
We carry the glory of Christ’s gospel in our very bodies, though it is true that these bodies are jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), prone to break, to endure discouragement, even persecution (4:8-12). But, here is the really encouraging thing: we are hard-pressed but never crushed, knock us down but we’re getting back up again, even in our death, we bring life to others if indeed we are living our worship of Jesus in the world around us!! Be encouraged then, for we are more than conquerors in the end…and yes, even now.
And then I read 2 Corinthians 4:1…
Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
We carry the glory of Christ’s gospel in our very bodies, though it is true that these bodies are jars of clay (2 Corinthians 4:7), prone to break, to endure discouragement, even persecution (4:8-12). But, here is the really encouraging thing: we are hard-pressed but never crushed, knock us down but we’re getting back up again, even in our death, we bring life to others if indeed we are living our worship of Jesus in the world around us!! Be encouraged then, for we are more than conquerors in the end…and yes, even now.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Enjoy Life
I have an addiction I need to confess. Ever since we got a Wii for the family and my son, Josiah, got the “Super Mario Bros.” game, I have found myself waiting until everyone goes to bed and playing that game until midnight a couple of nights a week. I think in my attempt to temporarily escape the sorrow of the last couple of weeks, I logged an extra night this week. And after months of playing with Josiah and by myself, I finally got through all of the worlds, collected all of the “star coins” and conquered all the “bosses” in those worlds. It was a journey of excitement, challenge, frustration (it must have taken me 50 tries to get through one of those worlds!) and finally…fun; fun with Josiah and Jordan who always want me to play with them. And fun because, much like life, there were always new challenges. This has been a tough two weeks. We have been challenged by some real tragedies. We need to stay engaged with the families who are hurting. And we need to be reminded to enjoy life (Ecclesiastes 3:22), to take time with your family and to count your days…all to the glory of Christ. One day, the journey will be over.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
The Gift of Life
This past Monday was one of the harder days that I have faced in the ministry. I am sure it was hard for many of you as well! We as a church mourn for the loss of life at Chardon High School and the shattered families and dreams that resulted from the shooting. I don’t think anyone got up Monday morning and wondered whether or not we would re-live the experience of Columbine in our schools. But, God in all of His genius can take the worst moments and turn them on their proverbial head. I think He is doing it in little ways already. As my son Josiah came to the church with me Monday evening to pray for the families in our body and outside of our body affected by this tragedy, I was reminded of the treasure of my own children. I never send them on the bus thinking that they might never come back. And as we prayed later that evening, with my hand resting on his slim shoulder, I was given the gift of seeing the life that was all around. I pray for the moment in which God takes this time of anguish and completely reverses it. But for now, I grieve with those who grieve…and I also embrace that which I have in my life now, which is all-too-easily taken for granted.
"Nobodies"
I was thinking recently about who can make a difference in this world, especially in light of the high profile of politics these days. I was talking to a friend who registered the frustration of how he felt he could not make any difference since he is a “nobody” in the grand scheme of things. As we continue through John’s Gospel, I am also re-reading the Book of Exodus (which will be our sermon series starting in June) and I was caught by a little detail. We know the names of the two mid-wives who protected the Hebrew children from Pharaoh’s insidious law of infanticide - Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15). Whose name do we not know? Pharaoh’s name! So never assume that your service to Christ is a little thing. The powers-that-be are nothing in the eyes of God compared to the selfless devotion of the so-called “nobodies” in Christ.
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