The life you can be thankful for...

“…you have assigned me my portion and my cup;
You have made my lot secure.
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Surely I have a delightful inheritance.”
Psalm 16:5-6

A small group conversation in Professor Jim Wilson’s church was silenced by this question: "If you had the power to recreate yourself, what would you leave unchanged?" Everybody quietly considered the possibilities for a moment. Finally, Tom, a former alcoholic spoke.

"The thing I would leave unchanged is my relationship with Jesus," he said thoughtfully. "If I changed everything else, it might mean I never met Jesus. I don't want to take that chance."

One by one the other members of the group agreed. The one thing they would not change showed them what they were most thankful for. Each member of the group could thank the Lord for houses, cars, and plenty of food. They could thank God for spouses and the love of family. Given the opportunity to keep one thing, they choose to hang on to Jesus.

The psalmist King David saw that, in his life of faithfulness to God, God had provided him with a good life. As he went God’s way, King David discovered God was faithful to him . . . giving him the sense of joy and peace and satisfaction he truly desired. Even when he needed to cry out to God for help . . . thanksgiving and recognition of God’s faithfulness to him were on his mind.

The essential truth the psalmist is conveying for us is this: The life you and I can be thankful for is a life built on loyalty to God. When your life is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ, it is a secure and stable life. It is a life that enjoys a good direction. That good direction sets your life on a trajectory for a great future. That good direction gives you the security that you will never be separated from the presence and love of God.

Does life in Christ guarantee that you will avoid rough times? Not at all! But you can be thankful that loyalty to Jesus does assure you that God is by your side, giving you support, keeping your life on the right track, strengthening you for life’s journey.

Whenever you pause to give thanks for something this month, don't forget God's greatest gift, the gift of his Son, Jesus. The Apostle Paul commended the church at Corinth for their generosity which caused the overflowing of thanks to the Lord. Then he added, "Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Generous Giving

Jesus asked his disciples to come to him. He said, “What I’m about to tell you is true. That poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. They all gave a lot because they are rich. But she gave even though she is poor. She put in everything she had. She gave all she had to live on.” -- Mark 12:43-44 (English Standard Version)

Lonnie Porter was a janitor for almost all his life at United Theological Seminary. When he wasn't mowing the lawn or washing windows, he was talking with students. His income was small, but his heart was large. Or as he put it, "My mother taught me to do two things: sew and save." So he did. He sewed together a life of service at a seminary, and he saved as much money as he could for that seminary. When he died a few years ago, Lonnie Porter left over $100,000 in his will to the work of the seminary. By action of the trustees, who were moved by this large gift from a small income, United's premier program in African American ministries is now known as the Lonnie Porter Program in African American Ministries, the only known endowed educational program in the church named after a janitor.

Jesus stood across from the Temple Treasury and saw an act of great generosity. While the rich people were giving their “throw-away” money, the widow was giving all she had—100 percent. The widow’s gift—a gift given out of humble gratitude and reverent faithfulness is more profound and valuable than the one given for recognition, prominence or out of excess.

Jesus is teaching his disciples a lesson beyond monetary giving. Jesus is drawing our attention to an example of a Christian steward. The widow understands that everything comes from God. Ultimately, she does not give because she is forced to give. She certainly is not giving to be noticed or rewarded. She does not share her offering because it will lead to prominence in the synagogue. The gift of her last two coins serves as a giving of herself to God. She gives to God something far deeper than money—she gives her whole life, her very being. She trusts God to take care of her as God promised. And I believe she had a sense that God could do something significant with what she had given.

October brings our annual Stewardship drive. It’s our opportunity to give generously to God and to the ministry of growing God’s kingdom through the Good News of Jesus Christ. Your past giving has born a lot of fruit—kids going to camp, mission trips, help for the struggling in our community, bible study, worship…the list is probably bigger than you realize! Your generous giving is an essential element in the fruitful ministry of First Christian Church. May you know God’s love and care as you give yourself fully to God.

Jesus wants the best for us

“This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”
--John 15:8-11 (NIV)

There was a study a few years back of a group of adults, aged 95 years or older, all of whom were asked, "If you had life to do over again, what would you do differently?" Their responses fell into three major categories.

First, reflect more. Spend more time considering who you are, what you are here for, what God is calling you to become. What makes life worth living and fulfilling? Family and faith, both of which require hefty doses of forgiveness.

Second, take more risks. Life is very short. Take some risks to accomplish more. Don't be afraid of failures or mistakes. Why climb out on limbs? Because that's where the fruit is. No limb-climbing, no fruit-picking.

Third, do more things that will last forever. Invest in eternity. Make this world a better place because you sojourned here.(1)

You can hear in these words how important finding a life of significance can be. When people come to the ending moments of life their greatest concern is that their life counted for something.

Jesus taught us that the significant life is a fruitful life as his disciple. What does it meant to be fruitful? Loving God, living rightly, loving your neighbor, sharing the gospel message, being part of a Christian community-- these are all things Jesus considers bearing fruit. These are the things that ultimately give us significance. These are the things that will resonate with our deepest yearnings and give our lives vigor and excitement.

The fruitful, joy-filled life is ours as disciples (studious followers) of Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us that it’s vitally important to have an ongoing (abiding) relationship with him through prayer and God’s word. It is “. . . so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

That’s good news! Joy—that sense of contentment and connection with God no matter what’s happening in life—is God’s desire for you. Our living and ever-present Lord wants to nourish us and invigorate us. He wants to shape our lives in a way that brings us significance and joy. What can be better to hear in times like these than that Jesus wants the best for us!

(1)Bouldin, Ears to Hear, Eyes to See: Witnessing Through Media (Nashville: Broadman, 1987), 81.

The Church as a Defiant Garden

The righteous flourish like the palm tree
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
They still bear fruit in old age;
they are ever full of sap and green,
to declare that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Psalm 92:12-15

At the end of a recent Sunday message, “Determined to Hope,” I told this story. I wanted to share it with all of you because the spirit behind it has really gotten my attention.

Jane Garmey, a writer for The Wall Street Journal, wrote a piece about Kenneth Helphand, a professor of landscape architecture at the University of Oregon. A little while ago, Helphand purchased an old stereopticon at a flea market. It depicted a scene of shelters in French military trenches surrounded by gardens. After a great deal of research, he discovered that gardens were often created in times of war. Gardens flanked the Western front during World War I, Jewish ghettos during World War II, German POW camps, Japanese-American internment camps in the U.S., and war-torn areas of Sarajevo. Today, gardens are sprouting up in the deserts of Iraq.

The gardens symbolize life in the most difficult of circumstances. They are "an obdurate refusal to give in to the horror of the hell so close at hand." In fact, Helphand calls them "defiant gardens."(i)

I had to look up the word “obdurate.” It means “unyielding,” or “stubbornly resistant to influence.”

The Church was formed by Jesus to stubbornly resist the brokenness, evil, and chaos in the world. The Church proclaims life! We proclaim that there is love, goodness, and stability available through the presence and power of Jesus Christ. A big part of bearing fruit is bringing people to a relationship with Jesus. Like a beautiful garden, we draw people to Jesus by the beauty of our witness. Like a beautiful garden, we draw people to Jesus by spreading the fragrance of our love.

The defiant garden flourishes “in the courts of our God” (Ps 92:13). This was a psalm for Sabbath Day. The psalmist stresses how important worship is to our life. In worship we are bathed in the light of scripture. In worship we are watered by preaching, prayer, and communion. In worship, we are nourished by song, praise, and fellowship. In worship we are given the opportunity to return good things to God through giving and serving. In all of these things we are made vigorous and fruitful. The beauty of our witness and the fragrance of our love flourish when we are planted in the house of the Lord.

I see each Christian and every church as defiant gardens that grow hope in a world that is broken and corrupt (Romans 8:18-25). We grow hope in a God who has a glorious future for all of Creation. We grow hope in a God who has a glorious future for those who follow Jesus Christ. It is our future. It is a future open to every person. May we be unyielding in our proclamation of the hope we have in Christ!

(i)Jane Garmey, "Planting Hope: Gardening in Times of War," www.opinionjournal.com (3-21-07).

The Enlightened Fellowship

”…God is light and in him there is no darkness at all…if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” (1 John 1:5, 7)

A mother calling to her son shouted, "Johnny, tell your sister to get in the house out of the rain." "I can't mom," came the reply. "And just why can't you?" demanded his mother. "Because we are playing Noah's Ark mom, and she's one of the sinners."(1)

Church folk often like to make the distinction between the sinners on the outside and the saints on the inside. But this covers up the reality that the saints inside are still sinners. Sinners saved by grace, yet still sinners.

What Jesus’ disciples ultimately recognized in themselves was their sinfulness. Whenever they were tempted to conclude that they had it all together, they remembered their shortcomings. They didn’t drag them around like a huge anchor—weighed down with guilt and misery. But it became a reality check for them whenever conflict and sin arose among them.

If we truly understand ourselves and our fellowship, we need to come to grips with this reality. You and I, as sincerely as we want to live a good life, fall short of doing so. God has a way for us to live, the writer of 1 John calls it “walking in the light,” and we humans have a distinct tendency to stray from it.

The living presence of Christ enlightens our fellowship. His love makes our loving possible. His grace enables us to live in grace with one another. Knowing of God’s grace enables us to live with an enlightened understanding of who we are. We are sinners, saved by grace. We can be honest about this!

Recognizing our shared sinfulness and also our sharing of God’s grace makes our fellowship truly enlightened. Seeing each other for who we are, frees us up to practice love and grace with one another. We acknowledge our shortcomings with one another and find the merciful love of Christ emanating from our brothers and sisters in Christ. We embody the light of Christ’s love and grace in our own lives.

A little boy attended Church with his Grandfather one Sunday. Grandpa's church had beautiful stained-glass windows. Grandpa told his grandson that the windows contained pictures of Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, Saint John, Saint Paul, and whole lot of other saints.

When he got home, the boy told Mom and Dad all about it. Dad, wanting to be funny and curious about what his son had learned, asked, "What is a saint?" The boy thought for a minute and then replied, "A saint is a somebody the light shines through." (2)

May the light of Christ’s love and grace enlighten our fellowship and shine through to the world.

(1) Changing Your Mind, Glenn Pease
(2) RSVP: Stewardship through Service, Billy D. Strayhorn, ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc.

To love mercy

…O people, the LORD has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
--Micah 6:8 (New Living Translation)

It’s hard to fathom. In the news as I write this is the report of the deaths of 7 people in Cambodia, three of them young teens. They all suffocated at the bottom of a 16-foot water well trying to retrieve the equivalent of 75 cents that had been accidently dropped into it. It’s hard to grasp the level of poverty that would drive people to make such an attempt. Heartbreaking poverty is real and it exists in every corner of the world, even in our own state and city.

The prophet Micah was speaking to Israelites who were enjoying a relatively comfortable life. Israel was prosperous and strong. Their prosperity came at the expense of their morals and integrity. Shady business deals were commonplace. The poor were neglected. They had become complacent in their worship. They brought their offerings to the temple, but their hearts were not into the way of God. Micah reminded them that God sought their full commitment. In God’s economy, God’s people have at the core of their faith a requirement to show God’s mercy to others.

Jesus emphasized this as well. Jesus’ parting words to Peter in the Gospel of John were to “feed my sheep” (John 21: 15-17). In other words, take care of the people I give you. That’s a pretty big flock! Jesus called his followers to make disciples of all nations. Jesus basically gave us the world to look after. This includes God special concern for the poor and brokenhearted. Bring the poor justice. Show mercy to the brokenhearted.

With God’s requirement comes God’s empowerment. God’s Spirit gives us the energy and the sensitivity to serve the Lord and serve others. This is truly good news. God helps us live out the life to which we are called. The Lord is always
with us!

To me, there is nothing more satisfying than helping out someone who is in need. It’s a great feeling to make a tangible difference in the life of another person! Perhaps this makes it possible to, as Micah says, “love mercy.” Love the chances to make a difference in the life of others. Embrace the opportunities to serve others that God puts in your path. Cherish your God-given role to extend God’s mercy and help. This is the way of God that brings you fulfillment.

Heart Fitness

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.”
--Psalm 139:23-24

The late great coach of the Dallas Cowboys, Tom Landry, once described the kind of character he was looking for in team members:

“Give me a choice between an outstanding athlete with poor character and a lesser athlete of good character, and I’ll choose the latter every time. The athlete with good character will often perform to his fullest potential and be a successful football player; while the outstanding athlete with poor character will usually fail to play up to his potential and often won’t even achieve average performance.”

Landry was always on the lookout for athletes who would perform up to their potential. He was looking for players who were fit in their hearts. Players fit in their hearts would realize their potential on the field. They would pursue Super Bowls with dogged tenacity.

I believe if I were to take a poll of Lockhart Christians, I would find that we have a decent understanding of God’s plan to keep us spiritually fit—undoubtedly you would mention practices like studying the Bible, regular time set aside for prayer, attending worship, and experiencing the support and fellowship of other Christians. But, like most things in life, knowing and doing are two different things. Many modern Christians struggle with having the heart for these practices that develop a richer, fuller spiritual life. This weakness in our Christian character is keeping many followers of Jesus from realizing their fullest potential to be used by God and from experiencing the fullest joy from their relationship with Christ.

The psalmist was asking for a fit heart. He wanted insight into his own life so that he might live in a way that pleased God. A God-pleasing life, he knew, leads to a “way everlasting”—a joyful, significant, blessed life. To that end, he asks God to purge every thought, attitude, belief or behavior that offended God’s sensibilities. He is asking God to help him live to his fullest potential.

The psalmist provides an excellent example for life on the “way everlasting.” We can’t reach our fullest potential along the Way without God’s help. The psalmist knew that our heart fitness improves with prayer…Prayer that asks God for insight into our lives…Prayer that welcomes God’s testing and accountability…Prayer the makes us open to God’s tough, but merciful, soul-cleansing.

Heart fitness helps us reach our fullest potential as followers of Christ. We are able to love more fully. We are able to worship more fully. We feel more fully connected to and grounded in God. This is the good life…this is the “way everlasting.” It’s ours for the asking!

Marvelous in our eyes!

“There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone
This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.”
--Psalm 118: 15, 21-23

Think about what you hear as you listen to the Easter story:
-You hear shouts of praise as Jesus triumphantly enters Jerusalem.
-You hear Jesus speaking of his own death as he lovingly serves his disciples at The Last Supper.
-You experience the quiet of the garden, where Jesus prayed and was betrayed.
-The quiet is broken by angry shouts as Jesus is turned over for trial—beaten, scourged and humiliated.
-You hear the sad sounds of a funeral dirge, as Jesus dies on the cross and is laid in a tomb.

Gratefully, that funeral dirge gives way to a joyous shout, “He is risen! We have seen him!” The disciples discovered what we must also discover—the power of God is greater than anything, even death. I like how one preacher put it once: ‘What death did to Jesus is nothing compared to what Jesus did to death.” If death can be defeated, nothing can stand against the victorious power of our risen Christ.

In 1973, when the African nation of Uganda was steeped in violent conflict, three men were to be executed one day in front of thousands in a sports stadium. Bishop Festo Kivengere was permitted to talk with the three men shortly before. The bishop felt he had no words for them, expecting them to be filled with rage for what was about to happen. What he found was quite different. Their faces were alight with an unmistakable glow and radiance. As they had sat in prison, each had asked Jesus into their hearts. To them, heaven was open and nothing could stand between them and God. The three men faced their death with such peace and joy that the military men stood there, guns cocked, with bewilderment on their faces. Later, when the bishop shared their testimony in the parish of one of the martyrs, the congregation erupted in a great song of praise to Jesus.

The reality of Christ’s power and the salvation it brings gave the three African martyrs songs of victory, though death stared them in the face. God’s salvation had the psalmist singing a glad song of victory. We cannot be ultimately defeated, because Christ, once rejected, has conquered death and become our strength and
salvation.

How about you? For what can YOU sing glad songs of victory? What has the Lord done that is marvelous in your eyes? May the songs of victory never cease from our lips!

Giving us life

“I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live.” --John 14:18-19

With the Winter Olympics recently concluded, I am reminded of one of the great Olympic moments from a couple of decades ago. If you followed the Olympics, NBC was using video from this in their promotional spots to capture the Olympic spirit. Derek Redmond, a young British runner, lay on the track at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Moments before he had been a shoo-in to win his semi-final heat in the 400-meter and qualify for the Olympic finals. Now only 175 meters from the finish line, he is sprawled on the ground, holding his right hamstring.

Derek’s father, Jim, seeing his son in trouble, begins to race down from the top row of the stands. He is pushing toward the track. He has no right or credential or permission to be on the track, but all he can think about is getting to his son, to help him up.

On the track, Derek realizes that his dream of an Olympic medal is gone. Tears pour down Derek’s face. But he’s determined to finish. He turns down assistance from the medical crew, lifts himself to his feet, and starts hobbling down the track. One painful step at a time, Derek limps onward, and the fans rise to their feet to cheer him on.

At that moment, Jim Redmond reaches the bottom of the stands, vaults over the railing, dodges a security guard, and runs to his son. Jim reaches his son at the final curve, about 120 meters from the finish line, and wraps his arm around his waist. “I’m here, son,” Jim says gently, hugging his boy, “We’ll finish together.” Together, arm in arm, father and son struggle toward the finish line with 65,000 people cheering, clapping and crying. Just a few steps from the end, with the crowd in an absolute frenzy, Jim releases the grip he has on his son so that Derek can cross the finish line by himself.

That scene of togetherness at the finish line illustrates our relationship with the Holy Spirit. We have never been left to run the race of life alone. Jesus’ presence remains with us in the form of God’s Holy Spirit. “Because I live,” Jesus promises his followers, “you also will live.” The Good News is that the same God who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to our bodies through the Spirit that dwells within us (Romans 8:11). No matter what comes our way we can hold tight to the promise that Jesus gives life—life in this world, and life in the world to come.

We belong to Jesus Christ, and his Spirit gives us life. This is Good News for any of us who find ourselves limping toward the finish line of life.

Peacemaking begins in the heart

"Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called—that you might inherit a blessing." 1 Peter 3:8-10

Many people are resigned to the notion that humanity will destroy itself. We’ve become resigned to the idea that people ultimately cannot get along. A poll taken by the Associated Press a few years ago indicated that six out of 10 American adults believe that world War III is inevitable.

Peter, one of Jesus’ first disciples, wanted Christians to understand that they must live in harmony with each other and with the world. He understood that making peace in our chaotic and contentious world begins in the heart. Take a look again at how the scripture above begins. Notice the words he uses: “unity,” “sympathy,” “love,” “tender,” and “humble.” Making peace begins with the attitude of our hearts.

Most people seem to concern themselves with changing the whole world—they have a very global vision. Peter’s vision begins with our own hearts. For Christians, peacemaking does not begin with a question like, “How can I get the Arabs and Jews to get along?” Peacemaking for Christians begins with questions like these:

How do I get along with my brother . . . my sister?

How do I keep working with the person in the next cubicle who is really annoying me?

How do I treat the kid at school who keeps making fun of me?

How do I maintain a relationship with my parents when they clearly don’t understand me?

How do I live in peace with my neighbor when his dog keeps coming into my yard to do his business?

How can I continue to volunteer in this church when my committee chair is not doing her job?

How do I keep my cool with my kids when they are being so disrespectful?

These questions represent the beginning of peacemaking. Peacemaking begins when we’re willing to look at us . . . at ourselves. Peacemaking begins when we’re willing to check the attitude of our heart and begin to deal with the deep down feelings of hurt and distrust we may have accumulated over time. Peace making begins with purging our hearts of attitudes and stereotypes that keep us from living in unity with one another.

Here’s where Jesus comes in…we can’t make these heart changes without Christ’s Spirit working within us—growing in us the fruit of peace (Galatians 5:22-23). The apostle Paul says that the fruit of peace grows in us as we practice Christ’s commandment to love our neighbors as ourselves and as we prayerfully yield our lives to the guidance of the Spirit. My prayer for us all is that the fruit of peace will grow in all of us and that we will bear the fruit of peace in our chaotic and contentious world.

Celebrate God's Presence

Simeon took [the child Jesus] in his arms and praised God, saying, “Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.” (Luke 2:28-32, NRSV)

(Read Luke 2:22-38 for the whole story)

Can you imagine a Christmas season that lasted 80 years?

This Christmas season has left me with an appreciation for Simeon and Anna. Both of these devout people had been waiting their whole lives for Christmas. Anna had been waiting 80 years “looking for the redemption of Jerusalem” (v. 38). We don’t know Simeon’s age, but the context of the passage suggests that he was an old man as well. He had been “looking forward to the consolation of Israel” (v. 25) his whole life. They have been looking for God’s deliverer, God’s anointed one, God’s Messiah for decades. And both of them recognize in Jesus that God’s Messiah has arrived! Though their season of waiting had been long, each responded in the same way. They gave God praise for what God had done. The powers of their perception were pretty remarkable. Because what did they see really?

On the surface Simeon and Anna saw a very young baby boy, brought to them by devout parents. They would have seen a road-weary family fulfilling their obligations according to Jewish law. Every male child was treated in the very same way. Nothing would have necessarily distinguished them from any other devout family.

Seeing beyond the surface to the presence of God in things is a great challenge of the spiritual life. A common proverb of our culture is “Seeing is believing.” We depend on the concrete. We rely on fact and reason. We put stock in the values, attitudes, and wisdom of contemporary culture. This can dull our perception of a timeless God acting in unique ways to redeem us in our skeptical, broken world. Our vision for God’s presence can become impaired by the fatigue, temptations, distractions, and anxieties of our lives. It’s difficult to praise God when we don’t perceive God’s presence and action.

I think we get to a place of praising God now, and throughout the year, when we operate on Simeon and Anna’s principle of looking for God’s presence. They believed in God’s salvation, so they were able to see more than the obvious. They recognized God’s active presence in the world. With their attitude of watching, they understood the tremendous significance of the baby Jesus. This enabled them to immediately respond by blessing and praising God.

When we are looking for God’s consolation…

when we are looking for God’s redemption…

when we are looking for God’s presence…

God appears even in the most unlikely of places!

May you see many opportunities to celebrate God’s presence in the coming year!

Advent Again

“God, make us new again.
Let your face smile on us with favor.
Then we will be saved.”
--Psalm 80:3

In an intriguing episode of the classic sci-fi tv show X-Files, Agent Scully, the female FBI agent heroine, was facing an uphill battle against cancer. Agent Scully was a driven career woman. She had gotten far with her brains, her talent, and her pluckiness. She was trained as a medical doctor and her faith was squarely in science.

Agent Scully was home for the holidays and her mother had a large meal planned. She invited family and friends, among them their parish priest. Father McKay took time to talk with Scully about her cancer and the faith she had forsaken. She firmly told Father McKay to get lost. She had no need for religious faith. Her career and her science would sustain her quite well.

As her cancer progressed and her doctors treat it more aggressively her attitude begins to change. She faces losing her career as she grows weaker and weaker. The science she dearly loved had not been able to save her. She became aware of her need to be connected to a higher power. In a moving scene, she apologized to her mother for being so abrupt with Father McKay and asked that he come to see her. The episode concluded with Father McKay at her bedside as they prayed together.

Agent Scully became aware of her deep need for God. The psalmist recognized this need when he cried out: “God, make us new again. Let your face smile on us with favor. Then we will be saved” (Psalm 80:3). It’s awareness hard to come by. After all, there is bit of Agent Scully in all of us. We fancy ourselves as independent and self-reliant. From an early age we are taught to be self-sufficient. All of this hinders the awareness of our need for God.

The Church calendar calls these weeks before Christmas Advent. In Advent, we anticipate God smiling on us with favor in the coming of Jesus Christ. These days before Christmas bring excellent opportunities to prepare for a fresh coming of Jesus into our lives. Recent events should convince us that there is no amount of money, no politician, no job, no scientific theory … no person or thing… that can be counted on to bring renewal to our lives. A proper understanding of our lives will lead us to an awareness of our great need for God. It is a constant need. Only a fresh advent of Jesus in our hearts can meet that need. We wait…we anticipate…we long for…the promised
coming of the Lord.

Let every heart prepare Him room!

Discipleship's Value

44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
--Matthew 13:44-46

In Jesus’ time, if someone was known as a disciple of someone it meant they were a student of that person’s philosophy or trade. What was Jesus’ philosophy? What principles did Jesus’ life exemplify? Life lived under the rule of the kingdom of heaven. This is the life Jesus invites us to. People who seek this life and find it, dis-cover that they have found something more valuable than anything they have known before. It makes that big a difference.

In order to experience discipleship’s value, we need to give ourselves totally to following Jesus. Paul, one of the prominent writers of the New Testament, discovered the value of discipleship. He told them that before he became a disciple of Jesus he was a Jew of great status. He could trace his bloodline back to the great Abra-ham. He was an important leader in the church. He kept Moses' law flawlessly. He distinguished himself so much as a Jew that he was given the task of protecting their faith from people who were following Jesus. He had done very well for himself. He thought he had quite a life. That is, until he had a life-changing encounter with the risen Christ. He said that he counts all that he had before as garbage when he compared that with the surpassing value of knowing Jesus. All that he had before he was happy to lose in order to have the life he now had as a disciple of Christ (Philippians 3.4b-14).

Jesus offers us life. Not life as the world offers it, where security is found in status, power, and possessions. Jesus offers us a life of hope. We always have a place in the kingdom of heaven. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God through Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39). Life can come at us with all it has got. Our future is secure. Jesus offers us life with meaning and purpose. We have a mission to live out as Jesus’ disciples—proclaim His love and live out His love in the world. It’s a life, if we are willing to give ourselves totally to it, that Jesus assures us we will find more valuable than anything we’ve ever experienced before.

Leading people to a fuller life

9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
--John 10:9-10

Imagine for a moment that you have been put in a town carrying a valuable message that will give anyone who knows it a peaceful and satisfying life. Along with this valuable message you have been given a special sense that reveals to you the people who need it. As you walk through the town, the people seem to have pretty normal lives. Most of them have decent jobs. The children in the town enjoy good schools and like to play when their time is free. On the weekends people have friends over or watch football on TV. It seems to be a nice, quiet town. You are shocked, then, to discover that over half the people you encounter trigger your special sense that they are enjoying neither peace nor satisfaction in their lives. They desperately need the message you have.

One problem. People in this town don’t learn very well when you simply try to tell the message to them. They have settled for life as it is now. They don’t have a vision for what life could be. Their best hope for embracing your valuable message is to see you experiencing the peace and satisfaction they could also have.

As a believer in Jesus YOU are the person carrying the valuable lesson! People enter into the abundant life of peace and satisfaction as they become Jesus’ disciples. According to statistics, 60% of your neighbors, co-workers, and friends don’t have a meaningful relationship with Christ. They may know who he is, but they haven’t “entered the gate.” They have a life, just not the abundant, transformed life that Jesus promises through a relationship with him.

I am reading the diary of an American missionary named Frank Laubach right now. Laubach was a missionary to an illiterate Muslim tribe in the Philippines during the 1930s. In his diary, Letters by a Modern Mystic, I have been challenged by his perspective that he had no right to convert Muslims to Christianity unless it led them to a fuller life in God than they had before. Here’s an excerpt from his diary dated 9 March 1930:

“Clearly, clearly, my job is not to go to the town plaza and make proselytes, it is to live wrapped in God, trembling to His thoughts, burning with His passion. And, my loved one, that is the best gift you can give your own town.”

Ultimately what will lead people to a satisfying, life-transforming relationship with Jesus Christ is speaking the message with your life. I invite you to take some time this month to reflect on your life as it is right now. Ask Jesus to refresh your spirit, give you His thoughts, and energize you with His passion. Perhaps you might read through one of the gospels this month and connect more deeply with Jesus and his life. The best gifts we can give our town are lives wrapped in God…lives full of God.

Resolving Life's Riddles

“My mouth shall speak wisdom;
The meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
I will incline my ear to a proverb;
I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.”
--Psalm 49:3-4

What does the increasing persecution of Christians in other countries mean for us in America? As a parent, how should I respond to the apparent loosening of standards on television? Is it possible for a father to make it through his son’s adolescence and keep his sanity? How is it that God still cares for me despite my tendency toward sin and distraction?

These are some of the riddles bouncing around my brain this week. You’ve got riddles of your own . . . some are lofty and philosophical, others are deeply personal. These riddles have the power to tip us off balance—wondering where we stand in life and where we stand with God. It can be an uncomfortable place.

The psalmist points us to the ultimate source for resolving life’s riddles—connection with God. Understanding comes in reflecting on God and God’s Word. Solving life’s riddles occurs “to the music of the harp,”--in my mind, a reference to worship. Our relationship to God brings insight and wisdom to understand life. Connection with God assures us that we are in God’s capable hands. It’s possible (actually quite likely) that there are some riddles in life for which you will never find resolution. In these cases, the psalmist reminds us of the solution of all life’s riddles:

“God will save us from the grave,
He will certainly take me to himself.”
--Psalm 49:15

Our greatest hope lays in our connection to the living God—Jesus Christ. In the hope that Christ brings, we can live with riddles and uncertainties. God promises to receive us regardless of having everything figured out. It is our connection to God that saves us.

What’s a life riddle you have been wrestling with? Why not give God 30 days to bring you some insight. You could, for example, commit to praying about your “riddle” daily for the month of September. Is it possible that there is insight for you in the Bible? Take this month to study the scriptures on the question you have. Be listening during worship.

God is present to nurture you and guide you. And . . . every time the bread is broken and the cup is shared, remember the ultimate solution to life’s riddles—Jesus is Savior to all!

God's Treasure

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
--2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)

The clay jars that the apostle Paul was referring to were fragile and plain-looking. You wouldn’t have chosen one of them to store your treasures in. But they were the “work horse” of Paul’s day…used to carry all sorts of things.

Paul chose this ironic image of storing treasure in plain pots on purpose. He wanted to emphasize the truth that God chooses ordinary, fragile people to do His work…to show His power and love. The fact that God uses us despite our flaws and ordinariness is a sure sign to us and to others of God’s “all-surpassing power.” What we do should leave no doubt in people’s minds that God is real, loving, and powerful.

Our youth mission trips always confirm this to me. These trips consistently put us in situations that look beyond our skill level or out of our comfort zone. Nevertheless, we are able to meaningfully serve the Lord because of His presence and power. Hearing our mission team members tell of how God works through them continues to be some of the most exciting experiences in ministry for me. Our youth get a sense of how God is willing to empower them to serve Him. That’s priceless! They get a sense of their ability to make a difference in the world. That makes faith stick.

These experiences are not reserved for our mission teams. You and I can make a difference right where we live and work by God’s power. God’s vision for the Church is that we do just that. To accomplish this, God has put the treasure of His Holy Spirit in each of us. What our God is calling you to do…you can do it! We have all we need.

I am praying that God will put some opportunities in our path in the next few months that will challenge our skills and take us out of our comfort zone. I invite you to join me in that prayer. And pray for our courage to accept these opportunities. Studies on vigorous, growing churches are consistent in showing that they are churches that reach out and serve their communities. We have this treasure of God’s presence and power. Let’s be ready to show our corner of the world the all surpassing power of God!

The Word on wisdom

Wisdom reposes in the heart of the discerning
and even among fools she lets herself be known.
‐Proverbs 14:33 (NIV)

Here’s some good counsel from kids wise beyond their age:

Patrick, age 10, said, “Never trust a dog to watch your food.”

Michael, 14, said, “When your dad is mad and asks, ‘Do I look stupid?’ don’t answer him.” He backed that up with further wise advice. “Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.”

Kyoyo, age 9, said, “Never hold a Dust Buster and a cat at the same time.”

How did those kids get so wise!

Joking aside, wisdom is a precious commodity in our world today. Raising kids (or grandkids), managing finances, choosing careers, situations at work, decisions about healthcare, the complexity of relationships, even serving a church, require much wisdom. How can we grow in such a valuable character quality?

The Scriptures have a lot to tell us about developing wisdom. In fact, there are a few Old Testament books dedicated to teaching wisdom. In July I will be preaching messages from the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, two of these Old Testament wisdom books. Both of them are attributed to King Solomon, David’s son, who asked God specifically for great wisdom. He learned a lot from his use of God‐given wisdom as well as a few foolish choices he made along the way. We’ll be looking at what he learned as well as what Jesus taught about wise living.

Solomon wrote in Proverbs that a person who develops wisdom will be seen as wise, even among fools. Wise people live in a way that distinguishes them from the crowd. Wisdom helps us live with integrity. Please join us for worship in July as we grow in our understanding of wisdom.

To be great lovers...

“May the Lord cause you to increase and enrich your love for each other and for everyone in the same way as we also love you.”

‐‐1 Thessalonians 3:12 (NIV 1984)

To be great lovers, we need to be great pray‐ers.

If you’ve ever grumbled that people in the church ought to be more loving, the apostle Paul invites you to take your concern to the Lord in prayer. It was his habit to pray for the enrichment and love of the people in the churches he worked with. As the Lord caused an increase in love within the church and for those outside the church, their love strengthened their hearts. In other words, their growing love influenced their behavior, influenced their attitudes, led them to Christ‐honoring decisions, and inspired them to deeper faith (1 Thess 3:13).

Notice that it is the Lord who causes our love to increase and be enriched. If you want people in the church to be more loving, pray for it! If you catch yourself in unloving moments toward others, then pray that the Lord will increase your love. The love that Christ modeled and calls us to has at its source the Lord himself. Praying for the strong and growing love of our church is not solely a job for the pastor or our church leaders. It’s a holy habit we all need to have.

Prayer has been on my mind a lot lately. During the month of June I am preaching a series of sermons on prayer entitled “Whenever You Pray…” based on the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:7‐13. Jesus' Followers saw his habit of praying and begged him "Teach us to pray!" (Luke 11.1). Jesus showed us that prayer was an essential practice for experiencing God's presence and living in God's power. Like those first disciples, there is always more we can learn about prayer.

In that spirit, I also want to invite you to a summer learning experience on prayer. Beginning on Sunday, July 14 I am going to lead a Sunday morning discussion on prayer using the book Space for God by Don Postema. It’s a great resource that will stimulate your prayer life. It’s not a book in a real conventional way…it contains art, poetry, stories for reflection, and each of the nine chapters provides you with some prayer practices to try. I will have a sign‐up sheet and a copy of the book at the back of the sanctuary for you to take a look at. Don’t be concerned if you might miss a week or two because of summer plans. You can use the resources in the book independently of the Sunday
morning discussion with ease.

May we grow in love and prayer this summer!

Only the Creator can recreate humankind

Before technology was really booming (1978) Billy Graham observed that humankind's moral capacities lagged far behind our technological skills and discoveries. Because of that, he said that "the greatest need in the world is to bring about the transformation of human nature." A lot a folks, especially preachers and politicians, have looked to social justice avenues to bring about such transformation. Working for a just society is indeed important, but Billy Graham reminded that there is one central reality:

...there is only one ultimate answer to the need of [humankind] to be changed. Science and technology cannot change [humankind's] basic nature. Economic restructuring cannot change[humankind's] basic nature. No amount of self-improvement or wishful thinking can change [humankind's] basic nature. Only God--the One who created us--can recreate us [through faith in Christ].

(Billy Graham, The Holy Spirit. Dallas: Word, 1978: 74)

My observation is that the social justice ministries of many denominations and congregations lose sight of this central reality.

We're on a mission from God!

“So because of God's mercy, we have work to do. He has given it to us.
And we don't give up.”

--2 Corinthians 4:1 (New International Readers Version)

They were the unlikeliest of God’s servants. Black suits, pork pie hats and RayBan sunglasses. Sister Mary Stigmata (a.k.a. “The Penguin”) had given them a special charge to raise $5000 to save the orphanage they grew up in from the Chicago city tax assessor. Every time Jake and Elwood Blues got a question about what they were up to, they simply responded, “We’re on a mission from God!”

You may recognize the story as the plot of the 1980 comedy film The Blues Brothers. John Belushi and Dan Akroyd had a fictional mission . . . ours is very real. God sent Jesus to us so that the world would experience God’s salvation . . . the WORLD. Christmas celebrates the WORLD receiving a special gift from God. Our very real mission, as recipients of this Special Gift of God’s mercy, is to give our testimony of God’s love and mercy to the world. As the apostle Paul put it in 2 Corinthians, we have work to do given to us by Jesus himself (Matthew 26:19-20; Acts 1:6-8).

There is a current trend in congregational growth and revitalization known as “going missional.” Actually, it is an effort to help congregations return to their Christ-given mission . . . to go out into their world proclaiming, in word and deed, the love of Christ. A book entitled Treasure in Clay Jars: Patterns in Missional Faithfulness defines a missional church as “. . . a church that is shaped by participating in God’s mission, which is to set things right in a broken, sinful world, to redeem it, and to restore it to what God has always intended for the world” (pg. x).

We’re on a mission from God. It’s a great mission if you think about it. What could be more important and satisfying than helping set things right in a broken, sinful world? Allowing ourselves to be shaped by God, both personally and congregationally, is the essence of life as a follower of Jesus Christ. My prayer is that our creative juices will be ever-flowing about new ways to live out our mission in our community.
When people ask us about what’s going on at our church, may our answer always be “We’re on a mission from God.”