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.”

Celebrate God's love

"But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us . . . For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."
--Romans 5:8, 10-11

How are we to respond to God’s love and grace? In the translation of Romans above, the apostle Paul directs Christians to “boast” in God through Jesus Christ. Other translations say “rejoice,” or that “we are happy.” No matter how it’s said, Paul is encouraging Christians to celebrate God’s love.

Celebration, according to Dallas Willard, is one of the most important activities we can do to deepen our relationship with God:

"[Celebration] is the completion of worship, for it dwells on the greatness of God as shown in his goodness to us. We engage in celebration when we enjoy ourselves, our life our world, in conjunction with our faith and confidence in God’s greatness, beauty, and goodness. We concentrate on our life and world as God’s work and as God’s gift to us."

We are invited to celebrate God’s greatness, beauty, goodness, and love. Celebration, however, often eludes us. We live in cynical times. Our relationship to God, because of our sinful nature, is twisted out of shape. The social, psychological, spiritual, and even physical life of humankind is out of order. The consequences are a loss of joy and an absence of celebration.

A conference was held at a Presbyterian church in Omaha. People were given helium-filled balloons and told to release them at some point in the service when they felt like expressing the joy in their hearts. Like many Protestants, these folks didn’t feel free to worship very expressively. All through the service balloons ascended, but when it was over, 1/3 of the balloons were unreleased.

We’ve got to learn to let our balloons go! Get focused on our great God with a love for all times. Unabashedly and enthusiastically celebrate God’s love in worship. Celebrate God’s love for all times in our fellowship with one another by practicing the love and reconciliation that was shown to us.

God’s love for us is a love for all times. Joyfully celebrating God’s love is an antidote to despair and becomes a wellspring for genuine gratitude. God poured his love into our hearts . . . let us pour our hearts out to God . . . celebrating a love for all times.

Life through faith

“[Jesus] was delivered over to death for our sins
and was raised to life for our justification.”
-Romans 4:25 (NIV 1984)

Jesus was determined to get to Jerusalem. As Jesus speaks it is clear that he knows what awaits him when he gets there: betrayal, humiliation and death. Jesus knew it was coming. Jesus knew that it must happen if he was to fulfill what God had set him apart to do.

Jesus also knew that his death was not the end of his mission. The power of God would do something magnificent. Sin’s grip on humankind would be broken by Christ’s sacrifice. Death’s grip on humankind would be broken by Christ’s resurrection! God promised that we would be delivered from the bondage of sin and death. Christ’s resurrection is proof that God has the power to deliver on that promise. This is our hope. These are promises we can hold on to.

Matt Chandler, a pastor and best-selling author, was speaking once to a men’s conference near his hometown. During a break he decided to make the quick drive to visit his old “stomping grounds.” All the visit did was to remind him of the many shady, dark, shameful things he had done before coming to faith in Jesus Christ. His spirit was troubled on the drive back to the conference:

“I was overwhelmed with the guilt and shame of the wickedness that I had done in that city prior to knowing Jesus Christ …. I could hear the whispers in my heart: "You call yourself a man of God? Are you going to stand in front of these guys and tell them to be men of God? After all you've done?"

In the middle of all that guilt and shame, I began to be reminded by the Scriptures that the old Matt Chandler is dead. The Matt Chandler who did those things, the Matt Chandler who sinned in those ways, was nailed to that cross with Jesus Christ, and all of his sins—past, present, and future—were paid for in full on the cross of Jesus Christ. I have been sanctified "once and for all" …. He remembers my sins no more …. And I no longer need to feel shame for those things, because those things have been completely atoned for.”

Chandler’s hope, as is ours, is in the resurrected Christ who restores our soul and gives us life by faith in Him. Faith is living in the full persuasion that God did what he did and will do what he says he will do (Romans 4:21) Easter is our proof! God’s promises are worthy of our complete trust. Life is no better…faith is never stronger than when we live with faith in the promises and power of God.

Why I won't be driving through to get my cross of ashes.

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Church season of Lent. Traditionally Christians receive the mark of the cross on their forehead in ashes from the burnt palms from the previous Palm Sunday. It's meant to make significant statements about our state as followers of Christ. Christians are recognizing their sinfulness and mortality. Christians are also acknowledging their utter dependence on Christ. They are joining Him in the journey to the cross. Lent is the season where Christians reconnect with Christ's call to take up our cross and follow Him. These statements are meant to have great gravity in the life of a Christian. If taken seriously, they have consequences that are rarely convenient.

That's why I won't be driving through any church or or other trendy, convenient location for my cross of ashes. Drive-thru imposition of ashes is getting increasing attention in the media. (Read here, here, and here for a few examples.) The title of the NBC News article alone ought to give one pause, "Lent made easy: Get your 'ashes to go.'" An act meant to impress upon people the gravity of their circumstances and deep need for Christ has been made "easy" for the convenience of Christ's "customers." Can I get a skinny mocha latte with that? Unfortunately it may come to that.

Making this important day and act of discipleship as easy as ordering at the drive-thru of Starbuck's strips Ash Wednesday of its gravity. If I don't take the time to remember and reflect on my sinfulness, mortality, and dependence on Christ, I will drift toward a convenient faith that "ashes to go" promises. On the surface, this seems to be a hip and relevant adaptation of a spiritual practice. But it sends all the wrong messages about the way of faith. I can't afford to take faith that lightly. No one can.

Refreshed and being refreshed

“A generous person will prosper;
Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.”
--Proverbs 11:25 (NIV)

The Secret Santa has been revealed—it's Larry Stewart, a successful businessman from Lee's Summit, Missouri. Prior to the Christmas season of 2006, Stewart announced that he is the Secret Santa who has been anonymously doling out $100 bills to the needy every Christmas for the past 26 years. After years of anonymity, he decided to go public with hopes of inspiring others to become Secret Santas. So how did this practice begin?

In the winter of 1971, Stewart was working as a door-to-door salesman. The company he was working for went out of business, and he quickly ran out of money. Stewart hadn't eaten in two days when he went to Dixie Diner and ordered a breakfast he eventually admitted he couldn't pay for. Ted Horn, the restaurant owner, sympathized with Stewart. He acted as though he found a $20 bill on the floor underneath of Stewart's chair. "Son, you must have dropped this," Horn said.

"It was like a fortune to me," Stewart reflected. "I said to myself, 'Thank you, Lord.' Right then, I just made a promise. I said, 'Lord, if you ever put me in a position to help other people, I will do it.'"

Over the years, Stewart estimates that he has given away around $1.3 million. He says he has been amply rewarded in return. "I see the smiles and looks of hopelessness turn to looks of hope in an instant," he says. "After all, isn't that what we're put here on earth for—to help one another?" (1)

Stewart has been living the biblical principle of generosity. He has enjoyed the fruit of its promise. Giving of oneself leads to a generous outpouring in return. Whether it is generosity with one’s resources or being generous with a refreshing word, scripture assures us that we will experience abundant blessing in return.

Refreshing others is also a way we proclaim God’s favor and work for justice in the world. Jesus taught that the loving God wholeheartedly and loving our neighbor characterize the way of living that leads to true life (Luke 10:25-37).

God is our source of life and love. God has given to us generously. We have been called to refresh others with the resources God has given us.

Refresh us, O Lord! Grow in us Your love for all people so that we may fulfill your calling. May we be conscious of the opportunities to refresh others as they present themselves. We look to You for love, strength and generosity. Amen.

(1)Nanci Hellmich, "Santa Shares His Secret," USA Today (12-22-06).

What holds us captive?

Luke 4.14-21

At our Wednesday night Bible study we wrestled with the question, "In what ways may we be captives?"

Looking at the big picture, we are confined to a broken world. As long as we live, we live with the consequences of this broken world. Sin can captivate us, with destructive consequences. Grief can hold us captive. We can be confined by financial problems or legal problems. We can find ourselves in relationships or work situations that are confining. We can be oppressed by the consequences of illness. We can be prisoners of loneliness or depression. I have heard people describe the sense of imprisonment that comes with alcohol or drug addiction. If we are not careful we can make ourselves captive to the enticements of wealth or status or power.

Whether we are held captive by the consequences of living in a broken world or by a prison of our own making, we are captives who need release. Each and every one of us needs to experience God's favor. We need God to act!

Thanks be to God for his action. In Jesus Christ we can know the liberty and release God has promised. In Jesus, God forgives all debts owed to Him. In Jesus, God sets us free from the dark powers of sin and self that bind us. In Jesus, God gives to you and I the inheritance of eternal life as God's children.

We Live, God Helping Us!

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5, NIV)

“How can I grow in faith?” For we who follow Christ, it’s a challenging question. I don’t think many of us are completely satisfied with the strength of our faith. You may think Jesus’ original disciples are the ultimate examples of faithful people. But it’s clear that even they recognized their faith needed to grow. We’re in good company!

Those first followers of Jesus rightly understood that Jesus is the source of our faith. That’s good news! The life of faith is hard. You and I can’t live this life of faith without the Lord’s help. With the Lord’s help we have extraordinary power to face the distress, disease, and disorder that we encounter in life. With the Lord’s help we have the extraordinary power to put blessing, wealth, and the goodness of life in perspective. With the Lord’s help we have extraordinary power to accomplish things not possible by our own strength.

While staying alone in her convent, an 85-year-old Catholic nun got trapped inside a broken elevator for four nights and three days. She tried pushing the inside elevator door, but the electricity went off. She had her cell phone with her, but there wasn't a signal. Fortunately, she had carried a jar of water, some celery sticks, and a few cough drops into the elevator.

At first she said to herself, "This can't happen!" But then she decided to turn her elevator into a personal prayer retreat. "It was either panic or pray," she later told an interviewer for CNN. She started viewing the experience as a "gift." "I believe that God's presence was my strength and my joy—really," she said. "I felt God's presence almost immediately. I felt like he provided the opportunity for a closer relationship." (1)

When the Church commissions pastors, teachers, or missionaries, a part of the commissioning liturgy frequently includes “Questions of Commitment.” Each person is asked to commit to their mission through responding to several statements by saying, “I will, God helping me.” This is a response every Christian could make every day, for every circumstance, and for every task: “I will do it, God helping me.” Perhaps this declaration captures the essence of living by faith: “I live, God helping me!”

The New Year is often a time when we reflect on our lives and make plans to better ourselves. This year make it a daily practice to ask the Lord to increase your faith. You and I cannot live fruitfully as Jesus’ disciples by the strength of our own will. We live only by God helping us.

(1) Jenny Wilson, "Nun Stuck in Elevator Survives Four Nights on Celery Sticks, Water and Cough Drops," Time.com (4-28-11)

Jesus is coming...invite Him in!

The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will over shadow
you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called the Son of God. . . . For nothing is impossible
with God.”

Then Mary said, “Here I am, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Luke 1:35, 37‐8

Standing in the checkout line at the local grocery store one year I noticed the cover of a national tabloid, “Christ will Return on Xmas Day!” According to the tabloid, visions of John the Baptist are signaling Christ’s return on Christmas Day. I don’t put any stock in these tabloid articles . . . but what if? Jesus Christ could come at any moment . . . what if this Christmas is THE day? Would you be ready to welcome him?

Christ’s return on Christmas day this year would be as unexpected as the news Mary received that God would come into our world as a baby boy she would bear. As shocking and unexpected as that news was, Mary invited God’s miraculous presence into her life. “Let it be with me according to your word.” She was willing to let God’s presence touch her. She was willing to go where God would lead her. The consequences and implications of her pregnancy weren’t fully known. But the Lord was with her, and she invited the Lord to work in her life. She said, “Yes!” to God’s
presence and plan.

Will you invite the miracle of God’s presence into every aspect of your life this Christmas season? Christian author and teacher Richard Foster observes that God will not enter into many areas of our life uninvited. The initiative to bring God’s presence into your world rests squarely on your shoulders. So invite God into every experience of life. Foster writes:

“We invite God to set our spirit free for worship and adoration. We invite God to animate our . . .singing and praying. We invite God to heal our bodies. We invite God to inform our minds with creative ideas for our business enterprises. We invite God to touch broken relationships and resolve conflicts at work or home. We invite god to make our homes holy places of worship and study and play and love. We invite . . . we invite.”

Our Lord Jesus is coming on Christmas Day! The Lord who saves is coming. The Lord who builds up is coming. The Lord who restores is coming. Invite the miracle of God’s presence into your life this Christmas!

Peace and prayers!
Randy

Book Review: Step-By-Step along the path to spiritual maturity

Since humankind has sought connection with God we have looked for ways to describe the process of spiritual maturity. The Old Testament used wandering in the wilderness. Jesus talked about taking up one's cross. The apostle Paul often used the metaphor of athletes training for a race. In The Walk, former NFL running back Shaun Alexander (with help from Joe Hilley)uses the metaphor of walking with God as a framework for describing the process of spiritual growth.

Shaun Alexander - The Walk from waterbrook multnomah on Vimeo.

Alexander's book is definitely a pleasant read. As you might expect, he tells many stories from his life in football. They are well told, and always helpfully illustrate his points. Alexander also has a knack for defining theological terms in clear, simple language. I found him to display good insight into the human condition.

If there is a drawback to this book it is that Alexander seeks to make one's walk with God a simple and clear process. He describes a five stage process to the spiritual walk. He suggests that each stage must be experienced in order. According to Alexander, Christians further along in the walk are best suited to mentor those who are two stages behind them. Although there is much helpful insight given for each stage of the walk, the progress to spiritual maturity is rarely this linear. The stages themselves seem forced to me and I found it difficult to get past that as the book progressed.

The Walk by Shaun Alexander (Chapter 1)

I recommend The Walk with reservations. I think it could be a helpful group study book for a men's ministry and a good gift book for a Christian sports fan.

NOTE: I received a copy of the book free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review through their Blogging for Books program.

Clearing the air most important in building peace

Trappist monk Thomas Merton is one of my mentors in writing. I'm reading through his book The Nonviolent Alternative on Thursday mornings as part of my daily worship/devotional time. As I read this morning my thoughts turned to our recent Lockhart ISD School Board election. The process was contentious. Now that it has been resolved through the election process, how will these men and women create an environment that will help them move forward? Merton suggests this in his essay "The Christian in World Crisis" from The Nonviolent Alternative (New York: Farrar Straus Giroux, 1980):

"One of our most important tasks today is to clear the atmosphere so that [people] can understand their plight without hatred, without fury, without desperation, and with the minimum of good will. A humble and objective seriousness in necessary for the long task of restoring mutual confidence and preparing the way for the necessary work of collaboration in building...peace." (23)

My prayer is for clear air and good will in the months to come for the sake of our school board and the children and youth of our community.

Pockets of Resistance

Mark 12:1-12

My wife works at the school district child care facility. She has been working primarily with two year olds. The other day she came home and said to me, “Those kids only know one word.” I took a guess: “Why?” Ronda shook her head: “All they say is ‘no’ or ‘I don’t wanna.’” Already at two we are learning the language of resistance. As teenagers, we rebel as a prelude to living on our own. In our first jobs we think we know more than our bosses. We often think we know more than our spouses. No matter how old we get we resist advice from our parents. Rebellion is deeply ingrained in us.

There remain pockets of resistance in my life, just as there are in each of our lives. If we are honest with ourselves, we can find thoughts, attitudes, and actions where we are failing to give God his due. There are places in our lives where we simply say “no” or “I don’t wanna” to God’s call to get right with him. This is the reality of humankind’s relationship with God from the earliest of times.

Think for a moment. Why would Mark preserve this story about Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish leaders? At the time it was written most of those leaders were dead. The early Christian church had been firmly established. What is the message to Christ’s disciples? Could it be that Mark wants us to be conscious of our continuing tendency to rebel?

Jesus challenges each of us to examine our own hearts for pockets of resistance. Where in our lives are we resisting God’s generosity and grace? Where are we saying “no” or “I don’t wanna” to God’s wishes or God’s plan? I invite you to pause for a moment and prayerfully reflect on possible pockets of resistance to God in your life. If the Lord reveals some areas, make note of them. Through the coming week, take time to pray about these things, asking God’s help in breaking down your resistance in these areas of your life.

God's Crazy Mercy

Mark 12:1-12

The drama of our rebellion is recounted by Jesus in the Parable of the Wicked Tenants. Jesus’ authority for teaching and healing had been challenged by the leaders of the Jews. More and more Jesus had confronted their injustices and hypocrisy. At the time he is telling this story he has entered Jerusalem to the shouts of people’s praise for what will be the last week of his life. The Jewish leaders are jealous and don’t appreciate the disruption of their orderly observance of their most important religious holiday…Passover.

So Jesus tells the parable of the Wicked Vineyard Tenant Farmers who treat the owners slaves horribly and won’t give the owner his due. Their rebellion is so great that they are willing to kill the owner’s son in a futile attempt to gain the vineyard for themselves. All this is because they are unwilling to give the owner his due.

Jesus’ use of the vineyard for this story he told to the Chief priests and temple leaders was very intentional. Several times in the Jewish scriptures we call the Old Testament, the people of Israel were refered to as a vineyard. The Jewish leaders would have made that connection immediately. The wicked tenants of the story were God’s people, who over and over again, rejected God’s prophets who called God’s people to give God his due. The prophets, God’s servants, called God’s people to be faithful to God as God had been so graciously generous and faithful to them. In spite of God’s patience with us, rarely has God been given his due.

Are you ever blown away by the patience of God? In the parable, the owner looks incompetent, doesn’t he? Sending servant after servant to be reconciled with his tenants…each one treated horribly, some killed. Then to send his son…believing that he would get a different response? What are you called when you keep doing the same thing, expecting different results? That’s right…crazy! Let’s be grateful for a God of crazy mercy, who never tires in efforts to redeem us…to bring us back into a right relationship with him.

We are a rebellious lot

Mark 12.1-12

It was a beautiful, warm spring day in Sioux Falls, SD. I was sitting on the plaza outside my dorm at Augustana College reading the Sunday paper. Many of my fellow students were walking to worship on campus or were leaving in cars for worship services around town. That had not been my habit for several months. In fact, I hadn’t really had much to do with God or the things of God for several months. I had done what many young men and women do after high school. I had checked out of the whole church, following Jesus thing. I was enjoying freedom and not giving God his due. I was having a revolt against the God and the faith I grew up with.

As I sat there reading the paper, a great sense of conviction came over me. Something had been missing from my life and it had been showing. I knew it. I knew why. I had been in rebellion from the One who gave my life grounding and focus. At that moment, I set my paper down, walked to my car, and drove to St. Mark’s Lutheran Church. That day I met a man who would become an important mentor in my life, Gary Schwerin. In God’s grace, when I ended my rebellion, God had someone waiting in the wings to help me get back on track. It was one of the most important moments in my faith journey.

I mentioned earlier that my story is typical of many people in the years following high school. Recent research by the Barna Group, a social research company that focuses on religious beliefs and practices, shows that 59 percent of 18- to 29-year olds with a Christian background drop out of attending church, after attending regularly. Almost 40 percent say they have gone through a time when they significantly doubted their faith. (Kinnaman, David. You Lost Me. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011).

Dropping out is not the only kind of rebellion. Last weekend several of our youth group members went to a great youth event called Planet Wisdom. This year’s theme was focused on the importance of the Bible to one’s faith. One of the speakers introduced us to the work of Michael Novelli. Novelli stepped back and looked at the Bible from a broad perspective and identified seven movements in the story of God and God’s relationship with humankind. At creation, people and God enjoyed a close relationship. But you only have to go three chapters into Genesis before that close relationship is disrupted by human rebellion. And from that time on, the Bible tells of the story of God’s great love for us, God’s mission to redeem us, and God’s patience with us as we continue to rebel by going our own way and doing our own thing.