The Joy of the Lord is Our Strength (includes retreat download)

Joy 3-Hour Retreat download here.

Then [Nehemiah] said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.” (Nehemiah 8:10)

I have been told that the joy of the Lord is my strength since I was a small boy. I wanted to be a strong and faithful person then…and I still do. One problem—no one ever explained what joy was and how one received it! I might even have it and not know it! Joy is a Christian term we toss around a lot but rarely gets clearly defined.

The joy that that Israelites experienced in Nehemiah’s day was based on getting reacquainted with God’s law. The people of Israel had been in exile for decades and God’s Law had been lost. They returned from exile to Jerusalem, a ruined city. During reconstruction, the scrolls of the Law were found. A large gathering was arranged for the Law to be read to the people again. Priests were secured who would help the people understand what they heard. The result was a collective repentance and grieving that they had strayed so far from God’s law. Nehemiah, Ezra, and other leaders encouraged the people to celebrate rather than grieve. They were taking big steps to live rightly in their relationship with God. As they rejoiced in the rebuilding of Jerusalem, they could also rejoice in the rebuilding of their relationship with God. The peace, stability and comfort that came from living rightly with God is the essence of the joy that would strengthen them.

The joy of the Israelites is just one facet of biblical joy. There is joy that comes with experiencing God’s salvation (Acts 16:16-40; Psalm 51:10-12). Joy springs from the help and mercy we receive from God (Psalm 28:6-7). Jesus taught and guided his disciples so they might experience complete joy (John 15:16; John 17:13). Joy is even possible when God corrects us (Job 5:17)! Ultimately, biblical joy is not an emotion but a state of being.

Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power in our lives. Joy is also a product of our willingness to live in sync with Jesus’ commandments. May our joy increase as we strengthen our faith in worship and reflection this month!

Joy 3-Hour Retreat download here.

3-Hour Rest Stop: Rest

Rest Retreat Download

Rest Like Jesus

“News about Jesus kept spreading. Large crowds came to listen to him teach and to be healed of their diseases. But Jesus would often go to some place where he could be alone and pray.” (Luke 5:15-16, CEV)

In my seminary training it was impressed upon me the pastor’s need for rest and retreat. Professors warned us that ministry was demanding on every facet of life. It impacted our relationships with family, friends and neighbors. Henri Nouwen, a wise writer and spiritual guide, said that to be with people well, one needs times of rest and solitude. The wisdom of these voices has stayed with me. Then there is the example of Jesus…

Jesus was an observant Jew. The rhythms of Jewish life were his rhythms. Jesus kept the Sabbath in its true spirit. But, as the scripture above shows, Jesus took other times of rest as he needed and he taught his disciples to do the same. The demands of his life moved him to seek times of rest and prayer.

On a recent personal retreat day of my own I recognized how much others would be helped by retreat time if they could take it. Each of you has a demanding life and you are feeling its effects. Fatigue, anxiety, cynicism, and dangerous levels of stress can be the consequences. With little rest, our lives become physically, emotionally, and spiritually unhealthy.

We all need rest stops along the journey of life. I want to invite you to a time of retreat this month and months into the future. There is a link at the end of this column that will connect you to a rest-themed retreat you can do in three hours. Look at your calendar and identify a three-hour chunk of time where you can get away to read, rest, reflect and pray. Make time for it! Perhaps you could retreat by simply sitting on your back porch away from your phone or computer. Your spouse could take the kids out for a few hours so you can have the place to yourself. Find a picnic table in a quiet park or grab a seat in your favorite coffee shop during off-peak hours. There are a lot of possibilities! I think the time is most helpful when you are where you won’t be disturbed by others or distracted by text messages and social media accounts.

On Tuesday, April 25 we will hold a pot luck supper in the basement Fellowship Hall of Gower Christian Church at 6:30 PM to talk about what you learned and experienced. Each month there will be a new retreat guide based on the theme of the monthly pastor’s column “For Our Common Journey.” If something grabs you, give me a call and we’ll talk!

Jesus invites his disciples to pause on their journey to go away with him for rest and prayer. His invitation still stands. Give it a try, won’t you?

3-Hour Rest Retreat Download

Steep your life in God

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” (Matthew 6:30-34, The Message)

That word “steep” immediately conjures up, in my mind, making a cup of tea. To make a proper cup of tea, you pour the hot water over the leaves or the tea bag. And then you let the hot water do its work. The heat and the currents and eddies that are created by the slight variations in the temperature of the water serve to bring out the very best flavor the tea has to offer. After about five minutes of steeping the tea and the water have achieved a lovely balance of flavor and warmth. The dry tea, by itself, isn't much. But when surrounded and infused by the hot water, it becomes quite extraordinary.

So it is with our lives. When we give God our entire attention, when we turn over the security and cares and worry of our lives over to God, surround ourselves with God, if you will, then we'll find that our needs are met and our concerns are addressed. When we let God's presence surround us and permeate our lives, God draws out of the very best...our lives achieve a beautiful balance.

How do we steep our lives in God? I think it looks a little different for each person. Worship allows us to express our love for God and hear the Good News of our Savior Jesus Christ. Worship is also the place where we are reminded of the ways God has been taking care of us…we are reminded of God's faithfulness to us. Reading the Bible and regular times of prayer can help God's presence infuse our lives with hope and confidence. Fellowship and serving together make God's presence known in our lives and in the lives of others. One other powerful “steeping” practice is simply paying attention to how God has provided for you in the past. Keep track of God's gracious giving and respond with thanksgiving.

Jesus is offering us a choice…not a hard one to make...but a hard one to live out. Will we live our lives enveloped by worry or let our lives be surrounded and steeped in God? God created us...God loves us...God knows what you and I need. May you and I live conscious of God's gracious giving and steep our lives in God's presence!

Taste the good life

“But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9, English Standard Version)

One Sunday, as a church prepared to receive the Lord's Supper, the pastor was talking about communion during the Children’s Sermon. He told the kids the Bible talks about Holy Communion being a "joyful feast". Then he asked: "What does that mean? Well, "joyful" means happy, right? And a feast is a meal, right? So a "joyful feast" is a Happy, Meal. And what are the three things we need for a happy meal?"

He never got to finish the Children's Sermon because one little boy sitting in front hollered out, "Hamburger, fries, and a regular soft drink?"

There is much in our experience of the Lord’s Supper that should make us happy!

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus, the very essence and reflection of God, came to us as a human being, so that by the grace of God, he might taste death for everyone. The Lord’s Supper is a taste of the good life of grace.

The Greek word that is translated as “taste” is a figurative word. It means literally, “come to know.” So a rewording of the verse would be “so that by the grace of God, Jesus might come to know death for everyone.” Jesus came to know death so that we would not have to taste death ourselves. That is, because of Jesus’ willingness to suffer on the cross, we do not have to suffer the consequences of our sin. Jesus removed that cross from us by going to the cross himself. We get to taste the good life of grace because of Jesus’ sacrifice.

Because Jesus tasted death for us we can live the good life of freedom!

• We can be free from the guilt and shame of our past mistakes.

• We can be free from the discouraging sense that we are unloved.

• We can be free from the cynicism that grips so many because we have an assurance that God is present and ultimately in control.

• We can be free from our fears about the future because we have tasted the life of hope that assures us of a never-ending relationship with the Lord.

Jesus tasted death . . . came to know death . . . by God’s grace so that we would not have to taste the power of death in our own lives. Jesus tasted death so that we might come to know the good life of freedom, no longer weighed down by guilt or shame. Jesus tasted death so that we would have the good life of hope based on Christ’s presence with us now and an assurance that we will never, ever be separated from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

The taste of communion is tasting the good life Christ our brother gave us though his suffering, death, and his glorious resurrection. That makes our communion meal a happy one! Come to worship for your taste of the good life!

More power!

“…confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16, English Standard Version)

Power…it’s always a big concern of ours. We look for power in our new cars. We want more power in our laundry detergent. We choose our computers based on speed and power. Some of us are looking for more powerful painkillers! We believe more power means greater control over our lives. Nothing is more peaceful, more satisfying, more encouraging than when you feel like you have life under control.

You know what? God is interested in putting power in our lives as well. Prayer is essential for putting power in your life. James the Elder assures us that the prayers of a righteous person are powerful. God responds powerfully to our prayers.

When we practice prayer, we discover new power in our own lives. We also discover the power to positively affect the lives of other people. James encourages church leaders to gather for prayer for the sick. He encourages people to ask for healing and forgiveness of their sin. James encourages us to support one another in prayer…all the while looking to the Lord for his certain response.

Do we trust God with our lives?

Do we truly believe that our prayers are powerful and effective?

Do we only give lip service to the importance of prayer, allowing no real time for it because of our busy lives?

Frank Laubauch went with his wife to the Philippine Islands as a missionary. At one point he began working on the island of Mindanao with the Muslim Moros, who regarded Christian Filipinos as their enemies. Laubauch, however, went with a heart filled with the presence of God. He sought only to live among them, not trying to coerce them into Christianity, but living each moment with a sense of God’s presence.

It is estimated through his educational efforts he was responsible for teaching one-half of the 90,000 people in that area to read and write. More than that, he brought thousands of people to a richer experience of God.

Laubauch attributed his tremendous impact, and the meeting of his needs and those of his wife, directly to the practice of prayer. He wrote these words in his diary, published as Letters by a Modern Mystic:

“To be able to look backward and say, ‘This, this has been the finest year of my life’—that is glorious!

But anticipation!

To be able to look ahead and say, ‘The present year can and shall be better!’—that is more glorious!

I have done nothing but open windows—God has done the rest.

My part is to live in this hour in continuous inner conversation with God and in perfect responsiveness to his will.”

Do you hear in his reflection that sense that he is experiencing the peace, power and control in his life that only God can give? This is what we gain when prayer is a regular part of our daily lives. Have you taken time to pray today?

The search for life

“I live because of the living Father who sent me; in the same way, anyone who feeds on me will live because of me. I am the true bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will not die as your ancestors did (even though they ate the manna) but will live forever.”

He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. (John 6:57-59, New Living Translation)

The recent discovery of an earth-like planet far enough from its star to support life has renewed talk about discovering life on other planets. Did you know you can help in the search for extraterrestrial life? The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) is a huge scientific research project searching for intelligent life on other planets. You join the SETI search for life by downloading their special software. When you are not using your computer, it will be searching their radio telescope listening data for radio patterns that are signs of life on other planets. Your computer could be the one that finds life on other planets! How cool is that!

If you think about it for a moment, we are all on a search for life. Every person is seeking to live the elusive “good” life. That’s the case in the scripture you read above. Jesus had just miraculously fed a crowd of over 5000 people. The crowd that was following him was quite a diverse collection: old and young, poor and rich, scholarly and common, both open and closed to Jesus. . . but all were searching for life.

Jesus told them that he was the Bread of Heaven sent down by God to give them life. In essence Jesus said, “Don’t think of me like the bread you eat that sustains you for a little while, but doesn’t have the power to stave off death. Instead, know that if you partake in me, your life will never end.” Jesus told them further that his words came from God and that they gave life.

He proclaimed to them good news for their search for life. John, the writer of this Gospel proclaims it to us as well. Jesus is the promised Savior sent by God, in fact sharing the very essence of God. The deliverance all people are longing for has been accomplished through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Bread of Heaven that has come to nourish our souls and lead us into eternal life . . . the good life.

As a church, our goal is to help everyone come to believe and know that Jesus Christ is the Holy One of God. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God and that his words give life. The Christian Education ministry of our congregation is important because, in learning God’s Word, we are pointed toward a life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s important also because of our life in this moment. . . God’s Word enriches us with wisdom and guidance for life in the here and now. We’re given an opportunity to choose the direction we will search for the true and good life . . . will it be out somewhere in the world or the stars, or will we search in the life-giving words of Jesus?

What's your gut reaction?

When Jesus came ashore, he saw a large crowd. He felt deep concern for them. They were like sheep
without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things...

He went into the villages, the towns and the countryside. Everywhere he went, the people brought the
sick to the market places. Those who were sick begged him to let them touch just the edge of his
clothes. And all who touched him were healed. (Mark 6:34, 56 New Reader’s International Version)

Have you ever reacted to something so deeply that your skin crawled or the pit of your stomach got queasy? I’ll tell you when that happens to me. A kid will come to youth group with some obvious injury—wearing a cast or both knees scraped up and they’ll tell me what happened:

“Well, Pastor Randy, I was skateboarding on the street and I was gonna jump the curb, but I didn’t get
high enough so the skateboard stopped and I didn’t and I landed on my knees.”

So my brain adds the sensation of concrete scraping the skin off of MY knees to the story . . . and my guts react like it happened to me.

If you can relate to that kind of gut reaction, than you can understand the experience Jesus had that day. Jesus, seeing the needs of the people around him, has a gut reaction of concern for them. He responds by teaching and healing . . . meeting the needs of the crowd that had gathered. Jesus, our great Teacher, showed us by his example, what true spiritual leadership looks like. It’s an important example to pay attention to as we live into our calling to make an impact for the kingdom of God in our community and as we continue to work out what it means to be a caring and fruitful family of faith.

Often times when we are confronted with people in need we are hindered by a sense of inability. I find that happening when I encounter a situation where the need is great or when I don’t believe I have the resources to meet the need. Productivity expert David Allen has some important advice for moments like this—pick a next action. You may not be able to resolve the situation completely…you may not have all the resources necessary to provide complete assistance…but you can take an action that begins the process of meaningfully meeting the need. Jesus’ heart was broken by deep concern for others. He took action to meet their need. We have no better role model than him! Consider these questions to inspire your next compassionate action:

• What person in your life have you felt deep concern for? What situation in our community have you strongly reacted to? What “breaks your heart?”
• What’s the next action YOU can take to address that need or situation?

May you be blessed and be a blessing this month!

What do you want Jesus to do for you?

Then Jesus said to [Bartimaeus, a blind beggar], “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” 52Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way. (Mark 10:50-52, NRSV)

I ran across the movie, “Soul Surfer,” on TV the other day. You may remember that “Soul Surfer” is the story of Bethany Hamilton. She's a world-class surfer. As a teenager, Bethany was surfing near her home in Hawaii, and a 14-foot tiger shark attacked her, bit through her surfboard, and then bit her left arm off. Since then, her response to the tragedy has made Bethany a worldwide inspiration.

Besides being an awesome surfer, Bethany is also an awesome Christian. Her pastor said, "I think she's always had a heart for God. I have the feeling that the experience she's gone through has brought this out even more. She had that faith and that hope all along, but it seems to have increased." Bethany has experienced full healing…body, mind, and spirit.

What's necessary for this kind of healing to happen? Basically two things: it takes the power of Jesus and the presence of faith. The power of Jesus is always present. Faith is what we bring to the table -- to trust Christ to be true to his promises. Faith takes persistence in prayer and in the walk of faith. Sometimes it takes a while to heal. The important thing is to stay in the partnership. Jesus wants to partner with us -- his grace and power, our faith and trust -- to make us whole again.

When Jesus healed Bartimaeus, the Gospel says he "followed Jesus along the road" (Mark 10:52). That isn't an accidental choice of words. Bartimaeus not only became a sighted person that day; he became a disciple of Jesus. The story’s focus is on Bartimaeus seeking, calling out for Jesus, then his response to the question, and then his action following the healing. The point isn't about the healing; it's about the following.

We come before God with many needs, many hurts, many wounds, many illnesses, and many anxieties. But there's only one Healer. And ultimately, there's only one healing. We find that healing not by focusing on our problems, but by getting lost in the wonder of the Healer. Christ the Healer is faithful; he's powerful; he has a desire to make us well. He's with you wherever you are, and he asks you the question, "What do you want me to do for you?" How will you respond in faith? How will you pray?

Thrive on Jesus

“Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:5 (New Living Translation)

There is the story of a newspaper reporter who went to interview a successful entrepreneur. "How did you do it?" he asked. "How did you make all this money?"

"I'm glad you asked," the entrepreneur replied. "Actually, it's a rather wonderful story. You see, when my wife and I married, we started out with a roof over our heads, some food in our pantry, and five cents between us. I took that nickel, went down to the grocery store, bought an apple, and shined it up. Then I sold it for ten cents."

"What did you do then?" the reporter asked.

"Well," he said, "then I bought two more apples, shined them up, and sold them for twenty cents." The reporter thought this would be a great human interest story.

"Then what?" the reporter asked excitedly.

"Then my mother-in-law died and left us $20 million," the businessman said. That man prospered, not because of his own ingenuity, but because he was connected.

We enjoy the wealth of God’s blessings because we are connected through Christ. Jesus uses the word picture of a vine and its branches to help people understand that our lives thrive on a relationship with him. Jesus Christ is the vigorous rootstock that brings life to the branches, that is, to those who follow Him and the church they form.

Jesus is the source of our power and life. We often try to live life without availing ourselves of life’s central source of power and purpose—Jesus Christ. When we try to live like that, we run out of gas.

The good news is that when Jesus has taken up residence in our hearts, we are empowered to live fruit-bearing lives. We will be out of gas. If we take steps to stay connected to Christ…if we let Jesus’ teaching, Jesus’ way of living, Jesus’ way of loving become our ways…we are able to thrive in life because we do not live on our own power, but on the power of the resurrected Christ!

We live in particularly challenging days. Our over-committed, over-extended, stressed out lives are sapping our energy and joy. I see it others and I see it in myself. You and I need the connection to Jesus that can only come when we are willing to let Jesus take up residence in our lives:

• Take up residence in our hearts by worshipping Him;
• Take residence in our hearts through prayer;
• Take up residence in our hearts by learning the scriptures;
• Take up residence in our hearts through fellowship and the sharing of mutual love together;
• Take up residence in our hearts through sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others.

Our lives can thrive on Jesus because Jesus will give us the power to live in the way he has called us. We thrive on Jesus because apart from him we have no life . . . we fail to thrive.

Millenials seek what we all seek in the Church

There was good news for more traditional congregations in a recent edition of Relevant Magazine. Relevant’s audience is the generation known as the Millenials. Researchers and commentators use birth years ranging from the early 1980s to the early 2000s to identify the Millenial generation…that is those who are teenagers now up to people in their mid-30s. That’s an important group to consider for churches who want grow and make a difference in the years to come.

Here’s the good news about millenials for us more traditional congregations. Recent research from the Barna Group and Cornerstone Knowledge Network has found that in reality, 67% of millienials say a quiet church is more ideal than a loud one; 67% say classic is more ideal than trendy; 77% would chose a sanctuary over an auditorium. As Dr. Clint Jenkin explained in the research, “Most millennials don’t look for a church facility that caters to the whims of pop culture. They want a community that calls them to deeper meaning.”

Rachel Held Evans, a theologian, church futurist, and a member of the Millenial generation, said this in her Relevant Magazine interview:

“But I think as soon as [church] crosses over into sort of this consumerism—like church is a show that we go to and either approve of or disapprove of and then leave—as soon as it becomes this show that we put on to try and keep people there instead of go out and make disciples and serve the community, that’s where I see it getting a little problematic.”

The Millenial Generation is looking for a church community that calls them to deeper meaning, to making disciples and to making the world different. The good news for more traditional congregations is that our sanctuary, our music, and our worship style aren’t really barriers to having Millenials as active participants in the life of our church. I think there is more good news here for us, because I believe deep down this is what we are all seeking…to discover deeper meaning in our lives, to love and serve God and our neighbors, and to make the world a different and better place.

I think that’s what we all want.

God give us what we need to live right

(This is the homily I preached for the Lockhart Ministerial Alliance Holy Week service on April 1, 2015 on the theme, “Love the Lord Your God.”)

At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant my father David, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you; and you have kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne today. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David, although I am only a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, so numerous they cannot be numbered or counted. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this.

--1 Kings 3:5-10, NRSV

Since the subject of the scripture text is wisdom, I thought I would share a few nuggets of wisdom from the mind of a popular contemporary source…Larry the Cable Guy:

• A day without sunshine is like night.
• He who laughs last thinks slowest.
• A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
• Light travels faster than sound. That's why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

Larry the Cable Guy’s wisdom is probably not that useful for living well, but laughter is always good for the soul. Living well and what is good for our souls is what our theme for these Holy Week Services is all about. God gave the Israelites the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength,” so that God’s people would live well and live in right relationship with the Lord. Jesus reinforced the importance of this covenant principle by teaching it as God’s primary commandment. When God’s people love God wholeheartedly, they enjoy God’s favor, care, and protection.

As followers of Jesus, I think we are interested in loving God wholeheartedly. You and I want to live as members of the kingdom of God. In a recent blog post, Pastor Mark Altrogge reflected on his 30 years of ministry. One of his insights was that God’s people want to please God. He used to think that he had to convince people to obey Jesus against their wills. His understanding shifted to seeing that Christians deep down want to please Jesus, obey him, and worship him.

This is Solomon’s concern in today’s text. He wants to lead the Kingdom of Israel righteously. Solomon recognized that, in becoming king, God was honoring the promise…the covenant…that God made with his father King David. Solomon also recognized that he needed to live up to his end of the covenant by living and governing righteously. And so Solomon asks God to shape his mind in such a way that he would be the wise and righteous king God called him to be. Solomon asked God for what he needed to live up to his end of the covenant.

In the Last Week of Jesus’ life, he held the traditional Passover meal with his disciples. He shared the Passover cup of wine with them and told them that it represented the blood of a new covenant with God. Through it, people would experience forgiveness of sins. Living rightly with God was now based on our love of Jesus. The covenant sacrifice was made, the debt of sin was paid, by Christ’s death on the cross. Once, and for all time, through Jesus, by God’s grace, God provided the way for our redemption and eternal life.

God gives us what we need to live in a right relationship with him. The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2 that when we give ourselves over to God, as we ask God for transformation, our minds are renewed. Our thinking is shaped by God to what is good and pleasing to God. Paul wrote to Christians in Galatia that the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of Christ’s presence within us, is love and faith (Galatians 5:22-25). It is Christ’s Spirit that grows our love and strengthens our faith. It’s Good News that God gives us what we need to live rightly with God. Solomon’s experience assures us that when we ask for what we need to live up to our end of the covenant… when we ask for what we need to love him wholeheartedly…God is pleased to give us what we need.

It is good for us to be here...

Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here…” (Matthew 17:1-4)

In his book, This Sunrise of Wonder, Michael Mayne writes this to his grandchildren: “If I could have waved a fairy grandfather’s wand at your birth and wished upon you just one gift it would not have been beauty or riches or a long life: It would have been the gift of wonder.”(1) He goes on to suggest that they set their sights not on success, but wonder. They should live with a sense of awe. Perhaps that is what Jesus is trying to help his disciples experience by giving them a glimpse of his glory. Jesus is trying to give the disciples the gift of wonder, a sense of awe.

In the Bible story above, notice what Jesus did to help create the experience of the Transfiguration for his disciples. Jesus took Peter, James and John away by themselves. Jesus set them apart to focus their attention on what God would reveal to them. On that holy ground they were given a glimpse of Jesus’ majesty and they heard the testimony of God Himself of who Jesus was. Peter, in his excitement, exclaimed: “Lord, it is good for us to be here!” I think that was an understatement!

Jesus is God’s Son, who reveals the character and the ways of God. God urges us to pay attention to him. God is willing to reveal who Jesus is to us. Worship is one of the primary experiences God has put in our path to see and hear who Jesus is. Worship is a set apart time where God calls us to be with Jesus…to see him and to listen to him.

One of the temptations of our spiritual journey is to take our opportunities to see and hear Jesus too lightly. Worship can start feeling too familiar, too rote. We lose that sense of being set apart…we lose that anticipation that we are coming to meet Jesus and to express to Him our love and our need for him. We lose that sense of “It is good for us to be here.” When you take opportunities to worship too lightly…you may very well miss being awed by Jesus.

In these weeks that mark the approach to Easter, I encourage you to take time to set yourself apart with God’s people for worship. The testimony of scripture is quite clear: People of God need worship to be humbled, refreshed and invigorated. People of God need worship to capture glimpses of God and catch God’s vision for their lives. You and I need worship to keep our sense of wonder at the power, love and mercy of God. You will find, when worshiping with your brothers and sisters in Christ, that it is truly good for you to be there!

(1)Mayne, Michael. This Sunrise of Wonder. London: Fount Paperbacks, 1995, p. 11.

Living in place we don't want to be

Have you not known?
Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
but those who wait for the Lord
shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:28-31

A few years back ESPN was interviewing players who were preparing for the Super Bowl. Many of them were expressing hope that they could get sleep the night before. They were anxious about how they would play. For some players, getting to the Super Bowl is a burden that is hard for them to bear. It may be the exciting pinnacle of their careers but, in some respects, they were struggling to live through it. Even blessings and good things can bring stresses and responsibilities that are challenging to bear. Even in the blessings of a new job, or being newly retired, with graduating from school or with a new child in the family there are times when you may not like the place you find yourself living.

More obviously, life has stresses and challenges from bad circumstances and choices. That’s what made the prophet Isaiah’s assignment so tough. He’s been called to proclaim hope in the midst of despair, to tell the exiles in Babylon that God is on the way to deliver them just when they have begun to seriously doubt it. In this great sermon, Isaiah the preacher argues that the one who created the vast universe and all that is in it has the power to restore the Hebrews as a people. It is a tough sermon to preach, because in the midst of their captivity the people are wondering how their God can be great and powerful when they are so miserable.

Like the Israelites of Isaiah’s day, many people are living in places they don’t want to be. Who is in exile today? There are many of us living in our own homes who are living in exile. When our lives are not in the place we want them to be, it’s natural to say, “God’s not paying attention to me. God is not interested in taking care of me.” It’s easy for us to say that the wrong is strong. It’s easy to say, that is, until you compare it to the power and care of God.

Are we willing to trust God when we are living in the places we don’t want to be? God has the whole world in hand. This is no time to despair. Look to God, Creator of the ends of the earth. Look to God, whose promise of deliverance was confirmed in the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This God who knows all, creates all, controls all and plans all . . . also loves all. God tells us how precious we are in God’s sight. We who are frail, we who are fallen, we who are living in places we don’t want to be, are closest to God’s strengthening presence. We are not hidden or abandoned. We won’t have to live in places we don’t want to be.

Spiritual diabetes

Living with an insulin-dependent diabetic has been a real education. In the ten years since my son was diagnosed with Type I diabetes I've learned some interesting things about food, metabolism and how the body functions. Normally, when a person eats, the sugars are broken down and enter the blood stream. At that point insulin, produced by the pancreas, converts these sugars to food that the cells of our body need to function. In diabetics the pancreas is not producing the insulin needed to convert the blood sugars into usable food for the cells. It's entirely possible for an untreated diabetic to be eating heartily and, at the same time, be starving at the cellular level.

This is the way it is with life. We can be eating heartily from the banquet of life--enjoying opportunities, working hard, playing hard, striving for all the things we've been convinced will bring us some level of satisfaction or sense of worth. We may even manage to achieve some level of fulfillment and contentment. But it is entirely possible that we may still be starving at the spiritual level.

Jesus taught his followers that they are happy and blessed when they "hunger and thirst for righteousness" (Matthew 5:6). Jesus was teaching us to recognize that our deepest hunger must be for a right relationship with God and with other people. Our other pursuits--work, school, family, recreation, even the altruistic things we do to improve our community, will not bring us full satisfaction unless they are put into perspective by an overarching desire to satisfy our hunger and thirst for a right relationship with God and with other people.

In God We Trust

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.

Psalm 62:5-8

“In God we trust”: The idea for putting the phrase on US currency was conceived by Salmon P. Chase, the US Treasury Secretary under President Abraham Lincoln. Chase wrote in 1861, “no nation can be strong except in the strength of God, or safe except in His defense. The trust of our people in God should be declared on our national coins.”

Over the years various groups have petitioned the Supreme Court to remove it, but the motto has always survived. The Supreme Court has ruled that mottos and other religious language may remain “chiefly because they have lost through rote repetition any significant religious content.” Sadly, according to the Supreme Court, we see it or say it so often that “In God We Trust” has lost all religious meaning.

Has trusting in God lost meaning in your life? Are there circumstances in your life that you don’t believe God has the power to influence or cares enough about to do anything?

King David’s trust in God was the chief stabilizing force in his life. Listen to the words he used to describe God’s influence in his chaotic life. God is the source of his “hope.” God is his “rock,” his “salvation,” and “fortress.” God is his “deliverer” and the source of his “honor.” Nothing could shake David or knock him off his base. “Trust in God at all times” was not a mere motto to David, it was a life principle that was the core of his survival and success.

Centuries later, Jesus prepared his disciples for their life of mission with this assurance: “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.” (Matthew 28:18) The power and love of God that David spoke about in Psalm 62 now resides in our Deliverer, Jesus Christ. Christ is our refuge, our fortress, in whom we will not be shaken. The testimony of the Bible and countless Christians in every generation since Christ was born is that Christ indeed has the power and the care to be our help and refuge.

David encourages us to “pour our hearts out” before the Lord. David encourages us to unburden ourselves with whatever is weighing upon our minds…good or bad. Prayerfully take these things to Christ in whom all authority and power in heaven and on earth reside. It is in expectant prayer…unburdening prayer…that “In God We Trust” transforms a motto into a way of life that is at the core of our survival and success.

“In God We Trust”…may that motto never lose its meaning or its power in our lives!

Don't miss the signs...

Read Matthew 2:1-3

Remember the classic animated cartoon The Roadrunner? He couldn’t be caught. Wile E. Coyote would be chasing the Roadrunner and he would pass by a sign. The signs might say “Road Closed” or “Watch out for falling rock” or my favorite “US Army minefield—KEEP OUT!” Well, you know what happens. He never pays attention to the sign. The roadrunner speeds through unharmed, but Wile E. Coyote crashes, blows up, or falls off a cliff. All because he missed seeing the sign.

Paying attention to signs of God’s presence is one of life’s great challenges. Our culture provides us with vast amounts of information, an abundance of entertainment, a multitude of time-wasting, mind-numbing diversions, and a boatload of stresses, worries, and challenges. In our very noisy, busy, violent, crazy-paced world it is often very difficult to tell if God is present or active in our lives. Even in church, it is hard to shift our focus from ourselves and our stuff to giving God attention. The common result being that we miss signs of God’s appearing.

The magi were scholars and priests from a far-away land. Their journey would bring them several hundred miles to Bethlehem. They studied the movement of the planets and stars and other celestial events. The ancients believed there were meanings behind these celestial movements and events. They understood that the special star they saw signified the birth of an important king. In all likelihood they had studied the Jewish Scriptures and, as they saw where the star was leading them, they began to understand its significance. The King of the Jews was born!

Compare them with Herod. He lived at the center of this great event. But he did not see the signs. He had chief priests and scholars to advise him…they missed the signs, too. They were so wrapped up in their own stuff that they missed the signs of God’s appearing. When Herod heard the news he was disturbed. He was focused on his own stuff—his status, his power, and the trouble such a person would give him. He missed the exciting possibilities of God’s appearing.

Herod’s world had little room for God. On the other hand, the Magi dedicated their lives to looking for signs of the Divine. That made all the difference in receiving the Good News of Jesus’ birth.

In this Christmas season I invite you to look for God’s presence in the people, places and circumstances of your life. The proclamation of Christmas is that, in Jesus, God is with us. Don’t miss the signs!

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).