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New Beginnings
This is the time of year –when one year slides into the next – that we think of all the things that ought not to be but are…and all those things that ought to be but are not. It is why people talk about -and sometimes make - New Year’s resolutions. It is a time when people, just for a moment, dare to hope that things can be different, that we can actually have new beginnings. But, like Camelot, the ideas and resolutions and hopes soon seem to fade away. BUT WHAT IF we really could have –and live in – New Beginnings? What would it look like? How would it feel? What difference would it make? Because we can; it is a gift of God to us…right now, at the beginning of a new year.
The Fullness of Time
Christmas is Here. This morning we let it sink in.. and we celebrate!
What the World Needs Now.. Is Here!
Whatever our world needs, whatever we need in our lives –whatever you need in your life – we celebrate tonight that it is HERE in Christmas!
Christmas Family Stories
Last Summer my whole family got together for a week together at the Beach, together with my brother and his wife. One of the things I noticed is how many family stories we remembered together. My kids are old people now, so they love to tell/remember these stories together as well. And, they were delighted when my brother would tell them a story about me growing up that they had never heard before. And of course, all three of them know their “birth stories” that I have recalled for each of them on their birthdays for as long as I can remember. Yet, when we all get together, those birth stories seem to get retold a couple of times even though it is no one’s birthday at that moment.
How about you? Do you tell family stories when you get together with your family? Or maybe as you are reading this, the stories are just popping into your mind and leaving a smile on your face? (And if not a smile, I pray a realization that God was with you and sustained you in those difficult times as well.)
On these three Wednesdays in Advent, we are going to go back many centuries and observe the family of Mary and Joseph as they remember the family birth stories. And we won’t be as those who are on the outside looking in, but rather we will do so as part of the family of Jesus. For family stories are never told in a vacuum. They are not just reminiscences, but rather they also reveal insights into the family and are meant to give us identity, purpose, meaning, and direction in our present day lives. So join us with your whole family as we tell the Jesus family Christmas stories; the Jesus family birthday stories. For these family stories ARE Christmas….and through them we are reoriented to joyfully celebrate Christmas brand new!
Wednesday, December 6th “Who is This Baby?”
When Sarah – our oldest daughter – was born we were going to the Seminary in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. We left for the hospital (“honey, we have to go NOW” as I timed the contractions..) at about 630a just as the sun was rising after a night of heavy snow. As a southern California boy I will never forget my anxiety as I was maneuvering through the snow and ice…yet in the middle of my anxiety Jane, looking at the beautiful morning as the sun shone off the fresh snow that clung to the trees, said, “what a beautiful day to have a baby.”…And when I tell this story to Sarah I look at her and say, “And that baby was you!” Tonight, we focus on the birth of Jesus. At the end of this night our goal is to lovingly say, “and this is who that baby was and is.” You won’t want to miss it. This is what Christmas is all about!
Wednesday, December 13th “What Will This Baby Do?”
You know the comments people make as well as I do; “Look at how strong he is, he could be a “fullback!” She is so fast – she just glides…I wonder if she’ll be a runner. Did you notice? He has almost perfect pitch already –goodness, he’s going to be a singer! Look at her rhythm!...She could be a great dancer…or maybe a drummer – a rock star! He is so smart..he will be able to do anything he wants to do…he could be a doctor or an architect or an engineer. She is just so smart and look at that personality…she could be the first woman president!” And so it goes. We all have dreams for not just our children but for all children. Tonight, we focus on what the baby Jesus will do. You won’t want to miss it. This is what Christmas is all about.
Wednesday, December 20th “What Does This Mean for Us?...for Me?
Every time the Summer Olympics rolls around, there are stories about the families of the athletes; how both the support of and success of their child has completely changed their lives. There are stories of families moving across the country so their son or daughter is able to train under the best coach. There are stories of how families have sacrificed and even sold their homes to give their son or daughter the opportunity to do what they are doing. And there are touching, personal stories of how a family has been brought together by the quest they are on together. Probably not one of these families at the birth of their child had any inkling of how their son or daughter would affect their lives, what it would mean in their lives, how it would change their lives. Tonight, we focus on what the birth of Jesus means for us – how He is meant to change our lives every day and forever! You won’t want to miss it. This is what Christmas is all about!
Merry GRINCH Christmas!!
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of (your) life.” Proverbs 4:23
Yesterday I went to Physical Therapy. As I was leaving I wished a “Happy Thanksgiving” to the gal at the desk. She looked at me with a totally worn out expression on her face and said wearily and with no joy, “yeah, my son just told me he was coming. I’ve got so much work to do.” Can you relate?
Christmas is just around the corner. It is meant to be a time of joy, hope, and peace all wrapped together in a heart of love. But December is such a world-wind, isn’t it? There is so much to do! Gifts and sweets and parties and food and travel and family and neighbors and a tree and decorations and… if we’re not careful, we end up worn out and weary. It all becomes a chore, something just to get through. It loses what it is meant to bring us. Can you relate?
In the weeks leading up to Christmas, we will focus on “guarding our hearts” so that our Christmas celebration and joy - what it means in our lives - will be all it is supposed to be. For you see, for each of us, our heart is the wellspring of our lives, our heart effects everything we do, and from our heart comes the ability to receive anew and celebrate all that Christmas is.
So why,“Merry ‘Grinch’ Christmas? Well, the Grinch’s problem was his heart. His heart was two sizes too small. But it got fixed. It got fixed when the truth of Christmas touched his heart. You see, it is our heart that can rob us of what Christmas is meant to be, but God –with the Grinch as our example – would fix it to our great joy!
Saturday /Sunday, Dec.2nd & 3rd Guarding The Gift of A Pure Heart
The Grinch hated Christmas. (Do you ever find yourself there?) But no one seemed to know why. (Do you know how your heart gets to that place?) Yes, his heart was two sizes too small….but how did that happen? How does it happen with us? And how does it get fixed? And how can we “guard it?” After all, it is important. For it was Jesus who said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God!”…And I might add, they are the ones who are able to celebrate Christmas to its fullest!
Saturday/Sunday, Dec.9th & 10th Guarding the Gift of A Passionate Heart
Passionate. When a person is passionate about something it means that they care deeply about it. It is the “why” of life –correct? But have you ever lost your passion? It is like the air being let out of a ball – like being punched in the stomach – and it takes the air out of living –doesn’t it? How does that happen? And how can we get it back?... Especially with Christmas around the corner?
Saturday/Sunday, Dec. 16th & 17th Guarding the Gift of A Patient Heart
Patient. On the one hand, my son, James, had no patience when it came to not knowing what his gifts were under the Christmas tree; when we weren’t around he would prick tiny holes in the wrapping paper so he could find out. On the other hand, he had great patience in that he would painstakingly with great care use this process he had developed of putting these tiny holes in the paper- that you wouldn’t even see unless you were looking for them. Do you ever lose your patience around this time of year? …and with it, your “Christmas spirit?” Want to get it back?
Sunday, December 24th Guarding The Gift of A Peaceful Heart
In a hurricane, the force of the wind and rain is devastating!....but in the hurricane, all is at peace. This is how I picture a heart that knows and lives in peace. Even though the hurricanes are screaming all around us, a heart at peace is not affected; it is beyond it. Take a deep breath right now and then let it out all the way. Feel that? When is the last time you did it down to your very soul? Today the Grinch finds peace for his heart. He finds it in Christmas. It is where we can find it as well. Where do you need peace?
“The Blessing of Living A Generous Life…. ….And Real Life Money Issues That Get In The Way”
The cat is out of the bag. Study after study in the last few decades have shown that people who live generous and giving lives have a much happier and fuller life. This is true – Christian or not - across the spectrum of generations and social realities and people groups and level of income. But we don’t need anyone to tell us this – do we? Deep down, we all – every single human being – both knows this and has experienced it. When we are generous and giving it fills us with joy, purpose, and meaning –doesn’t it? It is almost as if someone made us to live this way but we have forgotten how to do it or perhaps something is getting in the way.
When we left Denver to serve St. Matthew, one of the things we did was have a big garage sale. A little girl found a rather expensive educational toy that my daughter had loved, but her parents, seeing the $5 price tag, said “no.” So, I gave it to them. I will never forgot the joy in that little girl’s face but neither will I forgot the joy I had in giving it to her. It filled me up…so much so that I was giving things away all day!...And I still smile about it!
What stories can you tell? We all have them, little glimpses that remind us that we were created to live generously and in so doing to be filled up and complete in ourselves…Little glimpses that touch our hearts with the truth that living generous and giving lives is what we were made to do. When you think about it, this is exactly what the Bible says. It says we were created in the image of our Heavenly Father, who gives GENEROUSLY every day to all. And when we lost sight of who we were created to be, our generous Heavenly Father generously gave His own dear Son so that we could have and live life anew as His dear children, being filled with His joy and reflecting His generous heart in our lives.
In the next few weeks, this is our focus; the blessings of living the generous life we were created to live…and the real life money issues that get in the away. Don’t miss it!
Sunday, November 5th “Not Having Enough” (Fear vs. Identity)
Not having enough. Have you ever struggled with this dilemma? I mean, how can someone be generous when they don’t have enough themselves? It makes sense…but a rather unsettling statistic is that virtually no one thinks they have enough. That is, study after study finds that when people are asked if they have enough money, virtually everyone –no matter how much money they have – say they need just a little more. How about you?.. We tend to tie the blessing of living a generous life to having enough or maybe even having beyond enough…but maybe there is a different way of looking at things, a way that would empower us to live the blessing of a generous life even when we don’t think we have enough. This is our focus today.
Sunday November 12th Everybody Wants A Piece of Me (Worry vs. Grace)
Ok. What’s the first thing you think when the doorbell rings and you answer the door to find a salesperson in front of you? Are you open to listen to what they have to say?...or are you immediately guarded as if they are trying to part you from your hard earned money? We have learned from experience that wisdom says for us to be concerned – worried even – in that everyone seems to want to separate us from our money. But where is this wisdom -this frame of mind – taken too far in the sense that it is a roadblock keeping us from living in generosity in those places and opportunities that God gives us? That is, where is this mind set perhaps keeping us from living in the blessing of a generous life? Where does it make sense to see others through the eyes of grace instead? This is our focus today.
Sunday, November 19th "Giving 'til It Hurts??" (Limits vs. Thankfulness)
When I was in grade school, I remember reading the story of Roger Bannister, the first runner to run the mile under 4 minutes. It was a feat of both mental and emotional as well as physical proportions. Why? Because all of the “experts of the day” said it couldn’t be done, that the human body was simply incapable of running a mile under 4 minutes. But Roger busted through what now is seen as an “artificial limit” to a new place. How do we view the blessing of living a generous life? Do we immediately put limits on it? I mean everything in our lives and in our world has limits –right? This grace of giving, this living a generous life certainly must have limits as well –right? It’s what we talk about today. Come and see as we celebrate Thanksgiving together!
Sunday, November 26th "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow" (Ego vs. Honor)
In the classic movie, “The Lord of the Rings” there is a scene where the evil Saruman asks an orc that he has just created the question, “Whom do you serve?”…to which the orc replies, “Saruman.” This is always the bottom line, isn’t it? Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” …to which Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!” The key to living in the blessing of a generous life, finally, is about these two questions, the bottom line. Who do you say Jesus is?...And whom do you serve? This is what we focus on today.
For The Sake of the Gospel- Reformation Celebration
For The Sake of the Gospel- Reformation Celebration
This year marks the 500 year anniversary of what has come to be known as the Protestant Reformation. On October 31st, 1517, an unknown but brilliant professor-monk name Martin Luther from Wittenburg, Germany, posted 95 statements on a church door meant to “reform” the teaching of the institutional church where an understanding and proclamation of the Gospel had largely been lost. For Martin Luther, it was always and personally about the Gospel – the Good of Jesus - so much so that he was willing to die for it and barring this, to live his life proclaiming it. Therefore, it is with great joy that I can confidently say to you that Martin Luther would be in full accord with the following statement; There is really only one good reason to talk about – or remember – Martin Luther; for the furtherance of the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ! This is our focus today!
Unoffendable: A Better Way To Live
“How Just One Change Can Make All Of Life Better”
I know. I know. We live in a time when everyone is trying to tell you they can make your life better. All one has to do is go to a bookstore or perhaps google “self – help books” and the response can be amazing! There are products and gurus to improve your relational, financially, mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical health. All you have to do is buy their book or their program or their supplements or a ticket to their presentation! All you have to do is to sign up – and pay – for a few lessons!
But this advice is different. It comes from Jesus and it is offered free of charge. Jesus said, “I have come that they (that YOU!!) might have life - and have it to the full.” Jesus came so we could have the best life possible –yes, certainly forever with Him face to face in heaven - but also every day here and now. And in these next few weeks we are going to look at one change that He would empower us to make that will make our whole life better!
So, how is life working for you? Could it be better? Are you stuck? Are you willing to listen to what Jesus has to say? After all, you don’t have to buy a ticket or a book or other products….and this in itself would seem to make it different from all the others, some of which you may have tried. So, what do you have to lose? We’re even going to GIVE you something; a FREE book with the deal! So why not give it a try?
Saturday, Sep. 9th and Sunday, Sept. 10th Leaving the Anger Behind (The Better Way)
Ok. Be honest now. What gets you offended? How about when another driver does something down right inconsiderate – or even stupid? How about when things don’t go your way at work or school or on vacation? Or maybe when the mechanic doesn’t get your car fixed? Or maybe when your spouse does that thing again?..or maybe when your children do what they do? Or maybe because of all the stuff that is just NOT RIGHT everywhere you look? So, given all this, how often do you have an attitude of offense? Did you know when you look up the word, “offended” in a dictionary, it will invariably use words like “anger” or “resentment” in it’s definition? So, let me ask another question. How often do you have an attitude of anger? …And how’s that working for you? Today, Jesus gives us a better way to live.
Saturday, Sep. 16th and Sunday, Sept. 17th Living in “Beautiful Expectation” (Gratitude vs. Anger)
When Sarah, our oldest, began to crawl, we immediately moved the things we had on shelves on all the furniture in the house up a little higher…and then a little higher…and then a little higher. We also put those plugs in the electrical outlets and those baby locks on the cabinet doors. Why? We knew what kids do. It’s just who they are. But what we had to get used to was seeing all the amazing things she did day after day. And we were thankful. Today, Jesus would change the way we see things, empowering us to live in gratitude – in “Beautiful Expectation” – instead of anger. It really is a better way to live.
Sat, Sept. 23rd and Sun, Sept.24th Living in Grace: Received And Given (“Being” vs. “Having To Do”)
In the home I grew up in, we always helped with everything. Yardwork. Dishes. Clothes. Housework. It didn’t matter. We always did it together. But I remember, as the years went by and Jane and I would come home for a visit, how I would jump up after dinner to do the dishes and mom just said, “Just leave them. Let’s go sit in the patio and talk.” There is a difference between “being” and “having to do.” It’s called grace. It is a better way to live. Interested?
Living in True Relationship (Self-Righteousness vs Peace) Sat, Sep. 30th and Sun, Oct 1st
“I can relate.” Have you ever heard this phrase? Have you ever said it? When you think about it, the one place we can all relate is in the things that don’t seem to go right…in our common brokenness. In fact, is it not when we self-righteously deny our brokenness – or at least say and believe that we are better than the other guy - that we lose relationship? What is the conversation stopper – to connect with others in brokenness or to communicate that “this brokenness” has never touched you? Self – righteousness as one compares themselves to another is a relationship killer. Refusing to be offended by others is a powerful door-opener to actual relationships. Only when one is at peace with themselves and who they are can there be true relationship. This is the gift of Jesus to you today. Interested?
Sat, Oct. 7th and Sun, Oct.8th Injustice: We Have to Do Something! (Anger vs. Action)
I was talking with a friend of mine a couple of years ago concerning the death of his father. It was during WWII. His father was not in the military because he worked on the farm. One day his father suffered an appendicitis attack. They took him to the one hospital that was near them, but it was now on an Army Base which was on a routine lockdown. They refused to allow his father on the base. By the time they did, his appendix had burst and the ensuing infection killed him. There are many things in our world that are just wrong – things that need to be changed and that cause us to be angry - but what should be our reaction? Should we “fly off the handle” in anger or look to respond in action?...or is this a false dichotomy? Today, Jesus would guide us in the better – the best - way to live!
Sat, Oct 14th and Sun, Oct. 15th Living Healthy- Just Chill Out! (Fear vs. Trust)
Vitamins. Supplements. Protein powder. Regimens. New diets. It seems everyone has an idea about healthy living. Today, Jesus would show us what it means to live healthy –in trust, not fear. Interested?
Sat, Oct. 21st and Sun, Oct. 22nd Living in The Bottom Line: Grace (Power vs. Weakness)
So, bottom line, where is the place of power when it comes to living our lives – and what is the place of weakness? And how do these flesh out in our lives? The bottom line is grace. In grace is power to live a better –the best - way. Today, we explore what this means and what it looks like with Jesus as our guide. For He came so we could have life more abundantly!
Life Animated
Can you believe it? August marks the beginning of a new school year!! Back to school we go! What a great time to revisit this fun and exciting special focus using the animated children’s films Inside Out, Zootopia, and Moana. This is going to be a blast! It will be like “going to the movies” but even better! Come and check it out! And bring your friends! It just may make “going back to school” a little easier! Oh, and we just may have an “ah-ha” experience or two as we see how these stories reveal things about ourselves and how our stories intersect with the story of God for us in Jesus! Don’t miss out on this fun adventure!
Life Animated
He (Jesus) did not say anything to them without using parables. Matthew 13:34)
Can you believe it? August marks the beginning of a new school year!! Back to school we go! What a great time to revisit this fun and exciting special focus using the animated children’s films Inside Out, Zootopia, and Moana. This is going to be a blast! It will be like “going to the movies” but even better! Come and check it out! And bring your friends! It just may make “going back to school” a little easier! Oh, and we just may have an “ah-ha” experience or two as we see how these stories reveal things about ourselves and how our stories intersect with the story of God for us in Jesus! Don’t miss out on this fun adventure!
Our lives are made up of stories. Perhaps this is why we are story tellers. Books. Plays. Musicals. Films. Aesop’s Fables. Ancient Greek tragedies. Shakespeare. It seems that humankind has always had a need to tell stories. Stories are meant to explain our existence. They point to a voice within each of us that whispers to us of a “backstory,” a greater story behind our stories which somehow intersects with our individual stories to make sense of our lives.
Through these stories we almost instinctively try to answer “the big questions” that are part of each of us. Stories are a window into our soul. They can touch our hearts or communicate a point to us in a way that mere words cannot hope to do. They can give us that “aha” moment of truth like no other medium. Jesus often told stories, called parables, even coming to the point where He only spoke using these stories. In this way, He intersected God’s story with our stories.
Embedded in the stories we tell are the longings of our souls…which all, finally, point to the only place these longings can be met; Jesus. On these three Sundays, we will use these three stories in film to examine our human condition, the longing of our souls, our need for a greater story, and how the greater story of God in the Savior meets us squarely in this place of need. Whatever your age, this series will connect with you in your story with the story of Jesus!
Sunday August 20 - Moana
Ok. Have you seen the movie? Music is great. Colors are wonderful. Set in the beautiful ocean. Characters are delightful! But what does this movie reveal about ourselves and our stories….and how God’s story connects with our stories? What does this movie say of the ancient questions we are asking that are embedded in the stories we tell over and over again? What are we trying to explain? What are we trying to understand?…and where does the God’s story in Jesus connect to it all? Come and see!…and maybe, for the fun of it, before this Sunday gather together your family and/or friends and watch the movie one more time!
Sunday, August 27 Inside Out
We all want to be happy – right? But given how we are put together, with all the conflicting emotions that make up who we are, what is the key to being happy? This is what the story is about in this wonderfully creative movie! And as we explore the wisdom in this movie, it cannot help but point us to the wisdom of God in Jesus! do you want to be happy! This is the day for you! Come and see!...and maybe, just for the fun of it, before this Sunday gather your family and/or friends to watch the movie one more time!
Sunday, September 3 Inside Out
What am I supposed to do with my life? Where do I fit in? What makes me unique? And how am I to use it? Humankind has asked these questions since the beginning of time. And our children – and us - continue to ask them. That’s what this movie is about…finding our way and our unique place. Did you know that God, in His love, has something to say about this as well? Again, His story intersects with ours! Come and see! …and maybe, just for the fun of it, before this Sunday gather your family and/or friends to watch the movie one more time!
Stories….Told By Jesus… “How the Kingdom of God Works”…
Have you ever heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” The idea is that one could use a thousand -10 thousand – words to describe something to you which is beyond words…and in just one moment of seeing it, you would have a greater understanding than all the words in the world could give you. Such things as the vastness of the ocean stretching beyond the eyes…or the crashing of 20 foot waves on the shore…or the awesome grandeur of the Rocky Mountains… or a blanket of snow that covers the Great Plains for miles. This is why Jesus used stories –pictures put to words – to describe how the kingdom of God works, so that we might see a picture of the hidden kingdom revealed and come to a greater understanding than all the words in the world could give us
Stories….Told By Jesus… “How the Kingdom of God Works”…
Have you ever heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words?” The idea is that one could use a thousand -10 thousand – words to describe something to you which is beyond words…and in just one moment of seeing it, you would have a greater understanding than all the words in the world could give you. Such things as the vastness of the ocean stretching beyond the eyes…or the crashing of 20 foot waves on the shore…or the awesome grandeur of the Rocky Mountains… or a blanket of snow that covers the Great Plains for miles. This is why Jesus used stories –pictures put to words – to describe how the kingdom of God works, so that we might see a picture of the hidden kingdom revealed and come to a greater understanding than all the words in the world could give us.
LISTEN & WATCH...
AUG 13th - The Kingdom of God is Like the Greatest of Treasures
A picture is worth a thousand words. Today, the picture is one finding such a great and awesome treasure that he would give up everything to acquire it. Through this picture, Jesus teaches us something about the eternal, hidden, kingdom of God. Interested?
AUG 6th - The Kingdom of God is Like a Mustard Seed... and Yeast!
A picture is worth a thousand words. Today the picture is of what a plant grows into from a mustard seed and how yeast causes bread to grow. Through these pictures, Jesus teaches us something about the eternal, hidden, kingdom of God. Interested?
JUL 30th - The Kingdom of God is Like a Farmer Planting Seed
A picture is worth a thousand words. Today the picture is of a farmer planting seed in Israel in the time of Jesus. Through this picture Jesus teaches us something about the eternal, hidden, kingdom of God. Interested?
Blueprint for Ministry
INVITE, CONNECT, APPRENTICE, SEND
Blueprints. When I was 9 years old, my mom and dad put an addition on our house. I will never forget when they rolled out the blueprints and showed us what it was going to look like! It was so much easier to visualize after seeing those blueprints! And, of course, without those blueprints, the builders would have had no directions, no guide, no “map” with respect to what they were doing!
Did you know God is a God of “blueprints?” All one has to do is to look at a living cell or the DNA molecule as well as countless other examples in nature! It even says in the Bible, talking about our lives together as the people of God, that, “God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace.”
Blueprint for Ministry
Invite, Connect, Apprentice, Send
Blueprints. When I was 9 years old, my mom and dad put an addition on our house. I will never forget when they rolled out the blueprints and showed us what it was going to look like! It was so much easier to visualize after seeing those blueprints! And, of course, without those blueprints, the builders would have had no directions, no guide, no “map” with respect to what they were doing!
Did you know God is a God of “blueprints?” All one has to do is to look at a living cell or the DNA molecule as well as countless other examples in nature! It even says in the Bible, talking about our lives together as the people of God, that, “God is not a God of disorder but a God of peace.”
Have you ever wondered or struggled with what a life as a disciple of Jesus should look like for you? Have you ever wondered where/how you can live out the calling of Jesus in your life?…Where you “fit in?”…Where/how you can reflect the love and call of Jesus in actions? Or perhaps you are not yet a Christian but are curious about what a life lived as a follower of Jesus might look like and what it might accomplish? Would a blueprint help?
In the next few weeks, we will look at our “Blueprint for Ministry” here at St. Matthew. We will explore how we will organize into Ministry Teams to carry out the vision for mission that Jesus has given us. We will explore what this looks like, what drives us, where this takes us individually and together as followers of Jesus, and what we are trying to accomplish.
As we do this, what we are really seeing is what it looks like to live as followers of Jesus together in this place and how God is calling each of us to be a part of it. As the Bible says, “Now you (you all) are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it!
Sunday June 25 Blueprint for Ministry: Invite
When my dad invited you, you knew you were welcome. Do you know what I mean? Some people are just like that. What comes through is their genuine care and even love for you and their sincere desire that you respond to the invitation. Sometimes with my dad, it was just a sincere desire to have a conversation with one of my friends, who would later tell me how cool my dad was. Other times, it was to join us for dinner or for a Christmas get together (always room for one more) or just to hang out. For my dad inviting was a lifestyle. He was genuine, real, transparent, welcoming, caring, and always had an open and inviting heart toward literally everyone. Looking back, it really is a great way and a rewarding way - to live! Today, we focus on what it means as followers of Jesus in our ministry together to live an inviting lifestyle in Him.
Sunday July 9 Blueprint For Ministry: Connect
Jane and I moved to Indiana to attend the seminary. It was in the Summer and it was 90 degrees and about 90% humidity. The day after I moved us into our apartment, I was on the Seminary grounds and met another guy who with his family was moving into a third floor apartment that day. Lee and I sweat all afternoon together and we got him and his family moved in. But something else happened. We connected. Do you know what I mean? Over the next four years we studied together, we supported each other when our wives had babies, and our families did life together. We remain close to this day even though many miles separate us. Connection is powerful. We were built for it. We experience it as the family of God. And we are called to do everything we can to connect with those around us in this same love of Jesus…and together, as His people, to do everything we can from the heart to connect with every single person that God, the Holy Spirit, brings into our circle. This is our focus today.
Sunday July 16 Blueprint For Ministry: Apprentice
I had a roommate in college who decided to become an electrician. He went through a two year apprenticeship program, working side by side with an electrician during the day and going to electrician classes at night, again taught by people who were already electricians. This is what it means to be an apprentice. It's kind of like on the job training, working with someone who is already a master in the field. Jesus, THE master, ran an apprenticeship program. He said, Come, follow me and so began the apprenticeship. In fact, it seems to me for us another word for apprentice would be disciple. Jesus was training each of his disciples to be a master in ministry who in turn trained others (apprentices!) to be masters in ministry after them. It is the same for us. Each of us is called to be an apprentice, to be mentored as a disciple and each of us is also called to be a mentor, one who is training an apprentice to take their place in ministry as mentors and leaders themselves. This is our focus today.
Sunday July 23 Blueprint For Ministry: Send
It happens every year in graduation ceremonies across the nation. People are sent out to use what they have learned and who they have become to make a difference in the world! But finally, it is only Jesus who can make a lasting difference an eternal change in our lives and in our world. In one sense, He has already done it as He cries from the cross, It is finished! But in another sense, He is continuing His mission to restore all things which will finally culminate in His second coming. Until that time He sends us out not alone, but with the Holy Spirit to join Him as His people in His ongoing mission to make a difference to restore all things - in Him! This is our focus today.
The Story Continues
Have you ever watched a movie which was a true story and at the end of it they tell you what happened to the various people in the story as their lives continued? “Remember the Titans” was one movie that did it. So did, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” And just recently, “Heartbreak Ridge.” It really pulls everything together, doesn’t it? It reminds you that these were real people and their stories continued….and in fact, maybe they lived through a number of stories after the one you just saw.
The Story Continues
Have you ever watched a movie which was a true story and at the end of it they tell you what happened to the various people in the story as their lives continued? “Remember the Titans” was one movie that did it. So did, “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” And just recently, “Heartbreak Ridge.” It really pulls everything together, doesn’t it? It reminds you that these were real people and their stories continued….and in fact, maybe they lived through a number of stories after the one you just saw.
The story of Jesus did not end with Easter…or with the Resurrection Stories that we have just focused on. No, rather, His story –and His mission of love and grace for you and for all of humankind –continued and continues to this day. In the next few weeks, we are going to focus on that part of the story that came right after the Resurrection Stories. Just like with the above movies, it really fills in the blanks for us…..and helps us to understand our part in His continuing story entwined in ours.
Sunday May 28 Living in Anticipation
God has a great sense of the dramatic. I think He would have been a great script writer…oops, I mean He is! Today, it is like He is saying, “Drum roll please” as he is building up the anticipation for a climax of grace that will crash on the world like a giant wave! It’s like that song…”An-ti-ci-pa-a-tion!” It is what happens next in the story of the living Jesus and how His story entwines with ours. Through it, He would touch us with something about Himself and empower us to live every day in anticipation in Him!
Sunday June 4th Living in Power (The Crash of the Wave)
I'm tired.” When is the last time you have said this?…or thought it? And what kind of “tired” was it? Physical? (Not enough sleep tiredness… or muscle tiredness?…or?) Emotional? (some situation just draining you?) Mental? (I have to think it through but I can’t find the answer!) Psychological? (I need to get away!) Spiritual? (It seems that I am like a zombie with my relationship with God!)
We sometimes get tired out….really. It is part of our human condition. Even the prophet Isaiah wrote, “Even youths grow tired and weary…” What do you do when you get tired…I mean, really tired? Today, the living Jesus pours out His power on His people, a power that can “lift us up on wings like Eagles.” (Isaiah again) Interested?
Sunday June 11 Living In The Snapshot
I am not sure how a dictionary would define the word, “snapshot.” For me, it is a photograph that catches a significant moment in time, revealing an abundance of knowledge concerning the people in the photograph and what their lives were about in that moment. A snapshot is a record of the moment – the where, and how and what and when! It shows a situation. It shows the emotions. It puts life to the relationships. Have you ever wanted to be part of what you saw in a snapshot? Today, God gives us a snapshot of the aftermath of the wave of grace of Pentecost. It is a snapshot that we are meant to be a part of….this is God’s gift to us today!
Sunday June 18 In All Things, A Love That Serves Father's Day Celebration!
Today we celebrate dads. We celebrate families. We celebrate love. We celebrate dads who in great love lay down their lives for their wives and their children. We recognize their service and their importance to their families. And we praise God, celebrating this gift of God to us wherever it is found! And it is my heart felt hope and prayer that each of you has great joy in this gift. Yet, we also remember the struggles of being a dad. We remember the challenges. And we remember those who on this day struggle with things that “should not have been,” whether it is a dad or child who has died, a dad or child who was not what they should have been, or one who wanted so much to be a dad, but it was not meant to be. Yet, in all these places and in every broken relationship, we remember the love of our Heavenly Father which, in Jesus, continues to serve us in all things, empowering us to do likewise!
Resurrection Stories
A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a friend of mine – a young guy about 30 years old. We were talking about God-stuff and applying it to our lives when all of a sudden he looks at me with a smile on his face as well as in his eyes and says, “Imagine how it would change you if you came face to face with Jesus right now! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”…What do you think?...
A couple of weeks ago, I was talking with a friend of mine – a young guy about 30 years old. We were talking about God-stuff and applying it to our lives when all of a sudden he looks at me with a smile on his face as well as in his eyes and says, “Imagine how it would change you if you came face to face with Jesus right now! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”…What do you think?...
In the next few weeks we are going to focus on “Resurrection Stories” - on people who actually did come face to face with Jesus after He rose from the dead. We are going to marvel how He connected with them in their tears and fears and doubts and emptiness, offering and giving them a new life in relationship with Him. We will see how it changed them, the difference it made in their lives…. And how it can for us, also, as through these same stories the living Jesus mysteriously comes face to face with you and with me!
For the “Resurrection Stories” do not end with those we read in the Bible. I see them and hear them every day. They are happening all over the globe and right in front of us. Jesus came, finally, to bring His story into our stories of brokenness, emptiness, doubts, tears, fears, and death; the story of each of us personally but also of all of us together –all of humankind. Jesus is alive –and He is on the move! - and through these stories He comes “face to face” with you to give you your own “Resurrection Story!” Where do you especially need this in your life?
“Imagine how it would change you if you came face to face with Jesus right now! Wouldn’t that be amazing?”…What do you think?...
Sunday, April 23rd In Great Fears, Peace
Peace. Say the word out loud. How do you long for it? What fears grip you, getting in the way of peace? We live in such a time of fear….fear of violence, fear of the other political party, fear for our children…or grandchildren, fear that we “won’t have enough.” Fear. And it causes us, at times, to have such violent thoughts and words and actions, doesn’t it?..In what fears do you especially need peace?...a peace that covers everything?.. Face to face, it is what Jesus, the resurrected one, gives.
Sunday, April 30th In Great Shadows, Light
When is the last time you’ve been “in a funk?” You know, when it is like you are walking under a shadow? Sometimes we know how we get there and sometimes we are just there and we cannot even figure out how-right? Usually what puts us there is that the stuff or people in life we thought we could depend on no matter what becomes unstable or unsure, like quick sand, though sometimes it is just a shadow over our souls that, as I said, we don’t know where it has come from. Where do you need a little light in the great shadows? It is what Jesus, the living One, would bring to you face to face; a light to chase away all darkness.
Sunday, May 7th “In Great Doubts, Certainty”
My brother and I shared a room and slept in bunkbeds growing up. He was four years older than me and we were always close, every night talking in the dark after the lights were out. One night when I was maybe in the third grade, I must have been struggling with some things because in the dark after the lights were out I said something like, “Steve, what if this God-stuff isn’t true?” To which –after a pause where I asked the question again - in a typical big brother way he answered with absolute certainty, “Ah Brad, shut up and go to sleep.” It was enough for me. Do you have some doubts?...even great doubts? Today, the living Jesus would come face to face with you to give you absolute certainty!
Sunday, May 14th “In All Things, A Love That Trumps All” Mother’s Day Celebration!
Today we celebrate moms. We celebrate families. We celebrate love. We celebrate how love –the love a mother has for a child – so often trumps everything and results in such wonderful acts of love and service. We celebrate this gift of God to us joyously! And it is my heart felt hope and prayer that each of you has great joy in this gift. Yet, we also remember the struggles of being a mom. We remember the challenges. And we remember those who on this day struggle with things that “should not have been,” whether it is a mom or child who has died, a mom or child who was not what they should have been, or one who wanted so much to be a mom, but was not able. Yet, in all these places and in every broken relationship, we remember a love that “trumps all,” the love of the living Jesus, who would come face to face with you in His love today
Sunday, May 21st “Everyday, Presence and Purpose”
My dad retired, due to health reasons, about two years before my mom. But even when she went to work, it was like they were never apart. Once he recovered somewhat from the surgery, they would sit down every night and put together a “to do” list for my dad for each day…things that they wanted to accomplish together but that he could get done when she was at work. And while he was accomplishing them it was like she was right there with him because she was a part of it. This gave my dad “companionship” and a purpose. Do you ever feel like you are “all alone” doing meaningless things like a mouse running in circles? It is easy to do as one day runs into another and as we instinctively long for a purpose greater than ourselves. Enter Jesus, the living one, face to face. He is with us every moment of everyday doing life with us and giving us a purpose that transcends our lives! Interested?
Jesus: Face to Face…
There is something about a face to face encounter. For generations and even to this day, the way professional boxing advertises a fight is to have a poster (or perhaps a still on Television) of the fighters face to face –nose to nose even – with faces contorted, ready for battle. The WWF (World Wrestling Federation) takes it even a step further as they have their wrestlers go face to face screaming at each other on live television. It’s good for ratings!!...and for ticket sales! People want to see even more who is going to win! In the next few weeks we are going to be in the audience as Jesus goes “face to face” live with some interesting characters. He WILL win (and yes, it’s worth the “price” of admission!)…but He will also show us what in each case this win looks like and how we can go face to face with these same characters in our lives and win also…in Jesus! And here’s a hint; when Jesus wins, it is always for the good of those He came to save!
Sunday, March 5th …With Satan (The Enemy)
There is a Bible passage in the Old Testament which goes something like this; “This enemy is too great for us. We don’t know what to do. But our eyes are on You!” Have you ever been faced with an enemy that was just too great for you?....one that would overpower you no matter what you did? ...an enemy whose strength was so beyond yours that no matter what you did, you knew you would be overwhelmed? Today, Jesus squares off with the enemy of all enemies –Satan Himself – face to face. Who do you think will win? What do think the win will look like? And what does this mean for us who daily square up with the same enemy face to face? Come and see!
Sunday, March 12th …With Nicodemus (The Seeker)
Every teacher, instructor, and professor, at least in my experience, said, “you can ask any question” and also, “there are no dumb questions.” But sometimes, at least in my case, this wasn’t true. How about with you? I even remember one professor who was kind of a bully and who would yell at you to “speak up!” but then would be quick to make you look silly! Today, Jesus comes face to face with “the seeker” who had many questions and who just didn’t seem to get it. What do you think Jesus did? What did His victory look like? And what does this say to us when we are ‘the seeker” or when we come face to face with “the seeker?”
Sunday, March 19th …With a Samaritan Woman (The Skeptic)
Have you ever seen the bumper sticker that spells out the word, “coexist” in a way which represents all the major religions of the world? It seems to me the message here is, “one is just as good as another and there is no ‘right’ one, so just get along and we ‘enlightened skeptics’ will put up with you.” Today, we see what happens when Jesus comes face to face with an “enlightened skeptic.” And in seeing, we are shown how, as His followers, we can do the same. Interested?
Sunday, March 26th …With A Blind Man (The Broken)
Have you ever noticed how we tend to want to blame “the broken” for their brokenness? When a person dies, especially one who was seemingly healthy and “younger than me,” we want to find a reason, something wrong that they did, perhaps to calm ourselves that it won’t happen to us. When people fall into unfortunate times, we want to blame it on “something they did!” (and conversely what we did not-and will not- do). Today, we will see what Jesus did when going face to face with the broken. Yes, he wins!...but His win is far different than we might think. And yes, in His win, He shows us His face when we are “the broken” and also how to win when going face to face with “the broken.”
Sunday, April 2nd …With Lazarus (The Dead…and Grieving)
Do you remember the story of how Robin Hood and Little John met? They each started across a log bridge from opposite directions at the same time. When neither would back down, they had to fight it out until one “hit the water.”
Today, we see Jesus coming face to face with death…and grieving. Guess who “hits the water?” Come and see what this means for us in the lives we live when we come face to face with death…and grieving, not only for us but in the lives of others. Sooner or later, death…and grieving, touches each of us. But in Jesus, we too can win!
Sunday, April 9th This One You Can Follow Palm Sunday
Have you ever been disappointed in a leader? Perhaps it was a politician or sports figure or religious leader who did something horribly unlawful or immoral. Perhaps it was a teacher or professor who belittled you or held you up to ridicule. Perhaps it was somebody close that you looked up to, followed, and trusted…who then betrayed that trust. In the first movie in the Hobbit trilogy, one dwarf is explaining to Bilbo why they follow Thorin Oakenshield, the dwarf who leads them, and towards the end of his story, he says, “Here was one they could follow.” Today, we come face to face with a King we can follow. He is a King “like no other.”
Maundy Thursday Worship One….in JESUS!
April 13th , 7pm
It seems that we are put together to want and to need to be a part of others, to be part of a group, something beyond ourselves. We have families and couples and communities and circles of friends and clubs and well, it goes on and on. Even those of us who are extremely independent would find ourselves living in emptiness if we had to live a totally isolated life. Tonight, we are renewed in what brings you and me together and makes us one. It is not me. It is not you. It is another. And it is all about Him! And He is always with us!
Good Friday Worship, April 14th, 7pm “Grace”
More and more, when I have the honor of walking with a family during a difficult time, I find myself praying with them out loud asking God, the Holy Spirit, to give them hearts and insight to give each other a little grace as they go through this difficult time together.
How about you? When is the last time you needed a little grace? And where do you have an opportunity to give it? Life is hard. Sometimes we foul up. Sometimes tragedies strike us. Sometimes the enemies just seem too great and we fall. Sometimes –maybe all the time? – we need a little grace. And sometimes –maybe all the time? – we need to be able to give a little grace as well. Tonight, we see the source and heart of grace; Grace given to us…and grace that we can give another.
Easter Sunday, April 16th “No More Going to the Mailbox”
On this day -Easter Sunday- millions of Christians as well as millions of others who are not sure or who are searching and are welcomed in hundreds of thousands of Christian Churches throughout the world will celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Why? Because we don't have to go to the mailbox anymore.
At the Cross
Lenten Wednesday Worship
Socrates, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” How about you? When is the last time you stepped back and examined your life – how you are living and, perhaps more important, what or who you are living for?
For millennia, Christians have used the 40 days before Easter (not counting the Sundays) as a time of reflection, repentance, and growth, to prepare anew to celebrate - and live in - the Easter victory of Jesus through His cross and resurrection from the dead! We intentionally take time on these 6 Wednesdays before Easter to slow down, admit our brokenness, and turn away from how we have embraced and lived in this brokenness in our lives and in the relationships that make up our lives. By God’s grace, we take time to turn our eyes on the cross and what this means for us. And in all of this we strive to remember – and live in – the reality that God is with us, He became one of us, He is not far away from us, but rather He continues to step into our world and our lives to lift us up out of our brokenness and to empower us to live in His victory! We take time to examine our hearts and our lives….and to humbly receive anew by faith the life we were meant to have –and to live in – in Jesus! Beginning with Ash Wednesday, we do this by focusing on the thoughts and lives of those who were “At the Cross,” seeing ourselves reflected in their lives as they come face to face with Jesus.
Ash Wednesday – Wednesday, March 1st “Barabbas: ‘This Changes Everything’”
Have you ever seen one of those pictures where if you look at it one way you see one thing and if you look at it another way you see something else? Tonight, even as we begin by remembering our brokenness and sin with ashes, we focus on the “picture” completely changing for Barabbas….and also for us… in the midst of our brokenness. What will this mean as we go forward?
Wednesday, March 8th “A Face in the Crowd”
Have you ever wanted to be “anonymous?” Perhaps you hated to get called on in class…and not because you might not know the answer, but just because you wanted to be “no one” – invisible, so to speak, so that nothing and no one would have a claim on you. Or perhaps you just wanted to go in to work, do your job, but not have anyone realize you exist. Nameless. Faceless. Invisible. When did you want to be simply, “a face in the crowd?” Today we meet a “face in the crowd” at the cross. Funny thing is, Jesus doesn’t seem to “let it go.”
Wednesday, March 15th “Peter: ‘Rock or Quicksand?’”
Each of us pictures ourselves in an idea of who we are...our self-identity….and we try instinctively to live within this self-identity. We try to live as who we conceive ourselves to be. And this is good because most of us would like to think we are super heroes as opposed to super villians. We have expectations of ourselves driven by our self-identity. Who do you think you are? Have you ever disappointed yourself? What did you do? What happened? How did you feel? Did it perhaps shake up your self-identity? Tonight, we look at these things under the cross.
Wednesday, March 22nd “Simon of Cyrene: ‘Drenched in His Blood’”
Have you heard the stories of someone being robbed or shot or beat up or even raped with lots of people around hearing something happening….but no one wanted to get involved? When we hear these things we instinctively recoil at the injustice and heartlessness of those who did nothing. How dare they!.. But when was the last time you chose to do nothing when you could have done something? Where, in fact, is this even a mindset or a lifestyle for us? And how can we possibly get it straightened out so we can change once and for all?
Wednesday, March 29th “Mary Magdalene: ‘Free’”
Do you remember the film, Braveheart? It focused on a real historical figure that fought and died for freedom for Scotland against the English. In the final scene, he is suffering a horrible execution and, as the cameras pan out away from the awful scene, he cries out, Freedom!!! What “demons” do you have that tend to rob you of freedom? Tonight, we focus on a woman whom Jesus set free!..and how she lived in that freedom….and how we can as well.
Wednesday, April 5th “Joseph of Arimathea: ‘Reboot’”
Reboot. It’s what the computer does once in a while – right? It’s like a death and resurrection. And it’s not just with computers. My cell phone was acting crazy the other day. I asked my electronically astute son, James, what to do…and he said to turn it off and then on. Death…and resurrection. It’s kind of like when the TV doesn’t work or when the copier in the office goes wacko and when everything else fails, we turn it off and on and presto! It works! A death and resurrection. A new beginning. Today, we focus on Joseph and his “reboot.” Where do you need one?
Playing to Win
Do you remember the board game called, “The Game of Life?” The players wind through a number of different circumstances in “life,” and at the end of the game, the one with the most money wins...kind of like monopoly. But the “win” could be different. Last week my daughter skyped me and showed me the board game – I think it was “The Game of Life” - she had been playing with Lili, my almost three year old granddaughter. She raved about how Lili could throw the dice and begin to count how many spaces to go. This was “the win” for Sarah and Lili! It had nothing to do with how much money they had at the end of the game. Theychanged the object of the game and with it what they focused on, their mindsets, what they worked for, and what they celebrated. And from what I saw, they were in a great place!
How about you? As the holidays fade into the rear view mirror and you get back into the full swing of the game of life, how are you doing? Do you feel like you’re winning? Or do you feel as if something is missing?...that you are somehow falling short of the win? As you look at the game of life you are playing, what is the object of your game? And how is it working for you? What are you focusing on? What’s your mindset? What are you working toward? What are you celebrating?.....And how’s it all working for you? Would you say of yourself, “I’m in a great place!”...or something less?..
In the next few weeks we are going to focus on “Playing to Win” for each of us in the game of life. Interested?
Sunday, February 5th Eyes Up (What Are Your Eyes On?)
One of the things that gets drilled into you by a running instructor –whether it’s sprints or long distance – is to get your eyes up and focus on where you are going. This keeps your energy pointed in the right direction as well as your body pointed in the right direction, not veering to the right or the left. What are your eyes on? And how’s it working for you? In your “game of life,” are you going in a straight line?...or do you keep veering this way or that? Today, God shows us where to focus our eyes so we can “Play to Win!”
Sunday, February 12th Mind Set (What Are You Working For?)
When I was 10 years old I wanted to play on a little league football team. The only problem was that I weighed 8 lbs. too much for my age group and they would not allow me to “play up” in the next age group. What did I do? Since I had a paper route and therefore my own money, I bought these Sego diet drinks and ate nothing but those drinks for lunch (my parents didn’t know) and very little for breakfast or dinner for a week. And when I was still a pound over on weigh-in day in the morning, I simply did not eat or drink anything until the afternoon weigh in. And yes, I made weight! (though I did see stars and almost pass out in the ensuing practice…) When one knows what they are working for, it makes a difference! Do you know what you’re working for? And is it enough? Today, God shows us what He, in His grace, would have us work for as we look to “Play to Win!”…And yes, it is always enough!
Sunday, February 19th Training Smart (How Smart Are You Training?)
In High School, I had a terrible time putting on weight – which was pretty important, since I played football. When I got to college the weight coach told me (rather forcefully, as I remember) that I was training “way to much” and he cut down what I did and how I did it drastically….and presto-chango, I put on weight and got much faster and stronger. It matters how one trains. In this “game of life,” how are training yourself so that you can “win?” And how’s it working for you? Today, God, as the greatest coach ever, shows us how to train so that we might “win!” Interested?
Sunday, February 26th Tasting Victory (It’s A Done Deal!)
“It’s so close, I can taste it!” Have you ever heard this expression? Every football team runs “polish” with their offense the day before a game. There is no one lining up against them. The object is to run each play perfect. For many coaches, this includes practicing the celebration when they score. They want their players to geta foretaste of celebrating the victory so they know what they are playing for! -“It’s so close, I can taste it!” Today, in this game of life that each of us is in “to win,” this is the gift our loving God would give to us: to taste the victory so we can live in it right now! “It’s so close WE can taste it!”
God With Us….Fleshing It Out!
On Christmas Eve, our focus was on the presence of God with us in our worldthrough the reality of Christmas; that God, at a particular point in history, really and truly became a human being and stepped into our world, taking our brokenness on Himself that He might make us whole. We focused on this Jesus stepping into the existence of humankind – our existence - stepping into the stuff of life, healing the sick, raising the dead, making the blind to see and lame to walk, and bringing a message of life and hope, doing all that was necessary to make this message certain through the cross and the empty tomb. We focused on Jesus as He came to do life with those around Him when He walked this earth, and how He continues, as Immanuel – God with us - to come to us to do life with us, not as a God who is far away from our condition, but as our brother who understands and has come to rescue us. In the next few weeks, we will flesh out a little more what this message of Christmas – God with us - means (or was meant to mean) in our lives. Let’s keep opening these wonderful gifts of Christmas!
Sunday, January 1st Restart!/Fresh Start! (Yes!..It IS possible!)
God seems to have built the idea and message of the hope of new beginnings into the very fabric of our existence and really into our very souls. No matter how difficult today is, night will come and then a brand new morning….a brand new day, a brand new month, a brand new year! And on this day there will be the joy of beginnings as babies are born, marriages are begun, first steps are taken, and new things are learned; as humankind throughout the world experiences a myriad of new beginnings in what we do, learn, create, and experience! All of these point to the new beginning that God would give us through Jesus, who is Immanuel, god with us! As it says in the Bible, “God’s mercies are brand new every morning!”...Where do you need a new beginning in your life? Where do you need a “fresh start?” And where, as you see your past, are you sure you have no hope of one? This God of new beginnings, who began something brand new on Christmas as He came as Immanuel – God with us – has plans to give you a brand new beginning right where you need it in Him!
Sunday, January 8th The Gift of Belonging The Wisemen (This Family’s Big Enough for You!)
You can always tell. You can always tell when you are being welcomed as family…and when you’re not. Growing up and even into High School and college, my dad was great at honestly, from the heart, welcoming any of my friends as family. What was amazing is that they knew it…so much so that when I moved away they kept stopping by my parent’s house, especially at Christmas, to see my dad!... who had become “family” even as he welcomed them as family. Some of them, who I hadn’t seen in years, even came to his funeral. Today is about God welcoming you as family. This family’s big enough for you!
Sunday, January 15th The Gift of Community (Doing Life Together)
Have you ever noticed how we are all interconnected? Whether we like or not, it is as if someone put life together in a way that made us interdependent on one another…so that life, by necessity is made up of community. In a real sense, from a Christian perspective, we “love our neighbor” when we do our work (our vocations) honestly, before God, to the best of our ability and for the good of those we serve, whether we are a plumber, a grocer, an engineer, a parent, or an elected official. Life with Jesus – the life we live out in flesh and blood – was also created by God NOT to be lived out alone, but rather in a community of believers. We were not made to go it alone! We were created to be interdependent on one another. We are meant to be gifts of God to each other! This Christmas gift is also for you!
Sunday, January 22nd The Gift of Relationship (It’s Personnel!)
Fifty percent of Americans have no one to talk to. We live in an epidemic of disconnectedness! We can move in and out of large crowds and yet be alone. (Did you go Christmas shopping this year?) Even when we are together with people or with an individual, we can maintain our isolation as electronic connectedness takes precedent over flesh and blood connectedness. But we know there is something missing! Deep down we know we were made to be personal with others and have others be personal with us. This too is a gift that God would give to us through one another. Together, we are His Family. And in this Family, we are empowered to be personally there for one another in the flesh and blood of life, the flesh and blood into which Jesus was born. This Christmas gift is also for you!
Sunday, January 29th The Gift of Purpose (Lived Out In The Family)
Some of my earliest memories is of working together with my dad and brother to accomplish a task…painting a fence, doing yard work, putting on a new roof, tearing down a wall, etc… It was a blast….not because of the task but because of who we did the task for and with! What, finally, gives something purpose and meaning? The task or the one we do it for and with? God would fill our lives with purpose and meaning as we live them out in flesh and blood for Him!...But again, we were not made to go it alone! Rather, He gives us one another to work with and for as we live out our mission in Him! And yes, this Christmas gift of Immanuel – God with us – is also for you!