The Nativity

The night of caroling is over; selected families were blessed with financial gifts from the church; all the candles have been blown out from the candlelight service, and the nativity set I used yesterday is now put away.  Undoubtedly, Christmas is the busiest time on our church calander.  It's a far cry from the days of my youth when all Christmas activities were anathama at church.  One church I was with even moved the children's Sunday School lesson on the birth of Christ from December to June lest anyone get the idea that Jesus was literally born on December 25! 

Yesterday's Christmas service was so enjoyable.  Lots of children who grew up here came home as adult visitors.  Many families brought their out of town guests which made up for many in our number who were off visiting their families in other places. 

I was glad to see so many chlildren present.  I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the last place children would want to be on Christmas morning was at church.  That is why I did the nativity sermon for the children followed by Christmas carols.  In spite of my assumptions, it certainly did not seem like anyone was there out of a sense of duty.  Rather, there was a wonderful spirit of celebration as all praised our Father and offered expressions of thanksgiving to Him for the wonderful gift of his son. 

My favorite part was watching people during family prayer.  A young lady came and blessed Liz and I with the gift of prayerful appreciation.  I saw others moving about hugging, smiling, talking and praying together.  I know God was smiling as his children recognized the gift he has given us in one another.  I still have some misgivings about the busyness that seems to have taken over the season, but I can't help but feeling a sense of "mission accomplished" when the last worship service of the year was one full of thankgiving, love, fellowship and sharing.  Thank you God, for Christmas!

The Gospel as Fairy Tale

"You give us so much hope!" said the elderly lady after today's sermon.  I replied, "Then I must have been preaching Gospel."  I admit when I first saw the title to Frederick Buechner's book, Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy & Fairy Tale, my initial thoughts were negative.  However, as I read the work I realized that each of these dramatic styles do indeed have something profound to contribute to our understanding of the Good News of Jesus.

I especially have been looking forward to today's sermon.  Sometime ago C. S. Lewis helped me understand that Fantasy communicates truth about the unseen realities that make it easier to grasp and understand.  I wonder if the Apocalyptic literature of the Old and New Testaments were written for a similar purpose?  That was why I eagerly grabbed onto Revelation 2:17 as my sermon text.  To seek a literal meaning for the verse obscures it's ability to communicate.  The truth of the Gospel is that it is too good NOT to be true!

The Gospel as Comedy

Laughter and tears have a lot in common.  How often have you been laughing and laughed so hard you began to cry?  Or, have you had the opposite happen to you?  You are crying and suddenly something is said or done that makes your crying turn into laughter. I wonder about why these two very opposite reactions can sometimes occur at the same time. 

There is nothing funny about tragedy.  Tragedy is horrible and painful.  It is car accidents, drownings and hopeless diseases.  Tragedies are often so awful that that are unspeakable. 

Only God can turn a tragedy into something good.  The cross of Christ becomes salvation for hopeless sinners because of the resurrection.   The unexpected has happened and it makes us laugh!  The kingdom has broken into our world and now the last are first and poor are rich.  The blind are the ones who can see and the empty are filled.   We were all caught looking in the wrong direction but now that we've taken a turn on "unexpected road" we are all filled with laughter.

Come, Lord Jesus!  Bring your kingdom in fullness.  Fill your people with the laughter of Sarah and Abraham.  Give up the grace to expect the impossible. 

The Gospel as Tragedy

Preparing for the lesson today I had to work to stay on topic.  It's difficult to ponder the theme of tragedy.  It's tempting to rush through the bad things to get to the good stuff of the Gospel.  Unfortunately, reality does not allow us to do this.  Life in this world forces us to face the fact that pain, suffering and tragedy are real and eventually will touch everyone. 

As I prepared my lesson today I thought about the funerals I have conducted this year.  It's difficult to work with families struggling to accept the death of dreams and the unfairness of pain, suffering and death.  Platitudes are only helpful to those who give them.  For those facing the tragedy of living in a sin polluted world, the best words are often none at all.  Presence is more beneficial than filling the emptiness the words that are equally empty. 

But it is tragedy that sets up the comedy.  As we will see next week, those who don't allow themselves to understand the tragedy miss out on the comedy.  They are like the ones who don't get the joke and wonder why everyone finds it so funny.  So don't be afraid to be real.  Don't be afraid to think deeply and reflectively about the just how difficult it is to be human.   After all, Jesus didn't pretend life wasn't hard.  He fully embraced it and showed us how to life.  But he did more than that, he is in fact the Way, the Truth, and the Life!  He IS the way out of this mess.  And what comes next . . . . well, that's the comedy and the fairy tale.

Cultivating a Thankful Heart

On Sunday I was privilidged to stand at the front of the sanctuary as people began to share their thanksgivings with one another.  What began as a small rumble became louder and louder until there were hundreds of voices expressing their thanksgiving.  It sounded to me like a jumbled roar of noice.  However, upon reflection, I think it sounded to God like a beautiful symphony.  A chorus of thanksgiving.  An offering of thanks given by our church in honor of our magnificient God!

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Colossians 4:2)

Come Lord Jesus

I loved the large blocks of scripture used in the last part of today's sermon.  While exegesis of those passages can be helpful, I wonder if thoughtful meditaiton might be more beneficial in terms of changing our hearts and lives.  When the NT writers speak of the return of Jesus it is always for the purpose of influencing how we live in this age.  We are to live with confidence, hope, and assurance as we look forward to his return.  Somehow the information contained in Scripture must move from our intellect to our hearts and then out through our attitudes and actions. 

When Peter wrote, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Peter 3:15) he was not necessarly saying that we need to be able to answer all the difficult questions non-believers ask.  Rather, we are to explain why we can have hope when everything looks bleak.  Faith in the unseen realities of Christ are a powerful witness to a world that has lost hope.  The second coming of Jesus is a promise we hold dear to our hearts.  It enables us to live right now in the kingdom of God that can only been seen by faith.  One day soon, however, it will be revealed and made known to all.  That will be the day of Christ's appearing.  "Lord, haste the day when the faith shall be sight."  Amen, Come Lord Jesus!

(If you want to meditate on this message of good news turn to 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11; 1 Peter 1:3-12; and 1 John 2:28-3:3.)

We Believe in the Lord's Supper

The depth of meaning that is to be found in the Lord's Supper is beyond the scope of one simple sermon.  It is, in fact, beyond the ability of an entire series of sermons.  The reason is that bread and cup are not just elements to be dissected and thought through intellectually.  Bible messages, helpful as they are, fail to truly uncover the marvelous mysteries of the Communion.  Words themselves are inadequate (and thus this blogger is struggling!). 

Two comments made to me after the service today may clarify my meaning.  The first was made by a woman who has been a faithful servant of Jesus longer than I have been alive.  She simply said, "Today I truly worshipped."  The second was made by a gentleman of similar age.  He said that during one song he had to stop singing.  What he meant by that, I believe, was that he became so in tune with the "message" of the Lord's Supper that his emotions rendered him unable to sing.  When we reflect on the Lord's Supper as Memorial, Eucharist, Communion, and Anticipation it can easily become a rather overwhelming experience of the goodness of God.  Hallelujah!  Come, Lord Jesus!

We Believe in the Holy Spirit

When we think of God the Father, usually a human image comes to mind such as Michelangelo's famous painting depicting God and Adam.  We often conceive of Jesus in terms of a young man.  But what image comes to mind when we think of the Holy Spirit?  Trinitarian doctrine calls him the "third person" of the the Godhead, but images in our mind are often cloudy or vapory.  How can one conceive of the Holy Spirit as a person?

This was precisely the reason why I choose to present the Holy Spirit as a gentleman this morning.  What a difference it makes to visualize the Spirit as a continual presence with us urging us and empowering us to live holy lives.  I appreciate Richard using his acting talents this morning to give us a visual image of the Holy Spirit as a person who leads, instructs, guides and corrects. 

My take away from this morning's lesson is the sermon text, "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature"  (Galatians 5:16).  I want to live a life "under the influence" of the Spirit so that the sinful nature continues to die away and life in the Spirit grows stronger and stronger.

Moving into Deep Waters



The stories I shared this morning from our heritage are some of my favorites.  I especially love the B. F. Hall story about the freedom he found when he realized the connection between forgiveness of sins and baptism.  Through the years some of that joy became tainted as we failed to stay true to the second half of Thomas Campbell's famous motto: "We are silent where the Bible is silent."  When we strayed from our role as proclaimers of good news to become the judges of those who don't understand baptism exactly like us, the doctrine of baptism began to feel more like a burden than a blessing. 

As we are now rethinking some of our past teachings and practices, I find great encouragement from reading the stories of the frontier preachers and their earliest views on baptism.  Truly, they understand that God gave us baptism as a gift that we might know the assurance of salvation.    There is no need to struggle and cry out to God hoping that maybe he will forgive us.  Rather, we place all our assurance in the atoning blood of Jesus.  We are baptized in full assurance of faith that our past is forgiven, our future is assured and with confidence in the Holy Spirit we set forth to live the new life!

High and Holy Becomes Meek and Lowly

No matter how many times I've heard the "old, old story" I never cease to be amazed that God would humble himself to become one of us.  The complicated doctrine of the Trinity or the difficulty in explaining the Incarnation are nothing compared to comprehending why the High and Holy One would humble himself to the extent that he would suffer all the effects of the Fall.  He who had need of nothing made himself weak so that he might restore relationship with his sinful creatures. 

Some of the scriptures quoted in this morning's sermon spoke to the in incomprehensible concept of God becoming a human.  But, the most profound scripture I know is also the most simple: "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son. . ."  Karl Barth, a theologican one who had wrestled with many deep biblical concepts was supposed to have been asked the question, "What is the most profound thought you have ever encountered?"  His response, "Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so."

Who Am I?

As I pondered the sermon this week I kept thinking about the Casting Crown's song, Who Am I?  After reflecting on the question of self identity the chorus strings together a series of scriptural images regarding the brevity of life:

I am a flower quickly fading,

Here today and gone tomorrow,

A wave tossed in the ocean,

A vapor in the wind.

Considering the enormity of God (as I've attempted to do the past two weeks) indeed our years are just a passing breeze and our entire existence is as a speck of dust living on grain of sand in a universe beyond human comprehension.  AND YET, the Psalmist reminds us that we were created a little lower than the heavenly beings, crowned with glory and honor and made rulers of all things here on earth.  (Psalm 8:5ff)

The fact that sin has so contaminated us that our very nature now is sinful, has never changed God's view of our purpose and reason for existence.  Because of his great love for us he sent his son to cleanse us from sin that we might be an untarnished reflection of his image on earth.  Thus the second part of the Casting Crown's song reflects God's great concern for us:

Still you hear me when I'm calling,

Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,

And you've told me who I am.

I am yours.

I am yours.

 

Thank you Lord!  What a Savior!

We Believe in God

The shrinking YOU in this morning's sermon seemed to be the most memorable part of the lesson.  I know that was the part that most impacted me as I worked on the sermon this past week.  For those who did not hear the sermon, we noticed how the frame of reference in determining anything of significant value always begins with YOU.  But the further one moves back the smaller you become: family, church, city, country, nation, planet, galaxy, universe.  Above all the universe is God.  Contrasting the High and Holy One with a human being is like contrasting the vast expanse of ocean with a single drop of water (except that the drop of water is significantly bigger!). 

After the sermon someone commented that God even knows the number of hairs on our head.  Incredible!  He is so massively huge and yet so near and concerned about even the least significant human.  What a great God we serve! 

We Will Serve The Lord

People sometimes ask me how long it takes to write a sermon.  The answer for today's sermon would be 28 years (that's the age of our oldest child).  I was reluctant to preach on parenting when the children were small thinking that the ideal time would be when they were grown.  Now that my children are grown, and the world has changed so much, I'm thinking parents really need help from someone much more in touch with the challenges of today's technology. 

But I preached today's sermon knowing that the basics of parenting never change.  That's why I love Joshua's declaration so much, "As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."  No matter what age you live in, no matter what's going on in the culture around you, this is surely where godly parenting always begins. 

Today's sermon was not intended to be deep or profound.  I seriously doubt anyone learned anything they didn't already know.  I decided to combine movie clips with personal testimony to encourage parents to do what they already know to do but to do it with conviction and sacrificial leadership.  There is not a single sacrifice Liz and I made in raising our children that we regret.  The three word sermon outline of Time, Talk, and Walk was truly a statement of our priorities.  My prayer is that every Christian family might make them theirs as well.

My Faith Journey

It felt a little strange preaching a testimonial sermon.  It's not that I mind telling my faith story, it's just that it seems the sermon time should be built around a text of scripture with personal stories used as illustration.  I think it's fair to say that that should generally be true.  However, building the entire sermon around my story today seemed a fitting way to conclude the series. 

I was reminded of a poem I heard back in college: The Gospel According to You.  It made the point that people need to see the gospel at work when they examine your life.  God communicated through paper and ink to Israel, however, when God wanted to communicate at the deepest level he sent his message clothed in human flesh in the person of Jesus.  We need to teach and preach what God has give to us in written form, but for people to really catch the vision of what it means to be in relationship to God, they need to see Jesus living in us.  They need to hear our stories of struggle and growth.  They need to hear, not just how God worked in the life of Abraham, Joseph, and Saul of Tarsus; they need to know how he has changed your life and mine.  Now that you know my story; what's yours?

The Goal of Our Faith

In 2003 I preached a sermon similar to the one I presented this morning.  I used an object lesson in that sermon to illustrate putting "confidence in the flesh".  As I talked about things a modern Christian might point to to feel secure in their faith, I would pull out trophies and set them up on a table.  I mentioned boasting in one's heritage such as being "raised in the church" or having various families members in positions of church leadership.  Then I talked about feeling secure because of all the good things I've done in life such as being baptized, taking the Lord's Supper, reading the Bible, serving on a committee, and on and on.  I mentioned putting our faith in titles such as ministry leader, deacon, or elder.  I saved the largest trophy for the last title I mentioned: preacher!  By that point the table was overflowing with trophies. 

I then brought a trash can on stage and began to put all the trophies in the trash. This was in keeping with Paul's saying that he considered all the things he formerly put confidence in to be skubala, translated garbage or dung.  At the end of that sermon we sang "The Old Rugged Cross" and I pointed out the verse that says, "I'll cherish the old rugged cross, till my trophies at last I lay down." 

I decided not to use the illustration this week since I think our church is in a different place than we were in 2003.  I find in my preaching now I spend less time talking about some of our past legalisms and more time giving a positive focus to what it means to follow Jesus.  Thus, today's sermon was on the resurrection power available to us as we share in Christ's sufferings and death.  The cross the is ultimate object lesson.  How appropriate that it hangs above and behind the pulpit where I preach each week.  May every sermon point us to the cross of Christ.

"I want to know Christ--yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead." (Phillipains 3:10-11)

When the Scales Fall

“How am I supposed to show love to somebody over and over and over who constantly rejects me?”  After working on my sermon for the better part of Monday I sat down at home that evening and watched the movie Fireproof.  When I came to the scene where Caleb is complaining to his father I knew that I needed to work that clip into the sermon.  What a great question.  Indeed the only way we truly learn how to love like that is to accept the love of Christ.  Only then will we be able to allow him to love through us. 

I can never tell the story of Steve Awtrey loving me when I was a rebellious teenager without tearing up.  I used to apologize for that but decided to do so no longer.  When someone allows the love of Christ to flow through them to the extent that they love the undeserving; it should provoke an emotional reaction.  Even though it happened almost 35 years ago I never ceased to be amazed at the wonderful grace of God to save a sinner like me. 

Faith Conquerors Fear

Why is faith so simple to explain and so often difficult to live?  Preaching on faith is the easiest thing in the world.  Living by faith, now that's a different story. 

My favorite part of today's sermon text (Matthew 14:22-33) is when Jesus immediately reaches out to Peter when Peter's faith failed.  What a Savior!  When Peter put his faith into action (with permission I might add) he had no reason to fear because even if his faith failed he would still be safe because Jesus would rescue him. 

If you know what Jesus wants you to do; go ahead and do it!  Even if you don't do it perfectly, even if you get the middle of it and suffer a faith collapse, Jesus will still give you exactly what you need.  What a Savior!  That's why you can trust him.

So don't worry about failure.  Jesus has you covered.  Put your attention on him.  Make sure you understand his word and then get out of the boat.  Walking on water is not just for the "Super Christians".  It's for all those who put their trust in Jesus.  So, go ahead; get out of the boat.

Jesus' Faith Journey

Waiting to preach this morning I was struck by the words to the old hymn we sang during the Lord's Supper.

They bound the hands of Jesus in the garden where he prayed;
They led him through the streets in shame.
They spat upon the Savior so pure and free from sin;
They said "Crucify him; He's to blame."

The following verses continue this theme of suffering as the song poetically describes the shame of the cross.  At the conclusion of each verse we remind ourselves that he could have called ten thousand angels to set him free, but instead, "He died alone for you and me."

Thinking about the faith journey that Jesus' walked made me a little emotional this morning.  Pondering the fact that Jesus became a human, endured poverty, temptation, and injustice for the single purpose of reconciling sinful human beings with the High and Holy One should take my breath away more often than it does.  But more than an emotional reaction, I know that what Jesus really wants is my faithful obedience.  He has shown the way through voluntary submission to the will of the Father. 

Watching him walk his faith journey teaches us how to walk ours.  I specifically choose the song after the lesson to reinforce this message.

That's why we praise him, that's why we sing
That's why we offer him our everything.
That's why we bow down and worship this king,
'Cause he gave his everything, 'Cause he gave his everything

Celebrating What God Has Done

After calling attention to Laura Mallary this morning as the service began, imagine my embarrassment to realize that I totally forgot to have her come and share her testimony of how she had seen God at work though our prayer ministry during this years Impact Week.  This is Laura's third year to painstakingly type all of the requests into a usable format for people to use in prayer and service projects.  The rest of my sermon reflection today will be from some notes Laura made telling about her week.

This is the third year that I've been helping Jeremy and Donna out in the office during Impact week, compiling prayer and service lists, scheduling service projects, and fielding Impact week related phone calls. I know that God has many purposes at work in our Impact week activities, some that we see and some that we will never know. There are two very clear messages that I can see him communicating with the Clear Lake community through our visits, service, prayers, and events.
The first is that God loves them. So many times I've spoken with local residents who say that our visit or offer of service came just as they needed it most. One lady told me that she had become despondent over her situation, but when our kids prayed with her about it on her front porch, she began to have hope and faith again that things would work out. I've spoken with an elderly lady whose husband was in the hospital and didn't know how she was going to find time to get her yardwork done. Our service allowed her to be with her husband during his illness without worrying about mowing grass or trimming hedges.
The second is a message about his people. So many people have been believed Satan's lies telling them that "church people" are somehow different than they, or that they somehow aren't worthy of our notice. The visits, service, prayers, and events that happen during Impact week have a tremendous influence on the perception of God's people in our community. God's people are not simply those who gather at 938 El Dorado at appointed times, but are the people who visit their homes every summer to pray for them, serve them, and invite them to join us for special events. We are the people who laugh and talk with them at Movie in the Park, the ones who help them out with needs around their homes, and the ones who pray for the things that are on their minds. Rather than thinking of Clear Lake Church of Christ as "church people," I believe that we are showing them the likeness of Christ as HIS people. God is changing how people perceive Him and His church through our ACTIONS, rather than our WORDS.
One last thing, if anyone hasn't participated in this effort during the years that we've been doing it. I would encourage them make plans NOW to participate in some way next year. You can't imagine the encouragement and blessings that Impact Week will bring until you do it. It's amazing how God is able to bless and renew our spirits, even as we pour out His Spirit across our community.

Pursuit

The sermon today was truly constructed by the church.  The painting was, of course, the most obvious feature of the sermon.  It was located center stage and expertly painted through the duration of the lesson.  While the paint was applied to the canvas stories were being told.  One after a another the stories came.  We heard different voices telling the same story of helplessness, service, and then hope.  The stories were all the same yet they were all different.  Different people; different types of suffering; different servants.  Yet they were all the same.  The overall story that bound them all together was that of Jesus washing the disciple's feet.  My job was simply to point to Jesus.  He's the one who has truly brought everything together. 

As I reflect on the sermon, I keep thinking about the servants we heard about.  Largely nameless, shrouded in obscurity, yet serving in ways that deeply impacted the lives of those being served.  The servants were us!  Those were our stories.  But if we talk to Elaine or Bob or Nick or Jana or Boyce or Toni or any of the others who's acts of service were told; they might say, "I was just doing something that needed to be done."  Servants just serve.

The lesson I walked away with this morning is this: Don't TRY to have an impact on others; just serve those in need.  God is the one who changes lives.  Our job is to wash feet. 

"I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. . . . .  Now that you know these things; you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:15, 17)

Attitude Check

Walking away from the sermon this morning, I am feeling the sense of how deeply we really need each other on this faith journey.  I know the first time I attempted to climb a Colorado mountain to summit there was no way I would have ever made it without those around me.  Of course, some of the them were teenagers and I didnt' want to quit because that would have provided the only excuse they needed to turn around!  But there were others who had made the summit on a previous journey who assured us it was worth whatever it cost as we toiled along the upward way. 

Jesus is the only one who completed his faith journey to the very end and returned to tell us about it.  Consider this verse in Acts 1:3, "After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive.  He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God." What did he say?  Whatever it was, when the Holy Spirit came on them they were full of joy and lived lives of devotion to Jesus and to one another.  The opening chapters of Acts show people with tremendous attitudes in the face of suffering and uncertainty. 

I met with a young adult recently who was feeling unwanted, ineffective in ministry, and just bad about themselves in general.  As we talked I shared from my journey about a time when I went though some very similar feelings.  I talked about some encouragement I received at that time and some good insight into how to view my situation differently.  I was later told that just knowing I had been through some of the same experiences was a tremendous help.  Those of us who have been on this faith journey for a number of years really need to share our lives with those who have not been on it as long.  Our stories of success and failure can help a new generation to find hope and courage to keep putting one foot in front of the other. 

Of course, we all need to keep our eyes on Jesus; and his word to us will surely be, "Don't quit, when you get to the other side you will see it's worth whatever you may have had to go through here."  And when things don't go our way here . . . . "Attituuuuuuude Check!"

Running From God

I'm writing Sunday's sermon reflections on Monday morning.  This is an indication of the kind of week it's been.  Thus, my reflections will simply be some recitations of comments heard after the sermon:

• It's difficult to contrast Jonah and Joseph since they were probably both referred to as "Joe"
• Tarshish should be pronounced so that one hears the "shish" at the end
• One person who has recently returned to the Lord could relate with the line, "When you run from God, he will pursue you; not to punish you, but because he knows you need him."
• A fresh look at an old story

Faith Under Trial

Everyone loves stories.  We love to hear them, read them, and watch them in the theator or on the movie screen.  Somehow stories communicate on a deeper level than simple statements.  It's one thing to say, "Trust God even when things are going bad;" and something entirely differnet to say, "Once upon a time there was teenager named Joseph." 

The Bible stories we have been looking at (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Joseph) present people who are all walking the faith journey, but each story is unique.  There are certainly some similarities; but it is the differences that makes the individual stories so facisinating. 

In a simliar way, the stories of our faith journeys are alike in many ways but each story is unique.  The line that sticks with me from this morning's sermon is "Don't give up Joseph, the story is not over yet."  How badly we need that faith perspective when we are in the middle of a struggle and are not at all clear of how it will end.  This is where the faith stories of Bible characters (and the people who sit around you at church) are so vital.  We need to hear from people that have gone through the fire and come out on the other side.  We need to hear those tales to reassure us that God is with us even when we can't see him or understand what he is doing.

I yearn for the day when my "faith shall be sight."   That will be the day when faith is no longer necessary.  While we live on this earth, however, we trust knowing that the story is not finished yet.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,

The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;

The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,

Even so, it is well with my soul.

Faith That Limps

I remember in Sunday School learning about Jacob tricking his brother out his birthright and then deceiving his father to further claim Esau's blessing.  For some reason I don't remember ever thinking what Jacob did was wrong.  I guess in my innocence I just thought that a patriarch would never do anything sinful. 

Today, I read those stories differently.  I've come to realize that the patriarchs (like everyone else in scripture) are not the main players, but the supporting cast.  God is the main character in all the stories of the Bible.  The human characters kind of bumble along; some bumbling better than others. 

I particularly enjoyed telling the Jacob story today because his faith journey is so different from my perceptions as a young boy.  It wasn't until the intense wrestling match and painful hip dislocation that Jacob knew for certain that without God he wasn't going to make it.  If Isaac was the first child to "grow up in the church" as I mentioned last week, then Jacob is the first 3rd generation believer.  Someone has said that the first generation of believers know what they believe and why.  The second generation knows what they believe but are a little fuzzy on why they believe.  The third generation doesn't even know what they believe.  That seemed to be true of Jacob.  God was true to his promises and finally made a believer out of Jacob. 

With his new name, Israel, Jacob could now tell us what he believes about God and why he believes it.  He also limps every time he walks.  He deserves to limp for sure; but he also earned it.  He had to struggle long and hard to prove to himself that he could be a man of faith.  Now with each hobble he makes he can smile knowing that God will keep all his promises.  Israel will never again have to depend on himself.  He can rest secure in the promises of God.

Believing the Promises of God

I have little interest in formulas or methods for "making prayer work."  Sure, there are a lot of things that I ask God to do that I think might make my life better or the life of people I care about.  However, I know of no assurance from scripture that God will do what I ask and my lifetime of experience teaches me the same.  Sometimes God is pleased to answer my requests and sometimes he answers in other ways. 

As we studied this morning, the Prayer of Faith is different.  It's not asking God to do whatever it is that I think might be a good idea; it's asking him to fulfill his promises.  If God has promised that my life has been made new in Christ (Rom. 6:4), then I can pray in faith that he will help me live this new life.  That is a prayer that God has promised to answer. 

Praying the scriptures is one of the best ways I have found to pray the promises of God.  I particularly enjoy praying the prayers of the New Testament epistles.  Each week I send a form letter to those who visit our Sunday service.  I have five different letters I send depending upon how many times someone has visited.  In each letter I include a prayer from the New Testament and I pray that prayer before signing each letter.  I pray those prayers in faith believing that God will do exactly what I ask, because I am praying based on his promises.  An example would be from the book of Philippians, "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God" (1:9-11).  I am confident that God will answer these prayers if the person is willing to receive God's help. 

Develop the habit of asking God to do what he has promised to do and then watch as he answers your prayers.  This can be a most enjoyable part of one's faith journey.  Believe God's promises.  Pray God's promises.  Then, watch as God keeps his promises.

Happy Father's Day

For the first time in well over three decades my father was able to celebrate Father's Day with all of his children in the same room.  My dad has three sons and each of us have one daughter.  The girls got together over a year ago working on a plan to get all their fathers together at the same time.  It was difficult to find a place and time but after a lot of effort, it was decided that we should all go high in the Rocky Mountains to Buena Vista, Colorado. 

Mom and Dad live in Fort Collins, Colorado which is about a 4 hour drive.  My brother Paul lives in Canton, Texas and he had to drive about 16-18 hours to get here.  My oldest brother, Barry flew in from Los Angeles and I few in from Houston.  Paul came with his entire family (including his granddaughter, minus his son-in-law).  My daughter Elizabeth and her husband Jaime flew in from San Antonio and Barry's daughter, Beverly flew with him.  Of course my mom is with us as well.

Since Paul had to leave at 5 this morning we celebrated Father's Day last night.  There were a few cards and presents given but the most special part of the event was that we were all together.  Thank you Beverly, Elizabeth, and Kelley for making it happen.  Fathers deserve to be honored and you have given my dad the greatest gift possible.

Abraham's Story

I saw this bumpersticker online and found it thought provoking.  As we saw in today's sermon, Abraham cerainly had enough failures to qualify for the guilt trip!
Thankfully, however, he continued his faith journey. 

Reflecting on Abraham's story, I'm once again reminded of how easy life looks when examined from the end.  In other words, since we know how everything will turn out, we have trouble truly appreciating the stuggle Abraham faced. "Of course God will fulfill his promises", we say to Abraham as he questions God's ability.  "Just hang on", we encourage him, "Everything will turn out fine, it's just going to take a few more years." 

I think that's what the Holy Spirit is continually whispering in our ears.  "Don't give up, don't give in.  I know how this is all going to work out and it will be so worth it if you stay on the journey."  As we continue our series this summer you will find this to be a common element in everyone's journey.  The struggles come because we can't see how things will turn out.  That's why living as a Christian requires faith.  We can't see the end from the beginning, but we trust the One who can.  Faith is living in that trust from day to day.

From Limping to Leaping

Every Sunday morning I go through the same routine.  I wake up, walk the dogs, feed the dogs, and then sit down with a cup of coffee and go over the sermon I am about to preach.  This morning as I sat down with my coffee and began going over the sermon I noticed something in the text that stirred my thinking.  "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for disposal of refuse"  (2 Timothy 2:20 TNIV).  That final phrase is so much more specific than the more common "some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble" (NIV).  This image of an ancient toliet makes the next verse really stand out: "Any who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work" (2 Timothy 2:21)

As we have studied thorughout this series, it really is possible to become like Christ!  We are not just sinful wretches that will always be sinful wretches.  We may come to Christ on a stretcher, but he tells us to "take up our mat and walk."  There are things we can do to grow in holiness and righteouness.  I'm now wondering if the vessels mentioned in 2 Timothy are more than just symbols.  What if this life is simply preparation for the next life?  How differently would we live if we knew that our position in the Master's house depends upon the training and discipline we receive in this life? 

Our theme verse for "God's Gym" comes from 1 Timothy 4:7, "Train yourself to be Godly."  As we end the series look at the next verse, "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:8).  The work we put into training our selves to be godly will not end at the grave but will become treasures to take with us into the next life. 

To keep growing deeper in the life of Chrsit I've listed the resources below that I mentioned in class. 

I'll Need You Dad

After the sermon one dad told me he asked his teenager, "What would you say is the most important thing in my life?"  What a great question to ask.  That was exactly the response I was hoping for from dads.

Passing on faith to the next generation will never happen by accident.  It must be done intentionally.   Our faith must be Lived and Taught.  Our children need to See and Hear the message of Christ.  Godly parenting is not about perfection but direction.  What direction are we pointing our children?  What would they say is the direction our lives are moving? 

As one who now has all three children grown and on their own; I can personally testify that there is no greater joy than knowing that my children are walking in the truth.  I love that they are stable financially and successful in their chosen fields of work; but the most heartwarming satisfaction I have is knowing that at the core of their being they want to be faithful to Jesus Christ our Lord.

As we dedicated all those babies to the Lord this past Sunday my prayer for them is that their parents and the church might take the vows they made seriously.  May all of us work together to see that our children Know the Lord, Love the Lord and Obey the Lord!

Worship: A Body Building Exercise

Worship as a body building exercise is a difficult concept in our individualist culture.  I grew up learning the "acts of worship" and working to make sure that I did them properly.  Over time, I became more focused on having good worship "feelings" believing that if I experienced a "worship high" that meant that I had really worshiped.  But thinking about worship as a recognition of the Holy God and surrendering myself to him, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and the world; that's a really different way to look at things.

When personal surrender becomes the act of worship I do every Sunday morning; I am free to recognize God for who he is and for what he has done.  In turn I am also free to be used by God to encourage others and be available to love and serve them.  By surrendering myself, my preferences and my opinions for the good of the body, I am able to leave worship knowing that God has served me and equipped me to serve others throughout the week.  That kind of empowering worship is what builds up the body.  I love the experience of having good feelings during worship, but I'd much rather view worship as a spiritual discipline for the body of Christ. Having the body of Christ grow strong and healthy; now that's a goal for corporate worship that we should all be able to work toward.

Fasting for Spiritual Formation

I recently heard a replacement term for "spiritual disciplines."  The new term is "soul training exercises."  There is concern that some might have lost sight of the point and made the "disciplines" ends in themselves.  In order words, "get the disciplines down pat and you will instantly be spiritual."  The opposite of this would be viewing the disciplines as optional for ordinary Christians and necessary only for the super spiritual.  Pursuing the disciplines as ends in themselves leads one to take pride in their accomplishments.  Not having the disciplines in one's life leads one to a flabby, out of shape Christianity that is a poor excuse for discipleship.  My prayer is that neither will be considered the norm for us! 

I don't think I can overstate the importance of fasting for us today.  It is more than intensified prayer; although it can serve that pupose.  It is a direct attack on the addiction we all have to the culture of instant gratificaiton.  The purpose of fasting is not to master the fast; it is simply one tool to use in our pursuit of God and the holy life that he has called us to live.  The reason fasting is such an important tool is that I know of no other way to practice self-denial.  One who has learned to deny self though periods of fasting will have a much easier time of denying self when called upon by God to serve.  Fasting helps train one to be forgiving, loving, a servant, and a multitude of other attitudes and actions that spring from a transformed life. 

Please join me this week in identifying one idol in your life that is competing with God and take steps to prevent that idol from having control over you.  Decide what kind of a fast would be a useful way to deny yourself so that you can focus your attention more completely on God.  Set a beginning time and an ending time.  Partner up with a friend for the fast if you like.  This can help with accountability as well as giving you a prayer partner.  Let's get serious about following Paul's admonition to "Train yourself to be godly" (1 Timothy 4:7).

You Shall Have a Song!

For my reflection today I'm simply going to list things that stand out in my mind as I look back over the service.  These are in no particular order.

• Ben Tompson's negative response to my singing.  ( I think I finally won him over when I got to singing "A, B, C, ...."
• Sybal's wonderful work with our LTC choir.
• The beauty of sign language.
• The joy of seeing so many faces at church that I have not seen in a awhile.
• Holding my 8 week old granddaughter to greet people after the service.
• Marveling over that long list of scriptures I read at the end of the sermon.  (I hope it wasn't too long.)
• Rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep during our Family Prayer Time.
• Watching our beautiful children and listening as they told the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.
• Having all my children and their spouses at home at the same time attending Easter services with us.
• Reflecting on the great work of so many who devoted themselves to making our Easter worship a meaningful time of celebration and thanksgiving.

A Spiritual Food Pyramid

Ever since I was baptized 37 years ago I have been in love with the Bible.  I remember when I was a senior in high school taking one of those tests designed to help you know what to do with your adult life.  The job I ranked highest in was "priest."  I know that happened because several of the questions had to do with the Bible.  On each one I had checked "highly interested" or whatever the highest ranking was.  What else could a person like that become if not a priest?

Since I'm a naturally disciplined person by nature, I loved the challenge of reading through the Bible in a year or studying a subject like prayer through the entire Bible.  I've enjoyed digging deeply into God's word to understand a particular book or topic.  Early on in my Christian walk I learned how to use the Psalms as a prayer book and later developed the practice of praying the prayers of Paul (and others). 

In the past few years I've discovered the ancient practice of Scripture meditation.  I was excited to be able to share this with the congregation both in the Bible class and sermon today.  I loved the exercise we did in class meditating on Psalm 1.  I practiced the exercise at home yesterday and felt an immediate draw to focus on the tree mentioned in the passage.  In class others were drawn to different parts of the Psalm.  One person focused on the word "delight" and another on the word "meditate."  Another said meditating on the Psalm brought to mind a grapevine in his garden that he thought was dead.  However, when cutting off the dead parts he discovered that there was still life in the root.  He made application to his own life and spiritual journey.  How wonderful that the Holy Spirit can speak to each of us in unique ways when we take our time, focus on Scripture, and listen. 

Meditation does not do away with other types of Bible reading or study.  Instead, I believe, it can enhance such work.  We still need to get a grasp on the big picture of the message of God as occurs when we read the Bible systematically.  We still need to know what the individual authors were communicating to their original audiences as can be understood through Bible study.  Grounding such work as Bible reading and Bible study on the proper foundation makes all the difference when it comes to meditation.  No matter how I'm looking at the Bible my ultimate goal is always to cooperate with God's Spirit in the formation of my life into the image of Christ.  When this is our purpose and goal, we can be assured of enjoying rich times of meditation on the unchanging but ever new Word of God.

Don't Forget to Breathe

Of all the great lessons Mr. Miyagi taught Danielson, arguably the most important was, "Don't forget to breathe.  It is very important."  As we learned in our sermon today, prayer is the breath of our spiritual lives.  There are certianly some techniques and exercises that teach us how to experience deeper and richer communion with God through prayer.  But in the end, I still find the best advise to be what I said near the end of the sermon, "Pray as you can, not as you can't."  I don't know who first uttered that simple sentance, but it brings great relief to people like me who contantly wonder what there is about prayer that I have not yet learned to practice.  Do what you can NOW but keep  learning.

Everyone loves a story.  I received a number of comments after the sermon about the stories I read about "Aunt Sally" from Mark Thibodeaux's book, "Armchair Mystic: Easing Into Contemplative Prayer."  For those desiring to go deeper into the final stages of prayer that I talked about this moring, I would consider this book a wonderful first step.  I wrote a brief review a couple of years go that you can find if you click here.  (Scroll down the page to find my review.)

I have heard that the best exercise is the one that you actually do!  The same is true for prayer.  Learning about prayer is wonderful; Praying is more wonderful still!

Finding Your Rhythm

As I reflect on today's sermon I find myself amazed at how simple life should be.  The sun rises and falls every day, the tides roll in and out over and over and over.  Summer follows Spring which comes right after Fall and Winter every year.  Flowers always bloom in spring and trees always lose their leaves in Fall.  We could say it's like clockwork, but in reality, the clock is made possible by the rhythm God has set in the universe. 

If life should be simple, why does it feel so complex?  The short answer would be that sin has entered into God's perfect creation and caused an element of chaos to be present.   This explains why sometimes the rolling waves can become a  highly destructive tsunami!  For many, however, the chaos is not an occasional event but has become a lifestyle.  We choose to live frantic, harried, haggard, crazy lives.  How do does one get off the treadmill? 

I must credit Henry Nouwen for the three point outline I used today to describe how Jesus lived according to God's rhythm.  The concepts of Solitude, Community, and Ministry have helped me a great deal to slow my life down and follow the leading of God's Spirit.  To read Nouwen's insightful article click here.  Life really can be much simpler than many choose to live around us.  Look to Jesus and he will show you the way.

Belong, Believe, Become

Today's youth led worship reminded us again of the value of family.  I was particularly impressed with the sheer number of people involved in leading our service.  The obvious, "up front" people were the praise team and the different speakers.  There was also the eight teens that gave the drama demonstrating the value of being connected with one another.  There were several Bible readers both up front and reading from the pews. There were also the boys who passed the collection plates.  But the most meaningful part of the service for me was watching the various families passing communion. 

As Jeremy reminded us, meal time is a great point of connection for a family.  It is sad to say that the family table is now often only a nostalgic memory in our fast-paced, over-committed lives.  It is worth the sacrifice, however, to slow down a little to sit together and eat a meal as a family.  How appropriate, on this day when we were reminded that we are all family in Christ; we would have individual family units serve the various sections of the sanctuary.  David Layman handed me the trays and near to him were his wife and his two daughters all working together to see that their designated section was served.

In a healthy family, everyone serves using whatever they have to contribute to the whole.  Today, we were blessed to be served by our teenagers and their families. Many of those teenagers have been served by this church for many years while they were growing up.  That is the cycle of love and service that builds strong, healthy families.  May we continue to love, to serve, and to build each other up.

Are You Being Saved?

After the sermon this morning I had a conversation concerning the extremes that we Christians seem to continually battle.  On the one hand, is the extreme of legalism where no matter what you do, or how much you do, it is never enough.  At the end of the day you feel unsure of your salvation knowing that you could have done more and that you could have done better than you did. 

The other extreme is libertineism (or more popularly known as "cheap grace") where you don't worry about about a thing since God's got everything covered.  The consequence of living in legalism is that you are continually either proud of your accomplishments or guilty for not achieving enough.  Either way you become a very poor reflection of Christ who opposes the proud and sets the guilty free. 

The consequence of living under "cheap grace" is that you ultimately live anyway you want to so that there is no discernible difference between you and someone who claims no belief in Jesus.  This is, of course, an unacceptable option for one who claims to serve Jesus as Lord. 

The concept of salvation we talked about this morning is a grateful acknowledgment of how Jesus has supplied all we need for life and godliness AND a working out of that salvation through repentance and growth in the Holy Spirit.  It is truly a marvelous concept that absolutely must be recovered if we would be the transformed people of God living as Christ in our communities. 

I must give credit for the "garden tools" illustration to Marjorie Thompson and her marvelous book, Soul Feast.  These are her words which sparked my illustration, "Spiritual disciplines are like garden tools.  The best spade and hoe in the world cannot guarantee a good crop.  They only make it more likely that growth will be unobstructed.  The mystery of maturation lies in the heart of the seed, and the outcome of planting depends largely on the vagaries of weather.  Still, tools are important in helping to ensure that planted seeds will bear fruit.  Tools can remove stones and roots, aerate the soil, weed and water the garden.  Disciplines like prayer, spiritual reflection, and hospitality have the character of garden tools."

For those who might like one good book introducing the concept of spiritual disciplines I would recommend Soul Feast.  There is plenty of depth so that the book is not simplistic, but it is also extremely practical with thought provoking questions and many easy to learn exercises. 

Seven Disciplines of Jesus

You realize that every sermon I preach to the Clear Lake Church I must first preach to myself.  Often while I'm standing up front preaching I'm still preaching to myself.  How can I teach anyone anything unless I myself am a student.  When it comes to examining the seven disciplines of Jesus we talked about this morning, I find myself in the disciple who said, "Lord, teach us to pray." 

The most profound statement I made to myself in this week's sermon was an insight I think I got from Dallas Willard's book, The Spirit of the Disciplines.  It was the idea that we often try to obey Jesus' teachings while living like the rest of the world, instead of following the disciplines of Jesus' life.  I read that statement and thought to myself, "Of course!"  How can anyone possibly obey Jesus unless they live like Jesus?  It was then that I knew I needed to preach on the disciplines of Jesus' life.  The discipline comes first, obedience follows.  

Spiritual training in God's gym follows this order: Exercises, Discipline, Habit, Lifestyle. How often we want to follow the lifestyle of Jesus without learning the disciplines of his life.   This morning in class we learned one small exercise to develop the discipline of prayer in our lives.  What would happen in your attitudes this week if you simply said the "Jesus prayer" as you drove to work each morning?"  What would happen if you said the prayer as you fell asleep each night this week? 

We will be learning several such exercises to help us focus on the Lord and grow in our obedience to all of his commands.  And as John reminds us, "his commands are not burdensome" (1 John 5:3).  Jesus' commands are designed to set us free, to allow us to really live!  But first, we've got to get our mind's right.  We've got to allow the Master to train us in God's gym.

Let the Training Begin

 A few hours after I was baptized, way back on February 20, 1977, I read the New Testament book of James in it's entirety and offered a brief prayer to God asking for help in living this new life I had just been given.  Thus began my quest for spiritual formation.  In the 34 years since that day I have experimented with many spiritual disciplines and exercises seeking to know how best to cooperate with God's Spirit who is working to form me into the image of Christ.  

In my early years we talked about Spiritual Growth instead of Spiritual Formation and the tools offered were few.  In addition to weekly church attendance the Christians I associated with strongly urged me to develop the practice of a daily Quiet Time.  The first activity of each morning was thus spent in intercessory prayer and Bible reading.  This practice of Quiet Time served me well for a number of years.  Eventually, however, I realized that my daily habit had been taken over by Satan and continually led me into guilt (for not doing it enough) or pride (for my successful accomplishment).  After a great deal of struggle I just had to let the practice go away.

In it's place I've developed a number of other "habits" that have served me well.  As our series of sermons (and Bible Classes) continue I will be sharing with you some of the disciplines that have been well tested by many believers over the centuries.  After today's sermon a woman in her 60's told me that just this morning she had been praying, "Lord, I'm so tired of trying."  When she heard in the sermon the encouragement to "stop trying and start training" she knew the Lord had heard her prayer and was answering the cry of her heart. 

I've put Amazon links to some additional resources for those readers who want to go deeper.  I'll be saying more about these books in the future.  Each of the ones listed here has been personally helpful to me on my journey.  Let the Training Begin!

Meet Him in Galilee

I've come to appreciate how Mark ends his Gospel.  I love the image of sitting underneath the cross where I realize He died for me and then being transported back to Galilee where I find the risen Christ and begin the process of discipleship all over again.

So many commented today on the impact of the Bible reading during the sermon.  In my Mark reading this week I read silently until I came to the text I knew I would be preaching.  I then began to read aloud.  Hearing the words in my ears as well as in my imagination (as we all do when we read silently) made a difference in how I understood the significance of Jesus' death for me.  "He bore it all that I might live!" we used to sing.  Jesus wants us to admit our failures, but he doesn't want us to stay there!  He wants us to live!  Receive the gift of grace and get back to Galilee.  We'll be much better followers now than when we first  began!

Reaching the end of preaching on the Gospel of Mark was actually an emotional experience for me.  The past 27 sermons I have preached have all been prepared by reading the Gospel in it's entirety and then focusing attention upon the specific text to be addressed in that week's sermon.  As I mentioned this morning I feel like my friend Mark, who I've enjoyed spending time with and getting to know, is leaving.  I know we'll visit from time to time but it will not be the same.  May I honor Mark's friendship by learning and living the lessons he has taught.  What about you?  What has Mark taught you that will make a difference in your life?

Bringing It All Together

Two comments that I have sought to live by:

• "When you mess up, fess up." 

• "Confession is to be as wide as the sin."

I got to demonstrate both of these this morning as my attempt at humor was made at the expense of another.  Some tried to assure me that my comments were not inappropriate but I felt in my spirit that they were.  I take seriously the scripture,  "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his  tongue , he deceives himself and his religion is worthless" (James 1:26).  

Immediately after I made the joke I regretted it, and as I began preaching my spirit was troubled.  When the Holy Spirit is nudging you it is best to pay attention.  The Spirit continued to bother me as we read Psalm 118 together.  During the singing of the three praise songs I knew I needed to let the congregation in on my internal struggle before we ate the bread and drank the cup together. 

I hope that God used the sermon to do some good, but all I can reflect on this afternoon is the lesson the Spirit was teaching me.  Two other passages come to my mind this afternoon,   "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly" (James 3:1).  God does hold teachers to a higher standard simply because we to be among the most mature spiritually.  "Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Timothy 4:16).  I want my life example to preach as loudly as my formal sermons.  I want my heart to be sensitive enough so that I don't let "small things" go unnoticed and grow into "big things".