What’s the Hold Up

The other day I walked into a Starbucks and there was one person ahead of me in line. I knew exactly what I wanted and I knew the Starbucks jargon I had to use to get it, but the person in front of me did not. This person was asking questions that would be common knowledge to most coffeeshop patrons: what sizes you have, how much is that one, which is your favorite. They weren’t being rude they were just holding up the line. And as the kind and patient barista took their order the line grew.

There are a lot of things we encounter every day that we do through rote memory. Think about those times you arrived at work with almost no memory of the commute. Or worse, you’re going somewhere else and out of habit you take the turn you always take. As mundane as some of those things become to you, they could just as easily be brand new to someone else. When we encounter these people, we can get frustrated; or we can take the opportunity to teach them something.

Proverbs 15:18 says, “A hot-tempered person stirs up strife, but one who is slow to anger quiets contention.”

It is easy to be a hot head these days. Seemingly, a good portion of the internet thrives off controversial statements and poking the proverbial bear. But by embracing grace we can choose to fight against the tide and show people grace. Learning to let God take care of the big things and living in peace with our neighbors is what we’ve been called to do.

In Romans 12:14-16 Paul reminds us, “14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly…”

Even if they’re slow and annoying you can show them grace.

Change

It wasn’t so long ago that you were mired in that old stagnant life of sin. You let the world, which doesn’t know the first thing about living, tell you how to live. You filled your lungs with polluted unbelief, and then exhaled disobedience. We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us. Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love, he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us! Then he picked us up and set us down in highest heaven in company with Jesus, our Messiah. (MSG)

This first paragraph is a paraphrase of Ephesians 2:1-6, and while it misses some of the specifics and nuance of a more direct translation, I love how it gets to the heart of the message we are supposed to hear.

In life it feels like people fluctuate between the extreme of too much self-confidence and too little self-confidence. We rarely seem to take a balanced accurate view of ourselves or our place in the world. But Ephesians 2 is pushing a lot of the possible worry out of the way. Before Christ’s saving work on the cross, we were stuck living stagnant lives and stuck in the drudgery of sin. It is only through Christ that we are brought back to life.

And we don’t bring anything to this equation. God didn’t look at you and say, “this one is worthy of salvation.” God saw only a sinner who was loved and who needed a savior. When we come with empty hands, we come with all we need.

Since we have been saved in Christ, God raises us up, and we will see the immeasurable riches of his grace and kindness towards us. For by grace we have been saved, not because of anything we have done. It is the gift of God.

Hold Fast

Titus 2:1;11-14 “But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.” “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

If more people could focus on this very first verse, I think the church would be in a much different place. Sound doctrine is the truth we find in reading and properly interpreting scripture. Far too many of the hills people are willing to die on are made up of things that are not in the Bible.

In our modern world if you have enough followers/subscribers/friends you are automatically given a voice of authority. I can’t even count how many videos I’ve seen that can be shut down because the presenter doesn’t understand the science of what they’re talking about at all. And so much of it just comes down to fearmongering. If I tell you a “secret” you’ll keep coming back for more.

This is why people are so easily led astray in their theology. They haven’t taken the time to learn it themselves so when someone comes along with “secret” information they keep going back for more. And rather than point to scripture, interpreted properly within its context, they lean on their own personal revelation (God told me and no one else).

We should be listening to the voice of the spirit in our own lives. When we feel a call on our life, that we think is from God, we should listen, and act. However, all these things should be (as it says in 1 Thessalonians 5) tested against the scripture. And we should only hold on to what is good.

But we can only do this, if we take the time to learn what is good.

Dingalingaling Time

Spring is definitely one of my favorite seasons; at the very least it’s in my top four. It probably gets a boost by being so close to winter. In winter the trees are bare, the sky can be grey, and things just feel a little bleak. Sure, that view can change if you’re in a cozy, quaint mountain cabin, but we don’t all have vacation homes. Spring is something we can all enjoy wherever we find ourselves, but some years winter just feels like it drags on forever. Some years, you walk out on a sunny late March morning and curse the sky because it’s beautiful, but it’s only 30 degrees!

It is in these times we remember the importance of learning patience (literally the worst lesson). We only learn to have more patience by having it tested. And it’s never a fun test like “Which Disney princess are you?” (I’m a Rapunzel). It’s the kind of test where someone seems to dance a jig on your very last nerve. It’s like those days when you get cutoff on the road and start thinking, “This might be the time, prison can’t be that bad.”

But, then you take a deep breath and realize that this too will pass. James 5:7-8 calls us to, “7 Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.”

Most of us don’t actively know the hard work of being a farmer, but I hope we can appreciate it. If you plant a seed today and dig it up tomorrow, you’re just going to find a dirty seed. If we want those seeds, those attributes describing us, to grow, we need to take the time to tend to them.

We love spring because it feels like a reward for our patience in winter.

Post Tenebras Lux

On that morning the stone was rolled away, the tomb was empty, and one disciple thought it was important that all of history knew that he ran faster than Peter. As they inspected the tomb, I’m sure their minds must have been reeling. They watched Jesus get arrested, tortured, and crucified for seemingly no reason. They’ve been fearing for their own safety, not knowing what would happen because of their association with him. And they’ve been grieving, not just for the loss of their friend, but also for the loss of the future they had envisioned for themselves.

As they stand there—some weeping, some scrutinizing the tomb—all confused and scared, people appear and start asking them questions. John 20:12-15 says, “12 And she [Mary] saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.”

If you’ve heard this story, you know what’s about to happen, but we must always remember that the disciples don’t. Their lives are about to get flipped even more than they could conceive. Verse 16, “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” In that instance they recognized that he was no ordinary gardener!

All that weird stuff that Jesus said about dying and returning was actually true. He was fulfilling his promises then just like he does today. We live life like the disciples. We don’t know the end of our own stories. We don’t know when our weeping might be changed to joy. However, we do know that we have a loving savior that came back for us.

Tetelestai

After days of torture and torment, Jesus carries his cross up the hill to the place where he would die. He had been beaten so badly that the guards made someone in the crowd help him get all the way to the top. As his cross was raised the guards split up his clothes and mockingly put a sign above his head that said, “this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”

In church, we usually only focus on the crucifixion of Jesus, but it is something that the Romans did a lot. Next to Jesus two robbers were also crucified one on his left and one on his right.

Luke 23:39-43, 39 One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 43 And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Whether you feel like you have never known life without Christ or make a deathbed confession, heaven celebrates anyone who recognizes the saving power of Jesus. He came to live out God’s plan to save humanity. He came to fulfill the prophesies of old, “he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

The sky grows dark, Jesus exclaims, “It is finished.” And he dies on the cross out of the love he had for you. A week that started with people singing his praises ends with him being placed in a borrowed tomb. It’s one he would exit, but that’s a story for next week.

A or B

Jesus was arrested and on trial during the feast of Passover. Lucky for him it was tradition for the governor to release a prisoner to the people during the celebration. In that time, it was pretty easy to get arrested because the Romans wanted everything to stay under control. Any disturbing of the peace just might get you a night in chains.

Pontius Pilate was the governor, and he tried to help Jesus go free because he knew the chief priest was acting out of jealousy rather than justice. So, Pilate elected to let the people choose between Jesus and Barabbas. Jesus, who we know did nothing wrong; and Barabbas who was a notorious criminal. Pilate hoped that the people would make the right choice. Unfortunately, a person is smart, but people are usually stupid. The leaders who were jealous of Jesus persuaded the crowd to make the wrong choice.

Matthew 27:21-24, ‘The governor again said to them, “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?” And they said, “Barabbas.” Pilate said to them, “Then what shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?” They all said, “Let him be crucified!” And he said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they shouted all the more, “Let him be crucified!”’

Pilate sees the injustice happening right before him, but rather than start a riot, he washes his hands of all of it and walks away. Even knowing Jesus is innocent, we know what is going to happen. And we don’t like to admit it, but we also know that if we were in that crowd that day, we would have cheered along with everyone else. Our sin yells crucify louder than the mob that day.

Seeing an innocent Jesus go through all the torture and pain, we are reminded that he came here knowing that this was his ultimate purpose. He came here to go through this for us.

Jesus came so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send Jesus to condemn or punish the world (which he had the power to do), but Jesus came so that everyone might be saved.

We hate to see the injustice, but we have the benefit of seeing the purpose.

Gentleness and Respect

After Jesus was arrested and put before the high council, Peter was confronted.

Matthew 26:69-75 69 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. And a servant girl came up to him and said, “You also were with Jesus the Galilean.” 70 But he denied it before them all, saying, “I do not know what you mean.” 71 And when he went out to the entrance, another servant girl saw him, and she said to the bystanders, “This man was with Jesus of Nazareth.” 72 And again he denied it with an oath: “I do not know the man.” 73 After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.” 74 Then he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know the man.” And immediately the rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the saying of Jesus, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.

The overly pious look at this story and get mad at Peter thinking, “Well I would NEVER do that!” However, we can offer a little grace to someone who made the wrong choice while fearing for his life. The first two people questioning Peter were probably just young girls, but in his fear, they were monsters out to get him. Peter starts with simple insincere confusion. Then he gets a little heavier, swearing he doesn’t know anything. And concludes by cursing (at) himself and everyone around him. This shows his utter loss of control.

And as he heard the rooster, he is brought back to himself. The guilt and shame he must have felt in that moment remembering that just a few verses (hours) ago he said he would never deny Jesus.

We always have a choice. In our words and in our actions of showing Christ or denying our association. Sometimes we will make the wrong choice, and in those times we must always remember, there is a pathway home.

I have a feeling Peter acutely remembered this experience as he wrote these words. 1 Peter 3:15 in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.

Spring Forward

Whether we like it or not on Sunday we are going to lose an hour of sleep because it’s time to change the clocks again. Unless you live in Arizona, Hawaii, or parts of the world that have rejected it, twice a year we get go through a national week of grogginess. I am not a fan. While you are well within your right to reject the time change personally, it would mostly just mean that half the year, you’re showing up an hour early or an hour late to things (depending on which side you choose).

I don’t think the daylight really needs saving—sadly, no one ever asked me. It’s one of those changes that happens to us and around us that we have no control over. When this type of change happens, we can feel a whole range of emotions. We’re angry, we’re disappointed, we’re frustrated. Things were good, but now they’re going to be different. This kind of change was something the disciples experienced as Jesus entered the final stage of his journey to the cross.

In Matthew 26, after sharing a meal, teaching, and praying with his disciples the people come to arrest Jesus. Thinking that this change was unacceptable, one of the people with Jesus pulled out his sword and attacked to stop them.

“52 Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword… 54 But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?...Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

For so many people, the answer to unwanted change is attacking. If something is changing for the worse and it is in your power to fix it, go for it. However, there are some changes that are out of our hands. It is in these times that we need to trust that God is in control and that this change could lead to something greater.

Reaching Goals

How do you react when you achieve something? Do you take time to slow down and appreciate the triumph? Or see it only as a stepping-stone to a bigger goal? If done in a healthy way we can have a never-ending cascade of goals that we work towards in our life. As you pass each milestone, I hope you can see the things you learned along the way that made that achievement possible. And as we recognize them, we can see how they lead us to do bigger and better things.

However, there is another option. For some people, reaching a goal means they’ve made it. It is time to quit! I have achieved the thing I was working towards and now I don’t need to do anything else. But when we decide we’ve made it we quit learning we quit growing. “I already know everything there is to know about that! Why should I bother?”

And this is why it so important to put our focus on things that matter. Goals of self-improvement and Godliness have no clear end point. We can continually grow and help people we meet along the way. Growing in Godliness is called righteousness in the Bible, and it is an area that needs constant attention in our lives.

As we gain more knowledge and experience, we usually learn just how much more there is to learn. Even someone like Paul, who many would point to as someone who had it all figured out, continually pointed to the constant journey we face as we grow in faith.

In Philippians 3:12-14 Paul says, “12 Not that I have already obtained [righteousness] or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Set your eyes on Jesus and strive to live out his call on your life.

Put Me Down!

Isaiah 41:9-10 9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth,

and called from its farthest corners,

saying to you, “You are my servant,

I have chosen you and not cast you off”;

10 fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you,

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Have you ever picked up a child and they immediately start fighting to be put back down? I think that’s the way we act towards God. God tells us over and over that he will hold us up, that he will be there to help us. And like an ungrateful child you push the help away and cry out, “I want to do it by myself!”

Short of recognizing Christ as the savior of your life there is not a lot of stuff that we are called to do individually. God wants to walk with us through life. He doesn’t send you out into the world and then ask how your week is going when you run into each other later. God’s not looking to catch up. God has called you to live a life of impact and importance as you take steps that seem scary.

But you can take those scary steps because you know that you are supported. You know that you are not alone. God is with you. It’s okay to feel weak. It’s okay to need encouragement. We can lean into God and remember Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 12, “[God’s] grace is sufficient for you, [God’s] power is made perfect in your weakness.”

No matter what your overbearing parent/cruel boss/mean teacher told you, you were never meant to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders alone. God is there to help take on every task that comes your way.

We just need to overcome the childish instinct to yell, “put me down!”

Valentine’s Day

As I’m sure you know today is Valentine’s Day (if you’re just finding out there’s still time to run to the store, but hurry). Today we celebrate St. Valentine, the patron saint of beekeepers and other stuff; I’m not exactly up to date on my saints. In our modern context, it is a day we use to celebrate the joy of love. We all want to be loved and have love and give love. And not just that romantic kind either.

We find a deep rest and comfort when we return to a place where we are loved unconditionally. Those are places where we can lay down the armor we wear to make it through the day. It is so important to find a place where your wounds can be exposed with the knowledge that those that reach for them only seek to bring comfort.

Knowing how vital it is to find these places for yourself, it is equally vital that you provide these places for the people around you.

First Peter 4:8-11 tells us, “8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Within each person is the capacity to love and forgive. It is in finding the space in your heart to let other people in that we find true healing and community. Through love we are able to serve one another, and in serving we can help them find the joy in Christ that we have found.

Get out there and love someone.

How Dare You?

Over the Christmas holiday I flew out to visit my family. If you’ve flown in the last 25 years (possibly ever) then you have experienced the mob of people that start congregating as soon as they open the doors to start the boarding process. As they open the doors everyone starts shuffling and merging into a coherent line. Classic zipper merge scenario.

Apparently, in my merging one man had a problem with how I did it. And after he shoulders his way in front of me, he turns around, and says, “you just cut into the line!” Being generally nonconfrontational and in an airport I respond, “’kay.” This was not the profuse apology he wanted so he continued scolding me about proper line etiquette. I let him go and when he stops, I say, “the plane isn’t leaving without all these people on it, we all have assigned seats.” That answer didn’t satisfy him, but we reached the agent and had to get on the plane. In a funny twist I end up having the seat directly in front of his, there I go cutting in front of him again.

The whole interaction made for a slightly uncomfortable start to my trip. Whether I was wrong in this situation or not doesn’t matter. We don’t like being confronted with our sins and shortcomings. It can hurt to be reminded of the things we’ve done wrong. We are disappointed when we realize our present pain is the result of our own past actions.

This is why it is so important to not go on the offensive when we are the ones who must confront someone else’s sin. Galatians 6:1-2 says, “Brothers and sisters, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore them in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

Our goal should be to bring people back into right standing with God and the community. When we yell and berate like airport guy it just becomes about getting our anger out instead of bearing one another’s burdens.

Confrontation can be important, but it must come from a place of love.

Just to Make It Today

If you’ve been a Christian for any length of time you are probably familiar with the concept of prayer. It’s one of those things that sounds super simple (it is) but at times feels super complex.

The complexity comes from people we’ve seen who are first good at public speaking. Then, they pray in front of the group and it’s deep and moving and stirs us up to want more of God.

We mistakenly think those prayers are the only ones God wants to hear. If I can’t pray like, then it might not be worth doing at all. However, God is not concerned with the eloquence we bring. God does not care if you “do words good.” God just loves you and wants to hear about your day. God wants to hear about what’s on your heart.

In Philippians 4:6b-7 we’re told, “6 …in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

In EVERYTHING let your requests be made known by God. This is great and reassuring, though it always brings up the question of how. “I’m so busy how am I going add something else to my already packed calendar?” This is where our friend Brother Lawrence comes in to change our view on busyness.

Brother Lawrence worked at a monastery for a decade as a cook and a cobbler, wondering why he still felt a sense of spiritual darkness. Until it all changed when he decided to make a resolute effort to see God in all he did.

There are certain tasks in his day and in ours that take a little elbow grease but no mental effort. In doing those tasks, what if you switched your mind to the things of God. Brother Lawrence called this practicing the presence. You can pray literally any time you want to.

Instead of filling your ears with background noise, take a moment to thank God for the good things you have, ask for help on the things that worry you, or anything in between. God just wants to know your heart.

Old Music

I’ve recently been processing through a lot of my old CDs. I have a healthy collection of physical media that I’m just not ready to part with. However, as a first step, I can let go of (most of) the plastic cases. As I move the disc and liner notes out of the case and into their new home I’m hit by wave after wave of nostalgia. I remember blasting this one driving down the road with my friends. This is the first song I ever heard by the band that would become my favorite. This is the one I got because it had that one song, but the rest was mediocre.

I hope you have something in your life that brings you the joy I find in this collection. I know the feel of each one just by looking at the disc. I know this because I lived in this music. If you were around in the heyday of CDs and disposable income, you probably also remember listening to the same ones over and over. Streaming wasn’t a thing; you couldn’t just move on to the next thing with the click of a button.

Being almost a quarter of the way through the 21st Century, there are very few things that we repeatedly experience like we did with CDs. We are always on the lookout for what’s new and what’s next. But sometimes what we need to do is hear what we’ve heard again.

Hebrews 13:8-9 reminds us, “8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

9 Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace…” This is something we know but don’t always take the time to dwell on.

It’s easy to look at scripture and think, “I’ve read that before,” or “I already know that story.” But this closes us off from the new thing God wants us to learn from the things we’ve done before.

Get out your Bible on CD and wear out the discs!

Winter Into Spring

We are in the thick of January and some people have lights on their houses. Come on guys, you might be jumping the gun a little. We still have 343 days to wait for Christmas. Though it’s nice to see a little sparkle these days. Winter can be a rough season because the weather is unpredictable, the landscape is bleak and leafless, and it can feel like we are just hunkering down until Spring arrives.

Winter is made even more difficult since it starts off with such a bang. Christmas parties and New Year’s celebrations quickly taper off into, “I guess I better start thinking about my taxes.” Thankfully, around here, it only lasts about three months and gets better. Unfortunately, the hard seasons of life don’t work on such a regular timetable.

Hard seasons in life can last a few weeks, or they can last a few years. When we face the hard times, we can take solace in knowing that we don’t have to face them alone. Paul in Romans 12:9b-13 reminds us of this saying, “hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with mutual affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.”

It is the easiest thing in the world to celebrate when things are going well. It is only when we are going through the hard seasons that we learn what it means to be patient in tribulation. We learn how far we can lean into God’s love. We learn the importance of being constant in prayer.

And when we make it to the other side, it can feel like that first warm day in spring, like we are entering into a new world of possibilities. Most important of all, we have the strength to look for the people we can help. We can show them what is good so they can join us in the springtime of life.

Perfectionist

It’s 2024, and for many of us that is completely unbelievable. I heard one person describe 2023 as the “first real year” since 2019. Yes, we’re all four years older and important things may have happened for you. However, until 2023, a lot of people were walking around with that vague sense of falling behind on something. It’s like that feeling when you missed a couple days of school, and you feel like you need to catch up.

Comparing the world that is presented to us to our internal monologue we can feel like we’re getting left behind. “EVERYONE has figured it out but me.” “EVERYONE is a better parent than me.” “EVERYONE is making more money—has a better job than me.” Whatever your personal fear may be, we are told from multiple angles that we aren’t good enough or smart enough, and the only solution is to “buy this product, support this candidate, join this club, etc.”

All this fear, all this comparison is a distraction. We have to push through the noise and remember that we have a God who sees all our shortcomings and says, “You have freedom from perfection!”

In 2 Corinthians 12:8-10 Paul says, “8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about [my struggle], that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

We mistakenly think of most authors in the Bible as super pious saints. They wrote the Bible, they’re close to God, they never struggled or sinned. We forget that they were people just like us who were doing their best to make it through the day. No matter what you think you might be missing, God wants us to look to his grace to be enough.

We don’t need to be perfect, we just need to rely on the one who is.

Shine On

This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine. This little light of mine, I intend for it to shine. This little light of mine if it happens to shine that’s okay by me. I think this version might be a bit too wordy to fit into the original melody. We live in a world where it feels like the darkness is always closing in around us. While it is not your responsibility to fix the whole entire world, you can still be part of bringing the light to a world that obviously needs it.

In Genesis one of the first things God says is, “let there be light.” He saw that the light was good. During the Exodus God led them with a pillar of light so they could keep going. Psalms tells us God’s word is lamp to our feet and a light to our path. And Matthew 5:14-15 tells you that, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

We are called to let our light proudly shine out into the world. But it’s hard when we are also overwhelmed by the potentials afforded us heading into a new year. We engulf ourselves with resolutions, and life changes, and the pressure to make 2024 “The best year ever!” And while self-improvement is fine, don’t forget the impact you can have on the people around you.

We are called to be the light of world. We are called to live lives that reflect the love of Jesus we have found. As you look for ways to make the most of 2024 be sure to take actions that will make a difference and point people back to the love that you have found.

All is Quiet

Christmas has come and gone. We have one more possible celebration to close out the 2023 holiday season in New Year’s Eve, and then it’s just 90 more days of winter. New Year’s Eve can be such a mixed bag. You love it because you’ll take any excuse to party. You hate it because it’s dumb to celebrate one day becoming tomorrow. You’re indifferent because a) you’re up past midnight all the time or b) you’re ALWAYS ready to go to bed so staying up late isn’t special.

Whether you’re a party animal or a party pooper, I think we can all take the turning over of the year as a moment to pause and reflect. For most of us, the actual transition from December 31, 2023 to January 1, 2024 will have little impact on our lives. As that one song says, “nothing changes on New Year’s Day.” You will still love the people you love and be passionate about the things for which you have a passion.

As we reflect on the year that was, and look forward to the year that will be, we can examine those points in our life that may need some adjustment. We can look at the things we’ve treated too lightly and decide we need to get more serious about them.

James 1:22-25 says “22 …be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, they are like a person who looks intently at their natural face in a mirror. 24 For they look at themself and go away and at once forget what they were like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, they will be blessed in their doing.”

We can move from simple hearers to active doers as we move from one year to the next. This isn’t a call for another New Year’s Resolution, this is a call to act like what we believe is true and live it out for the people around us.

Chicago

Christmas is almost here! And as we prepare to travel, prepare to host, or prepare to get cozy a lot of feelings can come up. I believe the biggest reason we chase the nostalgia of Christmas so hard is because it all used to be so simple. It seems like the older we get the more complicated our emotions around the holidays (any holiday) becomes. Maybe this is your first Christmas after losing someone special. Maybe you’re stressed out trying to help your kids build the good memories you feel like you missed during your own childhood. No matter the reason it’s easy to feel the conflicted emotion of feeling down while you’re supposed to be celebrating.

We don’t usually talk about Revelation around Christmas, many see the apocalypse as kind of a downer. However, there is a passage that points us to hope for the future even in the midst of things feeling bleak. Revelation 21:3b-5a “‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’”

God makes it clear throughout scripture that his desire is to dwell among the people. God wants to comfort us when we feel the troubles of this world become too much. To reconcile us, God sent Jesus to enter into the world and live with us. Through Jesus’s life and work we are able to see that God has made “all things new.”

One day we will cry our last tear of mourning, the pain of former things will have passed away. As we celebrate Christ’s entry into our lives, we can remember he came to recreate us.

All things grow, all things grow.