ADVENT 5 - Christmas is Coming

(Originally posted December 1, 2021)

What’s your favorite Christmas movie? Is it something wholesome and heartwarming? Do you have one that is so loved it’s become tradition to gather the family so you can all watch it together? More than any other holiday, Christmas has become the one surrounded with the most ritual and tradition. From the movies you watch, to how and when you start putting up decorations, to when the music you listen to becomes exclusively Christmas themed, it feels like a switch gets flipped and we want the world to be a little more wholesome and hopeful.

That’s why, I think, we all have a favorite Christmas movie. Sure, they all have that moment where Christmas is almost ruined, but something happens to save the day—the lights work, the meal is edible, people make it home just in time—and everyone lives happily ever after. Seeing things tied up in a neat little bow takes us out of the chaos that is Christmas in real life.

In real life you must resist the urge to “bless” out the person who cut you off in the parking lot. The turkey can be dry. You have to promise someone their gift is on the way because it got lost in shipping, (and sometimes it “got lost in shipping” because we just ran out of time). I want to encourage you to slow down this season and let go of creating the perfect Norman Rockwell style Christmas.

Christmas isn’t about getting that perfect family photo. Christmas is the time we set aside each year to remember the birth of our savior and the hope we have as sinners. Luke 1:26-33 starts the story like this,

26 …the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” …“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Like Mary, we can be surprised by Christmas, it came out of nowhere and became the most important event of her life. Don’t let the distractions of the holiday season pull you away from the reason that we celebrate.

Remember hope!

ADVENT 4 - Waiting

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope,” Psalm 130:5.

This past summer, my family went to Legoland. It was a beautiful day, and despite some temper tantrums, we had a great time. The source of much of the angst was a little thing we call waiting. More precisely, waiting in line. The rides were so close, yet so far away. We could see the cars spinning and hear the screams of delight from the riders, but we only ever moved a few feet at a time. For young children, this is sheer torture.

It’s torture for adults too.

My wife was constantly checking the park app, determining the optimal wait times for each ride. When we entered the park as it opened, we made a beeline for the largest attraction. As I walked, holding my daughter’s hand, she looked up at me and said, “Daddy, you’re going too fast for me.” Fast forward a couple hours and we told our son to lie that he was one year older so that he could get on the shorter line.

The lesson was clear: waiting is for suckers; avoid it at all costs. Most of us hate waiting. Whether it’s sitting in traffic, waiting a whole 48 hours for our prime delivery, or anticipating the latest iPhone release. We are constantly in a hurry, desiring immediate resolution and gratification. 

This is one of the most challenging things about Advent; it’s about waiting. It’s a season of anticipation. We await nothing short of the full and total redemption of the world. This is a thing we can imagine, but not grasp. We see it in part, but not fully. 

And we need it desperately.

“Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord” the Psalmist states (130:1). “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word, I hope…O Israel, hope in the Lord! For with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities,” (Psalm 130:3-5,7-8).

Waiting is a recognition of our powerlessness to save ourselves and of God’s majestic redemption. As you wait, rest in the hope of Christ’s victory.

ADVENT 3 - Jay Ruins Holiday Favorites - Part 3

(Originally Posted December 13, 2017)

For my final devotional in this series, I will examine a movie that I can watch hundreds of times each season. In National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Clark Griswold wants nothing more than the perfect Christmas. He puts forth immense effort to get every detail right: the biggest tree, the brightest lights, and the happiest of holidays. What we witness is the unraveling of all his best laid plans. The tree is too big and ends up burning, when the lights finally work they are so bright it puts strain on the neighborhood power grid, the turkey is dry, unexpected guests come, there is fighting, and nothing seems to work the way Clark envisioned.

For me, I am reminded of this colloquial saying, “Do you want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans.” While this is not the soundest theological proverb, it highlights something. Nothing you do will make God love you more. You and I are incapable of earning our own righteousness. We cannot earn our way into heaven no matter how much effort we put out. We may put on a great display with our outward actions or with our “perfect” family life, but we are just projecting. We display our best selves on social media so others can compare their real lives to our highlight reel. The reality is that none of that matters.

When we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating our complete reliance on a baby. God, who is perfect and holy, set aside his power and position when He became flesh and dwelt among us. God came into our world as a helpless baby. Jesus relied on Mary and Joseph for food and shelter. God wanted to redeem his people and restore the relationship so much that while we were sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8) We did not earn the right to be redeemed. As believers, Christ’s death on the cross covers all our sins past, present, and future. He will never love you more (or less) than He does right now. Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. (Rom. 8:35)

Clark Griswold can be your reminder this Christmas that we can never measure up to God’s standard. For this reason, Jesus was born in a manger in Bethlehem. Reflecting on that can give you the happiest of holidays this year and every year.

ADVENT 2 - Jay Ruins Christmas Favorites – Part 2

(Originally Posted December 6, 2017)

“Hello, I’m calling from Paris. I have a son who is home alone.” Many of us know where this is from, the Christmas classic Home Alone. The tale of Kevin McAllister, how he was left behind and threatened by two burglars, is one of my favorites. As a matter of fact, this year is the first Christmas season that my kids have seen Home Alone, and they are obsessed. I mean, what’s not to like? An eight-year-old left to do whatever he wants outsmarts two grown-ups. Definitely a kid favorite.

What I have come to appreciate more about this holiday classic are the deeper themes. I realize that I can read too deeply into things—hear me out. Kevin McAllister is a smart-mouthed, disrespectful child who is despised by his siblings and dances on his parents’ last nerves. He gets in a fight at dinner and is told to go to his room for the night which is in the attic.

Realizing what he actually deserved, Kevin tries to make amends at the last minute and is told, “I’m sorry, it’s too late.” Kevin’s mother explains that because he has made so much trouble, he now has to go to bed. Kevin’s response is that he wishes to never see them again. The next morning, the family forgets about Kevin only to realize what has happened in a plane flying over the Atlantic. Kevin’s mother becomes relentless in her efforts to get back to her son for Christmas.

For me, this paints a picture of the Gospel. We are Kevin McAllister. We are born smart-mouthed, disrespectful kids who will always choose our own way over God’s. While we were God’s enemy, he gave up everything to come back for us. Kevin did NOT earn his mother’s grace but because of her deep love she walks through the front door and embraces her son.

When I think about the love God has for all of us, even through our abject failure, it is incredibly powerful and humbling. Christmas is when we celebrate the culmination of years of promise and eternal reconciliation with our Father. In John 15:9 Jesus says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.” Let the story of Kevin McAllister remind you of the undeserving grace and love of your heavenly Father this Christmas season.

ADVENT 1 - Jay Ruins Christmas Favorites – Part 1

(Originally Posted November 29, 2017)

We have finally entered that time of year when I can fully embrace a fanatical part of my being. I am a huge fan of Christmas. And not just because of the birth of our savior. I enjoy the colors, the smells, the togetherness of friends and family and, of course, Christmas movies. One of the most popular of these films is It’s a Wonderful Life. For those of you who have not seen this film, stop reading and go watch it—then you may

George Bailey is the focus of It’s a Wonderful Life. He is an “everyman,” hard-working and selfless. However, through the difficult decisions in his life, he has become burned out and empty. George starts to believe that his family would be better off if he were dead. He is about to jump off a bridge when Clarence, his guardian angel, steps in.

While there are a number of theological issues with this movie, there is a glimpse of the Gospel here. Obviously, we do not read anywhere in the Bible of angels having to earn their wings. George, when he wants to go back to his old life actually “prays” to Clarence the angel which is also not biblical. And perhaps the biggest issue I have is that we are to believe that because of George’s great self-worth, the world is so much better off with him in it.

What I take away from It’s a Wonderful Life is that I can’t save myself. Our worth comes from our identity in Christ. While you might say George Bailey exemplifies Christ in his selflessness, we see that he eventually runs out of good will. George Bailey, like you and me, is worthless and incapable of saving himself. When the Holy Spirit reveals to us that we are made righteous by Christ only then do we understand our worth. 

Christmas is a reminder to us that God reached down to us and lived among His creation. He was born a baby in a manger and became the only way for us to re-enter the divine community that Jeremy spoke about on Sunday. God loved us so much that while we sabotaged our utopia through the actions of Adam and Eve, he sent His son. 

I will close with a line from a favorite Christmas carol, “long lay the world in sin and error pining ‘till He appeared, and the soul felt its worth …” Remember John 3:16 this Christmas, God loved you so much that he sent that baby in the manger.

No Thanks?

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Like any of the big holidays, it means people are coming together to celebrate. Celebrate family. Celebrate friends. Celebrate the best moments of the year. And for some, to quietly remember the low points. Holidays and big gatherings often bring out big complex feelings. You go into the day expecting hope and joy and then something hits you. That one person whose entire personality seems to be arguing about politics says something incendiary. The person who’s a little too invested sees their team lose and they’re grumpy all day. You notice the chair that someone special sat in last year is now empty.

Wherever your stress grows out of, I hope you can keep your focus on feelings of thankfulness. Psalm 106 reminds us, “Praise the Lord! Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! Who can utter the mighty deeds of the Lord, or declare all his praise?” Who could ever list all the things that we have to be thankful for.

However, all that unending praise feels easily pushed aside when we encounter the reality of loss. Yes, you have so much to be thankful for this and every year. Yes, there are things that have happened this year that can cause you deep sadness. And yes, you can feel these both at the same time. We are complex people with complex minds, and if you need it, I want to give you permission to feel your feelings this year.

Feel thankful for all the blessing you have in your life. Take in the peace of a quiet moment wherever you can find it. Laugh and celebrate the joy of being around your loved ones. And those less-than-fun emotions? Experience them too. The sorrow you feel at the loss of a loved one is just an indication of how important they were, and the impact they had on your life. Your sorrow is deep because your love was deep, and we can feel thankful even through the pain.

Whatever thanksgiving brings up for you, I hope it is something you can celebrate. God loves you beyond what we could record if all the trees were pens and the oceans ink!

Pathways

Psalm 25:4-5

4 Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation

    for you I wait all the day long.

As modern people in modern America, it is rare for us to willingly ask for guidance or correction the way David is in this Psalm. We are encouraged to put our heads down and do whatever we think is best, forget about who else might be affected along the way. There’s a strange disconnect because we logically know that asking for help is the best way to learn how to do something that we don’t know how to do. Unfortunately, asking someone for help would show our soft underbelly of vulnerability and that we weren’t born with intrinsic knowledge of everything!

Thankfully, we have the internet! Where strangers, in blog posts and YouTube videos, can teach us things we feel like we should already know, and we’re never required to reveal our shortcomings to the people around us. I’m here to tell you that this is no way to live, and further no one ever asked you to do this to yourself.

For our purposes here, let’s look at our spiritual lives. Growth rarely comes when we hide ourselves away. Instead of keeping our heads down we need to look up and ask God to lead us. The God of our salvation is deeply invested in your life and wellbeing, and for some reason this is amazingly easy for us to forget.

Instead of barreling through life just doing our best, what if we sought out the paths God laid before us? This will take investment in prayer, time in the word, and maybe, just maybe, asking someone a little further down the path of faith for help. We may have times that we feel lonely but none of us were called to walk this path of faith alone.

It’s okay to ask for help.

Carey On

At 12:01am on November 1st I was on a train and heard Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” playing from someone’s Bluetooth speaker. When her friend asked her what she was doing she yelled, “IT’S OFFICIALLY CHRISTMAS TIME NOW!” Since 1994 this song has become unavoidable. It’s had such staying power that it reached number 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 in 2019 (that’s 25 years after its initial release!). Regardless of how you feel about Christmas music in general, if you go out in public at some point in the next 46 days, you’re going to hear it.

Ready or not, Christmas is right around the corner. And it can take a bit of effort to get into the Christmas spirit. I don’t intend to add stress to your life, but for many the first sentence of this paragraph caused the slightest bit of tightness in your chest. Yes, you may feel the pressure of tradition and decorating and perfect gifts and trying to make sure everything is wonderfully joyous. However, having the perfect tree is not what we celebrate at this time of year.

This might feel early for a Christmas related devotional, but my hope is that we can enter the run up to this season with the right perspective. Maybe we can cut off some of the stress before it has a chance to show up. John reminds us of what we celebrate in John 1.

John 1:9-13 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world.10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

All I want for Christmas is for you to celebrate the important stuff. Jesus wasn’t born so your house could be impeccably decorated. He came to bring us joy and hope everlasting.

De-Bait

North Dakota, Georgia, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Ohio. In the past month I have received text messages (and calls I didn’t answer) from people wanting Diana to send money to candidates in each of these states. And if I didn’t send it to them, then the other team would win, and the world would be doomed. A few things you should know: 1) Of the seven states listed I’ve only lived in three of them. 2) When I was about 18 years old, I borrowed my mom’s new cell phone, never gave it back, and I’ve had the same number ever since. 3) My mom’s name is NOT Diana. I despise election season.

This year’s elections, like every other election I can remember, is being touted as the most important election ever. While I do think it is important for you to get out there and vote, or mail in your ballot two weeks ago, I have yet to find a candidate or political party that is special enough to ruin relationships over. And it’s a cruel joke that elections always hit right before the big family gathering holidays.

However, as followers of Christ we can choose peacemaking. We can refuse the bait when someone tries to start and argument. You can say, “it’s okay that we disagree, your political opinions will not change the love I have for you as a person.”

Paul says it this way in Romans 5:1-5: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

I pray that you are a follower of Christ first. I pray that you know that you are justified by the faith you have, not the person you voted for. We can be patient. We can be long-suffering. We can be peacemakers.

Gonna Be My Friend

The most important rule of being in or near a mosh pit (people pushing and shoving for fun to music): if someone falls, you help them up. You don’t wait, you don’t expect someone else to take care of it, you don’t ignore it because they brought it on themselves. If you are close and able you instantly reach out your hand. This sounds eerily like what we as the church are called to do.

Paul in Philippians 2:1-5 says it this way, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to their own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus…”

As Christians we know we are secure and stable in Christ, and from that platform we can reach out and help people who have stumbled. We must resist being so single minded that our goals and ambitions take priority over helping the people around us. Undeniably, helping people can be hard, and it might even cost us something.

Twice I’ve earned double black eyes in the process of helping someone who had fallen. We got their feet under them and as they stood up the top of their head went right against the bridge of my nose. Sure, it hurt in the moment, but I would do it again because no one deserves to be left on the floor.

Now I know, most of the people reading this will never find themselves in a mosh pit, and I honestly don’t recommend ever seeking one out. However, you can always find someone who could use your help if you keep your eyes open.

Let each of us look also to the interests of others. If someone falls down, help them up!

Gabba Gabba

I have a pastor friend who recently attended his second ever punk show. He didn’t grow up listening to that type of music and for the first one he was in the seated balcony. He had never heard of the bands, but someone had an extra ticket, so he said yes.

Punk shows are very different from the pop/country/worship concerts he had been to in the past. Before he went, he was nervously texting me questions. What do I do if I end up in a mosh pit? Move, no one stays in a pit unless they want to be there. Is everyone going to think I’m a nerd if I wear earplugs? No, there is no street cred to be earned with tinnitus. I ended our conversation telling him, worst case scenario, stand in the back and people watch.

The day after, I reached out because I was incredibly interested to hear about his experience. And like I knew he would, he had a great time! The bands were fun, the venue was cool, but the thing that struck him the most was the experience of community that was on display. It’s a lesson the Church could learn a lot from.

As he put it, “in the best way possible, no one cares. Everyone starts with being happy that you are here.” If people can find such a strong sense of belonging just through liking the same thing, how much better can Christians do when it’s our God given responsibility to help people see that they belong, that they are welcome?

When you see someone new on a Sunday morning are you stoked or hesitant? Paul in Romans 15:5-7 says this, “5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus,6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.”

We never know the path someone’s life took that brought them to God. However, we can still be excited! Find someone and let them know that you’re glad they showed up. We can help people grow in their faith just by being welcomed as you were welcomed by God when you first came to faith. Let’s be aggressively welcoming.

Next week, mosh pits!

D Fence

Have you ever seen something beautiful and awe inspiring, and later when you’re trying to describe it to someone who wasn’t there at the time you just feel at a loss for words? It was deep and meaningful. It made you feel something in the depths of your soul. And after trying to convey that after the fact you throw your hands up in exasperation and say, “I guess you had to be there.”

I think this is a trap we fall into sometimes when people ask us about our faith. In 1 Peter 3:14-16 it says, “14 But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but 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, 16 having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.”

As you go about trying to live the Christian life, there should be hints other people see that clue them into the fact that you’re living for something bigger. Maybe they see it in the way you treat people. Maybe they see it in the choices you make when you have the opportunity to be selfish or self-serving. Wherever it pops up, the people around you take notice of the ways you don’t just fall into the easy path.

Phrases like “prepared to make a defense” make us nervous—like we need to have doctoral dissertations on the tips of our tongues. We want to throw up our hands and say, “I guess you had to be there.” When people just want to hear your story, and how your faith has made an impact on your life.

We are called to live differently. So, live in hope, live in peace, live in a way that makes people ask questions.

Hot Takes

James 3  2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what they say, they are a perfect person, able also to bridle their whole body. 3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire!

Has your tongue ever started a forest fire? Hurt someone by saying something you didn’t really mean? Or worse, saying something you did mean in the most hurtful way possible. It’s amazing how something so relatively small can get us into so much trouble. We are complex people with thoughts, plans, and opinions. And if everyone just agreed that your way is the best way, or that your opinion was the only correct opinion then the world would be such a better place.

Unfortunately, we all make mistakes. Sometimes you are going to have a bad—maybe soften it to an uninformed—opinion. It is in these times we disagree that it is so important to have as our focus, being people of grace and peace. Blessed are the peace makers because most of us choose fighting. We fight because our need to be right outweighs our willingness to listen. 

This week, like every week, you’re probably going to hear someone talking like they’re trying to set the forest ablaze. When you do, make a choice. You do not need to add fuel to their fire. You do not need to show them up by starting a bigger fire of your own. Yes, we are called to confront injustice and lies, but we need to find a way to do it in love.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Even someone else’s bad opinion.

Joyful Noisy

When I was in High School, I played bass in our youth group praise band. It was a pretty small youth group, so half of the people there on a given night were in the band. As you can probably guess a full drum kit, bass, guitar, and keys got a little loud in the 10x20 portable room where we met. On top of that most of us were not very good. The drummer had been playing for about 6 months, my friend who made poor financial decisions bought me a bass, so we had someone to play bass—ignoring the fact that I am rhythmically challenged.

No matter how bad we played we had a ton of fun doing it, and someone (probably against their better judgment) asked for us to lead worship for an evening service. In true edgy Christian teenager fashion, we did our soundcheck, got dialed in, and then just before the service started, we turned all our instruments up a little bit. It was too loud, off-time, and one of those situations where everyone compliments your effort rather than your achievement.

We were told to read a scripture during the service, so we read this Psalm.

Psalm 100

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Serve the Lord with gladness!
    Come into his presence with singing!

3 Know that the Lord, he is God!
    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
    and his courts with praise!
    Give thanks to him; bless his name!

5 For the Lord is good;
    his steadfast love endures forever,
    and his faithfulness to all generations.

We absolutely read it because it talks about making noise and that’s what we were all about. But if we look a little closer, we can see that this Psalm is five short verses reminding us about the simple joy we have in coming to the Lord. We don’t need to be skilled or highly trained musicians. We just need to recognize that there is a God who loves us.

And His love endures forever.

Need Somebody

If you asked my friends to describe me, one of the things that I think would come up in their, obviously overflowing, list of kind words is laid back. I’m a go with the flow kind of person. Problems and setbacks are going to come up, and I know in my heart that 9 times out of 10, I can come up with a creative solution or workaround. However, there are times, those nasty 1 out of 10 situations, when the solution needed can’t just be cobbled together from duct tape and ingenuity.

This past week, my computer crashed beyond my capabilities to mend, and we had a problem with the building that can’t be solved by the multi-tool I keep in my desk. I hate problems like this. I hate them because it requires me to do one of the most difficult things in the world: ask for help.

If you’re like me you know the struggle of admitting you can’t do something on your own, figuring out who you should reach out to, trying one last time to force a solution, and finally swallowing your pride and asking for help. As hard and ridiculous as this process we put ourselves through is, it has never been necessary. The people I have asked for help have been happy to help. They are thankful for an opportunity to serve. Now I just hope they can find a solution.

There are people who are overjoyed to help when we ask for it. When someone asks, you usually don’t think twice and just say yes because what they’re asking usually isn’t that big of a deal. Peter put it this way,

1 Peter 4:8-11 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins…10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…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.

There are people who love you and want to help. If everything is going great for you then look around and try to anticipate the needs of others.

Service can bring a better understanding of grace to everyone involved.

Missed Days

The heat dies down a little (yay!), pumpkin spice lattes are available once again(yay!), school starts back up (yay!), and now everyone is sick (boo). The unofficial start of fall is supposed to be a time of hope and optimism, but part of that means a bunch of kids reconnecting and meeting germs that they haven’t seen all summer. And because we’ve all done such a good job teaching them to share, they pass it on to the adults. Thinking back on my own time in grade school, I definitely missed way more second days of school than I attended.

There are times in life that we are excited to get started—a new project, a new job, a new school, etc. However, in the process we hit a wall that slows us down. It is in those times that our resolve is tested. Finding out that the thing you want is going to be harder to obtain than you first thought means we need to make a choice: go on or give up?

Obviously, missing a couple days of school is not enough reason to give up. Then again, it can leave you feeling lost and as though you’re falling behind. When you feel like you’re falling behind it is time to ask for help. Peter puts it this way,

1 Peter 5 6:11 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your family of believers throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Being humble is hard, being patient is harder, and trusting can be the hardest of all, but we can put our hope in the promises we have received from God.

You Do?

A little over two weeks ago my favorite band played, what is likely, their last show ever. It’s a huge bummer for me and has sent me down a fairly deep nostalgia rabbit hole. Since getting their first album in 2002 I have been hooked. The lyrics and music spoke to me in a way that only your favorite music can. I saw them live 15-20 times over the years, and now regret any time I missed a show or thought I’ll just see them the next time they come around.

I was lucky enough to be able listen to the audio of their final show, and during one of the moments of stage banter while the lead singer is thanking all the people who feel like family for attending, someone in the crowd yelled out, “we love you!” The singer responded in his quiet slightly awkward way, “You do? We’re trying our best to love you,” and then they started playing the next song.

I think this an amazing picture of the way we sometimes view God. This band is playing for a sold-out crowd of diehard fans, many who traveled great distances to see them one last time. They sing every lyric. They shout cheers. And when they say I love you, he still quietly asks, you do? We know the love of the God exists, but sometimes have a hard time seeing ourselves as object of that affection.

Old Testament prophet Zephaniah put it this way

Zephaniah 3:15-17

15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
    he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
    you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
    let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are shouting how much they love us. Let us see it for the blessing that it is, and respond with joy, “I’m trying my best to love you, too.”

School Daze

This week school started up again for another year, and I can’t think of another day that causes such a wide-ranging spectrum of emotions among its participants. Parents who reached their summer breaking point are excited to send their kids literally anywhere. Parents feeling weepy because their little darling is growing up so fast. Kids excited for all the new and unknown experiences coming. Kids terrified of all the new and unknown experiences coming. Whether you’re crying out of joy, sadness, or anything in between, the start of something new is worth recognizing and examining.

The return to school for a lot of people is largely a return to routine. People need to be awake and ready to go at a certain time or someone is going to get in trouble. One of my favorite recent memories was watching a friend walk through the realization that when his kid starts kindergarten he’s going to need to be there before the bell instead of the “whenever is convenient” of preschool.

As you look at the rhythms of your life, or your family’s life, be sure that you are prioritizing the right things. When the world starts rushing, we need to be sure that our focus is on character rather than inertia. Paul in Romans 12 puts it this way,

“2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

The world (whether it’s the world of school, the world of your job, or the world of your neighbors) tells us constantly do more, do more, you’re falling behind, pick it up! But, we aren’t called to just do more, we are called to do what is best.

God has given you a calling and a purpose. As we enter this new season, this change in our rhythms, be sure to prioritize those things that lead you closer to God.

Pop Goes Perfection

Ecclesiastes 7:20 – Surely there is not a righteous person on earth who does good and never sins.

Even though we’ve all met people who thought they were, there is no one walking the world around us who has achieved perfection. Not even you. However, being armed with this knowledge rarely prevents us from trying to be perfect. We think, “I need the perfect house, the perfect job, to have/be the perfect spouse, have the perfect children, be the perfect friend,” and on and on it goes until we are left disappointed that we haven’t achieved the impossible.

One of the most counterintuitive situations we encounter is that in all this trying to be perfect, we sometimes end up further away from our goal. When striving towards a goal, our efforts should be measured and intentional. We’re going to make mistakes, but each time we fall back we can take a breath and learn something from it.

When Thomas Edison was being interviewed about developing his lightbulb, he was asked about all his failures. In response he said, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” In your effort to reach perfection what can you learn from your mistakes and missteps?

Paul tells us in Philippians 3:12-15 “12 Not that I have already obtained this 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. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you.”

God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) the founder and perfecter of our Faith has already done the hard work of perfection. Let us lean into God’s perfection rather than trying to find our own.

Ruh-Roh

Do you remember watching Scooby-Doo cartoons? For a lot of kids this was their first introduction to the horror genre. Something spooky happens and instead of walking away from danger, like sane people would, Scoob and the gang, Mystery Incorporated, would start investigating. Without fail they would be running around the “haunted” mansion, finding secret passages, and ultimately trapping the “ghost” with some clever stunt. Almost without fail, the spooky monster turned out to be some guy in a mask. The thing they were scared of turned out to be no real danger at all.

Often, we find ourselves in a similar situation in life. We feel afraid and as though we are running for our life, but the thing we’re running from is only perceived as dangerous rather than being an actual threat. Running for your life is exhausting! Mystery Incorporated only gets to stop running when they decide to face the scary thing that was chasing them.

As Christians we have a not-so-secret weapon. We know that whatever we are facing we have the God of the universe on our side. And if God has your back who or what could stop you? Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:31-33, “31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

That isn’t to say being brave is easy. Bravery starts with the recognition that you are afraid (or anxious, or nervous) and choosing to step into it anyway. If you struggle with anxiety this might be a choice you make every day. I pray that bravery wins, but even on the days that it doesn’t you are surrounded by the love and grace of God.

We all have times when we need to stop running, and discern whether the thing we’re running from is a threat, something we need to confront, or just some weirdo in a

Become one of those meddling kids.