98.6 Degrees

I do not remember a time of such great sickness. It seems like there are plenty of sick children and adults to go around this winter. On her job, my wife seems to be covering for just about everyone imaginable forcing her to work seemingly impossible hours. The schools have had students out sick by the busload.

One thing I have been looking at is the organic nature of the church. It is an organism, not an organization. So I got to thinking about the two things together. One way we know someone has a fairly serious illness is by the presence of a fever. I think it is an amazing truth that most people are within a few tenths of a degree of the worldwide average 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. I was thinking about how amazing it is that humanity shares this closeness and how churches share something very similar. All living people have the same type of vital organs, but there is nothing more common than a temperature.

If our body temperature fluctuates too many degrees one way or another from that place, we ultimately die. Naturally, the base temperature for the church is 316 degrees for John 3:16. We always find a dangerous place when we move away from "For God so loved the world." Replace any of those words with some of what we see today and we see our problems. We say them correctly but live as if to say:

"For God so hated the world" - People and churches who isolate themselves from the world

"For I so loved the world" - People who try to earn their salvation by being a "good Christian."

"For God so loved the church" - People who buy into a "God will make me healthy, wealthy, and wise" approach to faith


I can claim an unhealthy fever from all of them at some point in time in my life, and I fear that if we do not see the passion of God behind His most gracious act of sending Jesus to die for "whoever" that we will see the death of many churches.

May we strive for health!

So here I am, one week in to my new birthday club. Loved the shirt I got: "In Dog years, I'm dead."

The truth is I don't feel any older, its everyone else around me thats getting older.

Preaching on the lost son in Luke 15 is such a reminder to me of what I have been in my life. I've been lost and rebellious; I've wasted and wanted. I've hurt people and been hurt by people. I guess most of us could write that same script.

This week, my attention turns to the Father in the story. This is where my perspective continues to grow and change. Being a father helps me relate in ways I never have before, and having kids approaching those teenage years really does a number to me.

While theologians debate wheter or not the father represents God in the parable, he, at the very least, points us to God and reminds us of Him...a wise and loving Father. He even treated his servants with plenty of respect. What an admirable example and one to strive to be more like. I will spare the 40 reasons to try and be like the father and leave it with one really good one: the world needs love and forgiveness.

Catch ya later.

More Ramblings about Life in the Key of F

This week, I come to the bottom of the series...futility. One lost son has squandered away his life and possessions only to come to the bottom of his rope. In our present economy, I know there are many who can relate financially as they sit in ruins. People are wondering where to turn, what to do hoping they have enough to hang on.

Luke 15:15-16 (NASB)
15 "So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 "And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods that the swine were eating, and no one was giving anything to him.

Yet, when we read the story, we cannot help but consider the depths of this lost son's troubles are far deeper than his financial ruin. His problem is the chasm...the separation between he and God. In his case, it is evident by his state of lostness. His hunger highlights the emptiness not only of his stomach but his soul. Catch the last phrase however, no one was giving him anything.

No one can give what they don't have. I wonder how aware I am of the opportunities I have to take an active role in connected people at the bottom of their ropes with their Father? Someone needs to look out for the lost and help them be found. Our Father came seeking, we told should be seeking. Do I have something to give? Will I hold on to it tightly and be stingy

I am prayful that I will not miss any opportunity this day and that my eyes will be open and my heart will be generous. I hope you will do the same.

Fallen in review

Yesterday, I started a new sermon series "Life in the Key of 'f'" in which yesterday's message dealt with the tpic of the fallen nature of humanity. It doesn't take a hard look to recognize that people aren't all the should be.

I am no different from any culturally sensitive pastor in these days, I don't always know the best way to communicate the simple reality of our fallen nature...that due to our human desire to live life detached from God we are all bound to give into our darker sides. When I first started speaking, it seemed okay to stick out my fingers and rant about that three letter word...you know it...sin. Today, I don't ever feel much like shouting about it because as I look int my life, I see enough of it in me I'd much rather hold my head in shame. I'm certainly not afraid to broach the subject, but I do approach it differently.

I have helped many people who have literally fallen get back to their feet or waited with them while they get the care they need. When we think about what it means to have a fallen nature, I hope we will be reminded of our own weakness and we will be kind enough to help up those around us. Outstretched hands did a lot for me and I need to do the same.

Old and New

For every end there is a beginning for every ending there is a beginning. Our trip to visit Texas was a picture of both sides of that. While seeing my new niece, Rachelle commented how awesome it was that her ears were hearing the Christmas story for the first time. How awesome and how special of a thought that though her ears will hear much in her life that will cause concerns, she has already had a seed of the Good News planted in her life.

On the other side, we saw Rachelle's uncle who is in the very final stages of a long battle with cancer. At the age of 48, this temporary life seems to remind us that it is never fair. This Christmas, he heard the Christmas story for the very last time.

We never know when the first time or last time will be, but may this blog remind us all that time is short but the Christmas message is truly Good News to those who believe!

Incarnation

Wow! The hustle and bustle has been unreal this year. I cannot believe how busy things have been. So much seems to go on at any one moment. A party here, basketball practice, winter concerts.

All month long, I have been thinking about things I'd like to blog about like incarnation. I enjoyed preaching on the incarnate Christ and how we too are to be incarnate. Truth be told, I like to think of myself as missionally incarnate in my thinking. For those of you who aren't readers of modern books about issues relating to church; it basically means I see all of us as missionaries to the world in which we live and that church is not our escape but our anchor in the depths of the deep lostness of the world.

Today, however, I was reminded I still have a long ways to go in taking on that full way of thinking. I was reading some of Rick Warren's response to the criticism he has taken for agreeing to offer the inaugural prayer for president-elect Obama and for openly admitting that he loves the music of Melissa Etheridge all while participating in a muslim relations forum. Criticism has naturally followed, some from groups who are offended that a Bible-believing conservative would be allowed at the inauguration. The harshest criticism comes from those who think he is a sell out to participate with people who have an agenda that is not Bible-based.

I'm not sure I could do what he has done, but I hope that I can get to the point where I am more concerned about making a difference in a lost world than pleasing those who hide behind their church walls hoping for heaven on earth. Christmas really doesn't make sense. Could not the angels have asked why God would soil his name by taking on human flesh? Joining Christ means to join Him in all the lost places in the world, in places where lost people hang out and loving them right where they are.

It requires another type of re-birth in my life, to grow up all over again in my faith. Incarnation means, I will go to that length to reach those I can. Join me in incarnation!

Merry Christmas!

Midnight Shopping

Only once have I ever braved the early morning shopper thing. Waking up early to go shopping just lacks something for me. However the local outlet mall opened at 11:00 pm...now count me in for that. The benefit for me is that I got to sleep in on Friday morning while everyone else was out and about at 4:00 am. Not only that, I got to eat some Chinese food at about 1:00 am. To a night owl, that was fun and beat the socks off the early morning stuff.

I've often been amazed at the lines of people waiting to get into certain stores. I was even more surprised to find a line of cars backed up 2 or 3 miles on the highway. It made me glad I came from an opposite direction. I have to admit, the outlet mall found a great way to get to shoppers who don't like getting up early but don't mind staying up late.

I remember when I was little, nothing ever opened on Thanksgiving and store might open an hour earlier. I wonder what kind of insanity will exist when my kids are in my shoes. I'm sure it will look different then as well. Stores will continue to look for ways to get people to come pay them a visit.

For the most part, we do church the same way. We are always trying to market ourselves in such a way as to get people to come to us. We really don't know any other way, it is ingrained into who we are. Its not all ad or wrong; there should be something compelling going on in every church preaching Christ worth marketing.
In my mind, the problem we encounter is that we have become so marketing-minded that we have forgotten to be Christ-minded. We are to be a people who find more ways to go and less ways to draw a crowd. I think its funny how the crowd had to follow Jesus all over the countryside until they were tired and hungry. He wore them down with his actions and then they were able to listen and encounter a miracle of God's provision.

How about using our energy to get involved with lost people; how about wearing down a lost person with your loving involvement in their lives.? That's the skinny behind incarnation. God became flesh and dwelt among us. Be sure to give Christ this Christmas season.