Faith Starts with a Person

I've had the honor of talking with a number of people lately who are struggling with believing in God. They've heard all about how other people believe but they are personally struggling with believing.

I went home thinking about their struggle and then I realized that if I was them, I'd struggle too. For me, faith in God- at least a personal God - starts and ends in the person of Jesus, not the experience of someone else.

I was with a different group of people last month ( a new group we started at Cedarbrook called "Out of the Box". It's a discussion forum for people that aren't in "the box" of the church - people who aren't sure what they believe.) One person asked my associate and me what made us believe. It was interesting because we both came to believe for different reasons. My associate had a dynamic spiritual experience that convinced her that God existed and Jesus was, in fact, God.

But for me, I was struck by the person of Jesus. As I studied the New Testament I became convinced that it was an accurate document of a person that really lived and said the things that were written. Once I was convinced of that, the rest came naturally. If the Bible is telling us the truth about what Jesus said, then you can't be passive about it. It might be convenient to think that Jesus was "just a good teacher" or that people made more of Jesus than he really was (ala DaVinci Code) but that is only to your loss. For me, and countless others that I've had the pleasure of knowing, believing in Jesus and following him has been to my gain.

If you are searching, I recommend a book about the accuracy of the New Testament called, The Case for Christ. It's very readable. A former writer for the Chicago Times talks about his own skepticism and how his research of the New Testament brought him to faith in Jesus. You owe it to yourself to give it a read!

Do we have to forgive to be forgiven?

The comment in my post below mentioned what Jesus said about how we are forgiven according to how we forgive.

But if you don't forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing. Matthew 5:15

That's one of those verses that sets you back on your heels! Did Jesus really mean that? I'd say yes and no. No, in the sense that I doubt if any of us will fully forgive everyone. None of us are that pure in our motives. Plus, we may have even forgotten a few people along the way that we should have forgiven but didn't. I don't think we have to lay awake nights worrying about that. If we had to be perfect forgivers to be forgiven then we'd be earning our forgiveness, wouldn't we?

But on the other hand, yes. If you aren't someone interested in forgiveness then you aren't someone interested in God. Forgiveness is at the core of who God is. It's only the hypocrite who says they love God yet refuses to forgive. Isn't that what John was saying...

If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20

In an odd sort of way, one of the greatest ways we can get to know God is through being deeply offended. It's in learning to forgive that we learn the depth of our sinfulness (we don't want to forgive) and the magnitude of God's love. But in saying that I hope you find other ways to know God.

The Faces of Forgiveness

I teach on anger and forgiveness on a regular basis. I find forgiveness to be a fascinating subject - something that strikes at the core of what it means to be both human and divine. Anyway, there is a new book called The Faces of Forgiveness by two profs from Bethel University and Seminary. It's pretty deep, but the research facts on forgiveness were interesting.

Stephen Sandage said that there are three key components to forgiveness;

1. Humility; the ability to understand that you are made from the same stuff as the next guy. Because of that, you are capable of doing the same evil to others as has been done to you. This keeps you from overreacting and treating your offender like scum.

2. Empathy; flows out of humility. Because you understand your ability to do wrong, you are able to put yourself in the shoes of your offender. You don't excuse them but you are able to see how they could do what they did.

3. Differentiation; the awareness that you are distinct from others. It's the opposite of being emmeshed or co-dependent. The co-dependent person needs affirmation from people. When they are offended it is very hard for them to forgive because they can't stand alone. Their anger is the only thing that protects them. But the differentiated person can more easily forgive because they find their worth apart from the affirmation of others.

Something to think about.

To Go (to church) or Not to Go

When I'm on vacation the biggest decision is always whether I should go to church or not. I had to make that decision this week. It's interesting to me because it puts me in touch with all the people that decide to venture into Cedarbrook back home.

I actually thought about it all week. My first decision was to not go. I don't like most churches and I didn't want to risk having a bummer experience. After all, it WAS my vacation. I could be sleeping! But I was intrigued by a church within walking distance. It met in the local high school and they had a nice banner displaying when they met along with their website. It looked like something Cedarbrook would do.

Having a website is a big plus. I thought I'd at least give them the benefit of the doubt and check them out on-line. You can check them out yourself here. Nice website. They are only two years old but they seemed to know what they were doing. I realized that if they didn't have a website I probably would have never visited. Too risky.

After going to the website my fears of a bad experience were alleviated. So I took the small risk and walked over this morning. It surprised me to realize that I was nervous going to church! Funny. I never think about that being how people feel. But I was. I was nervous about how long the service might go...nervous that they might zero in on me and overwhelm me and concerned that I'd be subjected to a long sermon that I might not agree with. I'm not sure if anything else made me nervous.

The whole experience was painless. The music was good. The sermon was alright (I felt like the pastor overemphasized the importance of me serving in the church). When it was over after 60 minutes I was surprised and relieved. I've been known to walk out of churches that don't know when to quit. So it was refreshing for them to quit before I was thinking about it.

Overall it was fine. I won't rehash all my reservations about church (see below). I left underwhelmed. I really want people to walk away from a church experience inspired to live a better life and feeling like they encountered God. I want people to feel compelled to come back - not sure why - just feeling like it's the right thing to do. I want people to feel like they tapped into something so deep and mysterious that one visit isn't enough, only the beginning. (I have no idea if people ever leave Cedarbrook feeling that way. But that's my goal).

So, was the experience worth my time? Well, as a spiritual experience, no. Being a visitor from out of state changes things. I was more of a fly on the wall/observer. But as a learning experience, yes. It was good to be on the other side of the church equation. I just want church to offer more...

Reclaiming the Early Church Character

I just finished my series on Church: It's Not What You Think It Is. I attempted to cast a new vision for church. Over the years we've managed to reduce it to a one hour Sunday meeting. But the Bible describes something much richer -something that revealed the heart of God when people encountered it.

I offered the following suggestions as to how we can move from being independent, self-centered followers of Jesus to followers that are willing to share their lives with each other, like the early church.

1. We can change the way we think. That is, think more corporately (we & Jesus) and less privately (me & Jesus).
2. We can change the way we talk. We need to be less sarcastic and superficial and start being more authentic, encouraging and forgiving – attitudes that will help build trust and intimacy so we will want to share our lives with each other.
3. We can change the way we behave. The shared life isn’t just a love fest of Jesus followers but at its core are values and ideals that we strive for as a community.
4. We can change the way we spend our time. We need to learn to be more selfless, involving ourselves in the lives of others rather than isolating ourselves to only help ourselves.
5. We can change the way we spend our money. The word devotion implies every part of our being. That means even our money will be devoted to our shared life.
6. We can change the way we relate. Randy Frazee, in his book, The Connecting Church, makes five observations about how effective communities relate. They are spontaneous, available to each other, meet frequently, eat together and live in close proximity.
7. We can change where we live. Living close to each other won't guarantee developing community, but living far away will make it hard.

Living a shallow faith is easy and it's available on every street corner in America. But claiming a transforming faith bears a cost. There's a sacrifice, even a death. But it's rewarded with a resurrection that only God can give. Let's give it a try. (Click the link at the top for an in-depth look at these points.)

Bono Doesn't Like Church Either

Did you catch Bono (U2) speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast last week? He had some great things to say about social justice. He drew a great distinction between charity and justice. I encourage you to read the whole text (link below). But he started out talking about why he doesn't like church...

I presume the reason for this gathering is that all of us here—Muslims, Jews, Christians, all are searching our souls for how to better serve our family, our community, our nation, our God. I know I am. Searching, I mean. And that, I suppose, is what led me here, too.

Yes, it's odd, having a rock star here—but maybe it's odder for me than for you. You see, I avoided religious people most of my life. Maybe it had something to do with having a father who was Protestant and a mother who was Catholic in a country where the line between the two was, quite literally, a battle line. Where the line between church and state was… well, a little blurry, and hard to see.

I remember how my mother would bring us to chapel on Sundays… and my father used to wait outside. One of the things that I picked up from my father and my mother was the sense that religion often gets in the way of God.

For me, at least, it got in the way. Seeing what religious people, in the name of God, did to my native land… and in this country, seeing God's second-hand car salesmen on the cable TV channels, offering indulgences for cash… in fact, all over the world, seeing the self-righteousness roll down like a mighty stream from certain corners of the religious establishment…

I must confess, I changed the channel. I wanted my MTV. Even though I was a believer. Perhaps because I was a believer. I was cynical… not about God, but about God's politics. Bono (click for link to entire text )

I can't blame him for his cynacism. I've shared the same feelings at various times. But the Bible paints a picture of church for me that has made me a flaming idealist. For my thoughts on how church can be something you are willing to give your life to see my recent sermon series.

Church as Reconciliation Center

From a recent message on living the shared life...

I think the world desperately needs a working model for conflict resolution. We need to learn how to disagree with someone without ridiculing them or divorcing them. It seems like everyone I know is quick to say how much they "hate conflict" and it's no wonder. No one likes to do something when they are clueless.

I think the working model I'm looking for is supposed to be the church. I’m convinced that one of the primary purposes of the church is to be a reconciliation center on earth- a training ground for conflict resolution. We are supposed to become experts at this. And when we do, the world will get to see God up close in how we treat each other. Unfortunately churches have failed miserably at this. We can follow Jesus for decades all the while harboring anger and resentment toward people that are closest to us.

But that doesn’t mean that we can’t change. We can do better than that. And when we do the world will sit up and notice. They’ll see God in our midst and instead of running away from church, they’ll run to it, because they’ll see that we have the answers they are looking for. They long for these answers because God made them relational, just like us.

Are You Afraid of Becoming a Religious Clone?

I've been speaking at church about church being a community of believers that follow Jesus together. I'm passionate about that idea but I'm also not naive. I realize that the thought of doing anything together scares some people to death.

I think we often fear sharing our lives with other people in the context of community because we think we have to give up our individuality. We think that we have to look and act and vote like everyone else which makes us afraid that we are going to turn into some kind of religious clone. So we keep our distance. Sunday’s are in our comfort zone - passively listening and observing - but getting more involved than that is a little too scary! We don’t want to get sucked into some kind of in-grown spiritual community that makes us weird. Right?

I know that happens in some churches but that’s not at all what God wants for us. The truth is, you actually gain your identity in true community because you finally see how the gifts and talents that God gave you can be used.

I see this happen at Cedarbrook all the time. People live a life that consists of mostly work and survival. Then they come here and get involved. At some point they offer to help serve in some area and, what do you know, they discover a talent they never knew they had. Or, they find a place to use a talent that they knew they had but never had a place to express it. Their individuality actually blossomed in the context of community rather than it being stolen from them. The community called something out of them that was lying dormant all this time. And now their life is more fulfilling.

So...be cautious, yes. But don't keep to yourself. God has something that he wants to release in you and through you that can only be revealed in the context of community.

Cancel Sunday Services?

I'm in the middle of a teaching series on the church (Church: It's Not What You Think it Is). It's fun for me because it's the culmination of 30 years of church experience. I've never had the chance to teach these things in depth and so I'm enjoying the opportunity. I'm excited to see the fruit it brings long term for us.

One of the things I'm pointing out is that most believers have a Sunday-only mentality about church. They approach church in a very independent way. I'm contrasting that with having a 24/7 mentality that is more corporate. But the thing that strikes me as odd is that I'm teaching this on Sunday. The "big-event" of the week for a church is the hour on Sunday but what I'm teaching is that Sunday shouldn't be that central. Catch the irony? If it wasn't for the big-event I wouldn't be able to reach as many as I do.

I thought that the best way to reinforce my teaching would be to cancel Sunday services for three months. That would definitely make the point but it would probably destroy the church too! We are too big and have too many new people to make that work. They wouldn't understand what we are doing and we'd just lose them. Besides, there is great value in corporate worship and teaching. I just want us to learn how to balance that out by developing relationships outside of Sunday.

But I like the thought! We need to do something to shake us up - to stop making our church experience all about us. We have to repent of the way we've made our faith a private affair and not a corporate one. We don't realize that one of the reasons that church leaves us cold is that it's so self-centered. We've made it that way because it's convenient in our fast-paced society. But a self-centered church experience is like drinking salt-water...it only leaves you wanting more.

A Tainted Experience

I write this blog primarily for people who want to check me out before they attend Cedarbrook. A big determining factor in choosing a church is the pastor so I help people get inside my mind a bit by writing. This blog gets a few hits a day from people like that or people who did a search for a topic I covered or people tired of watching the grass grow and looking for something a little more stimulating (or maybe less!).

So, you can imagine my surprise on Monday when I saw that 40 people had hit my blog by 9:00 a.m. (Over 250 by Wednesday). As I mentioned below, my post on Why I Don't Like Church got reprinted in a national blog. If 250 clicked the link that means that many more actually read it. I guess I had my fifteen minutes of fame! It was fun to see a national dialogue by fellow church leaders over a few paragraphs that I had written.

But I have to tell you that I was disappointed in some of the response. There were well over 50 different people who posted a comment. Many agreed. Some offered balance. But more than a few felt a strong need to correct me - some at great length. Now, I don't mind correction. My wife knows I need a lot of it (not to mention everyone in my church). But the correction was a bit ironic because it tended to embody the very problem that my post was addressing - they were more interested in telling me how wrong I was than in really understanding what I had to say (only a handful of people contacted me directly to gain a fuller understanding of my thinking).

As I read the comments I found myself reading the first few sentences to determine if I'd bother to read more. If the tone was negative or clearly off-target I skipped it. I could tell that they misunderstood me and were just looking for an excuse to rant. I wasn't there to listen to that so I checked out.

Then I realized that that's what people do every Sunday with me or any preacher that comes across in the same way. When we are more interested in telling what we know than connecting with the true concerns of our audience, they will check out...every time. That was the point in Why I Don't Like Church and ironically my critics proved it!

I'm sure the percentage of critics to readers was small. That's good. But it's sad that the critics often get the most ink, isn't it? And the taste in my mouth from the experience was a little tainted. It makes me less eager to get feedback. I'm afraid that's exactly why many people are slow to return to church.

How We Dehumanize the Soul

My posts on Why I Don't Like Church got picked up by a national church leadership blog/newsletter (Monday Morning Insight). It's been interesting to read the dialogue (click the link. Most people posted their comments there and not here).

I was pretty amazed to read the negative comments. I didn't think my words were that radical. I probably should have qualified one of my statements by saying that the church has made a mistake by believing that their SOLE purpose is to dispense information. A lot of ministers were offended by the ommission of the word "sole". Yes, yes, we are called to preach the word - the truth. Of course. I'm just trying to bring some balance here because there are too many walking wounded and the wounder is the church!

I personally love information and thoughts. That's a weakness of mine and I'd guess of many preachers. So, before I preach I always have to ask myself, "Is this just cool information that I like or will this really breathe life into people looking for God?"

Paul said that "the letter kills but the Spirit brings life." That's exactly what I mean. If you understand Paul, you understand what I'm saying.

I think I'm more sensitized than some of my critics to this issue because I've had countless conversations with people that have been cast off by church. Whether they accurately perceived the insult or not (as one person posed) doesn't matter. What they are sensing is a disregard for their humanity. And that's what I was getting at with my post about Jesus yesterday. Jesus was able to pinpoint sin in people and they walked away encouraged or at least thoughtful, not wounded.

As it says in Hebrews, the Word of God is able to discern between soul and spirit...it's able to separate between sin and sinner. It's able to value the human while showing them the destructiveness of their thoughts and actions. We are not always so successful. And when that happens we dehumanize our audience. We invalidate not only their thoughts or actions but their very being. We may not have meant that but that's what they heard and that's why they are so wounded. We often miss this subtlety and often justify our positions as simply "preaching the truth of God". But we are missing something and losing people because of it.

Why People Don't Like Church

This past week a number of people have written me their stories about why they don't like church. I spoke to this briefly in my sermon today called, "A Church That Looks Like God" posted 01/23/06.

As people have told me what they don’t like about church it often has something to do with being excluded. Church leaders told them that because they believed the wrong thing or behaved the wrong way that they weren’t acceptable to the church. They couldn’t attend the church or take communion at the church or be married at the church or burying someone in their family. It's very offensive.

Now, I understand that churches have the right to their doctrines and their moral codes. And they have the right to include or exclude anyone they want. But when they condemn and reject people they aren’t looking like God. And that’s sad.

Somehow Jesus was able to reveal people’s sin to them without rejecting them or making them feel like pond scum. Somehow, when Jesus pointed out a person’s sin they walked away feeling like he believed in them rather than feeling condemned by him. So I think that a church that looks like God will find a way to do the same. They’ll find a way to affirm people without approving their sin. And I think they’ll find a way to include people without compromising the truth.

Why I Don't Like Church (continued)

One thing that bothers me about church is that it is so easy for it to develop into a subculture. By that I mean that it becomes a world unto itself with it's own rules, language, politics and even dress. It becomes a closed system with ideas that never evolve with new discoveries. I'm not just talking about scientific discoveries but any new thought/ideas that have been developed outside of the church.

That kind of subculture is very unattractive to me. It makes me feel like if I joined that church I'd become "smaller" intellectually and as a person as a whole. I like new ideas. I like dialogue on issues, even if people disagree with me. I'm not offended by people who don't believe everything I teach. People's opposing view often stretches me to see things in new ways...ways that expand my thinking and make God bigger to me.

I want church to be a place that expands you and makes you "bigger" - a place that makes you a better thinking person - a place that is stimulating to the mind. I want church to be a place that welcomes spiritual travelers, people who may not agree with the group at large but are "in-process". Rather than feel threatened by them or compelled to "convert" them, I want them to feel free to hang with us, listen to us, observe us and enter in to whatever aspect of our life that they find interesting.

What I don't like about the church is when I see the opposite - spiritual travelers corrected and/or rejected for not immediately conforming to the church's idea of God and morality. I find it so dehumanizing when people with different spiritual ideas are invalidated this way. And what a shame! The church - who says that it wants to reach people for Jesus - undermines it's very purpose. They never are able to win anyone to Jesus because they offend everyone who even gets close.

I think the trick to creating a more open-minded culture is to understand that "the church" is more than a collection of true believers. It consists of true believers, believers in process and potential believers. There's an art to having all of these people in the same place and meeting all of their needs. I can't say that I know how to do it but at Cedarbrook we are working at it. The model that I keep in my mind is receiving a guest in your home for a weekend. You would never try to change their morality or beliefs just because they stayed at your house. You would note their differences, respect them and possibly engage them in a polite discussion about why they are different. But you wouldn't "lay down the law" with them. Yet, churches often do just that with their guest. Sadly, their guests never return.

Why I Don't Like Church

I've had 30 years of church experience; from megachurch to small church to house church. I've tried different size churches because I thought the size of the church might have a lot to do with the quality of the church. But after seeing that all structures (large and small) have their weakness, I decided that quality of a church has more to do with its attitude than its size.

One mistake that churches often make is in thinking that their purpose is to dispense information. In their mind they have the truth, and since Jesus said that truth sets us free, then all they have to do is educate the ignorant with the truth of the Bible.

But that simple mindset starts a snowball effect of legalism and hurt. This kind of thinking implies that we (those with the truth) are right and everyone else is wrong. People need to listen to us because we have the truth. If people don't listen to us, they hate the truth and are bad. Because they are bad we can exclude them and openly ridicule them. See what I mean? This happens in churches all the time. And that's why I don't like church (at least when I see this happen).

Lots of people turn up at Cedarbrook after experiencing some kind of church abuse. I've heard all kinds of awful stories about how churches have treated people who didn't believe right or act right. I'm amazed that these people even consider returning to church.

The purpose of the church isn't to dispense information. The purpose of the church is to love the world like Jesus did. Jesus said that he didn't come to judge the world but to save it. He laid down his life for the world.

When the world sees us laying down our lives in order to serve others then they will know that we have the truth. They'll know that we have the truth because they will see that we ARE set free. We've been set free from our independence and selfishness allowing us to love others. When they see that, maybe then they'll listen to what we have to say. But I don't think too many people are listening to the church that is merely pushing information.

The Kingdom of Heaven: the movie

As I've browsed the movies for rent I've been intrigued by the movie, "The Kingdom of Heaven". I hadn't heard much about it so I never wanted to risk renting it. But the other night my options were limited so I took the risk.

I was pleasantly surprised. The acting was excellent and I found it a fascinating overview of the Crusades. Now, before you run out and rent it, you need to know that it's rated R for violence. In the spirit of "Braveheart" you'll see a lot of bloody mass battle scenes. So don't say I didn't warn you! But I learned a lot. The Crusades are something that a lot of people refer to but know nothing about.

I didn't know the history, that Muslims governed Jerusalem until the Pope decided they should be driven out. And the politics and factions of the crusaders was interesting. Plus the siege of Jerusalem was interesting from a historical standpoint.

But in addition to the history, the contrasting religious views was interesting as well. The tension between opposing religious ideologies still exists today and so the lessons are very relavent.

It's definitely not a "chick-flick" (although there is a love story intertwined). So know that. But if you like action, historical accuracy, a religious theme and ethical dilemma's in your movie, this is worth the time.

By the way, be sure to look at some of the dvd extra's. There's an excellent documentary from the History Channel called "History vs. Hollywood" that goes into the history of the Crusades.

Advent: Who's Fooling Whom?

Soren Kierkegaard sees something different yet in this series of meditations (Watch for the Light). He notes that in the Christmas story, wise men from the East (non-Jews) cross mountains and rivers to meet the Messiah while learned Jews who knew of the Messiah's coming barely show an interest.

Although the scribes could explain where the Messiah should be born, they remained quite unperturbed in Jerusalem. They did not accompany the Wise Men to seek him. Similarly we may know the whole of Christianity, yet make no movement. The power that moved the heaven and earth leaves us completely unmoved.

...Who had more truth? The three kings who followed a rumor, or the scribes who remained sitting with all their knowledge?

Imagine the surprise and confusion of the wise men to learn of the disinterest of the Jews. Soren closes by saying...

This is as bad as if a person knows all about Christ and his teachings, and his own life expresses the opposite. We are tempted to suppose that such a person wishes to fool us, unless we admit that he is only fooling himself.

It's worth a moment of thought to ask yourself if you might be one of these people.

Advent: When the Time is Fulfilled

We're in the home stretch of Advent now. Today, Eberhard Arnold looks at the verse in Luke that says..."the time was fulfilled for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her first born, a son." Luke 2:5,6

The "fullness of time" is an interesting concept. I've often thought about it in terms of my starting a church. I wanted to start a church as early as twenty years ago but the time or conditions never seemed right. I had almost given up on the idea but then a few years back it looked like the time might be right. After five more years of waiting, it finally happened, and it's everything I had hoped for and more.

Arnold says we need to remember these things because there is always a temptation to doubt.

We work sometimes until we are weary and yet we see so little fruit. Does everything remain as it was? Haven't we gone forward at all? Have we really been able to help a little somewhere, or have we merely affected the surface of things? Where is the trace or glimpse of the goal we long for? What are all our efforts against the apparently indestructible powers of misery and evil?

Arnold says that at these moments of despair we need to remember that God is the one who brings things to fruition in his time and in his way.

Christmas did not come after a great mass of people had completed something good, or because of the successful result of any human effort. No, it came as a miracle, as the child that comes when his time is fulfilled ...

But to bring some balance, Arnold says that there is some degree of our involvement in God moving. Mary had to be willing to bear the child. It was her willingness that released the will of God. And so, in our lives, we can speed God's coming by our openess to humbly embrace his will for our lives.

For the miracle of God comes not only from above; it also comes through us; it is also dwelling in us.

Advent: Not So Silent Night

Did you realize that Advent continues through January 7th? Yup.

Today Phil Yancey (in Watch for the Light) looks at the incongruency of the warm and fuzzy Christmas cards he receives and the reality of what was taking place when Jesus was born. He says...

Sorting through the stack of cards that arrived at our house...I noted that all kinds of symbols have edged their way into the celebration. Overwhelmingly, the landscape scenes render New England towns buried in snow, usually with the added touch of a horse-drawn sleigh. On other cards, animals frolic: not only reindeer but also chipmunks, raccoons, cardinals and cute gray mice...And yet when I turn to the gospel accounts of the first Christmas, I hear a very different tone, and sense mainly disruption at work...

Yancey delineates the political unrest at the time and how even Mary's song refers to rulers being thrown down and proud men being scattered. He said that in contrast to what the cards imply, Jesus being born did not make life better or simpler. In fact, for Mary, becoming an unwed pregnant teenager was only the beginning of her trials.

Then Yancey looks at the book of Revelation where the birth of Jesus is talked about in apocalyptic terms. When God's child is born the devil's space is invaded and a mighty battle begins in the heavens. So, whether on earth or in heaven, Jesus' birth did not bring such a silent night at the song says.

As Jesus said himself, he didn't come to bring peace but a sword. His presence was never meant to lull us to sleep but to call us to action. What action has his coming prompted in you?

Advent: You are a Manger!

These are my closing comments from our Christmas service regarding the manger.

I want you to consider one last thing about this manger. Look at it. Look how simple it is – just a couple of 2x4’s and plywood. Every day of the year it holds grain and hay. Nothing special. Very ordinary. But then, suddenly, it becomes the throne of God. The moment that Jesus was placed in that manger its role changed. As common as it was its sole purpose was to feature and honor Jesus.

Have you ever considered that God wants us all to be mangers? We are all very common. And most of us perform very mundane tasks on a day to day basis. But when we receive Jesus that all changes. We become a throne for God. Suddenly we are called to feature and honor Jesus in all that we do. We’ve gone from being common to royal simply because we are holding Jesus.

As you leave today or as you wake up tomorrow, I hope you’ll consider that. I hope you’ll consider how you can receive Jesus into your life if you haven’t yet done so. And if you have, I hope you’ll consider how your purpose in life is radically different than it was before. Your daily tasks may be just as mundane as they were before but your purpose is different. You are now the showcase of God. (Note that I didn’t say that you are showing off for God.) God wants to use you to reveal to the world that he is approachable, condescending and subtle. So subtle that he’s working through you! Will you accept that role? Let me pray for you...

Father, thank you for breaking into history. I never would have done it like you did. Who could even conceive it? Yet you knew what you were doing. Nothing was by chance or coincidence. You were making a statement to the world, even in having Jesus placed in a manger. Father, I pray for everyone here to receive you into their life just like that manger did. As common as we are, might we embrace you and let people see Jesus in our lives. Thank you that you are willing to meet us where we are at. Thank you that you aren’t offended by us. Might we have eyes to see you and ears to hear you so we never miss what you are doing. Amen.

You can visit the Cedarbrook website for the full text of this message.

Merry Christmas

Our Christmas services are over now. I enjoyed seeing so many people at the Mabel Tainter Theatre. If you weren't there I shared my reflections on the manger. The following is a brief summary (I'll be posting the full message later this week).

God revealed three aspects of his character when he had Jesus born in a stable and placed in a manger.

First, God is approachable. There's nothing more approachable than a baby. Place a baby in a room and everyone gathers around. There's something about a baby's vulnerability that draws you to it.

But just coming as a child didn't make Jesus approachable. He had to also be accessible. Jesus could have been born in a palace with guards. To be fully approachable Jesus was born in a stable. Stable hands don't check I.D.'s screening people at the door. And that's why Jesus was born there. Everyone is welcome. God is approachable.

Second, God is condescending. That's a negative term when applied to a human but it's a compliment to God. God is willing to humble himself and come down to our level. Jesus emptied himself of his divine nature to meet us where we are at. He didn't hold any special privileges in coming. He didn't require a clean hospital or guards at the door. And that tells me that if God is willing to come into a dirty stable he's willing to come into my dirty life. It doesn't matter who I am or what I've done. He'll lower him self to whereever I'm at to relate to me personally.

Third, God is subtle. Jesus didn't come with a parade or fireworks or a trumpet fanfare. It was the opposite. It was almost a secret. God seems to take pleasure in revealing himself only to true seekers. He won't shake us until we believe. He can only be seen by those looking for him. I'm sure it was tempting for the shepherds to leave the stable. It didn't LOOK like God was there. But something inside of them told them to stay. God, indeed, was there.

We too need to have that same kind of discernment to see God where others don't.

Merry Christmas!