More than thoughts and prayers

This past week our country experienced another national tragedy. I won’t recount the details and events, because we know this is not the first tragedy, and will also not be the last. As the impact reverberated through the nation, many people offered up “thoughts and prayers” as has happened before, but instead of the welcome it usually receives, the thoughts and prayers came up so empty. Many memes were created to tell people that it wasn’t enough.

As Jesus gave the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) he said among the beatitudes “Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be called children of God.” Personally, this resonates on many levels. I want peace in my home, in my town, in my relationships, and certainly in my country. When people are yelling we often ask them to “calm down” or not get so angry. When a fight breaks out, we want it to be stopped. This is peacemaking, right?

Recently I read an article that made me reconsider whether as Christians we are actually pursuing real lasting peace or not. It argued that often what we mistake as peace MAKING actually resembles more of peace KEEPING. A peace maker is defined as “a person who brings about peace, especially by reconciling adversaries”. This term involves a conflict of some sort that needs to be brought to resolution. Yet as Christians often we just try to keep the peace, rather than actually get into the real business of entering the conflict and MAKING peace.

In peace keeping, things are already peaceful, and we just work to keep it that way. In peace making, there is a conflict that needs to be resolved in a manner that results in peace. The process of peace making involves getting to know the issue, not being afraid to enter the conflict, and working to disrupt the status quo to bring about a solution that doesn’t KEEP peace but MAKES peace.

Any honest look at the news should inform the Christian that there is conflict, and tragedy in the world. And in fact, this should not surprise us! “Nothing is new under the sun!” the author of Ecclesiastes says. Until Jesus returns sin will be a part of living on this Earth. OUR task, as Christians, is to enter into this conflict and tragedy with open eyes and awareness, not shrinking away in shock, or feigning support from afar, but offering tangible ways to help usher in the peace that Christ offers us. Maybe you can do this on a global scale, through legislation or involvement. Maybe you can take measures in your own community. Or maybe, it means being an advocate for peace in your own home. We each have a role to play as peace MAKERS. This is an action and a call, and while we continue to offer our prayers because we believe that God can and WILL intercede in miraculous ways, we can also take action to pursue peace in whatever context God has placed us in. 

Love Letters

Somewhere buried in the basement bins and boxes I have the very first Valentine I received from a boy in 4th grade. It is a handmade card with a big red foil doily heart pasted to the front, and a few other heart stickers around it. I didn’t remember that I kept this particular card until I came across it years ago in that box of all the things you take from your childhood when you move out. In a drawer in my closet I also have tucked away all the first love letters from Jeremy. Almost 20 years ago and I haven’t thrown away a single word he wrote to me.

Genesis through Deuteronomy are commonly believed to be the first letters that God wrote to the Israelites through Moses. They recount the beginning of God’s relationship with his people, the stories, the laws, the promises, and the covenants that God made with them. Over the next few centuries the rest of the letters were written, carefully copied by hand, preserved, and passed down from generation to generation.

Have you ever considered that the Bible is like one long lover letter from God to his people? It’s the single most important document recounting God’s relationship with his people from the very start. I had a professor once say that the entirety of the Old Testament can be summed up in this “Israel is unfaithful, God is faithful”. Over and over the Israelites rebel against God’s law, and yet His love never fails. It is the same today! While we are still sinners, Christ died for us. Even as we fail Him, even as we make mistakes and wander and become lost, God constantly draws us back to Himself though His unending love. The bible reminds us that when everything else in our world seems to be temporary, even relationships, Gods ultimate sacrifice and unfailing love for His people is constant.  

Whether you are having the best day ever or you find yourself lonely or distracted you can rest daily in God’s love by simply opening His word. I’m not saying that we don’t also yearn for relationships here on earth. I am saying that you are loved beyond measure, and you can rest in that assurance much more than just one day a year.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Rom. 5:8

“The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

Too Busy To Rest

Come all you weary with your heavy loads
Lay down your burdens find rest for your souls
‘Cause my yoke is easy and my burden is kind
I'll take yours upon me and you can take mine

                      - Thrice, Come All You Weary

There are a lot of tired people in the world today, maybe you’re one of them. And this isn’t a normal “I got a lot of work done today” tired. This is a “deep in my soul” weariness type of tiredness. These are the times when life feels unfair and the things we want never turn out the way we would like them. The fatigue of life feels all encompassing, and if we are not careful we feel like it could overtake us completely.

At times, it can seem like the rest of world needs you to be this tired; with work commitments, family commitments, sports commitments, volunteer commitments, and all the other little things that seem to eat up the meager hours we have in a day. The idea has crept into our collective heads that if I am not busy it means I’m lazy, so I better tell everyone how busy I am. Some people wear their business like a badge of honor saying, “look at me I’m so busy and therefore important!”

You end up prioritizing the things you must do and are left with no energy to do the things you would like to do. Today I would like to give you one important thing: permission. You have permission to rest. You have permission to lay down one thing that you have been holding onto for too long.

In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus says,

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Too often we hold on to our problems with both hands, never asking for help, and trying to hide it from everyone around us. My hope is that you have people around you that you can talk to about your problems. A burden is easier to carry when it is shared. Jesus in Matthew 11 is trying to say that he is that person. He is accepting of our burdens and is only disappointed when we’ve held on to them too long. If we can trust and lay down some of our burdens we can find our much-needed rest.

It’s okay to not be busy.

Go and Reconcile

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

[Reconcile – v. to bring into agreement or harmony; make compatible or consistent]

When you’re a kid you get told that you can be anything you want, but that is rarely helpful advice. If anything, it can be discouraging. Having so many options locks you up worrying about perfection. You start asking questions like, “How can I change the world?” But you can take a deep breath and step back and find freedom in the idea that Jesus has done the heavy lifting of changing the world. We don’t have to.

This means we can ask much smaller questions. Instead of asking “what should I do with my life?” ask “what can I do tomorrow to bring more reconciliation to the world?” And then do it. Ask again the next day and the next day. For some of us this path will lead to big important global work, and for others it will lead to big important personal work.

It doesn’t matter if you paint houses or paint canvases, you can do if for the glory of God. It doesn’t matter if you are an author or an accountant, you can do it for the glory of God. It doesn’t matter what you want to be when you grow up as long as the work of your hands is being done to the glory of God.

You were created for a purpose. You are a new creation through Christ.

“It is your job as a creator to accept that the work will be very, very hard; to understand the importance of deep reflection, and to fight the forces of fear and resistance, all in the name of filling blank pages and creating beauty.” – Blaine Hogan

Use It Before You Lose It

I have some bad news. Someday you’re probably going to die, but it’s okay so is everybody else. Don’t freak out. What this means for us is that we have a limited amount of time to use while we are on the Earth. This leaves us with a choice, we can either use the time we have to create, or we can sit around and wait for the inevitable.

Imagine you were given an all-expenses paid dream vacation. Three weeks in the greatest destination on the planet. The beach, the mountains, the cities, hot, cold, literally anywhere you want to go! Would you sit and wait at the airport because you know you’ll need to go home at the end? Or would you spend every waking hour trying to enjoy it to the fullest? No one goes on vacation to just hang out at the airport.

God has given you a limited amount of time on the Earth so don’t miss right now because you’re too busy worrying about tomorrow. Get out there and do something great.

In John 9 Jesus heals a blind man’s eyes. John 9:4-7 Jesus says,

4 “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”

6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam.” So, the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

The best part of this? Jesus got his hands dirty to help the blind man. He saw a problem and created a solution using what He had around him.

We all want to peek at the end of the story. We all want to see where our hard work takes us in the end. Unfortunately, we can never see where we will end up if we are unwilling to grind it out to get there. And the grind is not glamorous. The first thing you make is probably not going to match the ideal you pictured in your head. “It is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique.” Even if you are an underdog the hurdles you must get past to create something have never been lower. You just need to start!

What Would You Give?

The year was 1561. Many churches in the Netherlands were being persecuted by the government because of their Protestant faith. The government, controlled by the Roman Catholic Church, was seeking to rid the land of these protestors; these so-called “reformers”.

A group of thinkers, led by a man named Guido de Brès, formulated a document that defended these reformed Christians, outlining not only that they were good and law-abiding citizens, but that they were observing the faith in a way that they believed was consistent with the Scriptures. The hope was that this document would cause the persecution and oppression to cease, but it did just the opposite.

As I read the Belgic Confession this morning, I was struck by the attitude of the authors. They were clear with the government, and King Philip II, that they would obey the government in all matters, provided that the government was acting lawfully. They would not, however, deny the truths that were expressed in the document, even if it meant choosing death. Many of them were indeed given the choice, including the author, and he chose what he had promised.

It made me consider the question, what would I die for? Or, perhaps a better question, and one that we have been considering in the book of Ecclesiastes–what would I give up my life for?

Each of us are given a finite amount of time on this earth. Our life has a beginning and an eventual end, and in the middle, we are given this resource called “life”. We have to decide what to do with it. Many people think of it in terms of an investment: what can I invest my life in that will bring the biggest returns for me, my family, and my dependents? Others think of it in terms of spending: that you “get out what you put in”. Life is a transaction, and the more you spend, the more you receive.

The Bible, however, uses that word, giving. Giving implies no return; indeed, it implies no expectation of return. There are two reasons we might give our lives like that. One is if we count our life as having so little value that we simply don’t believe that it is worth much. (That’s not the Biblical picture, though. Life has tremendous value!) The other is, if we have already received so much, that our life, regardless of value, pales in comparison to the reward we have already received.

That’s what Jesus is getting at in Luke 17:33 when he says, “Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it.” The transaction has already happened. We’ve already received everything of value there is to receive. When we are willing to give up even our life, that’s when we discover how much real life we already have.

I think the authors of the confession understood that truth. It’s the reason they didn’t defect even when the government was persecuting them, and it was the reason they were willing to give up their life when they were forced to choose: death, or deny?

They chose death, because they had already received what really mattered, and it was a life that could never be taken away.

That January Feeling

I was getting ready to drive home from the church in Goshen, NY where I had just finished leading an evening service. I started my car hoping it would warm up a little before my drive, and was in the process of saying my goodbyes. As I began to head out the door someone asked me when I’d be back next.

“Sometime in July”, I responded.

“July?!”, he said, obviously confused.

“Oh, uh, I mean January.”

And then I was disappointed. Because for a second, July seemed like a really good month to return. It would be warm. It would only be 8:30pm, and would still feel like early evening. I’d have either recently returned from, or shortly be going to, a vacation on a beach or a lake. July...

But it wasn’t July. It was January. And that meant that instead of being hugged by warm summer air as I walked out the door, I was punched in the face by winter chill. It was already dark. I’d get home, sleep, and wake up tomorrow and it would still be dark. And cold. And gross. We laughed when I made the mistake, but our laugh was colored by longing. “Sure, would be nice if it was July,” we thought.

There’s something about being in the dead of winter–even the phrase itself is ominous–that sucks the life out of us if we let it. Everything about the post-Christmas blues comes crashing in on us. What does one look forward to when they are in January? January feels like getting back to the grindstone. Paying off Christmas. Setting (immediately breaking?) resolutions.

That’s part of the reason why we’re going through the book of Ecclesiastes. The teacher in Ecclesiastes wants to help us think about what life is really like. What is the meaning of it all? And he doesn’t want to gloss over those moments that feel like the “valleys”, or feel like just going through the motions. He wants us to know that sometimes, life stinks for no apparent reason, and sometimes, we have to find the good in the bad. He also wants us to know that, when we feel like “January”, we still need to find a way to enjoy it.

In fact, it’s one of his main points and one we’ll consider this coming Sunday–hey, I’ve seen July, he says. And it’s not quite as exciting as you are hoping for. That can either be depressing, or it can be liberating, when we realize that it’s far better for us to live in the moment that exists rather than the one we fantasize about.

In the meantime, we can keep on hoping for July, as long as we don’t let it rob us of enjoying the moment’s that we have now–even if it is only January.

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1!

We all shouted out the numbers as they flashed across the TV. Our family, gathered around, counting down with Mariah and the gang as they stood in a historically cold Times Square as the ball dropped. All night we had waited for this moment, when for a millisecond, we’d get to see the date change and we could say “goodbye 2017” and “hello 2018.” Now it had happened, and I just felt...

Well, I felt exactly the same, to be honest. Maybe a little more grateful that now I could go to bed. One of my kids, full of enthusiasm at being able to stay up this late an hour earlier, was now curled up on a chair fast asleep. Another one fell asleep on the concrete floor in the basement, and two were already in bed.

Was this how Jesus felt when he went to go pray in the garden and his whole crew fell asleep, leaving him alone? (Matthew 26) I guess that was probably a little more intense.

The New Year offers us an opportunity to reflect on what has occurred in the past year, for good or bad, and what we hope to accomplish in the coming year. But there’s something sinister about it. Chris alluded to it last week in the weekly update. Kendall noticed it in his sermon on Psalm 16 this past Sunday. We’ll look at it again this coming week in Ecclesiastes 1.

If you take a step back and actually consider the change of date, or back out and consider the change of years, or seasons, or whatever, you realize...it just keeps on going. 2016 became 2017. 2017 became 2018. And unless Jesus comes, 2018 is going to become 2019. On, and on, and on, and we celebrate milliseconds and then they’re gone and we’re left wondering, what did we just accomplish?

Maybe there’s a better question: what did God accomplish? Maybe that sounds like cheesy, church-cliché. But it’s actually one of the fundamental ways that God describes himself: unmoving, unchanging, steadfast, and faithful. They are all pointing towards the same thing. The God that created the universe sustains it and keeps it in motion. It’s in the on-and-on pattern of the universe that we see God’s power and his handiwork, making the sun rise and set every day.

We can get fixated on the fact that January 1st feels exactly like December 31st, and get depressed. Or we can consider that God’s going to do it again. Every day, new mercies. Every year, consistency. Faithfulness. God guiding us and protecting us, even in the everyday, same as yesterday, probably the same as tomorrow, moments of our lives.

That’s something to celebrate in 2018.

RIP 2017 Jan 1 – Dec 31

When this is sent out there will only be a little more than 100 hours left in 2017. New Year’s Day can bring up any number of emotions as we look back on the year that has been and look with hope or trepidation at the year that is coming. This is the whole basis for New Year’s resolutions, we see something we didn’t like in the past so we resolve to change it in the future. What better time than when the world is ticking over to a new year?

But what really changes on New Year’s Day other than the calendar? The people that love you on December 28 are probably still going to love you on January 3. You’ll probably still have the same boss, live in the same house, and pet the same dog. Big personal changes on New Year’s Day happen because someone makes a choice. Maybe you want to quit smoking, or volunteer more, or start a business, or lose weight, or read your Bible regularly, or any number of things that are within your realm of control. Great! Go for it! There’s no better time to start than right now.

The hardest part is doing these things for the right reasons. You don’t want to quit smoking to prove how strong willed you are; you do it so you can see your kids grow up. You don’t start volunteering so people are impressed by how charitable you are; you do it because you want to give out of the overflow of the blessings you’ve received. Most New Year’s Resolution fail by February because we get past the initial excitement of how great our life will be once we reach our goal and realize the amount of work that we will actually have to put in to make the changes we want.

As we stand at the end of 2017 not knowing what 2018 has in store for us, stand firm. Today, you have just broken your personal record for most consecutive days alive, and tomorrow I hope you’re able to do it again. Many of us will pick lofty goals for 2018, and it is my prayer that you all reach them. If you don’t, I hope you fail trying rather than fail watching.

As we fly headlong into 2018 I leave you with encouragement from Paul in 2 Timothy 4, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction…But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry…I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

What Do You Want For Christmas?

What do you want for Christmas?

Sometimes I feel like I’m not very good at Christmas. The true meaning stuff—Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Angels, and shepherds—I have down pretty well. It’s the other stuff like presents and decorating where I feel I fall short. It’s especially hard when I’m asked the question, “what do you want for Christmas?” I never know what to say.

When you’re very young, answering this question is easy. You just list every toy you’ve ever seen in a commercial, heard your friends talk about, or read about in a book. You have no hesitation in shooting for the moon, “this year, I want a rocket ship to fly me to candy island where I get to ride ponies and pick out my very own puppy.” As you get older you get more realistic and learn to prioritize so you push for the one thing you want the most rather than giving a list of options.

Now that I’m an adult I never know what to say, if there is something that I really want or need I just go and buy it myself. My Christmas list devolves into things I happen to need in December. “Dear Santa, I guess this year I want some windshield wipers and a new pair of snow boots.” It doesn’t have the same excitement it did when your day was made by playing with the box of the toy your parents scoured five different stores to find.

Don’t get me wrong there are still mind-blowing, thoughtful gifts that we can get from our loved ones, but the real joy is found in the giving. Every once in a while, you get to experience giving someone the perfect gift. The look on their face is worth any trouble you went to, to find it. It doesn’t even need to be a thing. This year I’m surprising my Mom by showing up out of the blue on Christmas Eve. (She may have just found out).

Near the end of the year grace and peace seem to permeate even the hardest of hearts. We take are able to step back and can be happy because those around us are happy. This is the Biblical meaning of Christmas. Everything goes back to giving. God gave us His son, Jesus, and Jesus would give his life for our salvation.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, “The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”

This year give cheerfully
Merry Christmas

Jay Ruins Holiday Favorites - Part 3

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.

Jay Ruins Christmas Favorites – Part 2

“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 chose 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.

Jay Ruins Christmas Favorites – Part 1

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.

Claire’s Story

Claire was about five feet, four inches tall and skinny as a rail. On a windy day, you’d be afraid that a strong gust could blow her away. When people found out that she was only 31 they had to stifle their surprise because Claire could easily pass for being much, much older. She had experienced far more life than any 31-year-old should be able to claim: abused through elementary school, a runaway by 13, an addict by 16, and until she was 27 she never owned more than the clothes on her back and the contents of a dirty rucksack.

To hear her describe it, her path to recovery started by very dumb luck. She had been caught stealing and the grocery store manager decided to work out some frustration by berating her. The tirade didn’t surprise her because in her words, “I already knew I was garbage so what could be said to make me feel worse?”

When the police were called, Officer Sharp showed up and convinced the manager to not press charges because he would take care of it. Instead of taking Claire to jail he took her to a church, “If it had been another day or another cop I don’t know where I’d be. I’d been taken in by the law before, but this time I was taken in by love.”

“And to be honest I didn’t want it. Everyone I knew was out to get something from me, and to me, these people had everything. In my mind, all these people been born with the [silver] spoon in their mouths and I been born with a knife to my throat. And I just stuck around because it was warm inside and I was hungry.” The church Officer Sharp took her to had connections to a residential women’s shelter that had recovery programs, skills classes, and systems to help people get off the street.

After a few false starts, Claire got an apartment, a job, and for the first time in a decade, she wasn’t hungry all the time. At 31, she was also excited to be nearing the fourth anniversary of her sobriety, a day more significant to her than any birthday could ever be. The way she described it, “the day I was born was the day things started going wrong, but the day God got me clean was the first time things went right.”

We are surrounded by people like Claire, and most of us have grown accustomed to ignoring them.

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in…’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you…’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”  -Matthew 25:35-

This holiday season we have the opportunity to help “the least of these.” We don’t do it out of obligation or to prove to people how generous we are. We give out of the abundance of love that we have received. I hope you will consider giving to our Christmas food drive.

Should I Complain or Say Thank You?

“The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise Him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.” Exodus 15:2

I’ve been studying the story of Exodus and have been struck by how quickly the Israelites forget what God has brought them through and how he has provided for them. Immediately after being released from hundreds of years in slavery, and after God parted the Red Sea for them, Exodus recounts tale after tale of how the Israelites grumbled and complained and did not trust God to provide for their most basic needs. The first instance after crossing the Red Sea was when they arrived at the waters or Marrah but the water was too bitter to drink. God made the water drinkable. The next complaint was that they were hungry and they argued that they would be better off under the slavery of the Egyptians where at least they had food. This time God provided Quail and bread (mannah) from Heaven. They moved on from there and argued AGAIN to Moses that there was no water. This time, exhausted, Moses cried out to God “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me” (Exodus 17:4). 

Yet again, despite their almost revolt against Moses, God in his mercy and faithfulness showed his provision for the people of Israel and provided water from the rock despite their continued lack of trust in God’s ability to provide. 

It’s easy to look at these stories and compare the Israelites to little children, who despite their parents’ best efforts to provide for them, are left unsatisfied or distrusting of their parents’ ultimate love and provision. Grumbling and complaining are pretty common in our household, especially around dinner time! The real comparison however, should be our own lack of trust in God, and how quickly we as adults can forget the bondage he has released us from, and the Red Seas he has brought us through. 

God tells the Israelites to make a record of all he has done for them, and to record these stories to be passed down from generation to generation. Throughout the Old Testament, God is revealing who He is to the Israelites, a trust-worthy, powerful, patient, and Holy God, worthy of our devotion and praise. What are the stories that we have personally experienced that ultimately reveal who God is to us? What are the Red Seas that He has walked us through or our families through? What about as a church? How easy it is to forget the ways that God has provided for us, and instead grumble and complain about our current situation. Remind yourself this week how God has provided for you, your family, and our community here at Restore. Tell your children these stories of God’s faithfulness. Pray for a heart that doesn’t grumble and complain, but trusts that God knows what we need, and will provide it in His time. 

What Are You Thankful For?

As I have been cleaning and organizing our basement sometimes I am struck by the sheer number of toys we have acquired over the years. Every Christmas and birthday, there is a coveted toy that our child wants. By the following year, the toy goes unused and our children have moved onto something else they want. This same scenario plays out in adulthood. That house that was once a “dream home”, or the car that was so shiny driving off the lot, is replaced by the desire for something newer, different or bigger. Will we ever be thankful for what we have right now without always longing for something more? As Thanksgiving approaches, what does it look like to be truly grateful?

Two things that may help us learn gratefulness, despite our outward pain and struggles or dissatisfaction. One, count every little thing, no matter how small or trivial. One particularly difficult year, before kids we were up to our necks in college debt (literally ate Ramen noodles every night), we began a list of things we were thankful for and taped it to our fridge. Even the most trivial things went onto the list. Cultivate an attitude of thanks in your heart by counting every gift, no matter how small, and you will soon find your list is longer than you thought. 

Second, lift your eyes upward. I love the words of this hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

When everything in front of us, or around us, seems to leave us longing for more - remember that nothing on this earth was ever meant to fully satisfy the longings of our heart. The Glory of God and the gift of salvation are cause for rejoicing and thankfulness. No matter our circumstances, those things remain unchanged, constant, and eternal. 

“We look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are temporary, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:8 

What does it mean to be thankful for the Christian? It means going beyond the objects and things around us, and into the things of the heart. Thankfulness for relationships, and family, and health, and the gift of freedom to worship, and attend a church on Sunday, and for the ultimate gift of salvation and Christ’s work on the cross. As we approach a season of Thanksgiving, instead of focusing on the things of earth, think about the big picture gifts that God has given you, and the grace that is freely offered. Not that good gifts on earth aren’t wroth being grateful for, but they pale in comparison to the light of His glory and grace.

HE SAID, “WE’RE $50,000 IN THE HOLE!”

I remember the first time George Johnson gave the staff a budget update at Old Cutler Presbyterian Church in Miami. It was mid-September and I had been at the church for less than two months. It seemed like the perfect church: high attendance on Sundays, effective ministries, big budgets, and a large staff. Maybe 15 or 20 of us were now sitting around listening to George’s update of what the church finances would be like for the rest of the year.

“We’re about $50,000 dollars behind on income,” George said. “but we should make that up by the end of the year.”

I was glad George was confident because I was freaking out.

$50,000 dollars in the hole?!?

That was more than my salary as the Middle School director, more money than a full-year of college (at the time!), and seemed completely insurmountable. I was certain we’d have to turn off the lights and the air conditioning (a big deal in Miami), cut our budgets, and as the low man on the totem pole, I was definitely going to be fired. My only consolation was that, if we had to, Miami wasn’t the worst place to live on the streets

You know what actually happened? 

We made up the $50,000 by the end of the year. Not in September, or even October. We made it up in November and December, and ended up going into the New Year with a reasonable cushion.

Church giving is like that. It’s seasonal. I have been in leadership at four different churches, ranging from 150 regular attendees to 2500 regular attendees. The budget numbers may have been different, but every church has depended on the same seasonal cycle: a strong November and December that would put the church decidedly into the “black” going into the new calendar year.

I am so thankful that this is the first time in Restore’s history where we do not plan on closing the year with a large deficit. That is a testament to God’s goodness and the continued faithfulness of those who financially support the church. 

BUT–and you knew this is where I was headed–it’s only going to happen if we have a strong season of giving during November and December.

If you have been faithfully giving, please continue to do so! If you have the ability to give above and beyond what you normally give as we close out the calendar year, it will help us close out the calendar year strong and allow us to recoup our “cushion” that allows us to make it through the lean seasons without having to continually mention finances, just so we can pay the bills.

Thanks again for your faithfulness as we do life together in community at Restore.

In Christ,

Jeremy

Why not give a one-time gift now? Online contributions can be made at donate.restoreworship.org.

What Do They Know?

Do the people around you know you go to church? I’m not asking if they know your full journey of faith or if you have walked with them down the Roman’s Road. At some point in our recent history it has become awkward for us to tell other people why we are busy on Sunday mornings. And if we won’t tell people we go to church what hope is there that we would tell them more about our faith.

Our hesitance to share often comes from a fear of being judged. We can all readily admit that Christianity hasn’t had the best public image in recent years as people have wrapped their own agendas in a thin Christian veneer. Hopefully, seeing this could inspire us to speak up more loudly to say that person does not speak for us.

Being a Christian is hard. It’s especially hard in a world that seems so openly opposed to what we know is right. Jesus knew it would be hard and even tells us in John 15, “If you lived on the world’s terms, the world would love you as one of its own. But since I picked you to live on God’s terms and no longer on the world’s terms, the world is going to hate you.” (MSG)

We have been called to be different in a world that loves conformity. Think about all the arguments you see on social media. Rarely is it an open an honest discourse about the issue, more often it’s people saying, “everyone that doesn’t agree with me is clearly a moron.” We trap ourselves in a “picking sides” mentality and everything becomes a competition. People start thinking that changing their minds is equivalent to losing a battle.

As a Christian, you are called to love people so much that they become curious about what you have, and through this you are able to share with them the source of your love. You were not called to hide your faith away and only pull it out on a rainy day. You were not called to wait for the perfect moment on a perfect day with the perfect person to share your faith. You were called to be an ambassador for Christ in this world.

It’s a scary proposition stepping out and boldly declaring what you believe. But maybe you can take a baby-step. Let someone around you know you go to church. Let someone know that you believe in something bigger. Let someone know that even on your worst day there is a hope on to which you hold.

I pray that you can be bold and know that you are never alone in your faith.

Pray to Win

What causes quarrels and fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. -James 4:1-3 

James 4:3 is one of the most abused passages in scripture, “You do not have because you do not ask God.” How often in your life have you really really wanted something? You want it so bad that you decided that you were going to pray until you got it. God, I really want that new job, God I really want a new car, God I really want those cool shoes that everybody has. You pray and pray and pray and then finally a day comes, and you still don’t get it. In this situation, we tend to react poorly. ARGH! This prayer stuff doesn’t work I’m never praying again. God says pray for stuff then you get it.

But James tells us in verse 3 that God is not a vending machine, maybe not in so many words (I don’t think they had vending machines in the James’ time). Prayer is one of hardest concepts for us to understand especially when it comes to asking for things. When we make prayers of petition we always want the answer to be yes right away but God is not our employee.

It is unfortunate when we view prayer as successful only when we get exactly what we want. God knows better than we do. Sometimes getting what we want isn’t as important as getting what we need. Prayer is about trusting God, and if you ever read something that gives you steps on how to get your prayers answered “Yes” throw it out and walk away. God’s not really into bargaining and sees us all as equals in his love.

Fall Focus: MISSION - Part 5

In our focus on “Mission” it would be easy to start to think of “Mission” as a list of separate instructions that will occur in chronological order in the life of a follower of Jesus. We might look at “Mission” as a to-do list. 

Are we making disciples? Check.

Are they from diverse backgrounds? Check.

Are they immersed in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? Check.

Then we come to the last one: Are they being taught to obey Jesus?

On the one hand, there is a certain progression to the instruction to “make disciples.” We call diverse people groups to follow Jesus. We immerse them in the good news so that conversion into the new life of Jesus becomes a possibility. Thus, they are empowered to obey. We know that, apart from the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we would not have the capacity to obey the things that Christ commands.

On the other hand, the progression is not that simple, and this last piece of the commission proves it. Even though we ultimately need the Holy Spirit to help us perfectly obey Christ’s commands followers of Jesus at all stages of their spiritual journey are still taught to observe Jesus’s commands.

Maybe an analogy is helpful. Every one of the “rules” of our household applies to every child in our household, but they are not all equally followed by every member of the house, nor do we expect them to be. Judah, who is only a year old, is being taught to observe the rules of the house, but we don’t expect that he’ll be able to obey them the same way as our 10-year olds. He’s actually quite terrible at the command to not eat food in the family room, or at not screaming to get his way, or at cleaning up after himself. In fact, Judah does the opposite and leaves a trail of destruction wherever he goes.

Each of our children has a different capacity to obey the commands of the household. That doesn’t mean we’re off the hook to teach them to observe all of the commands. From the moment they are brought into our house, they are learning. Slowly learning at times, but learning nevertheless.

It works the same with followers of Jesus. Our mission is to invite them to follow and, along the way, teach them to observe the commands of Jesus. Part of that teaching will be instruction, but much of it will be observation. New followers watch experienced followers to see how they are living out Christ’s commands.

We’ve seen this every Sunday during our series on First John. John is clear: the more closely we follow Jesus, the more likely we will be to follow his commands.

That’s the last part of “Mission” at Restore. It’s living out the commands of Christ in full view of our friends, neighbors, co-workers, and acquaintances as we call them to follow Jesus and ultimately, to do the same. Not because we’ve arrived, or because we’re perfect–but because we know someone who is.

That’s the message of the good news that we are called to share. That’s “Mission”.