Fresh Brewed

Probably 99 times out of 100, I will choose tea over coffee. For some reason this is something many coffee drinkers take as a personal attack. Drink whatever brewed beverage you prefer, I have only my own tastebuds to contend with, but something I think we can all agree on is that it’s something that is best when it is fresh. If you try to run hot water through the grounds again, or try to reuse a tea bag, you’ll get a hot beverage that is merely an imitation of what you were actually seeking.

In much the same way, we need to be in the constant process of renewing our minds. So many people who claim the name of Christ try to get by on Sunday mornings and the Sunday schooling they received as children. It seems that as soon as they recognize that they have been saved by faith they don’t need to learn anything else.

When we have a faith like this, we are not prepared for when the hard times come. We go back to that used up tea bag hoping it will give us what we need, but it only leaves us grasping. The way of the world is to do the minimum it takes to get by. However, we have been called to do more.

Paul, in Romans 12:1-2 says this, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

It's easy to fall into the old way of doing things. It’s tempting to just reuse those old coffee grounds, but we know that those things will not satisfy the needs we have. I pray that you can fight the temptation to reach for the status quo. I pray that you continue you to grow in your faith no matter how long you’ve had it.

Renew your mind.

Fear and Joy

The Psalms are a great place to find people expressing the reality of life. On one page the authors are praising God for ever-loving kindness, and on the next they feel like worms eating dirt. And in some, like Psalm 57 those two aspects are described together. The Psalm starts

1 Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.

2 I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.
3 He sends from heaven and saves me,
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—

    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.

During this time, David, the author of this Psalm, is being pursued by someone who wants to eliminate him. He is crying out to God for help, and for safety. He is feeling the way many of us have felt in times of desperation. We cry out to God saying, “whatever you want Lord, please, just help me!”

And through his crying out to God in desperation, David seems to find his footing. The tone of the Psalm shifts in the middle from the fear of verses 1-4 to the faithfulness of verses 5-11.

7 My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;
    I will sing and make music.
8 Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!
    I will awaken the dawn.

9 I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.

This is the reality in which we live. One day we can fear for our lives, and other times we can be on a mountaintop of joy. Wherever you find yourself it’s good to remember where you’ve been before. Recognize the good times, and remember that the hard times don’t last forever.

Jump In

What should we have for dinner? This seemingly innocuous question has probably started more arguments than any other phrase in history. Whether between friends, colleagues, romantic partners, parents and kids, or anyone else that you might share a meal with; there is always a dissenting voice, or worse, someone without an opinion. It brings up this weird innate indecisiveness because when you’re hungry everything sounds good until someone brings up that place you don’t like.

Where should we go? I don’t care you pick.

If I wanted to pick, I wouldn’t have asked you.

How about X? I don’t like X.

How about Y? We just had Y.

Well, what do you want? I’ll know it when I see it!

And on and on this conversation circles around until one person is frustrated and one person is settling. When you have too many options you can feel paralyzed by choice. We can feel this way when we feel called to be active within the body of Christ. If you identify yourself as a Christian, then you have been given this calling. Where we get paralyzed is when we realize that there are a lot of ways that we can serve the Lord.

Instead of spending ages wrestling to find the perfect place you fit, jump in. Paul in Ephesians 4:1-7 says this,

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. 

Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Let us use those gifts decisively in serving the Lord and one another. You have already been called, you are worthy of serving.

Jump in.

Helping Hands

Have you ever had a friend that needed a lot of help? Maybe they were going through a big transition. Maybe life was hitting them on all sides. Maybe they were just kind of dumb. Whatever the reason they started looking to you to be their saving grace, the person who came through in the clutch and helped them move forward in life. At times this can be invigorating, you receive the satisfaction of a job well done and you get to see your friend grow into a better version of themselves.

Other times, however, this can be exhausting. You see someone make the same mistake, the same bad choice, or walk the same path that got them in trouble in the first place. It’s easy to give up on people. It’s easy to say you are not worth the grief you bring to my life. While there are times to create healthy boundaries, there are also times that we are called to step up and do more.

Paul in Romans 15:1-2 puts it this way, “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”

When you help people, you rarely get any benefit. That should be an okay outcome for you. As Christians we are called to be the servants of all. Just like Christ made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf, we should be able and willing to sacrifice a little time and a little frustration.

And when it all gets to be too much Paul continues in verses 5-6, “5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When you are weak you should ask for help. When you are strong you should look for people that you can help. Living life on this Earth, we will switch between these two places more times than we can count.

Let’s be there for one another.

More Bees?

After my adventure with the bee last week, I thought I was done. I had done my good deed for nature; I set the bee free instead of crushing it. And then I went home. When I walked in my door, buzzing around my kitchen was (what I thought was) the biggest bee I had ever seen. This monster was probably 2 inches long and looked angry. I weighed my options, the most appealing being to just burn the house down and find a way to start over. Instead, I acted like a good citizen of the earth, opened every door, and ushered it back into the wild. I later learned that this was a cicada killer wasp, and I should have killed it because wasps have no redeeming qualities. But we’re not here to talk about bugs, or how much they scare me.

After my first harrowing experience of the day, I thought I was done. I didn’t think I would need to deal with anything like that for some time, and then almost immediately there I was. It might not always be bugs. You might have that problem that rears its ugly head every once in a while. It may feel like a weakness to have a problem that you just can’t solve, but it is a reminder that we are not called to face this world on our own strength alone.

Paul, one of the heroes of the faith had to deal with chronic problems. And when he did, he used them as a source of strength.

2 Corinthians 12: 5b-10 on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— 6 though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than they see in me or hear from me. 7 So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Do you allow God to shine through your weakness? We were never called to be perfect, only to rely on the one who is.

Not the Bees!

It’s pretty nice weather right now so I opened the office windows to enjoy a cool breeze. Unfortunately, with the nice breeze also comes nature, and like many modern people, I only want to interact with nature on my schedule. I was in the woods because I chose to go on a hike. I saw wildlife because I went out looking for it. I got a face full of pollen because I stopped to smell the roses.

The nature that was thrust upon me today was a bee! She just came in buzzing around and got stuck on the window screen. I don’t like bugs, they give me the creeps, and even though I am literally more than a million times bigger, (I did the math) I would prefer flight over fight in most insect interactions. But little homey was stuck and needed help finding the way out. So, I got a cup and a piece of paper and, only making the manliest of sounds, I threw her out the window.

Bugs get stuck in windows and light fixtures because in their little bug brains, the only thought is to go towards a light because bright light should mean the sun and freedom. Sadly, many of these lights are false leads.

The same thing happens to us. We get stuck and start reaching for anything that looks like it might solve the problem. This is at the root of our own personal idols. Anything we look to as salvation from our problems, that is not God, is another problem.

1 John 1:5-7 tells us this, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.”

We all have times when it feels as though we are walking in the darkness. We also have the benefit of being smarter than bugs. Use your innate discernment to choose walking towards the true light of God. We do know the difference between the true light and a false idol.

Fly free.

Wishing Game

Psalm 73 captures something that feels truly timeless. It was written by Asaph one of the musicians of David and Solomon’s time. It captures the envy we have when we see other people doing well even when they don’t live a righteous life. He starts, “1 Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. 3 For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

It is so easy to play the wishing game. I wish I had their house. I wish I had their money. I wish my kids behaved the way their kids behaved. It is so easy to get sucked into thinking like this when we only get a glimpse. We start thinking like Asaph confesses in verse 13, “13 Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and have washed my hands in innocence.14 All day long I have been afflicted, and every morning brings new punishments.

When we see someone who appears to have the life we want, it’s easy to question why we put up with living the life we’ve been called to. When we see people get away with crimes or see that some people never face the consequences of their actions, we wonder if we should leave it all behind and just jump down in the mud with them.

However, we realize, as Asaph did, (v.21) “when my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant…” It’s easy to fall into the mindset of making worldly pleasures our priority. But you have been called to keep your focus on things that are eternal. God only looks at you and your heart, God isn’t comparing you to anyone else.

You were not called to live any other life but your own. Keep your eyes on things that last. Asaph closes his Psalm with these words, “28 But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;”

I hope we can do the same.

Shema

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 

In Hebrew, these verses are called the Shema, which translates to hear. It is a confession of faith about who God is and our calling in following him. It is as true now as was when it was written 700 hundred(ish) years before the birth of Christ. The first phrase, “the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” Contains the essential truth that God is a singular entity and not some vague force like “will” or “the universe” or “the force.” This establishes the truth of the trinity, we have one God that exists in three persons of God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

From this understanding of God we receive our call. You are called to love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your might. On first reading, this call can feel daunting or overwhelming. There are so many things in our modern world that try to call your attention away. It is so easy to get distracted, and that is why the Shema became a daily prayer. Short, and to the point, the Shema is a reminder of where our hope comes from and where our focus should be.

My hope, as a minister, is that you spend regular time studying the scriptures, praying to God, and growing in your faith. My hope, as a person also facing all the distractions the world can offer, is that I do, too. God loves us very much, and loves hearing our hopes and struggles. Even on your busiest days I hope you can all find time to remind yourself of the words of the Shema, 

“The Lord my God, the Lord is one. I willl love the Lord my God with all my heart and with all my soul and with all my might.”

Really?!

The other day, the little rubber nose-pad thingy on my glasses fell off. I hadn’t taken a blow to the face; there was nothing that prompted it. I just went to adjust my glasses, as I do hundreds of times a day, and I felt something small fall down my face. I’ve worn glasses since the second grade, and this has never happened before. To keep it classy I will just say that I was perturbed!

Something like this, while annoying, isn’t usually an event to get worked up about. But it happened during a run of days that just weren’t going too great for me, and I was about ready to pop off. Thankfully, no one was around because I’m sure we’ve all had those occasions to place our anger about one thing on to someone who has nothing to do with it. I don’t want to be that person.

We all have those things that can send us down a path of anger, and we can tend to leave a wake of destruction as we travel down it. This is the time when we must practice self-control. Proverbs 16:32 says, “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and they who rule their spirit than they who take a city.”

Being slow to anger almost seems like a superpower when you’re in a bad mood. It can be difficult (and feel impossible) when there are so many things in this world that seem like they are designed to perturb us. We live in a world where “ragebait” is a word, this is a piece of content that gets engagement by intentionally making people frustrated. Someone sees it and shares it saying, “can you believe how dumb this is?” or “How can they say something like this?” 

Thankfully, you get to choose what is most important to you. You don’t need to engage with everything that bothers you. Some things will happen. We don’t control the world around us as much as we wish we could. When things happen, and they are definitely going to happen, we just need to do our best to remember the bigger picture.

Being slow to anger makes you strong enough to rule a city!

Risen Indeed

When the disciples learned that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb that was supposed to contain Jesus they ran to investigate. The writer of John wants us to be sure that we know he outran Peter. Instead of seeing a body wrapped in cloth they just saw the linens neatly folded. Knowing the whole story, it’s easy for us to point at the folly of the disciples. Jesus told them he would return several times. But if you looked closely at any time Jesus taught the disciples, you would see that he needed to also explain what he meant multiple times. We laugh at the disciple’s history of not getting it, until we remember all the times we have missed things that should have been obvious. 

One of the people near the tomb was Mary Magdalene. As she stood there confused and weeping two angels appeared to her, and asked her why she was crying. This is what we find in John 20:13-16 

She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher).

Mary, so lost in her confusion and grief, couldn’t recognize that the one she was looking for was standing right in front of her. How often does this happen to us? We get so worked up that we can’t recognize a solution that is right in front of our faces. Once Mary recognized that Jesus was there with her, her entire countenance changes. In verse 18 she announces to the other disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”

There are times when we need to slow down from the frenetic pace of life and realize that Jesus is standing right there with us. 

Healed

1 Peter 2:22-25 - 22 He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.

23 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

As we reach the mid-point of Holy Week, it’s easy to get lost in the fanfare of celebrating Easter. Do we have the right candy? Does everyone have the right pastel clothes to wear? What else do we need to have at our Easter feast? And like any other holiday, the questions go on and on about how we can celebrate “right.”

It makes sense that the resurrection we celebrate on Easter Sunday is one of the main lynchpins of our faith. Christianity is a faith centered around renewal and second chances. However, it is easy to forget the sacrifice that was made to get us to where we are today. Christ’s death on the cross was not an easy thing for Jesus to face.

Jesus took up a cross that was not his to carry. He faced scorn and ridicule that he did not deserve. As he was tortured and hung on that tree he did not lash out, he did not try to escape, he trusted in the promises made by God the Father—the one who judges justly. And he did it for one reason, that those who would believe in him should not perish but have everlasting life.

By his wounds we are healed. We have hope for the future. Before you get caught up in the fanfare of knowing the end of the story, take some time to recognize how it began. Jesus knew what was going to happen and came to seek and to save the lost anyway.

Where once we were lost, now we are found!

Brave Face

I knew a guy once who broke his back—twice. The second time it took and, short of the Lord’s intervention, he will be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. In spite of this, he was probably one of the most positive people I have ever met. He had to deal with constant general pain, the loss of a very active lifestyle, and living in a world that was no longer built for him. Through it all he kept a smile on his face and tried to take life one day at a time.

For him, the obstacle was obvious, he was in a wheelchair. For other people, the struggles they are dealing with can be hidden, but through it all they put on a brave face. I’m sure you know the struggles that you fight through every day, and how some days it feels like the struggle wins. But even when we feel like we’ve lost, God encourages us to keep going.

The prophet Zephaniah reminds us of this promise in Zephaniah 3:16-17 

On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
    let not your hands grow weak.
The Lord your God is in your midst,
    a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
    he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.

For most of us, our struggles are hidden beneath a few layers of self-protection and a desire to follow social norms. If we are honest, we know that they exist. And knowing they exist for us; means we can safely assume that they exist for others. A little compassion goes a long way. It costs you nothing to be kind, but it could change someone else’s whole day.

There are a lot of people walking around with brave faces these days. Some much braver than others. Let’s go out there and love people well. Everyone needs compassion, everyone needs forgiveness, let’s show them the kindness of the Savior. God is mighty to save.

Praise

Why do you do what you do? The long reaching implications of that seven-word question reach much farther than we would expect. It dives much deeper than just wanting an explanation of your vocation. From the food we prefer, to how we interact with someone who can do nothing for us, we are all have hidden needs and motivations that moves us towards a goal.

Jesus warns us against one of the most dangerous ones in John 12:43, “for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.” Some translations render this verse as “they loved the praise of other people more than the praise of God.” The praise of the people around us is dangerous because feels good! It feels nice when someone appreciates your hard work or the effort you put in. However, when that becomes your only motivation, you can lose what made the work worthy of praise in the first place.

We can all be fickle people, what earned the praise of your peers one day is suddenly annoying and earns ridicule another day. We have been given a higher calling. We have been called to leave the rat race behind and reach for what really matters.

Jesus continues in verses 45-46, “And whoever sees me sees him who sent me. I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness.” Trying to live a life pleasing people that don’t matter is exhausting and pointless. You have been called to something greater and don’t need to remain in that darkness. 

Jesus wants you to step into the light, a light that allows you to make bold choices. When God is for us who can be against us? Granted, this call is not an easy one. Following the praise of the crowd feels easy because you can just google the trends, but then they change and you’re stuck chasing something that you can never really reach.

With God the call is clear: “Be holy. Show Love. Follow me.”

Rooted

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,

    whose trust is the Lord.
They are like a tree planted by water,
    that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
    for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
    for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Spring has begun in New Jersey. It really isn’t all that warm yet, and the trees haven’t grown back all their foliage, but (as I write this) the sun is shining and the hint of things to come is in the air. This is the time that we celebrate regrowth and renewal. This is the time we plant the things we want to see grow. And this is the time that we can shake off the seasonally affected funk of winter to see a new way forward.

In the wintery seasons of life, it is easy to lose hope and perspective, and that is why it is so important to root yourself in the Lord. When a tree has strong roots it can weather the storms, it can face the heat, and it can still bear good fruit. However, the roots stay hidden beneath the surface. For us, this is our internal journey of faith.

It is fairly easy to say the right churchy thing in a decently convincing way and convince everyone around you that you’ve got it all figured out. Unfortunately, putting on that façade only limits your own ability to put down deeper roots. You don’t need to be in complete control of everything all the time.

We have a God that wants to take care of us. When we don’t feel like we can face an oncoming storm of disappointment / loss / stress or any number of the problems we face in life, we can rely in the roots we have placed in the Lord. Our roots can run deep and bring us the nourishment we need.

Plant yourself somewhere you can grow strong.

Journey

2 Peter 1:3; 5-7 – 3 [God’s] divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence… 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.

When you read it, it always sounds inspiring and just that easy, “I know the gifts I have received, I’ll go share that with other people.” And filled with faith, hope, and love you set out to make the world a little bit better, but then you are actually around other people—and they are the worst! They seem to do everything they can to make you forget all the good gifts you have received. 

This is why we are called to “make every effort.” From the start God knew that what we are being called to would take time and determination. We know that we won’t reach perfection, thankfully we are given steps on how to grow. It starts with the faith we have; this is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. To grow our faith, we live with virtue; that is, we are honest or show integrity. On and on we learn more about ourselves, we grow closer to God, and through that all we can show love to the people around us.

Looking at the passage from 2 Peter, where do you find yourself on the path? Your answer can change depending on your life or circumstances. Thankfully we serve the God of second chances (or 3rd, or 53rd, or 10,264th). You will have days that you are so filled with glory that you shine like a lighthouse of love to the people around you. And you will have days where all you can do is cling to the assurance of things hoped for.

Wherever you find yourself what can you do to move one step further in the journey?

That Word

How often do you use the F-word? 

Maybe you use it to describe your day. Or your boss. Or how you are doing. I am of course talking about the word fine. Fine, the catch-all word that has lost almost all relevance and meaning because we have been so loose with how we use it. If you say your day was fine, it could mean that you accomplished all the things you wanted to accomplish and felt pretty positive about the whole thing. Or saying your day was fine could mean that nothing went the way you planned it, you were constantly interrupted, and you feel like you got nothing done.

There are times that you don’t want to talk about how you are doing in an honest and frank manner. That’s okay. But there are also times that you need to find someone you can trust and unload the burdens of your soul. They won’t be freaked out or scared because they really and truly care about you and your wellbeing. 

When you feel weighed down, you can feel the need to put on a brave face and say that everything is fine. Even to the point that we don’t want to turn to God with our troubles. It is in those times that we need to remember these words from Psalm 145:14-18 

The Lord upholds all who are falling
    and raises up all who are bowed down.
The eyes of all look to you [God],
    and you give them their food in due season.
You open your hand;
    you satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in all his ways
    and kind in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
    to all who call on him in truth.

The Lord wants to help us with our burdens and help us up when we feel like we are being crushed down. My prayer is that you know you can look to the Lord. God wants to help you up and for you to know that he is with you every step of the way whether you’re have a fine day or a fine day. 

Smudged

When I lived in Colorado, I briefly worked at a self-contained high school that had about 20 students. This was a middle step for students who were either coming out of, or possibly going into residential programs. These kids all had rough lives, emotional issues, or a combination of the two. On a day that happened to be Ash Wednesday, a kid we’ll call Tory showed up late. These kids were required to take the city bus to school so a few minutes here or there wasn’t made into an issue, but Tory was an hour and a half late, and when arrived he had a smudge that looked like the letter T on his forehead.

He tried to sneak in unnoticed—he was noticed. As the teacher saw him walking in, she was about to confront him when she saw the mark on his head, and let it slide. It wasn’t until lunch that she asked him about where he went to get his cross this morning? Tory was confused. He looked in the mirror and said, “Why would I go to a HECKING church? That STUFF is from my HECKING bike.” 

As we enter this season of Lent and Easter it’s easy to forget that not everyone celebrates the Easter season for the same reasons. For many, it’s just the time of year when everything turns pastel, and Reese’s Eggs are available. However, for those of us inside the church, it is the pinnacle of our church calendar, the time when we mourn the death and celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Psalm 138:7-8 says

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Not everyone knows why this time of year is important. Even some people who look the part, just have stuff from their bike on their forehead and have no idea what it means. This year, whether it is through fasting or study, I hope you will take the time to investigate what Easter and the resurrection mean in your life, and how you can show that to other people.

On this Ash Wednesday, “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” †

Dude, Be Nice

I once had a roommate that was a musician, and the year we lived together he was in the process of writing and recording an album. Let me assure you this wasn’t fancy or glamorous, anyone with the money and time can go lay down some tracks. He was plenty talented and could write a pretty good song. However, when he would ask what I thought of his latest song, I made the mistake of giving him my honest opinion. He did not want my honest opinion, he just wanted me to say, “oh yeah that’s great!”

It took me a while to figure out that he was just looking for encouragement. Encouragement is one of those gifts that some people hit out of the park with what seems like no effort. Anytime you see them it’s like a breath of fresh air or the sun coming out on a rainy day. The rest of us need to work at it.

It’s weird, we all know that warm feeling we get when someone gives us some honest encouragement. Why wouldn’t we want to give that to the people around us? As believers we have a hope that others have not yet found. From that hope we should be able to be a shining light to others. Hebrews 10:22-24 tells us,

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

It feels like this should be simple, “you know how much you have been forgiven just live a life of thankfulness and share the love you have with the everyone you meet.” But like most things in life the things that sound simple they turn out to be a thorn in your side. You want to be healthy? Just eat right and exercise. Sounds great but I’m too hungry, too busy, to whatever right now. 

And that is why we need to make a resolute effort to reach out and be encouraging to the people around us. A simple compliment or kind gesture can turn someone’s whole day around. I pray we can be the bright spot in otherwise gloomy times. 

Clutch

Psalm 121:1-4 I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot be moved;
    he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, he who keeps Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

Confession: I hate asking for help. Whether it is something big or small, there is a small voice in the back of my head that shouts, “you should be able to figure this out yourself!” Unfortunately, hermit caves never have good wi-fi, and life was meant to be lived in community with other people.

I know I’m not alone in my hesitance to ask for help. It is easy to feel like asking for help is a sign of weakness, or that it opens us up to judgment. When the truth is, most of the people we consider friends are more than happy to lend a hand. The author of Psalm 121 seems to be far away from the place that they want to be. However, even when they are far away, they know that they are not alone. Their help comes from the Lord who neither sleeps nor slumbers.

We all have those times when we need the reassurance that we are not alone, but sometimes all it takes to find that reassurance is reaching out to a friend. You just might have a problem that they’ll understand, we all need someone to lean on.

Over the past 6 months that we have been in this new location as a church, I’ve had to make a lot of calls and send a lot of texts asking people for help. And I’ve hated making every one of them. Some were emergencies, some were odd jobs that needed to get done, and some turned out to just be dumb questions. With every request I made, no matter how I felt about asking, people were happy to help with their time, tools, or knowledge.

If you’re one of those people that Restore has looked to for help, then thank you. We thank God for your heart for ministry, for this community, and for the Lord. Our help comes from the Lord, and sometimes that help takes the form of the people around us. 

Still There

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

As you go through life, and live out your faith, this verse can take on a few different meanings depending on your current circumstances. When you know you’re on the right path and feel close to God this verse can make you feel even more unstoppable. However, in those dark nights of the soul we can respond to, “who can be against us?” with, “everyone and everything.” We feel tired, overwhelmed, and separate from a source that once gave us strength.

In those times we need to cling to Paul’s reminder in verse 35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” –or busyness, or parenting stress, or social media, or any of the hundreds of other things that fill the minds and schedules of modern people.

I wish that our faith meant that we would live charmed lives. Everything is sunshine and rainbows, you make just a little bit more money than you need, your children always mind you, the dogs only bark when you say speak, and all the lights are green whenever you hit the road. Unfortunately, we are reminded time and again that we will face troubles, but we don’t need to face them alone. 

Romans 8:37-39 “37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing can disconnect you from the love of God—no busy schedule, no stress at home or work, nothing! How connected we feel will ebb and flow, but God’s love never leaves you. There are times we need to pause for a moment to remember that love, and there are times we need turn and run back to God’s loving arms.

Wherever you find yourself there is connection. There is always a way home.