Hooray for Change!

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. (Matthew 2: 1-4)

Those that love the cuddly image of the baby Jesus do not get to celebrate it very long. The gospels do not elaborate on the first year of Jesus' life pouring over his first steps or words. In fact two gospels do not portray his birth in the slightest terms.

Instead the gospels move rather quickly to the threat that Jesus posed to all religious and political leaders. Leaders do not care to be threatened, and most of them squashed threats that arose along the path to power. King Herod reacted as any king would when he heard a new king was on the way. He wanted to squash the threat. Religious leaders of the time set a standard of piety that they did not often meet, leaving a large portion of the community feeling abandoned. They too would be questioned and threatened by Jesus. The anger/anxiety on the part of either group is normal

The interesting note in the scripture is the fact that all of Jerusalem was concerned with him. That statement suggests even those that were not in power felt anxious. They had been ignored and told that it was God's will that they be ignored. They had everything to gain, and did not want to experience the change.

A brief look back at Exodus provides insight to this interesting phenomenon. Though they were freed from brutal slavery in Egypt, the Israelites complained when they experienced the slightest pain or inconvienience. They preferred the easy, predicatble days of slavery over any sort of change or risk. What can we learn from this?

Changes are coming in 2010. Some will be great, some will be terrible, and most will be somewhere in between. Our abilty to navigate that change will depend on our depth of faith in God's love for us. We will continue to work on that depth in 2010>

Be Strong and Courageous

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." Joshua 1: 6-7

Last February, I had the great pleasure of watching a friend coach his middle school team in the city championship game. The kids on his team were smaller, less experienced, and were playing on the home floor of the opposing team. They overcame those obstacles to win the championship, and the game remains one of my top-ten live sporting events.

As I sat on the bleachers, I realized that I had played in this very gym while on my middle and high school teams. When I was a freshman in high school, I was asked to start a game because two of our starters could not come to the game. I was nervous about playing, but the bigger kids on the team said, "You stick with us, and you will be OK". My coach, whose name was Truett, also said, "I believe in you, and I knew I could do it". I would guess my performance was somewhere between "present" and "servicable". I have always thought of that night when I have been intimidated by a situation.

Truett passed away recently, and I was fortunate to be able to participate in his funeral. At that moment I described the pull that I have felt since my time with him, to encourage young children through coaching. I now coach t-ball, and I am always aware of the kids' need for encouragement, instruction, and love.

If Joshua was like me, he must have felt the weight of the responsibility on his shoulders. In the passage above, he was called to lead the people of Israel into the land that God had promised to them. Fortunatly for him, he had watched Moses for years and it was now his turn to lead.

I feel that weight of responsibility as a parent, minister, friend, and coach. Fortunately for me, I had mentors like Truett that set the example for me to follow.

“Roll out the red carpet”

"A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. (Luke 3:4-5)

• The Season of Advent is the beginning of the Christian year, and thus has similar themes to that of the secular new year. Most people want to focus on the baby Jesus (justifiably so), but the text above is talking about preparations for the arrival of the adult Jesus. John the Baptist is gathering using every tool at his disposal to attract people to the message that is to come.

• The picture above is looking down on a brand new intersection in Beijing, China. The caption below the picture reads, "New, wide roadways with separate bus lanes and elevated subway line." These improvements in transportation lanes were part of the plans to prepare for the previous Summer Olympics in Beijing. These types of changes are always necessary when a city makes a bid to the International Olympic Committee.

• The scripture above suggests a similar image was used in preparation for Jesus' arrival. The image is both literal and metaphorical. People will be arriving from many different areas and crowding the streets to see Jesus. They will be speaking different languages, will be out of their element, and will slow down the transportation process for locals. It also uses transportation images to talk about the much more important matter of clearing the path to one's heart and mind.

• On New Year's Eve we reflect on a year in which we have had enormous victories and devastating defeats. We dwell on past achievements and failures far too long, and both cloud our ability to hear the word of God. John the Baptist's words were true then and are true today..."Prepare the way for the Lord" because the word will change our entire outlook on life.

There is no I in team

Acts 4 - 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.


As we go through life, we experience windows of time in which our actions and words reflect the spirit of this scripture passage. Oftentimes, we must be separated from our normal life to achieve such a high level of personal sacrifice. Examples include - drastic changes within a family (life or death), participating in a team sport, being a member of a musical or play, military boot camp, etc.

The first hours of any experience awaken a sense among all members that they must sacrifice certain things for the group. Most people can recognize such a situation and sacrifice in the short term to succeed. The scripture passage from Acts is the perfect example of personal sacrifice for the good of the group.

The people described in this text had to process the fact that Jesus had been crucified, died, and was raised. They had to have secret meetings because thier lives were threatened. They came from many segments of society and had to overcome thier differences in order to persevere. They overcame everything and carried Christianity forward for future generations.

You might guess what we are called to do in our churches, our homes, and in the workplace.

Alert vs. Anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

I took these pictures during pilgrimage to Wrigley Field this past August. The home of the Chicago Cubs since 1916, Wrigley Field is an amazing place to visit for any sports fan.

My friend Thomas and I love baseball and we could not wait to go to the game. A fellow Cubs fan found two amazing tickets that put us closer than we had ever been to a major league field. We were both accustomed to sitting in the upper-deck with no concern of a foul ball screaming towards either of our heads, so we had to pay attention to every pitch.

Dictionary.com gives the following definitions

Alert - fully aware and attentive; wide-awake; keen

Anxious - full of mental distress or uneasiness because of fear of danger or misfortune

The green sign above will no doubt lead some fans to be alert and others to be anxious. The scripture we will use in worship on Sunday will help us understand the difference between a life spent being alert vs. one spent being anxious.

The scripture passage suggests that we are not to be anxious about anything. Paul is writing to a new church in Philippi that is no doubt experiencing the great highs and lows of church life. In my opinion Paul is not saying life will be easy and God will block any sort of pain that the people will feel. Instead I believe he is channeling Psalm 23 - "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."

Throughout history Christians have experienced both joy and pain. We are at our best when we are fully alert regarding both the perils of this life and the guidance, comfort, and care of our God.

Eyes On the Road

“Forget what is behind and strain towards the future” Philippians 3

I saw something amazing as I was driving down Highway 17 two weeks ago. The entire sky was covered with dark clouds with the exception of this one area. The picture does not adequately capture how amazing the real image was, and I think I know why.

At least four factors contributed to the low-level resolution of the picture. In order, 1) I was moving while 2) taking with my cell phone through 3) my shaded windshield because 4) I WAS DRIVING! At fifteen I thought it was a great responsibility to operate a car, stay in between the lines, and have everyone else on the road trust that I knew what I was doing. Apparently at thirty-one, I think I can cover all that, plus fumble for my cell phone, and take a picture. As distracted as I was chasing this picture, it could have been worse. The sun could have been behind me as I followed all of the steps I described.

The scripture above comes from one of Paul's letters to a new church start. He begs them to learn from past mistakes, but let them live in the past. As a minister, I often reflect on mistakes I have made in services, in meetings, or in pastoral care (there have been three total - one of each ever in my career....give or take) I listened as members rehash mistakes from previous months, years, and decades. Paul would ask us to stop looking behind us as we operate heavy machinery and look towards the future.

As the picture suggests; darkness may be behind us, but we will always have the chance to turn around and face the light.

Forgiveness is a dish best served NOW

23"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

The picture above was taken during the Tennessee/Ohio game I attended last weekend. Ohio had the ball, was only down a couple of points, and if they moved down the field they could have tied the game. Unfortunately (for Ohio) the quarterback threw an interception that led to a touchdown. Ohio then had a steep hill to climb, a much louder crowd to overcome, and they were likely feeling less confident about their ability to do anything about it.

The quarterback's fellow teammates had at least three options just after this play. (1) They could be angry at him and refuse to play their best. His guilt could be compounded by their anger and disappointment. (2) They could assume he will never improve and they have no hope, ultimately bringing about the same result as option one. (3) They could rally around him and let him know that they have made mistakes too and that they believe in him.

Great teams foster environments of forgiveness and encouragement, and I am pleased with our team. As we continue to create opportunities for social interaction, I hope you will find one that works for you. These opportunities to meet, worship, and serve with one another give us the chance to grow as individuals and as a team. The more you know about a person, the more likely you are to understand their highs and lows.

Historic, Beautiful and CRITICAL

Matthew 5
14"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.

• I do not know very much about being a captain on a ship, but it seems technology has drastically changed the way they find their bearings while at sea. Previously relying on the stars to cross the sea and lighthouses to know they had arrived, they now have very sophisticated forms of communication and satellites that can display their position within a couple of yards.

• This puts lighthouses (and those that care for them) in a peculiar position. Previously built to provide a critical link in the connection between land and sea, lighthouses are now referred to as beautiful and historic. All down the coast, local groups spend time, effort, and money on preservation of their local lighthouse, and I applaud them for their effort.

• However, the plan for lighthouses can not be the model for our churches. We cannot spend our time, effort, and money on something that is beautiful, historic, and used to provide a critical task. Technology has not changed the desperate need human beings have to be loved, connected, instructed, and inspired. Jesus loved the people, connected them to one another, instructed them with his actions and words, and then inspired them to share it with others.

• We must acknowledge those that inspired us by letting their light shine so that we could see in the darkness. Our duty is to be that light in the darkness, that others will be drawn to us. In doing so, we ensure that the church will continue to be a critical link to God for those that are lost in our community.

Blessed Are the Teachers

Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. Matthew 5:1

When we wake up each morning we READ headlines, TIE our shoes, and DRIVE to work or run errands. We do these things because someone took the time to teach us how.

In some cases I immediately appreciated the instruction I was receiving, and in others I did not. My sister taught me how to ride a bike and my father taught me how to drive. I was very interested and attentive. My cadre sergeant at The Citadel taught me about discipline and sacrifice and though I knew it was necessary, I was not as interested. In both cases, I had dedicated teachers that gave me the proper time and motivation to learn the most important things in this life.

Jesus took the time to teach his disciples the most important aspects of God's nature and of God's plan for humankind. His disciples were at times inspired and at times offended by his words, but they were always learning. What can we learn from the small scripture passage?

Be thankful for those that have taught you, and be mindful of the task they have placed on your shoulders to teach others.