Freedoms just something Taylor Swift sings about . . .

Crazy day today, but wanted to quickly share something I have been thinking about a lot lately and something the Isaiah passage from todays lectionary passage (which can be found here:  http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/7/made me think about again: Freedom.  
The link to Isaiah is pretty tenuous, I read freedom into the talk about God redeeming us - which isn't a stretch, but my thoughts on freedom might be. 
Basically, I have been thinking a lot and even questioning how much sense our talk about freedom as Christians makes.  What I mean is that serving God, no matter how great it is still is serving and how can serving really be freedom?  Right?
I don't think this is a new or unique question, I know.  But it is one that I have just recently been really grappling with.  I have always just accepted and put forth saying like: free, but not for ourselves for God; No longer slaves to sin, but slaves to Christ.  But really how does slavery, how can any kind of slavery - even to Christ - be freedom?  
Then yesterday I was distracted while driving (I know, but I survived) listening to the story of all those birds dying and I was watching a bird soar by out my front windshield.  Free as a bird.  I was watching that bird soar and thought that is basically the definition of freedom.  But then I realized that all that bird was doing was living into what it was made and designed to do.  It was made to fly and born to fly.  Its what it was created to do.
So if that is the definition of freedom - if that is what we have been freed to do, be who and what we were created and designed to be.  Being freed to serve God starts to make a lot more sense.  
Maybe this is old news to all of you, but it was a new revelation to me this morning.  Freedom is simply being who and what we were made to be and doing what we were created to do.  Were were made to be in relationship with God.  We were created to be children of God, invested in the family business of bringing grace, peace, love and salvation to the entire world.  That is what serving God really is, accepting our true identity and living into who and what we were created to be.  Anytime we seek to do anything else - even or maybe especially in the name of 'freedom' we are actually submitting ourselves in slavery to something outside of who and what we are supposed to be.  
That isn't freedom.  Free as a bird.  Free to be who we are meant to be and do what we were created for, the thing we long for deep inside ourselves.  But the thing is God made our hearts and put that longing inside of us.  Freedom, true, real freedom is only found in submission and service to God.
Amen.

What the Epiphany?

So I don't normally blog on holidays, but I am making an exception for all of you today.  But seriously, today January 6th is in fact a church holiday/celebration/festival.  You may not have known that.  Don't feel bad, you are certainly not alone.  
I think if truth be told, Epiphany lumped together with the Transfiguration as sometimes noticed-often forgotten-rarely understood dates on the Christian calendar.  
Full disclosure: it was not until my last year of Seminary that I was able to think about Epiphany without first googling it to refresh my memory about what we were supposed to be celebrating.   Don't tell anyone, because I am a minister and I'm just supposed to know these things.  But anyway.
So what is Epiphany about?  It is the day that is set aside (or at least marked on lots of calendars) to celebrate the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ.  At least that is what Wikipedia says, and they usually get this stuff right.  It is really about marking and celebrating the incarnation of God.  
When you think about it that way, shouldn't we at least care a little bit?  Maybe we just lump this 'celebration' in with Christmas and call it a day.  I don't know.  Really, why do we need Christmas and Epiphany, aren't they pretty closely related and basically the same thing?  
Maybe, but maybe Epiphany is actually important in what is different about it.  On this day we are celebrating Christ's coming and incarnation, yes, but we are also celebrating the revelation of just who - the very God and creator of the universe - this person is.
This day we call Epiphany (epiphany, get it?) the is as much about our seeing and acknowledging Jesus for who he really is - God incarnate.  
That would seem to me to be pretty important, right?  
Now, I don't think that we should be holding our breath, hoping for next January 6th off from work or should we go out looking for just the right Epiphany gifts for all of our friends (what would be a good Epiphany gift anyway?), but the more I think about Epiphany the more I think it really does matter.
Heres why: God is present and active in our lives, in our schools and workplaces, in our community and in the world.   That is a fact, whether we acknowledge it or not.  But acknowledging that fact does matter.  When we recognize Jesus Christ present in our lives, we can then share that knowledge or revelation (or epiphany!) with those around us.  Sharing God's work, grace and love in our lives so that others might have a saving encounter with Jesus as well.
Without the historical Epiphany (the one we celebrate on January 6th) Christmas is just another story of a poor child born to a poor mother into a oppressed people.  Without Epiphany no one would have been paying attention to just who got crucified during that one passover 2000 years ago.  
Without having a epiphany of who Jesus is and what he is doing in, around and through us in our own lives it is impossible to point to him so that others might have their own revelation of God drawing near to them.  
Muddled as they may be, those are my thoughts for this Epiphany.  
May you see Jesus Christ clearly this day for who he is, what he is and where he is present and active in your life and this world.  
Amen.

Why isn't this working and other dangerous questions

So a new year has begun and I am (finally) back at daily lectionary blogging here at the leaky pulpit.  I am excited to be back to it as I have found the time I have spend engaging in the word here on this blog to be incredibly important for me, both in my individual faith walk with God and in how I am open to God using me through my vocation as pastor.  
Anyway, lets get to it, shall we?  There are many places to find the daily lectionary, but this is one of the easiest: http://gamc.pcusa.org/devotion/daily/2011/1/5/
I actually started out writing in about 3 different directions this morning.  First, from the Psalm, then from Joshua, but I finally settled on discussing the passage from John 15.  
This passage is a fairly familiar one for many that are 'regular' church goers and it is one of the best descriptions of how we are connected to God in and through Jesus Christ.  Jesus tells us in verse one that he is the True Vine, that God the Father is the vine grower and that we are branches.  
In our adoption into God's family we have been grafted onto the body of Christ.  We are not just 'followers', we are not simply to be 'like-Christ', the very definition of 'Christian' instead we are called to be more than that.  We are called to be part of - a living, breathing, working and loving part of the very Body of Christ.  
That is pretty neat.  And I might stop there.  But that is not what I have been thinking about today.  I have had a couple of conversations over that past week with people and one of the topics that has come up a few times is things (life, work, relationships,) just not going as expected or as we had hoped.  This is, of course, just a part of life.  We don't always get what we want, we don't always become who we hope and we don't always accomplish what we set out to.  
But, as I was reading these passages this morning, I was struck with the question, why?  Why don't we get what we want, become who we hoped, or do what we try to do.  After all, look at these words: those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit (verse 5); If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you (verse 7).
So, in light of that why don't we get what we want, become who we hope and do what we want?  I think there are only two possible reasons - and they are not necessarily easy for us to hear or think about.  And I say that as one who is both saying and hearing these words to and for myself.
Both reasons are simple and the first is, that we just aren't 'abiding' in Jesus.  What does it mean to abide?  To abide means to accept or act in accordance with.  Have we really, I mean really accepted Jesus?  I don't mean this as a 'salvation' issue, but have we accepted Jesus' Lordship over our lives?  Have we invited and allowed Jesus to come into the center of every area of our lives?  Our family life, or work and school life, our personal, when-nobody-is-watching life?  If the answer to any of those questions is no, then we are not 'abiding' in Jesus. If we haven't truly and fully accepted Jesus then we can't live into the second part of abiding which is 'acting in accordance with'.  When we fully accept Jesus into every area of our lives, then we can begin to act more like and be more like Jesus in those areas of our lives.   So, if I am not who I want to be and if I am not doing and accomplishing what I feel like I am called to be doing - even what I was made for, before I do anything else, I need to take a long, hard look in the mirror and decide if I am abiding - accepting and acting in accordance with - Jesus Christ.  
The second reason we may not be, do or become what we aim for is because we aren't letting Jesus and his words abide in us.  Verse 7 contains this amazing promise that 'if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  You see, this isn't genie in a bottle time.  Jesus isn't telling us to make a wish list and he will check it off.  Except that he is, with one big footnote - 'if you abide in me, and my words abide in you'.  
If you have accepted Jesus into all areas of your life and are striving to act according to God's will in all areas of your life and you are engaged with the Word of God in such a way that you have accepted it and it lives in you - then your wishes and desires, through your relationship to Jesus and your acceptance of him will be sanctified and pure desires in line with God's call for your life and his world.  If you haven't fully accepted Jesus and God's Word is not living in you then you may be hoping for and longing for, striving to become the exact wrong thing.  
I don't think living a life of full acceptance of Jesus is easy - not at all.  I think abiding in Jesus is a daily task that requires persistence, patience and humility.  But it is also, the key to connection with God and it is the door to the storehouse of God's blessing.  
May we learn to live our lives abiding in Jesus, accepting him into every area of our lives and may our hearts, minds and desires be sanctified by the Word of God living inside us.
Amen.

One (New) thing in this new year

Hi all.  It has been a while.  Sorry about that, but as we are in the new year, I am back to a regular schedule here.  Today's offering is yesterdays message, shared at Good Shepherd.
It is a message of change and Sanctified Memory and Holy Imagination (the credit for those two terms goes to Mark Batterson of National Community Church in Washington, D.C.)
Here is to a closer walk with our God in this new year . . .

We are just barely into 2011 and with the ending of one year and the beginning of another it is a natural time for reflection.  Looking back at what has happened in the year gone bye and looking forward to what might lie ahead in the year to come

One of the really interesting things about being connected to so many people by facebook and other social networking sites is the kind of thing that I saw happening the last two days

People , one after another, sharing what they were thankful for or what they most remembered from the last year.  Memories of an eventful year

There were also lots of people – some of the same ones, in fact – that shared resolutions about what they hoped to change in the coming year or their most basic hopes and wishes for the year ahead. 

It was interesting to get that kind of insight from so many people.

I was thinking about all of that as I was preparing what I was going to share with all of you this morning. 

So I thought it was only appropriate to look at what the Bible has to say about new beginnings, looking forward and even about looking back and remembering what has already happened.

First, from Isaiah 43:

Isaiah 43:16, 18, 19  This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters. "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland."

Definitely a great verse as we think about the power God has to make things new, even our very lives – no matter how messed up they might be. 

But what I found interesting and surprising – because I think I have always focused simply on the ‘I am doing a new thing’ part of the passage. 

But in those verses, right along with the pronouncement that God is doing a new thing, is a call for us to ‘forget the former things and not to dwell on the past’

Again, maybe the point is simply to focus on the New Thing that God is doing, but then the idea pops up again.  This time from the New Testament, Philippians 3:13:

"I'm focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past & looking forward to what lies ahead..."- Phil 3:13

And there are other passages like this as well.  So it seems that there is a real call to forget about our pasts, or at the very least not to dwell on our past and instead look to what God is currently doing in our lives and what God has in store for us.

At the same time, there are many, many passages from both the Old and New Testaments that point to the past and thank God for what has happened or what God has done. 

The Psalms in particular are literally full of mentions of God’s work and faithfulness in the past.

So it can’t be as simple as: we aren’t supposed to think about the past. 

The point isn’t really to forget our past, but to let it go and not carry it with us.  When we do look back at our lives, it needs to be with the ‘sanctified memory’ that fills us with gratitude for where we have been and how God had brought us through both good times and bad.  Difficult situations and joyous ones. 

When we look back at our past, the life we have lived, with the proper hindsight – through God’s eyes.  We are often able to see God’s work, mission and presence where we missed it before.

When we look back at our lives with a ‘sanctified memory’ we are able to see God’s faithfulness in things big and things small, we are able to recognize God’s faithfulness to us in everything.

When we are able to look at our past this way it fuels the sanctified imagination that is the vision that God has for our lives and fills us with the faith to move forward trusting in God – who has been present and faithful with us – to continue to be present and faithful to us.

The sanctified imagination we have fuels our faith.  Our sanctified imaginations, supported by our sanctified memories, reminding us of God’s presence and work in and through our lives and our histories is what gives us hope and confidence in things not seen.

So then, it is critical for us to look back, but in the proper way.  We must look at our lives and our past in ways that cultivate that sanctified memory.  Gratitude is an incredibly powerful tool for looking at our lives and seeing God’s hand at work. 

As you look back at this past year, what are you grateful for?  What are the moments that you can recall where the Lord revealed himself to you?  What where the ‘God moments’ in the year where you felt God’s presence or saw God’s love or knew God’s will? 

The more we look back at our past with gratitude, the more we are able to look forward in faith.  The more we can remember and focus on that we are grateful for, the clearer we can be about what we are hoping for in faith. Our memories, sanctified by our gratitude to God provide us with a holy confidence about the future God is calling us to and that we are hoping for. 

So let us look back in gratitude, so that we may look forward in hope and faith.

One of the perspectives that changes, I think, when we look at the past with a disposition of gratitude is just what a difference a little or small change can make.

I believe that if we look back at our lives we will see the difference that can be made by one decision and the power that enters into our lives when we begin to give parts of our lives over to God – even if we start small.

While we often look forward at the beginning of a new year hopeful of a fresh start, big changes – life changes of any ‘substance’ can be overwhelming and daunting to the point of discouragement. 

But the truth is that it is the little habits that we have that make us who and what we are. 

We don’t have to make massive changes quickly or all at once. 

Instead, make little changes and then stick with them for a long time, allowing them to become fruitful and faithful habits. 

Habits are like the compound interest of character.  They quickly add up and have an ever increasing effect on the bottom line of who you are

So this year as we move from looking back on 2010 with a grateful heart and a sanctified memory and look forward to what God is calling us to do and be in 2011 and beyond, don’t be overwhelmed by the size of the task. 

One decision matters. 

Taking a step towards God – no matter how small, if it is taken faithfully will produce mighty and powerful dividends. 

In this new year, I invite you to join me in making ‘one decision’ or do ‘one thing’ in three general areas and see if God doesn’t use our ‘little decisions’ to produce massive change in our lives, for which we will end up being grateful.

I am going to give you the three categories and then my little decisions.  You can share in mine or create your own (bulletin insert)

In my spiritual life, I am committing to read the Bible everyday for personal study (for me this means not ‘just’ for teaching/preaching)

For my health, I am committing to run or exercise at least three times every week.

For my mental health and my mind I am committing to read  at least one (more) book each month

Looking back at this last year, I am amazed at how much I have to be thankful for. 

It is with that spirit of gratitude that I am able to look forward to this year, with a holy expectation and a holy confidence that God is going to do amazing things in, around and through you, me and Good Shepherd. 

Amen.

What child is this?

Below is the text of the message I shared at Good Shepherd this morning for our Christmas day service.  The Scripture text for the message is John 1:1-14.  Not the 'normal' Christmas text, but a good and important one, I think.  I hope in it you hear God speak to you from the manger this Christmas.  

What child is this? 

               The gospel passage from John this morning is not the typical or traditional Christmas story maybe. But it is the Christmas story.  It is the story of God – the Word – coming to be with us, live with us, die for us and save us. 

               I believe that maybe more than any other ‘Christmas’ story, the opening words of the Gospel of John can answer for us the question that is at the heart of this day: What child is this?

               This child, born in a manger to a poor teenage mother.  Born into a family that was too poor to afford even a room to stay in.  This child, this baby was and is the very Son of God.   This child is the living, breathing demonstration of God’s love for each and every one of us. 

What child is this? 

What child is this that came to be with us?

               The same child that was and is WITH God – We hear in the John passage that this child, this Jesus was ‘In the beginning’ before time itself with God.  Jesus Christ – the Word – is both God and with God.  This child, this baby is God. 

               God, here from the beginning chose to enter into history and be ‘with us’.  The Word, that spoke the universe and all of us into existence, chose to come and live among us.  Sharing his voice and his words with us. 

What child is this that was born in a manger?

               Jesus Christ - the one through which all that came into existence – everything that has been made – was made.  That baby born in a manger was there before time began, bringing the universe and all life into existence

               The creator of everything, was born into poverty and not luxury.  Not out of chance or coincidence, but to clearly demonstrate that the light and life – the Word of God was and is for everyone, everywhere.  No matter the circumstance, no matter their status.

What child is this that was born to die?

               Jesus Christ was born and came into the world to give his life for ours.  The child, the man, the person of Jesus is and was life itself and he came to share that life with us.  Jesus is the originator of life and the sustainer of life.  It is because of Jesus and the Holy Spirit of God given to us through Jesus that we have life at all.  It is because of and through this child that we are able to have life to the full.

What child is this that shines light in the darkness?

               Jesus was born into a world of darkness – oppression, poverty, war, injustice surrounded and confronted him from the moment of his birth.  While much has changed,  the world of darkness remains all around us.

               We live in the darkness much of the time.  Sometimes we are or feel imprisoned by the darkness around us – holding us back, keeping us down and blinding us. 

               Sometimes we choose to live in the dark, so that we can hide and cover up our sins, our shame and our imperfections. 

               The child Jesus came as a light to shine in that darkness.  Jesus Christ is not just a light, a flicker or a struggling flame, but an overwhelming, overcoming light.  A light that can’t be extinguished.   The light of this child overcomes the darkness that pulls us down, trips us up and threatens to overtake us. 

               The light of Christ lays bare all of those things that we would like to keep in the darkness – not to shame or condemn us, but so that we might be fully cleansed, redeemed and freed from those things that keep us from real, full life. 

               Real, full and fulfilled life that can only be lived in the overcoming light of Jesus Christ, the child born in a manger.

What child is this?

               This child is the light of life. 

               The prince of peace

               The bringer of hope

               The embodiment of love

               The source of joy.

What child is this?

               The savior of the universe, Christ the Lord.

Amen.  

Christmas day devotional

Scripture: Luke 2:8-14                                                           ⁸ And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹ Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” ¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven,   and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Reflection:  Love, Giving, Worship and all that we have finds its meaning and genesis in Jesus Christ, the creator of the universe.

            That creator of the universe loves you so much that he chose to leave heaven and live among us, leading a perfect life as an example to us.  After all of that, Jesus then demonstrated the limits of love for us by willingly choosing to die, so that you and I may have life – and have it to the full – in relationship to God. 

This Christmas day, take a moment to remember the greatest gift of all – Jesus Christ, and the perfect love of God our creator. 

Amen!

Advent Conspiracy Devotional: Friday, December 24th

Scripture: Romans 13:8-10                                                                   ⁸ Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. ⁹ The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰ Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Reflection: We sometimes think that following God and doing what God wants is all about following a set of rules.  And that is understandable, God does want us to live a certain way. 

            But Paul, widely known for being a strict rule follower at one point in his life, reminds us that the first rule that we need to follow – and the rule that will lead us to obedience in all of the other areas of our life is the ‘rule of love’ 

            Simply put if we are truly acting out of love for God and love for our neighbor, then we will by default follow the rule of God.  Love is the key to faithfully following God’s call on our lives and love is the key to living into a life that adheres to God’s plan and rule for our lives

Question: Who is it easy for you to show love to?

Who is it hard to show live for? Why?