God With Us. Really?

This week my neighbor died of a heart attack at age 49. He left three kids and a wife of less than a year. So sad. Yesterday a Virgina Tech police officer was gunned down and the killer then took his own life. Absolutely senseless. Former Gov. Blago (the guy with wacky hair) was sentenced to 14 years in prison for corruption. Ridiculous. Today, hundreds, if not thousands young boys and girls will be sold into slavery within the sex trade, not only in third world countries, but right here in our own country. Deeply disturbing. And oh yea, in just 16 days we celebrate the birth of our Savior, God with us, once again. Merry Christmas.

Sometimes, I feel as if we sometimes treat Christmas like a scene from Groundhog Day with Bill Murray. He, as a weatherman, wakes up each day and relives the very same day over and over again. In similar fashion, we may be guilty of the, "Oh yea, it's time to do that Baby Jesus, Santa Claus thing once more." Just like we've done every other year of our life. People know where the tree goes (same place every year). We know how the lights go up on the house. We can predict what happens at the office party. We go through the rituals of how and where we open presents. And go figure, some of the same family members will do their very best to become drama kings and queens and mess up the whole day for everyone. We also, on cue, drag the family to the Christmas Eve service and have a heart softening hour of carols and a message.

But this Christmas is not going to be the same for those three kids and a wife of my neighbor. Without a doubt the families of the police officer and shooter, now dead, will forever be changed. Blago, though on many levels deserving of what he got, has a family who will be without their husband and father for a long time to come. And those nameless children from all over the world will have their lives torn apart in unspeakable ways.

God With Us? Are you kidding? This year, more than ever, I have been touched by the absolute feelings of disconnect between the coming Christ and the world we live in. Initially, these thoughts trouble me. But as I wrestle with them, I sense God saying, "And that's exactly why I came." God did not become man and come to earth just so we could decorate, open presents, dress up, go to church, and sing carols. Nope. He came so that a hurting, disjointed, often ugly, and even dying world might have Hope. Real Hope in the form of a Savior. And as I ponder this thought, I say to myself, "How dare me treat this like just another Christmas."

Forgive me Lord. Help me in some measure understand who You are and what You are about. Be real to me and to those whose lives have been severely disrupted this year. May we all be blessed and be a blessing this year.

EASTER: MORE THAN A FEELING

Alright, I admit it. Sometimes days like Christmas and Easter just don't have the sparkle or feeling that I think they should for me. I recognize their significance, their place in history, their meaning in the life of the church and the Christ-follower, but sometimes I am guilty of going through the motions.

I imagine some of that is because I am a pastor. Easter is one of the busiest times in the life of the church. Lots of thinking, planning, doing. The holidays also seem to bring to the surface a wide variety of family and personal issues in the lives of people, so the need for counseling time goes up.

And I would be lying if I said I came through all of these seasons full of hope, excitement, and a renewed sense of energy. But the opposite is usually true. I get through them only to plop down on the other side as a tired, uninspired mess.

All of this leads me to asking some of those questions that begin with "Why?" Why don't I feel better and more fulfilled? Why wasn't I sufficiently moved by the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ this year? Why do people complain about trivial things in the midst of the greatest event from history? Why can't I see this stuff coming and plan differently next year?

But then I realize, God's work is not always about feelings and emotions. More often than not ministry is messy, tiring, taxing, and often without many earthly perks. And as I often have found myself on the other side of these occasions in the church, I do detect a small smile. When the palm branches and other decorations are tucked away for another year, I am able to sit back, though tired, and reflect on lives changed, blessings given, and hope promoted.

Though we often get all hyped up about seasons like Easter, we should never confuse that emotional high, glitz and great worship event as the end all. They are nice reminders, however, that Jesus went to the cross and was raised from the dead so that we could be forgiven and free everyday, not just once a year.

May you be blessed each day of the year and reminded that He did it for you.

Talking People Out of Becoming Christians

For many of us who profess a faith in Jesus Christ, there is nothing more satisfying than leading a person to Christ. After all, the more people we can win to Jesus, the better Christian we are, right? Some people even keep track of how many people they have prayed the sinner's prayer with.

But what might it be like if we tried to talk an inquirer out of becoming a Christian. Sounds strange doesn't it? But hold on. What makes more sense, that they pray a prayer and we hug and welcome them into the family, or that they grasp what it really means to be a Christ-follower? This thought recently came onto my radar screen as I read a little booklet called "The Radical Question" by David Platt. The booklet was a snapshot of his bigger book by the same title.

I do remember as a young pastor working on staff at a church camp. An invitation was given and young people stepped up to accept Jesus into their hearts. Some of what I saw troubled me. I sensed deeply that many of these young people were coming forward just because their friends were doing so and not out of a deep conviction to actually follow Christ. I found myself more than once telling them to go sit down and pray more about not only what they were about to receive (eternal life), but also what they were giving up (a worldly life).

Many years later now, as I read Platt's booklet, I am reminded that discipleship is costly. And maybe as Christians we do a disservice to people when we just try to win one for Christ and carve another notch into our belt. What might our churches, communities, and family life look like if we were willing to completely sell out to a life in Christ?

And as Platt points out, not only does discipleship come at a great cost, nondiscipleship has an even greater cost. The radical question Platt proposes is, "What is Jesus Worth to You?" Can you easily answer that? Yea, me either. But until we give it all to Him, we may be living the life, at best, of a lukewarm, comfortable, Christian.

Radical questions like this one beg for an answer in each of our lives. And instead of getting depressed at where we aren't in the answer, the question challenges me to work even harder at reflecting on my own life and work towards surrendering those things I am still holding onto. What a glorious Savior we serve!

Luke 14:33 - In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.