It seems like people often swing back and forth between extremes in many areas of life. I believe this is true in the area of faith and works.
I am currently in the middle of watching a documentary about the life of Martin Luther. What I have watched so far has shown what led him to write his Ninety-Five Theses. (If you’re not familiar with what I am talking about, I recommend taking a few minutes to look into this. It’s one of the most significant events in the history of the Church). One of the biggest catalysts was his realization that our salvation is not based on our works, but on faith in Christ.
We have to realize that Luther came to this conclusion after years of serving in a church setting where everything was about doing enough works to deserve salvation. He was coming from one extreme of the spectrum.
Unfortunately, some have taken the ideas Luther espoused to the other end of the spectrum and would argue that our works have little or nothing to do with our salvation. They would say that all you need is belief.
The reality – as is often true – is actually found in the middle. While our works do not earn our salvation, they are certainly an essential part of our walk. Without them, we are dead. We are not dead because we didn’t do enough. Rather, we are dead because the fruit we bear (or don’t bear) reveals our attitude and the depth of our faith.
I like to say it this way: We don’t do works to be saved. Rather, we do works because we are saved.
If we have truly encountered God and seek a relationship with him, our lives should reflect the character and nature of God. Our works should naturally flow from within as the Spirit fills us and pours out into our lives.
We should not think of the Christian faith as a list of rules to follow. That is selling things way too short. But at the same time, the Christian faith is not simply agreeing to some idea so we can have the promise of eternal life.
The Christian faith is a life-long pursuit of God in which our lives should continue to bear more and more fruit of the Kingdom of God as we are transformed. Our works are not the ticket to eternal life. They are the evidence that we are living lives according the Kingdom that will reign forever.
shine!
Jason
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Taking it home
We added two new items to our Families with Youth newsletter this week that I hope will help families engage their faith at home.
In the “Pass It On” segment, I am inviting a different parent to write something each week where they can briefly share a way they pass on their faith to their children. Part of this comes from a passage in Deuteronomy that we discussed in our Parent/Student Meeting a few weeks ago:
4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
This does not have to be anything complex or fancy. It might describing a weekly family devotional. It could talk about how a family prays together each day or week. They might share a special service opportunity they participate in as a family. It could be as simple as some way they weave faith into their everyday conversations. The options are endless.
Thank you to one of our parents, Laura Stewart, for her willingness to be my “guinea pig” by writing the first “Pass It On” entry. Parents are asked to email their submissions so I can include them in upcoming newsletters.
The second new segment is entitled, “Faith@Home.” In this section, I will be providing the title and description for our current series as well as the specific class topic for the current week. The “Talk about it” section of this segment will offer a few questions for discussion as well as an action point. Families may choose to read these questions verbatim or use them to formulate their own questions. In the action point, families are asked to put what they have discussed into practice.
As our ministry enters into this new season of helping the home become the center of spiritual formation, I am hoping these new resources will help our families along the way.
shine!
Jason
In the “Pass It On” segment, I am inviting a different parent to write something each week where they can briefly share a way they pass on their faith to their children. Part of this comes from a passage in Deuteronomy that we discussed in our Parent/Student Meeting a few weeks ago:
4Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. 5Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 9Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
This does not have to be anything complex or fancy. It might describing a weekly family devotional. It could talk about how a family prays together each day or week. They might share a special service opportunity they participate in as a family. It could be as simple as some way they weave faith into their everyday conversations. The options are endless.
Thank you to one of our parents, Laura Stewart, for her willingness to be my “guinea pig” by writing the first “Pass It On” entry. Parents are asked to email their submissions so I can include them in upcoming newsletters.
The second new segment is entitled, “Faith@Home.” In this section, I will be providing the title and description for our current series as well as the specific class topic for the current week. The “Talk about it” section of this segment will offer a few questions for discussion as well as an action point. Families may choose to read these questions verbatim or use them to formulate their own questions. In the action point, families are asked to put what they have discussed into practice.
As our ministry enters into this new season of helping the home become the center of spiritual formation, I am hoping these new resources will help our families along the way.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Coming out of the dark
The last fifteen months or so have arguably been the darkest season of my life. Looking back over the landscape of that time, I believe that this time even eclipses 1999, the year that Michelle and I both lost our mothers. You see, it is one thing to lose a close family member. It is quite another to walk with an entire church community through a host of difficulties while dealing with your own personal struggles.
I am not seeking pity or praise for the last year or so, but as I look back at what the last fifteen months have been, I have new appreciation for the words of the psalmist, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley..." (Psalm 23:4) I feel like I have walked through a valley and as I stand on the edge of that valley and look back at the path, I see death, destruction, and discouragement in the midst of the hell that the Rochester Church and I have journeyed through together.
The death of a mother of four (including a teenager still at home) after fighting a brain tumor for five long years.
The unexpected death of a friend and partner in ministry, a 31-year-old husband and father of three (one of them still in the womb at the time of his death).
The tragic death of a seven-year-old child in a freak sledding accident.
The death of a 21-year-old young man who had been in my youth group, and the long recovery for his twin brother, who suffered serious injuries in the accident.
These are only the tip of the iceberg for a dark and difficult season in the life of our church family.
I don't think you realize the weight of walking through a war zone until you escape it. I have never served in the armed forces nor have I been in a physical battle, but I have been through a spiritual battle in the last year or so. These have been some of the deepest, darkest days of my life, but only now am I fully realizing where I have been and the impact it has had on me.
It's funny how you don't really grasp how dark it is until light erupts on the horizon. I'm just now really beginning to understand how this has all affected me.
And in the midst of everything above, our church also went through a significant staff transition and I wrestled with my own calling in ministry. There were times I considered walking away from ministry. Other times I had no idea what to do. And in the midst of these upheaval and uncertainty, God spoke clearly to me and I returned to my true calling to minister to students and their families.
I don't share this to receive sympathy. Rather, I want each of us to realize that sometimes we are in the darkness and we don't realize it. Other times, we may get frustrated with others walking in darkness, but we need to realize they may not see it.
These past months have taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have gained back nearly half the weight I lost. I have not been the husband and father I should have been. My relationship with God has suffered. But today, I stand on the dawn of a new day. I look back at the valley, but just for a minute. Then I look to the future, to a new horizon.
In the early 1990's, singer Gloria Estefan was seriously injured in an accident. Following that accident and her struggles in the months after, Estefan penned the words to a song that made it all the way to the top of the charts. I think these words speak to a hope we all long for and a healing we all seek. While she wrote these words to her husband, I want to take these same words and direct them to the One who has ultimately brought me out of the darkness.
Thank you, Lord, for walking with me though the valley of death. Thank you for shining your light into the darkness. Thank you for bringing me out of the dark.
shine!
Jason
I am not seeking pity or praise for the last year or so, but as I look back at what the last fifteen months have been, I have new appreciation for the words of the psalmist, "Even though I walk through the darkest valley..." (Psalm 23:4) I feel like I have walked through a valley and as I stand on the edge of that valley and look back at the path, I see death, destruction, and discouragement in the midst of the hell that the Rochester Church and I have journeyed through together.
The death of a mother of four (including a teenager still at home) after fighting a brain tumor for five long years.
The unexpected death of a friend and partner in ministry, a 31-year-old husband and father of three (one of them still in the womb at the time of his death).
The tragic death of a seven-year-old child in a freak sledding accident.
The death of a 21-year-old young man who had been in my youth group, and the long recovery for his twin brother, who suffered serious injuries in the accident.
These are only the tip of the iceberg for a dark and difficult season in the life of our church family.
I don't think you realize the weight of walking through a war zone until you escape it. I have never served in the armed forces nor have I been in a physical battle, but I have been through a spiritual battle in the last year or so. These have been some of the deepest, darkest days of my life, but only now am I fully realizing where I have been and the impact it has had on me.
It's funny how you don't really grasp how dark it is until light erupts on the horizon. I'm just now really beginning to understand how this has all affected me.
And in the midst of everything above, our church also went through a significant staff transition and I wrestled with my own calling in ministry. There were times I considered walking away from ministry. Other times I had no idea what to do. And in the midst of these upheaval and uncertainty, God spoke clearly to me and I returned to my true calling to minister to students and their families.
I don't share this to receive sympathy. Rather, I want each of us to realize that sometimes we are in the darkness and we don't realize it. Other times, we may get frustrated with others walking in darkness, but we need to realize they may not see it.
These past months have taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have gained back nearly half the weight I lost. I have not been the husband and father I should have been. My relationship with God has suffered. But today, I stand on the dawn of a new day. I look back at the valley, but just for a minute. Then I look to the future, to a new horizon.
In the early 1990's, singer Gloria Estefan was seriously injured in an accident. Following that accident and her struggles in the months after, Estefan penned the words to a song that made it all the way to the top of the charts. I think these words speak to a hope we all long for and a healing we all seek. While she wrote these words to her husband, I want to take these same words and direct them to the One who has ultimately brought me out of the darkness.
Why be afraid if I'm not alone
Though life is never easy the rest in unkown
Up to now for me it's been hands against stone
Spent each and every moment
Searching for what to believe
Coming out of the dark, I finally see the light now
It's shinning on me
Coming out of the dark, I know the love that saved me
You're sharing with me
Starting again is part of the plan
And I'll be so much stronger holding your hand
Step by step I'll make it through I know I can
It may not make it easier but I have felt you
Near all the way
Forever, forever I stand on the rock of your love
Forever I'll stand on the rock
Forever, forever I stand on the rock of your love
Love is all it takes, no matter what we face
Thank you, Lord, for walking with me though the valley of death. Thank you for shining your light into the darkness. Thank you for bringing me out of the dark.
shine!
Jason
Monday, January 16, 2012
I have a dream
Today we are celebrating the life of a man who helped change the course of history. He stepped into a conflict dominated by hate and violence and offered love and peace. When others wanted to use bombs, guns, and intimidation to forward their cause, Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated peaceful marches and non-violent protests.
Martin Luther King, Jr. is about so much more than the Civil Rights Movement. Don't get me wrong, racism lost a lot of ground because of the efforts of King and those who marched with him. But what he stood for went much deeper than that.
In his famous speech in Washington, D.C., King said, "I have a dream..." But this wasn't King's dream. It was God's dream living through him. While I never knew him personally, I can tell by the fruit that he bore than Martin Luther King, Jr. was an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. He wasn't perfect, but he was certainly taking a stand for something that reverberated the echoes of the voice of the Creator.
Ultimately, his willingness to stand against the tide cost him his life. A voice of hope, peace, love, and victory was silenced too early. But not before he sounded a cry that would echo for generations to come. Much like the man he followed, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. was willing to do what was right, regardless of the consequences.
When I consider the life that King lived I am both embarrassed and encouraged. I am embarrassed about the number of times I fail to live in way that reflects and advances the Kingdom of God. I am encouraged because I know that King struggled, too. When I read a biography of King's life, I learned that this larger than life man was just as human as I am. He made his mistakes. He had his regrets. And in that way, he and I are no different.
If a man like Martin Luther King, Jr. can take a stand and change the world, so can I. There may never be a holiday named after me and it's unlikely I will ever appear in a history book, but I can have a dream like God's that will change the world around me in a way that ushers in the Kingdom of God.
Thank you, Dr; King, for showing us a better way to live so that God's dream can become our dream, too.
shine!
Jason
Martin Luther King, Jr. is about so much more than the Civil Rights Movement. Don't get me wrong, racism lost a lot of ground because of the efforts of King and those who marched with him. But what he stood for went much deeper than that.
In his famous speech in Washington, D.C., King said, "I have a dream..." But this wasn't King's dream. It was God's dream living through him. While I never knew him personally, I can tell by the fruit that he bore than Martin Luther King, Jr. was an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. He wasn't perfect, but he was certainly taking a stand for something that reverberated the echoes of the voice of the Creator.
Ultimately, his willingness to stand against the tide cost him his life. A voice of hope, peace, love, and victory was silenced too early. But not before he sounded a cry that would echo for generations to come. Much like the man he followed, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. was willing to do what was right, regardless of the consequences.
When I consider the life that King lived I am both embarrassed and encouraged. I am embarrassed about the number of times I fail to live in way that reflects and advances the Kingdom of God. I am encouraged because I know that King struggled, too. When I read a biography of King's life, I learned that this larger than life man was just as human as I am. He made his mistakes. He had his regrets. And in that way, he and I are no different.
If a man like Martin Luther King, Jr. can take a stand and change the world, so can I. There may never be a holiday named after me and it's unlikely I will ever appear in a history book, but I can have a dream like God's that will change the world around me in a way that ushers in the Kingdom of God.
Thank you, Dr; King, for showing us a better way to live so that God's dream can become our dream, too.
shine!
Jason
Sunday, January 15, 2012
True religion
What is true religion? What does it mean to be a Christian?
These have been questions that followers of Jesus have wrestled with for hundreds of year. The answers have not always led to good results. Churches have split. Denominations have been created. People have given up on God.
But at the same time, it’s the question that we must continue to seek an answer for. It is the question that tugs at our heart and cries out for a response.
James tells us, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
So, religion isn’t really a set of rules, a way of doing church, or anything like that. Are there commandments we are called to live by? Yes. Does God want us to meet in community for worship, encouragement, and accountability? Absolutely. But neither of those are the purpose. They are guideposts along the journey.
Ultimately, religion, true religion, is a call to live a life that echoes the story of God. A story of hope. A story of love. A story of redemption.
It is a way of life that demands we live according to a different rhythm than the one the world offers.
The world – and Satan – want us to base our religion on rules and doing church. When we do that, we miss the point, and evil gains a foothold in the world. While we focus on what happens for a few hours, one day a week, God is focusing on the world around us. A world where people are hurting and help captive by a variety of masters.
Do you really want to be religious?
Look after orphans and widows. Care for the unloved. Reach out to the untouchables. Acknowledge the ignored. Not just in some country on the other side of the globe or even in another city. Do it where you live. In your community. On your street. Maybe even in your home.
Keep yourself from being polluted by the world. This means so much more than don’t have sex, don’t get drunk, and don’t steal. It means live a life that reflects Kingdom values. How has consumerism taken you captive? Does having a good image trump doing the right thing? Do you gossip or look at members of the opposite sex as objects rather than people created in the image of God?
If we are going to practice true religion, we should stop worrying so much about what we do on Sunday mornings and focus on who we are on Monday mornings. Then we will live a life worthy of the calling we have received.
shine!
Jason
These have been questions that followers of Jesus have wrestled with for hundreds of year. The answers have not always led to good results. Churches have split. Denominations have been created. People have given up on God.
But at the same time, it’s the question that we must continue to seek an answer for. It is the question that tugs at our heart and cries out for a response.
James tells us, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
So, religion isn’t really a set of rules, a way of doing church, or anything like that. Are there commandments we are called to live by? Yes. Does God want us to meet in community for worship, encouragement, and accountability? Absolutely. But neither of those are the purpose. They are guideposts along the journey.
Ultimately, religion, true religion, is a call to live a life that echoes the story of God. A story of hope. A story of love. A story of redemption.
It is a way of life that demands we live according to a different rhythm than the one the world offers.
The world – and Satan – want us to base our religion on rules and doing church. When we do that, we miss the point, and evil gains a foothold in the world. While we focus on what happens for a few hours, one day a week, God is focusing on the world around us. A world where people are hurting and help captive by a variety of masters.
Do you really want to be religious?
Look after orphans and widows. Care for the unloved. Reach out to the untouchables. Acknowledge the ignored. Not just in some country on the other side of the globe or even in another city. Do it where you live. In your community. On your street. Maybe even in your home.
Keep yourself from being polluted by the world. This means so much more than don’t have sex, don’t get drunk, and don’t steal. It means live a life that reflects Kingdom values. How has consumerism taken you captive? Does having a good image trump doing the right thing? Do you gossip or look at members of the opposite sex as objects rather than people created in the image of God?
If we are going to practice true religion, we should stop worrying so much about what we do on Sunday mornings and focus on who we are on Monday mornings. Then we will live a life worthy of the calling we have received.
shine!
Jason
Friday, January 13, 2012
Reflections from Daytona
I have had a few days now to think about my trip to Daytona Beach and the National Conference on Youth Ministries and I wanted to share a few reflections from my week...
Receive the day
Each morning at the conference, Earl Lavender from Lipscomb University led us in a morning devotional. While the crowd was sparse, what Earl offered was very rich! His focus for the week was to receive the day. He pursued the idea of starting the day open to what God has in store for you.
I tend to wake up and start the day by looking at my iCal to see what I have planned. While I am intend to stick to my commitments, I am going to work this year to not let my calendar dictate my day. I am convicted that I need to leave margin in my schedule for God to reveal opportunities for the inbreaking of his Kingdom.
Each day should be an opportunity for an exciting, unexpected encounter with God and his creation. I want to echo in my own life the words we read from Psalm 5:3 last week, "In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."
Cherish the simple things
On our last morning there, our family went down to the beach to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. As we sat there anticipating the breaking of the sun over the horizon, I was reminded of the beauty of simple things. In a world where Facebook, texting, hundreds of channels on TV, iPods full of music, and busy schedules dominate our lives, we need to appreciate the simple things.
A sunrise. A bird walking along the shore. The smile of a friend. The embrace of a loved one. These are the true treasures of our world. I so often get wrapped up in the complexities of life that I miss the beauty of creation. We have created a world that demands our attention and often distracts us from the more important things. I often miss hearing God because I'm focusing more on what we have created, and less on the Creator and his creation.
Slow down
This will require me to slow down. I am too busy. My schedule is too full. I struggle to receive the day and cherish the simple things by my own doing most of the time.
I have bought into the American philosophy that busyness is good. I have been taught to believe that my productivity determines my worth. I often measure my value by what I am able to do, not who I am. Chris Seidman asked a question the first night of the conference that has stuck with me. He asked, "Are you living from the blessing of God or for the blessing of others?"
I am convinced that I spend too much time living for the blessing of others and way too little time living from the blessing of God. God tells me that I am his child, highly valued, not for what I do, but for who I am. I am his. He created me. He loves me. He values me. If I only I could slow down long enough to hear his voice.
God is in the business of redemption
David Fraze reminded us that, "Your life, your story, no matter how chaotic, is redeemable."
I needed to hear that for my life. I can be an idiot sometimes. I allow my life to become too chaotic. I don't receive the day from God. I don't cherish the simple things. I don't slow down. Even on my best days, I usually well off the mark.
God created me for relationship. Relationship with him. Relationship with others. And too often, I forget that. I live like I am created for success, recognition, or my own self-aggrandizement. God forgive me for pushing him off his throne and trying to climb in it myself.
There is hope in knowing that no life, regardless of the chaos, is beyond redemption. Thank you for that reminder. I am a sinner in need of God's grace and mercy. This is not some formula that simply wipes my slate clean. It is so much more.
This redemption is about a God who repairs relationships, restores identity, and renews life. God has not just saved me from my sins; he is saving me from myself. I am in need of God who loves me regardless of the mess I have made in my life and embraces me no matter what.
And that is what I need every day.
shine!
Jason
Receive the day
Each morning at the conference, Earl Lavender from Lipscomb University led us in a morning devotional. While the crowd was sparse, what Earl offered was very rich! His focus for the week was to receive the day. He pursued the idea of starting the day open to what God has in store for you.
I tend to wake up and start the day by looking at my iCal to see what I have planned. While I am intend to stick to my commitments, I am going to work this year to not let my calendar dictate my day. I am convicted that I need to leave margin in my schedule for God to reveal opportunities for the inbreaking of his Kingdom.
Each day should be an opportunity for an exciting, unexpected encounter with God and his creation. I want to echo in my own life the words we read from Psalm 5:3 last week, "In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly."
Cherish the simple things
On our last morning there, our family went down to the beach to watch the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean. As we sat there anticipating the breaking of the sun over the horizon, I was reminded of the beauty of simple things. In a world where Facebook, texting, hundreds of channels on TV, iPods full of music, and busy schedules dominate our lives, we need to appreciate the simple things.
A sunrise. A bird walking along the shore. The smile of a friend. The embrace of a loved one. These are the true treasures of our world. I so often get wrapped up in the complexities of life that I miss the beauty of creation. We have created a world that demands our attention and often distracts us from the more important things. I often miss hearing God because I'm focusing more on what we have created, and less on the Creator and his creation.
Slow down
This will require me to slow down. I am too busy. My schedule is too full. I struggle to receive the day and cherish the simple things by my own doing most of the time.
I have bought into the American philosophy that busyness is good. I have been taught to believe that my productivity determines my worth. I often measure my value by what I am able to do, not who I am. Chris Seidman asked a question the first night of the conference that has stuck with me. He asked, "Are you living from the blessing of God or for the blessing of others?"
I am convinced that I spend too much time living for the blessing of others and way too little time living from the blessing of God. God tells me that I am his child, highly valued, not for what I do, but for who I am. I am his. He created me. He loves me. He values me. If I only I could slow down long enough to hear his voice.
God is in the business of redemption
David Fraze reminded us that, "Your life, your story, no matter how chaotic, is redeemable."
I needed to hear that for my life. I can be an idiot sometimes. I allow my life to become too chaotic. I don't receive the day from God. I don't cherish the simple things. I don't slow down. Even on my best days, I usually well off the mark.
God created me for relationship. Relationship with him. Relationship with others. And too often, I forget that. I live like I am created for success, recognition, or my own self-aggrandizement. God forgive me for pushing him off his throne and trying to climb in it myself.
There is hope in knowing that no life, regardless of the chaos, is beyond redemption. Thank you for that reminder. I am a sinner in need of God's grace and mercy. This is not some formula that simply wipes my slate clean. It is so much more.
This redemption is about a God who repairs relationships, restores identity, and renews life. God has not just saved me from my sins; he is saving me from myself. I am in need of God who loves me regardless of the mess I have made in my life and embraces me no matter what.
And that is what I need every day.
shine!
Jason
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I'm a character
One of my goals for 2012 is to blog a little more often. So here we go...
Have you ever watched a movie and noticed all of the people that appear in the scenes? I mean, sure, we notice the stars, the people whose names appear on the posters. The people who have all of the speaking parts and make the millions of dollars are hard to miss. They are the focus of most scenes.
But what about the supporting actors and actresses? And what about the extras? We might think they're unimportant - especially the extras, but are they really?
Think about those scenes on busy streets or in a sports arena. What would those scenes be like without all of those extras Would it be the same if a couple was walking down a sidewalk in New York City with no one else around?
What would God's story be like without the supporting actors and actresses and the extras?
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that everyone is a part of the story. We are each a member of the body of Christ. We are all important.
Think about what happens when a part of the body is amputated. It becomes lifeless. It loses purpose.
The same is true when we are disconnected from the bigger story we are invited into.
It seems like I constantly have to remind myself that I am a character in a bigger story - God's story. The truth is that I forget this all of the time.
Sometimes my pride gets in the way and I think I am the lead character. I start to think I am God and act like it. Trying to be the lead in our own story is like trying to use my iPad and not bringing the charger along. It might work for a while, but eventually we run out of energy.
There are other times I feel so unimportant and inconsequential that I forget I'm even in the story. I might begin to think I don't belong in the story and that I am not in the picture. This is never true. While it may be true that our role is minor at time, it is never insignificant.
I must always remind myself that I am a character in God's grand story of creation. And the coolest thing is that I have the freedom to write my part. I should always listen to the Author of Life, but at the same time I have the pen in my hand. I get to fill the pages in my script. I can choose to write the story I want. This means I have the freedom to make the story revolve around me and loose its greater purpose. Or I can write myself out of the story and feel like I don't have a place. Or...
Or I can listen for the voice of God and allow Him to invite me into his grand narrative and find a place where my story finds it purpose and I can be more than I ever imagined.
shine!
Jason
Have you ever watched a movie and noticed all of the people that appear in the scenes? I mean, sure, we notice the stars, the people whose names appear on the posters. The people who have all of the speaking parts and make the millions of dollars are hard to miss. They are the focus of most scenes.
But what about the supporting actors and actresses? And what about the extras? We might think they're unimportant - especially the extras, but are they really?
Think about those scenes on busy streets or in a sports arena. What would those scenes be like without all of those extras Would it be the same if a couple was walking down a sidewalk in New York City with no one else around?
What would God's story be like without the supporting actors and actresses and the extras?
In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that everyone is a part of the story. We are each a member of the body of Christ. We are all important.
Think about what happens when a part of the body is amputated. It becomes lifeless. It loses purpose.
The same is true when we are disconnected from the bigger story we are invited into.
It seems like I constantly have to remind myself that I am a character in a bigger story - God's story. The truth is that I forget this all of the time.
Sometimes my pride gets in the way and I think I am the lead character. I start to think I am God and act like it. Trying to be the lead in our own story is like trying to use my iPad and not bringing the charger along. It might work for a while, but eventually we run out of energy.
There are other times I feel so unimportant and inconsequential that I forget I'm even in the story. I might begin to think I don't belong in the story and that I am not in the picture. This is never true. While it may be true that our role is minor at time, it is never insignificant.
I must always remind myself that I am a character in God's grand story of creation. And the coolest thing is that I have the freedom to write my part. I should always listen to the Author of Life, but at the same time I have the pen in my hand. I get to fill the pages in my script. I can choose to write the story I want. This means I have the freedom to make the story revolve around me and loose its greater purpose. Or I can write myself out of the story and feel like I don't have a place. Or...
Or I can listen for the voice of God and allow Him to invite me into his grand narrative and find a place where my story finds it purpose and I can be more than I ever imagined.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Poor in spirit
Almost every aspect of our culture fights against the idea of being "poor in spirit." Pride is a virtue in the story of the Amercian Dream. Commercial after commercial seeks to convince us that we will not be happy without their product. We praise people who succeed at all costs. But this is not the culture of the Kingdom of God.
When Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," he is ushering in a new way of life. A life that lives and breathes humility.
James expresses the same idea in his letter that reflects many of the same teachings as the Sermon on the Mount. In James 4:4-6, he writes the following...
"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'"
How would living according to this way of life impact your life? Your family? Your school?
So often, Christians focus on our behavior. Maybe we're starting at the wrong place. Instead of making Christianity a religion about outward appearance, perhaps we should make Christianity a way of life emerging from inward attitudes.
That means to we need to consider what story we are a part of. Are we part of a story focused on how God will bless us or how we will bless others? Are we part of a story focused on doing the right things or being the right people?
Jesus invites us into his story, a story built on self-sacrifice and humility. It's not just something did; it's who he was. And if we are going to be his followers, our story needs to be a part of his story.
shine!
Jason
When Jesus says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven," he is ushering in a new way of life. A life that lives and breathes humility.
James expresses the same idea in his letter that reflects many of the same teachings as the Sermon on the Mount. In James 4:4-6, he writes the following...
"You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: 'God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.'"
How would living according to this way of life impact your life? Your family? Your school?
So often, Christians focus on our behavior. Maybe we're starting at the wrong place. Instead of making Christianity a religion about outward appearance, perhaps we should make Christianity a way of life emerging from inward attitudes.
That means to we need to consider what story we are a part of. Are we part of a story focused on how God will bless us or how we will bless others? Are we part of a story focused on doing the right things or being the right people?
Jesus invites us into his story, a story built on self-sacrifice and humility. It's not just something did; it's who he was. And if we are going to be his followers, our story needs to be a part of his story.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
It's almost iChristmas
This is the last week before Christmas, so I wanted to encourage each of our teens to think about what they are planning to give for iChristmas. As we focus on the idea of love, it’s a great time to consider what is most important to us and how we can bless others.
Our society tells us over and over again that this is a season to want. What is on our Christmas list? What do you want for Christmas? We hear so many messages that our joy comes from what we get, that we can lose sight of what is really important. I believe that Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount have a lot to say to our culture of consumerism…
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Where is your treasure? What are the things you consider most important? What do you really need and what is want?
Most of us are blessed beyond belief. Even those of us who consider ourselves to have little have more than most of the world. Our needs would be a dream to much of the world’s population.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying our blessings, but we must always remember to put things in context. It is important to remember that most of the things we “need” are really things we want. Real needs, such as food and shelter, are things that we take for granted, but that much of the world struggles to find on a daily basis.
Just as God gave to us, we are called to give to others. As we enter the final week before Christmas, take time to think about how blessed you are and, more importantly, how you can be a blessing to others.
shine!
Jason
Our society tells us over and over again that this is a season to want. What is on our Christmas list? What do you want for Christmas? We hear so many messages that our joy comes from what we get, that we can lose sight of what is really important. I believe that Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount have a lot to say to our culture of consumerism…
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.
Where is your treasure? What are the things you consider most important? What do you really need and what is want?
Most of us are blessed beyond belief. Even those of us who consider ourselves to have little have more than most of the world. Our needs would be a dream to much of the world’s population.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying our blessings, but we must always remember to put things in context. It is important to remember that most of the things we “need” are really things we want. Real needs, such as food and shelter, are things that we take for granted, but that much of the world struggles to find on a daily basis.
Just as God gave to us, we are called to give to others. As we enter the final week before Christmas, take time to think about how blessed you are and, more importantly, how you can be a blessing to others.
shine!
Jason
Monday, December 12, 2011
People of peace
So often when we think of peace, we think of a lack of war. But that idea of peace falls well short of the peace God ultimately desires. God does not simply wish that we would stop fighting. Peace in the Kingdom of God is so much more.
God’s peace is about restoration and redemption. It is about making things right in the world.
So, as we consider the arrival of Christ into the world, we find God preparing to answer hundreds, if not thousands of years of prayer. After many promises, prophecies, and predictions, the Messiah is about to arrive on the scene.
But the Messiah was not the one many had hoped for. Instead of a king who would rise up and defeat the empires with an army, his weapon was a cross. Instead of killing, he healed. When he faced execution, he displayed humility and servanthood, even to the point of death.
This was a Messiah who was seeking to restore the world to what God had dreamed of since the beginning. A world where everyone would be loved and no one was excluded. A world where power, position, and possessions were not the defining markers of someone’s worth. This Messiah used his power without seeking attention. His position was one of a servant. His possessions were few and humble.
As we pursue peace, we must use the values of the Kingdom way to achieve it. We are not called to be people of evil or violence. Evil breeds evil and violence breeds violence. Instead, we are called to be people of peace. People who put others first. People who love the unlovable. People who not only talk about peace, but practice it.
The Savior of the universe, God in the flesh, entered the world in the most humble of circumstances. Born in a manger in a small village in Israel, God himself entered the world as a helpless infant. His parents fled to Egypt before their son could be murdered and they raised him as a carpenter in Nazareth.
Peace did not come with a loud trumpet cry, but instead with the cry of a newborn baby. Peace did not come with a large army, but instead with the presence of shepherds, the lowest of society. Peace did not come through a large palace, but instead with some hay in a wooden bed that normally served as a feeding trough for animals.
If we are to be people of peace, we must follow the One who showed us how to make peace. We must live in way that turns the world upside down though sacrifice and servanthood. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
shine!
Jason
God’s peace is about restoration and redemption. It is about making things right in the world.
So, as we consider the arrival of Christ into the world, we find God preparing to answer hundreds, if not thousands of years of prayer. After many promises, prophecies, and predictions, the Messiah is about to arrive on the scene.
But the Messiah was not the one many had hoped for. Instead of a king who would rise up and defeat the empires with an army, his weapon was a cross. Instead of killing, he healed. When he faced execution, he displayed humility and servanthood, even to the point of death.
This was a Messiah who was seeking to restore the world to what God had dreamed of since the beginning. A world where everyone would be loved and no one was excluded. A world where power, position, and possessions were not the defining markers of someone’s worth. This Messiah used his power without seeking attention. His position was one of a servant. His possessions were few and humble.
As we pursue peace, we must use the values of the Kingdom way to achieve it. We are not called to be people of evil or violence. Evil breeds evil and violence breeds violence. Instead, we are called to be people of peace. People who put others first. People who love the unlovable. People who not only talk about peace, but practice it.
The Savior of the universe, God in the flesh, entered the world in the most humble of circumstances. Born in a manger in a small village in Israel, God himself entered the world as a helpless infant. His parents fled to Egypt before their son could be murdered and they raised him as a carpenter in Nazareth.
Peace did not come with a loud trumpet cry, but instead with the cry of a newborn baby. Peace did not come with a large army, but instead with the presence of shepherds, the lowest of society. Peace did not come through a large palace, but instead with some hay in a wooden bed that normally served as a feeding trough for animals.
If we are to be people of peace, we must follow the One who showed us how to make peace. We must live in way that turns the world upside down though sacrifice and servanthood. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” (Luke 2:14)
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
A message of hope
What is hope?
This word has a variety of meanings.
The dictionary defines hope as, “A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” This might include examples like, “I hope that my team wins this weekend,” or “I hope that I get that job.” This is a desire for something that might happen.
But when we consider the meaning of the word hope in the Kingdom of God, we find a different definition. Consider what the author of Hebrews writes…
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (Hebrews 6:17-19)
Our hope is God is not something that might be there. It is a promise made by the Creator of the universe. The one who made us and gives us breath has promised us eternal life. This is our anchor, the thing that holds us in place, regardless of the circumstances. It is a hope that is built on trust.
But unfortunately, we often place our hope in other things. In his letter to Timothy, Paul addresses one of the things we often place our trust in…
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-29)
When we trust in something other than God as our hope, then we usually let go of God (or at least lighten our grip). I believe this is why Paul ends this particular passage of Scripture that when they are willing to hope in God then “they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
Most of the things besides God that we turn to for hope are hollow. They might give us hope in the short-term, but they often fall short.
When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)
This is a message of real hope. The Father, through the Holy Spirit, conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb. The God of the universe stepped into a human body and became one of us so that he could save us. What the angels announced would change the course of human history. God made it clear through Christ that salvation is not something we might have available to us. Rather, it is something we can trust to be an anchor for us through even the most difficult seasons of life.
shine!
Jason
This word has a variety of meanings.
The dictionary defines hope as, “A feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” This might include examples like, “I hope that my team wins this weekend,” or “I hope that I get that job.” This is a desire for something that might happen.
But when we consider the meaning of the word hope in the Kingdom of God, we find a different definition. Consider what the author of Hebrews writes…
Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. (Hebrews 6:17-19)
Our hope is God is not something that might be there. It is a promise made by the Creator of the universe. The one who made us and gives us breath has promised us eternal life. This is our anchor, the thing that holds us in place, regardless of the circumstances. It is a hope that is built on trust.
But unfortunately, we often place our hope in other things. In his letter to Timothy, Paul addresses one of the things we often place our trust in…
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life. (1 Timothy 6:17-29)
When we trust in something other than God as our hope, then we usually let go of God (or at least lighten our grip). I believe this is why Paul ends this particular passage of Scripture that when they are willing to hope in God then “they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”
Most of the things besides God that we turn to for hope are hollow. They might give us hope in the short-term, but they often fall short.
When Mary became pregnant with Jesus, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21)
This is a message of real hope. The Father, through the Holy Spirit, conceived Jesus in Mary’s womb. The God of the universe stepped into a human body and became one of us so that he could save us. What the angels announced would change the course of human history. God made it clear through Christ that salvation is not something we might have available to us. Rather, it is something we can trust to be an anchor for us through even the most difficult seasons of life.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Thankful
This week all over the country, people will gather with their families to celebrate Thanksgiving. I would like you take time this week and think about what you are thankful for in your life.
I am thankful for my awesome God whose grace and mercy never cease.
I am thankful for my amazing wife who is patient and kind with me.
I am thankful for my wonderful son who exhibits passion and excitement.
I am thankful for my dad who continues to support and encourage me.
I am thankful for the rest of my family who loves me.
I am thankful for the students at Rochester Church who love God and each other.
I am thankful for the parents at Rochester Church who love their children.
I am thankful for the entire Rochester Church family who live out the Good News.
I am thankful for so many other friends around the country (and the world), who provide love, support, and encouragement.
There are many other things that I am thankful for, but the people listed above are at the top of this list. Yes, I have a house to live in, a car to drive, and food to eat. But it was in the Creation narrative that God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” So, as I list what I am thankful for, it is the God of Creation and the human beings created in his image that top the list.
Being created in the image of God means we are created for community. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have invited us into community with them. So as I celebrate this season of Thanksgiving, I begin be celebrating those who I have become a part of my existence. Without them, life would lack meaning and purpose. Without them, I would not be able to fully experience the abundant life that God promises. A life without relationships and community is a life without, well, life.
Thank you, God, for life.
shine!
Jason
I am thankful for my awesome God whose grace and mercy never cease.
I am thankful for my amazing wife who is patient and kind with me.
I am thankful for my wonderful son who exhibits passion and excitement.
I am thankful for my dad who continues to support and encourage me.
I am thankful for the rest of my family who loves me.
I am thankful for the students at Rochester Church who love God and each other.
I am thankful for the parents at Rochester Church who love their children.
I am thankful for the entire Rochester Church family who live out the Good News.
I am thankful for so many other friends around the country (and the world), who provide love, support, and encouragement.
There are many other things that I am thankful for, but the people listed above are at the top of this list. Yes, I have a house to live in, a car to drive, and food to eat. But it was in the Creation narrative that God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” So, as I list what I am thankful for, it is the God of Creation and the human beings created in his image that top the list.
Being created in the image of God means we are created for community. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit have invited us into community with them. So as I celebrate this season of Thanksgiving, I begin be celebrating those who I have become a part of my existence. Without them, life would lack meaning and purpose. Without them, I would not be able to fully experience the abundant life that God promises. A life without relationships and community is a life without, well, life.
Thank you, God, for life.
shine!
Jason
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Labels
I'm currently reading a book entitled The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth by Alexandra Robbins. It provides interesting insight into the world of teenagers today and the things they have to deal with in their lives.
One of the most troubling things I am coming across in this book for far is the idea labels. Now, to be fair, people have been labeled throughout history. But, there seems to something more severe, more intense about much of the labeling today. Today's teenagers are the loneliest generation in history, even thought they are the most connected. The adult world has often abandoned them, so an underground sub-culture has develop that is unlike anything I knew as a teenager.
In the midst of that development, labels seem to have become more powerful than ever. In a world where students can communicate 24/7 via texting, Facebook, and other technological tools, drama can unfold in ways that we could never even have dreamed of 20 years ago. Something you said in a private conversation at lunch could be broadcast for hundreds of students to read before dinner time. One comment could change the social landscape for a student.
Labels have become more powerful, dangerous, and damaging. Another reason for this is the increased absence of adults from adolescents lives. With the hectic pace of today's society and the ever-present ability to communicate with virtually anyone, we are losing the safe haven of home and the ability of students to escape from the adolescent world. When I was a teenager, I could come home, sit with my parents, and have time away from the drama that was high school. Many of today's students don't have that luxury. Text messages and Facebook posts keep things going all through the evening and even into the night.
Don't get me wrong. I love technology. And there are a lot of benefits that this technology offers. But there is also a dangerous side. And even if a particular student decides to avoid the world of texting and Facebook, the actions of other students who do use them can still have an impact.
In addition, the pressure seems to be greater than ever to succeed. While GPAs and ACT scores have been important for a long time, I don't think we fully understand the high level of stress today's students feel to get their GPA up from a 3.4 to a 3.5, or that push to get their ACT score up one more point. It could mean a difference of thousands of dollars in scholarship money.
So what does all of this have to do with labels? When students feel alone and abandoned, labels before even more powerful. When a student's value is based on how well they perform, labels become more defining. Labels can cause pain. Labels can change social status. Labels can impact the entire adolescent experience.
It's true that at some level, labels are unavoidable. You will have circles of friends you hang out with. People will use adjectives to describe your personality. But labels that put up walls, tear down people, and divide us are wrong. We are all unique, but none of us deserve to be labeled.
The apostle said, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28 NIV)
In the Kingdom of God, there should not be any labels, except one. "Child of God."
We cannot change how the world acts, but if we are citizens of God's Kingdom, we live by a different standard. We should be a people who embrace all, regardless of the labels the world has placed on someone. We are different, or at least we should be. If there is anywhere that labels like that need to be removed, it is in the body of Christ. Otherwise, we have missed a key element of what it means to be people of God.
shine!
Jason
One of the most troubling things I am coming across in this book for far is the idea labels. Now, to be fair, people have been labeled throughout history. But, there seems to something more severe, more intense about much of the labeling today. Today's teenagers are the loneliest generation in history, even thought they are the most connected. The adult world has often abandoned them, so an underground sub-culture has develop that is unlike anything I knew as a teenager.
In the midst of that development, labels seem to have become more powerful than ever. In a world where students can communicate 24/7 via texting, Facebook, and other technological tools, drama can unfold in ways that we could never even have dreamed of 20 years ago. Something you said in a private conversation at lunch could be broadcast for hundreds of students to read before dinner time. One comment could change the social landscape for a student.
Labels have become more powerful, dangerous, and damaging. Another reason for this is the increased absence of adults from adolescents lives. With the hectic pace of today's society and the ever-present ability to communicate with virtually anyone, we are losing the safe haven of home and the ability of students to escape from the adolescent world. When I was a teenager, I could come home, sit with my parents, and have time away from the drama that was high school. Many of today's students don't have that luxury. Text messages and Facebook posts keep things going all through the evening and even into the night.
Don't get me wrong. I love technology. And there are a lot of benefits that this technology offers. But there is also a dangerous side. And even if a particular student decides to avoid the world of texting and Facebook, the actions of other students who do use them can still have an impact.
In addition, the pressure seems to be greater than ever to succeed. While GPAs and ACT scores have been important for a long time, I don't think we fully understand the high level of stress today's students feel to get their GPA up from a 3.4 to a 3.5, or that push to get their ACT score up one more point. It could mean a difference of thousands of dollars in scholarship money.
So what does all of this have to do with labels? When students feel alone and abandoned, labels before even more powerful. When a student's value is based on how well they perform, labels become more defining. Labels can cause pain. Labels can change social status. Labels can impact the entire adolescent experience.
It's true that at some level, labels are unavoidable. You will have circles of friends you hang out with. People will use adjectives to describe your personality. But labels that put up walls, tear down people, and divide us are wrong. We are all unique, but none of us deserve to be labeled.
The apostle said, "So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:26-28 NIV)
In the Kingdom of God, there should not be any labels, except one. "Child of God."
We cannot change how the world acts, but if we are citizens of God's Kingdom, we live by a different standard. We should be a people who embrace all, regardless of the labels the world has placed on someone. We are different, or at least we should be. If there is anywhere that labels like that need to be removed, it is in the body of Christ. Otherwise, we have missed a key element of what it means to be people of God.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
iChristmas 2011
With “Black Friday” only a few weeks away, I wanted to take this opportunity to remind everyone about our annual iChristmas campaign.
The ARISE Ministry will once again be celebrating iChristmas. This is an opportunity to live out the true meaning of Christmas. Here is the challenge to our students:
As you are making a Christmas list for your parents, write this on the list: “Please buy me one less gift and put the money you would have spent on that gift into an envelope marked ‘iChristmas’ and put it under the Christmas tree with my other gifts.” The one gift should be more than a pair of socks, but what you are willing to sacrifice is up to you.
Starting on Sunday, December 25, students can turn in their iChristmas money in the ARISE Black Box on the wall in the main lobby.
Each year, the money raised for iChristmas supports a ministry of the Rochester Church. In the past, the ministries we have supported include our missionaries in Rio and Uganda as well as Cass Park. This year, we are planning to contribute all iChristmas funds to the DuBaere Family Fund. (Please make checks out to “Rochester Church of Christ” and write “DuBaere Family Fund” in the memo line.)
Thank you to all of the students who participated in iChristmas in previous years. Continue the iChristmas tradition this year. For those of you who didn’t have an opportunity to give an iChristmas gift last year, make this the year to start a new tradition.
As the push for Christmas begins, please consider what you are going to sacrifice for iChristmas this year. Imagine if 50 people each contributed $20 this year. As a ministry we would collect $1,000. That amount would be a huge blessing to the DuBaere family.
As you think about iChristmas, consider the blessing you could be to another family in our church. You might think $20 isn’t much, but together we could have a huge, positive impact.
shine!
Jason
The ARISE Ministry will once again be celebrating iChristmas. This is an opportunity to live out the true meaning of Christmas. Here is the challenge to our students:
As you are making a Christmas list for your parents, write this on the list: “Please buy me one less gift and put the money you would have spent on that gift into an envelope marked ‘iChristmas’ and put it under the Christmas tree with my other gifts.” The one gift should be more than a pair of socks, but what you are willing to sacrifice is up to you.
Starting on Sunday, December 25, students can turn in their iChristmas money in the ARISE Black Box on the wall in the main lobby.
Each year, the money raised for iChristmas supports a ministry of the Rochester Church. In the past, the ministries we have supported include our missionaries in Rio and Uganda as well as Cass Park. This year, we are planning to contribute all iChristmas funds to the DuBaere Family Fund. (Please make checks out to “Rochester Church of Christ” and write “DuBaere Family Fund” in the memo line.)
Thank you to all of the students who participated in iChristmas in previous years. Continue the iChristmas tradition this year. For those of you who didn’t have an opportunity to give an iChristmas gift last year, make this the year to start a new tradition.
As the push for Christmas begins, please consider what you are going to sacrifice for iChristmas this year. Imagine if 50 people each contributed $20 this year. As a ministry we would collect $1,000. That amount would be a huge blessing to the DuBaere family.
As you think about iChristmas, consider the blessing you could be to another family in our church. You might think $20 isn’t much, but together we could have a huge, positive impact.
shine!
Jason
Sunday, November 06, 2011
True friendship
The idea of what a friend is has often been distorted in our culture. Many times, friendships are based on what is in it for us. We want friends that will serve our needs and give us what we want.
While it is true that friends should show us love and be there for us, friendship is so much more. Friendship is built on trust, love, and mutual support. Many times, friends will let us down, and when that happens, we should be there for them with an attitude of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Obviously, some friendships have to end because one of the people in the relationship is acting in destructive ways. If you are constantly lied to and mistreated, it may be appropriate and necessary to end the friendship.
However, Jesus offers a friendship that exceeds any other. In Romans, 5:6-8, Paul describes it this way: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
A true friend will do something for you, even when you don’t deserve it. Jesus displays his love for us by giving his own life, even when we live in ways that hurt him.
But Jesus’ friendship is not just something he shows us. It is also something he asks us to live our in our own lives. In John 15:12-14, the apostle records the following words that Jesus spoke, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
Jesus came to show us love and teach us love. He is a friend and asks us to be a friend as well. If we believe that Jesus is our friend, then we should learn from him what it means to be a friend. He once told an expert in the law, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37,39)
If we are going to have a friendship with Jesus, then we have to learn to be a friend like Jesus. And that is based on loving God and loving one another. Those two principles are at the heart of what true friendship looks like.
shine!
Jason
While it is true that friends should show us love and be there for us, friendship is so much more. Friendship is built on trust, love, and mutual support. Many times, friends will let us down, and when that happens, we should be there for them with an attitude of forgiveness and reconciliation.
Obviously, some friendships have to end because one of the people in the relationship is acting in destructive ways. If you are constantly lied to and mistreated, it may be appropriate and necessary to end the friendship.
However, Jesus offers a friendship that exceeds any other. In Romans, 5:6-8, Paul describes it this way: “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
A true friend will do something for you, even when you don’t deserve it. Jesus displays his love for us by giving his own life, even when we live in ways that hurt him.
But Jesus’ friendship is not just something he shows us. It is also something he asks us to live our in our own lives. In John 15:12-14, the apostle records the following words that Jesus spoke, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.”
Jesus came to show us love and teach us love. He is a friend and asks us to be a friend as well. If we believe that Jesus is our friend, then we should learn from him what it means to be a friend. He once told an expert in the law, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37,39)
If we are going to have a friendship with Jesus, then we have to learn to be a friend like Jesus. And that is based on loving God and loving one another. Those two principles are at the heart of what true friendship looks like.
shine!
Jason
Monday, October 31, 2011
I will rise
When we are faced with death, we often don’t know how to respond. Every person reacts differently. While grief is a common human experience, grieving is a unique process. No two people deal with loss in the same way.
This week, we are considering the idea that Jesus is Risen. A risen Savior is central to the Christian faith. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
The risen Christ is the key to our faith. The resurrection is where we find our hope. As I face death, the idea of the resurrection brings my hope in the midst of hopelessness, light in the midst of darkness, and peace in the midst of tragedy.
Chris Tomlin has written a son that speaks to the power and hope found in the risen Christ. Here are the lyrics to “I Will Rise”…
Death is very real and very painful. The loss is beyond comprehension. But, as we grieve, we should also seek to remember the risen Savior. In the midst of pain, loss, anger, and hopelessness, the resurrection offers redemption and restoration. It is the promise of rising again that can bring healing and hope.
shine!
Jason
This week, we are considering the idea that Jesus is Risen. A risen Savior is central to the Christian faith. As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.”
The risen Christ is the key to our faith. The resurrection is where we find our hope. As I face death, the idea of the resurrection brings my hope in the midst of hopelessness, light in the midst of darkness, and peace in the midst of tragedy.
Chris Tomlin has written a son that speaks to the power and hope found in the risen Christ. Here are the lyrics to “I Will Rise”…
There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
CLICK HERE to watch the music video for this song
Death is very real and very painful. The loss is beyond comprehension. But, as we grieve, we should also seek to remember the risen Savior. In the midst of pain, loss, anger, and hopelessness, the resurrection offers redemption and restoration. It is the promise of rising again that can bring healing and hope.
shine!
Jason
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Jesus is life
It seems like every commercial has the same basic idea: Buy our product and your life will be richer. Whether it’s an electronic device, a car, clothing, or an alcoholic beverage, we are told that this item will make our life better.
While I believe the claim is often exaggerated, it is true that many of these items can help with some aspect of our lives. Electronic devices can help us be more organized or communicate more effectively. Some cars are better built than others. We all need clothes. Alcoholic beverages? Well, I am the most suspect of this one. Will drinking a Bud Light really help me get all the pretty girls? Most of the time, I have witnessed a different story.
We could spend all day debating the value of all of the products above and we would have a variety of opinions. But there is one thing I hope we could all agree on. None of these things bring us a life abundant in peace, joy, and love.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Here’s the irony. Most of the things that the world tells us will give us life to the full can lead to destruction. In and of themselves, they won’t. But when we begin to allow them to take the place of God as the ultimate source of fulfillment, they will let us down.
I often see these shirts that say, “______ is life. The rest is just details.” Fill in the blank for your life. I honestly think we often fail to consider the implications of what we say. I am guessing if you asked most of the people who wear these shirts, they would say something like, “Well, I don’t really mean that, but I really like _____.”
The unfortunate thing is that whether we bought the T-shirt or not, many of us flirt with a philosophy of life that reflects what the shirt says. We find something we are passionate about and build our self-worth, satisfaction, and significance around that thing. We place that thing ahead of the Kingdom of God.
Here is the challenging part. We can’t simply abandon the things we enjoy and spend all day sitting in church and reading our Bibles. God calls us to serve as ambassadors of the Kingdom. But we have to ask ourselves what dictates how we live our lives.
If our pursuits are directed towards ultimately finding our value in something other than God and the Kingdom, we will always fall short. We will keep chasing something to fulfill us. This is why marketing is so successful. Companies have discovered that we all long for something more and so they develop slick advertising to convince us that their thing is THE thing that will solve that.
The reality is that only one thing, and one Person, can cure your hunger for more. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
A life well lived will include some of the things of this world. God hopes for us to have a life filled with joy and peace. But when we allow Satan to convince us that the things God has given us are more important than God, we will buy into the lie and miss out on the full life that God desires and promises for his children.
shine!
Jason
While I believe the claim is often exaggerated, it is true that many of these items can help with some aspect of our lives. Electronic devices can help us be more organized or communicate more effectively. Some cars are better built than others. We all need clothes. Alcoholic beverages? Well, I am the most suspect of this one. Will drinking a Bud Light really help me get all the pretty girls? Most of the time, I have witnessed a different story.
We could spend all day debating the value of all of the products above and we would have a variety of opinions. But there is one thing I hope we could all agree on. None of these things bring us a life abundant in peace, joy, and love.
In John 10:10, Jesus says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
Here’s the irony. Most of the things that the world tells us will give us life to the full can lead to destruction. In and of themselves, they won’t. But when we begin to allow them to take the place of God as the ultimate source of fulfillment, they will let us down.
I often see these shirts that say, “______ is life. The rest is just details.” Fill in the blank for your life. I honestly think we often fail to consider the implications of what we say. I am guessing if you asked most of the people who wear these shirts, they would say something like, “Well, I don’t really mean that, but I really like _____.”
The unfortunate thing is that whether we bought the T-shirt or not, many of us flirt with a philosophy of life that reflects what the shirt says. We find something we are passionate about and build our self-worth, satisfaction, and significance around that thing. We place that thing ahead of the Kingdom of God.
Here is the challenging part. We can’t simply abandon the things we enjoy and spend all day sitting in church and reading our Bibles. God calls us to serve as ambassadors of the Kingdom. But we have to ask ourselves what dictates how we live our lives.
If our pursuits are directed towards ultimately finding our value in something other than God and the Kingdom, we will always fall short. We will keep chasing something to fulfill us. This is why marketing is so successful. Companies have discovered that we all long for something more and so they develop slick advertising to convince us that their thing is THE thing that will solve that.
The reality is that only one thing, and one Person, can cure your hunger for more. As Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)
A life well lived will include some of the things of this world. God hopes for us to have a life filled with joy and peace. But when we allow Satan to convince us that the things God has given us are more important than God, we will buy into the lie and miss out on the full life that God desires and promises for his children.
shine!
Jason
Sunday, October 09, 2011
In the light
A few weeks ago I was able to see tobyMac in concert. As some of you may know, he used to be a part of a group called DC Talk. One of my favorite DC Talk songs is “In the Light.” As I was thinking about our topic this week of “Jesus is Light,” this song came to my mind. Here are most of the lyrics:
I keep trying to find a life
On my own, apart from You
I am the king of excuses
I've got one for every selfish thing I do
What's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Savior
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light
The disease of self runs through my blood
It's a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control
Tell me, what's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Savior
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light
We all find ourselves in the darkness sometimes. Whether it’s a decision we made or a situation we find ourselves in, the darkness can be overwhelming at times. But God desires to bring light even to the darkest of situations. Jesus seeks to save us not just from the world, but also from ourselves. The way out of darkness is simple, but not always easy. But when we decide to take that walk in the light, the love of Christ will wash over us. The apostle John says it like this…
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 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, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10)
I wanna be in the light. But walking in the light isn’t always easy. Sometimes it requires difficult decisions and unpopular choices. It may ask us to make sacrifices or call us to challenges. But once we are in the light, we find ourselves in a place that brings us grace and peace. And that is the worth the journey.
shine!
Jason
I keep trying to find a life
On my own, apart from You
I am the king of excuses
I've got one for every selfish thing I do
What's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Savior
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light
The disease of self runs through my blood
It's a cancer fatal to my soul
Every attempt on my behalf has failed
To bring this sickness under control
Tell me, what's going on inside of me?
I despise my own behavior
This only serves to confirm my suspicions
That I'm still a man in need of a Savior
I wanna be in the Light
As You are in the Light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my Light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the Light
All I want is to be in the Light
We all find ourselves in the darkness sometimes. Whether it’s a decision we made or a situation we find ourselves in, the darkness can be overwhelming at times. But God desires to bring light even to the darkest of situations. Jesus seeks to save us not just from the world, but also from ourselves. The way out of darkness is simple, but not always easy. But when we decide to take that walk in the light, the love of Christ will wash over us. The apostle John says it like this…
This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. 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, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1 John 1:5-10)
I wanna be in the light. But walking in the light isn’t always easy. Sometimes it requires difficult decisions and unpopular choices. It may ask us to make sacrifices or call us to challenges. But once we are in the light, we find ourselves in a place that brings us grace and peace. And that is the worth the journey.
shine!
Jason
Wednesday, October 05, 2011
The pastor and intimacy
In class on Monday afternoon, we talked about the importance of creating intimacy as a key role for the pastor. The fact that most people hear intimacy and usually think only - or mainly - about sexual activity reveals an underlying struggle in the battle to foster intimacy with those to whom we minister.
We live in a world where intimacy has been redefined to the point where many people struggle to understand what intimacy is really supposed to look like. Over the last 100 years, our society has changed significantly, both for the better and the worse. While I acknowledge many benefits from our "advancements" over the last century, I want to focus in this post on some of the things that have been lost.
The advancements in technology have significantly changed the way we communicate. A little over 100 years ago, you basically had two ways to communicate. You could talk face to face with someone or send them a letter. Today, we can call, Skype, text, email, and use a variety of other methods of communication. With social media websites like Facebook, we are able to maintain "friendships" with thousands of people. While there are benefits to these changes, there is a significant downside that we often fail to recognize, or at least acknowledge. One of the casualties resulting from this myriad of communication options is the lack of depth in most relationships. While many people have a lot more "friends" thanks to Facebook, few - if any - of those relationships develop to the point of real intimacy. I may know what musicians hundreds of people like. I may get to see their pictures from a sporting event or read a catchy quote from the book they are reading. But do I really know them?
Study after study shows that while this generation of young people is the most connected in history, this same generation experiences levels of loneliness, depression, and abandonment that have never been seen before. We know more (people), but we know less. Our relationships have become much more shallow. When friends communicate mostly though texting and messages, they lose the ability to see one another's expressions, read body language, and build the level of intimacy that only comes through spending time in one another's presence.
Is it any wonder that more and more people feel disconnected from God and have a hard time developing a deeper relationship with God? The Bible is not a catalogue of text messages. The Holy Spirit seeks more than an occasional status update on how your life is going. The Father does not just want to get an occasional call from his children. God desires deep, significant intimacy. And in a world where we seem to be moving 100 miles an hour and multi-tasking, developing that kind of intimate relationship is extremely challenging, if not impossible.
In addition, the saturation of marketing as a part of our society has created an environment where almost everything is measured on a surface level. Magazines spend hours perfecting their cover photo. People pay thousands of dollars to have surgery so they can look a few years younger. The label on clothing seems to be more important that the person inside the clothes. We are told over and over again that our value is determined by what car we drive, what pants we wear, what we drink, and a variety of other products that will make us the best person possible.
We have to be careful. This is the same attitude that led to things such as Hitler's campaigns of euthanasia and genocide. I am not saying that we are all headed for mass murder, but when we determine someone's worth based on their appearance, we are focusing on the wrong thing. The reality is that things haven't changed much, even after thousands of years. God told the prophet Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) While this has always been a struggle for people, our societies overwhelming focus on the surface has made it even harder to listen to and live according to the words spoken to Samuel.
The third leg of this stool is the immense sexualization of nearly everything. It's nearly impossible to watch TV, listen to music, or even walk down the hallways of a school and not be overwhelmed by the ways in which sexuality is shaping our society. A recent study determined that "92% of the 174 songs that made it into the Top Ten in 2009 contained one or more reproductive messages, with an average of 10.49 reproductive phrases per song." Sexuality is everywhere and almost nothing is off-limits anymore. I am not trying to be a prude, but this kind of exposure can be destructive emotional, socially, and spirituality.
Our society is teaching us to pursue immediate gratification. This onslaught of messages for cheap and easy intimacy is welcome news to a generation starving for attention, affection, and acceptance. Like a child raised on Cheetos and candy bars, this steady diet of a message that teaches short-term, immediate satisfaction develops a habit of "consuming" whatever brings happiness at the moment, regardless of the long-term "nutritional value." The very "solution" to loneliness that our society parades before us is actually making things worse.
So into the midst of this mess steps the pastor. She brings a message that is contrary to the one the world is screaming out. As voice after voice cries out in anguish, grasping whatever quick fix is available, the pastor seeks to share a message that brings true salvation, but also requires real intimacy.
People ask me all of the time why so many young people are leaving the church. I could probably list off dozens of reasons, but the scenario listed above would probably be at the top of the list. When we swim in water that is polluted with shallow relationships, surface assessments, and a sexualized view of most everything, we are sure to get sick.
So what does the pastor do?
Does he ignore everything around him and cluster his people in a bunker? No. We are called to be salt and light to the world. We cannot hide our light under a bushel.
Does she embrace the world and simply deliver the message of God by dressing it up in the clothing the society offers? No. What good is a salt that has lost it's saltiness?
The pastor must start by examining his own heart and mind. While he cannot dictate how everyone else should live, the pastor can dictate how he lives. He must set expectations and standards for himself that allow him to maintain his saltiness and shine his light. This will not look identical for every pastor, but the principles cannot be ignored.
Then the pastor must live her life in a way that reflects the light of Christ. She will not be perfect, but she must pursue perfection. Without judging others, she must present her life as a living sacrifice that embodies the character of God. When she does this, the light will expose the darkness in her midst, both in the lives of others and (here is the scariest part) herself.
This is not an easy journey or calling. Being a pastor is an immense blessing, but it also carries significant challenges. As I wrestle with all of the questions raised by the challenges above, I don't have all of the answers. But I will, in the words of Paul, "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
shine!
Jason
We live in a world where intimacy has been redefined to the point where many people struggle to understand what intimacy is really supposed to look like. Over the last 100 years, our society has changed significantly, both for the better and the worse. While I acknowledge many benefits from our "advancements" over the last century, I want to focus in this post on some of the things that have been lost.
The advancements in technology have significantly changed the way we communicate. A little over 100 years ago, you basically had two ways to communicate. You could talk face to face with someone or send them a letter. Today, we can call, Skype, text, email, and use a variety of other methods of communication. With social media websites like Facebook, we are able to maintain "friendships" with thousands of people. While there are benefits to these changes, there is a significant downside that we often fail to recognize, or at least acknowledge. One of the casualties resulting from this myriad of communication options is the lack of depth in most relationships. While many people have a lot more "friends" thanks to Facebook, few - if any - of those relationships develop to the point of real intimacy. I may know what musicians hundreds of people like. I may get to see their pictures from a sporting event or read a catchy quote from the book they are reading. But do I really know them?
Study after study shows that while this generation of young people is the most connected in history, this same generation experiences levels of loneliness, depression, and abandonment that have never been seen before. We know more (people), but we know less. Our relationships have become much more shallow. When friends communicate mostly though texting and messages, they lose the ability to see one another's expressions, read body language, and build the level of intimacy that only comes through spending time in one another's presence.
Is it any wonder that more and more people feel disconnected from God and have a hard time developing a deeper relationship with God? The Bible is not a catalogue of text messages. The Holy Spirit seeks more than an occasional status update on how your life is going. The Father does not just want to get an occasional call from his children. God desires deep, significant intimacy. And in a world where we seem to be moving 100 miles an hour and multi-tasking, developing that kind of intimate relationship is extremely challenging, if not impossible.
In addition, the saturation of marketing as a part of our society has created an environment where almost everything is measured on a surface level. Magazines spend hours perfecting their cover photo. People pay thousands of dollars to have surgery so they can look a few years younger. The label on clothing seems to be more important that the person inside the clothes. We are told over and over again that our value is determined by what car we drive, what pants we wear, what we drink, and a variety of other products that will make us the best person possible.
We have to be careful. This is the same attitude that led to things such as Hitler's campaigns of euthanasia and genocide. I am not saying that we are all headed for mass murder, but when we determine someone's worth based on their appearance, we are focusing on the wrong thing. The reality is that things haven't changed much, even after thousands of years. God told the prophet Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7) While this has always been a struggle for people, our societies overwhelming focus on the surface has made it even harder to listen to and live according to the words spoken to Samuel.
The third leg of this stool is the immense sexualization of nearly everything. It's nearly impossible to watch TV, listen to music, or even walk down the hallways of a school and not be overwhelmed by the ways in which sexuality is shaping our society. A recent study determined that "92% of the 174 songs that made it into the Top Ten in 2009 contained one or more reproductive messages, with an average of 10.49 reproductive phrases per song." Sexuality is everywhere and almost nothing is off-limits anymore. I am not trying to be a prude, but this kind of exposure can be destructive emotional, socially, and spirituality.
Our society is teaching us to pursue immediate gratification. This onslaught of messages for cheap and easy intimacy is welcome news to a generation starving for attention, affection, and acceptance. Like a child raised on Cheetos and candy bars, this steady diet of a message that teaches short-term, immediate satisfaction develops a habit of "consuming" whatever brings happiness at the moment, regardless of the long-term "nutritional value." The very "solution" to loneliness that our society parades before us is actually making things worse.
So into the midst of this mess steps the pastor. She brings a message that is contrary to the one the world is screaming out. As voice after voice cries out in anguish, grasping whatever quick fix is available, the pastor seeks to share a message that brings true salvation, but also requires real intimacy.
People ask me all of the time why so many young people are leaving the church. I could probably list off dozens of reasons, but the scenario listed above would probably be at the top of the list. When we swim in water that is polluted with shallow relationships, surface assessments, and a sexualized view of most everything, we are sure to get sick.
So what does the pastor do?
Does he ignore everything around him and cluster his people in a bunker? No. We are called to be salt and light to the world. We cannot hide our light under a bushel.
Does she embrace the world and simply deliver the message of God by dressing it up in the clothing the society offers? No. What good is a salt that has lost it's saltiness?
The pastor must start by examining his own heart and mind. While he cannot dictate how everyone else should live, the pastor can dictate how he lives. He must set expectations and standards for himself that allow him to maintain his saltiness and shine his light. This will not look identical for every pastor, but the principles cannot be ignored.
Then the pastor must live her life in a way that reflects the light of Christ. She will not be perfect, but she must pursue perfection. Without judging others, she must present her life as a living sacrifice that embodies the character of God. When she does this, the light will expose the darkness in her midst, both in the lives of others and (here is the scariest part) herself.
This is not an easy journey or calling. Being a pastor is an immense blessing, but it also carries significant challenges. As I wrestle with all of the questions raised by the challenges above, I don't have all of the answers. But I will, in the words of Paul, "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12)
shine!
Jason
Sunday, October 02, 2011
Journey with Jesus
For the month of October, our students are invited to take a “Journey with Jesus” by reading through all four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. I am going to encourage students to focus on one Gospel each week. Here is a guide for the month:
On the morning of Sunday, October 30, we will celebrate the students who completed the “journey.”
If we want to live like Jesus, we need to get to know him better. There is nothing that can help us walk like Jesus better than knowing him. Shortly after that first Pentecost when 3,000 people were baptized, the believers were already faced with challenges. As a matter of fact, Peter and John were put in jail for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus.
They were brought in front of the rulers, the elders, and the teachers of the law, including the High Priest. These fishermen from Galilee found themselves being questioned by some of the most studied biblical scholars of their day. It would be similar to you being brought before the Supreme Court and then told to defend yourself.
In spite of the challenge before them and the fact that they were outnumbered, look at what Luke writes about the situation: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
This is why I believe the “Journey with Jesus” is so important. It is a chance for you to spend a month being with Jesus. As you read the story of Jesus from four different perspectives, you can gain a better understanding of who Jesus is, and, who you need to be. This isn’t just an exercise in gaining knowledge. It is a crucial way to gaining wisdom and learn about the One you are supposed to follow.
It may seem like a lot of reading, but it will likely be some of the most important reading you will ever do. It may not be for a grade, but what you receive will be far more important than an “A”. You will receive words that will shape and transform you into the image of the One who created you.
shine!
Jason
- October 2-8 --> Matthew
- October 9-15 --> Mark
- October 16-22 --> Luke
- October 23-29 --> John
On the morning of Sunday, October 30, we will celebrate the students who completed the “journey.”
If we want to live like Jesus, we need to get to know him better. There is nothing that can help us walk like Jesus better than knowing him. Shortly after that first Pentecost when 3,000 people were baptized, the believers were already faced with challenges. As a matter of fact, Peter and John were put in jail for preaching about the resurrection of Jesus.
They were brought in front of the rulers, the elders, and the teachers of the law, including the High Priest. These fishermen from Galilee found themselves being questioned by some of the most studied biblical scholars of their day. It would be similar to you being brought before the Supreme Court and then told to defend yourself.
In spite of the challenge before them and the fact that they were outnumbered, look at what Luke writes about the situation: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)
This is why I believe the “Journey with Jesus” is so important. It is a chance for you to spend a month being with Jesus. As you read the story of Jesus from four different perspectives, you can gain a better understanding of who Jesus is, and, who you need to be. This isn’t just an exercise in gaining knowledge. It is a crucial way to gaining wisdom and learn about the One you are supposed to follow.
It may seem like a lot of reading, but it will likely be some of the most important reading you will ever do. It may not be for a grade, but what you receive will be far more important than an “A”. You will receive words that will shape and transform you into the image of the One who created you.
shine!
Jason
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