Breaking the Invisible Barrier

Have you ever been in a situation where suddenly your assumptions or thoughts about a specific person or thing were pretty much blown right off the map? Maybe it was the moment you realized the little test you were “prepared” for was really an overwhelming obstacle you had no chance of conquering. Or the moment you realized that the cute girl who sits in front of you in Chemistry really does like you... a lot! Or how about the moment you realized your team was completely over-matched  Or... well, you get the point. There are moments of clarity where what you thought was the case may not necessarily be the case at all.

Do you remember the shepherds in the nativity (the Birth of Jesus) story? The ones out in fields, keeping watch “o’er their flock”, minding their own business? If you don’t, maybe this will jog your memory:

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

Those shepherds experienced one of those moments in a big, big way. It’s safe to say that the shepherds knew God. Or they knew of Him as well as they could. They were Israelites. Their people had a rich history with God. They were, after all, God’s people. But, everything they thought they knew about God and His ways were pretty much overwhelmed that night. All of a sudden, the God who was a little distant and a lot mysterious, was right up in their world. In their faces! Look at the description in verse 9: “the glory of the Lord shone around them.” Can you even imagine? God was no longer an idea, He was real. He had broken the invisible barrier between His Kingdom and this world. And it’s entirely safe to say the world was never the same. Isn’t that a pretty good way to think about the Christmas story in general? Isn’t it really as simple as God breaking the barrier and coming into our world? It is that simple. Yet, the power behind this simple truth is life changing. You are who you are today because God chose to send His Son into this world.

Blessed Advent and merry Christmas!

The Curveball

So last month in my devo I complained about the summer heat. I suppose that was wrong of me, after all, summer is supposed to be hot. The heat is just a part of it, a sign of the season. And if high temperatures are fixture of summer, there are many others as well: no school, popsicles, block-parties, fireworks, vacations, and my favorite... baseball! I love baseball. I love going to stadiums and watching teams play on TV. I watch games every chance I get. And although I cannot possibly see every game... there is one game I never miss... the All-Star Game. Did you catch the last one? It happened several weeks back and once again the National League emerged victorious (they’re just now making up for all those losses to the American League). For a baseball fan, it doesn’t get any better than the All-Star Game... the game’s greatest players all in one place, showcasing their incredible skills. And as much as love the “sluggers” going up to bat and knocking ‘em out of the park, I enjoy, just as much, watching the pitchers. I really admire them and their ability to throw a ball with such precision. Fastballs, sinkers, sliders, and of course, the curveball. Many an “All-Star” have succumb to that nasty pitch. So, what’s the point of the curveball? Pitchers use this pitch to confuse the hitter, to get them to chase after something, and to ultimately strike them out. I think that’s a great metaphor for what the enemy, Satan, does to us. The curveball is thrown, we’re deceived, caught off guard, and it’s over. We’ve struck out.

When the enemy throws us a curveball we can try our hardest to make it work. Fake ourselves out. Pray. Seek advice. But the pitches that were once “straight-down-the-middle-of-the-plate” fastballs turn into something fierce and we’re left swinging away. You know what I mean by curveballs, right? Those things that happen in life that seem to come out of nowhere; break-ups, failures, mistakes, tragedies, health scares, things that make it seem like it’s all over. Yet, sometimes a new beginning is disguised as a curveball because the outcome of the game belongs to God. Times of failure don’t catch God off guard. Nothing takes Him by surprise. He doesn’t panic or worry. He doesn’t give up or throw in the towel... all things that we are inclined to do from time to time. As cliché and Sunday-School-ish as this sounds, it’s true... with God on our team, we can’t possibly lose the game! Like Paul says in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, than who can be against us?” If God is on our side, what possibly could stop Him from coming through? Even when we strike out, we’re not out of the game... for nothing “will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39). Happy August!

Just Keep Swimming

It’s hot outside. I mean really hot outside. Like “fry an egg on the sidewalk” hot (has anyone actually tried to do that?). And I am sure you all have your preferred way to “beat the heat.” Maybe it’s downing an ice-cold glass of lemonade or slurping on a frozen Popsicle. Maybe it’s dumping cold water on your head or avoiding the heat altogether by sitting in a nice air-conditioned house. But if you’re like me, the best way to beat the heat is to go swimming. I love going to the pool on a hot day! And thankfully we have a great neighborhood pool just a two blocks from our house. There’s something about swimming that calms and cools the body and the soul. Swimming in a pool is relaxing and refreshing and swimming in a lake or ocean can be exhilarating. It really doesn’t matter to me... if there’s a body of water big enough to contain my body, I’ll swim in it. As much as I love swimming there is one time when I’d rather avoid being in the water and that’s during a storm. I can handle the rain, but a full-out storm is a whole other story. And that’s because swimming in a storm can be incredibly dangerous... even deadly. Yet that’s exactly what Jesus had his disciples do. In Mark 4 we read about how the disciples were told by Jesus to cross over to the other side of a lake and, while they were “swimming,” a massive storm came and over took their boat.

That story makes me think: “How many times has Jesus led me into a storm?” I’ve certainly been lost in the sea of life... and I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’ve had moments like that too, moments where you’ve felt lost, drifting out to sea, or stuck in the middle of a storm. You know what I’m talking about, right? Those times in your life when you felt blown and tossed by the wind, only to be left to drown? So what do you during those times? Just keep swimming.

I know it’s not logical to keep swimming when you’re drowning, but that’s essentially what Jesus told the disciples when they woke him up on the lake that evening. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” (Mark 4:38). And then this happens... which was great... Jesus wakes up (never mind that he was sleeping through the storm) and rebukes the wind and the waves, he puts that storm in its place to the point where it says there was “a great calm” and then he turns to his disciples and says: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).

Jesus doesn’t lead us to the other side just to let us drown. He doesn’t abandon us when the waves start creeping up around us. Why? Because he is right there swimming beside us. When the storms of life roll in, and they will, and the metaphorical seas get rough. Take Jesus’ advice and just keep swimming. Your faith is what will bring you through to the other side. Happy July!

The Upside of Forgetfulness

Well, here it is... the end of another school year. In a couple of weeks most of you will be celebrating summer break and my guess is, school will be the last thing on your mind. I’ve always wondered how teachers view this time of the year. On one hand, I bet they’re as excited as you are for a break. But on the other hand, I have to believe that somewhere, deep down inside, they’re a bit upset. I wonder if they ever think that all of those lessons they taught, everything you learned that school year, will all be forgotten during summer break. Come September, when asked what you learned last year, what will your response be? “Hmmm, ummm, I forgot.”

We tend to think that forgetting is a negative thing... and sure, sometimes it is. But what if, just for a moment, we looked at it as a positive thing? Is there an upside to forgetfulness? We live in world where being remembered is important. Why do we post pictures on Instagram or videos on YouTube? Why do we update our statuses on Facebook or compose tweets on Twitter? Why? Because we want other people to know about us... and in the same way, we don’t want them to forget about us. But every now and then we do something that we wish people would forget. And when they don’t, when they remember exactly what was done, we end up carrying that around; unable to let go of it either.

There’s this story about a Catholic priest who was upset because a woman in his parish claimed to have daily conversations with Jesus. Soon she had her own following of people around her, and every day they surrounded her house, got on their knees, prayed and sang hymns, hoping to hear Jesus’ voice too. The priest thought this was getting out of hand, so he went to visit the woman. He told her that while he knew she thought she was having conversations with Jesus, he was convinced it was all part of her imagination. To prove his point he said, “If Jesus is right here in this room with you now, and you can talk to him, and he can talk to you, then ask him to name the three sins I confessed this morning in my prayers. If Jesus can answer your question and you can accurately name those sins, I might believe in what you say.” The woman sat for long a time. Then she smiled and turned to the priest and said, “I asked him, but Jesus said, ‘I forgot.’”

And there it is... there’s the upside of forgetfulness. Not only do we have a God who forgives; we have a God who forgets! How great is that? Jesus Christ takes sin away from us and forgets it was ever ours in the first place. God says, “I wipe away your sins because of who I am. And so I will forget the wrongs you have done” (Isaiah 43:25, CEV). So this summer, while you’re busy forgetting the Pythagorean Theorem, be sure to take some time to remember the God who forgives... and forgets. But be certain of this one thing: He will never forget you. Happy Summer!

The Garden or the Desert?

Breezy shade – or – Scorching sun / Rain -or- Drought / Cool grass – or – Hot sand / Butterflies – or – Scorpions / Garden – or – Desert. Given the choice, which one would you choose?

I’ll go with the garden.

In the Bible, the imagery of gardens and deserts provides a huge contrast of settings, themes and spiritual undertones. Think about it. Many great moments in Scripture happen in gardens, right? Creation, the Fall, Jesus’ agony and arrest, and the Resurrection... all take place in a garden. But there are also great moments that happened in deserts: the exodus and exile of Israel, the Ten Commandments, John the Baptists’ preaching of the coming Messiah, and the temptation of Jesus. During the season of Lent (the 40-day span in the Church year that we’re currently in) we are challenged and called out into the desert for a time to reflect on our sins and get closer to God... but do we willingly go?

When I think of the desert a few things come to mind: hot, barren, desolate, miserable, drought, death... and camels. So why is any of this appealing? Why would I want to go to a place like that? Well, for the same reason Jesus did and the same reason the Church calls us out during Lent: purification and preparation for the journey ahead. What I love about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, his time of action, is that the first place He went after his baptism was to the desert. He could have jumped right into the business of healing and miracles and raising people from the dead, but instead He was led by the Holy Spirit into the desert for 40 days to be tempted by the devil (read about it in Matthew 4:1-11). Crazy, huh?

Most of the time we think that the desert is a dreaded place (think about being “stranded in the desert”). We’d much rather stay in the garden where we can bask in the cool breeze, lounge comfortably in the shade, and enjoy the beauty of the flowers and trees. But if we always remain in the peace and comfort of the garden, we easily forget that the desert is just as necessary in our spiritual journey.

You see, the desert allows us to be stretched and tested in a way that the garden cannot. It takes away all our distractions and leaves us vulnerable. We’re left with nothing but our brokenness and the choices we’ve made. No trees to hide behind. No leaves to cover up with. It’s just you and God. For many of us, the thought of that is very uncomfortable and even scary. We don’t want God that close. We’ve become experts at the “if I don’t think about, it’s not a problem” mentality, and when the areas of our hearts and lives that need the Lord the most are exposed, we quickly try to cover them and run and hide from God.

During Lent this year when you find yourself in the desert, your first instinct, like mine, will most likely be to immediately try to find a way out... but what if this year we let the Lord find us? What if we stopped doing things our way, give up running from God, and let the Lord bring us out of the desert His way? After all, God’s way is always better than ours. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9). Although the Spirit may lead us into the desert, we have the promise that Jesus will never leave us there. “Who is this coming up from the desert leaning on her lover?” (Song of Songs 8:5). Even in the desert we have the hope of the garden. We have the Resurrection. And we have the Good News that Jesus conquered not only the temptations, heartache, and pain of this world, but death itself.

So my prayer for you this Lenten season is that you would let the Spirit lead you out into the desert to face those struggles and temptations with courage, purify your heart, repent of your sins, and let the God of unconditional love find you fully alive and ready to celebrate the Risen Christ this Easter. Blessings on your journey through the desert.

Lenten Reflection: Second Sunday

Read and reflect on the following passage from Matthew 7:3-5...

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

It is during this season of Lent that we turn inwards to examine ourselves just as Jesus did during his forty days in the desert. When we take the time to look at ourselves and see our own flaws, we come to realize that often we notice others’ imperfections and mistakes but overlook our own. It is important to remember that we should not judge others for what they do because we... just like them and the rest of the world... are not without sin and in need of a Savior. In this passage, Jesus emphasized that in order to see clearly enough to remove the speck in our brother or sister’s eye we must first remove the plank from our own. And in doing so, our distorted and judgmental view becomes clearer, allowing us to see the forgiveness and grace that abounds through God’s love.

Do you typically judge others? If so, what criteria do you use? What is your judgment based on?

When you look inwardly at yourself, what “planks” need to be removed?

Jesus forgives our flaws with love and compassion. How can you, in your everyday life, follow his example?

Spend some quiet time with God in prayer.

Lenten Reflection: First Sunday

Read and reflect on the following passage from Psalm 139:23-24...

Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Far too often we attempt to take on the pressures of everyday life ourselves... and sooner or later, those pressures and anxieties get the best of us. In this passage we not only ask God to peek at what’s on our hearts and minds, but also to test us. And God does test us, everyday, but with His testing comes something great. We come out stronger and more prepared for what’s just down the road and anything else God has in store for us. When we put our full faith and trust in God, He will lead us to an everlasting way of life. Sometimes it just takes a leap of faith, knowing that His loving arms are there to catch you if you fall.

How often do you try to take on the pressures of everyday life yourself? How does it turn out?

Have you ever tried giving all your worries and thoughts to God? How did that turn out?

What is it that you are anxious about right now? How might turning those things over to God benefit you?

Spend some quiet time with God in prayer saying, “God you know me. You know what’s best for me. Do your work in me and lead me where I should go. Amen.”

Lenten Reflection: Ash Wednesday

Read and reflect on the following passage from Matthew 4:1-11...

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil. For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.” But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’” Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the LORD your God.’”

Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.” Jesus told him, “Get away from me, Satan. For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the LORD your God and serve only him.’” Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.

Lent is a 40 day season of preparation leading up to the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. It begins today, Ash Wednesday... a day marked by confession of sin and commitment to repentance. We too are called out during these 40 days to own up to our mistakes and poor choices, to remove temptations, and to prepare our hearts for the journey ahead.

What sins do you need to confess?

What temptations do you need to run from?

What things can you remove from your life to allow more space for God?

Spend some quiet time with God in prayer.

Have You Talked to a Donkey Lately?

What is the weirdest story in the Bible? That was the question I was recently asked by a middle school student. I had to stop and think for a minute... after all, there are A LOT of weird stories in the Bible. There’s the story about the demonic pigs flying off a cliff (Mark 5:1-20); the one about a levitating severed hand graffiti-ing a wall (Daniel 5:1-31); the story of Lot’s wife turning into a giant salt-lick (Genesis 18:16-33); or the legendary Bear Attack of 846 B.C. (2 Kings 2:23-24). Despite the weirdness of all of those stories, there was one other story that stood out in my mind... the story of Balaam and his talking donkey.

Do you remember that story (if not, go read Numbers 22:21-39)? I remember first hearing that story as a little kid in Sunday School, and as an 8-year-old boy, a story about a talking donkey was absolutely hilarious (okay, even now it’s still pretty funny)! But the real meaning was probably lost on me. Rereading that passage as an adult, I realized I had missed something. See, Balaam was a prophet of God who spoke both blessings and curses. But he was also a sorcerer... which really angered God. “Now when Balaam saw it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to sorcery as at other times, but turned his face toward the desert” (Numbers 24:1).

I guess it’s easy to miss that part. I was probably so caught up in the talking donkey that I never stopped to think why Balak, king of Moab, enemy of Israel, would have summoned Balaam in the first place. Balak wanted Balaam to call down curses on God’s people, the Israelites. It took a donkey to crush Balaam’s foot, make a complete fool of him, and remind him of his loyalties (Numbers 22:25). “Then the Lord opened the donkey’s mouth and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you to make you beat me these three times?’... Then the Lord opened Balaam’s eyes, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing on the road with his sword drawn. So he bowed low and fell facedown” (vv.28, 31).

That got me thinking, what are the “donkeys” in my life? What “donkey” is God using to get my attention? We sometimes, for whatever reason, don’t see the work of God around us. As Christians, we’re a lot like Balaam; we know where our allegiance lies, but we so often answer to the summoning of the enemy... sin. And because of that, our hearts are divided. But God, in His great love, is there to remind us whose side we’re on. Sometimes that reminder is unexpected (like Balaam’s talking donkey) and sometimes that reminder hurts (like Balaam’s crushed foot). But the beauty of grace lies in its unrelenting pursuit to bring us back to God, even when we go down the wrong path. So keep an ear out for the “donkeys” in your life, and listen closely for the message God has for you!

Pressing On

It has been an incredible year in the Muich house. This past March we welcomed our baby girl, Harper, into the world and the days since then have been filled with both blessings and challenges. It has been pure joy to watch her discover and learn new things. And for a baby practically everything is new. Right now she’s on the verge of walking. Have you ever seen an infant try to walk? There’s a lot of falling down involved in the process... a lot! Sometimes it takes a second or two for her to realize that something even happened. But when she finally realizes that she’s fallen... that she was standing and is now lying on the floor... the crying begins. And she looks around for me or her mom, for someone to acknowledge her pain and to comfort her. So when we hear her cry, we come to her. We pick her up and place her back on her feet.

No one likes to fall, yet we all do from time to time. And when we do, it is so comforting to know that we have a heavenly Father who is waiting with open arms to catch us or pick us back up again. But what happens when we’re pushed down or jump? The fall can be quite embarrassing and can sometimes cause damage, leaving wounds that last for years. What we thought was a sure thing turned out to be misleading or what we had hoped would fill us up has left us empty.

This is where pressing on and holding tightly to faith are important. We can’t quit after the first fall. We have to get back up again. Although my daughter may cry for a bit after the initial fall, she quickly forgets about it and tries again. The devil wants us to believe we are all failures and that Jesus can’t use broken people. We’ll let me tell you something... He can! He does! Our God is a God of second chances and He loves a good “underdog” story. Our job is to recognize God’s grace, for in doing so, we will come to see that it is given freely and often. There is this great verse in Hosea that speaks of this idea: “Let us acknowledge the Lord; let us press on to acknowledge Him. As surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth...” (Hosea 6:3). I love the picture this passage paints. When we seek God, we’ll find Him... when we fall down, He’ll come to pick us up.

I don’t know how your 2011 was. Maybe it was a good year, maybe it was a bad year. Maybe it was one filled with joy and happiness or maybe it was one filled with challenges and heartache. Whatever it was, know that our God, the God of second chances, fresh starts, and new beginnings, is there for you... watching over you... ready to catch you when you fall. Make this New Year one filled with that knowledge and find comfort in God’s grace. Keep pressing on. Press on towards the amazing things Jesus has in store for you. Press on even when you feel your fall was too far and your landing too painful. Acknowledge Jesus in the midst of your pain, and he will meet you there. We’re not perfect people. We need help sometimes. My prayer is that we would press on, deeper into Christ’s love, each and every day, that we would forget the past and strain towards what lies ahead. Happy New Year!

Don't Forget About Advent!

Christmastime is here / Happiness and cheer / A time that all / The children call / Their favorite time of year

Those are the lyrics to a classic Christmas song from a classic (and my personal favorite) Christmas film... A Charlie Brown Christmas. For many years growing up this cartoon marked the beginning of the Christmas season for me. My thought was, "If A Charlie Brown Christmas is on TV then it must be Christmastime!" And why wouldn't it be since the song starts off with the words: “Christmastime is here?!?!” Although my young mind was being influenced (and not necessarily in a bad way) by this holiday favorite, at the same time it was also being formed by a certain time in the church year known as Advent. Each year I noticed a certain transformation that occurred after all of the Thanksgiving leftovers had been eaten... a transformation both in my home and in my church. In both places the advent wreath was hauled out and was placed in a prominent spot. My Lutheran grade school teacher would bring out her advent calendar and each day she would pull this little slip of paper from the banner-like calendar and read a story pertaining to that particular period in the advent season. This season also included extra church services that we attended on Wednesday nights that began with a classic Midwest-Lutheran tradition... a soup supper. It was during this time that I heard familiar advent hymns, like my favorite, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.” All of these things reminded me that it was not “Christmas-time” that was here; rather it was “advent-time” that had come upon us!

The word advent comes from the Latin word adventus, which means “coming.” Advent is a time of waiting. It’s kinda like the "I can't wait!" type of waiting that kids express during this time of year, as they eagerly anticipate the coming of Christmas morning and all of those brightly wrapped presents that will be waiting for them beneath the tree. As Christians there is definitely an anticipation in this waiting... an anticipation that culminates in another type of wrapped gift. But this wrapped gift is not wrapped in brightly colored paper with ribbons and bows; rather it is wrapped in pieces of cloth. This gift is also not found underneath a decorated tree; rather it is found in the most unlikely of places... a feeding trough for barnyard animals.

During advent, Christians gather in churches to symbolically reenact the waiting that the people of Israel, in the Old Testament, engaged in as they looked forward to the coming of the Messiah... the Promised One. Isaiah 40:3 records one of the more familiar advent prophecies: “A voice of one calling: In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.” Isaiah is also famously known for another advent proclamation found in chapter 9:6: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Why is it important for the church to celebrate this time of the year (or any other for that matter)? One reason is that the church year provides a sort of re-ordering of the way in which we look at time itself. Robert Webber in his book, Ancient-Future Faith says that: “The Christian, in his or her view of time, makes a dramatic break with a worldly view of time and begins to consciously meditate on the aspect of Christ’s life currently being celebrated by the church.”

I think most teenagers (and many adults as well), live lives filled with a great deal of fragmentation and division. Time is something that many of them think they don't have enough of, given their busy lives between school, sports, work, band, choir, family, friends, and, if time permits, church. But there is a deeper issue at hand in regards to this fragmentation. Chap Clark in his book called Hurt, a foundational piece of work on the dual life of teenagers, notes that: "Alongside or, more accurately, beneath the superficial and all-too-often cosmetic layer of high school life, there are dark, lonely corners where the neon light of sanitized conformity seldom penetrates. Just below the sheen of coerced normality are the stress and strain of personal survival in a hostile world." The message of advent, the one where Jesus breaks into the world, is an important message to convey to teenagers and adults alike who desperately need an in-breaking of Christ into their daily lives. And the Christmas season with its busy-ness is a perfect time to both speak and receive a message of "peace on earth." May you have a blessed advent-time filled with the peace that only a loving Savior can bring... and merry Christmas as well.

Coming Down from the (Rocky) Mount

This past summer, 19 youth and 5 adults (myself included) from Good Shepherd traveled to Rocky Mount, NC to take part in a Group Workcamp. Together, alongside a few hundred other participants from across the country, we labored and served deserving residents of that community. What resulted from that week of service, worship, and bonding was a powerful and unforgettable experience.

Events like that are often termed “mountain-top experiences.” And having been there... I would certainly give it that label. It makes me wonder though, how we came up with that term. I guess it’s because you feel as though you've reached a new height, like you’re on top of the world, or perhaps it’s because you've experienced and accomplished something so great you can’t imagine topping it. I can’t help but assume the term has its roots in the experiences of certain individuals recorded in Scripture. If you read through the Bible you’ll see that “mountain” plays a major role in many amazing stories... Moses on Mt. Sinai; Noah on Mt. Ararat; Mt. Zion; the Mount of Olives; the list goes on and on. And incredible things happened on those mounts, experiences that forever changed those who were there and encountered God at that place.

One of my favorite “mountain-top experiences” occurs in Matthew 17. In this passage, Jesus brings Peter, James and John (three of his BFFs) up a high mountain. Once they reach the top, “Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun. Then suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus” (vv.2-3). Peter, always the one to speak up and be heard, yells out, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here!” Then he proceeds to draw up blueprints for three “Hero-of-the-Faith” Memorials (v.4). But before he can finish, a giant luminous cloud overshadowed them and spoke... it was God. God showed up on that mountain and set a few things straight. Having just encountered God himself, the disciples fell to the ground in fear and shame. But Jesus, in his infinite kindness and love picked them up and comforted them (vv.7-8).

Now that’s a mountain-top experience! Literally! I can only imagine the disciples wanted to stay in that place forever, on top of that mountain, and bask in what they just saw, reliving the emotion of that experience. But in the very next verse Jesus is bringing them back down the mountain, back to the rest of the disciples, back to the real world where their lives carry on.

For many of us who attended the Workcamp (and for those who’ve been a part of one before), we can relate to this story. It was a mountain-top experience and we encountered God in many new ways. The emotion can only be described as a “spiritual high” and coming down from that can be difficult, even scary. Because up on that “mountain” it’s easy and it’s safe to experience God and express our emotions through worship, and bonding and service. But it’s not the real world for us. Yes, Rocky Mount is a real place with real people, and the Workcamp is a real thing, but it’s not where God has called us to remain. Jesus wouldn't allow his friends to stay on that mountain and we can’t stay at Workcamp forever. He has called us to come home and show others the amazing impact that experience has had on our lives and to share His love with those who may not know it. On the final night at Workcamp we heard the words, “Serving Jesus doesn't stop here.” So true! We are called to serve Him and others right here, right where we are. There is work to be done right here! That spiritual high can’t last forever and sooner or later we all have to come down from that mountain-top experience. But the same Jesus who picked up his disciples, walked with them, and vowed to remain in their hearts, extends the same comfort, presence, and promise to us as well. My hope and prayer is that the love He filled us with during that week would overflow into the lives of those we encounter here and now and that we would live lives forever changed by the power of God.

The descent from your mountain-top experience, whatever it may have been, doesn’t have to be a dead fall. There are so many ways for you to remain connected to God throughout the year. Get involved in worship and Youth Group. Make it a habit to read your Bible and pray everyday. Spend time with other Christians who will keep you accountable. Make sure you are being spiritually fed. And if you need help with any of those things, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask...

A Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Love. I can't help but talk about it... after all, it's still lingering in the air. That special time of the year has come and gone once again. No, it wasn't Valentine's Day or the candy-company-concocted Sweetest Day. It was prom season! Perhaps you noticed it too... the limos, the dresses, the tuxedos, the fancy dinners, the overabundance of Facebook photo albums... it really is quite the occasion and it's no wonder why so many people get wrapped up in the emotion of it all. One of my favorite parts of the prom season is hearing about the great lengths guys and girls will go to in order to get a date or ask someone to the dance. Their creativity knows no bounds. One guy's attempt in Connecticut even made national news and sparked a controversial debate on whether or not "the punishment fit the crime." It amazes me to see how they pursue the one they love (or at least have a crush on).

The story of Scripture is a true account of a God who is in pursuit as well. It's the story of a loving Creator who pursues His creation just as a lover passionately pursues the beloved or the hormone-driven teenager awkwardly, yet determinedly pursues his prom date. While God's pursuit of His creation may seem really strange to us, keep in mind that it's a metaphor. There aren't any weird romantic feelings involved here. But passionate, even romantic, human love is powerful stuff - Scripture even describes it "as strong as death" (Song of Songs 8:6)! And so it's the best symbol we have to describe the most powerful love of all... the love of God for us. Just as a lover pursues his or her beloved, so God pursues us and will go to great lengths to make His love known. And just as those in loving relationships live in faithfulness to one another, so we are to live faithfully to God.

In Hosea 1:2, God tells the prophet Hosea (hence the name of the book) to marry a prostitute named Gomer... knowing all along that she will cheat on him, break his heart, and be the most unfaithful spouse one could ever have. Why? Because their relationship and the pain of an unkept promise served as a mirror for God's chosen people. And like a mirror, it exposes something much deeper about how our unfaithfulness today affects God. When we stop pursuing our first love, God, and settle for things of such less value and meaning; when we replace Him with our stuff, even ourselves; when we start caring more about what others think of us than what He thinks of us; when we're seduced by the promises of popularity and success... guess what... we've cheated on Him. We've broken His heart. We've been unfaithful.

Now, if you've read Hosea all the way through (spoiler alert) you'll know that it's not all doom and gloom. There's a light at the end of the tunnel. Gomer is eventually redeemed. And in keeping with the metaphor, so are God's people. In the book, the prostitute-turned-wife is bought back with fifteen pieces of silver, five bushels of barley, and some wine. We were also "bought" back, redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Even though we were unfaithful to Him, and even though we will more than likely continue to cheat on Him, God will never stop pursuing us, going to great lengths to restore and heal that broken relationship. Hosea 14:4 says, "I [the Lord] will heal you of your faithlessness; my love will know no bounds, for my anger will be gone forever." Love is a crazy thing (the rock band Queen would agree). And it'll make you do crazy things. But nothing... nothing... is crazier than the unconditional, relentless love that our heavenly Father has for us!

Happy Summer!

A Little Inbox Inspiration

Most of the time my inbox is flooded with junk. Yes, I have a spam filter... and yes, it's turned on. But for some reason, pointless forwards and annoying ads still seem to find their way in. I suppose it's mostly my fault. I do sign up and subscribe to a lot of different things. But every now and then something noteworthy, something forward-worthy graces my inbox. Awhile back I signed up for daily devotions/quotes from Brennan Manning. I would like to share one that came to inbox recently. It's an excerpt from his latest book, The Furious Longing of God. The quote is beautiful and speaks for itself. It's a powerful reminder of what it means to be a follower of Christ. I hope you find as much inspiration in these words as I did...

"The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus is meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make us brand-new creations. Not to make people with better morals but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in even greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy, boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This my friend, is what it really means to be a Christian." (Brennan Manning, The Furious Longing of God)

Happy June!

Coming Up For Air

Hold your breath for as long as you can. No, seriously... do it right now... I'll wait. Okay, how long could you hold it? What did that experience feel like? Towards the end, how desperate were you for oxygen? I remember as a kid having competitions with my buddies at the pool to see who could hold their breath the longest while underwater. We'd suck in a huge gulp of air, puff out our cheeks, pinch our nostrils and stare intensely at one another... just waiting for someone to give in and come up to the surface, gasping for air. Looking back, it was kind of a terrifying experience. No one likes the feeling of suffocating, the desperation and longing for relief.

If you think about it, that desperation for air, that need for oxygen can be compared to our connection to God... especially our connection to God through prayer. Martin Luther said that "to be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." The way Luther saw it was that prayer is necessary, vital, to the Christian life and to our connection with God. Without it we're breathless, dead, but with it we're alive and truly living in an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father. Psalm 34 takes this metaphor even further: "I bless God every chance I get; my lungs expand with His praise. I live and breathe God..." (Psalm 34:1-2, The Message). Just a few chapters later in that book we hear a passage that speaks of our greatest need and longing: "As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God..." (Psalm 42:1-2, NLT).

As we approach Lent, a season that encourages reflection through prayer, take the opportunity to come up for air. If you've been holding your breath, not allowing God to "expand your lungs" through prayer, take this next month to reconnect with Him. Like any relationship worth preserving, communication is essential. Why should our relationship with God be any different? He wants to be there for you... He wants to be connected to you and know that He is a vital part of your existence. If you feel like your life right now is suffocating your relationship with God, pray to Him and ask Him to send His Spirit into you, filling you with a life-giving breath that frees you to truly live the life you were made to live. Happy March!

The Faith Lives of Ducks

Soren Kierkegaard, the Danish philosopher/theologian, told a story, a parable if you will, about a town where only ducks live:

Every Sunday morning the ducks waddle out of their houses and waddle down Main Street to their church. They waddle into the sanctuary and squat in their proper pews. The duck choir waddles in and takes its place, then the duck minister waddles forward and opens the duck Bible. He preaches to them: "Ducks! God has given you wings! With wings you can fly! With wings you can mount up and soar like eagles. No walls can confine you! No fences can hold you! You have wings. God has given you wings and you can fly like birds!" All the ducks shout, "Amen!" And then they all waddle home.

Kierkegaard used that story to get people, particularly Christians, to think about their God-given potential. We constantly hear about our potential in Christ. We read verses like Philippians 4:13 that says, "I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Or even John 14:12 that says, "I [Jesus Christ] tell you the truth, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father." We sit in church or Sunday School, nodding our heads in agreement about the new life that can be ours through Christ and through a commitment to faith... but in the end, how often do you we act upon what we've heard? Like the ducks in the parable, we just say "Amen" and continue on with our lives, the same way we always have.

So maybe there is something more to a faith commitment. Maybe there's a piece that we're missing. James 2:17 says that "faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." Wow. Strong words. But true nonetheless. It's still faith... but it's not a living faith. It's not a walking, talking, breathing, moving, hands and feet of God kinda faith! A true faith commitment is more than just saying you believe that God has given you a gift, it's the courage and tenacity to use that gift and share it with others.

In yet another story about commitment, Kierkegaard tells the tale of a man trapped on the edge of a cliff with raging fire burning towards him. The inferno is rapidly approaching and it will only be a minute or two before the fire reaches and consumes him. All of a sudden the man hears a voice from down below the cliff, in the darkness, calling out, "Jump!" Frightened, the man yells back, "But I can't see you! There's only darkness down there!" The voice from down below yells back, "Jump anyway! I can see you!"

No one tells stories about commitment better than Kierkegaard. Probably because, for him, commitment was the core of what it means to be a Christian. And he used that particular story, the one about the man on the cliff, to illustrate what he called "the leap of faith." Tony Campolo said that, "in the end, what is required in committing oneself to Christ is so overwhelming that only those who are desperate are ready to take that leap of faith and give themselves over completely to the voice that calls out to us."

So here's my challenge for you, for all of us. Spend some quiet time alone with God. Listen for Him. Maybe He's calling out to you but you've been so distracted by other things that the noise of busyness, complacency, and apathy has muted His voice. What's He trying to tell you? What commitment is He asking you to make? What gift is He urging you to share? After listening to God, pray that He would send His Spirit into your heart and that through Him and through His power, you will be able to do those great things... to act and not just speak... to soar and not just waddle. Happy February!

Things Change... God Doesn't...

Change is inevitable. Agree or disagree? I think most people would agree with that statement... especially around this time of the year. Another new year seems to always bring change and resolution to make changes. Some people embrace the change, even welcome it, while others fear it. Some people avoid change at all cost while others deem it unavoidable and simply a fact of life. In the midst of change and an ever-evolving society it's easy to forget that we have a God who stays the same. As the writer of Hebrews put it, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8 NIV). Or as God Himself said, "I am God... Yes, I AM. I haven't changed" (Malachi 3:6 MSG). A God who doesn't change is, at the same time, comforting and challenging.

David Bazan (formerly known as Pedro the Lion... an indie rock band in the late 90s, early 00s) wrote a heart-spilling song called "Letter From A Concerned Follower." In it he laments on God's inability (or refusal) to adapt to the changing times. He sings, "I hear that You don't change / How do You expect to keep up with the trends?" When I first heard that line I was appalled... of course God doesn't change! But then I realized how often I too had expected Him to change, to adapt... to accommodate me and my schedule, my choices, my beliefs, and the life I wanted to live. All the while, I was ignoring God calling me to change... "Don't be like the people of this world, but let God change the way you think. Then you will know how to do everything that is good and pleasing to Him" (Romans 12:2 CEV). "You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, so please Him and be truly holy" (Ephesians 4:22-24 CEV). That was His call for His people then; and it is His call for His people still today. God doesn't change... but we do. Instead of asking God to change, to accommodate your choices, or to squeeze into your busy lives, ask Him to be number one, top priority, forefront of your life. "These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers... Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need" (Matthew 6:32-33 NLT).

It certainly is the trend, especially in this area, to be busy... which isn't in itself a bad thing. Where we get in trouble is when we push God away in order to make room for all of those things that keep us busy. I think, at times, we expect God to keep up with our fast-paced, over-committed lives; meanwhile, He is yelling out to us, "Be still! And know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10 NIV). Imagine the peace that would flood our lives if we only took His advice. It's the peace that comes with knowing who God is, what He has done, and what He is capable of doing. And it's a peace that comes when we slow down and create time and space for God to reveal Himself to us. Replacing our expectations and the expectations of those around us is not easy. It's radical and risky. It may mean that we miss out on some things, or even lose some friends. But obeying God and being a new creation was never meant to be easy... or popular... or safe. It was meant to give us a life worth living, and a hope worth living for. The good news is that our God, the God of new-beginnings, of fresh-starts, of second-chances, offers us all of those things. And with the help of the Holy Spirit, change is possible. Make this year different. Embrace the change that God is continually working in you. Stop trying to change Him, and let Him transform you into the image-bearer you were created to be. Happy New Year!

What Comes Down, Must Go Up (or Something Like That...)

Alright, admit it, you've given some terrible gifts. No doubt you've also received some questionable gifts. It's no surprise God is the ultimate gift-giver. He doesn't give out of expectation, desperation, selfishness, ignorance, laziness, or any of the other reasons why we give. For Christmas, however, God gave us something no one expected... it was the greatest gift He could give... Himself. The same God who formed the heavens and the earth and who knew you before you were born was now a little baby. It may seem odd, maybe even absurd, that God's rescue plan for a world in need was a baby. But God's answer to the world's problems has never been material things. Instead of giving us more stuff, He gave us Himself. God entered into the very situation He wants to heal. God showed up in our neighborhood so we would know who the eternal God is and what He's really like. God now had a face and a voice and walked among us. The miracle of Christmas is this... God showed up!

How miraculous, and at the same time preposterous, that our God, our creator and sustainer, would put on flesh and dwell among us! But this incarnation, becoming human, was all part of His master plan and was necessary in order to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. No wonder it was hard for people to believe that a baby was going to do all of that! But God coming down allowed for the Son to be raised up, and in doing so offered us the hope of our own rising.

In his classic, Miracles, C.S. Lewis describes the Christmas miracle like this: In the Christian story God descends to reascend. He comes down; down from the heights of absolute being into time and space, down into humanity; down further still, if embryologists are right, to repeat in the womb ancient and pre-human phases of life; down to the very roots and seabed of the nature He has created. But He comes down to go up again and bring the whole ruined world up with Him. One has the picture of a strong man stooping lower and lower to get himself underneath some great complicated burden. He must stoop in order to lift, he must almost disappear under the load before he incredibly straightens his back and marches off with the whole mass swaying on his shoulders.

What a great image of the directional action our God took! Coming down in order to raise us up. Brilliant! As Paul describes it, "he made himself nothing..." (Philippians 2:7) so that God's glory could be known. May we always remember the depths our God went to, all for our sake. And may we honor Him, not only this season, but always.

Happy December!

Turning the Car Around

I've been spending a lot of time in the Old Testament lately. Our confirmation class recently covered major themes in the Old Testament and in preparation for teaching, I spent hours reading about how God interacted in the lives of His chosen people, the Israelites. The Old Testament is filled with accounts of God placing Himself, in very real, physical, and tangible ways into the story. And every time I read those stories, I am amazed at how God chooses to act... and how His people choose to respond. Take the Exodus for example...

God led perhaps one of the greatest escapes of all time. Thousands and thousands of oppressed people fled their slavery in Egypt by following His clear guidance and instructions. And all of a sudden, they were free. God had come through... just like He said He would. And things started off great. They were basking in the glow of their new found freedom, eagerly anticipating kicking back in the Promised Land. Then the grumbling started. The people became impatient. They complained about the wandering. Are we there yet? They complained about the food. Manna again?!?! They complained about Moses. Does he even know where he's going? And they complained about God. Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food (Numbers 21:5). And how did God respond to their grumbling and complaining? Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died (Numbers 21:6). Wow. His judgment was swift and serious.

I remember long car trips on family vacations where my brother and I would get restless and inevitably holler from the back seat, "Are we there yet?!?!" And my dad's go-to response was always, "I will turn this car around... I mean it... we will go right back home." He said he meant it. But he never did it. Except for one time. It must have been the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back because... he did it. He actually turned the care around and drove back home. I remember feeling so ashamed and ungrateful. I'm sure the Israelites never thought their complaining and lack of gratitude would result in a venomous snake attack, kind like how I never thought my dad would actually turn the car around. But it happened.

Stories like that seem embarrassing to us Christians when other people hear them. We almost want to apologize for God, or make excuses for Him. We say, "Well that was the Old Testament. Things are different now." Or "God didn't mean to hurt those people, He was just teaching them a lesson. If you forget to thank your mom for dinner, God won't kill you." But the unmistakable point, the unchanging message, is this: our ungratefulness is more serious than we think. In God's mind, giving thanks matters. He spoke through the apostle Paul about thankless people: Yes, they knew God. But they wouldn't honor Him as their God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result their minds became dark and confused (Romans 1:21 NLT). No honor... no thanks... foolish ideas... confused minds. In God's mind, giving thanks matters. It's a big deal. This month, as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, remember to be grateful for all that you have, and for all that you've been given. And take the time to honor God as the giver of those good gifts. Happy Thanksgiving!

A Messy (But Real) Life

"My life is a mess." That is the opening sentence of Mike Yanconelli's book, Messy Spirituality (if you haven't read it, go pick up a copy today!). Mike goes on to ask the question: "What if genuine faith begins with admitting we will never have our act completely together?" I must admit that, at times, I am guilty of putting up a happy and perfect front in order to hide hurt and sin. And honestly, I think a lot of people, both teens and adults, in the church do the same thing. We have this fear of showing our true selves because... well... what everyone think of me? What will God think of me? I'm not alone in this struggle and neither are you. In fact, great heroes of faith have felt the same way. The apostle Paul wrote, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate I do... I know that nothing good lives in me... For I have this desire to do what is good, but cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do" (Romans 7:15-19). Basically, Paul is admitting that he's an imperfect mess without God. And he's right! The Bible is clear that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). We all hurt. We all sin. And like Paul, we hate some of the things we do and we don't know why we keep on doing them.

So what's the easiest way to deal with these faults, these imperfections? We hide them. We cover them up. We dress up and go to church and smile. People ask how we are and we pull out the Christian "F" word... fine. We say "fine" even though sometimes we're anything but fine. Why do we do this? Because we don't want to admit we're not perfect. We don't want to spill our messiness on others. If we do, we think people will judge... or even worse, reject us.

But church is the one place we should be able to be real and messy. We all know we're flawed. We all know we're carrying around burdens and sin. So let's stop hiding behind the masks and be who we really are. Many people, myself included, think that you have to have it all together to come to church, to come before God. But, in fact, it's just the opposite. In the words of Rob Bell, pastor of Mars Hill, "God says to us, 'When you come to Me, come to Me with all your junk, with all your problems, come to Me all screwed up, all messed up. Let Me take care of it.'" We should come to God, just as we are, broken and needing to be made right, to be put back together. After all, "sacrifice God wants is a broken spirit. God, you will not reject a heart that is broken and sorry for sin" (Psalm 51:17, NCV).

I'll be the first to admit that being honest with who we really are is not easy. It's hard to be open and real, especially when we live in a world with fake people and unrealistic expectations. But there is hope... you're not alone. My advice to you is to find at least one other person you can be real with and who will accept you for who you are (a messy and imperfect sinner, saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus). Meet with this person regularly, pray with each other, keep one another accountable. In doing so, I believe you'll begin to overcome the fear of being yourself and see that it's okay to say "My life is a mess." Jesus came into a messed up world, to get messy and to save messy people. Without him, what a mess we'd be in!