Shepherds? Really?
That was the plan all along?
Ever think that there had to be a better way to let the world know about the birth of Jesus? I understand the fact that a massive text message would be highly impersonal and technologically impossible at that time, but there had to be some other way.
Shepherds were famous (or should i say INfamous) for their storytelling. Their stories were, at the very best, embellishments of the truth. It reached the point that a shepherd's testimony, even an eye witness account, was not admissable in a court of law.
And God chose them.
To share the good news.
To announce to the world that Peace had come.
While the shepherds were not highly valued by society, they played an important role in the economic and spiritual culture of their town of Bethlehem.
They raised the sheep that were sold for sacrifices.
They raised sacrificial lambs.
They "kept watch over their flocks".
As they are guarding the sheep, angels tell them that they have glad tidings of great joy...for all people. The angels have a message, they have the good news of great joy...and they tell the shepherds first.
Because the shepherds have already invested.
See, the shepherds know about sacrifice. They lay down their lives for their sheep. In this case, they would raise a lamb until it was fully grown and acceptable for sacrifice. They fed, protected, cleaned, led these sheep for years...only to sell them to die.
And we wonder why God chose the shepherds.
If anyone understood it...
if anyone "got it"...
if anyone invested...
it was them.
Because of their investment, they understood joy.
Because of their joy, they wanted to tell the world.
But their joy would not come without knowing what it is to sacrifice.
Many of us go through life never really knowing joy. We grow bitter when things don't go our way. We get bored when it is not how we want it. We start to call things mundane and irrelevant. We may be physically present but soulfully absent.
Because we have never known joy...
because we have never invested.
We think joy is found in victory.
I would say true joy is found in sacrifice...in investment.
That is why He chose shepherds. They had invested. They had sacrificed.
Therefore, they knew joy.
12.18.2008
12.11.2008
love: participate
this summer, meredith and i had a chance to go to a major league baseball game. it was the final game of a three game series between two division rivals who were both in contention for first place.
let's just say it got heated at times.
at different times throughout the game, a ground swell of noise would make its way through the domed stadium. it would happen and then people would stand.
like we were pavlov's dogs and the bell had rung.
there were certainly good reasons for this outburst of emotion and fist pumps:
a full count, 2 strikes with the tying run at second base, the final out of the game...
but as i looked around the stadium, everyone was not standing. people were actually sitting down. intense moments in baseball lore were happening and they sat through them. the moment was happening whether they stood or not, but
they missed the depth of the experience because they refused to participate in it.
i actually heard some "sitters" telling the "standers" in front of them to sit down because they couldn't see.
they were offended and even grew bitter because other people were excited and participating in what was happening.
because that is what happens when we sit...
we get offended.
we get bitter.
we think we are experiencing all there is, but the truth is we are not even close.
we may be in the stadium, but we are certainly not experiencing the game.
we may even experience part of it, but when it gets really intense, our comfort is more important.
it happens at concerts, too.
and theme parks.
and churches.
and in love.
the experience is the fullest when we participate.
let's just say it got heated at times.
at different times throughout the game, a ground swell of noise would make its way through the domed stadium. it would happen and then people would stand.
like we were pavlov's dogs and the bell had rung.
there were certainly good reasons for this outburst of emotion and fist pumps:
a full count, 2 strikes with the tying run at second base, the final out of the game...
but as i looked around the stadium, everyone was not standing. people were actually sitting down. intense moments in baseball lore were happening and they sat through them. the moment was happening whether they stood or not, but
they missed the depth of the experience because they refused to participate in it.
i actually heard some "sitters" telling the "standers" in front of them to sit down because they couldn't see.
they were offended and even grew bitter because other people were excited and participating in what was happening.
because that is what happens when we sit...
we get offended.
we get bitter.
we think we are experiencing all there is, but the truth is we are not even close.
we may be in the stadium, but we are certainly not experiencing the game.
we may even experience part of it, but when it gets really intense, our comfort is more important.
it happens at concerts, too.
and theme parks.
and churches.
and in love.
the experience is the fullest when we participate.
12.03.2008
hope: what-is
this year, Christmas is exactly four weeks from Thanksgiving Day. 28 days.
28 days to get your tree up and decorated. (unless it has already been up for a month)
28 days to put those moving fake deer in your front yard.
28 days to finish crocheting your stocking.
28 days to figure out how to thank your aunt for that sweater....again.
28 days to memorize every line of Elf or A Christmas Story.
28 days to shop.
28 days to worry about if he will like what you got him or wondering if she is even worth that much money.
28 days.
four weeks.
the "anticipation" in the air at this time of year is quite noticable....maybe "anxiety" is really more appropriate.
what would it take to get back to a spirit of anticipation and excitement?
what will it take to put things in perspective?
advent.
it is a latin word which means arrival.
it is an old tradition which is built upon the expectation of a coming Messiah..
the restoration of all things.
it is a period of...
four weeks.
each week has a different focus or theme:
hope
love
joy
peace.
this week, the first of four weeks, the theme is hope.
we, often, do not anticipate well because we do not hope well. we are anxious, nervous, dreadful perhaps because we have a lack or a misconception of hope. we miss the glory of the buildup, of the tension, because of that same lack or misconception of hope.
we view hope as something that comes from the outside of our circumstance.
from beyond the here and now.
from the what-could-be.
maybe hope actually springs up from the inside of our circumstance.
from the actual here and now.
from the what-is.
we want to be rescued from a situation and we, therefore, view hope as the expectation of that evacuation. we want hope to sweep in and save the day. what if hope actually saves the day from the midst of the storm rather than as a wind from beyond it?
the Jews for generations looked for a Messiah, Hope, to come in and save the day. they wanted Hope to be a source of political strength, an overthrow of the Roman government. others wanted Hope to cleanse the world of its unrighteousness through the destruction of all that was unrighteous. they all wanted Hope to come from the outside. they looked for Hope to come radiantly from beyond the mess.
but Hope came from within.
Hope was born into a family with a geneology that included great leaders and faithful men and women.
Hope was born into a family with a geneology that included prostitutes and liars and outcasts.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a pure woman.
Hope was born into the world as the child of an unwed mother.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a just man.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a man who wanted to do good, but could not figure out what good was in the midst of a bad situation.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a man who thought the answer was in a quiet divorce.
Hope was born in a stable.
Hope was placed in a feeding trough to sleep.
Hope was rejected because it was too late for a room.
Hope was proclaimed by many men and women and children.
Hope was proclaimed by these men and women and children who were known as liars and storytellers.
Hope was proclaimed by people whose testimonies were inadmissable in a court of law.
Hope came from within.
from within the messiness of relationships.
from within the struggle to do right.
from within the busyness.
from within the dirt and filth.
Hope has come.
not like we wanted it to come.
but like we needed it to come.
28 days to get your tree up and decorated. (unless it has already been up for a month)
28 days to put those moving fake deer in your front yard.
28 days to finish crocheting your stocking.
28 days to figure out how to thank your aunt for that sweater....again.
28 days to memorize every line of Elf or A Christmas Story.
28 days to shop.
28 days to worry about if he will like what you got him or wondering if she is even worth that much money.
28 days.
four weeks.
the "anticipation" in the air at this time of year is quite noticable....maybe "anxiety" is really more appropriate.
what would it take to get back to a spirit of anticipation and excitement?
what will it take to put things in perspective?
advent.
it is a latin word which means arrival.
it is an old tradition which is built upon the expectation of a coming Messiah..
the restoration of all things.
it is a period of...
four weeks.
each week has a different focus or theme:
hope
love
joy
peace.
this week, the first of four weeks, the theme is hope.
we, often, do not anticipate well because we do not hope well. we are anxious, nervous, dreadful perhaps because we have a lack or a misconception of hope. we miss the glory of the buildup, of the tension, because of that same lack or misconception of hope.
we view hope as something that comes from the outside of our circumstance.
from beyond the here and now.
from the what-could-be.
maybe hope actually springs up from the inside of our circumstance.
from the actual here and now.
from the what-is.
we want to be rescued from a situation and we, therefore, view hope as the expectation of that evacuation. we want hope to sweep in and save the day. what if hope actually saves the day from the midst of the storm rather than as a wind from beyond it?
the Jews for generations looked for a Messiah, Hope, to come in and save the day. they wanted Hope to be a source of political strength, an overthrow of the Roman government. others wanted Hope to cleanse the world of its unrighteousness through the destruction of all that was unrighteous. they all wanted Hope to come from the outside. they looked for Hope to come radiantly from beyond the mess.
but Hope came from within.
Hope was born into a family with a geneology that included great leaders and faithful men and women.
Hope was born into a family with a geneology that included prostitutes and liars and outcasts.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a pure woman.
Hope was born into the world as the child of an unwed mother.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a just man.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a man who wanted to do good, but could not figure out what good was in the midst of a bad situation.
Hope was born into the world as the child of a man who thought the answer was in a quiet divorce.
Hope was born in a stable.
Hope was placed in a feeding trough to sleep.
Hope was rejected because it was too late for a room.
Hope was proclaimed by many men and women and children.
Hope was proclaimed by these men and women and children who were known as liars and storytellers.
Hope was proclaimed by people whose testimonies were inadmissable in a court of law.
Hope came from within.
from within the messiness of relationships.
from within the struggle to do right.
from within the busyness.
from within the dirt and filth.
Hope has come.
not like we wanted it to come.
but like we needed it to come.
11.23.2008
simple
we have such an innate ability to make life so much more complicated than it was ever intended to be. i suppose that is how we have always been.
there was that whole incident with the fruit and the snake in the tree.
there is something within us that has a hard time dealing with simplicity. it is almost as if simplicity is more threatening than complexity. simplicity scares us.
simplicity requires commitment.
complexity leaves excuses for infidelity.
while simplicity can move us to explore the deepest parts of the ocean at a pace that allows us to take in its beauty, complexity can get us swimming at a record pace only to find we could have stood up and just walked.
somehow, we have deceived ourselves into thinking the more complex the equation, the deeper our understanding. i have found, though, that the most simple equations have the surprising ability to keep showing up in our everyday lives.
simplicity will develop depth while complexity will keep you shallow.
we often determine that a church is deep in its message by the number of programs they have going on. we determine the depth of a person's relationship with Christ based on the number of verses they have memorized or the number of Bible studies they attend.
truth is a multitude of programs actually distract from the mission.
truth is memorizing verses and attending Bible studies actually keep us from committing to any one thing.
the greatest threat to your depth is not another deep commitment, it is the multitude of shallow ones.
when we are deeply committed to the simplicity of the One thing, everything else is affected.
it is not that our commitment to the One thing eliminates commitments to everything else,
it is that everything else somehow finds itself committed to the One thing, as well.
maybe it is time we get back to the simplicity of loving God and loving others.
maybe when we do that we will find ourselves in deeper than we ever imagined.
maybe we just need to make it
...
simple.
there was that whole incident with the fruit and the snake in the tree.
there is something within us that has a hard time dealing with simplicity. it is almost as if simplicity is more threatening than complexity. simplicity scares us.
simplicity requires commitment.
complexity leaves excuses for infidelity.
while simplicity can move us to explore the deepest parts of the ocean at a pace that allows us to take in its beauty, complexity can get us swimming at a record pace only to find we could have stood up and just walked.
somehow, we have deceived ourselves into thinking the more complex the equation, the deeper our understanding. i have found, though, that the most simple equations have the surprising ability to keep showing up in our everyday lives.
simplicity will develop depth while complexity will keep you shallow.
we often determine that a church is deep in its message by the number of programs they have going on. we determine the depth of a person's relationship with Christ based on the number of verses they have memorized or the number of Bible studies they attend.
truth is a multitude of programs actually distract from the mission.
truth is memorizing verses and attending Bible studies actually keep us from committing to any one thing.
the greatest threat to your depth is not another deep commitment, it is the multitude of shallow ones.
when we are deeply committed to the simplicity of the One thing, everything else is affected.
it is not that our commitment to the One thing eliminates commitments to everything else,
it is that everything else somehow finds itself committed to the One thing, as well.
maybe it is time we get back to the simplicity of loving God and loving others.
maybe when we do that we will find ourselves in deeper than we ever imagined.
maybe we just need to make it
...
simple.
hiatus
yes, it has been a while. for the two or three of you who read my blog, i am sorry it has been so long.
...
i will be blogging more regularly, now...for the two or three of you who read this.
peace.
...
i will be blogging more regularly, now...for the two or three of you who read this.
peace.
9.27.2008
remedy
i watched the presidential debate last night. i am impressed by how much knowledge the two men have. it is particularly impressive how they know so much about so many topics. i guess when you are passionate about something, learning is not an obstacle.
one of them made a statement that i think applies to where our generation finds themselves.
the two candidates were debating the war in iraq and one of the men said that the next president of the united states would not have to decide whether or not to go into iraq, but decide how to remedy the situation.
it seems like a simple idea and one that really would not require much thought.
it is true.
our troops are already in iraq. we have already gone in.
i think many times, we can find ourselves in a similar place in regards to the church.
our generation, and others, are quick to judge what has happened. they are quick to judge and criticize where we find ourselves today.
but the question is not whether we should go in. the question is how are we going to remedy the situation.
essentially, it is what it is.
we are in a place where many have turned away God because of the behavior of His church.
we are in a place where being a Christian is determined by how you vote on abortion and gay rights rather than how you live your life.
we are in a place where being the church has tragically been replaced with going to church.
we are in a place where churches are growing because Christians are unhappy at one church and move to another one.
we are in a place where a critique of Sunday morning becomes the centerpiece of Sunday lunch rather than the lessons learned.
i am tired of my cynical perspective.
i am tired of saying i would have done it differently.
those things do not help the current situation.
i fear that we have spent to much time discussing and debating how we got in, rather than how we will fix it.
it is in our debating and discussing and arguing that we have gone from being in captivity to now holding others captive.
yes, we are far from where we need to be.
good observation.
now, let's do something to get back to where we need to be.
peace.
one of them made a statement that i think applies to where our generation finds themselves.
the two candidates were debating the war in iraq and one of the men said that the next president of the united states would not have to decide whether or not to go into iraq, but decide how to remedy the situation.
it seems like a simple idea and one that really would not require much thought.
it is true.
our troops are already in iraq. we have already gone in.
i think many times, we can find ourselves in a similar place in regards to the church.
our generation, and others, are quick to judge what has happened. they are quick to judge and criticize where we find ourselves today.
but the question is not whether we should go in. the question is how are we going to remedy the situation.
essentially, it is what it is.
we are in a place where many have turned away God because of the behavior of His church.
we are in a place where being a Christian is determined by how you vote on abortion and gay rights rather than how you live your life.
we are in a place where being the church has tragically been replaced with going to church.
we are in a place where churches are growing because Christians are unhappy at one church and move to another one.
we are in a place where a critique of Sunday morning becomes the centerpiece of Sunday lunch rather than the lessons learned.
i am tired of my cynical perspective.
i am tired of saying i would have done it differently.
those things do not help the current situation.
i fear that we have spent to much time discussing and debating how we got in, rather than how we will fix it.
it is in our debating and discussing and arguing that we have gone from being in captivity to now holding others captive.
yes, we are far from where we need to be.
good observation.
now, let's do something to get back to where we need to be.
peace.
9.16.2008
react
this weekend we hosted a conference called react.
it turned out to be a pretty cool weekend.
we centered the whole weekend around 6 verses: acts 2:42-47.
a bunch of my friends (go orange crew!) helped out and made it a weekend i hope many will never forget.
a good friend of mine, richard durbin, did an amazing job setting up and leading our worship through music as he played with blake moore, chris spinks and others.
josh abernathy, one of my very best friends, also did a lot to lead us in worship while another friend, jared gunter, of canvas church ran the board and created an environment that presented a chance to worship without distraction.
my good friend doug garvin, who is the lead pastor of canvas church, did the teaching for our first main session on friday night and did an incredible job of setting the tone for the weekend. he talked about how great things happen when we find ourselves in awe of God, when we are struck with such great respect and wonder.
saturday morning, one of my best friends, mike thompson did the teaching. he talked about sacrifice. he essentially reminded us, from acts 2:44-45, that community is built through sacrifice. mike did such an amazing job of getting us clued into this idea of sacrifice.
saturday night, we wrapped it all up by talking about communion. we discussed verses 46 and 47 and came to the conclusion that communion, or the eucharist, is more than a monthly thing we do.
it should be a lifestyle.
we should live a life of communion.
of breaking ourselves open and pouring ourselves out for the healing of the world.
we can and should be the answer to the world's prayers.
reacting to the influence of God can happen in many ways, but it must always be centered around that one thing.
we had a really cool experience saturday night. we all walked silently outside and gathered around a long line of tables with bread and a cup on them. the tables were set in the middle of the street. we stood around them and sang and witnessed communion in a new fresh way.
i am interested to hear what those of you who attended thought...more importantly how you were affected and in turn, how you have reacted.
[we are working on the podcast - www.react.mypodcast.com - it is giving us problems.]
i am blown away.
peace.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)