Christmas has come and the New Year is beckoning. May Christ Jesus and the renewal of His Life in you be the center of your days, weeks and months of 2008. This is a great poem/song that helps translate the beauty and grace of God's original creation into the "recreation" (what a great word!) of each new day. Lord bless our friends in this new season and smile broadly on them, their loved-ones and the work of their hands.
Morning Has Broken
lyrics by Eleanor Farjeon
Morning has broken, like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken, like the first bird
Praise for the singing, praise for the morning
Praise for the springing fresh from the word
Sweet the rain's new fall, sunlit from heaven
Like the first dewfall, on the first grass
Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden
Sprung in completeness where his feet pass
Mine is the sunlight, mine is the morning
Born of the one light, Eden saw play
Praise with elation, praise every morning
God's recreation of the new day
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Monday, December 24, 2007
A Touch of Spiritual Nighttime
The long and enduring spiritual nighttime of seemingly unfulfilled promises from God had swept over the ancient nation of Israel for centuries. The promise that David’s throne would endure forever and never lack an heir seemed to have been dashed with the division of the kingdom and the exile. The devout waited in agony. The godly wondered if God would ever intervene again. Where was the seed of the woman that would crush the serpent’s head? Where was the seed of Abraham that would bless all the people groups and families of the earth? Where was the Prophet who would be like father Moses?
A chosen nation who had been called to be a kingdom of holy priests in the whole earth had been reduced to a powerless and religiously confused divided nation—occupied by a brutish and pagan empire. But in the darkness, a light of hope had flickered. Cryptic and mysterious prophecies had been dusted off and reinterpreted in the midst of the long season of disillusionment and doubting.
God cannot lie—"maybe we are the ones who had misunderstood the nature and true applications of what the old prophets had said." In the darkest night of the nation's history, a hope had somehow arisen of the coming of God’s Chosen king—the true and greater Son of David—Ha'Mashiach—the Anointed One—the only hope for Israel. The One who would restore and fulfill the promises to Eve and Abraham and Moses and David. The Everlasting Covenant of God to bless all humanity—updated and upgraded through the Messiah coming to the earth in Person.
On Christmas Eve it's good for us to open our hearts to the agonizing longings of a world to whom Christ had not yet come--even if only for a brief song. This exercise can also deepen our appreciation for Jesus the Christ and the renewal of the reality of His Spirit within us when we necessarily go through our own periodic and episodic spiritual nighttimes. It's not altogether unlike our present longing for His second coming.
May the Lord prepare your heart for the celebration of His visitation.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Refrain
A chosen nation who had been called to be a kingdom of holy priests in the whole earth had been reduced to a powerless and religiously confused divided nation—occupied by a brutish and pagan empire. But in the darkness, a light of hope had flickered. Cryptic and mysterious prophecies had been dusted off and reinterpreted in the midst of the long season of disillusionment and doubting.
God cannot lie—"maybe we are the ones who had misunderstood the nature and true applications of what the old prophets had said." In the darkest night of the nation's history, a hope had somehow arisen of the coming of God’s Chosen king—the true and greater Son of David—Ha'Mashiach—the Anointed One—the only hope for Israel. The One who would restore and fulfill the promises to Eve and Abraham and Moses and David. The Everlasting Covenant of God to bless all humanity—updated and upgraded through the Messiah coming to the earth in Person.
On Christmas Eve it's good for us to open our hearts to the agonizing longings of a world to whom Christ had not yet come--even if only for a brief song. This exercise can also deepen our appreciation for Jesus the Christ and the renewal of the reality of His Spirit within us when we necessarily go through our own periodic and episodic spiritual nighttimes. It's not altogether unlike our present longing for His second coming.
May the Lord prepare your heart for the celebration of His visitation.
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Refrain
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, Thou Wisdom from on high,
Who orderest all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Refrain
O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free
Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
From depths of hell Thy people save,
And give them victory over the grave.
Refrain
O come, Thou Day-spring, come and cheer
Our spirits by Thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Refrain
O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Refrain
O come, O come, great Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times once gave the law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Refrain
O come, Thou Root of Jesse’s tree,
An ensign of Thy people be;
Before Thee rulers silent fall;
All peoples on Thy mercy call.
Refrain
O come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Refrain
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Super-Christian?
Yesterday and today I have been preparing to share a message with a congregation here in town called Celebration Community Church. After I preach, a fellow elder from Metro and I, along with the prayers of our wives and their whole congregation will be recognizing and appointing a new eldership team to guide and govern their community of faith. They recently experienced a total change in their church leadership that was very painful and challenging, but apparently a change that the Holy Spirit saw fit to initiate and undertake.
There is a paradox that we face today as we lay our hands on these servants of Christ and His church. On one hand, they have, truly, a high and holy calling, a sober responsibility, the power of God resting upon them and a very significant work in which to engage. On the other hand, they are imperfect human beings who are still in the process of becoming more like Christ and who are regular folk like the rest of us and their fellow church members whom they will lead. Yet, they will stumble in many ways, both personally and in their leadership. And still...Jesus, the Great Shepherd, will go before them, stand with them, surround them and be their "rear guard"--i.e. necessarily cover their back ends!
I resonate deeply with what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 3:5-7 about the healthy way to view human leaders in the church:
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
We know from Paul's second letter to them, that the Corinthians were subjected to the influence of some "super apostles"--charismatic and extremely persuasive, but deceitful and manipulative, professional quasi-Christian orators and false-wonder workers who were pulling on them to reject Paul's influence on them and follow after their self-initiated "personality cults". I love the way that Jesus modeled for us and also taught our spiritual fathers like Paul and Peter to dismantle this kind of "mystique" that so many leaders in history have exploited for their own advantage.
Today's church world could be so well served if more of its leaders would also model and promote this kind of Christ-like leadership. This kind of leadership can still be full of confidence and boldness and power, but it doesn't leave such human tragedy in its wake. And that is how we can know the difference--by the lasting fruit over the longer haul.
I am weary of "super-preachers" who are striving to create "super-Christians" and "super-churches". I have too often witnessed the personal breakdowns that have come with this agenda through the over 30 years of being in vocational ministry. I believe that simply being a graciously born anew follower of Jesus the Christ is awesome enough for any human soul. At least it is for me. Is it for you?
There is a paradox that we face today as we lay our hands on these servants of Christ and His church. On one hand, they have, truly, a high and holy calling, a sober responsibility, the power of God resting upon them and a very significant work in which to engage. On the other hand, they are imperfect human beings who are still in the process of becoming more like Christ and who are regular folk like the rest of us and their fellow church members whom they will lead. Yet, they will stumble in many ways, both personally and in their leadership. And still...Jesus, the Great Shepherd, will go before them, stand with them, surround them and be their "rear guard"--i.e. necessarily cover their back ends!
I resonate deeply with what the apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians in chapter 3:5-7 about the healthy way to view human leaders in the church:
5What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.
We know from Paul's second letter to them, that the Corinthians were subjected to the influence of some "super apostles"--charismatic and extremely persuasive, but deceitful and manipulative, professional quasi-Christian orators and false-wonder workers who were pulling on them to reject Paul's influence on them and follow after their self-initiated "personality cults". I love the way that Jesus modeled for us and also taught our spiritual fathers like Paul and Peter to dismantle this kind of "mystique" that so many leaders in history have exploited for their own advantage.
Today's church world could be so well served if more of its leaders would also model and promote this kind of Christ-like leadership. This kind of leadership can still be full of confidence and boldness and power, but it doesn't leave such human tragedy in its wake. And that is how we can know the difference--by the lasting fruit over the longer haul.
I am weary of "super-preachers" who are striving to create "super-Christians" and "super-churches". I have too often witnessed the personal breakdowns that have come with this agenda through the over 30 years of being in vocational ministry. I believe that simply being a graciously born anew follower of Jesus the Christ is awesome enough for any human soul. At least it is for me. Is it for you?
Monday, December 3, 2007
The Nativity
I thought I'd republish the blog from last year around this time--
Christmas is already on my mind I guess. Please excuse the lack of
capital letters--it was the blogging style with which I began.
i never knew why the birth of Jesus was called the nativity--a bit
embarrassing after all these years. i figured it had some connection
to how we talk about someone's "native land". it comes from a latin
root word that means "arisen from birth". it's the place of birthing.
john, in his gospel, is writing out of an understanding of the
incarnation of Christ being the inauguration or "the nativity" of a
"new genesis". "in the beginning"--The Father and The Word and The
Spirit, acting in a trinitarian concert of love, brooded over the
chaos and brought forth the first creation. but now there is a
astounding new development in God's plan for the earth. The Father,
The Word and The Spirit are brooding again in Jn 1:14--conspiring to
incarnate their love--within a chaotic world--filled with brokenness,
pain, tragedy, injustice, hatred, war, man-made corrupted religion,
sin, guilt and shame...the result being the "new creation" with the
prototype of a "new humanity" present on the earth's stage...Jesus of
Nazareth. Immanuel--God with us...God become like us...a commentary on
His original design for humanity, His love for and enjoyment of
humanity (and even the fallen world we inhabit that yet reflects the
beauty of His original design) and His desired destiny for humanity.
now...the Word becomes flesh--fully human as well a fully divine--
unimaginable, unheard of (except in cryptic ancient prophecies not
even fully understood by those through whom it flowed), a mystery and
miracle of the highest magnitude. the incarnation of Jesus points
profoundly to new birth, a new beginning, a new genesis, for the
inhabitants of the whole earth and ultimately for the earth
itself--"good news of great joy that will be for all the people"--as
the angels proclaimed to the shepherds.
when God sent His chosen King...the eternally begotten Son...into the
world, what was encoded in the message of it all? mary prophesied the
essence of it in her inspired poem--the magnificat--"He has shown
strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of
their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and
exalted those of humble estate...." (Luke 1:51-52) when God personally
entered this world in Christ, He came to put it right side up,
establish His justice and shed abroad His mercy by bringing down the
proud and arrogant and exalting the humble folk of the earth.
this mission is clearly portrayed in the nativity story. the
professional priest, zechariah, responds with unbelief to Gabriel's
big news, while the simple young maiden welcomes the even more amazing
message to her with a spirit of trust and belief. the lowly shepherds
receive a divine visitation of angels proclaiming the secrets of the
kingdom of God while the "movers and shakers" of Bethlehem are left
out of the story. the elderly simeon and anna have the Spirit of God
on them with the power to discern and bless in the name of the Lord
and the religious elite are also bypassed and left out of the story.
later on, mysteriously inspired wise men from the east go on a long
and costly pilgrimage to pay tribute to the foreign and humble infant
King, while the reigning king of the jewish nation, is threatened and
murderously enraged simply by the fuzzy buzz about the birth of One
who would one day sit on David's throne by the will of God. it's a
story of unlikely heroes who were not great in their own eyes.
but the force that God exerts in bringing down the proud and exalting
the humble does not proceed from His anger, but from His amazing
kindness. He himself will model the way of humility. He will leave
behind the pristine beauties of heaven. He will enter the world
incognito. He will make Himself of no reputation. He will enter the
world as a vulnerable fetus--born to common folk--poor, oppressed,
unknown, but devout and faithful to their covenant with God. He will
come as a suffering Servant/King. God the Almighty will come to His
own creation as a humble king...and personally bear the heavy pains
afflicting His precious creation.
this reveals an amazing and compelling truth about the God of the
scriptures...the one and only true God is humble in nature. when the
logos calls us to humble ourselves, it comes out of the ethos and
pathos of His own willingness to humble Himself. and...if He can and
would do such a thing, how can we reasonably hold on to our pride--in
whatever form it shows itself. there's an amazing reality about
humility...we can choose it no matter what our situation. may we
choose it daily--even continually...for "God is opposed to the proud,
but gives grace to the humble."
Christmas is already on my mind I guess. Please excuse the lack of
capital letters--it was the blogging style with which I began.
i never knew why the birth of Jesus was called the nativity--a bit
embarrassing after all these years. i figured it had some connection
to how we talk about someone's "native land". it comes from a latin
root word that means "arisen from birth". it's the place of birthing.
john, in his gospel, is writing out of an understanding of the
incarnation of Christ being the inauguration or "the nativity" of a
"new genesis". "in the beginning"--The Father and The Word and The
Spirit, acting in a trinitarian concert of love, brooded over the
chaos and brought forth the first creation. but now there is a
astounding new development in God's plan for the earth. The Father,
The Word and The Spirit are brooding again in Jn 1:14--conspiring to
incarnate their love--within a chaotic world--filled with brokenness,
pain, tragedy, injustice, hatred, war, man-made corrupted religion,
sin, guilt and shame...the result being the "new creation" with the
prototype of a "new humanity" present on the earth's stage...Jesus of
Nazareth. Immanuel--God with us...God become like us...a commentary on
His original design for humanity, His love for and enjoyment of
humanity (and even the fallen world we inhabit that yet reflects the
beauty of His original design) and His desired destiny for humanity.
now...the Word becomes flesh--fully human as well a fully divine--
unimaginable, unheard of (except in cryptic ancient prophecies not
even fully understood by those through whom it flowed), a mystery and
miracle of the highest magnitude. the incarnation of Jesus points
profoundly to new birth, a new beginning, a new genesis, for the
inhabitants of the whole earth and ultimately for the earth
itself--"good news of great joy that will be for all the people"--as
the angels proclaimed to the shepherds.
when God sent His chosen King...the eternally begotten Son...into the
world, what was encoded in the message of it all? mary prophesied the
essence of it in her inspired poem--the magnificat--"He has shown
strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of
their hearts; he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and
exalted those of humble estate...." (Luke 1:51-52) when God personally
entered this world in Christ, He came to put it right side up,
establish His justice and shed abroad His mercy by bringing down the
proud and arrogant and exalting the humble folk of the earth.
this mission is clearly portrayed in the nativity story. the
professional priest, zechariah, responds with unbelief to Gabriel's
big news, while the simple young maiden welcomes the even more amazing
message to her with a spirit of trust and belief. the lowly shepherds
receive a divine visitation of angels proclaiming the secrets of the
kingdom of God while the "movers and shakers" of Bethlehem are left
out of the story. the elderly simeon and anna have the Spirit of God
on them with the power to discern and bless in the name of the Lord
and the religious elite are also bypassed and left out of the story.
later on, mysteriously inspired wise men from the east go on a long
and costly pilgrimage to pay tribute to the foreign and humble infant
King, while the reigning king of the jewish nation, is threatened and
murderously enraged simply by the fuzzy buzz about the birth of One
who would one day sit on David's throne by the will of God. it's a
story of unlikely heroes who were not great in their own eyes.
but the force that God exerts in bringing down the proud and exalting
the humble does not proceed from His anger, but from His amazing
kindness. He himself will model the way of humility. He will leave
behind the pristine beauties of heaven. He will enter the world
incognito. He will make Himself of no reputation. He will enter the
world as a vulnerable fetus--born to common folk--poor, oppressed,
unknown, but devout and faithful to their covenant with God. He will
come as a suffering Servant/King. God the Almighty will come to His
own creation as a humble king...and personally bear the heavy pains
afflicting His precious creation.
this reveals an amazing and compelling truth about the God of the
scriptures...the one and only true God is humble in nature. when the
logos calls us to humble ourselves, it comes out of the ethos and
pathos of His own willingness to humble Himself. and...if He can and
would do such a thing, how can we reasonably hold on to our pride--in
whatever form it shows itself. there's an amazing reality about
humility...we can choose it no matter what our situation. may we
choose it daily--even continually...for "God is opposed to the proud,
but gives grace to the humble."
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