Yesterday, as I was preparing for our church’s life group meeting in the evening, I felt dissonance. Incongruence.
We’ve been slowly going through the the book “Crazy Love” by Francis Chan, and much of what we had studied up to now has focused on diagnosing our lives, and trying to make sense of…
Judgment Day in the Park!!!
So, as some people may know via internet news or billboards, this Saturday is ‘claimed’ by one person to be Judgment Day - when Christ returns and rapture occurs. Where will I be? I’ll be serving and playing with my W. Oakland community at our annual Day in the Park event! And, you are more than welcome to join us…:)
I may not agree with the fact that judgment day is this Saturday, but if I’m going to be doing anything on that day, I think I’d want to be serving and loving people in the name of Jesus. In fact, I think I’d want to be doing this every day of my life no matter when Christ returns.
If you know when He’s going to return, will that change what you do or when you do it? Or will the truth of the Gospel (Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection) be what informs every moment of your life? I choose the latter and I choose to live in that freedom!
The CCDA (Christian Community Development Association) is aptly named. It aims to develop under-resourced communities using a biblical approach.
At the core of CCDA’s principles is a guideline they call the “Three R’s”. One of CCDA’s “Three R’s” is “relocation”. By relocating into the actual…
On most days, I walk by this back entrance to the donut shop on lakeshore. There was this great graffiti piece that has been there for a little while now. But yesterday, as I was walking past, a man was painting over it to “clean it up.”
I had to take this pic to remind me that what took an artist time and energy to create was destroyed in two swipes of a paint roller. It reminds me that tearing down and criticizing is so much easier than creating. I choose to create!!! How about you???
Make the Most of Today…
I have to admit that I’m a procrastinator at heart. I put things off because I think I have all the time in the world. I wrestle with getting everything in order before I step into something versus just taking a step forward and working things out as I go. I also feel paralyzed sometimes when I face challenges, obstacles, and difficulties. In fact, I don’t move sometimes because I feel awkward and uncomfortable.
Imagine all that gets left undone because we live into our fears. Imagine all that is left unsaid because we’re unwilling to press into the awkward and uncomfortable.
I’m listening to “The Living Years” by Mike and Mechanics (yes, I’m sure this dates me a bit…:)) and find myself reminiscing on my relationship with my mom. I think about all that was unspoken and all of the life that I can’t share with her any longer. As I think about this, I realize how much I want to make the most of today. I don’t want to live life in fear, but in love and with a boldness. I want to hug my wife and kids and tell them how much I love them, I want to share Christ and the gospel with those around me, I want to love, serve and care for my church and community… Not tomorrow… Today…
Forgiveness and Love
I was meeting with my discipleship group last night and I closed our time with a thought on forgiveness and love.
In Luke 7, Jesus is reclining at the table in Simon the Pharisee’s house when a “woman of the city” wets his feet with her tears and washes his feet with her hair. Then she breaks the alabaster jar of ointment and to anoint his feet. Simon mumbles his disapproval of the whole thing under his breath. This is when Jesus responds with a question and a powerful teaching:
41“A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundreddenarii, and the other fifty. 42When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”44Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, ”Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47Therefore I tell you, her sins,which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”
What do we learn in this moment? I think we lack love because deep down inside we think we’re better than other people. I may come before God and ask for forgiveness, but I may also feel better about myself because I don’t need to ask for as much forgiveness as someone else or as I did before. And, as I pride myself on my progress, I slowly lose my capacity for love. Why? Because I’m slowly losing my experience of undeserved grace and unconditional love. If we could be honest with who we are and embrace the fulness of God’s love and grace, then perhaps that love would begin to flow out of and through us like never before… Forgiven much, love much…
Death is the last weapon of the tyrant. And the point of resurrection is that death has been defeated.
– NT WrightRemember Me…
It’s Good Friday today. Honestly, it’s hard for me to understand why it’s called “Good” sometimes. I get it and at the same time I wrestle with it. I’m spending some time today remembering and reflecting on the sacrifice and death of my Savior.
The night before is where Jesus shares the passover meal with His disciples and makes a statement of remembrance. He breaks the bread and says, “this is my body which is given for you. Do this to remember me…” Then He pours the wine and says, “this cup is the new covenant between God and His people - an agreement confirmed with my blood, which is poured out as a sacrifice for you…”
One of the key moments in this sacrament is the words “remember me…” It’s so easy for me to forget. It’s so easy for me to look past the body broken and the blood poured. It’s perhaps easier for me to see resurrection. However… more and more I realize that I can’t understand the truth of resurrection unless I really remember the truth of His sacrifice and death.
Today represents both our darkest hour and the initiation of eternal hope…
