Repentance Means Change

"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2).

The "X" above is a "kairos" such as in Mark 1:15, "The kairos (time) is here..."

This coming Sunday the churches that we're partnering with are continuing a series that began last week.  They will move deeper into a series on family life.  As I've been studying the scriptures and praying over what direction the Lord is leading us, I'm believing that I am called to do something a bit different.

Even though I'm sure a series on family life would be a blessing, I'm going to get off that particular path for now because I believe God is calling us make a turn, to move in a different direction, to, in fact, spend a bit more time on the Biblical "shape" we've been working on, that is, the Circle.

As I mentioned yesterday, the Circle represents God's call to "Repent and Believe."  (For more on this, see Enter the Circle.)

But the Circle applies not only to "repentance" in the sense of turning away from what we normally THINK of as sin.

It DOES apply to that, of course.  Repenting of something that is clearly against God's commandments and God's will IS a part, an important part, of what the Circle is about.

When we sin, God's call is to turn from the sinful path and believe God's Good News--the good news of forgiveness--the good news that allows us to start over with a clean slate and begin to live in a new and more godly way.

That's "repentance as we know it."

There is another kind of repentance, however.  This other sense isn't closely connected with specific sins that need to be confessed.  Instead, it's a change of mind, a change of heart.* 

One can see this, for example, in Jesus' parable story of the "two sons," one of whom first rebels and then changes his mind and does what his father told him to do (Matthew 21:28-32).

Another example: The people who were transformed by Jesus and the Holy Spirit in the New Testament were not changed by just confessing particular sins.  Their minds were changed about everything in their whole life.  They began listening to a new master, a new shepherd, a new Lord.

Repentance isn't just about saying "I'm sorry" for this or that.  It's a change deep on the inside that affects the outside.  Repentance is change that continues throughout our lifetimes.  By the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, we are made over... over and over again... made over to be more and more like our Lord.

It's in that sense of the word repent that we "turn."  We change.  Instead of being stubborn we consider what it is that God might be saying to us.  We're willing to listen.  We don't stop up our ears and wear blinders.  We say, okay.  We say, I'll think about that.  We don't just plod ahead.  We don't wait to be necessarily convicted of a particular sin.  We allow God to change us from the inside out.

Don't just be "conformed."  Allow God to transform you.  Don't just go on and on with your life.  Pray and ask him to intervene today, and then, with other Christians, pray and consider what changes God is calling for in your heart and in your life.  And then act in faith.  Believe me--God knows best.

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* Clear evidence that "repentance" isn't just about sin is found in the Old Testament where we see even God "repenting!"  This does not mean that God sinned and needed to say he was sorry.  No.  Instead, this is "repent" in the sense of doing something different than what had been expected. See, for example, Exodus 32:12-14; Psalm 106:45; Isaiah 57:6; Jeremiah 4:28; 18:8; 26:3, 13, 19; Ezekiel 24:14; Joel 2:13; Amos 7:3, 6; Jonah 4:2.  God "repents" or "changes his mind" about punishment when people repent of their sin.

NOTE:  The Lord calls us to "enter the circle" of repentance and change by bringing us to kairos moments.  More about those moments can be found by clicking the word kairos.

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Enter the Circle (2)

This is my preparation work for tomorrow's message at Crossroads as of this time.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit would use our worship tomorrow as He desires, to save and free many in Jesus' name. 

Romans 11:33-12:5

³³ O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgements and how inscrutable his ways!  ³⁴ For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? ³⁵ Or who has given a gift to him, to receive a gift in return? ³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory for ever. Amen.

^12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. ² Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. ⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, ⁵ so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.

Two weeks ago, on the day before Halloween, I brought tootsie pops to church.  I sucked on one, put it back in the wrapper, and tried to give it to the kids.  ;-)  I talked about how we are infected with "harmartia" (sin) and that covering up sin with a shiny wrapper doesn't work.

Then we looked at the circle of repent and believe--the circle that God uses in our lives to make us new.

The message ended with a story  from the book Too Late In The Afternoon.  A character in the book, Alex's grandson, talked about his grandpa Alex...:

"'...a crotchety old man and had been tight fisted and a hoarder of money… He was always thinking that another Great Depression was around the corner and that thinking robbed him of pleasure.  He had constant anxiety.'"

Then, at the age of 77, Grandpa Alex came to a crossroads--a moment* of truth--

Quoting from the message from two weeks ago:

"'After many years of being a miserable old man, Grandpa Alex got a wake up call.'

"He met a JIM--something BIG in his path."

Who all was here two weeks ago? I mentioned this last week too... I used Jim Richards as the BIG thing... The big thing could be a good thing or a bad thing...  If you met Jim in a dark alley--that would be a good thing... but, in Grandpa Alex's case, the BIG THING he met was bad.

Going back to quoting from two weeks ago:

"'He was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer.  He underwent chemotherapy and was in remission the last ten years of his life."

"'Six months after that diagnosis, we started to see a remarkable change in him."

"He became joyful, generous, kind, someone you wanted to be around.'

"God had done a miracle in Grandpa Alex's life."

And then I concluded the message like this:

"It can be done.  You don't need to go on the way you always have.  God can give you a new life and a new spirit. 

"It's never, ever too late.

"Jesus is here to meet you with his grace.  He knows the truth about you.  You can't hide it from him no matter how many layers of tootsie pop paper you put on yourself.  He knows the truth.  And he's willing to make you new.

And after that, I led a prayer:  (Here's a link to an audio clip of the prayer from Oct. 30 - https://www.onlinefilefolder.com/1s4arog8daO4vI).

"Father God, I can't see the hearts of people. You haven't given me that ability.


"But you can; and you know, Lord, how it is that there have been times in our lives when we've walked around pretending to be new and different when there really is some work that you need to keep doing in us.


"So Lord God, we together here, as we say 'Amen' to this prayer, we want to give you permission to confront us, to be that 'big Jim,' and the let us know the truth about ourselves.


"And then we ask that you Lord would walk with us and that you would send someone else to walk with us too as we make a turn, make a change, a transition--as we repent--and as we believe.


"And we ask Lord that you would bring us through this process as many times as necessary to continue to make us new."

So that was two weeks ago.  It was "Reformation Sunday" and I thought it was sort of fitting because we were talking about having reformed lives, new lives, changed hearts.

But I wonder now, two weeks later, what really happened through that message. Have people who heard that message actually ENTERED the circle? Have we looked for times of encounter with God?

I got a note from someone this week that said it would have been good to help people step out in faith on that Sunday two weeks ago... This person said:

There was a time toward the end of your sermon when it would have been very appropriate for you to ask for those struggling with feelings of guilt or not sure if they were saved, etc., to come forward for prayer. I've seen that at other churches and as people came forward, others in the congregation came up behind them, laid hands on them and prayed along with the pastor. Your sermon was great calling out these issues, but then people were not able to get them resolved in a concrete way...

I actually had the same thought... why not give people a chance to step out...

To step out here... to come forward... to ask for prayer out in the open... because, truth be told, we don't walk the circle alone.

Something more I'd like to add at this point--a bit off the subject but I think it's important.

See the word on the right side of the circle?  When I say the word "repent" what do you think of?  It's my guess that many of us think of SIN.  "Repent" can mean changes away from sin and for us human beings it always means that... at least it means stopping being so stubborn... but "repent" doesn't always mean feeling bad or saying you're sorry.  Sometimes REPENTING means just a change of direction, doing things differently, even THINKING differently. 

...Like in the Bible passage we read earlier from Romans 11 and 12.  We step out.  We don't CONFORM to what we've always done.  And I let God TRANSFORM me... and you let God change you... from the inside out.  REPENTING MEANS CHANGE that God makes in our lives... it really NOT about feeling bad about doing something wrong.

But here's what I'd really like to focus on today:  These life changes--becoming a more faithful and more effective disciple of Jesus--they don't usually happen to us all alone--it usually takes a team--sometimes it takes more than one team.

In the Too Late In the Afternoon book God rescues a man from depression through spiritually wise Christian friends, a medical doctor and a psychologist.  Here in Cokato and Dassel God works through teams of Christian friends, professionals and organizations of many kinds.  Local churches like ours can connect people with the help they need as long as people somehow don't keep their troubles to themselves.  Prayer ministry can lead to practical help, and practical help can lead to prayer.

We are called, by God, to walk with one another and with those we reach out to, to walk with them all the way... not to just get them saved... to get them saved for God, and then let them loose to figure everything out alone.  We're called to walk together.  All the way.

One of the people who are a part of our Crossroads church family has recently come clean about an addiction to pain medication.  That person is now getting help through a Methadon clinic in Saint Cloud.  In order to let God deal with that issue, this individual needed to be honest with other people about it.  It wasn't a matter of just dealing with it one on one with God.  She needed other people to enter the circle with her... to come along on her journey.  Many of us are doing that with friends and family every day.

This is something Betsy Simons knows about.   (See Covenant Love for a bit more about Betsy.  Tomorrow we'll ask her to share at this point in the message -- something about how entering and walking the circle of repent and believe TOGETHER is important in her life and/or in her work with Treehouse, a ministry aimed at loving kids, bringing hope, transforming lives.)

You can enter the circle with Betsy and the youth she ministers to by supporting her--and we as a church can consider making her work one of our church's missions.

Still somehow, we do need to enter the circle.

Somehow we need to step out.  For others.  For ourselves.  But not alone.

Here's what I'd like to try.

Let's be a little daring today.

How many of you know someone, either yourself or someone else, who just needs a change... some kind of a change that you know you need God to handle.  Something that's a God-sized challenge... something that just needs to change.  In yourself or in someone you know well, someone you are close to?  Maybe it's an out of control teenager or child.  Maybe it's an addiction.  Maybe it's something that you know, from the Bible, is sinful.  Or maybe it's just something that you  know you'd like to leave behind.

How many of you have that sort of thing going on now either in your life or in the life of someone you're close to, someone you can walk beside?  Maybe it's a simple matter of being saved for heaven.  Maybe you'd like to know that for sure--that you are saved.  There is power in prayer, in admitting you can't do it on your own.

Is there anyone who would like to share what they'd like to pray about?  What the BIG thing in your life is that is leading you to say, yes, I need a change?  (I'll leave a time here for people to share if they'd like.)

Here's what we're going to try:  I would like to pray for you today. a little more personally than we usually pray here.  Just a little more personally.  I'd like to encourage you to take a first public step, recognizing that you have a need to repent and believe God for a change in your life OR in the life of someone you are walking with.

I won't be surprised if almost everyone comes forward today... So what I'd like to do is to have you be thinking of that one God-sized issue--that BIG JIM challenge in your life right now--and I'd like you to step out, in just a minute, to step out of your row and to come up to the front.

Then I'm going to pray for all of you as a group, trusting the Holy Spirit to give the the right words... and then if there are others who would like to pray out loud... we'll have an opportunity to do that.  And then I'll encourage you to let someone else know what it is you prayed for.

This might be hard in a small town where everyone thinks they know you.  But, honestly, until you let someone else know, you'll probably stay on the same old track.  It's not by mistake that the Holy Spirit had the Apostle Paul write about being MEMBERS or PARTS of one another...  Romans 12:15 is one of the simplest teaching on this: "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." And we can't rejoice with you, or weep with you, unless we know who you are.

We're in this together, my friends.  Let's not stay back and think we can do it on our own.

(At this point we'll do what was explained above, trusting the Lord to lead us.  We'll then sing a song of surrender to the Lord.)

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* In the Bible, when Jesus teaches about crossroads moments you'll find an important Greek word: kairos.  See, for example, Mark 1:15.

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Enter the Circle

If you've been to Crossroads in the past few weeks you've seen shapes projected on the wall, shapes that were designed to convey God's truth.  The shape above is based on Mark 1:15, where Jesus says:

The time* has come!  The kingdom of God is near!  Repent and believe the good news!

The straight line at the top is symbolic of our lives.  The "X" is a moment, an event, a crisis, an opportunity or just a time when the Word of God speaks especially clearly to you. 

When we encounter such moments, we can react by ignoring what God might be saying to us through it and just keep going, we can stop or go backward, or we can notice it and then enter the Circle--the Circle of God's Purpose.  We do this through a change of direction (that's the original meaning of the word "repentance") and acting on what God teaches us--acting in faith (that is, to believe).

This is God's desire, that we would pay attention, repent and believe.  To understand more about this, I'd encourage you to go to the Crossroads "worship" webpage and listen to the message from Oct. 30 and Nov. 6.  This coming Sunday's message will build on the "circle" as well.

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* The Greek word for "time" in this verse (Mark 1:15) is kairos.

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Your Circle

Another day, another field trip!  Today the bus is at Collinwood, just south of Cokato and Dassel.  It's a beautiful day for the 4th graders to be out exploring and learning about God's creation.  Praise God!

I came into Cokato to have a late breakfast with the other driver and got a message from the Cokato Manor suggesting that I stop and spend a bit of time with a family about to lose a loved one.  So I did that.  It was a God blessed opportunity, seeing that I was having breakfast, at the time, no more than 100 yards away from the nursing home.  And what a privilege to share the good news of Jesus' undying love with those who are near death.  "Blessed are the poor in spirit... Blessed are those who mourn..."

Last night at huddle* we were challenged to notice "God Blessed Opportunities" like that.  God blesses us in so many ways every day, sometimes with affirmation, sometimes with correction.  The key is to NOTICE them and then ask the Lord to help us learn the purposes he has in mind to teach us.  We used a diagram like the one below:

The dotted line represents our every day lives.  The X at the top represents a moment when we notice what just might be God's action in our lives.  The "X" is sometimes called a "KAIROS" moment.  It's not that God isn't acting among us regularly, it's just that at times we think, "hmm... could that be God?" or "Is there something the Lord might be trying to tell or teach me through (whatever it is)..."  Sometimes the X moment is a scripture reading.  Sometimes it's an unexplainable "God-incidence" like the one I experienced today at the café.  Sometimes it's a difficulty or crisis.

In any case, what is good then is to take time out to process what we have experienced instead of just letting what might be a God-moment go by unnoticed.  Doing this "processing" in a group, particularly with others who know Jesus and the Bible, with others who are likewise trying to learn from the Lord... doing this with a group like our "huddle" will keep us from getting too far off track.  I'll process this moment, and others, with those I'm learning to trust in the "huddle" next week.

Once we notice and consider making a change based on observation, reflection (and PRAYER!), we discuss it with others and then make a plan to put what we have learned into action.  The "believe" part of the circle is the way we responsibly act on what we have learned.  Again, it's important that we do this with others so we aren't deceived by our emotions, our faulty perceptions, or our sinful selves.

Over and over again I have seen the Lord put events like the "café call" today.  I've seen these as confirmations or affirmations of my sense that I should stay in the Cokato-Dassel area.  I'll check that with the group next week.

God can speak to us through many kinds of events, even those that are hard.  I have certainly experienced those too.  But, as we will hear in the song "He's Always Been Faithful" on Sunday,

I can't remember
a trial or a pain
He did not recycle
to bring me gain.  (Sara Groves)

So, what is God doing in this "everyday" of your life? What's your circle today?

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*A "huddle" is a group of 8-10 Christians who meet regularly.  Marcus Haug is leading Crossroads first huddle.  We have met three times so far.  For more see Huddle Logistics.

www.equalsharing.com

Intentional Change

Today's facebook status:

What have you intentionally changed about yourself?
If nothing comes to mind have you truly repented and believed?*

Yesterday in a 1:00 p.m. telephone huddle one of the participants spoke about how much his leadership group had grown into the "repent and believe" circle.*  There were frustrations with that because there is more to ministry than individual repentance and "faith in action" (i.e. "believe")--there's a need to grow into multiplying leadership--however, if we do not practice the circle on a regular basis we cannot be Jesus' disciples.

So, have a look at those questions above.  Can you come up with an answer or two?  Then go on to allow the Lord to continually transform you. How is God calling you to change/repent and believe/act differently now?  Will you obey?

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*The question arises from the circle, the basic shape of ₃dm ministry, and refers to what Jesus said at the beginning of his work here on earth: "The Kingdom of God is at hand!  Repent and Believe!"

www.equalsharing.com

Being A Witness

Last night at huddle we were talking about the second half of the "repent and believe" circle.

Someone mentioned that it is difficult sometimes... difficult actually act on life changes that we know would be good, changes we believe deep down would enhance our witness--changes that would strengthen us in body and soul and spirit--changes that would make us more effective for the kingdom of God.

Sometimes we think changes might be too hard.  Sometimes we can't imagine that the change we believe God is calling us to make will actually make that much of a difference.  So, instead of pursuing the destiny God has for us, we compromise and "settle" for how things are.  Marcus Haug mentioned that Per Nilsen had said we have a choice: "Compromise or Destiny."

This Sunday at Crossroads we'll be pressing into some of Jesus' final words to his disciples while he was still in the flesh here on earth (after his resurrection from the dead).

Jesus told his disciples that they would be witnesses.  "This is what is written," Jesus said:

"The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  You are witnesses of these things." (Luke 24:46-48)

Jesus' first disciples, the ones to whom he is speaking in that particular scripture were "witnesses" indeed!  They saw Jesus in the flesh with their own eyes.

Can you and I be witnesses today?  Well, not in the same way that those disciples did who were blessed by seeing Jesus with their physical eyes.  But we can be a witness to the changes God is working in and among us here and now.  This is a stimulus, I think, to follow our Lord's call in every area of our lives, even when it's making a change that seems truly hard for us.  In fact, it's only when we attempt more than what we are able to do in our own power that we witness the power of God.

For more on the "repent and believe circle" see http://equalsharing.blogspot.com/search?q=circle.

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More Than Words

Christians say that Jesus is the "Good Shepherd."  We say that with our voices and we sing songs that say that is true.  Do we also say it with our lives?  

Here are some questions to pray over as we prepare for worship tonight at Crossroads:

• Do you really want to hear your Good Shepherd's voice or do you prefer to go your own way?  
• Is there evidence from your life that our Good Shepherd has called you?
• Are there times you have obeyed His voice, changing something in your life, getting you out of an unwise or sinful path?
• Can you think of an example from the last week? 
• Are there ways you still need to surrender to what you know your Good Shepherd is saying?

Saying one thing and doing another makes our "saying" into a lie. That's not what Jesus has in mind when he asks who we "say" he is.  Jesus is asking you what we truly believe and DO now, in these days, in the circumstances and situation in which we find yourself now.  Are there ways in which your life demonstrates that you are desiring to follow our Lord?  Is Jesus really real for you?  Do you truly want to hear what He has to say?

Come and be with us tonight (see details below).  Let's be Real about our Good Shepherd.  For He loves you more than you will ever completely know.

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At 5:45 p.m., weather permitting, we'll get together at Crossroads Community Church for a simple soup supper and then, at 6:30, we'll move to the worship area for singing, scripture, conversation and prayer.  This is the season of "Lent."  We're continuing this Lenten tradition because it's truly a blessing.  How wonderful to gather for worship twice in a week instead of only once.

Through our cooperative relationship with North Heights and Community of Hope, we are in our second week of a series focused on the "I AM" messages of Jesus and Jesus' question "Who Do You Say that I Am?"  Tonight our theme is from John 10 where Jesus says "I Am the Good Shepherd."  The Good Shepherd brings Psalm 23 to mind as well as Old Testament promises like this one from Jeremiah 3:15 - "I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding."

There are many aspects of the idea that Jesus is our Good Shepherd.  The one that is most important, most important because it allows us to trust Him for the rest of life, is the fact that Jesus love us more than we will ever know.  When Jesus says "I Am the Good Shepherd" he immediately continues by saying that he "lays down his life for the sheep."  That's we can trust him to lead us always, every day.  We can.  Will we?  Will you?

I hear God calling us to focus on hearing and obeying the voice of the Good Shepherd tonight for several reasons.  (1) As you read through John 10, you'll see that theme coming forward several times.  (2) Hearing the voice of God has been major theme of a small group that several of us from Crossroads have experienced.  In what we call a "huddle" we look for "kairos" moments in our lives when God is speaking and then discuss the changes God is calling us to make.  (3) Yesterday the Lord arranged for two conversations about hearing God's voice, one with a Crossroads partner who is seeking after God with all her heart, and one with a friend who does not believe we can hear God's voice at all.  So, we will sing, hear scripture, discuss and pray together tonight, asking God to speak to us, and surrendering ourselves to follow His lead.

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* NOTE:  The Lord calls us to "enter the circle" of repentance/change and belief/action by bringing us to kairos moments.  More about those moments, and "the circle" can be found by clicking the word ►kairos◄.

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Truth and Circumstances

My father-in-law gave me a book for my birthday.  It's called Because of Christ: Memoirs of a Lutheran Theologian.  The author, Carl E. Braaten, wrote it as a "theological autobiography."  I'm about half way through.

One of the things I underlined was a connection that a certain theological study group made about the connection between God's truth and what goes on in this world. that God indirectly reveals himself through "historical events."  (See the end of this blog post for the quote.)*  It's my impression that Braaten, a well known Lutheran theologian, was sympathetic toward that statement himself.  If I'm wrong, please let me know!

In any case, I see something similar in one of the "values" of the Alliance of Renewal Churches:

Revelatory Decision-Making - We choose to make decisions based on hearing God's voice. We believe we hear Him through His Word, prayer, fellow believers, circumstances, and personal encounter with the Holy Spirit.

God's Word is first on the list, and that's intentional.  We know God best through Jesus Christ--who we know through the Written Word of God, that is, through the Bible.  But because God is "sovereign," that is, in some often mysterious way, God is in control and will work "all things together for good" in the end, we can trust that God, not the devil, is, finally, in the details and circumstances of our lives (when we are submitted to Jesus), and that God is also involved in making things "work out" one day at a time.

I'm praying and thinking about this as I am beginning my study of the scriptures that are assigned for this coming Sunday.  When I say "are assigned" it's not because there is some rule that certain Bible passages must be used in worship at any particular time.  The Bible itself teaches us that we are free to pay attention to certain "days" or not.  But still, I've found it interesting that the assigned scriptures seem to apply to what goes on in the churches that I have served over the years.  And that continues even now that I'm working with a church that is not yet officially affiliated with any particular Christian group.

This is a long way of saying that I'm looking at a particular Bible passage to possibly preach on June 26.  The passage happens to be Matthew 10:40-42, picking up from where I left off last August.  We were reading then in the Gospel of Luke, but the Matthew 10 reading fits in the sequence just at about the parallel place where many of us were in the middle of August of last year.  I see a deep connection here.  I may be wrong, but that's what I see.  "Circumstances" and "historical events" may sometimes reveal the purposes of God.

Matthew 10:40-42 follows immediately after a great promise of division and loss.  Yes.  Jesus promises that those who follow him will be divided from their families and be left without the earthly security.  At the same time, he promises his own divine protection and provision.  You can read this throughout Matthew chapter 10--and in these verses (42-44) at the chapter's end:

‘Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.’

These are interesting verses because they focus on the benefits for people who come alongside the suffering representatives of Jesus.  There is a promise of blessing for them!  Rewards are promised when they are welcoming and caring to those who have suffered the rejection and division Jesus described in the rest of the chapter.  These verses include promises to those who do not close their doors, their hearts or even their wallets against the ones who have followed their Lord.

As I read these scriptures, I am thankful for many who have come alongside us and others who have suffered losses during this hard year.  I am thankful for the people who have dared to come to Crossroads and for those who have dared to call me to serve there as a pastor.  I think of those who have welcomed and helped us and many others who been rejected or divided from their churches and I am so thankful!

I want to say "yes"--this IS what has been going on.  I can see it.  There's very little doubt.  Praise God for those who have come to our aid!

Is this a fair reading of these scriptures?  Is God revealing his purposes through these circumstances and historical events?  To really know that, we need to ask some questions:  Have we and others who have suffered really been representing Jesus?  Have we been serving as prophets (προφήτης) and "righteous persons" (δίκαιος)?

That seems very bold and not very nice.  Is there any way that we can honestly say this?   Certainly some humility must remain!  After all, we are only "righteous" because of God's grace!  Any righteousness does not come from us!  It's not ours because we are good!  We do not become righteous in that way!

Still, I am willing to seriously look at this.  I do often sense that, as many of us have suffered in the past year or more, that we have had a taste of what it is to be one of the defenseless "little ones" (ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων) who are living as Jesus' disciples. 

Please pray that God's Word would examine us.  Let us pray for God's judgment, because our judgment is always imperfect.  God is the only one who truly knows us (1 Corinthians 2:11).

Father God, reveal your truth to us through your Word and through your Holy Spirit.  Teach us to rightly apply your Word to the circumstances and historical events in which we find ourselves--even here in our little town.

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* On page 36-38 of Because of Christ, in a section about his studies at the University of Heidelberg (1957-1958) Carl Braaten says this:

The year in Heidelberg was very special for LaVonne and me -- it was the beginning of a lasting friendship and collaborative relationship with Robert (Jens) and Blanche Jenson. ...

I did not anticipate that Jens and I would have a lot to do with each other in Heidelberg [the book says more about why].  Then one Sunday afternoon as LaVonne and I were strolling down Hauptstrasse in Heidelberg, we saw Robert and Blanche Jenson coming our way.  By the time we recognized each other it was too late to turn around or cross the street.  We met, exchanged greetings, talked about our living accommodations, and before we went our separate ways, Blanche suggested that we get together.  This we did, again and again, back and forth, we to their humble place in the suburb of Neckargemunde and they to our small city apartment on Mittlerer Gaisbergweg.  There was so much to talk about.  All the frontline theological issues were being treated in the lectures and seminars.  Jens and I would mull over everything we were hearing and learning.
...
The hear in Heidelberg was very special in another respect.  LaVonne and I met Wolfhart and Hilke Pannenberg.  That was the start of a lifelong collaborative friendship.  We did not know then that Pannenberg would soon become the most famous Lutheran systematic theologian in the world.  Once I asked Johannes Wirsching, the leader of the Kähler seminar, whether there was anything new developing in German theology beyond the standoff between Barth and Bultmann.  He said yes, that Pannenberg was the leader of a study group made up of some of his fellow graduate students constructing a new theological concept of history... The group came to be known as "the Pannenberg circle"... The circle published a volume of essays appropriately entitled Revelation as History (1961) .  It's fundamental unifying theme is that God reveals himself indirectly through historical events.  This meant that theology as the "study of God" cannot be separated from the study of history."

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Father's Day

What follows is my preparation work for Father's Day preaching 2011.

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...and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.  (Matthew 28:20)

Those words of Jesus are a promise we can depend on.  There is no power, no authority, no "system" of government, no church, no economy, no family heritage, no sin, no demon, nothing in all the universe that can stand against our God.  And in this promise from Jesus we learn that God is WITH us, on our side.  Let's say those words together--the words Jesus said--"Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."



Today I'm going to speak specifically to men.  I feel blessed to do this because the assigned scriptures for the day are connected with manhood--not to the exclusion of women--but in the Bible passages from Genesis and from Matthew 28 it's not hard to find specific connections with men's lives.  Also, in regard to women and children, there is nothing better for them than when men understand the Bible's commands and promises.  How wonderful when men love and serve like Jesus!

I was reading the Bible verses from Matthew 28(:16-20) and thinking about men and a question occurred to me that I've never thought about before.  Do you suppose any of those first twelve disciples of Jesus were fathers?  We do know, from other places in the Bible like First Corinthians 9:5, that most of them were married...

Turn over to that passage for a moment... we don't think about this very often...  Here's what it says:  (Paul is writing as a man who was single--unmarried with no biological children.)

"This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. Don’t we have the right to food and drink? Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?  Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?"  [Cephas here is another name for Peter.]

In this passage Paul is speaking of his rights as a disciple of Jesus.  We like rights, don't we!  We're glad that we aren't required to be single but that God lets us get married!  And then, through the God-given gifts of sex and biology, children come into the world!  We get to be parents!  What a wonderful thing!  And being a dad (or a mom...) is, therefore, a really important part of the Christian life when we have kids.

But somehow we don't think about those first disciples* as having wives and children.  Chances are they did--there was no birth control in those days--and I'd be willing to bet that when Jesus spoke those words from Matthew 28 those disciples thought of their children!  How could "making disciples, baptizing and teaching" be understood in a way that these dads' children would be left out?

The faith that these disciples had when they themselves were children, the Jewish religion... their faith put a priority on family life that can hardly be exaggerated.  In the Old Testament the promises of God were passed down through the family almost exclusively--there is almost nothing clearer than this in that part of the Bible.

Those disciples who heard Jesus command to go and make disciples--they must have understood their God-given responsibility as husbands and fathers.  Certainly there were times when they needed to leave their wives and children for a time, but many times their wives came with them on their missionary journeys (First Corinthians 9:5).  I presume that often the children came along too.**

In Matthew 19(:27ff) and in other places there are very important words about leaving one's family and property, but there are many, many scriptures that speak to men about our responsibilities to our wives and families--scriptures that speak of how we are to be faithful, to not divorce our wives for any old reason, to love our wives as Christ loves us--sacrificially and completely.

The New Testament raises the Old Testaments teaching about family to an even higher level.  The first disciples would have already known a lot about their responsibilities as dads.  I mentioned how the Old Testament promises were passed down through families... there are wonderful passages in the Bible like this one from Deuteronomy 6 from Moses:

These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life...

...Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:1-9)

So Father's Day isn't far from the commands of God at all.  Fathers have biological, spiritual and financial responsibilities toward their wives and children.  Fathers are not to just run off to follow Jesus without taking their families into consideration.  Fathers are called by God to follow Jesus with their families--leading them with humble and sacrificial service in thankfulness to God.

A big responsibility?  You bet!  Jesus puts such emphasis on how we treat our kids.

Look at Matthew 18:

¹ At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked,

“Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² He called a little child and had him stand among them. ³ And he said:

“I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.⁵ And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. ⁶ But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea...”

And then Ephesians 6:4 --

“Fathers, do not exasperate your children;
instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”

To "exasperate" your children means to make them angry with you... it's a big responsibility, isn't it, to love your children and care for them, and discipline them in such a way that they don't become angry and bitter.


That's your job, dad, whether it comes naturally nor not.

It means that you don't have much time for yourself.  You're always making choices, thinking about your kids and learning about how best to be their dad.  You pray a lot and seek advice.  You look for events like the men's Fire Life gathering this week in Annandale.  You know you can't do it all alone.

You're constantly balancing everything--work (or seeking work), prayer, many other responsibilities... and time for your wife and your kids.

You probably feel a lack of time and energy and money but you trust God to fill the gap.  You say no to your boss sometimes and set boundaries with your customers because you need to get home.  Almost all the time, when you have fun, you include the kids.  And you love your wife and sacrifice for her--forsaking all others.  You watch your step with other women.  You're careful about how you stir the sexual fires.  You recognize that you are not all that strong.  But, because you've heard God's call to love and care for your family, you do it--no matter what.

Then, on top of that, as you are dedicated to God's plan for being a dad in this world, your circle of prayer and concern and action expands. Remember what Jesus said to the group of dads he was speaking to at the end of Matthew's gospel?

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:18-20)

O how we need Jesus!

A dad, just like every other Christian, can't just focus on his own home or his own kids!  Jesus EXPANDS the circle!  He says GO!  Go to OTHERS.  Go beyond your own family.

"Nations" in this verse doesn't mean just other countries.  A better way to say it would be "go to every kind of person, to every group of people..."  Go with the good news of God's love to other people who aren't like you, that aren't a part of your family.

Dad--part of this means caring about other people's kids.  It might even mean getting involved in what we'll be doing as a church with youth.

One more thing--everything here applies to grandfathers too.  We never retire from being men of God.


This means we are really going to need Jesus!  We're going to need him to lead and guide.  We're going to need his constant forgiveness and the outpouring of his Holy Spirit.  We're going to need to focus on the promises of God and depend on Him to give us our rest and peace and joy.  We're not going to be able stir it up on our own.  We're not going to   We'll just run out of gas.  We'll just run out of steam.  Without Jesus we'll stop, we'll retreat, we'll give up and focus on whatever gives us peace--our jobs, our sports, our hobbies.  Without Jesus we'll feel defeated and say, "What's the use?  I'll never measure up to God's plan anyway.  Why even try?"

Dads--the truth is this: You don't need to do any of this alone.  Come to Fire Life next week if you can.  Do the study on how God is calling you that many of us are doing this summer.  And let us pray for you.  In fact, let us pray for you now.

I'll plan to have the dads gather in a group and then have all the rest lay on hands to pray for them.  After that, we'll sing this song to the tune of Jeg er så glad:

Happy the home when God is there,
and love fills everyone,
when with united work and prayer
the Master's will is done.

Happy the home where God's strong love
is starting to appear,
where all the children hear his fame
and parents hold him dear.

Happy the home where prayer is heard,
and praise is every where,
where parents love the sacred Word,
and its true wisdom share.

Lord, let us in our homes agree
this blessed peace to gain,
unite our hearts in love to thee,
and love to all will reign.

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* The Bible focuses on 12 men as disciples because those disciples were chosen to show connection with the Old Testament where men were always in charge.  Through his relationships with women Jesus began to correct those pre-conceived notions and the Holy Spirit continued that work through the rest of the New Testament.  The goal is that both men and women, young and old, slave and free -- the goal is that there would be no one higher than anyone else.

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Loving Thomas

As the Bible tells us about Jesus, we also learn about the men and women who were his students, friends, followers and apprentices when Jesus was on earth.  God has chosen to tell us about them so we will know how "normal" they are.  They had some successes but they failed so often--and though many of their failings were transformed by the Holy Spirit, we can see and relate to them and their personalities.

One of the disciples is named Thomas.  Thomas is an honest man who, like me, isn't easily convinced or swayed by what other people tell him.  He wants to investigate, know the evidence, and judge the truth for himself.

On the Sunday after Easter, Christians often highlight this particular follower of Jesus because of the Bible story I'll quote below.  As I've preached sermons related to this story for twenty-five years, I normally highlight Thomas as a good example instead of shaming him as a "doubter."   I've often noted how Jesus deals with Thomas, how he offers Thomas what it is he needs in order to believe and trust in him as his Lord and God.  Jesus is so remarkably patient with all of his disciples.  And I'm so thankful for that!

As I was praying over what to share in my sermon last Sunday (May 1) three additional factors came to mind.  First is the fact that the other disciples, who had already received what they needed to believe -- the other disciples did not do anything to remove Thomas from their group.  Second, Thomas stayed around even though he didn't believe.  Third, and this is just so cool, the scripture passage below makes it seem as though Thomas' need for "evidence" is the one and only reason Jesus came back to see the disciples the Sunday after Easter!

In this encounter with Jesus, who died and rose again for us, we see him dealing personally with this one--Thomas gets all of Jesus' attention.  Jesus is loving Thomas!  What a gift!

Here are the notes I prepared in advance of preaching May 1, 2011.  Unfortunately we don't have any audio recording to share.

John 20:19-31
     ¹⁹ On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁰ After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
     ²¹ Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” ²² And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. ²³ If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
     ²⁴ Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!”
     But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it.”
     ²⁶ A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
     ²⁸ Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
     ²⁹ Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
     ³⁰ Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹ But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.


Believing, trusting, living without anxiety… those are very good things.

But what do you do if you honestly have a really hard time with believing or trusting God?

Maybe there have been times in your life when you have felt like you were left out when something important happened. Maybe others have had advantages that you haven’t. Maybe you’ve been hurt or ignored when others have been blessed. And, maybe, not having been there, you just aren’t able to be as excited and enthusiastic as others. Maybe you just can’t believe.

That’s what happened with Thomas. Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus came and showed himself alive. And because Thomas was honest, he just couldn’t fake it. He couldn’t just go along with the crowd.

What’s remarkable, though, about this Bible passage, is what Jesus and the other disciples do with their doubting and honest brother. And, the other thing that’s remarkable, is what Thomas does.

The disciples don’t reject Thomas. We know that because, a week after Jesus had risen from the dead, they still had Thomas with them.

It would be good for us to think about what that would mean for us. What does it mean for us to have someone “with us” even when they have problems believing and trusting God, when they seem stubborn or too strong willed or difficult?

Our tendency, I think, is to let people go.

How do we do that?  It's different for us than it was for the disciples way back then.  They were together not only once a week, but every day.  The disciples lived in close community with one another.  Today, we're more isolated in our homes and apartments and cars.  For us, letting someone "go" is so easy.  For us, letting someone go can mean simply not going out of our way to call them or visit with them.  Instead of ushering or pushing someone out the literal door of the church--instead of "excommunicating" or actively shunning someone, we simply let them go by just letting them slip from our minds.  We "respect their privacy" and let them go by simply letting them drift away.

So, since the result of keeping Thomas with them was so amazing, that is, Thomas received what he needed to believe in Jesus as his Lord and God, I ask this: What would it mean for us to keep someone “with us” today?  What would it take to keep someone close to us even when they are having a hard time in these days when people aren't constantly seeing one another on the street?

This is something we need to think about and especially pray about!  Galatians 6:1 speaks to us about restoring a person who has fallen away in a spirit of gentleness. “Carry each other’s burdens,” it says in the next verse, “and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” What is the “law of Christ?” To love others as He has loved us! And in First Thessalonians 3:10, we find this: “Night and day we pray most earnestly that we may see you again and supply what is lacking in your faith.”

Do we do that?  Do we "pray most earnestly" that we may restore someone who is drifting? 

The disciples don’t reject Thomas. They keep him close. That’s the first thing that’s remarkable here.

For Thomas’ part, he doesn’t leave. He stays with the believing disciples. He admits his doubts and stays in the group.

My daughter Naomi has a friend who, like Thomas, has been honest enough to say what it is she has a hard time believing.

Last fall there was a time at her church where they encouraged people to get up and share what God is doing in their lives.

I think we should be having those sorts of days too. Instead of a sermon, we could do some sharing… maybe people could pick a Bible verse and then share what it means to them personally.

Naomi’s friend Melissa’s verse could have been John 20:24-25… Here’s what she said last November… her testimony is actually on line, on the internet, if you want to hear it for yourself.  (Click the following link to go directly to the mp3 audio file from the Church of All nations: http://www.cando.org/audio/sermons/2010-11-28-congregational_testimonies.mp3 -- the testimony below is found, as I recall, a little less than half way through.)

A lot of people get stage fright, but this is really scary for me because I spent most of my whole life learning how and practicing to hide myself from other people, especially people in the church.

I'm here at this church to unlearn that and it's terrifying… it’s so terrifying that I ran away from this church before because it's a place where people really do want to get to know you. But...

I'm committing to being here. Fully. With myself.

I grew up with lots of feelings of hurt and inadequacy from the church and my parents and other people in the church, but that was never something that could be shown, it was always that you had to be put together and present the best side when you come to church.

But I'm not very put together. I still have a lot of hurt and confusion.

I became an atheist at a very young age because I didn't believe there could really be a loving God. I thought atheism was a safer route than actually admitting that I hated God.

So, in college (I went to a Christian college) it became really really important for me to figure out what I believed theologically so I could believe God loved me.

I couldn't figure it out.

I still don't know what I think.

But...

I'm gonna let people love me and learn to love them and see where that leads.

That's me.

I hope we can be a church that is willing to be with and walk alongside people… and we should pray that people who don’t believe yet are drawn, as Melissa says, to “let people love me and learn to love them and see where that leads.” Because, the truth is, because of the Holy Spirit that has been given to us, when people hang around long enough, chances are that the Holy Spirit will get a hold of their hearts and they will get the help they need to believe.

None of us have directly seen the Lord Jesus in the flesh, but God, through his Holy Spirit, has given us enough evidence of Jesus resurrection so we do believe—we have come to trust in the evidence presented in the Bible, in all the eye witness reports of Jesus resurrection and in the ways that really smart people have looked at them over the ages and have come to the conclusion that yes, no other explanation makes sense… the lives of the disciples and so many other lives since then have been changed, people have been born again, miracles have happened over and over… and so we say yes, Christ is Risen!

And we wait until others come to believe too.

Because when we are willing to love each other, and study the truth, the Lord will reveal himself to us. That’s what happened 2,000 years ago with Thomas, when Jesus himself showed up, just for him.

This is honestly the most amazing thing. Jesus showed up a week later… and, as I read John 20, as far as I can see, the only reason Jesus came to the disciples that second time was in order to give Thomas what he needed to believe.

If you have a hard time believing, don’t hold those questions inside, bring them out, and ask Jesus to give you what you need to believe and trust in him, because believing and trusting and not being anxious for anything; that’s a really good thing… but, it needs to be God who give us what we need; we ought not just fake our faith. It needs to be God himself who gives us the evidence we need.

Like it says in Psalm 16:2, “Apart from you,” that is, apart from God, the Lord, apart from Jesus, “I have no good thing.”

Other people can testify to what God has done in their lives, but you and I ought not believe just because someone else tells us to, we ought to ask God to show us himself.

And the amazing thing is, God will.

He cares for all of his smallest and weakest ones.

Back quite a long time ago, back when I was in high school or college, a man by the name of Martin Bell wrote a little story called “The Rag-Tag Army.”

I pray we, as a church, can be like this…

Martin Bell writes:

Look at God’s rag-tag little army! All he has for soldiers are you and me. Dumb little army.

Listen! The drum beat isn’t even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there! You see? God keeps stopping along the way to pick up one of God’s tinier soldiers who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got tangled in the underbrush. God will never get anywhere that way. And yet, the march goes on.

Do you see how the marchers have broken up into little groups? Look at that group up near the front. Now, there’s a snappy outfit… –at least they’re in step with each other. Only they’re not wearing their shoes. They’re carrying them in their hands. Silly little band. They won’t get far before God will have to stop again.

Or how about that other group over there? They’re all holding hands as they march. The only trouble with this is the people on each end of the line. Pretty soon they realize that one of their hands isn’t holding onto anything–one hand is reaching, empty, alone. And so they hold hands with each other, and everybody marches around in circles. The more people holding hands, the bigger the circle. And, of course, a bigger circle is deceptive because as we march along it looks like we’re going someplace, but we’re not. And so

God must stop again. You see what I mean? He’ll never get anywhere that way!

If God were more sensible he’d take his little army and shape them up. Why, whoever heard of a soldier stopping to romp in a field? It’s ridiculous. But even more absurd is a general who will stop the march of eternity to go and bring the soldier back.

But that’s God for you. His is no endless, empty marching. He is going somewhere. His steps are deliberate and purposive. He may be old, and he may be tired. But he knows where he’s going. And he means to take every last one of his tiny soldiers with him.

Only there aren’t going to be any forced marches.

And, after all, there are frogs and flowers, and thorns and underbrush along the way. And even though our foreheads have been signed with the sign of the cross, we are only human. And most of us are afraid and lonely and would like to hold hands or cry or run away. And we don’t know where we are going, and we can’t seem to trust God–especially when it’s dark out and we can’t see him! And he won’t go on without us.

And that’s why it’s taking so long.

Listen! The drum beat isn’t even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there! You see? God keeps stopping along the way to pick up one of God’s tinier soldiers who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got tangled in the underbrush. God will never get anywhere that way.

And yet, the march goes on.

God isn't old and tired, but otherwise this is a very sweet story.  I hope it, in some ways, describes this church.

So let’s stay together, friends, with all the others who have come to believe in Jesus and with those who have yet to believe!

Let’s stay together and pray that God would reveal himself in a convincing way, as he did to Thomas, so more and more can enjoy a life of faith and hope and unending love.

www.equalsharing.com

The Day After...

Are these fair statements?

• The problem with ******* is that they sometimes put too much faith in government, believing it can do more than it is really able to do in a good way.
  
• The trouble with ******* is that they sometimes put too much faith in the ability of broken & sinful individuals to make their own way and influence the world for good.
  

Put in the party or political philosophy names of your choice.

We've had an historic election. Pray that the Lord would guide us as we stumble along through the challenges of life together. Pray that the Lord would make us humble, loving and brave. Pray for our men & women in uniform. Pray for all who love and serve in this great land called the United States of America. Pray for our teachers and parents who love and guide the young. Pray for all who work and all who cannot work. Pray for the "least" and the "lost" in the world. Pray that we would each follow our Lord's call.

Relying on the promises and love of our Lord we live today as best we can. Until our Lord returns with power and great glory, we have lots to do in His name. We cannot delegate our responsibilities to the government, but neither can we focus only on our own personal circle of influence. So we learn to work together, even with those who are *******. (Put the other party or philosophy in the blank.) God loves and works through them too.

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Pastor Mark Hanson, who serves as presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, has made a statement on the 2008 election. What do you think? Should the church be making statements like that? What do you agree with? What do you think was left out?

Living at the Crossroads

I'm beginning to write this at 6:10 a.m.  We school district employees got an automated phone call 2-3 minutes ago letting us know that classes are postponed two hours due to fog.  I would have preferred a call to come in before I was all ready to head out the door but if the decision had to be made I say "better late than never."

Before the call came I was thinking I would write something more about the "altar call" that we experienced yesterday at Crossroads Community Church.  As I wrote yesterday in Invitation Accepted, this invitation to come forward is a new thing.  This morning the Lord was reminding me that this new thing, together with other unfamiliar ways of "doing church" is all a part of living constantly at the crossroads of life, understanding that God is constantly intervening and calling us to be more and more transformed into the image of Jesus.

Too often our church experience makes us comfortable with the way we are.  Being made comfortable can lead us to misunderstand the work of God in our midst.  God does come to us as the "Comforter," but He comes in that way not because we are already comfortable, but because we need him to comfort us.  Sometimes God needs to comfort us because He has made us uncomfortable! 

It's true!  In fact, we the better we know the Word of God, the more "normal" being uncomfortable is!  God grants us grace for life today, just as it is, but God loves us so much that he pushes us to change!  Many times it is at the most uncomfortable moments that God is doing his best work in us.  So Christian disciples should never be surprised at those moments.  In fact, we should expect them, especially at church.

The name "Crossroads" attached to our church is a prophetic, Godly statement about what God is doing in our midst.  He is growing us up to live at the crossroads, at moments of decision.  Imagine being comfortable with being uncomfortable!  Imagine relaxing and knowing "all is well" even when we are being pushed to change!  Imagine surrendering regularly to the work of God in your life.  That's what "living at the crossroads" can mean.

As we live there, God transforms and refines us, making us more effective and loving disciples, leading us to live more and more like his Son, Jesus, who knew no other comfort than the presence of His Father God.

For more on this, see "Enter the Circle."

Getting To Know You

This morning I filled out a "self-assessment" as a part of a "discernment process" that could lead to the eventual development of a Love INC affiliate in the Dassel-Cokato area. I'm hoping to move ahead on this "discernment process" during October -- especially since I'm freed up a bit from preaching responsibilities. Igniter Ministries is leading a month of "Community Builders" at Crossroads. That began yesterday.

The recording from Sunday is a bit different because the music began at 10:00 (15 minutes earlier than usual) and then our A/V assistant edited out the small group section of our time together.

Building community requires that we spend time getting to know each other. Some of that time is just "fun" time. It doesn't always have to be full of "purpose." But it does require that we get out of our normal circle of friends. You can't just stay behind closed doors and expect to make friends.

On Sunday Jon Thorson (my son) shared about how he had prayed for an opportunity to get to know some high school students in the area where he lives, and how God gave that chance in an unexpected way. He'd seen some of them near a parking lot, he joked with them as he left, but then, he got a phone call that caused him to go back again and, unexpectedly, he ended up playing hacky-sack with a few of the "kids." He said:

"I hung out with them for about 15 minutes and got to know them a little bit. I didn't get to share the gospel with them yet. I didn't get a chance to relate with them in a Christian way. But I got an "in" with them. I know they're there pretty much every day of the week at 3:00. I asked God for an opportunity and it came so surprisingly. I was so thankful that happened and it was a way I saw Jesus come through. He proved himself to me that day.

In what ways are you open to getting to know people that you don't know well? As a part of Crossroads' community builders month we each have an assignment: to spend some time with someone from church that we don't know very well yet. I'm praying that the people of our church will take a chance and ask someone (or a family) that they don't know well about getting together.

from the bulletin insert from Sunday Oct. 5

One way I get to know people who I don't ordinarily cross paths with is when I spend time on a few Friday mornings every year at the Cokato Area Food Shelf. I'm always asking those who come about what else they need and that usually leads to a conversation and sometimes to prayer or to meeting another practical need. I'm hoping to do that even more with Love INC if we can get that going in the years to come.

If you read this, I hope sometime you'll let me know! I want to get to know you too.

www.equalsharing.com

Our Rut

It's good to be together. That's what all the Bible's talk about "love" and "forgiveness" is about. Sin and misunderstandings drive us apart. In C. S. Lewis' fantasy The Great Divorce sinful, selfish quarrels have people moving farther and father apart until neighbors are just specks on the horizon. Our Lord's teachings about love and forgiveness, and his sacrificial example of dying for sinful neighbors, is intended to keep us from abandoning each other.

That's all well and good. But, when people are together for awhile, we begin labeling and putting one another in boxes. We get stuck in a rut, doing the same things, year after year. If we're a cook, we cook. If we usher, we're an usher. Conflicts arise if and when we step outside of the pattern others have set for us. We begin to consider whether the group we're in will allow us to follow God's call to us as individuals. We don't want to be trapped.

There's another consequence too. Newcomers have a hard time feeling welcome. There's no room, sometimes, for another person. The circle is full.

So, from time to time, it's good to take a careful and prayerful look at our own place and at group activities, projects and events. Is God calling you to something new? Can your group open itself to the talents and ideas of new "members"? Can we walk with each other through the inevitable conflicts that arise when change occurs? See Matthew 18:15-20 for a clue on how to do that.

It may be more comfortable in the rut, but what about God's call?

Moving With God (again!)

Toni sent out a note to family earlier this week in the hope that several family members can help us move. If anyone reading this blog would like to come alongside and help us with this move, we'd love to see you.

Our official moving day (for the furniture) is Saturday, October 1, but there will be boxes and bins that we'll move on other days before that. We'll also be ripping up carpet, installing an egress window and doing a bunch of other things beginning when we get possession of 1479 Millwood in Roseville on September 15. We're hoping to get the lower level ready for renters by sometime in October. There is a lot to do!

This will be our 10th or 11th move since we were married in 1986. The plan is to stay at the new place in Roseville until we can't live on our own. I'm planning on living to and beyond 100 years old so it will hopefully be a very long time until the Lord calls us to move again.

Yes, the Lord. God is involved with this move. He's guiding it. He's being its superintendent. I have a sense for how He's doing that, and I can remember some moments and times of decision that He has led.

I say this with some boldness, even though I can't prove it--not to you--not even to myself. 

Back in early August I read something written by Oswald Chambers relating to conversation Jesus is had with his hand-picked inner circle of followers not too long before Jesus' death and resurrection. He said "Everything that is written by the prophets" about him was going about to come true.

"He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again" (Luke 18:32-33).

The part O.C. focuses on is the following verse

"The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about."

Just as the disciples could not understand just what Jesus was saying in that case, so it's true that we cannot fully grasp the purposes of God for our lives. O.C. doesn't conclude, as others might, that this inability to comprehend just why and how God is leading us means we should give up on knowing God's purpose. Instead, O.C. sees a spiritual principle in this. He writes:

The call of God can never be understood absolutely or explained externally; it is a call that can only be perceived and understood internally by our true inner-nature. The call of God is like the call of the sea—no one hears it except the person who has the nature of the sea in him.

O.C. is speaking here about the work of the Holy Spirit. God works in our minds and in the circumstances of our lives, leading us, guiding us, giving us direction. Though there will always be a certain mystery and fallibility to hearing and understanding God's "voice," we can know enough to make decisions that honor and obey what he says.

I have seen God's hand leading me (and us) to make this move. I can describe many of the signs that have pointed to this conclusion. In the end, though, I won't be able to share all of it -- not on this blog and not even in person if we sat down to talk awhile. I would love to talk with you more about it, though, because I believe that as we share what God is doing in our lives, we can become more open to God's leading each time He calls.

equalsharing.com