It's a Wonderful Church

Do you have a favorite Christmas movie? As the days get shorter and the weather gets colder, I appreciate a good Christmas movie to bring the family together when it’s too dark and too cold to do anything outside.

Here’s a quote from one of our favorites, “Every time a bell rings, an angels gets its wings.”

As you probably know, Clarence got his wings and George Bailey was able to see what it would be like if he had never been born. It was an eye-opening experience that made him fully appreciate all the small and big ways his life had made a difference in his community. In the end he discovered just how “wonderful” his life was!

Have you ever stopped to think about how “wonderful” the Church is? If you haven’t, give me a chance to earn my wings: What if the Church ceased to exist? The local church (little 'c') is the most visible expression of the universal Church (capital 'C') so as I ask myself that question, I can only do so with Bentonville Church of the Nazarene in mind. 

·         Where would I go to encounter God in worship, to feast on his Word, and to develop relationships that feel like family?

·         Who would partner with my wife and me to disciple our boys and teach them about Jesus? 

·         Who would I rely upon to give Luke a pre-school education like the one he is currently receiving through In His Image?

·         How would families facing hunger insecurity in Bentonville get food on Mondays?

·         Who would supply OHMS students in need with weekend snack packs and new shoes?

Can you imagine going through life without a dedicated team of pastors who are called to teach the Word, lead in worship, cast vision for the future, administer the sacraments, marry the young (and old), comfort the hurting, mourn with the grieving, and equip the believers for the mission of God?

Take a moment and think about it.

Just so you know, the Church isn't going anywhere. I've read all the statistics saying the North American Church is in decline, but I refuse to believe the sky is falling. God is on the move, and he is transforming lives through his hands and feet known as the Church. 

However, taking a moment to imagine life without the Church is a beneficial exercise for us all. No one thinks about these things when everything is going well, but perhaps we should. It's a good way to not take for granted what God is doing by his grace and through his Spirit at work among us. 

It's not perfect, but it's a “wonderful” Church!

Our Only Hope

I'm always amazed at the power of hope. Hope enables people to do the impossible. No one has ever done anything great for God without putting their trust and hope in Him.

Sometimes I wish God would give us information instead of hope. I wish he would tell us exactly what to expect, when certain challenges would arise, and how he is going to deal with them, but he doesn't. He has always called people to places that make them hope. I was reminded of that as I reflected on this scripture:

"As for me, I will always have hope; I will praise you more and more."(Psalm 71:14)

What is God wanting you to do? Where is he leading you to go? How is God wanting you to change? Whatever, wherever, and however would be much easier with information, with something tangible, with something we could understand, control or manipulate.

This was the challenge for the people of God living in Canaan. The gods of the Canaanites did not operate on hope and faith. The idols of the land were built around that which could be physically touched and was within the realm of human comprehension. That was the appeal of these religions. The people of God were constantly being allured from a life of faith to a life of control. They exchanged the mystery of God for the user-friendliness of the Canaanite idols.

This temptation is alive and well today. What plagued the ancient Israelites confronts us today, but in a different form. There are all types of recycled idols from the days of old that have become the recycled lords of today.

I'm finishing a sermon series entitled "Jesus is Lord." I want us to think seriously about the hope that we have in that confession of faith. Do we hope in that which we can see and control? OR Do we place our hope in the one who has conquered death? When we proclaim that "Jesus is Lord" we are placing our hope in Him...wherever, whenever, whatever, and however. Jesus is our Lord...Jesus is our only hope.

Red Letters from the Cross

I got my first cell phone when I was a sophomore in college. I was one of the only kids on campus to have one. I remember trying to explain to my Grandpa why it didn’t have a dial tone. It was one of the first Nokia phones that was actually small enough to fit in your pocket, however, I bought a clip that enabled me to wear it on my belt. I was cool.

Here’s what I remember about that first cellular plan I had with GTE Wireless: for $49 a month I was able to talk to anyone in the 615 area code for 30 minutes. Long distance calls were .30 a minute, as was every minute over my allotted 30. Text messaging? What was that? Attached to my belt, was a device that enabled me to communicate with anyone in the country, but it was going to cost. I remember not using that phone a whole lot, but when I did my conversations were short, direct, and to the point. I did not have the money to waste words. I had to communicate that which was most essential in the shortest amount of time possible. 

I'm currently preaching a series on the last statements of Jesus from the cross entitled, "Red Letter Day." As we explore the “red letters” of Jesus from the cross, we see that Jesus is making his words count. The effort required of him to speak from the cross meant that what he had to say was extremely important. Although not as eloquent as the "Sermon on the Mount", these words from the cross teach us about the significance of this moment and allow us to peer into the very heart of God.

If you knew you only had a few hours to live, what would you say to your friends and family members? What message would you want them to hear? What memories would you want them to cherish? We could think of all kinds of flowery and elegant words to share with our loved ones, but our dying words will only be as significant as the life we have lived. No amount of eloquence on our death bed can redeem a life wasted on our own selfish pursuits. That’s what makes the “red letters” from the cross so special. They are validated by the kind of life Jesus lived. My prayer for the “Red Letter Day” series is that God will use it to help us live in such a way that validates what we say.

God Space in the Birmingham Jail

Over the last few weeks I've been preaching through the book of Acts. My goal has been to highlight how the early church created “God Space” by boldly taking the good news of Jesus into "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth." Believers filled with the Holy Spirit entered into homes, marketplaces, and the city squares and by their obedience created space for God to work in the lives of people. As you read through the sermons of Peter or the adventures of Paul, it’s clear that God’s plan is to use the Church as His agents of forgiveness, peace, and hope. I firmly believe that “the local church is the hope of the world.” (Bill Hybels)

This is an amazing task that the Church has not always accomplished very well. There have been moments in our history where the accomplishment of this mission was in serious jeopardy. That certainly was the case when Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote these words:

In deep disappointment I have wept over the laxity of the church. But be assured that my tears have been tears of love. There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love. Yes, I love the church. How could I do otherwise? …If today's church does not recapture the sacrificial spirit of the early church, it will lose its authenticity, forfeit the loyalty of millions, and be dismissed as an irrelevant social club with no meaning for the twentieth century. (Letter From a Birmingham Jail)

I’m glad Dr. King didn’t give up on the Church, even when self-proclaimed Christians opposed the fight for equality. We don’t always get it right, but God doesn’t give up on the Church. The Gospel of Jesus Christ brings hope for the hopeless and liberation for the oppressed. This news is too good to be suppressed by fear, squelched by intimidation, or neglected by complacency. As evidenced by the heroes of the American Civil Rights movement, the Gospel message entrusted to the Church has the power to transform individuals, break the power of oppression, and revolutionize societies. As we enter “God Space” on a daily basis, I pray that we would fulfill our mission with just a measure of the same boldness, tenacity, and steadfastness that was embodied in this movement.

Living Like You Were Dying

Taken from the Live Like You Were Dying Daily Readings ... Week 4; Day 5

As we come to the end of this 30-day journey, we conclude with some thoughts from a young man whose life, even at only twenty years, resonates with the source of our study.

Michael Simon believes that the song, "Live Like You Were Dying" is sort of a theme song for him.  "I grab life by the horns and dont let go -- seizing the day and squeezing the life out of it for all it is worth.  Because of my mother's nine-year battle with breast cancer, I don't really take time for granted.  I don't leave questions unasked and don't hesitate to express love in any form."

Here is a young man who has lived for the last nine years considering each day in the company of his mother to be his last.  Three things he brings up here are significant conclusions for our study.

1.  Make the most of every moment.  It may be the last.

As we have seen, times is a precious commodity.  Michael realizes that and spends it wisely and passionately.  He is acutely aware of time passiing, and each new day he has with his mother is a blessing.  And this has been going on for nine years!  His example gives a realistic picture of what living like you were dying can actually do for you.  It puts you in a state of suspended animation that forces you to not take anything for granted but to be thankful in all things.  It is like a "time alert" that steps up all areas of alertness.

Jesus spoke of this mindset in Marks 13:33 when he said of his return:  "Be on guard!  Be alert!  You do not know when that time will come."  He is telling us to live each day as if it were our last.

2.  Live with no regrets - no unfinished business.

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it.  But one thing I do:  Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 3:13-14).

Michael doesn't look back.  What has happened has happened.  He is more concerned with discovering the "what now's" of the present and the future than he is the "why's" of the past.  He doesn't leave anything unasked, and I have a feeling he's not waiting around for the answer, either.  Answers come to those who seek.  Michael has no regrets because he knows everything that happens, happens for a reason, and his life is all about wrestling those reasons out of his experiences.

3.  Love with urgency

Michael doesn't hesitate to express love in any form.  I would take this to mean that he shares his love for his mom in words, in deeds, in remembering what is important to her, in sending her notes and reminders of his love, in listening when she needs to talk, and being silent when the last thing she needs is someone giving her advice.  Maybe he takes her to places she loves where she can do what she loves to do.

And here's the final word and it's very important.  Michael lives this way in relation to his mother, but everyone else in his life gets the benefit, because this intensity spills over into all of his other relationships and responsibilities as well.  because of her, he takes nothing for granted.  Can you say the same?

Reflective Thoughts ...
1.  What have you learned as a result of this study?  How would you like to live differently as a result of these last thirty days?

2.  As we conclude this study, ask God to put you on a time alert -- to view life in slow motion so as to appreciate every moment for what it is.

3.  Commit yourself to continuing to meet with your group or even one other person weekly to remind each other to live like you were dying.  It's only as you actually face this possibility together that you can benefit from its perspective.

The Power of Forgiveness

Taken for the Live Like You Are Dying Daily Readings ... Week 4; Day 3

"Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

These familiar words in Christ were uttered from the cross about the people who were in the act of crucifying him on false charges.  It's hard to imagine a more demanding circumstance for forgiveness to be offered.  It is the ultimate example of forgiveness, and it was extended to us in that we all participated in his death via our sins.  It is a high standard indeed that Christ set.

A current expression of unusual forgiveness from a human standpoint was set in motion on April 16, 2007, when a twenty-three-year-old Virginia Tech student coldly and methodically took the lives of thirty-two of his classmates before turning the gun on himself and ending his own lonely, tragic life.  As the events were reported and interpreted, conflicting opinions surfaced about how many died that day.  Was it thirty-two, or thirty-three?  Those who say thirty-two refuse to place any value on the life of someone who would do such a thing.  He was an animal or a demon -- short of being human -- and unworthy of being given the same values as the lives he took.  Those who say thirty-three saw the shooter as a person with value as well, a deeply disturbed person with no friends but still created in the image of God.

Funeral and memorial services are sometimes tough on family members.  At a loved one's death, we rejoice in the hope of heaven, but we also feel our own mortality more than ever.

We wonder if we have sufficientely said our peace.  Have grudges been resolved and disappointments been forgiven?  Could we have done something to shave the distance that still existed between us?  A helplessness sets in as the end nears.

But there is also a warm, enveloping blanket of God's grace over this all.  We feel our own mortality, see someone else's, and yet somehow there is an ability to accept, as the Serenity Prayer has it, "what we cannot change."

The only regret we may have is:  Why didn't we come to this realization sooner?  Why do we have to be near the end before we can let go?  We apply God's grace and forgiveness at the end because we don't have a choice; we need to learn how to do this while we do have a choice.

Forgiveness is all about letting go.  Those who don't forgive are the ones who find themselves mired in their own hostility and blame, headed toward becoming the very thing they hate.  We think we are setting the other person free by forgiving, but we are really doing ourselves the biggest favor.  Forgivess becomes for us a sigh of relief -- a newfound freedom.

The Serenity Prayer, by Reinhold Niebuhr, and popularized through Alcoholics Anonymous movement, is a fitting prayer for living like you were dying.
 
       God grant me the serenity
       To accept the things I cannot change;
       Courage to change the things I can;
       And wisdom to know the difference.

Part of what we cannot change is what others have done to us.  Part of what we can change is to forgive them and release them from our judgment.  It takes courage, but we have to forgive in order to be at peace with others and ourselves.  We can forgive.  We can let it go.  And the sooner we do this, the better.  Don't wait until someone's deathbed, or your own.

Many people do not realize that the Serenity Prayer doesn't end there.  The rest of this prayer may not be as well known as the first four line, but it is well suited for our study.

     Living one day at a time;
     Enjoying one moment at a time;
     Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
     Taking, as He did, this sinful world
     As it is, not as I would have it;
     Trusting that He will make all things right
     If I surrender to His Will;
     That I may be resonably happy in this life
     And supremely happy with Him
     Forever in the next.
     Amen.

This is the essence of forgiveness:  surrender of our expectations, our rights, and our pride to God's will; giving him control in our lives and trusting that he has our best in mind in all circumstances.

Some of you are trapped in the hold of particularly helpless form of unforgiveness, because the person you are unwilling to forgive is no longer alive.  You can't find peace, because you can't go to them, nor can they release you.  But God can release you, in fact he already has.  All that remains is for you to believe him and let go.  So let it go, and step into the freedom of God's forgivenss, both for you and for the person you need to forgive.  It's your choice now.

Reflective thoughts:

1.  When was the last time you lost a relative, friend, or neighbor?  Were you on good terms? Were you close?  Could you have been closer?  What were your regrets?  Now take those regrets and apply the lesson learned to someon who is alive.  Determine a plan of action for that person.

2.  Is there someone with whom you have having a conflict?  If that person were dying, would you go to them?  What would you say?

3.  Are you unable to forgive someone who has passed on?  Even though they are gone, it can be helpful to write that person a letter, and set them and yourself free.

Why Not Forgive

Taken from the Live Like You Are Dying Reading Journal ... Week 4; Day 2

"What do we think we are gaining by not forgiving someone?  Have you ever thought about that?  Being unforgiving is something of which we're not very conscious; it's a natural human reaction to being hurt.  That's probably because, if we actually thought through what we were doing, we would see how useless it is.  However, today let's think about it.

The main reason we withhold forgiveness is most often a desire for justice, which isn't entirely wrong.  Justice is good and right, but not in our hands.  Only God can judge fairly and impartially.  Yet someone needs to pay for wrongs done, and we think that by not forgiving someone we are evening the score.  If someone has hurt us, we believe our refusal to forgive is a way of hurting that person back -- letting the offender know just how serious an offense they have committed.  We might even think we are giving God a helping hand with justice.  To forgive would be to "let them off the hook," when what we really want to do is inflict upon them something of the pain they have caused us.

But think a little further about this.  What do we actually accomplish by refusing to forgive?  Usually not what we seek.  Payment extracted is rarely equal to the crime.  We damage ourselves far more in this process than we do anyone else.  We think we are making a big impact by not forgiving someone when, in fact, we are only carrying on our own private vendetta in our heads.  Hold a grudge and so what?  Everyone's lives move on -- everyone, that is except our own.  That is how it goes when we deny forgiveness:  we try to punich someone, but in reality, we are the ones who remain in prison.

If justice is the big deal (and it is) we are not good disseminators of it.  Here's what the Bible says about this:  "Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written:  'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord" (Romans 12:17-19).

Justice will be done, but not by our hand.  In fact, we don't want to have anything to do with this business, because if we do, we are placing ourselves under God's judgment as well.

Which do you want for yourself:  God's justice, or God's mercy?  I can't think, given this choice, why anyone in his right mind would choose God's justice; and yet, when we judge someone else, this is what we are doing.  We are announcing to God that we are choosing that we are choosing justice over mercy.

On the other hand, if we want mercy, then that is what we must give.  We can't have it both ways.  We can't have mercy for ourselves, and justice for all the people we don't like.

So "as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Reflective thoughts -
1.  Think about a time when you were denying forgiveness to someone.  Sometimes unforgiveness disguises itself.  Search your heart.  Is there bitterness, cynicism, or distrust?  Seriously consider this question, "How has my lack of forgiveness impacted my life?"

2.  This week, be a peacemaker.  Don't be so easily offended.  Don't cling so tightly to your rights.  Be a little more understanding and see if anyone notices.

No Record of Wrongs

Taken from the Live Like You Are Dying Daily Readings ... Week 4; Day 1

"...and I gave forgiveness I'd been denying."  Those seven words from the song "Live Like You Were Dying" are definitely worth pondering.

What causes us to deny forgiveness?

Revenge.  When you have been hurt deeply, the natural human respons is to want the person who hurt you to go through an equal amount of suffering.  Even the Old Testament law calls for an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  It is an equal and fair form of justice, but God's grace works on a different basis entirely.  Grace refuses to seek revenge and it forgives.  Jesus modeled this for us.  1 Peter 2:23 (NLT) says, "He did not retaliate when he was insulted.  When he suffered, he did not threaten to get even.  He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly."

God knows that if all of us were to receive just payment for our sins that would be the end of the human race, so he has forgiven everyone and asks us to do the same.  It's a remarkable turn of events but it's the only way there will be any healing or restoration in broken relationships.

Another reason we might deny forgiveness is that we want to hang on to our hurt because it has become our identity, a ready excuse, a smoke screen that blots out other problems we don't want to face.  Consider the beggar in John 5:6 who had been sitting by the healing pool for thirty-seven years when Jesus came up to him and asked him if he wanted to get well.  He didn't exactly say a hearty "Yes!" Instead he went into his well-worn excuse -- his catch-22 that no one was there to life him into the pool -- and skirted the question entirely.  Some of us have been so identified with our anger and bitterness that we are afraid to let go and forgive.  How differently we would live if we refues to use our hurt to gain attention and sympathy.

Or perhaps we deny forgiveness because we have never believed in our own forgiveness.  Ture forgiveness begins there.  If we can't forgive ourselves, we are going to find it impossible to forgive anyone else.  Judgment and blame of others always grows out of unresolved guilt.  Forgive yourself first by accepting your forgiveness from God, and then offer that forgivenss to others.

Living like you were dying cuts through all of these diversions.  It's pointless to go to the grave with an unforgiving heart.  Dying puts a real crimp in anyone's plans for retribution!  Like the cartoon of a gravestone that reads:  "Now will you finally believe I was really sick?" there's just no benefit for the dead!  You might as well forgive now.

One of the definitions of love in 1 Corinthians 13:5 is that "[love] keeps no record of wrongs."  It's that simple.  Ask God to give you short-term memory loss when it comes to people who have wronged you. 

It's the only way to break the cycle of retribution that causes wars in our relationships.  Start by receiving your own forgiveness from God.  Then settle the issue once and for all against those who have harmed you by forgiving them first in your heart and then, if possible, to their face.  Stop being a scorekeeper and throw away your scorecard.  An unforgiving heart is an unnecessary tragedy that only hurts the one who possesses it.  You have precious little time life.  Just let it go.

Reflective Thoughts -
1.  Is there something in your life for which you are having a difficult time accepting God's forgiveness?

2.  Search your sould and see if there are any grudges toward someone deep in your heart.  You may need to spend some time doing this because we train ourselves not to see these things and allow them to eat at us slowly.  Ask your closest friend, spouse, or children who they think you need to forgive.

3.  If you are holding a grudge against someone, forgive that person in your heart right now -- don't wait another second.  God is ready to embrace you in the courageous step.  You are not alone.  Now make a plan to extend that forgiveness face-to-face if necessary.

Roses On Wednesday

Taken from the Live Like You Are Dying Daily Readings ... Week 3; Day 3

The first roses came on a Wednesday when Horton came back into Edna's live after leaving for a season.  He showed up at her doorstep with a dozen roses and his issues resolved, and in her words, "We embraced, and it was all over."

So began the story of a remarkable marriage - average perhaps to most who knew them casually, but remarkable to anyone privileged to get a closer look.  For what one found on the inside observing this could even after 40+ years of marriage was a man supremely delighted with his wife, and a woman supremely happy in the love of her husband.  Had this couple found out they had only one more day together, I honestly don't think much would have changed because they were already living love for each other to the limit.

When I asked Horton if there was a secret to their relationship, he told me the story that has come to be known in my house as "Roses on Wednesday."  Yes see the roses weren't only for that first Wednesday.  They would continue to come every Wednesday for the rest of their lives together.

When it became clear that there was something special about Wednesdays, Edna asked him why.  He told her that Wednesday with her was not just a day to get you one day closer to the weekend; it was simply, a phenomenal day.

King Solomon gave us a similar piece of advice.  "Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you.  Rejoice in the wife of your youth" (Proverbs 5:18 NLT).

Horton's secret was to take an ordinary day and use it to express extraordinary love.  And, likewise, Proverbs 5 says that we husbands have a choice to see and treat our wives as a fountain of blessing.  Regardless of the circumstances, I can choose to rejoice in the wife of my youth.

Husbands, remember when you first laid eyes on your wife -- how beautiful she was?  It started with us, and so it continues.  Happy wives have husbands who keep seeing them as beautiful.  And one tangible way to communicate that is to make Wednesday a phenomenal day:  It doesn't have to be a dozen roses.  One works just as well.  And if roses don't work for you, find out what does.  Vary it from week to week.  Believe me, it's a simple gesture with magical results.

And for those of you who aren't married, keep this as an example for when you are.  And in the meantime, do something thoughtful and extraordinary for someone you love.  Don't be afraid to be extravagant.  After all, you never know when will be your last opportunity to bring roses on Wednesday.

Follow Horton's example and you will already be living like you were dying, because you will be demonstrating your love on a regular basis.

Reflection Questions:
1.  When did someone surprise you with extraordinary and extravagant love?

2.  Okay guys, here's the truth:  If you want to take this on as a habit, it doesn't matter that everyone in your church, including your wife, has now been exposed to this concept.  She will still see what you do as something special, unique and full of surprise.  Guaranteed.  So get creative.  Then, pick you day and method ... and just do it.