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!

Just An Ordinary Girl

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful season of Advent. I am enjoying this countdown to Christmas, but I find myself fighting the same battle every year. I struggle ever year to not get caught up in the busyness of all I have to do. I must discipline myself to remember that the parties, the gifts, the programs, and the lights all point to a moment in time in which God came near. Everything we are engaged in as we prepare for December 25 points to God’s answer of Isaiah’s prayer:

O that you would tear the heavens and come near… (Isaiah 64:1)

One night in an unsuspecting Judean town, God did come near. He came so close, in fact, that a young mother in Bethlehem was able to wrap Him up in swaddling clothes and kiss His face.

Take a moment and re-read Luke 1-2. I invite you to hear the story of that young mother. I invite you into her world. We don’t know much of her other than the limited details that appear in the Christmas narratives and a handful of references throughout the Gospels. However, the more I think about Mary and her role as theotokos, or “God bearer”, I want to know her more. I want the kind of faith that would submit to this mysterious plan of God to save the world.

We forget Mary’s side of the story. We forget: that which ultimately would save the world turns Mary’s world upside down. Even though the angel's message rocks Mary's world, she displays a faith that is OK with that whatever God wants to do. May we confess with Mary:

May it be to me as you have said. (Luke 1:38)

This is the confession of an ordinary girl with extraordinary faith.

Good News and Bad

How many of you have ever had someone say to you: “Well, I’ve got good news and bad news. Which one do you want first?” When someone begins a conversation with me that way I get nervous. I imagine we all squirm in anxiety when it’s our doctor, banker, attorney or accountant who is beginning a conversation that way. I’ve found that the order in which we hear these tidings does not matter. Sometimes they cancel one another out, but most of the time the bad news trumps the good.

As a pastor charged with the responsibility of preaching the Word of God, I’ve got good news and bad news. Which do you want first? Do you want to hear about the economic crisis, the unemployment rate, the famines and food shortages in the world, and the recent death of family members that have touched our congregation?

OR…

Do you want to hear the Good News? Do you want to hear that there is one coming? Do you want to hear that God has a plan? Do you want to join the millions upon millions that have gone before us who have dared to believe that God’s Good News will trump all the bad? Like John the Baptist in the wilderness, I have some Good News to share with you. There is one coming who will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. In the hustle of this season, I pray we recognize him.