From Manger to Cross

It's Advent! The season when Christ-followers celebrate and anticipate the coming of the Christ-child at the First Advent. It's the benchmark of humanity when God invaded His creation and came incarnate! "God with skin-on," as Eugene Peterson puts it.

Advent is a season of reflection, anticipation, expectation and joy. Too often those of us in pastoral ministry are so busy preparing messages, devotions, and worship that we race through this special season because we're always looking ahead. The Advent journey is to be savored and enjoyed. Don't rush it. Don't get ahead. Redeem the time. Take in every day as we commemorate His first Advent and look forward to His Second Advent.

At MCF, Advent culminates with our annual Christmas Eve Candlelight & Communion service. At this annual service we ask worshipers to come in family groups to receive communion. Over the years several of my colleagues have asked why we receive communion during Advent? I simply say, "Why not?" Christ came to the world as God's gift for redemption knowing full well it would culminate at the cross. To focus on the birth of Jesus, at the exclusion of its purpose reduces it to just another child being born. However, His purpose for coming dictated that this wouldn't be just "another birth" in ancient Palestine. I am not suggesting we minimize His birth, but the way in which He came to earth (Prophecy, Angels, Shepherds, Virgin Birth, Magi, etc.) reminds us that His death, burial and resurrection were as extraordinary. The Apostle Paul puts it best in Colossians:

¹⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

So as we shop, decorate, worship, and gather for seasonal parties and gatherings keep in mind that God knew His perfect gift would ultimately be destroyed so you and I could experience eternal life! Now that's the gift of Advent, a gift like no other.

The Blind Side - Official Trailer [HD]

Go see "Blind Side" the true story of the NFL's Michael Oher starring Sandra Bullock. Oher was a "ward of the state" when he was taken from his drug addicted mother. He grew up on the streets of Memphis. A wealthy, suburban family (The Touhys) gave him a home and a family. Last summer "Big Mike" was drafted by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens. This is a great, inspirational, family movie!

Connected But Disconnected

Caught David Crowder in Columbia, Thursday night and observed something I had noticed before, but not to this degree. By the way, Crowder brought his "A" game and the concert was really good despite the sinus headache that accompanied me. Ugh, rough with subwoofers.

To be fair I was among the oldest there, so my take on this is probably skewed. I couldn't help but notice the number of young people who were furiously texting during the concert. I thought it might have been pre-concert time-killing, but as the evening went on it was obvious that our culture has developed a strong desire to be in touch even when we're out of touch.

There was a sense of being connected to someone far away, while being disconnected from the moment in front of us. This was more than multi-tasking. Students and many adults furiously worked keyboards and touch screens sending message after message, or constantly checked their phones for missed calls, or incoming messages. I guess it stood out because the house lights were out. And it was contagious. I even found myself checking messages. Fortunately my cell phone died 20 minutes into the concert and that was a wonderful gift because I was able to give the artist my undivided attention.

The band even got into it when one of the musicians took a picture of everyone from stage and posted it on Twitter right from the stage!

Stay tuned. I believe this divided connection at social events and ballgames is just the tip of the iceberg. We have yet to fully realize the cost, or consequences of our continual need to be in touch with several people simultaneously in multiple locations. I recently observed someone who was actually texting during a funeral! To think we can't silence our phone for even 30 minutes out of respect for the dead is telling. Hopefully that's an exception to our wired culture, but my gut says be prepared for even more.

Researcher Dr. Jean Twenge has observed that Gen Me views itself as "self important". The troubling thing in all of this is how far we have elevated "self". And that speaks large and loud in everthing social, theological, political, and professional. You see, I realize that I'm not that important. At 48, I know there are many things going on around me that are bigger than me. The world does not revolve around me. Maybe we need a technological blackout to wake us up, or minimally offer electronic etiquette classes for succeeding generations. It's going to be interesting to see how all of this shakes out.

Life's Gifts

Country singer-songwriter Kenny Chesney's latest hit, "I'm Alive" is a duo with Dave Matthews. The chorus goes like this:

Breathin' in and out's a blessing can't you see Today's the first day of the rest of my life and I'm alive And well...I'm alive and well

Every time I hear that song I'm reminded that every day is a gift from God. Every time we see the light of day it's a gift. Every time we breath in and out is a gift. Every smile of a small child is a gift. Every wink or nod from a senior adult is a gift. Every leaf, cloud, sunset, blowing wind and drop of rain is a gift. James says every good and perfect gift is from God:

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.

It's easy to lose sight of life's gifts. It's easy to take God's grace for granted. Gratitude is the appropriate response to God's gifts. Gratitude is how we keep from taking God's gifts for granted. Grateful hearts see ALL of life as a gift, even times of heartache and challenge. Grateful hearts can readily proclaim, "Today's the first day of the rest of my life and I'm alive". Kenny's song is almost complete, but that line needs four words added at the end: Thanks be to God!

Veteran's Day is Wednesday

Chances are you are closer to a Veteran of the armed forces than you know. A neighbor, family member, friend, someone at your church, or in your small group, a co-worker, friend's parent, police officer, your physician, or someone's child is/has served in the armed forces. Veteran's Day is this Wednesday (11/11). In case you didn't know it was originally known as Armistice Day, the day the fighting between Germany and the Allies ceased during World War 1 in 1918. By 1954 it was changed to remember all U.S. veterans. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

This isn't "cheesy" sentiment from me. I have deep and profound respect for those who have ever served in our armed forces. Anyone who has served in the Coast Guard, Navy, Army, Marines and Air Force deserves our respect and gratitude. They sacrificed something precious to all of us: their life, time, and physical safety, all while suspending their vocational dreams. From those who were drafted, to the Reserves and the men and women who freely enlisted, or rose through the ranks of the military academies and colleges, each gave up something to be part of a greater cause. Their sacrifice even extends to those that have protested their deployments or assignments at various moments in our history. Think about that! Their service has preserved and protected the U.S. Constitution and our homeland. At times it's even been at the expense of ridicule, or criticism from the very people they have protected! Disagreement with policy and political decisions is part of our freedom, but no American (naturalized, or those born here) should ever feel anything but gratitude for those who have worn the uniform! Veterans, we salute you, we thank you and your family for the sacrifices you've made, some with the greatest sacrifice of all their lives. May God grant you peace and may we as a people treat you with the benefits, care, and respect you deserve!

Remember Ft. Hood In Your Prayers

Our thoughts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families at Ft. Hood, Texas following today's mass shooting.

Pray for the wounded and the families of the victims.

Pray for the chaplains and counselors who will be helping the soldiers and their families deal with this tragedy on home soil.

Pray for the men and women from Ft. Hood who are separated from their families, and friends while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. Pray for peace as they deal with this tragedy from halfway around the world.

Lifehouse - Broken

We're all broken and in need of the One who can heal and restore. Lifehouse captures the cries of the broken heart:

I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing
With a broken heart that's still beating
In the pain is the healing
In your name I find meaning
So I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on, I'm holdin' on
I'm barely holdin' on to you

I'm hangin' on another day
Just to see what you will throw my way
And I'm hangin' on to the words you say
You said that I will, will be ok

Are you broken? God promises His healing in Psalm 143:7:
"He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds."

Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)

This week as I walked through the backwash of sin in someone's life, I was reminded of my own chained and wretched state that was broken by the grace of God through Christ. Walking in the wake of the sin's of others is so much easier than facing our own. It's easy to forget or lose sight of that grace we desperately want and so desperately need to give to others. Chris Tomlin reminds us of this amazing grace with scenes from the movie, "Amazing Grace."