I have become more and more of a morning person. I never thought that it would happen but now it seems as if I can just jump out of bed and get right to work. For the longest time I would awaken only to struggle and struggle. You’d have to pry my eyelids open with toothpicks some mornings! Some mornings I just couldn’t stay awake. Continue reading
Tag: #sacramental (Page 3 of 5)
I have a privilege of having trial of satellite radio in my vehicle, and the message had an interview with Natalie Grant about her new album. As I listened to her share her story and the meaning of each of the songs, my heart was drawn to one particular song – Clean. What an amazing song! What an amazing story! I know that I won’t do it justice but we’ll give it a shot. Continue reading
We all have a story to tell. What’s yours? With the news hitting recently about all of the devastation and destruction and evil hitting our world, it’s probably a good time to focus on the story that makes us who we are. Continue reading
Perhaps you’ve seen the news that Christians are in an uproar over the lack of Christmas decorations on the new Starbucks coffee cups. Perhaps you’re one who was offended that they chose to lose the symbolic Christmas icons on their cups. But I have to say, sometimes a cup is just a cup.
Let’s think about this for a minute. Some well-meaning Christians are upset that a secular business is not acting like a Christian business. Why is it that this upsets us? Should we expect any different? Why is this cup so important? Sure the Magi in the New Testament followed a star to find Jesus. Sure it was a cup that Jesus passed around at his last supper with his disciples but why are we combining the star and the cup? Why is this cup so important?
To be totally honest…it’s not! This cup has no significance at all. This cup holds coffee. It holds strong, dark, potent coffee! Christians, no matter how well-meaning, should not be angered over this decision. It’s a simple marketing ploy and some of you have fallen right into it. In the New Testament, Jesus promises that his presence is found not in a red holiday cup, but in a cup at the Sacrament of Communion.
It’s here, in this cup that we find the presence of Christ. It’s in the cup of wine and the loaf of bread that we see the blood and body of our risen Lord Jesus.
So why are we so confounded critical of a business that doesn’t want to use a tree on their cup? It wasn’t an evergreen tree that held our Savior on Good Friday. It was a tree in the form of a cross. The tree wasn’t green and filled with life. Rather it was dead, cut, and splintered. It was a tree that was hard. The tree was ugly. It was used for torture not joy. This is the tree that defines our lives as followers of Jesus.
Whether Starbucks wants to use a solid red cup or one covered with Christmas trees shouldn’t matter much at all. As Christians, our lives should demonstrate the meaning of Christmas regardless of what’s on our coffee cups. As followers of Jesus who carry the presence of Christ where we live, work and play, people should look to our words and actions to see the real meaning of this holy-day season. So perhaps we can be more concerned with how our lives reflect the tree of the cross than an evergreen on a red cup. Perhaps we should focus on living the called life everywhere we go instead of criticizing someone for a decision to change their method of distribution.
This Christmas wear the meaning of the season in your words and actions. Let others see the true light of Christmas not on your tree but in how Christ’s tree has illuminated your life. This Christmas may you know the meaning of the season is found in Jesus’ cup of righteousness poured out for all who believe. It’s not about a cup of coffee. Sometimes a cup is just a cup.
What voices do you listen to in this world? Is it the news? What about your friends? Or is it your spouse or significant other? Do you listen the voices of the pop culture superstars? Or the self-help gurus?
If you’re listening to any of these, then you’re probably not finding a lot of comfort in your self-worth. I remember growing up, my parents would always tell me Remember who and whose you are. Those words echo in my mind constantly even 20 years later. Continue reading
The Kingdom of God is a pretty key topic in the New Testament. The gospels contain many references to the coming of the God’s kingdom. But there’s an interesting fact about the times Jesus refers to his kingdom. Whenever Jesus references his kingdom, he does it in the present tense? That’s a pretty important reality for you and me today as followers of Jesus. Continue reading
I’ve become very fond of music that’s a bit folky sounding, and this one is a great one! Imagine for a moment being lost in a fog. Better yet, think of all of those ships navigating their way to shore and the fog covers the horizon to the point that they can’t see where to go next. They call out on the radio for assistance and the lighthouse attendant activates the intense light beam to guide them to shore. Continue reading
I
t’s a word that brings fear into the hearts of many. The idea of change is frightening to say the least. But why? Why is change so frightening?
If you really think about it, change is all around us. For instance, look outside – go ahead, peek out the window. You just witnessed change. Everything around us is in a constant state of change. The grass is slowly changing. The leaves are changing color. The clouds are moving thereby changing the scenery. Our bodies are slowly growing older and cells are dying. That’s all change!
But that’s not all that’s changing. The bible actually talks about other ways that things around us are changing. Actually the bible tells us that we are in a state of change as well. We’ve been changed from death to life, following evil, living in disobedience but now we are lights in the world. We are followers of the Son of God. Our disobedience has been forgiven and covered by the righteousness of God. Now that’s a change worth talking about!
A disciple is one that recognizes that this change has happened. A disciple sees the change and seizes opportunities to talk about it with others. Actually a disciple sees him/herself as an agent of that change. If you really think about it, through our conversations with friends and neighbors we are bringing a life-changing force into their lives. The message of the bible is a set of conversations intended to impact our lives and instill this idea of change.
People who are intentional followers of Jesus, seeking to make disciples of all nations, will find ways to have these kinds of life-changing conversations. Whether it’s reading the bible with someone. Note with someone not at someone. Maybe it’s praying with and for them. Perhaps this conversation of change happens at work. It might even happen on the ball field. It really doesn’t matter how or when or where this conversation happens. The reality is a disciple is one who seeks to make these discoveries and have these life-changing conversations daily.
Today, take a minute and have a conversation. Just be intentional. Don’t preach. Don’t beat people over the head with judgement or even with bible verses. Just have conversations. Let your love for the Lord be evident in how he has changed you. And pray that the gospel might have that same changing effect on those in the places where you live, work and play.
We’re now in week six of our journey through a book called The Ways of The Alongsider: Growing Disciples Life2Life by Bill Mowry. The idea of an Alongsider might be an uncommon thought to some of us, but Bill does a great job detailing at the outset of the book. Then as we moved deeper into our understanding of what an Alongsider was we hit three topics of great importance to discipleship: A Way of Life, Intentionality, A Life of Prayer, and last week we talked about Relationships. Continue reading
The name alone is great! Come as you are. It means that you don’t need to change anything to be accepted. You don’t need to be different from you are right now. You don’t need to have it all together. You don’t have to have your life perfect before you come in.
Unfortunately that’s not the message many people hear. Too many people see the church as a place where you’re only accepted if you’ve got it all together. But that’s just not the way it should be! Jesus invites us who are . Give this song a listen. Just sit and listen to the words.
Come as you are with all of your pains and all of your hurts. Come just as you are right now. Don’t wait until you have it all together. God wants to be the one who carries you through the difficult times in life. And the best part…he’s always there. You need not see him. You may not even feel his presence at times. But know this, there’s never a time when you’re actually alone. He’s right there.
A common misconception is that God won’t let you go through more than you can bear. The hard truth is that he regularly allows us to go through more than we can bear. He just walks that road with us. .
Today just come as you are and let Jesus hold you.