What is Advent?

What Does Outreach Look Like?

What does outreach leading to evangelism look like in 21st Century America?

Click here for an excellent, practical article written by Ken Chitwood.

The "Gorgeous" Cross

Yesterday, I was in a doctor's office...

I was sitting in the waiting room, waiting, when a woman walks in and stops at the receptionist's desk.  I immediately hear from the receptionist, "Oh, what a gorgeous cross you're wearing!"  And my thoughts immediately turned theological.

Saying "gorgeous" as an adjective modifying the noun "cross" makes as much sense as putting together the words "delightful" and "electric chair."  A cross is an ancient instrument of brutal and grotesque torture and death.  One does not wear a cross around one's neck because it is beautiful.  One wears a cross around one's neck because of the Son of God's brutal death upon it in your place.  Even we Christians have sanitized, cleaned-up, and dressed up an instrument of death - in order to insulate ourselves from the brutal reality of death.

The beauty of the cross is not the material beauty of its structure.  The beauty of the cross is the beauty and glory of the story of the work Jesus of Nazareth did upon that cross for you and me and the whole world - and emerged victoriously living the resurrected life as a first fruits of your resurrection.  It's an incredible, divine irony.  As Paul writes in 1st Corinthians:

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

And

"For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and follow to Gentiles."

Next time you wear a cross around your neck, think not of it's beauty, but of the beautiful irony of the work of God in Christ.

Note: An excellent recent article on this topic by a Seminary professor of mine can be found here.

Why Baby Jesus in the Stable?

 Why was our Lord born in a stable - the place for the animals?  Why was he not born in a more suitable place, like a proper room in the inn, or better yet, a king's bedchamber - a place befitting a king?

It totally makes sense for our Lord to be born among the animals.  Here we have the Lord of all creation born incarnate in the world.  Is it not good, right, and salutary that he be born among his creation?  There, present for his birth are creatures; yes, his mother and the one appointed to serve as his earthly father.  But also present are his creatures: the animals, who like Mary and Joseph are also part of creation.  It is proper that they also be present to welcome their Lord.  because their Creator has come.  How fitting that he be placed in a manger - the place where those animals receive the gift of food from the hand of their Lord to provide for their needs. And they worship their Creator - not by bowing in worship or singing his praises. No they praise him by simply being the creatures they've been created to be - quietly watching these amazing events unfold.

Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD!
For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
he have a decree and it shall not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty above earth and heaven.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints.
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the LORD!

And to think it took reading an Arch book and looking at the pictures for me to finally get it.

Defining Your Relationship With Christ

I was thumbing through a catalog from a Christian Bookseller today.  You know, the catalogs they just send to you regardless if you've ever ordered from them.  I suppose I get them because they've found out I'm a pastor.
Regardless, I was thumbing through the catalog and a particular book description hit me.  It started, "How would you define your relationship with Christ?  Are you a die-hard fan? Devoted follower? Don't know?"
How does one define their relationship with Christ?  I posit that this question is invalid.  According to the totality of the Holy Scriptures, you don't get to define your relationship with Christ.

Christ is the one who has defined his relationship with you.

Does anyone, any character in the Bible, Old or New, do the defining of the relationship?  Or is it that God is the one doing the defining, the choosing, the sending?  Christ has defined His relationship with you.  His definition is Himself.

"Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."

                                                                                                 - Romans 6:3-11

Jesus has defined his relationship with you in your baptism.  In Baptism, God has claimed you as His own and has attached you to the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ.  He molds and shapes you into who He intends for you to be through His Word, and ultimately, at your resurrection.  In Word and Sacrament, Christ defines you with himself as he binds himself to you.  

So rejoice and take heart.  You don't have to busy yourself with worrying how you are or aren't defining yourself and your relationship with Christ - buying the latest "how to" book about what YOU need to do to improve your relationship with Jesus.  He has done that heavy lifting for you.  Christ has forgiven you through the cross and empty tomb.  You are His through water and the Spirit.  And your life as a Christian is defined by Jesus.  

You are "in Christ."  Go and be who you already are! 

Youth Group Video for Gathering

Our youth put together a video for "consideration" at the National Youth Gathering in San Antonio.  (At the time of this writing, the Gathering is underway.)  Each Youth group could put together a short video reflecting  something about their hometown. Our youth chose a "Hunger Games" sort of theme to tell their story.  James Prince was the director and Sam Prince was on the camera and did the editing.

For your consideration: