Day of Praise

Sa, 11/30/13, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 18:15-16 - "An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great."

Well, I think it's safe to say that almost every single one of us has made room for something extra this Thanksgiving weekend.

I myself had a great time making room for my daughters to be home from college. I made room for overnight guests from Korea. I made room for an Open House for our church family and anyone else who wondered what all the people were about. I made room for lots of turkey. I made room for a couple movies. I made room to make six and a half hours of phone calls to people in our church and community who are both in town and out of town. I'm making room to help my son build a harmless (translation bladeless) guillotine for extra credit in his freshmen history class. I made room to help park thousands of cars for hours and for the Alabama high school state semifinal thriller football game that all those people were coming to see. And, in addition to lots of other things, I made room for some of the best pumpkin pie, pecan pie, and carrot cake that I've eaten since the last time I ate pumpkin pie because I'm sure that it was made by the same person!

Yet with all these truly wonderful things for which we've all made room, I pray that we'll acknowledge the season of Advent that starts tomorrow, Sunday, December 1. "Advent," which means "coming," is a season to prepare. Yes, it's a season to prepare for Christmas. But as "Christmas" means "Christ sent for fellowship with us," Advent is a season to make room not so much for Christmas as a worldly material cultural event but instead to make room for Jesus Christ himself.

As Pastor Scott and I start a sermon series on "The Art of Neighboring," we're being challenged to call people to recognize that making room for Jesus Christ usually means making room for more than what you planned. Christ shines through us when we plan for one person, but two show up, and we make room for two. Christ shines when we plan for people to stay for four hours, but they stay for more, and we make room in our day for people to stay longer, especially if the only thing competing with their hunger for fellowship is, well, watching a football game or running to grab some more of that awesome pumpkin pie.

Think about it!

May God grant us a great Advent as God makes room in our heart for more than we had planned!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 11/29/13, "Day of Praise"

Last Sunday, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, the woman, who does a great job with our children's sermon in worship, asked the children, "What big holiday is coming up?" One sweet little girl raised her hand excitedly and said, "Christmas!"

Thanksgiving has come to be the forgotten holiday.

Too bad.

We have so much to be thankful for.

Here's a few everlasting suggestions for thankfulness in today's Bible verse, including, on a lighter note if you'll notice, St. Paul's penchant for one of the longest run-on sentences ever written, which would probably cause him to flunk your favorite English teacher's class. :-)

P.S. - I thank the Lord for all of you and the countless Thanksgiving greetings that you all sent yesterday.

Ephesians 1:15-23 - For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 11/28/13, "Day of Praise"

"Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures
forever." - Psalm 106:1

Happy Thanksgiving!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 11/27/13, "Day of Praise"

2 Chronicles 34:33 - "Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the Lord their God. As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the Lord, the God of their ancestors."

Y'all, I know that today's a little preachy, but I also know that there are some people who get this Day of Praise devotion who need to hear what I'm about to say. So, if you think you're in unhindered, and joyful fellowship with the Lord, then you can stop reading. But if you're dissatisfied with your relationship with the Lord because you sense that there's got to be more to Jesus than you're experiencing with Him, then you probably should read on. Here we go.

Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites so that all who were present in Israel could serve the Lord their God. Wow! That was nice of him.

What needs to be removed from your life?

There's a television commercial for some product (which I think is a truck) that shows some kids playing ball on a very nice baseball field. Then the advertisers kick the video in reverse and show everything that went into making the ball field, including "removing all the detestable boulders." I hope those kids thanked the person and the machine that did all the heavy lifting so they could have a ball field, even if it was just a commercial.

That's what Josiah did for Israel. He did all the heavy lifting. He removed stuff that got in the way, not of people having a good time playing ball, but he removed the stuff that got in the way of having a good time serving the Lord.

Let me ask you a personal question?

Do you enjoy serving the Lord?

If you answered "no, I do not enjoy serving the Lord," then today's Bible verse is just one of many where God tells us that there's something in your life that needs to be removed (maybe something detestable) because it's claiming your eagerness and anticipation more than the Lord. Quite frankly, God's Word basically says that God is constantly amazed at how nonchalant we are about our relationship with the Lord. We'll swap time with God through His Word for time with the world and its pleasures in a heartbeat. All we have to do for proof that God is right about this is look at our calendar and checkbook.

The major problem with leaving these boulders in our lives, instead of removing them, is that Jesus says that we are nothing, have nothing, and can do nothing apart from the Lord.

So let's get to the point. You know where the Lord is on your priority list. If God isn't first on the list and the center of everything else on the list, then you (like all of us) have some detestable boulders that need to be removed so you can have a good time serving the Lord. Now the question is, "So who's going to remove these things from our lives, especially if ironically they're so big we can't see them?"

Yep, you got it! God through Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit! After all, he overcame the sin of the whole world, death, and the grave. And he removed some big ol' honker of a boulder from his grave. So I'm sure he can remove some boulders from our little ol' lives.

Keep it simple. Just ask Him! And he will!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 11/26/13, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 73:1-2 - "Truly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped."

Have you ever had a bad time in your life? A hard time? Have you ever "almost stumbled" and "nearly slipped"?

The last two summers have been so blessed for me. One summer, I went with my oldest daughter to camp. And the other summer, I went with my youngest daughter to camp. As the week of camp ended, there's a special time for parent-child sharing that lasts for hours and covers very important matters. As a remembrance of that parent-child time, the camp gives each parent and each child a simple, string bracelet with beads that spell "G-O-D". I've never taken mine off.

However, the other day the black string broke as I was getting ready for bed. The beads bounced around, including one that bounced into the bathtub and was headed straight for the drain. I quickly prayed, "Please, Lord." And right at the lip of the drain, it stopped.

Did my prayer make a difference? I believe so. Even moreso, did God stop the bead that carries a special meaning for me? I believe so even more.

In the same way, in your bad time in your life, in your hard time, when you "almost stumbled" and "nearly slipped" right down the drain, who kept you from going right down the tubes like a tiny bead on its way to its end? And if necessary, who would've kept going with you, even if you'd come to your end?

In Jesus the Christ, we have One who is God with us, holding us close, keeping us together, like a special bracelet on God's own wrist. But Jesus, the very Son of God, has also shown us plainly, on his cross and in his death, that when our lives are headed for the drain, he's pleading for us, advocating for us, to keep us from going straight down the tubes.

In essence, he keeps us from stumbling and holds us upright. He certainly held me up, by his Spirit and through his people, in the worst season of my life and in every other season too. And even if I'd fallen, he would've gone with me, all the way, because in the depths he meets us and from the depths he raises us up.

Give thanks, dear friends, for Mighty God who is with us. And pray for your friends who are struggling, not only that God would keep them from falling and heading straight down the tubes, but also that your friend would know who is with them, even in the depths of despair.

For He who is with us when we stumble is the One who also raises us up!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 11/25/13, "Day of Praise"

"His arms were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob." - Genesis 49:23-24

When Jacob blessed Joseph in today's Bible verse, he spoke of agility coming Joseph's way.

Maybe we should ask for some agility for each other.

For myself, I need a little physical agility to go dumpster diving later this morning. In my typical helpfully unhelpful fashion, I thought I'd help after our church's annual Thanksgiving Feast last night by taking four big garbage bags out to the dumpster. Turns out that one of the garbage bags had $400 worth of linens that were borrowed from a member of the church.

Dumpster, here I come.

Pray for me. I need some agility.

Pertaining to us all, it's a short week because of Thanksgiving and probably a lot of good eating ahead. But before we get to the turkey, I'd guess many of us are in the same position, namely, the same amount of work needs to get done but now in a shorter period of time. A little mental agility would probably be helpful to us all.

So let's pray for one another for the Almighty One of Jacob to dwell in us and give us some mental agility to get it all done before Thursday. And while we're at it, it probably isn't a bad idea either to pray for one another for a little physical agility so we can all get in a little physical exercise before the big eats day gets here.

Happy Agility Monday!

May God grant it to all of us today as it was granted to Joseph in days of old!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 11/23/13, "Day of Praise"

"And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need." - Acts 2:45

Please sit down.

After all, it's Saturday.

But actually, the reason I want you to sit down is because my sincere desire is to help you get stronger.

God's way.

As an illustration before the request, did you know that, when you give blood, the blood that your body makes to replace what you gave is actually stronger blood than what you gave?

God's way of making us stronger is that God made us to pass along what God gave and entrusted to us so that we'd get stronger in return. So when we pass on blood that God gave and entrusted to us then we get stronger blood in return. And when we pass on our stuff, our possessions, our material goods that God gave and entrusted to us then we get stronger stuff, possessions, everlasting goods in return.

This is what God's talking about in Malachi 3:10 and Jesus is talking about in Mark 4:18-21. This is what the people in today's Bible verse were counting on. This is what our church is counting on with our canned good and clothing giveaway today.

In freely giving, we actually are receiving even more that God freely gives in return.

With this in mind, please stay seated and consider the following challenging (but rewarding) video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YwScBFTb_M. And if you'll believe and respond to what you see while you're seated, God's promise is that you'll rise up even stronger than before.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 11/22/13, "Day of Praise"

Jeremiah 11:18a - "The Lord made it known to me and I knew..."

Amos 8:1a - "This is what the Lord God showed me:..."

What would you like to know?

Don't let Friday get in the way.

It's easy for us to get so wrapped up in the things that we enjoy and the things that we anticipate that we wind up missing out on the things that God wants to show us now. Usually it means that we're so wrapped up in the temporary that we wind up missing out on the eternal and everlasting.

I have a friend who was telling me that, like many others that are telling me the same, he has recently discovered the joy of inviting people to both Jesus and also to worship. Such joy is a joy whether or not people accept because, having made us in His image, God made us to love it when we invite others to Him. It's an additional immeasurable bonus when they accept.

Well, my friend said that, a few days ago, he was with his usual group of almost twenty golfers, who get divided into foursomes by drawing names from a hat. These guys have met and divided into groups and played golf for years, so they know each other quite well. My friend said that, as the first three names were drawn, he recognized that two of them were strong non-believers. And upon recognizing that the non-believers had been picked, my friend said that he just knew that, even though there were almost twenty names still in the hat, he himself was going to be picked next.

And he was.

So he could start to talk to them about Jesus and worship.

But the question is, "How did he know he was going to be picked out of a hat?" Was it coincidence? Well, friends, you can choose to believe whatever you want. Or you can believe what God says in His word as in today's Bible verses. God wants us to know things and show us things that have to do with everlasting things. And God wants us to just know these things and show us these everlasting things even when we're doing some earthly temporary thing we enjoy, like golf, or when we're eagerly anticipating some earthly temporary thing we're going to enjoy, like the weekend.

So today's Friday. It's fine to enjoy it as Friday and to enjoy anticipating the weekend. But in the midst of your earthly enjoyment, remember why we're ultimately here: to know the Lord and make Him known, inviting others to Jesus and to worship. And as you remember our ultimate purpose, God will show you things so that you'll know things that bring unmatched excitement to your day, an eternal blessing to those before you, and glory to God and his name.

Jeremiah 11:18a - "The Lord made it known to me and I knew..."

Amos 8:1a - "This is what the Lord God showed me:..."

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 11/21/13, "Day of Praise"

Romans 8:18 - "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

It's a long story, so let's just sum it up. Yesterday morning, I wound up in the lobby and at the front desk of my son's huge, 2,600 students, high school, signing him in as tardy, with 100 or so students milling around, a good number of whom said, "Hello, Mr. DeGreen" or "Hi, Coach Chris" or "Hey, Pastor Chris." After all, my family has been blessed to be in this community for over two decades.

The thing was that this wear-pastor-clothes-90%-of-the-time-with-the-little-white-thing-at-your-neck-coach-Mr.-pastor was in the huge school lobby...in my pajamas.

Of course, that also meant doofy looking hair and, only the good Lord knows, whatever else was uncovered or out of place.

I was embarrassed for a moment.

And then God said, "Chris, this is nothing. But if it is anything, it's a chance to show these kids what matters." So instead of apologizing about my pj's to every kid and adult, I just had an even greater time greeting the kids, hugging a couple necks, and telling my son to have a great day and that I would pray for him with his test.

And let's be clear; I was embarrassed, but God had greater plans.

So, come what may today, with whatever may be out of place, may God speak to our hearts, help us to laugh at ourselves, shine through us with gladness, and bring God the glory.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 11/20/13, "Day of Praise"

2 Peter 3:9 - "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

So what do a haircut and Christmas shopping have in common? Well, depending on who cuts your hair and when you're shopping, they both can require a huge amount of patience.

My daughters will often go to one of our local cosmetology schools to get their hair cut. Such willingness to be a practice dummy for the hair-cutting students means that their haircut can literally take hours. But my daughters, and all others who get their hair cut at the school, know that the students are learning. So my daughters are patient.

In the same way, as we start to do our Christmas shopping this time of year, it would be good for all of us to remember that the mass of humanity that could frustrate us, for various reasons, is a bunch of people who are learning.

Ultimately, we're all students. In fact, in 1 Corinthians 13, God says that none of us will fully know until Jesus comes again. That's why, in Matthew 28, Jesus sends disciples to make disciples. In other words, Jesus is sending students of God's good life to make students of God's good life because, until Jesus comes again, we're all learning. And when we remember that we're all learning, like a bunch of hair-cutting students, then it's much easier to be patient with one another.

Best of all, God tells us, in today's Bible verse, that God is very patient with all of us, mostly because God wants none of us to perish, as God always remembers that, until Jesus comes again, we're learning.

So, as Black Friday and Christmas shopping are upon us, let's all add to the kindness and peace out there by meeting the unkindness and conflict with patience. In so doing, God's own patience for all of us will be seen, and all of us will know more of God's blessings.

Dear God, please help and teach us all.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 11/19/13, "Day of Praise"

Luke 6:48 - "...he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built."

Tonight, my son and I are going to a fund-raiser, here in Birmingham, Alabama, for Greg and Melissa Segrest. Greg has accepted a post with Amor ministries in San Diego, California. Greg's job each week will be to lead American church groups into Mexico, just outside the city of Tijuana. The groups will sleep on the ground for four or five nights and have extremely primitive kitchen and bath realities so they can share the privilege of building two or three, carport-sized houses in a week. Each house will provide shelter for one of the forty-seven percent of Mexican families that live below the poverty line. A house keeps a poor family together physically, just as the Bible they're given keeps them together spiritually.

Greg and Melissa, in essence, are becoming missionaries to a foreign country, though they will live in our country. Greg, like most missionaries, must raise his own support, which is $36,000 for 2014. Yesterday, with a brief appeal, our little church gathered $4,920 for Greg, with another $1,800 pledged by members for the year ahead, in addition to our church's budget commitment. It's a blessed start. However, there's a long way still to go. If you'd like to support this young couple in their life commitment to bringing Jesus and the Gospel to those in dire need, you can either send a tax-deductible gift to Amor directly (www.amor.org/give), noting that it's for Greg, or you can send a tax-deductible gift to our church (Christ the King Lutheran, 611 Riverchase Pkwy W, Birmingham, AL 35244), noting it for Greg. Every single penny will go to Greg's mission support.

Additionally, if you want to know how to build your children into young missionaries, whether they build houses in Mexico, work on computers in Huntsville, AL, serve on the police force in Kingsport, TN, aspire to be African or Nepalese or Middle-Eastern missionaries after college, or still don't know exactly what God wants them to do, then here are four simple directions for building the house, which is your child's life, with a foundation that is dug deep down onto the rock so their life can withstand any flood or storm and their life can build up others in Christ's strength, too.

1) Lay the foundation for your child(ren) with God's word, namely the writings "of the apostles and prophets, [with] Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20)

2) Then working up from the foundation, use your knees and work on your child(ren)'s knees too . As Larry Christenson once said in "God's Little Instruction Book for Dad," "Happy is the child who happens in upon his parent from time to time to see them on their knees,...or going aside regularly, to keep times with the Lord."

3) Working on up the body, build your child with your own big big heart and fill theirs too. It's been said that when God measures a man, he puts the tape around the heart instead of the head.

4) Finally, the first three roll up and are revealed by a trained or untrained tongue. As Paul Lewis says, "A father's words are like a thermostat that sets the temperature in the house."

Please pray for Greg and Melissa's new life, for every child-building adult, and for all children to be built up with God's words.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 11/18/13, "Day of Praise"

Matthew 18:21 - Then Peter came up and said to Jesus, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?"

Over the weekend, my two teens, along with my daughter's college roommate, asked to grab a bite at Jason's Deli before the girls went back to school. The kids were ordering at the cash register when, for just a second, I turned to look elsewhere. The next thing I know, I sense a woman stepping in front of me to order, in essence, adding to our order because I was the one paying for my kids.

I said, "Excuse me, ma'am." She turned and looked at me as if I'd just said, "Lady, your hair looks stupid and your clothes need some help and please work on your breath." But I'm sure that all I said was, "Excuse me, ma'am."

After a moment, still glaring, she started to step back saying, "Well, he [the cash register guy] told me to step up." So I looked at the cash register guy and he was thinking about Jupiter or Mars or something else altogether because he was looking straight through all of us.

So I simply stepped up to pay for my three because I wasn't eating, and even if I had been earlier, at this point, I'd lost my appetite. After I paid, my three and I stepped down the line, along with the Holy Spirit. I know the Holy Spirit was there because 1) He always is and 2) He told me to apologize. As we're getting our waters to drink, the lady makes her way down the line, and I stepped towards her and said, "Ma'am, please forgive me; I'm really sorry." Have you ever heard the saying, "If looks could kill?" And she didn't say a word or even slow down.

I was feeling really bad now because I'm wearing pastor clothes, and I'd just served a funeral and I had a baptism at a home for a very sick little child. In other words, I was very mindful that I was looking like a pastor and supposed to be drawing people to Jesus and forgiveness and salvation. I wasn't supposed to be pushing people away. So I tried two more times to engage the lady, literally bowing down and asking forgiveness. I don't know, maybe the problem was that I kept thinking, "All I said was, 'Excuse me, ma'am.'"

The point in all this is that it's Monday. My hunch is, if your Mondays and lives are anything like mine, that there will be lots of opportunities for seeking forgiveness and offering forgiveness. There will be lots of times when you'll keep thinking, "All I said was, '____________.'" But may God help us all to humble ourselves and trust that Jesus alone, as always, is right when His answer to Peter in today's verse basically is, "Unless you want a totally conflicted life, be eager always to forgive and be forgiven."

Dear God, thank you for your forgiveness. Please help us pass it on. In Jesus's name, Amen.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 11/16/13, "Day of Praise"

"because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1:78-79

Aaaah, sunrise. God's sunrise. Light. Guidance. Peace.

My friend, Lori Spahn, who lives with her husband and three kids in San Antonio, replied to a recent "Day of Praise" with this beautiful, attached picture of a sunrise at their house along with the following reflection, encouraging us all to be joyfully content with God's wondrous provision.

Lori wrote:

Here is my thought for the day/devotional as God gave it to me this morning.

Has anyone else noticed how beautiful the sunrises and sunsets have been since Daylight Savings Time ended? I have. I believe that God reveals himself to us through all aspects of his creation. I think He wants us on "sun time" (SON time) just the way He created it to be, not on some altered time concocted by man, "daylight savings time". God's time is perfect. We wake up and get going and He greets us with a most beautiful display across the sky. At the end of the day, He is telling us "Your day is done. Go home and be with your family. Close the doors, get to bed and rest, and get ready for the next day." And He tucks us in with the most beautiful sunset to say good night. We don't need to save up time for anything. God gives us every minute, and we cannot add to it or accrue more for a later date.

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 11/15/13, "Day of Praise"

"...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption..." - Romans 8:23

So how much better might the world be if we were all in tune with the basic human need and longing to be a part of a healthy family? Yes, I do mean a healthy, earthly family. But I mean an earthly family as God intended our earthly families to be an outward sign of even deeper, richer relationships in the ultimate big family that is God's family on earth and in heaven.

To this end, may I offer an invitation and a testimony, calling all of us to "groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for [the sure knowledge that God wants all of us invited and welcomed into his big healthy family by way of spiritual] adoption..." (Romans 8:23)?

First, here's the invitation. The "Honest to Goodness Father-Daughter Forum" is being offered on both Saturdays, December 21 and 28 from 6 pm - 10 pm here at our home, 1601 Southcrest Trail, Hoover, AL 35244. Chili dinner will be provided for all. RSVP to pastor2553@tmo.blackberry.net with the date(s) you plan to attend and the name and age of the father and/or daughter(s) attending. Registration is open until Monday, December 16. There is no registration fee, but a free will offering may be gathered if registration greatly exceeds expectations, which would be marvelous!

Second, here's the testimony from my almost 21-year-old daughter, Calley, as she wrote in her blog last night:

When I read adoption blogs, I cry a lot.

I cry a lot because I miss my babies. I don't know when I'll get to hold them and kiss them and tell them, "You are a child of God," and whisper, "Momma and Daddy love you" into their ears. I don't know how long they will have to wait on me.  I don't know if someone is taking care of them. I don't know if they are safe. I don't know if they are full and warm and dressed. I don't even know their names or their birthdays or their favorite thing.

But I know the promises of my Heavenly Father to love them and defend them and call them by name. So I will surrender my children into His care. In fact, it's such a blessing to have this time when the Lord is so clearly calling me to surrender them to Him, because even when I have them in my home, they still are the Lord's. And the Lord knows.

The Lord knows I cry a lot because I miss my babies. The Lord knows when I'll get to hold them and kiss them and tell them, "You are a child of God," and whisper, "Momma and Daddy love you" into their ears. The Lord knows how long they will have to wait on me, [and they don't have to wait on Him]. The Lord knows if someone is taking care of them; [He is!]. The Lord knows if they are safe; [He is their Protector]. The Lord knows if they are full and warm and dressed; [He is their Provider]. The Lord even knows their names and their birthdays and their favorite thing.

When I think about this, I cry a lot. It is the Good.

"...we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption..." - Romans 8:23

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 11/14/13, "Day of Praise"

Proverbs 25:11 - "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver."

Every parent wants to give their child(ren) "more than they had." The question always is: "More of what?"

I have a friend. He's an older man in my life, who's not related to me, who says that his father gave him more life by giving him less words. For example, his dad would say, "Son, you're a young man, so you have freedom to make your own decisions, but you're not making very good ones." My friend says that's all it took for him to wake up and start making what have turned out to be some amazing, mature, life-giving decisions, which have brought him far more spiritually and financially than his father ever had. My friend's father, therefore, saw every parent's dream come true, namely, the child had more than the parent. And in this case, the parent gave his son more by giving him less because what the father gave was, what God calls in today's Bible verse, "A word fitly spoken."

"Fitly" means correctly; judiciously; suitably; properly; pertinently;
done in a competent, appropriate or suitable manner. And such a word, God says, "is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." (Proverbs 25:11)

Did you know that God has given us such a word? God has spoken a fitly word, which is correct, judicious, suitable, proper, pertinent, and done in a competent, appropriate and suitable manner. And that word is "Jesus." If we'll read John chapter one in the Bible, we'll see that God calls Jesus "The Word," so that with one word, "Jesus," God has given all his children "more" because in Jesus we have the most! In God's word, Jesus, we have the most life, the most strength, the most insight, the most courage, the most peace, the most love, the most joy, and on and on and on of everything that counts and matters and lasts in life.

Do you want your child(ren) to have more? If so, then give them less words. In fact, give them just one word. Give them Jesus!

(And, by the way, any child of God, any human being, no matter their age, could use and needs the same! So, give it, give Jesus to them!)

"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver." (Proverbs 25:11)

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 11/13/13, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus said,] "Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." - John 16:7

We had our first practice for our 8th-9th grade, recreation league, basketball team last night. Though thirteen, one boy has never played the game. It was a good reminder for us coaches to make sure we touched on the basics of basketball. Very basic.

Yesterday, I met with a person who has gone to church all her life. I was asked a question that I assumed everybody knew, at least I thought you'd know it if you'd ever been in a church. It was a good reminder for us churchgoers to make sure we touch on the basics of the Christian faith. Very basic.

And so it is with Jesus in today's Bible verse. He's making sure that we touch on the basics of the purpose of his death on the cross. Very basic.

We all know that Jesus died on the cross so our sins could be forgiven. That's basic stuff.

But did you also know that Jesus died on the cross so that he can actually live in you by the power of the Holy Spirit? I talked to somebody just yesterday who's gone to church their whole life and didn't know that Jesus had to die in order for the Holy Spirit to come. And they didn't know that the Holy Spirit had to come in order for Jesus to live within us. That's why Jesus said, "It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7)

And what that basically means is this: if you will believe that Jesus died for your sins and that he was raised from the dead so he could pour out the Holy Spirit, then Jesus will actually live in you so that, no matter what happens today, you will find that you are not alone, that Jesus is your strength in hard times, and that the Holy Spirit will be your peace and insight in the face of your difficulty. And basically a whole lot more.

The mom of the new boy on our basketball team told me that her son never knew that basketball was a team sport. As basic as that may seem to some of you, please don't laugh because apparently he'd only experienced basketball as a street game where everybody played by themselves and for themselves.

Kinda like what many people think being a Christian is. Everybody by himself and for himself.

But basically, y'all, in case you're new to the concept, Jesus died on the cross so he could send the Holy Spirit and turn the game of life into a team sport with Jesus in me and Jesus in you and Jesus joining us all together in a winning team called the Church.

So, if you haven't gone to church lately, you should go and get involved.

Your team needs you. And you need the team.

And while you're at it, invite a friend. After all, being part of a church may seem basic to you, but it's a brand new concept to many, who need your help in learning to be on the team.

And, because Jesus died and was raised, the Holy Spirit will help and coach us all!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 11/12/13, "Day of Praise"

Psalm 25:5 - "Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long."

In the last three days, three people in our church have invited someone to church and/or to Jesus for the first time. All three said the experience was an unmatched joy that they will look to repeat regularly for the rest of their lives.

A few weeks ago, to encourage us all to invite people to Jesus and church, my daughter, Calley (www.voguemind.blogspot.com), wrote the following:

"Why are they so unconcerned with Life?" 

I asked someone how they felt about the Gospel.

He told me not to worry or waste time, he believed.

Well, I said, it says in this book (the Bible) that even the demons believe and shudder, so there has to be something more to it.

Yeah, I guess, he says.

So where are you? On the scale of "I believe" to "Lord, my life is Yours because I believe"?

Maybe the middle, he replies.

What does that look like in your day to day?

He says that he helps people.

I tell him that hindus, atheists, muslims, a lot of people help others. but how does Jesus makes your life different? 

That is the issue here. Jesus doesn't make boy's life different. Because boy does not actually have Jesus. You can't have Jesus and not be different.

But boy doesn't care about any of it.

WHY? Why doesn't he care?

Because boy is dead, and so he cannot be concerned with Life.

And WHY doesn't that break every. single. believer?! What is more concerning than boy's unconcern?

Please do not tell me you are not called to missions or ministry or evangelism or... You may not be called to move to India, but you are called to missions, if you follow Jesus. Because if you follow Jesus, you obey Him. And He COMMANDED you to make disciple of all nations (Matthew 28:18-20).

Why are you treating this like a detention assignment? Is there anything about this Jesus that has caused you to believe He cannot be trusted and obeyed?

That is OUR issue, isn't it? We don't trust Jesus enough to obey Him. And that causes us to have hard hearts. So that when boys don't care, our hearts don't break. And so boy still doesn't have a concern about Life.

Hmm.

Lord, God. PLEASE. I beg You to help us. Help us obey You. Soften our hearts so we can care. Raise the dead so they can have Life. LORD, help us care. 

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 11/11/13, Veterans Day, "Day of Praise"

"The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." - Exodus 14:14

So late last night, after a full day of Sunday School, worship, ministry committees, community ministry, and a school project, my son tells me he's going to do a workout. He's moving his feet very fast and doing his drills. He's working hard, moving his arms as he runs through his drills, over and over and over. While my 14-year-old is ending his day at ten p.m. with a workout, I'm eating ice cream, specifically Target brand Birthday Cake ice cream. So my son's working hard, and I'm eating dessert.

It's a lot like God's call through Moses in today's Bible verse. God will fight; we get to be still. Thank you, God!

It's a lot like the truth that's celebrated on Veterans Day. Our Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy are poised and ready to fight; we get to rest secure that they will. Our Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy do what's necessary, in every generation, to serve our country and keep it safe; we get to be still.

And eat ice cream.

Even Target brand Birthday Cake ice cream if you want.

Please, thank a Veteran today!

Pray for our Veterans today.

Go see a Veterans Day parade and cheer for the Veterans in every generation.

After all, because our Veterans were willing to enter a conflict, then we are able to have peace and many other freedoms that they secure for us, which we enjoy.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 11/09/13, "Day of Praise"

"My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all the day." - Psalm 71:8

Have a great day!

I hear there's a great forecast:
1) God will reign.
2) The Son will shine.
3) The Spirit will provide a gentle breeze from the East.
4) And, if we're really blessed, Jesus will come on the clouds of heaven.

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 11/08/13, "Day of Praise"

"This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: 'Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.'" - Numbers 36:6

You're all invited. All of you.

We barely know many of you, but my daughters and I want to open our home for at least two dates with at least one being before Christmas and another day the week after Christmas. We'll nail down the exact dates as we get some feedback from you about your thoughts on coming to our home in Birmingham, Alabama.

We want you to come to what we're going to call an "Honest to Goodness Father-Daughter Forum."

Many of you know my almost 21-year-old daughter, Calley, personally or through her blog (www.voguemind.blogspot.com) where there's a "Day of Praise" archive link. My younger daughter, Cassidy, is 18.

God has worked in a number of ways to deepen our conviction that there needs to be more honest, open conversation about God's Biblical guidance and counsel to men about their critical role in the whole life of their daughter(s). We sure don't know everything. But we sure do know that everything needs to be discussed more than it has been in our homes, churches, and nation. Men with men. Men with their daughters. Daughters with daughters.

There are multiple people, ministries, missions training-grounds, camps, and books, with the Bible leading the way, that God has used to shape our convictions. Male and female counselors, mentors, teachers, and authors have been God's instruments.

But I'll close by noting the outline from "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" by Meg Meeker, M.D. as succinct examples of topics: 1) You Are the Most Important Man in Her Life, 2) She Needs a Hero, 3) You Are Her First Love, 4) Teach Her Humility, 5) Protect Her, Defend Her (and use a shotgun if necessary), and more like Be the Man You Want Her to Marry, Teach Her Who God Is, and Teach Her to Fight.

We'll pray, study, talk, eat, and worship. We hope you'll come.

Thoughts?

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 11/08/13, "Day of Praise"

"This is what the Lord commands concerning the daughters of Zelophehad: 'Let them marry whom they think best, only they shall marry within the clan of the tribe of their father.'" - Numbers 36:6

You're all invited. All of you.

We barely know many of you, but my daughters and I want to open our home for at least two dates with at least one being before Christmas and another day the week after Christmas. We'll nail down the exact dates as we get some feedback from you about your thoughts on coming to our home in Birmingham, Alabama.

We want you to come to what we're going to call an "Honest to Goodness Father-Daughter Forum."

Many of you know my almost 21-year-old daughter, Calley, personally or through her blog (www.voguemind.blogspot.com) where there's a "Day of Praise" archive link. My younger daughter, Cassidy, is 18.

God has worked in a number of ways to deepen our conviction that there needs to be more honest, open conversation about God's Biblical guidance and counsel to men about their critical role in the whole life of their daughter(s). We sure don't know everything. But we sure do know that everything needs to be discussed more than it has been in our homes, churches, and nation. Men with men. Men with their daughters. Daughters with daughters.

There are multiple people, ministries, missions training-grounds, camps, and books, with the Bible leading the way, that God has used to shape our convictions. Male and female counselors, mentors, teachers, and authors have been God's instruments.

But I'll close by noting the outline from "Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters" by Meg Meeker, M.D. as succinct examples of topics: 1) You Are the Most Important Man in Her Life, 2) She Needs a Hero, 3) You Are Her First Love, 4) Teach Her Humility, 5) Protect Her, Defend Her (and use a shotgun if necessary), and more like Be the Man You Want Her to Marry, Teach Her Who God Is, and Teach Her to Fight.

We'll pray, study, talk, eat, and worship. We hope you'll come.

Thoughts?

Praise God!
Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Th, 11/07/13, "Day of Praise"

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers..." - Psalm 8:3

Luke Sanders played on one of my YMCA soccer teams and is now in the 8th grade at Evangel Classical Christian School. This is Luke's speech on God's fingerprint in nature:

What if  I were to tell you that you are being held together by a million little crosses right now? Or that many things in nature correspond to a mathematical spiral? Or what if I were to say that the appearances of certain fruits and vegetables correspond to the appearances of the organs for which they provide nutrients? These ideas may seem far-fetched to some, but they are all fact. God has left us tiny clues and fingerprints that point to Him, an intelligent designer. An analysis of creation will demonstrate God's fingerprint in nature through laminin, the golden ratio, and "The Doctrine of Signatures."
           
Laminin is a small protein found in the human body. It serves as a cellular "glue" that holds our organs together and keeps them in place. The significance, however, lies in its shape. Laminin resembles a cross, similar to the one on which Christ was crucified. The tiny crosses stretch out their arms to other laminin bodies and hold us together, just like Christ. Louie Giglio, pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, said these words concerning laminin, "There are millions and millions and millions of microscopic crosses holding you together right now." Colossians 1:17 says, "He is before all things, and in Him all things are held together." This verse illustrates laminin perfectly. It tells us that Christ holds us together. Could He do this through laminin? Absolutely.
              
Leonardo Pisano Bigollo, or more commonly known as Fibonacci, discovered a set of numbers we know as the Fibonacci sequence. The sequence begins with the numbers 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, and continues infinitely. To find the next number one must add the two previously found numbers together to find the next number. For example, to find the sixth number in the sequence, one must add the fourth and fifth numbers together. When the sequence is graphed inside a rectangle, it renders a spiral that is evident in most of creation. Such examples include flower petals, seed heads, pinecones, the way trees branch, sea shells, hurricanes, and DNA molecules. Even the huge spiral galaxies, such as the one we live in, correspond to this fascinating mathematical sequence. The sequence of numbers also corresponds to the length of the joints in one's finger. The joints are directly proportional to any three consecutive numbers in the sequence. Paul Dirac, English theoretical physicist and University of Cambridge graduate said, "God used beautiful mathematics in creating the world." While some may claim that the appearance of this sequence in nature is merely a coincidence, I will hold to the belief that it is one of the many signs God uses to point us to Him.
       
Have you ever eaten a banana and started to feel a little happier? And when you did, did you notice that a banana looks a little like a smile? Well, bananas stay true to their appearance. They look like a smile, and contain the protein tryptophan, which, when digested, is converted into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps improve one's mood. The same goes for broccoli. If you ask a small child what broccoli looks like, they will tell you a tiny tree. Well, if you look closer you will notice that if turned to where the stalk is pointing up, it looks like a lung. And broccoli contains vitamins a, c, d, and k which help improve lung function. The cutaway of a carrot reveals its inner rings, which resemble the human eye. And, not surprisingly, it contains beta carotin, a vitamin that helps our eyes see better. Starting to see a theme? Celery resembles a strong healthy bone, and is twenty three percent sodium, just like the bones it strengthens. Ginger resembles a stomach, and it helps us in digestion and has anti nausea effects. Kidney beans, get their names from an organ they resemble, the kidney, and just so happen to contain molybdenum, a protein that helps our kidneys. A cutaway of a mushroom resembles the human ear, and also helps us to hear better because of the vitamin d it contains. Finally, and most fascinating to me, is the walnut. It looks like a small little brain and even has a hard outside like the skull surrounding our brains. It contains the omega three fatty acids our brains need to function. Even more fascinating, extracts from the nut are now being used to treat alzheimers. Coincidence? I think it highly improbable. David Bjrklie, senior reporter for TIME magazine said in one of his articles, "A stupendous insight from civilizations past has been confirmed by modern investigative nutritional sciences. They have shown what was once called 'The Doctrine of Signatures' is quite astoundingly correct. This doctrine relates that every whole food has a 'signature' that resembles a body organ or physiological function and it is this pattern that acts as a signal or sign as to the specific benefit that the food provides to the eater." Maybe God was trying to help struggling Adam remember the health benefits of the food he was eating.
          
We have seen the fingerprint of God from the tiny laminin proteins all the way to huge spiral galaxies in which we live. God's fingerprint is demonstrated through laminin, the golden ratio, and "The Doctrine of Signatures." I should like to close with the wise words of our first President and founding father, George Washington, "It is impossible to account for the creation of the universe without the agency of a supreme being.''

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

We, 11/06/13, "Day of Praise"

Mark 15:43 - "Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus."

Psalm 123:1 - "To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!"

Psalm 14:2 - "The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God."

I rarely, if ever, go when the light initially turns green when I'm first in line at a traffic light. I value my life way too much. Plus, I really do want to see the expressions of all the drivers who are running the red light as they fly down the road in a hurry for their funeral.

As the cars zip in front of me through their red light, while I'm getting honked at from behind at my green light, I notice two primary expressions on the faces of the red-light-runners. The first expression is that they are staring ahead, laser-focused on the road, but exuding a spirit that you can feel where they clearly think that if they don't look at any other car while they're running the red light then it makes it all okay. The second red-light-running expression is much more rare where the driver realizes that they've made a poor judgement, and they actually turn my way, waving both hands (which is also dangerous) as they're trying feverishly to apologize for the high probability that they would've killed everyone in my car if we had gone when the light turned green.

Do you see the contrast? One does something wrong and looks away from the wrong as if not looking makes it right. The other does something wrong and looks feverishly for someone to apologize to and for forgiveness.

I don't know about you, but I will mess up today. In today's Bible verses, God plainly encourages us to be like the Psalmist and Joseph of Arimathea who are both constantly looking to the Lord and for the Lord because they're looking for help when they mess up and when they're hurt and when they're confused and when they're looking for strength and when they start a new segment of their day and when they're wanting to taste the constant fellowship that God promises and because they've tasted the inexplicable peace that comes over you when you look to God for everything and not just to apologize and for forgiveness.

And best of all, Joseph and the Psalmist look to God and for God because they clearly believe God when in Psalm 14:2 God says, "The Lord looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God."

May God help us today and everyday to look for the Lord and know the blessings that God promises when we do.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Tu, 11/05/13, "Day of Praise"

"This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." - Psalm 118:24

A few thoughts from God's Word and God's world so you can have a day of rejoicing and gladness.

1) Be quick to listen and slow to speak! "Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry" (James 1:19).

The pro football player who recently cursed and threatened his teammate is a good example of the ill things that come when we don't heed God's counsel.

2) Work together! "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love" (Ephesians 4:15-16).

Have you ever watched a millipede? I saw a beautiful one at church last night. Amazing creation by God! A gazillion legs reminding us to work together!

3) Look on the bright side! "If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you" (Psalm 139:11-12).

My mom said I could pass along our little exchange last night on the phone. One said, "How are you doing?" The other said, "Well, the Cardinals lost (in pro baseball); Dobyns-Bennett lost (in high school football); Tennessee lost (in college football); and Jeff Gordon lost (in auto racing)." The other one said, "Well, the Cardinals did make the World Series; Dobyns-Bennett is in the playoffs; Tennessee is getting better; and Jeff Gordon already has plenty of money." Look on the bright side!

Praise God!


Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Mo, 11/04/13, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus said to the disciples,] "You are the light of the world." - Matthew 5:14

Three year old Grace Hawkins is a bundle of beauty and joy. She is also the daughter of Pastor Scott and Emily, so she gets to attend a lot of church gatherings.

Yesterday, Grace was at our Journey luncheon which is our church's orientation to our beliefs, values, gifts, and ministries. Grace was enjoying her lunch with all the other attendees, of which Grace was by far the youngest, as I think you would've guessed. So she's listening, or maybe we should say she wasn't talking. I mean how much can a three year old actually listen to teachings, even brIef teachings, on the Trinity, sin, the Word of God, believing, and faith as a gift?

So, the Journey is a fill in the blank booklet, and coming to the next blank I say, "In his GRACE, God sent his Son Jesus to die in our place on the cross." Well no sooner, had I said "grace" emphatically for everyone to fill in the blank, when the three year old, beautiful, joyful, lunch-eating, not interrupting, little girl said, "That's Me!"

Of course, we all just smiled, laughed, and affirmed Grace's obvious listening to everything that was being said.

I also realized that Grace was reminding me of Jesus's words, as in today's Bible verse, "you are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14), along with other challenges, like "you are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13).

Jesus is saying that he wants to live in us so we can be grace, yes joyful, chiming in grace for those around us because that's what salt and light are to people who need it. They are gifts of grace.

So as you go about your day today, listen. Watch attentively. And when one of the many opportunities to be a blessing presents itself, remember Jesus' words and his indwelling your heart and a sweet little attentive three year old, named Grace, so that we, with her, can say, "That's me!"

Dear God, help us to trust your grace, so we can fill our day and bless others with the same. May grace abound. Amen.

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Sa, 11/02/13, "Day of Praise"

[Jesus prayed to the Father,] "And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." - John 17:3

I remember, standing in my office, bawling like a baby, having just been verbally assaulted, looking up to the heavens, and crying out to God, "What is going on?"

Have you ever wondered that in your life?

Recently, I met someone at their favorite coffee-shop so they could ask me the same question about their life, "What is going on?" "Am I a bad person?" "What am I going to do?" "How am I going to get past this?" "Where is God?"

As my friend was talking, we were doing the guy thing, ya' know, sitting next to each other, backs to the wall, looking out into the room, watching people. At the same time, we both had noticed a very tall person who came in looking very short, pressed down by the weight of the world, with that look on their face, "What is going on?" The now-short, tall person ordered a coffee sat down, shook their head despairingly, and took a deep breath, as if they were trying to expel a bad taste from their soul. Shortly after, their name was called; they got their coffee; they pulled out their phone; and texted someone. We both later said that they probably texted a trusted friend with the words, "What is going on?" because the coffee stayed untouched as they waited for a reply like a person on trial, waiting for a verdict. Their phone must've vibrated because they jumped about a foot off their seat, even though their eyes never came off the phone. They started to read what must've been short because they never scrolled. They just put down their phone, screen down. Then they looked up. And then they smiled.

And grew tall again.

Coffee untouched. They arose and walked away. Restored.

What was said to them that made it all better? We, of course, can't be totally sure. But I said to my friend, "this is what I think was said" to the short-tall person now restored to tall. What I think was said was something like, "Who can be sure exactly what's going on when broken people and destructive forces are involved? But this is sure, 'I am with you!'"

And so it is with us in today's Bible verse. Jesus is praying. He's about to be rejected, suffer, and be crucified because and only because broken people and destructive forces are involved. In his humanity, we know that Jesus was feeling the make-you-feel-short-and-small weight of the question, "What is going on?"

But God sent him a spiritual text. Jesus heard the voice of the Father say what God's word says again and again and again. God's word says, "This is!" (John 17:3), as in "this is most importantly what's going on: I know you, and I AM WITH YOU!"

Can't you just see Jesus smile?

Like when St. Paul's in a horrible jail for the "crime" of preaching about Jesus, and Paul writes, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). And when Jesus knows he's about to be rejected, suffer, and be crucified, and he says, "In the world you'll have trials and hard times, but cheer up! For I have overcome the world!" (John 16:33)

Friends, in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, we have assurance that God sees you shaking your head and hears you groaning with a sigh too deep for words, "What is going on?" "Am I a bad person?" "What am I going to do?" "How am I going to get past this?" "Where is God?"

And God just sent you a spiritual text, saying what God's word says again and again and again. God's word says, "This is!" (John 17:3), as in "this is most importantly what's going on: I know you, and I AM WITH YOU!"

And because of God's promise, may we all grow tall again, arise from our untouched coffee, and get back out there with a smile.

Because mighty, victorious God knows us and is with us!

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson

Day of Praise

Fr, 11/01/13, "Day of Praise"

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." - Romans 8:25

So I'm giving out ice cream and a "Jesus loves you" to every child and adult who came to our door last night. Once I found a rhythm, I'd start by giving a plastic spoon to a couple folks at a time, saying, "Here's a spoon," while they all were noticing the big bucket of Blue Bell ice cream that was clearly sitting in front of me.

Well, one boy, about eight, clearly did not notice the ice cream. As he approached my porch stairs where I was sitting, I reached over the Cookies 'n Cream and said, "Here's your spoon." As I turned to grab his kid cup and the scooper, I noticed him look curiously at the spoon, and then he turned to leave, saying, "Thank you!"

I started to chuckle and said, "Wait! What about your ice cream?" He turned back and with genuine astonishment said, "Oh! Wow! And there's ice cream?"

So, I scooped some up, told him "Jesus loves you!", and sent him on his way, as again he said for the second time what 95% never said at all, namely, "Thank you!"

Two quick things to take with us today, November 1st, which is All Saints Day. First, whatever comes your way, learn from the spoon-boy, and be thankful. It might be small. It might be strange. But, be like the boy, and be thankful. After all, a thankful heart is a happy heart. And all the saints, who've truly encouraged me through the years have been characterized by a genuine faith in Jesus and a thankful heart, no matter what came their way, even if it was just a plastic spoon.

And second, learn again from the spoon-boy, but this time by his mistake. Don't be in a rush and so quick to presume. Again, like all the believers who've genuinely inspired me, when something first comes your way, take a deep breath; wait at least a moment; and see if there's more to the story or the gift. We live in a world where everything is fast, and everyone's in a rush. But today's Bible verse is clear: hope, wait, and be patient. Something more is often on the way.

But if not, be thankful for the spoon!

And remember! Jesus loves you too!

"But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience." - Romans 8:25

Praise God!

Pastor Chris
"The gospel is the story of Jesus [what God's only Son has done for us that we can't do for ourselves], spoken as a promise." - Robert Jenson