The Sum

I began a new series this week in youth group called “Greater than.” I will be exploring various spiritual concepts that are greater than we are used to, have experienced or even expected. This is the first.

Have you ever heard the saying, “The sum is greater than the individual parts”? I saw this concept clearly portrayed during the Olympics. We sent the best individual players to represent the US. This included with basketball. We sent the pros from the NBA. Most of these players average over 20 points a game and are recognized as the best players in the world. But we didn’t win the gold medal. Though our team was made up of the best individual players, our team was awful. They did not play well together. Instead, a team of less talented players who worked well together won. The point is simple: though individually a team should be better, if they don’t work together they will not succeed. The sum is greater than the individual parts.

The Bible contains the same sort of idea: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ…But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12, 24b-26)

We are called “The body of Christ.” In other words, we as individuals, when put together, make up a body that Christ uses. We only function correctly when we work together. We only live as the body of Christ when we see each other as having worth and importance. We don’t all bring the same thing to the body. But we all have something and are also called to actually bring that something. Then, we are called to respect one another for what we do bring.

If you miss connecting to the body of Christ, you miss Christ. There is no healthy relationship with Jesus without a relationship to the church. Church is not just coming, singing a few songs, hearing some guy talk, and then heading home. Church is about friends. It is about fellowship. It is about glorifying God together. And it is about giving of ourselves to the body. It is not necessarily about what we get out of it either. Now understand, if you decide that you want to skip church you will be okay. Notice, YOU will be okay. But you are forgetting that about what you bring to other people. When you commit to coming to the body, you are not just committing your time for a certain period, you are committing yourself to other people. You showing up clearly says that you care about the rest of the body.

Much can be done for God’s kingdom and for one another when we commit to each other and work together without concern for what is wrong with each other. You may not be beautiful by the world’s standards. You may not be smart. You may not be flashy. But you are important. And alone none of us is as effective or as good as we are together. The sum is greater than the individual parts.

All Backwards

I grew up in the era when I would go to youth conferences and various speakers would decry rock music, saying that it is of Satan, and then having the audacity to also say that if you play the songs backwards you will find a hidden, Satanic message. I had 2 questions at the time that have never been answered
“Who had the idea to play a song backwards?”
“Who actually undertook this ‘ministry’ to play the songs backwards and decipher the lyrics?”

Well, regardless, I never bought into that sort of drivel in high school, being able to detect propaganda and grandstanding when I heard it. But I guess I was just too immature to realize the truth of their words. Now, for the first time I am a believer. The internet has changed my life. A guy has done the legwork and cleared up the blurry edges. The technology has caught up with the idea and we have irrefutable proof that all these songs that we thought were so benign are actually breeding scores of Satan worshippers across the world.

So make sure your families are only listening to CCM, because God forbid they get brainwashed.

PS - For those who don't know me this post is written "tongue in cheek"

Ripped from the Bible

I don’t know if you have heard or not, but it is coming. What you ask? A terrible destructive force of Biblical proportion. Literally. It is as if someone stole the story line right from Exodus. I spent all weekened having my basketball watching interrupted with stupid teasers for a movie about (drum roll please)…LOCUSTS! “If you hear the buzz, it’s already too late!” Give me a break. USA spent last weekend showing all the worst of the natural disaster movies. Decent actors and actresses somehow get signed on to these awful movies, but that doesn’t help terrible, predictable storylines that include some of the stupidest human behavior I have ever seen.

All this is to say, I don’t know why people have such an interest in these movies, and I don’t know why the writers and producers think that they can make me or any other viewer afraid of a locust. I mean seriously, if they are coming, how about some insecticide? A couple of planes flying over with some spray and the problem is solved. And even if it wasn’t, I don’t see how a grasshopper is getting into my house (even my house which has more holes in it than The DaVinci Code.

Unless (switch to dream mode), the locusts were of biblical proportion, but not from Exodus. What if they were the locusts from Revelation 9:

“And out of the smoke locusts came down upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man. During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. They had tails and stings like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.”

Now that’s what I’m talking about. If it is so bad that people would rather die than deal with these scorpions, then you have a problem. Give me locusts that are genetically altered to be like the Revelation locusts, and I will watch. Until then, GET A REAL STORYLINE!!!

Setting the Stage

What do you need in order to enjoy God? What is it that you cannot do without when it comes to spending time in God’s presence?

Let me give you an example from the secular realm. People will say that they need weed to enjoy a conversation, need a Big screen TV with a killer sound system to enjoy sports and movies, or need certain kinds of toys to enjoy life.

These sorts of things that entice us turn into crutches that may in fact just take away from the simpler pleasure that exists. And perhaps this cultural phenomenon of incorporating all the extras to really enjoy something is making its way into our spiritual lives. So I repeat, “What do you need in order to enjoy God?”

I think of many things for myself. I need music many times. And not just any kind of music. I need:
well played music
in a style that I like most
with words that mean something.

I need revelation. To read the Bible just for the pleasure of encountering God is lost on me. I need something from it. Something insightful (perhaps to post on a blog). Something life changing. Something clever.

I need retreat. I have to get away to find God as if he cannot be found in all the noise of the world. It is too easy an excuse.

The more concentrate on “setting the stage” to encounter God, the more we are likely to miss him or become dependant on that singular experience. And in the end, God is replaced by our needs.

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46:10-11

World Water Day

Today is World Water Day. On this day, “States were invited to devote the Day, as appropriate in the national context, to concrete activities such as the promotion of public awareness through the publication and diffusion of documentaries and the organization of conferences, round tables, seminars and expositions related to the conservation and
development of water resources.” Sounds like a lot of meetings talking about what is wrong without any action. Sounds like the majority of the board meetings I attend.

Despite my cynicism of the implementation of World Water Day, I think this is a great thing to shoot for, but beyond the scope of our experience here in the US. We don’t know what it is like to be without running water, or even an abundance of water. After all we have the largest amount of fresh water in the Great Lakes. We have technology that can send water anywhere at any time. We don’t know what it is like to bathe in the same body of water as the cattle, or to have to boil our water to avoid impurities. We don’t know what it is like to have to walk 5 miles every day to the nearest clean water holding tank. So I applaud and salute the efforts of this day and the impetus behind it.

But it got me to thinking. I hear about environmental things like this regularly, but I never hear how they are actually observed. Does anyone plant a tree on Arbor Day? I don’t. Does anyone still recycle? I do somewhat. Does anyone know how much waste is produced daily? It is a bunch.

All this is to say, we have failed God and His creation. It is our responsibility to each other and to God to help the environment flourish. I am by no means a tree hugger, but I don’t think everything should disposable either. It is a travesty to see how much we waste. But what is the solution? We are shackled by our own culture that cares little for helping situations, but they are ready to piss and moan when gas prices skyrocket and now it takes $50 to fill up their gas guzzling SUV. Most people only care about the environment when it affects their bottom line, i.e. their pocket book.

Our concern for the world around us goes beyond our selfish enjoyment of it, but goes back a divine mandate to care for it. Any ideas on how we can actually accomplish such a lofty goal would be appreciated.

Cold Season

Elijah got far worse before he got better. He refused to nurse, only taking his sippie cup. Then he would vomit up much of that. He would not be consoled, preferring instead to constantly whimper, occasionally bursting into cries. He would cough and sneeze, shooting snot and phlegm all over his face. Then trying to clean him up would only produce more wailing. His eyes were puffy and red; dark circles surrounded them. The only word to describe his state was “pitiful.” Yes, all who saw him were moved to pity for this little, helpless, unenviable baby.

But that was yesterday. Today is a different day. Today marks a new beginning. With the help of a lot of love, tenderness, and patience, Elijah is making a recovery and is back to being his jolly, robust self. He has endured his first cold and has won!

I can’t help but see this experience as a metaphor for God’s saving actions in the world. We wonder why anyone would love us, seemingly so unlovable. We look nasty; we act cruelly; we have few if any redeeming qualities. And yet When God looks at us, he is moved to pity for His children. He can’t help but love us despite our flaws and inadequacies. He can’t help but save us despite our helpless state. And though there is a sinful virus out there that inflicts hurt upon us, making us less than we really are, God is there helping us through it and bringing us out of it stronger, more grateful people.

Perhaps the metaphor is cheesy and a bit stretched, but that is what I have dealt with all weekend.

Not much today. I am tired. Elijah has been irritable. Perhaps teeth. Perhaps an ear infection. We will see.

Plus, I spent the majority of yesterday watching basketball, and I have to say—pretty disappointed. I hope today has better games. The drama was not there. None of the games came down to the wire except West Virginia v Creighton. And since that one ended after midnight, I could only enjoy the replay on ESPN. So, here’s to hoping that today is a better day of basketball.

Of course, yesterday was not a complete wash. As per tradition, I had Corn Beef, Cabbage, and Potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day. Wonderful.

I’ll have something better on Monday. Have a great weekend.

Seder what?

I have finished reading the Torah (first 5 books of the Hebrew Bible) and coincidentally last night our church experienced a Seder meal together. For those who have never eaten a Seder meal, it is a stripped down Jewish Passover meal somewhat reinterpreted in a Christian light. It was interesting to hear the Passover story retold in light of having recently read the Biblical account and the resulting laws and instructions. Unfortunately, Elijah was getting tired, so I had to leave after the meal, before the last 2 cups, the Aficomen, etc.

One particular interpretation I enjoyed was that of the second cup. Jewish people do not drink from that cup, because it represents the plagues brought upon Egypt and sin. And in the garden, when Jesus prays for the cup to be taken from him, he speaks of this cup. He asks not to drink it, knowing full well what it contains and what will result. Fascinating stuff.

All this is to say, an appreciation for the history, culture, and practice of the Biblical Israelites makes the New Testament come alive. You see why Jesus did some of the things he did, and why the Israelites responded as they did. We see why some of Jesus’ words were so controversial, and why his actions at times angered the religious leaders. I would go as far as to say that I don’t think we can properly (or perhaps fully) understand and interpret the NT without first gaining a profound respect and understanding of the OT.

Until next time, Shalom (peace, wholeness, wellness)

If it weren't for DOOM

Deuteronomy 24:16
"Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their parents. Each person shall be put to death for his own sin."

It seems that it is all the rage to pass blame around. Take for example our court system. Let’s say that you kill somebody. Obviously, it is not your fault. You couldn’t have committed such a heinous crime on your own. No, there are other factors to blame. It is your parent’s fault for not showing you enough love. It is your body’s fault for having the improper chemical makeup causing you to act out in improper ways. It is the Hollywood’s fault for glorifying murder. It is the rapper's fault for singing about his gat. It is the video game maker’s fault for encouraging violence.

The list goes on and on, but it seems that a winning defense can be built around blaming others for your own actions. But the Bible, especially the Law Code in the Old Testament is clear—we are responsible for what we do. I am tired of people copping out and blaming everything else. I don’t deny that our environments contribute to our personalities, or that our experiences play a role in our future decisions. I sympathize with those who have had to experience abuse or have seen things that people never should. But notice the verbs I used—“contribute” and “play a role.”

In the end, regardless of where we have come from or what has happened to us we still make our own decisions and we must be held responsible and accountable for them. Otherwise, I would like to see defenses in murder cases put the parents on trial, or Hollywood, or whomever or whatever else they think has caused the crime. Just as that sort of defense would be ludicrous, so too is it ludicrous to blame others for what each of us do. It is time for people to buck up, and take some responsibility. Only when we take responsibility will we be able to fully accept God’s grace and forgiveness, which is the first step in the process of growing into better people.

Don't Spurn an Edomite

Deuteronomy 23:7
”But don’t spurn an Edomite; he’s your kin.
And don’t spurn an Egyptian; you were a foreigner in his land.
Children born to Edomites and Egyptians may enter the congregation of GOD in the third generation.”

We live in a culture that encourages getting even, never letting anyone beat you, mock you, or look down upon you. With pithy statements like, “I don’t get mad, I get even,” we selfishly denigrate people with our justification of being previously wronged firmly in hand. And we even quote OT phrases like, “An eye for en eye” and think that somehow we are doing what is right. But God is not pleased. His desire is not for “justice”—at least not how we conceive of justice.

Imagine being an Israelite. There are many nations that have offended, wronged, and even hurt you. Let’s begin with Edom. They treat you like crap. They don’t help when they should. And they are even related to you (descendants of Esau). How can they call themselves brothers and sisters and act like that? It seems okay to treat family like dirt, especially if they aren’t going to act “properly.”

Then there are those vile Egyptians. You remember what they did to you and your ancestors. They took advantage of you. They enslaved you. Were it not for divine intervention they would have destroyed your life. Just thinking about them makes you want to lash out. Let’s hurt them and see how they like it!

But Yahweh picks out these two groups specifically and says, “Don’t burn with anger. Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t spurn them. Instead, worship with them.” His reasons are not all that compelling. Bloodlines and occasional hospitality don’t make up for the years of hurt they have inflicted upon you.

But perhaps Yahweh has reasons beyond those. Perhaps Yahweh sees Himself in the way he wants you to treat them. Perhaps Yahweh wants to impart a little bit of the grace He possesses into your daily actions. Yes it is not easy to love those who have committed the first offense against you. But it is not easy to love you either.

A Community Challenge

I have been reading through Deuteronomy, and it strikes me that though we may often think that the laws are full of “do nots” that were instituted to keep the Israelites from impurity, there are also many other types of commands. We should keep in mind that the people were trying to form a society, not just a religion. As such, there are many interesting statements that are not prohibitions, but good guidelines for living in a community. From Deuteronomy 22:1-4; 23:24 in The Message Version:

“If you see your neighbor’s ox or sheep wandering away, don’t pretend not to see it. Take it back to its owner. If it does not belong to someone nearby or you don’t know who the owner is, keep it until the owner comes looking for it; then return it. Do the same if you find your neighbor’s donkey, clothing, or anything else your neighbor loses. Don’t pretend you did not see it. If you see your neighbor’s ox or donkey lying on the road, do not look the other way. Go and help your neighbor get it to its feet!”
“You may eat your fill of grapes from your neighbor’s vineyard, but do not take any away in a basket. And you may pluck a few heads of your neighbor’s grain by hand, but you may not harvest it with a sickle.”

Both this passages are simple, real life, applicable situations (in their context) that kindness and love could be shown.
If you see a stray animal, don’t just ignore it. Take some initiative and find out what can be done to rectify the situation.
If an animal is lying in the road, make sure it is not dead. Instead, see to it that the owner gets it moving again.
When you have a field, allow people walking by to sample to fruits. And those of you sampling, don’t take advantage. Enjoy one another’s good will.

The New Testament Church picks up this same concept when everyone shared everything, and cared about one another’s well being. A godly community is not defined simply by regulations and prohibitions. A godly community functions by extending love and kindness to one another. And until our churches can get past the 10 Commandments to the heart and soul of loving communities, we will continue to refrain from extending kindness, and the animals will continue to run wild.

A Good Cleaning

On Tuesday I posted about the bizarre language that we use in Christianity, and gave an example of how it can be twisted and manipulated for strange ends. I thought that might be the end of it. However, I have stumbled across a story from beliefnet.com that takes the cake. They call it “Mrs. Benny Hinn’s Moment of Zen”:

Televangelist Benny Hinn is threatening to sue the religious satire magazine The Door for the video clip it is distributing that shows Hinn's wife, Suzanne, preaching at their former church in Orlando, Florida. She says if you're a lifeless, blackslidden Christian, you need a "Holy Ghost enema... right up your rear end."

I have to say, nothing says “the Kingdom” like a Holy Ghost enema. Now, I am all for using metaphors and communicating the gospel in the vernacular of the day. But come on! Are you serious?

Well, until next time, keep your Jesus’ vampire blood on tap, and rectums immaculate.

By the way, the video of this gem is on that website as well.

Grow Up

There was once a show on NBC called “Ed.” It was pretty good show. But eventually the series ended. Well now they are replaying the series on TBS at 12:00 noon. So I occasionally take an episode in. The other day I was watching and was struck by the conversation between Ed and Carol. It was short, but went something like this:

Carol: Every 17-year-old kid wants to grow up and be a rock star. Most of them wise up and grow out of it.

Ed: Why are we always so condescending toward our younger selves? We should be looking back in awe of who we were. All that passion. All that fire. All those dreams. And then it all fades and people say, “That is just part of growing up.”

Now combine that with a short quote from Regan’s blog from the other day, courtesy of Doug Pagitt:
“We often say that we want the dreams of Solomon's Porch to reflect the dreams of the people in our community. We want that list to keep growing and changing with us. It was never meant to be stagnant.”

Perhaps the reason churches lose intensity or become stagnant and ineffective is because the dreamers stop dreaming. Or, perhaps their dreams have been squashed in light of practicality or tradition. When we hear phrases like, “It’s never been done that way before,” or “I don’t think the people are ready for that,” or “That sounds too hard,” it is like water tossed on the fire. It quenches the flames of excitement.

I appreciate the outlook of Solomon’s Porch where everyone’s dreams are important and they shape where that church goes. Granted, there are times when dreams and goals are unattainable, at least by human effort. I think that is why Jesus says things like, “The kingdom belongs to such as children.” Their innocence, enthusiasm, and joy are characteristics that mark the kingdom. They don’t know that something can’t be done. They just see the end result.

The passion of youth. It should mark the kingdom and all of our lives because we believe in a God that can do the impossible.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

So, I occasionally search Google for pictures to use in the Sunday Service at church. I put in things like “Jesus,” “Cross,” etc. Once, I put in “Communion” and I found my way to the most bizarre thing I have seen in a while. I have reproduced it for you below. But you can find it in all its glory here. Now I know that the concept of Jesus’ body and blood is a little weird, but this is taking it a little far. Ugh. I get wierded out just thinking about it. Let me know if you think this sort of theology is good for reaching the Goth group or not.


Communion

Jesus is a vampire. Living in my veins.
His blood is my desire. Strike the nail and let it rain.

Father, feed your children. We hunger for the feast.
Flesh cut from your body. That saves us from the beast.

Pleasure from your pain. Your sacrifice, our gain.
Strike the nail and break the vein. Let it rain.

I have the fear of God. The wrath and retribution.
A terror that will never hide. And has no absolution.

I want to be like Jesus. A vampire in the flesh.
Spare the children of my coven. And sacrifice the rest.

Strike the nail. Break the vein.
Bleed on me. Let it rain.

The Kingdom Come

I complain a lot about what the church is doing wrong, and the things that I wished they would do more of. But today, I want to share a great thing that has happened in the church that I serve. A need came up in our congregation, and we pulled together and rectified the situation.


A low to no income family live in a house that had a tin roof that was not doing the job of keeping the weather out. The rain would come in and was ruining parts of the house. They don’t have much money to fix the problem, so they just lived with it. One of our members noticed the situation and brought it to the church for help. We tried some government organizations, but the amount of red tape and the time it would take made it not worth the effort. So we just brought it to the congregation and asked for donations of money and time. The response was awesome. We raised the money for a new metal roof, and the men of the church put it on the house this weekend. I have a picture of the new house here. If you would like to see more you can see them on my website.

If only this church and other churches would focus on loving the poor among us, the backbiting and disputes that often crop up would fall by the wayside. When we are united in a common goal, those other things seem so futile and not even worth the effort.

More than that, people who only have a passing concern in attending church services came out en mass to help. It proves that to me that people don’t get involved with the church not because they aren’t good people, but because they are passionate about things other than hearing another lesson.

I hope that our church can continue to be unified, not just when projects like this come up, but in all things as we seek to glorify God together.

The Dream is Over

A few weeks ago I got an email from my brother with a proposition. At first I was startled he actually made contact. Once I got over that shock, I was then startled by the nature of the communication. He wanted to round up the family and audition for the next installment of “The Amazing Race.” Instead of 2 people, it would be 4—all from a family. He had in mind himself, my sister, my father, and me.

I have wanted to go on The Amazing Race since I saw my first episode, so I immediately agreed. I mean, traveling across the world to these amazing places in a competition is my idea of a good time. But, we couldn’t quite get our stuff together, and even if we could, “adult responsibilities” would really hinder being gone for a month, assuming that we would have gone all the way. So, we will not be entering.

But I would have really enjoyed that. Though my siblings and I have struggled at times to get along, we have made great strides in the last few years. I would like to think that it would be a well-oiled machine with good ideas and participation from everyone. With my ex-FBI agent dad running the show and the competitive nature of the siblings pushing us forward, we would be a force to contend with. Sure, there might be some conflict, but nothing that we couldn’t resolve. The audience would also be privy to some quality sarcasm I would think.

But it will not be. Maybe next time. If you hear of another family themed reality show, let me know.

Unity Sermon Part 3

Just as our relationship with God is restored, our relationship with one another is restored. The second type of unity resulting from the cross centers around who we are and impacts our relationships with each other: “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.”

There is a new show on MTV called “My Super Sweet 16.” I can’t watch it for very long because I get so upset. It makes me want to punch something, usually a person. So I have to turn it off to avoid committing assault. Let me tell you why I get so enraged. Basically, the show follows around rich spoiled kids in the weeks leading up to their 16th birthday and portrays all the drama that goes with their birthdays. All of these kids throw these huge parties, I mean bigger than most proms and many weddings. These parties are complete with formal outfits, nice clubs and food, and over the top entertainment. Now, that in and of itself is too much in my opinion. No 16-year-old needs a party that costs $40,000. It is beyond a waste of money and time.

But that is not what gets my blood boiling. This show clearly portrays for all to see what is wrong with our society. These stuck up teenagers begin classifying everyone else. They form their own caste system. They of course are at the top. Under them are their friends that of course get to come to the party. Under them are the ones “privileged” enough to receive an invitation. Under them are those that are on the border that have to do something good enough to make it in. And of course under them are the ones who have no hope of getting an invitation—the losers, the uncool, the freshmen. And these kids go around taunting this bottom level group as though they are not even worth being alive. Just talking about it right now is getting me upset. I want to go throttle these kids and yell, “Who do you think you are? What makes you so special? All you have is a rich daddy!”

But the cross teaches an entirely different message. The standards of who is in and who is out were thrown out the window. The message of the cross is the equality and unity of all people. There is no successful and unsuccessful, rich and poor, best and worst, good and bad, cool and geek, popular and unpopular, healthy and cripple, strong and weak. We are all on level footing. There is no more racism, sexism, chauvinism, bigotry, hatred or envy. It is a new reality that God has chosen to implement. That is the gospel message. It should be great news to us! Amen? You see when we take such a notion seriously, it is not just words—it is power.
But such a message grates against our concepts of competition and fairness. It inverts the pyramid of success. We think that the best are at the top and blessed by God. The sinners are worthless, and at the bottom. After all I have worked hard to get where I am at. I have been good for so long. How dare you compare me with him. How dare you lump me into the same category as her. That was sure how the people in Jesus time looked at it. Jesus’ message of equality and unity enraged the leaders.

But take another look at the cross, because the cross showed everything that was wrong with the world. The Romans were threatened that their power was being infringed upon. The Jewish leaders were frightened that their hold over the people was slipping. The Jewish people were afraid that this Jesus would enrage the Romans and cause the ruin of their comfortable way of life. So these forces got together and took it out on this simple man from Galilee who talked of liberation for the oppressed, freedom for the slaves, healing for the sick, equality for the poor, and forgiveness for the sinners. They could not stand around while this crazy prophet upset the careful balance that existed. How dare he put everyone on level footing. But the only way to stop such a message was to kill the messenger. Killing him would put a stop to all this foolishness. But it did not put a stop to the message. Instead of ending it, they only pushed it forward. They ended up accomplishing the very thing they were trying to stop. Because the message is too powerful to be quenched.

Jesus message rang through loud and clear:
“Blessed are the physically repulsive, those who smell bad, the twisted, misshapen, deformed, the too big, too little, too loud, the bald, the fat, and the old.
Blessed are the drop-outs, the burn outs, the broken, and the divorced.
Blessed are the overemployed, the underemployed, the unemployed, the unemployable, the swindled, the shoved aside, and the replaced.
Blessed are the lonely, the incompetent, and the stupid.
Blessed are the emotionally starved or emotionally dead.
Why are they blessed?—because they are all riotously celebrated in the party of Jesus.”

My favorite show on TV is “Lost.” It is basically the story of 40 or so people whose plane that was traveling from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles has crashed on an island. They are the only survivors from around 150 or so people traveling. And this band of survivors must figure out what they are going to do. Their hope of survival is slim to none. And so they must decide how they are going to live. This past week had some unbelievable theological themes. But the most important one was this—though their circumstance were dire, though their situation was bleak, though they had lost all their possessions and everything they were familiar with, and though they seemed to have no hope, in the midst of all that, they had something that most of the world would never have. They had a fresh start. One of the characters said it plainly, "On this island, everone gets a new start." They could start over. No matter who they were in their previous life. No matter what role the world forced them to play. No matter what people told them that they could or could not do. No matter how many times they had been beaten down, ignored, or mocked. No matter what they had done in the past, they got a new chance to be the people they always wanted to be.

That is the definition and picture of redemption. And that is the picture of the cross. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross brought unity between us and God. Once sinners, we are saved. Once forced to compare ourselves with everyone else, we are equal. We are unified. Though we were once enemies with God and with one another, we are now friends. Unity comes from the salvation of the cross.
Take another look at the disciples. The disciples could not understand why they were suffering. This was not what they signed up for. This was not the way it was to work out. Jesus was supposed to be victorious, not end up dead. But once they could see past the failure, once they saw his victory over the powers, they saw the hope. They saw that the teachings of Christ were true, that the old way of doing things was done. That a new age was here. So they came together and lived out the message the Christ had given to them. They continued to live out the message that was such good news to the outcasts.

And their message is our message. Maybe you found yourself in one of those scenes I described at the beginning. Perhaps you have doubted your worth in life. After all, everywhere we look we are told that if we do not have a perfect figure to go with a perfect appearance, if we are not the best looking, if we are not the most successful, if we are not the smartest, than we are worthless. But God has spoken loudly and clearly on the cross: “Those things don’t matter. Those things don’t matter.” Accepting His forgiveness is what matters. Living the life of acceptance and unity is what matters. God is calling us today to be reconciled to Him and to one another. It’s a whole new ballgame. And if you have never really believed that God accepts you for who you are, it is time to give all of that over to Him. He wants to take it away, and make you a new person.

Unity Sermon Part 2

When I look at the cross, I don’t see harmony. I see conflict. When I read the gospel accounts I don’t see a unified group of believers, I see chaos. At the time of Jesus’ crucifixion, followers of Jesus were down to a handful. Peter had denied him. The other disciples had gone underground. There was no unity. There was no expectation of salvation. Their hopes of a New Israel were little more than wasted dreams. It was over. The cross had destroyed everything.

But the story was not over. Acts 2 describes a group of people that were united in heart, mind, and purpose. It talks of thousands coming to believe in this crucified Jesus in one day. It describes perfect accord and amazing power among the believers. So what happened? What caused this transformation? How could this rag tag group of cast offs and never bes find unification? Why would thousands of people want to follow the teachings of some dead guy? Because the message of the cross spoke clearly. Christ’s sacrifice resulted in unity for all the world, and that was the message that brought them together, and changed their destinies. Because of the cross they were now a passionate group of believers, of one mind, one voice, and one heart. But all this talk of unity, what does it really mean? What does it entail? Well I see 2 types of unity that resulted from the cross. These 2 types of unity empowered the lowliest sinner and the highest government official to place faith in Christ.

The first is unity with God. Look at verse 30 again: “It is because of God that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Christ has become for us the very things we lacked. In God’s sight we were unrighteous, unholy, lost sinners. And Christ’s sacrifice on the cross changed all that. It removed the barrier between us and God.

I love eating at LaCarrettas. The food is good. The prices are inexpensive. The service is fast. But it is always interesting to take the youth group there. I spend half of the time acting as an interpreter between the teens and the waiters. There is a huge language barrier. The cook comes to the table with 15 piping hot plates on his arm, and he states, “Special la Casa.” All the kids look around in bewilderment. They have no clue what was just said. As the plates sear the poor man’s arm, he repeats, “Special la Casa.” Again, blank stares. Finally, I yell out, “Who ordered the Special La Casa? Oh, wait, I did.” There is this language barrier. They don’t know any Spanish, and the waiter’s English is pretty much limited to the menu. And so we often reach an impass until someone comes along and helps out.
The barrier with God is more than speech though. It is lifestyle. God lives the life of holiness and we live the life of sin. And there is this obstruction that is keeping us from being able to interact in a meaningful way. But along came Christ. Because of what he did, there would no longer be a wall between God and us. No longer would we be forced to adhere to a bunch of laws, constantly worrying about what would happen if we slipped up. No longer was there this big separation between the Creator and the Creation. As Ephesians 2:13 says “But now you belong to Christ Jesus. Though you once were far away from God, now you have been brought near to him because of the blood of Christ.” Unity with God. What a blessing from the cross.

I want to do something that I don’t think we do enough, at least not in the right way - affirmation. We build ourselves up through our accomplishments, but we don’t let God build us up despite our failures. So I want to take some time to do that. Close your eyes. Go ahead, we are all going to do it. Close your eyes, and I want you to think of something you don’t like about yourself. Maybe it is a physical characteristic that you have always struggled with—you don’t find yourself attractive enough. Maybe it is a mental thing—you don’t find yourself smart or good enough. Maybe it is an emotional thing—you can’t let go of a memory. Maybe it is a spiritual thing—you can’t get rid of the guilt from your past. Think about that thing that makes you feel like you don’t add? up. Now I want us all to say, out loud, “It doesn’t matter.” Let’s do it again, and this time everyone do it. Ready? One more time, like you actually believe it. Open your eyes.

That is exactly what God says to us because of the cross. Whatever is in your life that makes you feel self-conscious or awkward, God says, “It doesn’t matter. You are my child, you are my friend. We are united by love.” What more could we ask for? Not much. But God still did more.

Unity Sermon Part 1

I preached on Sunday. I thought you might be interested in the content. Over the next 3 days I will post sections from it (it is too long for one day). Hope you enjoy.

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“Taking up the Cross: It’s a Whole New Ballgame”
1 Corinthians 1:17-18; 26-31

A man sits alone in the dark in his shabby apartment with a bottle of scotch in his hand. He has not showered or shaven for days. He has eaten only a hot dog today. His meals are mostly liquid. He remembers the time not so long ago when he was eating steak and veal with the finest wines. Money flowed freely. He was always surrounded by beautiful people. His success was unparalleled. But a few bad investments, and few failed businesses, and it was all gone. Now he has no one. Now he has nothing. Everything has gone away from him.

Two women sit across from each other during their lunch break at the factory. They form a startling contradiction. One is embarrassed for anyone to see her eat, and so she barely eats a thing, and her figure shows it. She is rail thin, and her bones stick out from her skin. The other scarfs down her food with an insatiable appetite, then looks around quickly to see if anyone noticed. She is overweight and looks as though she is ready to bust out of her skin. Yet both women are keenly aware of how much they weigh, and every day leave the table berating themselves for not having the perfect figure.

A teenage boy drifts through the halls considering the answer to a proposition from Calculus class. He almost stumbles into a much larger boy with a varsity football jacket on. He recognizes the football player as his longtime friend whom he used to chase bugs with and camp out in his backyard when they were younger. He almost says “Hi.” But before he can mouth the words, the football player knocks his books out of his hand and mocks loudly for all those around to hear, “Watch where you are going 4-eyes.” They all get a good laugh out of it and walk off. The boy is left to wonder, what happened when we entered high school? Where did all the good times go?

An attractive woman in a business suit walks into the board room, with her notepad full of ideas firmly in hand. She thinks, “This time, I am going to make them listen to me.” She sits down around the table full of men. The meeting comes to order. After a time, it is opened up for ideas for the new advertising line that they must come up with. She speaks up. “I had an idea.” Immediately she is cut off by her sexist boss: “I have an idea. Why don’t you go and get us some coffee and bagels. We could be here a while.” Flabbergasted and once again defeated, she skulks off, wishing she could stand up for herself.

Two men walk down the streets, enjoying a nice day outside. As they excitedly talk to one another about the success of their favorite basketball team, a police cruiser rolls up. The policeman jumps out and says, “Where you boys think you’re goin?” Before they know it they are on the ground, cuffed and bleeding with a boot sole firmly on their necks. “You stupid monkeys. Why don’t you go back to Africa?” And every day they deal with this racism they think that such a suggestion is not a bad idea.

A woman sits in a chair. Before her lies her soon to be ex-husband’s pistol. Her past had finally caught up with her. Her husband had found out about the past that she desperately tried to forget, but never could. The guilt plagued her every day, but she could never come to grips with it. Knowing that her husband would divorce her if he found out, she tucked it away, deep in her heart, only to have it fester, and destroy what was left of her heart. The guilt of what she had done was too much for her. Now the one good thing in her life was abandoning her. She had nothing to live for. That pistol was her only way out.

“Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. No, Christ Jesus has become our righteousness, holiness and redemption.”

In the movie, “The American President,” the character played by Michael Douglas is the president. It was the morning of the day that he was to give the State of the Union address. But before he did, he did something completely unexpected. He addressed the media in a morning press conference and decided to tackle some issues that had been lingering. For too long the country had just placated and ignored the problems. The time for action was at hand. And so in this press conference he told them about his new approach and the new bills he was going to institute to help solve the problems. At the end of his press conference as he was walking off, one of his advisors said, “We have to rewrite the State of the Union.” And the Vice President replied, “Every Word. It’s a whole new ballgame.” They realized that everything they had assumed and thought would happen had changed. The dawn of a new day was upon them.

This week we begin a series about the cross, and the amazing changes that resulted from it. Specifically we want to look at how the early church viewed the cross. You see, the cross changed everything. It changed how they approached God, how they approached salvation, and how they approached themselves. Today I want to talk about one major change that the cross instituted. The cross, for all the divisiveness that came with it, brought unity. It changed the status of every human being, and completely flipped the way people approach each other and God.