Pondering a Problem

Why is it that so many Christians choose to live, to behave independently of God, to intentionally choose actions they know are contrary to His will, and yet expect God to continue to bless their lives?

Here is the problem: when confronted by the Holy Spirit about our behavior, is it not sin to continue in this behavior? And if sin, should God bless us while we are in sin? Perhaps we are in places in which we are not confronted by brothers and sisters, perhaps we can sit and be happy. It seems that too many read the passage from 1 Peter 1:16:

'for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." ' as "Be happy, because I am happy" (This passage is actually a repetitive one from Leviticus, in chapters 11, 19 and 20.)

And so what does it mean to be holy? First Peter describes it in Chapter 1 vs 14 this way:

14 As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.

1. consecration, purification
2. the effect of consecration
   1. sanctification of heart and life

Defiant disobedience to consciously put our desires before what God instructs as His will does not fit anywhere in those definitions. Will God give grace indiscriminately, without any attempt at holiness, without repentance, is that the way it is to be? We are saved no matter what? We can choose to be in rebellion against God and yet be a part of His heaven? Perhaps we need to re-read the whole of Romans 6 which Paul starts with

"What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin, how can we live in it any longer?"

This once saved always saved vs yo-yo theology (you're in , you sin, you're out, repent, you're in) has been debated over the centuries, but for me the bottom line is - are we trying to fool God? Are we attempting to pass ourselves off as something we're not?

As you might have guessed by now, I'm somewhat frustrated, hearing about Christian brothers and sisters who are making choices they know to be sin, and yet make them to make life easier on themselves. Well, what about how those choices impact others in your lives, spouses, children, family? How many are choosing to continue the cycle of damage in the lives of their children to have immediate, though superficial, personal relief from pain or discomfort? That's pretty much the definition of narcissism - It's all about me. And if you pass the pain and damage on to your children, as was done to you, are you not responsible for that? Will you be called to account for that as well? Sin is sin, no matter the rationalization for why you choose it.

God will forgive us, we know that, but we must re-turn to Him to restore relationship. He follows after us, but if we continually choose our own way, what then? Choosing to live independent of God is treading a dangerous pathway.

Perhaps I'm rambling, perhaps this makes sense to some -  you decide. Your comments are welcome.

8:48 PM - 8 Comments - 7 Kudos - Add Comment

Release Yourself for Relationship

I've just finished reading the book The Shack by William P. Young. It's an amazing book, one everyone should read. The overhead reads: "Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity." In one part of the book, in discussing forgiveness, God reminds that He went to the cross to "reconcile Himself to the world." He said that that He had done His part, and it was up to the rest to do theirs. He says: "Forgiveness does not establish relationship. In Jesus, I have forgiven all humans for their sins against me, but only some choose relationship." That's what I wanted to talk about here.

I have always said that to forgive is to release yourself from yourself. It allows for redemption. The thing is, you forgive, but you can't make others choose relationship with you. When we forgive, we reconcile ourselves to others, we open the door for restored relationship, but it is a two way street. We cannot have relationship with those who refuse to take the steps through that open door. Forgiveness releases us from something that will  eat us alive. It does not release the person from judgment,  it just releases them from judgment by us. That does not mean we open ourselves up to more relational harm. In the book, God says "When you forgive someone, you certainly release them from judgment, but without true change, no real relationship can be established." That is sad, but true. If others do not change, do not admit their wrong, even ask for forgiveness that has been already given, the relationship will never be restored.

Do you think you are alone in that? Not really – think about what we have done to God. Jesus died to forgive ALL of us, the whole world, every person who has ever lived or ever will – you, me, Saddam Hussein, Adolph Hitler, Mother Theresa, yes everyone. No matter how good or bad, how nice or evil, how much we sin, God has forgiven us, and for us, He did it before we came into this world, knowing who we would be and what we would do. It's just that some of us choose relationship, we choose to do our part. Sometimes this is hard for us to understand, mostly because we typically see God as the best of humanity, magnified umpteen times. But that's where we are wrong, God is not like us at all, so it makes sense that we can't figure out how or why He does things. The bottom line is that He forgave, that He found a way to open the doors back to relationship because He loves us – we need to trust that.

Forgive as we have been forgiven, and for the same reason – love.  To forgive is not to forget, though God chooses to limit himself and do that. It does not mean to trust, only admission of guilt, change and relationship can restore trust. It means to give up judgment to release our grip on their throats, and to restore and release ourselves back to the joy and relationship with God as He intended it to be.

As noted in the opening, this blog was a reflection on some of what is in the book "The Shack" by William P. Young. Check www.theshackbook.com for more. Forgiveness, anger with God, tragedy, free will, and many other issues are part of this remarkable book. I urge all to pick up a copy.

5:59 PM - 6 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

A King of Our Own Making

The Jews always wanted an instant king, someone right here, right now who they could look to, one who would lead, one who would restore. They wanted some one who would save them now, who would raise them above their current situation, an immediate Messiah of their own making, or at least of their own choosing, so they got it. Each one, however, went down in failure in ignominy, even the best of them. Sometimes it was a result of them wanting the glory for themselves, sometimes it was a moral failure, sometimes the people just wanted something different, but 'Camelot' always ended. God raised up Moses to lead His people out of slavery, to save his people. But Moses, like all of us, was flawed and so many of the people hated him, couldn't wait for him to come down the mountain, couldn't wait for him to bring a word from God. So they made their own god out of materials that man had fashioned in order to satisfy their immediate need. Even David, even Solomon, could not completely measure up. When I woke several weeks ago and wrote this down on paper, I had seen an image of a bent cross, with a body being dragged off it by hands. At first, I thought it seemed the hands were demonic ones, but then I realized that it was the hands of those who first raised up this would be savior. The cross sprang back upright, empty and bleak, unfulfilled against a grey sky, waiting for the next great hope. When Messiah did come, the result was much different – a shattered tomb amid the quickening light of a new day.

We are the same today – we want it now. We cannot wait for God to prepare for us a better way – and all of our attempts to create it or to find it in others or ourselves ultimately fail – and we curse those we made our immediate savior, emptiness springing back into out lives, waiting for the next victim in our hunger for hope. We have a tendency to put our pastors in this place, help us, heal us, fix us, and get us healthy now. We can't wait on God, so we look to a person, and that has ended in devastating consequences. In some ways, I do the same thing and have to catch myself. I look at empty chairs in front of me and want God's vision for us right now. But what I want looks like something in my own head. Is it the same as what is in God's head? The trick is to let God lead, to be patient enough that we don't run off ahead in our wisdom, and patient enough that we don't get so far behind Him that we become discouraged and give up. How do we do that? Don't ask me, I'm struggling with it just like you – and I'm not the king.

2:28 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Slow Down

Slow down, you're movin' too fast, you got to make the mornin' last just, trippin' down the cobblestones…..

Oh well, that's how the song goes anyway. Have you taken stock of the speed of life recently? Oh, you haven't had the time?  Most of the time, I personally feel as though I just come home in time to get ready for the next day. When I head out to work, I see a couple hundred other people doing the same at 5:30 each morning. In fact, they're all going there fast. Due to the recent gas prices, I've started actually doing the speed limit. I used to "take my ten", but now I've slowed down. It doesn't seem anyone else has – why do you need to go 85 mph to work? Sometimes, because I actually have the time for it, I count how many cars go past me. In an eleven mile stretch of road where the speed limit is 55, I have counted from a low of 90 cars to a high of 170 go past me. Where is everyone going in such a hurry? (btw, my Civic now gets over 40 mpg when it used to get about 36). As a preface to the rest of this, know that I am writing this as much to myself as I am anyone else. It's kind of a reflection about what I am doing, about why my blood pressure is too high, about my busyness and lack of interaction even with those who are closest to me.

So what's the point? It seems to me we go so fast, we forget to have time for community. When was the last time you just got to hang out on the front porch with your neighbors? Do you even have a front porch? Do you rush through the work-week only to get to the weekend and plan each hour of your rest days as well? Do you go on vacation and rush through it – so much fun that you need more rest than when you left? It would be interesting to be able to see how future anthropologists analyze our current culture. In his book Radical Reformission, Mark Driscoll quotes some staggering statistics about how our relational landscape has changed over the last twenty-five years:

·         having a social evening with someone from one's own neighborhood is down 33%

·         attending social clubs and meetings is down 58%

·         Having friends over to one's own home is down 45%

·         Full service restaurants have decreased 25%, but fast food outlets are up over 100% as more people eat alone or in their cars

·         People spend 15% more time caring for their pets and 5-7% more time in personal grooming.

Driscoll makes an interesting observation, saying:

"Isn't it odd that we are apparently becoming a nation of

attractive people who sit at home alone at night with our pets

watching TV shows about relationships and taking medication

for our depression brought on by our loneliness? Meanwhile,

our neighbors, whom we do not know, are spending their

evenings in much the same way."

We have becoming pretty good at entertaining ourselves as we blast through days to frequently meaningless evenings of drivel to unwind so that we can do it all again. We now appear to be the materially wealthiest and community poorest culture in history, and frankly, we in the church seem little different. We go to services, to rehearsals, to groups, to studies, all good, our community is the church, but how much time that we spend doing "church work" could be spent with out families and neighbors? We sometimes are so busy at church, we have few if any connections with people outside of it, and we wear ourselves thin doing the work of the church. Is it better to wear out at church or at work – is there a difference? When we do reach out, sometimes it is still church work. "Friendship Evangelism" used to be a big thing to do, to specifically strike up friendships with people with the intent of evangelizing. What about just being a friend to someone with no agenda? How many churches design outreach events with the intent of getting more folks in the seats on Sunday morning? We walk a fine line between making disciples of people and just making churchgoers of them. We have to have a heart for the lost – if or neighbors are going to hell and we don't introduce them to Christ, we have failed them. I think, to me, it's a cart before the horse thing – if we are "befriending" people with a hidden agenda, we will be found out for our insincerity – this is not a game. I also read in Driscoll's book that he believes we should read the magazines of the culture, watch the TV shows, and listen to the music so that we understand the people. Well, how about if we talk to the people themselves, truly hear their hearts, their goals, their frustration, their pain? You see the trouble with learning about the culture is that we have a tendency to then pigeonhole people – decide who they are before we even know them. Has that ever happened to you? It's happened to me. People at school think, because I dress a certain way there, have a conservative hairstyle, have a Master's degree that I am a certain way – and they may well be wrong. They don't know me, but they might know my age group, my middle class white male paradigm, some of which fits me and some of which frankly does not. Would their impression change if I wore a different style of clothing, had an earring and a tattoo? Do we take the time to really have relationship with people before we set them up to be a notch on our conversion gun-belt? I recently talked with a friend about a conversation he overheard on the bus on the way to work. A man was talking to a woman about how Jesus had worked in his life, what he meant and so on. Apparently, all he did was talk for quite some time and then he got to his stop and got off the bus. The woman never got a chance to respond, to question, to have conversation, to talk about how she felt. In my mind, that's not effective evangelism, much less community. Did that get her any closer to Christ? Really, I'm not trying to judge the intent of the man, just the technique. Good for him that he reached out to a stranger, good for him that he is willing to share his walk with Christ with another, but please, give them a chance to be part of a discussion.

It is interesting to me as a public school teacher that we have to teach kids how to be community, how to work effectively in groups, because in the current workforce, you have to work with other people. Somehow, by the time they are 14 or 15 years old, we have insulated and isolated our kids. They have learned it because we too often are just that way ourselves, individuals working alongside other individuals. The first century church was less of a church as we picture church today than it was community. In fact, today we would tend to see such behavior as communal in the hippie sense, what with people living together or just hanging out together, giving to each as they had need and supply. I know it is a very different world of work, travel, etcetera today and communal living is not that realistic for most of us, but we do need to re-learn community. We must get outside of our personal space, our personal entertainment center, our fast food culture and slow down to have time for each other. Let's actually talk to the person across the room rather than text them, go down the hall at work to ask a question of a co-worker instead of emailing them. So Paul sat with Priscilla and Aquilla and worked on tents, so Jesus called Peter and some of the other apostles as they worked on their nets together. What if we took down the cubicles and had more open areas where we did our work in a setting that allowed us to see each other, would that give us more community? We need to make it a point to intentionally interact with each other. We need to take time to listen, really listen to each other. We need to listen to our children and teach them how to be community even as we learn it. Maybe we would need fewer anti-depressants because we had lost that loneliness in our hearts, even in our souls, because we knew people cared about us, and we took care of each other. Can we change our culture? Well, we surely can't if we don't start in our own little corner of our world.

So let's covenant together, you and I – I'll work on being more attentive, slowing down, turning off the TV more often, and just sitting around with you and listening more – and you can join me on the back deck. I'll even supply the Iced Tea.

7:41 PM - 4 Comments - 8 Kudos - Add Comment

Relevance

Can we become so culturally relevant in the church that we become spiritually irrelevant?

Talk amongst yourselves!

9:38 PM - 3 Comments - 6 Kudos - Add Comment

Destruction by Distraction

I was just reading through some of my old blogs here tonight. I came to realize that I have lost some of the focus that God wants from me. I have been so busy being busy that it has been easy to stop ruminating on the things that God wants to teach me, and perhaps to have me express to those of you who read these blogs. Its tough to try to get everything done that I have to do. But soccer is ending and I'm trying to make some work changes to free me up to do more of what I know God is calling me to. Just pray with me that these things can happen. Pray also with me that I remember to let God handle the:

Details

People

Situations

That I am trying to fix. Thanks, and you'll hear more from me soon

9:38 PM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

Thunderstorms

Job 37

 1 "At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place.

 2 Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth.

 3 He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth.

 4 After that comes the sound of his roar; he thunders with his majestic voice.
       When his voice resounds, he holds nothing back.

 5 God's voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding.

I'm in the Dallas area right now, having come down for a friend's wedding. Last night, thunderstorms rolled through the area, and then again today. I noticed that thunderstorms here in Texas are different from those in Colorado. In Colorado, the typical storm blows up, comes over the mountains, and storms violently across the area. Usually the wind comes up, there is quite a bit of cloud to ground lightening, it rains fairly hard, and then it moves on. If you are actually in the mountains when the storm moves through it can be an exhilarating experience to say the least. Thunderstorms are here and then gone, loud and exciting, but brief and in an hour or so, you might not even be aware the storm had passed. In Texas its different. the storm builds, thunder heads forming over a period of time, and then the storm hits, but may actually last for hours with periods of time that are stronger than others. It may hail for a while, then return to rain, rain hard and then soften, but the thunder remains. The light show, rather than cloud to ground, is cloud to cloud. It seems the storms her in the Dallas area last longer, thunder rolling on for what seems hours, and in this case, days. After the thunder is gone, the humidity remains, heavy air hanging there enveloping you. There is a quiet heaviness around that more or less makes you want to just linger for awhile before returning to your normal routine. Now, one is not necessarily better than the other, they are just different.

For some reason, during the thunderstorm, a comparison formed in my mind. It seemed to me that our experience with worship services can reflect the two storm scenarios. What I mean is this – For many people, they have a Colorado experience with worship. They blow in to the service, experience all of the emotion, excitement, action, whatever you want to call it, and then they leave. They go home and go about their routines not showing much evidence of the storm; and they stay that way until the next "experience." Now, being in church is better than not being there, because perhaps a bolt or two will hit home and they may eventually hear the thunder of God's voice, but wouldn't it be better to linger in the storm and try to understand more of the thunder of His voice? How many of us though, have more of the Texas experience with church. We do linger a bit. When we leave the facility, the storm of God's presence still envelopes us. How many really are willing to reflect what they experienced, perhaps discuss as a family how the message and the ministry can be carried out in everyday comings and goings before we return to those routines? Are we really impacted by the worship service? Do we feel the heaviness, more accurately the weightiness, of the Spirit's move? It can last for hours, it should last for days, we should carry it each day, feeling the "humidity" of God surrounding us as we walk in the lives of others. How can we begin to understand the thunder of God's words without listening, without lingering for a while with Him.

Each storm has the same elements. Thunder, lightening, rain, wind, all references in scripture to aspects of God's person. His power is quite evident. Both storms are dangerous, both storms can keep us uncomfortable while they rage. God is speaking to us in both storms, God is unsettling us from our comfortable routines. Whatever has been your experience, I would encourage you to listen to the roar of His voice. God holds nothing back, He thunders in marvelous ways, He does great things beyond our understanding. We should respond by remembering the storm, hearing the thunder in our hearts each day. If we do that, we can become his lightening in a way, sent to the ends of the earth to make His glory known.

9:39 PM - 2 Comments - 4 Kudos - Add Comment

New Years 2008

It's New Year's Day, and that means two things: resolutions and football. If you think about it, they both have one thing in common, and that is renewal. For all but a few football teams, the thought is toward the next season. Most teams are done, or will be after this weekend, and for every one of them there are positive looks toward the future. What will be, a new sunrise on the horizon, a look down the road through rose colored sunglasses. Resolutions follow the same pattern. We find things we want to change to make things better, or us better, in the upcoming year, and we resolve to do our part to make it happen. It is a time of renewal, a time of transformation, and that is a good thing.

What are you looking ahead to in the coming year? How do you see your transformation? What will happen to make that transformation a reality, and can you do it alone? As you glance behind you, and then look ahead, how will things change?

Several years ago, I had a student open the door for a conversation about differences when he asked what made me and Dan Mulay (for those of you who know him) different from other teachers? Why did we care more, why did we treat students different? I told him that the only answer I had was Jesus, Jesus was the difference maker. The work of Christ in my life has always made the difference and its no different on this New Year's Day. As I look back and look ahead, it is the work of Christ, and my worship of Him, that transforms. You see, worship is not about music, it is not about drama, it is not about trying to be hip or culturally relevant. Worship isn't about drumming up an emotional response. I have said many times that worship is about submission. Its about the making of new hearts, its about the renewing of hearts by the work of the Holy Spirit. In that relationship there is transforming power. Only God can bring that transformation and when we submit to Him He can work in our lives.

I look forward to a new year of transformation in and into the power of a risen Lord. See, I am not finished being changed, I don't think any of us are until we are with the Father. In this new year, my only resolution is to allow my worship to continue my transformation. That means that I will be faced with my weaknesses. The Spirit will uncover those things in my life that need to be changed. We would like transformation to be clean and easy and painless. That is not usually the way it works. Think of how you try to make changes in your life, whether it is physically, emotionally or financially. Is it easy? I thought not. Why should our spiritual transformation be any different? That is the essence of discipling. As we grow, as we deepen our worship more is required of us. The truth is that change is difficult, especially when it requires changes in who we are more-so than in what we do. But the transformation that God wants to produce in us results in conforming us more and more to His image. My worship needs to reflect that. I need transformation. I need for God to face me with those areas in my life that are not in line with His image. My heart and my hands need to be clean. I need to be transformed into a vessel of God's power at work in the real world that He came to save.

You see, worship is not an objective activity. It is not bound to weekend services of praise. It is the power of a transformed life in Christ to work in this present reality. In that, worship is missional, but it is not our mission, it is God's mission. We need to continue to be transformed so that we can transform lives. As we continue to have our hearts changed, we become more effective at drawing people to Christ. We become change agents in our world by becoming more like Christ in the world in which we live. Jack Hayford, in his book Manifest Presence puts it this way:

          "Worship brings ever deepening and expanding dimensions of

          God-at-work in our world. Worship, in a very real sense of the

          word, opens a doorway to the power of His presence, confounding

          dark powers and overthrowing destructive operations"

…"Essentially, it is God's presence-the raw dynamic of His Being and

Person stepping into a setting-that gives place to His transforming,

redeeming, delivering power."

Things can be different, things can be new, the old can be redeemed. We can be a part of God working in our world. As we begin this new year, join me in the transforming of our world through the transforming of our hearts and hands through the worship of the only One who can make a difference.

10:09 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Vulnerability

As I was praying this evening at the church, I found myself focused on a few things. I wanted to share them, even felt the need to, so that I might share my heart and share the fact that I know I am just like everyone else, constantly asking God for guidance and protection and struggling with my own issues as I walk in relationship with my Lord. Things like, "Do I really connect with the immensity of the gift given to us on this day that we celebrate?" I mean, I have found myself feeling humbled and, I'll admit a little ashamed that I wasn't able to afford to give as much this year as in years past. That people from the congregation have been so giving to me, and my family and how I don't feel worthy of it. Then I started thinking on and praying over this gift I have been given in Christ. How much less do I deserve any consideration of restoration? Yet I have it and it doesn't seem to impact me as much right now as before. Jesus, I pray I never take your immeasurable gift for granted. Keep me humble and on may face before you.

I prayed too over all of the people for whom I am burdened right now. There are so many who seem to have gone away, no matter my efforts. I grieve the loss of relationship, my heart is heavy and I cry out for an unburdening, for a return to joy. But maybe I am just getting a small glimpse of what our God feels as he grieves for a dying world to whom he gave His only Son and who too many times continues to go our own way even while we claim His name. How often do I do that? Does my heart break not only for others but also for me when I take my eyes off Him in the business of my life? I pray that I respond in His power under His control. Let me be humble and directed only by the Lord. I pray for His wisdom and guidance in my life, including, perhaps especially in my ministry. God, let me always treat people with the heart that you have given me in your Son.

Father, I submit myself before you once more. Remove all of my pride and keep me on your path. Let my thoughts be of You, of Your Salvation, keep my eyes on you so that I can lead others into your presence. I feel weak and unable to have any impact so many times. I feel so unequipped sometimes for that, I feel like I don't deserve to be in that position in the lives of this church, and I suppose that is good for then I am reminded that it is you and not me anyway who lead people to you. I know that God has called me, and has equipped me, He has made that clear, but I still feel inadequate. That is a peril of ministry. Perhaps it is dangerous to think we have it all under control. I pray often that God would bless Life House with a ministry that is larger than we can accomplish on our own. Make whatever changes you need to in this broken vessel.

Finally, Father, I worship You for who You are. You are the mighty King, the only One worthy of praise. My heart cries out to the triune Godhead in thanks, in joy, in praise and in adoration. I know that all I have is from your hands. I pray that even if the only thing I have is You, that I would still praise, for You are enough. I praise You for Your Spirit that guides and for the immeasurable gift of Your Salvation through Your Son. Amen and Amen!

6:01 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment

Merry Christmas

69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;

Luke 1:69 (KJV)

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Luke 2:8-14 (KJV)

Out of the mouth of John the Baptist's father Zechariah, from the Holy spirit, and from the angels themselves a great announcement for the world. The savior of the world has finally arrived! Freedom for the oppressed, restoration of God's plan for His people. The angels proclaim it first to the shepherds, and then to all men. Many times the angelic announcement is cast as God's joyful announcement of the birth of His son, and I would heartily agree. However, I believe it is a much greater celebration. God is celebrating the restoration of relationship with Him. We had been separated for so long, hopelessly trying to have the relationship with Him on our terms and through our strength. And it was never enough. Now, here was the answer, the savior! Was God rejoicing in His son's birth? Yes, but also now there was the return of community.

To describe this in other terms, I'd like to quote a passage from the book "Worship, Community & the Triune God of Grace" by James Torrance:

The patristic phrase "one in being (homoousias) with the father"

betokens here that communion with Jesus Christ is communion

with God. Therefore to participate in communion in the incarnate

Christ's communion with the Father is to participate in the eternal

Son's communion-a relationship which is both internal to the Godhead

and externally extended to us by grace, established between God and

humanity in the incarnation. The prime purpose of the incarnation, in

the love of God, is to lift us up into a life of communion, of participation

in the very triune life of God.

The image we have of the triune God, a character of community, is what God wants for us with Him. Separate from God, true community is not possible. Social convention might be possible, but true community is not. True community is supportive, yes, but always honest and faithful. Faithful to what? Well faithful to God and His word. That is the only way we can have true community. Anything else is a false social convention that, at best, mimics relationships in community. And there-in lies the value of the story.

For ages, well meaning man tried to restore community with God with no success. We tried to live according to the law, offering sacrifice after sacrifice to redeem our behavior. It was never enough. It mimicked community with the Godhead but never brought us back into true communion. Now there would be a way to restore the broken relationship, that is the celebration. God provided the way back. It would cost Him everything. A priceless gift that we are able to accept only if we accept relationship and communion with God. True relationship always has a price. Most frequently relationship costs us our pride, and that is the most difficult thing. We have to lay down ourselves, all of it, to live in relationship with God. If we die to ourselves, we will live in Him. Victory has been won, and it began with the birth of a small child to a young woman in a backwater Palestinian town. The joy rang out to everyman, first to the common man, and then to the rest of the universe. The Son of God became the Son of Man so that Sons of Man could become Sons of God. "God has raised up the horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David." Communion with God has been restored in the coming of His son. We have that chance, we must respond as the shepherds did and come bow before the infant king and then we can join in the true celebration of Christmas along with the angels singing "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace good will toward men."

Merry Christmas!

1:56 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment