St Paul Blog

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Redemption."

2011-12-16T10:11:00.001-06:00

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Redemption."

By: KC Knippa

"Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." [Romans 8:23-24, 26]

By now, I hope that we arebeginning to see that the worlds of the fantastical and the real are actuallyone in the same. Last week we saw thatadvent is centered on this often overlooked epic battle, which awakens ourimagination and to see Christ’s real kingdom that is already here. Tonight we continue our voyage into a look atclassic Christmas literary works that present themselves as the archetype ofadvent. And even though we have beenawakened to the truth that the two worlds of fantastical and the real are thesame, God now reveals that His reality is much greater than our own fantasies.

Toclarify, we need to first understand that our fantasies are far different thanGod’s fantastical reality. What I meanby ‘our own fantasies’ is this; we tend to create for ourselves our own worldsof fiction… Stories where, in a way, webecome our own archetypes; we make ourselves the central focus. This is much different from God’s Fantasticalreality for us as he reveals through the Advent narrative.

Onceagain, we look at one piece that helps us understand the message ofAdvent. The story that we are welcomedinto tonight is a familiar tale… It is billed as a ‘Ghost story of Christmas’,better known as A Christmas Carol,written by Charles Dickens in 1843. Dickens wrote this Victorian story based on his own past experiences andhis sympathy for the poor. He also wroteit in a very interesting way; in carol form. Much as the title implies, the story is divided into 5 separate stanzasor verses. And in an almost rhythmic way,the story unfolds as we see an old man living in his own fantasies… full ofregret;

          The old man who is self-centered, mean-spirited, miserable, and surrounded bybroken relationships is named Ebenezer Scrooge. He sits in his counting-house on a frigid Christmas Eve. His clerk, BobCratchit, shivers in the anteroom because Scrooge refuses to spend money onheating coals for a fire. As the day goes on, Scrooge's nephew, Fred, pays hisuncle a visit and invites him to his annual Christmas party. Later, Two portlygentlemen also drop by and ask Scrooge for a contribution to their charity.Scrooge reacts to the holiday visitors with bitterness and venom, spitting outan angry "Bah! Humbug!", and with it… 3 relationships denied.
          Later that evening, after returning tohis dark, cold apartment, Scrooge receives a chilling visitation from the ghostof his dead partner, Jacob Marley. Marley, looking haggard and pallid, relateshis unfortunate story. As punishment for his greedy and self-serving life his spirithas been condemned to wander the Earth weighted down with heavy chains. Marleyhopes to save Scrooge from sharing the same fate. Marley informs Scrooge thatthree spirits will visit him this very night. After Marley disappears, Scroogecollapses into a deep sleep.
          Suddenly, He awakes to the sound ofthe clock bells chiming loudly, moments before the arrival of the Ghost ofChristmas Past; a strange childlike phantom with a brightly glowing head. Thespirit escorts Scrooge on a journey into the past to previous Christmases from hisearlier years. Invisible to those he watches, Scrooge revisits his childhoodschool days, his apprenticeship with a jolly merchant, and his engagement toBelle, a woman who leaves Scrooge because his lust for money eclipses hisability to love anyone else. Scrooge, deeply moved, sheds tears of regretbefore the phantom returns him to his bed.
          Drifting back to sleep, he is againawakened by the sound of the clock as he sees the Ghost of Christmas Present; amajestic giant clad in a green fur robe. He takes Scrooge through London to unveil Christmas as it will happen thisyear. Scrooge watches the large, bustling Cratchit family prepare a miniaturefeast in its meager home. He discovers Bob Cratchit's crippled son, Tiny Tim, acourageous boy whose kindness and humility warms Scrooge's heart. The specterthen takes Scrooge to his nephew's to witness the Christmas party. Scroogefinds the jovial gathering delightful and pleads with the spirit to stay untilthe very end of the festivities. As the journey progresses, the spirit ages,becoming noticeably older. Toward the end of the day, he shows Scrooge twostarved children who lived under his coat, named Ignorance and Want. Hevanishes instantly as Scrooge notices a dark, hooded figure coming toward him.
          The Clock chimes once more as theGhost of Christmas Yet to Come leads Scrooge through a sequence of mysteriousscenes relating to an unnamed man's recent death. Scrooge sees businessmendiscussing the dead man's riches, some vagabonds trading his personal effectsfor cash, and a poor couple expressing relief at the death of their unforgivingcreditor. Scrooge, anxious to learn the lesson of his latest visitor, begs toknow the name of the dead man. After pleading with the ghost, Scrooge findshimself in a churchyard, the spirit pointing to a grave. Scrooge looks at theheadstone and is shocked to read his own name. He desperately implores thespirit to alter his fate, promising to renounce his insensitive, materialisticways and to honor Christmas with all his heart. Suddenly, in a burst of light, he findshimself safely tucked in his bed.
          Overwhelmed with joy by the chance toredeem himself and grateful that he has been returned to Christmas Day, Scroogerushes out onto the street hoping to share his newfound Christmas spirit. Hisonce dead heart has been transformed; Hesaw that life was not just about himself, he learned to let go of regret, andrelationships that were once broken had been restored. With his renewed joy, he sends a giantChristmas turkey to the Cratchit house and attends Fred's party, to the stifledsurprise of the other guests. As the years go by, he holds true to his promiseand honors Christmas with all his heart: he treats Tiny Tim as if he were hisown child, provides lavish gifts for the poor, and treats his fellow humanbeings with compassion, generosity, and warmth.

The typesand parallels are ever present in this story. We can see ourselves in many of the characters; Bob Crachit and hisfamily, Fred the nephew, other townsfolk… or maybe even scrooge? As much as we would like to not believe it, Ifeel we have way more in common with Ebenezer Scrooge than we would like toadmit. Far too often we live in our ownworlds of regrets and fears. In the story,Scrooge had forgotten how to love anything other than himself and had isolatedhimself from his fellow man. His lifehad become nothing more than a series of past mistakes, regrets and failure; somuch so that he created his own fantasy world to live in, one where he was atthe center. In fact, he had become soentrenched in his own fantasies that it took a dead friend and three spirits tofinally show him the chains that he has shackled himself with, along with hisown grave in which he dug. The greatscene of Scrooge ending at his own grave showed him the legacy of his story…and in a way, our own.

Whatshackles have we placed of ourselves? What graves have we dug? Likescrooge, we see that when we live in our own worlds of fantasy, we too are spirituallydead. We are also a collection of pastmistakes, regrets, and failures. But – that is only one side of ourstory. While we are still spirituallydead, we see that we are also made alive through the narrative of Advent – thestory of redemption.

We seethat by the end of this Carol, Scrooge has found his redemption. Not that he was able to redeem himself, butthat he was led by the spirits to see how to live as one who has beenredeemed. When the Spirit awakens us tothe truth that redemption does not depend on ourselves, we awaken our lives tolive as the redeemed people of Christ. Thisis the message of Advent. Christ hascome once and for all to redeem his lost people. And now that He has redeemed this world, he hasfreed us to be transformed.

The storyof Advent is one of Justification, but many of us forget that it is also aboutSanctification. In the Christmas Carol,the three spirits not only point to Christ as the archetype, but also to oursanctifier – the Holy Spirit (it is not just a coincidence that Dickens usesthe word spirit). Just as the spiritshelp Scrooge see truth in his own world of lies, the Holy Spirit reveals to usthe ultimate truth. Now that Christ hasredeemed us, the Holy Spirit works in and through us to be transformed,changed, and restored… to live redeemed. It is not enough to just live in this truth, but we are moved, much likeScrooge, to now share this story of redemption with everyone we meet, awakeningthem from the sleep of our own fantasies to God’s great fantastical reality.

Through this story we seethe types that reveal who we are and the archetype that points to God, butthere is one more element of this story that helps us understand the narrativeof Advent – the clock.

In the story, the sound ofthe clock marked the arrival of one of the spirits who then would take Scroogeon a journey through time – past, present, and future. This helps us see how the Spirit worksoutside of time to show us God’s fantastical reality in our lives. He points us to our past, spiritually deadselves and shows us our salvation in Christ. He shows us our present, redeemed lives in which we serve those aroundus. And he points to our future, eternallife and of the world to come. We nowlive in a world where past and future collide with the present. It is in this moment we live, we move, and wefind our roles in the advent narrative as the redeemed people of God.

The name of Ebenezer Scroogehas and will continue to live on in infamy. But, I would like to point out one thing. What does Ebenezer even mean? The nameEbenezer is an old Hebrew name meaning, “stone of help” – it is anything thatserves as a reminder of God’s real presence in our lives. As we see the Ebenezer in this story remindsus of God’s true presence in our lives. The question that we are now left with is this; how will we be an Ebenezer tothose we meet?

We have beentransformed. Our very lives are to be astone of help to those around us, a testimony to God’s work in this world.

We no longer live in our ownworlds of fantasy and regrets. We seethat God’s reality is far greater. Wehave been awakened and restored to live as the redeemed people of God and nowshare this overarching message of Advent to the world around us.

- KC

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Imagination."

2011-12-12T08:20:00.002-06:00

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Imagination."

By: KC Knippa

"However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”, but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. [1 Cor. 2:9-10]

Last week we began to look at this idea that sometimes the stories that the hardest to imagine can also be true. This week, we once again open our eyes to the fact that the world of the fantastical and the world of the real are one in the same. Through looking at classic Christmas literary works that present themselves as the archetype of the advent story, we will once again see that the real message of advent can be found all around us.

Just as archetypes point to something greater, tonight we again see that through our classic piece. This story is one of vivid imagery, familiar songs, and dreams beyond belief. But this story, as imaginative as it is, points to advent – the greatest story of imagination ever told.

The word imagination is an interesting one. For most people, myself included, the word imagination conjures up thoughts of ‘make-believe’ or that it is simply untrue in nature. But in fact, the word “imagination” really means to ‘evoke worlds’; to imagine is just a mental process of seeing a vision or to gain an understanding of something by not physically seeing it. In essence, imagination is nothing more than faith itself.

The great body of work that we will discuss this week will be The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King was written by ETA Hoffman in 1816. This original story is fairly dark in nature, focusing mostly of the epic battle between the Nutcracker prince and the Mouse King. In fact, this tale may be much different than the version most of us have come to know and love. The Nutcracker as we know it today is based on the adaption of this story into the ballet written by Tchaikovsky nearly a century later. As we will see, this story has much to show us about the message of advent.

The story of the Nutcracker, goes a little like this:

It’s a cozy Christmas Eve at the Stahlbaum’s house. Their house is decorated with Christmas ornaments, wreaths, stockings, mistletoe and in the center of it all, a majestic Christmas tree. As the Stahlbaum’s prepare for their annual Christmas party, their children, Fritz and Clara, wait anxiously for their family and friends to arrive. When the guests finally appear, the party picks up with dancing and celebration. All of a sudden, a guest arrives dressed in dark clothing, it is Clara’s godfather Drosselmeyer, the toymaker. The celebration is interrupted once again when Drosselmeyer reveals to the children that he has brought them gifts. The girls receive beautiful china dolls and the boys receive bugles. Fritz is given a wonderful drum, but Clara is given the best gift of all… the Nutcracker. Fritz grows jealous, snatches the Nutcracker from Clara and plays a game of toss with the other boys. It isn't long until the Nutcracker is dropped and breaks. Clara is upset, but Drosselmeyer fixes it with a handkerchief and placed it in a small make-shift bed under the Christmas tree.

The party grows late and the children become sleepy. Everyone generously thanks the Stahlbaum’s before they leave. Clara fears for her new toy and its safety, she checks on her Nutcracker one last time and ends up falling asleep under the Christmas tree with the Nutcracker in her arms, full of despair.

At the stroke of midnight Clara wakes up to a frightening scene. The house, the tree and the toys seem to be getting larger. Is she shrinking? Out of nowhere large mice dressed in army uniforms, led by the Mouse King, begin to circle the room while the toys, the nutcracker, and the Christmas tree come to life. Clara’s Nutcracker groups the soldier toys into battle formation and fights the mouse army. The Mouse King traps the Nutcracker in the corner, but the Nutcracker can’t overcome the Mouse King’s strength. Clara makes a desperate move to save her Nutcracker from defeat and throws her slipper at the Mouse King. She hits him directly in the head! The Nutcracker is able to overcome the stunned Mouse King and claims victory. In defeat, the mice army quickly carries away their King.

Clara falls onto the Nutcracker’s bed, over-whelmed by the moment. As angels and delightful music hover over their heads, the bed turns into a magical sleigh, floating higher and higher. The Nutcracker is transformed into a human prince. He gets on Clara’s sleigh and drives through a snowy forest where the snowflakes turn into dancing maidens.

The Nutcracker guides Clara on a magical journey, revealing to her a world like she has never seen. A large festival filled we dancing, song, and feasting unfolds around them – all coming from the Christmas tree itself. Sugarplum fairies, snowflakes, and tasty treats come to life and awakens Clara’s imagination. She becomes full of life and her night that once began with despair, is now transformed into an evening of wonderment and awe.

The celebration lasts for what seems like hours and days. The festival concludes when everyone comes together on the court and bids Clara and the Nutcracker Prince farewell. She tells the Nutcracker she wishes the adventure would never end and he tells her it won’t for those who have an eye to see it.

Clara wakes up the next morning, under the Christmas tree with her Nutcracker still in held tightly in her arms – full of hope and joy.

It may be hard to imagine, but there are many parallels and types to be seen between this story and with advent. This story actually begins in much the same way as the advent story – with an epic battle scene. Believe it or not, most people do not see the fact that advent is wrapped around this ongoing struggle and battle... without which, advent would not even be necessary.

Think about it. Just as the Nutcracker came to life in Clara’s hour of need, Christ has come into our world – became flesh – and fights in our hour of need. Christ coming as a child in a manger was one of the first strikes against our own Rat king… The Evil One and sin. If there was not a battle to be waged and a struggle to be overcome, then why would we need a savior? It is for this very reason that advent must be seen in this way.

Christ has come and defeated evil once and for all, claiming us as His own. But that does not mean that we are without struggle. Life is full of its ups and downs. But just as the Nutcracker defeats the Rat King and shows Clara a new world, Christ has taken on and won this battle; to free us to begin to imagine new worlds.

Now that we have become awakened to our battles and no longer need to fear or despair, we can focus on this imaginative world Christ reveals to us. Can you see this world? It is all around us. If you close your eyes… you can begin to see it. The world that Christ shows to us gives us a glimpse into the heavenly realms and of His Kingdom here on earth. As He says many times throughout the gospels, the Kingdom is not in the future… it is now. His fantastical Kingdom is also very real, and beyond anything our imagination can comprehend. It is only revealed; it is only seen and heard to those who belong to Him. He has opened our eyes. Now, can you see this world? It is all around us. We are part of this story of imagination.

The battle is won. This new world is imagined. Now we are left in awe as He prepares us to do more. In the story, we saw Clara drift to sleep, full of despair; but awakened with hope, joy, and awe. We are awakened in much the same way. Christ calls us to not only see his fantastical kingdom and to just live in it… He calls us to help serve this Kingdom. This sense of awe that we have can do nothing but cause us to share this joy with those around us… to awaken others to see the imagination of Advent.

If we again look at the types in these two stories, we tend to see that we are Clara and that the Nutcracker points to Jesus – but again, I believe there is one piece in the story we are overlooking… The tree.

In the story, the tree is the central focal point. Everything revolves around and comes from the tree. This focus on the tree is a beautiful reminder for us about the advent narrative. In one story, another legend surrounding Martin Luther, we can see the importance of the Christmas tree. It is believed that of our modern tradition of getting an evergreen tree, bringing it indoors, and decorating it was begun by Luther and his family.

The reason he began this tradition was to remind us through placing candles in the evergreen, that Christ has come to bring light… His light, to a dark world. He has come to bring life to our death. Just as the evergreen lives through the winter, we are reminded of our new life and joy… our sense of awe.

If the tree played such an important role in the story and acts as a reminder for us in the advent story, one question remains; how will we share our trees?

With our renewed imaginations in what Christ has done and continues to do for us, we are to show our trees of hope, joy, and awe to all we meet. Reminding all that even in advent, the battle has been won and His Kingdom that is beyond all imagination – is already here.

- KC

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Compassion"

2011-12-01T11:20:00.002-06:00

"The Archetype of Advent: The Story of Compassion"

By: KC Knippa

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." [2nd Corinthians 1:3-4]

Life is nothing more than a collection of stories. This year for our advent worship series we will be taking a look at some classic literary works that present themselves as the archetype of the advent message. Join us each week as we dive into the often overlooked fantastical and majestic world that the advent story paints and be welcomed into a reality that we rarely slow down long enough to see in the world around us.

First let me explain this idea of types or typology. Types are nothing more than people, things, or concepts within a story that point to an idea or theme that cannot otherwise be found on its own. We see this happen all the time. An archetype then, is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated… In most stories the archetype foreshadows or points that something greater than itself. In Scriptures, the archetype is always that of Christ, and this where we find ourselves when we look at the advent narrative.

For the next four weeks we will take a look at one story each week that many of us are familiar with as a classic Christmas tale and find that these stories can help us understand the message of advent more clearly.

This week we will take a look at our first work which is The Elves and the Shoemaker by the Brothers Grimm. At first, this may not seem like a Christmas story, but many of our traditions about that big guy in a red suit and his workshop full of elves are derived from this story. Just a little background, the Grimms were a pair of German brothers who wrote a vast collection of folklore, legends, and stories. Many of these tales were of a cautionary nature, pointing to a theme that is greater than the story its self. This story, is one surrounding the message of generosity and compassion.

The story itself goes something like this;

            “Once, here was an honest man who was a shoemaker. He was a poor man who had given his life to his craft, but had in recent years found himself in hard times. It came to be that all he had left in his name was enough leather to make one last pair of shoes. The leather was nothing more than a few scraps of discarded waste. He was convinced that he could do nothing with them.
            He laid out the material, went to bed and the next morning he awoke to find the most wonderful shoes he had ever seen. He and his wife had no clue as to how they were made, or who had made them. Later on that same day, a customer came in and after seeing how marvelous the shoes were insisted on buying the shoes for more than the listed price. Delighted, the shoemaker was able to take the money from the sale and buy some more leather, enough for two pairs shoes. He laid the material on his workbench once again and went to bed.
            The next day he woke up and found two finished pairs of shoes.
            This pattern of leaving material and awakening to find shoes continued for days and weeks. Through this miraculous event, the shoemaker became prosperous once again.
            One evening around Christmas time, he and his wife decide to stay up and see who has been giving these amazing gifts. Hiding in the corner of the room, they laid in wait to see who the mysterious workers would be. At the stroke of twelve, two tiny elves in torn rags walked in the front door, hopped on the workbench and went to work. Stitching the finest stitches, working faster they had ever seen. The elves finished the shoes and left in much the same way as they came.
            Grateful for all the elves had done, the shoemaker and his wife decided to show them their thanks by making for them a fine set of clothing. The next night, instead of leaving leather for shoes, they instead left only the new clothes. That evening when the elves came into the workshop, they saw the clothes and put them on. Their tiny faces lit up and they were delighted. The elves then left and would never return.
            Although the elves would never be seen again, the shoemaker and his wife lived for many years and were never in need again.”

Through this story, many themes emerge. The ideas of giving generously, repaying kindness, and even helping others who are in need can be seen. But, the most important message for this tale that points to the archetype of advent is that of compassion.

The elves in this story point to Jesus. Just as the elves saw a need and gave selflessly, Christ shows the same kind of compassion on us. Through His incarnation, He came to us and became like us. Not because He had to or because we deserved it, or even that we earned in some weird way… but because he saw price of our need and knew the worth of His compassion to be far greater. He gave of Himself and through it saved all of creation. Period. The end.

Or is it? This is where we tend to stop the story of advent… Christ came, He saved. But there is much more to see, much more to discover… a glimpse into a fantastical world that we rarely take time to see.

It is easy to see the types and parallels between this story and the story of advent. Many of us (myself included) see ourselves as the shoemaker, the elves point to Christ, but, I believe there is one element from this story that we are over looking… the leather.

What is the leather? In the story the leather that was first used to make the shoes were pieces of scrap… waste. They were viewed as worthless and unimportant. Yet the elves came and saw the beauty in the mundane, found purpose in the leather, and taught the shoemaker how to do the same. For us and our story, the leather is the world in which we live.

Christ is doing the same for us through the advent story. He has shown us the leather scraps of our lives and He gives us a new vision for them. He shows us how to take these scraps and find the beauty in the brokenness, the use in the useless, and how to find purpose in the mist of confusion.

Where is the leather for us? Can you see it? Can you see its beauty? Through the lens of advent we can see this new world around us, one where we can share His compassion and help show the beauty in this broken world. Just like in the story, Christ provides for our needs and now that we are no longer in want, we can see this fantastical world and our renewed purpose in it.

But often it is hard for many of us to move between the two worlds of the fantastical and the real. But for those of us in Christ… these two worlds are really one in the same.

One of the legends about Martin Luther… who was another great German storyteller, speaks of a cobbler, or in other words, a shoemaker, who was converted to Christianity. He came to Martin Luther and full of zeal for the faith asked him, “What should I do now that I’m Christian instead of being just a cobbler?” Luther asked him, “Are you a good cobbler?” The man reportedly replied, “oh yes, people say I’m one of the best!” To which Martin Luther replied “Then go a make great shoes.”

To further drive this point home, Luther said in his Address to the Nobility of the German Nation in 1520… which by the way after it was written would set the culture that the Brothers Grimm would grow up in and would influence many of their stories. The address said this;

“A cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade, and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and every one by means of his own work or office must benefit and serve every other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the body serve one another…”

This is our purpose that we find for ourselves as the story points to that of advent. Because of Christ and His vocation, we are called through whatever our vocation may be; to bring compassion, beauty, and purpose to the world around us. Christ has shown, even as a baby in a manger, that we are called to do more for the community… more for our leather. And above all else, in all that we do, we too are reminded to go and make great shoes.

As we began to awaken ourselves tonight, seeing the compassion, beauty, and purpose of our roles in the advent story… we now begin to see that the fantastical and the real are one in the same.

- KC

"Not-So-Astute Observation"

2011-10-04T10:22:00.000-05:00

"Not-So-Astute Observation"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“All Scripture is God-breathed, useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” [2 Tim.3:16,15, NIV]

Blew my mind the other day when I read the following comment by a supposed Christian pastor here in Dallas: “I cannot say exactly what we believe except that experience is a higher authority than Scripture. I do not believe the Bible is the Word of God…” [Pastor Danielle Shroyer, Journey Church]

Say what?? Oh, my! I wish I could tell you this person is one lone twisted voice in a sea of Biblical orthodoxy, but that’s not the case. More and more we’re finding human experience and reason as the foundation for faith, not the written, living Word of God. In fact, says the world, the Bible is but one of many collections of myths, rituals and stories of religion, and all have value. It doesn’t really matter what you believe, we’re told, so long as you’re sincere.

Oh, really? Paul encountered this numerous times in his ministry, having traveled across a cosmopolitan landscape and numerous seaports of the wisest mankind had to offer. Listen to what he had to say…

“God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who push the truth away from themselves. For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities -- His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what He was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. Instead of believing what they knew was the truth about God, they deliberately chose to believe lies. So they worshiped the things God made but not the Creator Himself, who is to be praised forever.” [Rom.1:18-22,25, NLT]

In 1943 Thomas J. Waters, Chairman of the Board for IBM, made this sincere, not-so-astute observation, “There is a world market for about five computers.” His failure as a business prognosticator pales, however, in comparison to the social convictions of Cordell Hull, U.S. Secretary of State, who stated emphatically in 1933, “Mistreatment of Jews in Germany may be considered virtually eliminated.”

Y’know, you can be mistaken in this life, or you can be mistaken for all eternity..

- Jack

"Consider Your Heritage."

2011-10-04T10:14:00.001-05:00

"Consider Your Heritage."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“I will utter things hidden from of old -- things we have heard and known, things our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord.” [Ps.78:2b-4a, NIV]

Tragedies and world events have a way of challenging us to ask, “What’s important enough in your life to pass on to your children?” Ultimately our kids [and others] will remember us not because of what we’ve accomplished but for being the person we are in Christ. If you don’t believe it, just ask who it is you admire and consider a model for your own life. Seldom is it someone known for his/her worldly success. Instead, those of the most significance in our lives are those who model specific principles worth living -- living examples of Christ.

Here are some of those principles, with definitions added.

1. Responsibility. Pick up your own toys, help with family chores, and learn to cooperate. Don’t blame others for your own failures.

2. Work ethic. You don’t get something for nothing. Do a job right. Take time to play, but finish work first. Work to live, not live to work.

3. Determination. Stick to it! If at first you don’t succeed, try again. A stone can be broken by drops of water. Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.

4. Attitude. Have a good one; the world doesn’t owe you anything. A positive person has stronger friends and more success than a negative person.

5. Potential. Build up others, encourage them, and instill a desire to be all God would have them be. The best leaders are encouragers.

6. Stewardship. Malachi 3:10 says to bring the whole tithe to God. Manage the remaining 90% wisely to His glory. Children learn miserliness by example.

7. Relationships. Use things and love people, not the other way around. When people come first, circumstances follow. Better to be hurt than not know love.

8. Honesty. Thomas Jefferson called it “the first chapter in the book of wisdom.” Let words and actions be consistent. Avoid lies and manipulation; live with integrity and transparency.

9. Generosity. The richest people are those who give, expecting nothing in return. True generosity depends not on the amount but the attitude in heart.

10. Dependence on God. This is the most important of the ten. “Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will sustain you.” “My salvation and my honor depend on God.” [Ps.55:22; 62:7]

Consider your heritage. Do others see Jesus Christ in you? Are these ten principles

evident in the way you live, or do your actions negate the witness of your life? To use the tag-line old sermon from years ago, if you were on trial for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Think about it…or, better yet, ask your children.

- Jack

"Worship: Noun or Verb?"

2011-05-26T11:50:00.002-05:00

"Worship: Noun or Verb?"

By: KC Knippa

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24

In the next few weeks and months, I will be writing a series of articles on the topic of worship. These upcoming articles are more for me, the writer, than it will be for you the reader… a way for me to dive more deeply and wrestle with the thoughts of what worship truly is (and for that matter, what it isn’t!). As I take this journey, I encourage you to join me in this dialog and conversation on worship; learning not only what God says though scripture, but also learning from one another.

I think it is only appropriate that we begin with the question, “What is worship?” If you look in a variety of sources, one thing becomes clear; worship can be summed up in two ways… as a noun (a place or time of devoted service) or as a verb (an action). But, which form of worship is right?

Let’s stop right here. If we are already asking ourselves this question, it is doing us a disservice. Because of our western thinking and culture, we want to immediately see things as either/or, right/wrong, or black/white. But the answer is that both forms of worship are important and needed… but, one form does take precedence over the other.

If we look in scripture we see that in the hundreds of times that the word ‘worship’ is used, one thing becomes clear; worship is overwhelmingly used as a verb. In fact, worship is only used as a noun a handful of times. But, what is the difference? What does it really mean to view worship as either a verb or noun?

The way I like to see it is based on our focus. Worship is based on an action, an experience… it is meant to be active. Worship is where man and God meet and lives are transformed. Worship is not accomplished by great pastors, good music, or even a well decorated space… it starts with the Spirit working through us to give praise and adoration to the One who is worthy. Truth is, worship begins long before we ever enter our worship space. However, this worship (verb) can happen when we come to worship (noun), but it does not stop there. One of my favorite verses (Romans 12:1) puts it like this;

“…Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.”

This means that true worship must go beyond the noun. Worship is what we do through our very lives; living and praising God in all that we do. It is only when we get the verb of worship right that the noun of worship even begins to matter.

Simply put, we need to get worship (verb) right in order to get worship (noun) right… not the other way around.

- KC

Pick Your Sin

2011-05-16T08:35:00.000-05:00

"Pick Your Sin."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“I’m watching all their ways, which aren’t hidden from Me. Nor are their wrongs hidden; I can see them.” [Jer.16:17, AAT]

Our Wednesday evening “Digging Deeper” topic is “Pick Your Sin,” which asks whether some are worse than others. It also points out that, apparently, there are categories of sin. Seriously. The study outline is posted on our website but, of course, it doesn’t show all the discussion and feedback that takes place -- which is where the real fun begins, especially when we ask what impact all this has on the life of the disciple in Christ.

We had a wild and Spirit-filled discussion this week over voluntary [intentional, deliberate] sin and those that are involuntary, unthinking. We talked about the ways human nature seeks to hide things from one another and from God -- as in the passage above -- and how futile this is, for in the end it all comes crashing down around us. Conscience entered our discussion, and why it’s so important to have a correctly informed conscience based on God’s Word rather than the principles of this culture and age. We really did have a blast!

But why spend this time talking about sin? Why not just talk about the Gospel and God’s grace? Because a correct balance of Law and Gospel is the only way we can come to know Jesus Christ as Messiah, the Savior and Lord Who gave Himself in love for us. And now that we know Him, to spend this time in study and Biblical conversation is to counsel and encourage one another with insight and even humor so that we may grow in grace and faith. 1 Peter 5 [again, in the AAT] reminds us,

“Keep a clear head and watch! Your enemy, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Be strong in your faith and resist him…”

God knows sin for what it is and hates it -- but never forget that He loves the sinner dearly. There’s nothing wrong and a great deal right in our taking time to recognize sin for what it is…and to call it the same. Don’t play games; satan plays for keeps. Above all, remember this: forgiveness is full…forgiveness is free. Jesus said, “My yoke is easy, My burden is light.”

- Jack

"Arise & Be..."

2011-04-12T11:45:00.000-05:00

"Arise & Be…"

By: KC Knippa

“And He said to me, ‘Son of man, can these bones live?’ And I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know…” And then He said to me, ‘I will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live.’” Ezekiel 27:5, 14

This past Sunday in our 11:00 worship service we introduced a new song entitled “Arise” by the band Flyleaf. The song in itself can only be described as hauntingly beautiful, and in an equally beautiful way paralleled our first reading from Ezekiel 37:1-14 beyond what we had even hoped for.

For those of you that were not there, I will fill you in. We began by explaining that the book of Ezekiel can be defined within the “apocalyptic” category of scripture… and I know what you’re thinking, and it does not mean that it is just about the end of the world. What the word apocalyptic does mean however is that it is simply an “unveiling” or revealing something that we didn’t know before. Because of this, both the reading and this song must be viewed in this light.

Now Ezekiel, a prophet from the Old Testament, was living in a very unpleasant time in Israel’s history and the things in which God told him to speak about were also not-so-fun. The people Israel were exiled in a foreign land, once again under captivity, and away from the temple. In many ways, they believed that their world was ending… they were a broken people who had lost all hope.

During his time as a prophet, Ezekiel had a few great visions from God. The passage we focused on this week was the familiar vision of the Valley of Dry Bones. In this vision, God showed Ezekiel a valley full of dead dry bones and commanded him to tell the bones to arise and be brought back to life… and through God, the bones were made new.

God continues, explaining to Ezekiel that these bones are like the Israelites… they believed that they too were dead and cut off from God. But God shows that even when they thought this was the case, He still brings hope and life to His people.

So… where does this leave us?

In many ways, we are just like the Israelites. Far too often we dwell on the fact that we are broken… living in a world full of hurt and pain. We are nothing more than a dead, dry-boned people. Have you ever felt this way? Lost, without any hope? Broken? I know I have…

But, just as God showed Ezekiel in his vision… there is hope. Even though we are dead, our hope has come through Christ and we, like the dry bones, are made new. We are no longer dead and cut off from God, but made alive in Him. He has brought an end to our suffering… our brokenness. He calls us to hold on to this world that we remember because through Him, there is enough strength in us and hope left in this world to make it what we all dream it still can be.

Personally, I love how this song ends. Much like the calling of Ezekiel, the song finishes with the command to “Arise and be all that you dreamed, all that you dreamed…”

I leave you all with the same call. There is hope for this world… there is a hope for us. All we need to do is to arise and be the people that God has made us to be in Him.

- KC

Such Talk Is Garbage

2011-03-28T11:54:00.000-05:00

"Such Talk Is Garbage."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge!” [Ps.19:1-2, NIV]

30 seconds. That’s all it took. Certainly, the aftermath was worse, and continues, but when the earth shook, a nation was devastated.

Which nation? We could be speaking of Japan a few weeks ago. After the 8.9 earthquake a tsunami swept ashore, wreaking havoc and untold damage, with thousands still unaccounted for. On top of this, nuclear disaster goes unchecked as damaged reactors spew deadly toxins.

Yet only a year ago another earthquake brought incredible destruction and loss of life while wounding people mentally, physically and spiritually in Haiti. People there are still asking “Why?” and wondering how God could allow one of the poorest and most ill-equipped nations in the world to suffer so horribly. Additionally, cholera broke out in the Fall of 2010.

Some have suggested [including a well-known evangelist] that God may be punishing people/countries/cities with natural disasters such as these. Be very careful. Such talk is garbage. We live in a world created by a scientific God, Who uses normal wind and ocean currents, along with tectonic plates and continental movements to effect the beauty of His creation. He is our refuge and strength, and we need not fear, even when the earth gives way and mountains fall into the sea [Ps.46].

In Port-au-Prince, Rev. Thomas Bernard, a Haitian Lutheran pastor answered when asked why this had come upon his country. In his response, substitute “Japan” for “Haiti,” and the message is the same: “I do not know why this earthquake has come to [Haiti]. I do not know why so many people have died and why so many are suffering. Some have suggested that perhaps God was angry with the [Haitians] for their history of [voodoo] or some other sin. Some have said that [Haiti] is receiving the wrath of God. I do not know why it happened, but I will tell you what I know. On the cross, Jesus Christ took upon Himself and bore the full wrath of God in His body. There on the cross in Jesus, the wrath of God was answered for. Jesus took our punishment and has died for the sins of the entire world. [Haiti] did not suffer for their sins because Jesus did suffer for their sins. I look to the cross of Jesus to see my Savior.”

God has given an opportunity for you and me to respond to the needs of others. Go to our LCMS website and click on Lutheran World Relief to see how we can assist. And next Sunday in church, give a hug to Lee and Yuko Luhrs, who have family in Japan. Your prayerful support is meaningful!

- Jack

In The Cave

2011-03-14T12:46:00.000-05:00

"In The Cave."

By Pastor Jack Schneider

“Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. He was absolutely convinced that God was able to do anything He promised!” [Romans 4:20-21, NLT]

A dear friend would shake her head, roll her eyes heavenward and say to her then early-teen son, “Michael, you’re wartin’ me!” Translation for those of you not familiar with Old Americana/Southern expressions: “Son, you’re about to wear me down; you’re more worrisome than an old wart on my skin!”

Through the years I’ve found myself coming back to her phrase more often than I’d like to admit. Our kids are now all grown up, so they usually escape the implication. Others things, however, along with circumstances at times beyond description, continue to “wart” on me daily. Those are the times I turn to David the Psalmist, and revel in his 5-minute pity-party tidbits -- like Psalm 142. Stop for a moment and read it yourself, right now…

Wow! See what I mean? Wrote it while in a cave. Not “describing what it’s like to be in a cave of depression,” but IN THE CAVE. This is inspired Word of God, by the Holy Spirit, with David in the middle of the event. And guess what? David is saying “Lord, You’re wartin’ me! Why aren’t You listening to my complaint? Set me free from this mess, answer me, because no one [not even You?] cares about me!”

Ah, but He does care. He kept His promises to Abraham…and to David…every single one of them. Just not in the expected/desired time frame or in the expected/desired manner. David knew this [read Psalm 138 next!] and was not afraid to express both his doubts and his faith in this loving, gracious God. That’s real…that’s love…that’s faith.

How big is your God? This Wednesday we begin the season of Lent, using Sunday mornings to talk about “Restoring the DNA” God gave us through Jesus Christ. Wednesday evenings [7:00 p.m.] will feature “The Passover Paradigm,” addressing how we can make a difference locally and globally as we become personally involved through our presence, our gifts of service, our assets and our stories of love.

Please remember, until the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen are re-worked [over Spring Break] from water damage, only pizza and salad will be served in the church foyer for a Lenten pre-service meal 5:30-6:30. We expect to resume meals in the Fellowship Hall after that time; watch for announcements. Thanks for your patience and good spirit -- you’ve done beautifully!

- Jack

Jesus Happy-Stuff

2011-02-28T10:20:00.000-06:00

"Jesus Happy-Stuff"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“Don’t let the errors of evil people lead you down the wrong path and make you lose your balance. Let the wonderful kindness and understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you to keep on growing!” [2 Pet.3:17-18, CEV]

“I don’t understand,!” she sobbed. “I thought it was supposed to get easier, but it’s not.” Her walk of faith had deepened, prayer life had strengthened, grasp of Scripture truth grown so much greater, everything about her proclaimed the work of the Holy Spirit. Yet here she was, in anguish, telling me life was easier in the old days, before she knew Jesus so intimately.

She’s not alone. You’ve been there, too, haven’t you? It should be no surprise. The Word warns us, “of the one to whom much is given, much is required.” The more you know, the more you’re expected to share and teach others. With great power comes great responsibility. God told Abraham, “I have blessed you so that you can be a blessing to others.”

Ouch. Somewhere along the line satan has sold us a bill of goods, a big fat lie -- the idea that all this “Jesus happy-stuff” has come along for our personal benefit so we can lie back in our easy chair and enjoy the good life. “Have it your way,” he croons. “Name it, claim it, and frame it; the gift is already yours!” A few subtle twists here and there, and the joyful promise of forgiveness in Christ, restoration to the image of God [intended for all creation] lies broken by the roadside. “You mean I have to tell other people about this?! But that’s why we pay the pastor!” “You want me to do WHAT with my children in Sunday School? Oh, no; I just drop them off on my way to Starbucks. I need a break.” “Here he goes again! Another “mission sermon!”

If this offends you, good. You’re not dead. There’s still hope. Growth is always painful; just ask a lobster [which, by the way, can live 130 years - true]. It’s painful because it involves removing deadly obstacles and presences from our lives, things that would keep us from intimacy with God and others, patterns and practices that hinder us from growing emotionally, physically and spiritually. It’s also painful because it puts us into contact with others, and they don’t always want to hear what Jesus has to say, anymore than we did [do]. Unfortunately, if we’re not growing, we’re dying. Ask the lobster.

“God is the One who began this good work in you, and I am certain He won’t stop before it is complete on the day Christ Jesus returns.” [Phil.1:6]

- Jack

“Taking Flight Part 7: Seeking Alternative Fuel"

2011-02-22T11:02:00.000-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 7: Seeking Alternative Fuel"

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

This week’s focus is on the importance of re-defining the foundation of our metrics – the system on which we base, and by which measure our faithfulness/success in following Jesus. This wraps up a seven-week series on what it means to take flight in our faith, and have radical impact in our world. Our conversation begins by taking a look at the striking foundational differences upon which the kingdom of God and the kingdom of men are built, as we reflect on a modern day parable.

“The kingdom of God is heavenly in origin and eternal in nature.

The kingdom of men is earthly in origin and temporal in nature.”

“The Parable of the Skylark”

One day, a young skylark flew in joyous loops about the sky. As he swooped near the earth, he heard a merchant’s cry, “Worms! Worms! Delicious Worms for feathers!” The skylark circled about, hungry at the mention of worms, but puzzled by the offer. Cautiously the skylark landed nearby. “Come here, my little friend. See what lovely worms I have!” said the merchant, while motioning the little bird closer.

The skylark, aware that he was, indeed, quite hungry noticed that these worms looked bigger and tastier than any he had ever dug for himself – a task that was both time-consuming, and difficult. The merchant repeated his offer,

“Two worms for just one feather, my friend. Two for merely one.”

The skylark was unable to resist such a sweet deal, thinking to himself, “I have so many feathers and such little time.” So, with a swift painful tug at his wing, he plucked one small feather, dropped it into the merchant’s hand, and said, “Two, please.” The merchant replied, “Take your pick…any two your heart desires!”

Never before had the young bird tasted such wonderful worms. With a loud chirp, he leapt into the air and resumed his joyful flight. As the merchant went on his way, the skylark began to feel a little guilty, but he enjoyed the feast, and was pleased to find afterwards that no one noticed the missing feather.

The next day he flew with his father. “My son,” said the old skylark, as they rose higher and higher, far above the tops of the tallest trees in the forest. “I believe we skylarks should be the happiest of birds. We have such brave wings, such beautiful feathers. See how they lift us high into they sky.” “Ye-es,” said the young bird, hesitantly.

But day after day the young skylark descended. The merchant always ready with wonderful worms to offer. Until one day, after eating his fill, the skylark leapt again into the air – and to his horror, fell to the ground with a thud, unable to fly.

At once with sudden shock He realized what had happened. From eating the delicious worms He had grown too fat. From plucking his own feathers, his brave wings had grown bald. Horrified, he remembered, how, slowly, imperceptibly, it had been getting harder and harder to fly. Each day as he descended, he had told himself it was no matter. He could always stop before it was too late. Now suddenly, he was, trapped on the ground. The young skylark looked up and saw the merchant glaring at him, a small, sly grin creeping across his face. The merchant grabbed the helpless bird, put him in a cage, and walked away laughing.¹

“When men hope only in temporal values, they are left without moral absolutes; without a sense of the fear of God; or willingness to yield to His control.

Thus Godly living is forsaken for the ways of men.”

Carl Wilson, author

(“With Christ in the School of Disciple Building”)

“Seeking Alternative Fuel”

There is great truth to the saying, “what ya’ aim for is usually what you’ll hit.” Meaning that when we set our sights on a particular target – we should not be too surprised that when we pull the trigger, we actually hit it. If our sights our set on earthly, temporal measurements designed in the halls of the kingdom of men (membership numbers, budgets, buildings, styles of worship, programs, etc…) as the metric for our faithfulness and success as God’s Children of Salt and Light here on earth, then we should not be surprised when we shoot, we hit those targets and find ourselves somewhere down the road, fat, bald, and trying to pick the worm dirt out of our teeth! However, if we set our sights on heavenly measurements that have eternal significance today created by YHWH in the halls of the kingdom of heaven, we will be overjoyed as we soar to the highest of heights with brave wings of faith covered in beautiful feathers lifted by the gifts of the Holy Spirit that radically impact the lives of those around us!

In stark contrast to the merchant and the worms, Jesus forever reigns as the true king of faithfulness constantly offering His, “supernatural life to the fullest” (John 10:10) in exchange for our sin, sickness, and death. Here, Jesus introduces a new metric by which to measure our faithfulness – our success – namely, a quality of life that only He can provide, filling people in abundance! He calls us to this abundant way of life in three key contrasting ways to the kingdom of men:

1.) Quality Discipleship versus quantity & membership. Jesus was never overly interested in numbers. However, He was passionately at work to draw people closer to Himself to teach them His Way of Life. For Jesus, deep, consistent, honest, growing integrity of our faith walk is of first importance:

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,

and all these things will be given to you as well.” – (Matthew 6:33)

2.) Compassionate Relationships versus budgets & buildings. Jesus changed the metric by which His disciples were to conduct themselves in the world, and proclaimed that compassionate generosity would be a significant mark and sign; the identity of His church on earth:

“But I tell you; love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” – (Matthew 5:44-45a)

3.) Storied Lives versus styles & programs. Jesus wrote His life story into our hearts. He has transformed us into His storied people. He still calls us to lead chaste lives that openly, transparently speak the story of our confession and absolution!

“But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” – (I Peter 3:15)

But if you just want the bottom line: The Jesus metric is the incarnation!

His transformational presence in and at work through people’s lives!

John 1:14

- Andy

[1] (“The Parable of the Skylark”, by Jeffery Satinover, & “The Bargain of the Skylark” by G.H. Charnley)

Taking Flight Part 6: Breaking the Sound Barrier

2011-02-15T12:06:00.000-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 6: Breaking the Sound Barrier”

By: Paster Andy Whaley

Last week we reflected on the power of light shining in dark places.

This week we listen for words breaking through sound barriers!

“There was a demon that lived in the air. They said whoever challenged him would die. Their controls would freeze up, they would buffet wildly, and disintegrate.

The demon lived at Mach 1 on the meter…behind a barrier through which they said no man could ever pass. They called it the sound barrier.”

(excerpt from the movie, “The Right Stuff”)

Did you know that the people of Jesus day struggled with the same fear? The unique differences being: They created the barrier with their own legalistic noise pollution! The demons they struggled with were not in the air – but in their hearts, and they were terrified of exposure! So, they insisted on living under the letter of the law in four inappropriate and oppressive ways:

1.) It was common practice for them to create barriers built on intellectual proof-texts. A practice of ripping pieces of God’s Law out of its overarching context (that always included grace and mercy, forgiveness and restoration). Utilizing the law instead to argue outward fashion points. To prove that they were right and others were wrong. They built up external barriers of comparison to hide behind, refusing to allow anyone to break through.

2.) They had a habit of quoting self-righteous sound-bytes to each other. Measuring one another by individual accomplishments, instead of by the gift of grace they had all received time and again from YHWH.

3.) Unfortunately, this led to a sad state of mediocrity and individualism as the standard of the day. Following the letter of the law in the most menial and trivial of ways, they were careful not to go one step beyond it into the Spirit of the Law – the realm of loving, gracious action that impacts the lives of others.

4.) Ultimately, they lived in fear of God and one another. Terrified of public embarrassment and the exposure of personal weakness, it was impossible for them to be transparent with their lives. They were scared to death that somebody might see beyond their whitewashed outward appearance, and into their hearts where the stain of human nature resides in every man.

In Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus points out that this is exactly what had happened.

Good thing we don’t struggle with the same kind of sound barrier today. Or, do we?

Oh, yeah we do! But there is great hope! Jesus came specifically to break through the noise pollution and sound barriers we create. He came to reach into our hearts and sing new life into all of us! As we feel His touch, He calls us to go beyond self-serving proof-texts and sound-bytes, beyond the realm of individual mediocrity and fear - beyond the mere letter of the law boldly into the realm of the Spirit of the Law! A new dimension of transparency, humility, and forgiveness.

He does this by transforming our hearts to follow His lead and take care of first things first – reconciling broken relationships, and mending broken hearts. That is why He came – to reconcile us to Himself and the Father. To mend our broken hearts. To reconcile us to one another. And, now He sends us out as His ambassadors of reconciliation into the world!

“First, Go and Be Reconciled to Your Brother; Then Come and Bring Your Gift.” Matthew 5:24

(Jesus, King of Reconciliation)

We are His singers, spreading the sound waves of hope and restoration in four gracious ways:

1.) Instigating reconciliation in the midst of broken hearts and relationships.

2.) Living out acts of forgiveness that bring hope and healing to hurt lives.

3.) Excelling in grace and love by going beyond the letter of the law and breaking into the realm of the Spirit of the Law, making things new.

4.) Stepping out in courageous transparency. No longer afraid to say I messed up – I am not perfect. Instead, meeting with other broken people and sharing real life in a uniquely powerful way. Opening up our lives, by exposing where we fell down and how God met us right there face down on the ground!

It is all about Jesus breaking through the sound barriers we have built in our head and our heart that say don’t come in. But He sticks his hand right through and grabs hold of us proclaiming, “you are mine and I want to live with you forever.”

Honestly, at first, it can be a little scary. The air seems quite thin when we let go and He takes hold. But when He pulls us through to the others side – the oxygen is pure and sweet, lifting the heart and soul to new heights!

- Andy

Taking Flight Part 5: The Flight of the Illuminator

2011-02-07T15:37:00.000-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 5: The Flight of the Illuminator”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

How many times in your life have your heard the phrase, “shine your light?” It begins when we are very little as we are taught to sing, “This little light of mine”. But what in the world is this light we are supposed to let shine? The intriguing answer comes from Jesus Himself:

“so let your light shine before men that they might see your goods and

praise your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus says that “good deeds” are a light shining bright in the midst of a darkened world! No, not for the purpose of earning salvation – that’s His job. He did it once for all time when He climbed up on that cross and as He walked out of the empty tomb. However, Jesus commands good deeds for a very important purpose - to reveal our Father in heaven. To illuminate what God and His love looks like in real life. Jesus did it first when He took flight from heaven down to earth. He approached humanity living in darkness, and brought His light of life. He is the very power that illuminates our lives!

In Matthew 5:1-12 Jesus proclaims the power of the illumination he brings, “blessed are you when you figure out that you are poor, blessed are you when you figure out that you are meek, blessed are you when you figure out that you’ve gotta’ depend on God alone – for everything. Blessed are you when your life is touched in such a way that you are changed. When you care about grace, mercy, justice, and peace! These things empower you. These things illuminate you. These things send you out in the Father’s name to be a light in the dark.

But beware, the darkness hates these things!

I love this phrase from Dr. gene davenport author of “Into the Darkness: Discipleship in the Sermon on the Mount”,

“The disciple must face the world fully aware of the desire of the darkness

to pervert and destroy the witness of the Light!”

The darkness will fight against the light! That is true. But an even more challenging truth is that we were called specifically to shine our light in the darkness. Not to run from it. Historically, there are four flight patterns people take when approaching their cultural surroundings:

1.) The Separatists – Those who desire to simply escape the world and its darkness. To evacuate. To avoid being tainted by evil. This is what the “Essenes” did. They moved out to the desert and hid in caves.

2.) The Antagonists –Those who desire to simply critique and judge the culture. To point fingers at people - their decisions and actions. Unfortunately, they offer no alternative/positive input. No restoration. No healing. We see this evidenced in the Pharisees of Jesus day.

3.) The Copiers – Those who desperately want to be “relevant.” They mimic society, copy it and bring it into their spiritual setting. But something unexpected happens when you copy the current culture – you begin to live out more of what you see in the world and live less like illuminators. We see this in the Sadducees of Jesus day. They held to their Jewish traditions but copied the Hellinistic Greek philosophy that stated, “there is no resurrection of the dead.” They followed the ethnic law but had no hope at the end of the story – can you imagine?

4.) The Sell-Outs – Those who truly like what the culture is selling and buy it. You see this in the Herodians, the people that ruled Jerusalem during the days of Jesus. They sold out to the Roman occupation. They claimed to be the kings of the Jews, but were only interested in serving themselves.

Unfortunately, each of us, left to our own human nature falls into one of these 4 ways of approaching culture. And that is one of the reasons why Jesus came. To forgive us from this type of thinking and behavior. To free us up to take a different approach! To beat back the darkness with light!

In stark contrast, to the 4 patterns listed above, Jesus forever reigns as the true king of light in the midst of the darkness, and offers, by way of His own sacrifice, the gift of eternal life to all. His flight is a majestic voyage of miraculous proportions filled with creativity and imagination. He flew from heaven to earth with a cultural purpose: create a new society in which life thrives. And as His followers we have been called to the same purpose:

1.) To Bring Hope = Affirm the things that are good beautiful in the world – because God is behind it!

2.) To Provide Clarity = Speak the truth to power in love! To stand in the middle of relationships. To bring about reconciliation, healing, and restoration.

3.) To Create Direction = To provide positive, creative life solutions and produce Jesus counter-cultural goods. Instead of just complaining about what is bad or only pointing out the negative.

4.) To Uphold the Common Good = To Serve everyone! To have a positive impact on humanity!

Take a look at how Christians in the 2^nd Century lived this out:

The Christians...busy themselves on earth, but their citizenship is in heaven. They obey the established laws, but in their own lives go far beyond what the law requires. They love all mankind, and by all mankind are persecuted…They are poor, and yet they make many rich; they are completely destitute, and yet they enjoy complete abundance.

To put is simply:

What the soul is in the body;

So are Christians in the world!

(letter from “Mathytys” to Diognetus”)

“You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men,

that they may see your goods and praise your Father in heaven.”

Amen!

- Andy

Taking Flight Part 4: Maintaining Orbital Integrity

2011-02-01T16:54:00.000-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 4: Maintaining Orbital Integrity”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

Orbit: A regular, repeating path that one object in space takes around another.

Integrity: The state of being complete; whole; having everything that is needed.

If you have seen the movie, “The Right Stuff”, you remember larger-than-life astronaut Gordo Cooper (as portrayed by Dennis Quaid). Quite sure of his abilities, and never short on self-esteem, Gordo could be taken, at times, as a bit obnoxious. (A statement I’ve been known to represent, at times.) Throughout the movie He repeatedly asks his wife, “Who’s the best pilot ya’ ever saw?” To which his loving bride was always supposed to immediately respond, “You are Gordo.”

On May 15, 1963 aboard the Faith 7 spacecraft, Gordo Cooper was launched into orbit. And on that day, he was indeed the greatest pilot anyone had ever seen. As the movie states, “He flew higher, farther, and faster than any man before”, orbiting the earth 22 times. But take a look at the words he prayed on the 17^th orbit of that incredible voyage.

“Father, we thank you, especially for letting me fly this flight …

for the privilege of being able to be in this position,

to be in this wondrous place, seeing all these many startling, wonderful things

that you have created. Help guide and direct all of us that we may shape our lives to be much better Christians, trying to help one another, and to work with one another rather than fighting and bickering. Help us to complete this mission successfully.”

A man known for boasting in his own abilities, was brought to his knees inside a tiny man-made capsule amidst the massive expanse of outer space. Gordo finally experienced the greatness of God in a way he had never imagined. At that moment, he understood his place in God’s universal family. His prayer resonates with me personally and is a strong reminder of our societies need for a renewed humility, and a repositioning of orbital integrity revolving around God’s Word!

The prophet Micah faced a similar need for renewal in his day. His very name repeatedly begged the question, “Who is like Your Father?” To which the Children of Israel were supposed to immediately respond, “No one!” Unfortunately, God’s children had become fat and arrogant, resting on the assurance of their own abilities. They had lost their sense of humility in the face of their Father God, and happily wandered into the spiritual wasteland of empty ritualism, idolatry, and self-gratification! In Micah chapter 6 we are ushered into a courtroom to witness Father Yahweh lodge a legal complaint against His household. The Father summons His children to listen to His Word and challenges them to prepare their response. He welcomes them into the vastness of the home He created for them, reminding them of His unfailing love, and the gracious way He has always acted on their behalf. The children listen and respond by asking what they should do to appease their Father’s anger. To no longer see the disappointment in His eyes. To feel the warmth of His Fatherly love once again. Micah responds directly to the children: You want to end the disappointment you see in His eyes? You want forgiveness for not living by your Father’s rules while under His roof? You want to feel His gracious love once again as before? Don’t try and pay for it with a bad Father’s day tie once a year. Don’t try and buy your way out of this with sentimental sacrifices that have no lasting effect. You know what your Father requires of you? Act like His children! Do what he says!

“He has told you, children, what is good: and what does your Father require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Micah 6:8

Our family went down to Houston this past week to visit my mom and dad, Sam’s Grandpa Jim and Grandma Lynn. It was good to be back in the Space City. And we had a great visit. While we were there Grandma Lynn pulled out the water-colors for our 3 ½ year old son, Sam. We were sitting at the kitchen table painting, laughing, and having a good time. Grandma Lynn lovingly explained to Sam how to use the water, and to be careful not to mix too many colors together. Sam suddenly retorted with one of his go-to lines, “don’t tell me what to do!” Immediately I jumped in with my first responders standard, “Sam, don’t talk to Grandma Lynn that way. I want you to be a good boy.” Looking up at my mom I recognized the inquisitive look on her face as she turned to Sam and asked, “Sam what’s a good boy.” Without even taking a moment to think Sam rolled his eyes and said, “Good boys listen to their daddy’s and do what they say.” My mom jumped right back in and asked, “So what’s a bad boy.” Sam answered, “Bad boys don’t listen to their daddy’s and they get in trouble.” My mom kept the conversation rolling, “Sam, why should you do what your daddy tells you to?” To my great delight, Sam quickly responded with, “Because he loves me.” He then gave me two gentle pat-pats on the arm and leaned over to give me a kiss. “Who could hope for more?” I thought to myself, but my mom had one more question to ask, “Sam, what does your daddy tell you to do?” Sam looked at me, and then Grandma Lynn and said, “Be nice!”

Heavenly Father, guide us, direct us, and shape us, in order to complete this mission! Amen!

- Andy

Taking Flight Part 3: Flying in Formation

2011-01-24T16:23:00.000-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 3: Flying in Formation”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

“No man is an island, complete in himself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” – John Donne (Christian Theologian & Writer)

Last week focused on heeding Jesus’ call of the wild; breaking free from the weight of the world’s ever-present seduction of, and our own sinful nature’s constant desire for - comfort, security, and self-serving religiosity; risking instead to take flight with Jesus on His untamed migration.

Make no mistake, however, joining Him on this amazing adventure does not entitle us to simply go off in different directions, chasing our own desires, and living as though we have no responsibility to a greater community. Yet, this is one of the greatest battles we currently face, the constant barrage of a deadly one-two punch:

The first, reducing Jesus message solely to the realm of personal salvation (it’s all about me and Jesus, I made my decision, said my prayer, now I’m good to go) leaving us and the “gospel of the kingdom” that He actually brought with Him, woefully incomplete.

- Bam! The Right Cross of Ignorance!

The second, highlighting our society’s alarming worship of individuality, over and above any sense of or bond to community. Espousing a dangerously inhumane propaganda that you are more important than everybody else. Instilling in us the insidious and highly addictive task of daily comparing ourselves to one another.

- KaPow! The Uppercut of Dissonance!

The painful truth is that this is neither a practical nor sustainable way of life! Everybody gets tired. Everybody falls down. Everybody needs someone to lean on. In the book of the Bible titled Ecclesiastes, we hear from the great poet king Solomon, (who tried individualism to its max), that when you live for yourself and you happen to slip and fall down - there is nobody there to pick you up!

What fool! What a pity! What a knockout blow!

(Eccl. 4:10b)

This however, is not the Way of life that Jesus calls us to! In our Gospel reading for the week (Matt. 4:17-24), Jesus announces that the true call of the wild:

“Come, Follow Me, and I will show you how to fish for people.”

flows from “the gospel of the kingdom!” Proclaiming we are part of a greater community. Calling us to renewed civic responsibility. Promising us greater blessings and benefits as citizens living out this deeper reality.

Isn’t it a little embarrassing that even wild geese know better than to go it alone. They provide us with a great example of what happens when we fly as a community. 1.) Flying in formation conserves their energy, and reduces wind resistance, adding at least 71% greater flying range to the flock than if each bird were to fly alone. 2.) Although the V formation benefits all of the birds, the bird in the lead position works the hardest. When it tires, he drops out of the lead position and falls further back in the formation. Another bird will rapidly move forward to take the lead and keep the community together. The two birds in the furthest trailing positions also tire more rapidly than those in the middle, so these positions are also rotated frequently. This cyclical rearrangement gives all birds the responsibility of leading as well as the maximum benefits of being in the middle.

3.) Flying in formation provides the geese with increased visual contact allowing for better communication and coordination within the group, keeping the flock together and minimizing the possibility of losing anyone as they cross vast distances.

4.) Finally, when a goose gets sick, or is wounded by gunshot, and falls out of the group, two geese fall out of formation and follow him down to help and protect him. They stay with him until he is either able to fly or until he dies, and then they launch out on their own or with another formation until they catch up with their original group.

(Ecclesiastes 4:9-13)

The kingdom reality that Jesus brought with Him promises us that we were created (Gen. 2:18), and redeemed (John 15:12-13) for love, compassion, and companionship as we live in the midst of an eternal community (Rev. 21:2-3) today and for all eternity!

- Andy

Taking Flight Part 2: Untamed Migration

2011-01-17T13:36:00.004-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 2: Untamed Migration”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

“Those that give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.”

- Benjamin Franklin

Today I want to share with you a parable by Soren Kerkegaard: a Danish theologian, and philosopher who lived during the early 19^th century. He was a man who had a passion for pointing out the practical, and relevant way of life that Jesus gave His followers to live in concrete and substantial ways; over and above the simply abstract and ideological thinking of his day.

“Soren grew up in the countryside surrounded by farms that raised domesticated geese. Each spring he would watch as a new gaggle of goslings hatched and grew. Over the course of their short lives, these geese would gorge themselves at constantly refilled troughs of grain until they were so fat they could hardly walk. He imagined that they believed their lives to be perfect, as every need they had was catered to in abundance.

However, when autumn came, a gruesome truth was revealed.

At this time, the wild geese that had spent the warm summer months in Denmark would gather in preparation for their southerly journey – an untamed migration. They would circle in the skies high above the farms, echoing their call of the wild - to any stragglers on the ground - to join them in their heavenly flight. At this point, the domesticated geese would lift their heads from the feeding troughs and look into the skies. Desiring to heed the wild call of their untamed cousins, they would become animated, running as best they could around their enclosures, emulating flight. Of course, their gluttonous diet and life of luxury had ensured that they were far too fat and lazy, to ever get airborne, and to be honest, at this point in their lives they probably didn’t really want to join their untamed cousins on that perilous journey risking the self-serving lifestyle that they had become accustomed to anyhow.

But their instincts were strong, driving them mad for an instant, desperately trying to recall the beauty and nature in which they were created. Sadly, they were left only to day-dream for a brief moment of what it must be like to fly. The wild untamed geese would then fly off soaring through the skies together continuing on their untamed migration – while the fattened, domesticated geese would simply return to their barnyard existence satisfied with the enclosure and the walls around them, completely ignorant of the farmer’s grim ultimate purpose – they were destined for the chopping block, and the dinner table.

There is quite a difference between the wild geese soaring through the skies on their untamed migration, and the domesticated fattened geese destined for a gruesome end isn’t there. What of us, reading these words today? What kind of followers of Jesus have we become? What kind of followers is He calling us to be?

A storied interpretation of John 1:35-42a:

“The next day the wild-eyed prophet named John, you remember, the guy who refused to give in to the fads and fashions of his day choosing instead to cause quite a stir living out in the desert and wearing camel’s hair and eating honey for breakfast and locusts for dinner. Yeah, that guy, he was there again down by the Jordan, with two of his followers describing how the wild, untamed life of a follower of Yahweh, is very different from the comfortable, domesticated, religious existence that the people around them had so easily settled for - when suddenly, he saw Jesus flying by. The wild-eyed prophet cried out – Look! there He goes that wild Messiah – the one we have been waiting for all these years – He’s on His untamed migration. As He flies, He will break us free from the lies of our comfort, our luxury, and our religiosity - all that stuff that has been keeping us down for so long. He will set us free to be wild, to fly with Him on His untamed migration, and to echo His call of the wild to others.”

When the two followers of the wild-eyed prophet heard him say this, they immediately began to run after Jesus. Turning His head mid-flight, Jesus saw them running alongside the river’s edge chasing after Him and He asked, “what do you want?” they said Rabbi – which meant teacher (of the wild and untamed life), “where are you flying off to?” And Jesus replied with the call of the wild, still heard today -

“Come, and you will see!”

After the two disciples had spent the day with Him, flying free and learning His way of untamed life –Andrew (one of the two) who was already remembering his instincts and his wild untamed nature took to flight in order to find his brother Simon. As he set foot on the ground in front of him, Andrew echoed the call of the wild he had answered to his brother, “Simon, we have found the wild, untamed messiah, His name is Jesus, – get up of the ground and fly with us!”

In a society so hell bent on chasing after comfort, security, and self-serving religiosity it is very difficult - indeed a true challenge on a daily basis to remember that we have been called to live a life in Jesus Christ that intentionally and consistently engages challenges, risk, and self-sacrifice. Are we ready to follow the wild messiah on His untamed migration filled with adventure and yes, even risk? Are we ready to leave the comfort, the security, the luxury, and self-serving religiosity of the farm in order to take flight and “Come and See”?

As you fly this week, may you be blessed to know and to grow in the adventure of His Way of Life that you too echo out the call of the wild to those you meet.

And all God’s people said, Amen!

- Andy

Taking Flight Part 1: Born to Fly

2011-01-10T12:05:00.003-06:00

“Taking Flight Part 1: Born to Fly”

By: Pastor Andy Whaley

This past week Sam and I were out on the playground in our neighborhood, and as is the case almost every time we are there, Sam ran over to the swing set and cried out with great joy and excitement, “Daddy, Swing me.” As I walked over to the swing set I reached down and picked up this barely 3 foot tall bundle of life and set him alight upon his aircraft of choice – a light blue swing with slightly rusted chains – second from the right. I gently took up my fatherly duty to swing him, and immediately the cries of, “higher, higher, higher daddy! – to infinity and beyond” rang out across the playground. I began to bubble up with fatherly pride and joy as other parents looked over to see who this suburban daredevil was.

As he was swinging I engaged the fatherly task of instructing my boy on the proper way to take flight and keep flying – kick your feet up, drop ‘em down, straighten your legs, bend your knees – real simple instructions with practical and meaningful effect – someday!

But this day, as I am pushing him and calling out the instructions, Sam turns his head mid-flight and cries out to me, “Daddy do you see the plane.” “Yes!”, I replied, “he is really flying high through the clouds, and going very fast isn’t he.” And with child-like simplicity, alarming honesty, and deep sincerity written across his face he said, “Daddy, I think I forgot how to fly.“ I was taken aback for just a second by this statement so I did the only dad thing I knew to do and asked, “Did you know how to fly before.” And Sam simply and very matter-of-factly replied, “Of Course, didn’t you?”

Then he said to me, “Daddy if you keep pushing me – I will remember!”

You see we were all born to fly – we just struggle throughout our lives with remembering how at times. Sometimes it takes a 3 ½ year old boy to remind me of how simple it really is. That’s exactly what today’s gospel reading is all about – Jesus coming to the river Jordan to be dunked under the rushing waters – bending his knees low as he goes under, and then suddenly flying up out of the water again, legs shot straight! It is in that moment that Jesus taught us all how to fly. He took all the dead weight that world had to offer, the stuff we all have inside us that would prevent us from ever being able to get off the ground and he took it all down with him deep into the waters – drowning it and leaving it there, and then he gave us all the freedom to soar higher than we could ever have imagined, when he shot back up out of the waters and into the air. He did this to fulfill all righteousness – he said. Freeing us from our sin and empowering us to fly to the highest of heights with him. And as he did this for you and for me His Father looked down at Him and said, “This is my son in whom I find great delight – I love watching Him fly.”

In our baptism – we were all born to fly, just like Jesus! And even though we may forget how, at times, our Father is always right there with us – pushing us once again, calling out simple instructions – bend your knees, kick your legs straight; go down deep into the waters, and shoot high into the air once again!

As Sam kept swinging and another glorious Texas twilight began to set in with the glorious colors she paints on the clouds - the oranges, the pinks, the reds, and the purples against a blue/graying sky, I noticed that Sam had become very quite. And as he leaned his head back ever so slightly to feel the wind in his hair as he soared back and forth, higher and higher, I noticed that his eyes were closed and an amazing childish grin had spread wide across his face, and I asked him, “Sam, what are you doing – and he answered, “remembering how to fly daddy!”

And All God’s people said – Amen!

- Andy

From the Tip of a Finger

2010-11-15T10:08:00.001-06:00

"From the Tip of a Finger."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“By Him all things were created...He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” [Col. 1:16,17, NIV]

You are incredible!

No, this is not some “Pump ‘em up, Pastor!” speech, designed to cure the blues, increase self-esteem and increase Sunday offerings. Nothing of the sort. Now, granted, all those things might well happen when you and I consider just how incredible we are by God’s creating hand, but that’s not the agenda. Honest.

How incredible are you? How’s this for starters… God made you, by His intelligent -- no, His brilliant design in such a way that medical researchers have now learned we can safely and simply transform pinches of human skin into actual, functional, life-saving human blood. Sure, the everyday production is still on the horizon, but we know we can do it.

So what’s the big deal about that? Stay with me now; it’s worth it.

First, it means we’ll be able to personalize patient blood production for the first time ever. The worry of cross-matching and rejection risks will be minimalized; safety will go up.

Second, it means cancer patients will be able to have “clean” transplant cells without the same genetic problems as their tumor. This is huge, because this modern medical miracle is “a seminal contribution” to the rapidly evolving field of stem-cell research, said the director of the Canadian Stem Cell Network [and Regenerative Medicine Program]. “That one can play with the fate of a cell and force it sideways into something that it doesn’t at all resemble, and then being able to use it, is tremendously exciting.”

Brothers and sisters, that paragraph is why I said above “it’s worth it.” The day is coming when no one, even an unbeliever, can credibly claim in the name of science that the destruction of a child is necessary for the harvest of stem cells -- not when we can get what we need from the tip of a finger.

To use Paul’s words to the Colossians further, “My purpose is that [you] may be encouraged in heart and united in love… I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.”

You are incredible, and so is your God, Who made you in His image.

- Pastor Jack

Kids Are Still Kids

2010-11-02T10:32:00.001-05:00

"Kids Are Still Kids."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“All this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus: live with joy; pray constantly; give thanks regardless. Respect Spirit-driven admonishment; test everything and keep what’s good, avoiding all evils.” [1 Thess.5:16-22, PJV]

Having raised three marvelous kids who also happened to be typical adolescents and teens, I couldn’t help but chuckle upon reading these verses. The picture that comes to mind for me is that of mom and dad preparing to head out the door, carefully giving last-minute instructions on what to do and what NOT to do, knowing full well anything not covered in the most specific detail would undoubtedly become a topic later under these words: “Well, you didn’t say we couldn’t….” Yep, been there; done that.

So now, here’s Paul, who never married nor children, but if ever there was a time when he acted and sounded like a parent giving this type of last minute instructions, this is it! Only difference is, these aren’t teens -- they’re adults, albeit sinful adults just like you and me who also struggle daily with our flesh and the world around us. And no, he wasn’t selling this congregation short on their faith; he simply knew what it was like to wait in faith for Jesus to come back and take us to heaven [see vv.23-24].

Nothing has changed. Kids are still kids. People are still people, both sinners and forgiven saints. Temptation is still as powerful as ever. Pride and anger are just as deadly as they’ve always been, both outside the church and among the Body of Christ. And what’s absolutely awesome is that someone who’s never been a parent -- someone like Paul -- can give great counsel to the rest of us because he understands what it’s like to live in submission and obedience to the Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. He knows that’s where we find life -- Eternal Life -- in Jesus Christ alone.

Same letter, same chapter, but zip back over to verses 5 & 6 with me: “You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.” There you go. Hey, kids, just remember who you are. My instructions will be short and sweet, without a lot of details. We’re not going to get bogged down in the law like the Pharisees; look what it got them. Let’s live by love, let’s live by light; let’s live in the day, not the night. I don’t have to say, “You can’t do this, you can’t do that…,” because Jesus instead spent His time saying “Let Me show you what you CAN do.”

“By this will all people know you are My disciples: whether you love one another.” [Jn.13:35]

Just do it, and I’ll see you later.

- Pastor Jack

Worship: Beyond the Act of Singing.

2010-10-11T14:05:00.006-05:00

"Worship: Beyond the Act of Singing."

By: KC Knippa

“Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it. Let the rivers clap their hands, Let the mountains sing together for joy; let them sing before the LORD!” [Psalm 98:7-9, NIV]

Recently, I had the privilege to attend an amazing worship conference, led by many leading thinkers and shakers within the current Christian culture. The best part of this conference was the fact that it challenged me to rethink the reasons for and purpose of what worship truly is… asking the simple, yet complex question, “Why do we sing?”

Have you ever thought about that before?

On the surface, this question appears to be simple, but when you really think about it, it begins to blow your mind! (Or at least, it did for me.) Out of all the things; the sounds, noises, or actions that a human can make… Why is it that we choose to sing in order to praise our Lord?

For me, the conclusion that I have drawn is twofold:

First, we sing because it is truest form of emotional expression a person can make. I have heard that physiologically speaking, the sound of singing and the effort to do so is related the closest to that of moaning… a deep guttural expression running the gambit of anything from happiness to pain… complete joy or anguish. Now think about that in light of worship… Singing is the only way that we could possibly lift up in adoration the full complexity of emotions that our awesome Lord desires and deserves!

Which leads in to my second conclusion, that we sing because it is the closest expression we have to the divine. Think about it, scripture is littered with this idea, explaining about how the Lord sings over his people or about how creation constantly rejoices and sings to the Lord. Music has always been ethereal in nature… an art form to help us more fully understand the world around us… a precious gift from God, linking His people, to Him.

So maybe the question shouldn’t be “Why do we sing?” but instead, “Why wouldn’t we sing?” When it comes down to it, reflecting on all that the Lord has done for us… creation, salvation, and transformation… How can we not sing praises to God?

Besides, when we come together and lift up our voices, we are simply just joining the chorus of praise that creation has already been singing since before time began.

Are you singing yet?

- KC

They Don't Believe... But They Know.

2010-10-04T12:40:00.002-05:00

"They Don't Believe... But They Know."

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“We pray this so you may live a life worthy of the Lord, pleasing Him in every good work, growing in knowledge and being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might. May you have great endurance and patience and joyfully give thanks to the Father Who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light!” [Col.1:10-12, NIV]

Man, that’s some prayer! It shows Paul took seriously his role as mentor of God’s people and, hopefully, that they took seriously their role as students of God’s Word. I know we’re doing that on this campus today because Pastor Andy stated this as one of our goals: Biblical literacy.

Interestingly, the newest Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life has found from a survey of 3,400 Americans that, on average, atheists and agnostics are better with answers to factual questions about religion than Protestants and Catholics. No joke. When given 32 basic religious questions, average Americans answered only 16 correctly. Mormons and evangelicals did better on questions about the Bible and Christianity; Jews and atheists/agnostics scored higher in areas about world religions and religion in public life. To quote the tag-line from the newspaper article reporting this event, they don’t believe, but they know.

Hmmm. Sounds like we need more prayers, doesn’t it…and more study, too. You see, skeptics prepare themselves because they want to discuss the topic intelligently and from a position of understanding. Unfortunately, it does not speak well of Christians when we come across as uninformed and disrespectful toward others. When Paul spoke to the crowds on Mars’ Hill in Athens, he spoke with knowledge, with respect, and with effect.

Remember why we’re here. Go back to the Great Commission of Matt.28 and the unique translation so fondly spoken around here. “While you’re doing whatever it is you’re doing, make sure you’re doing this: making disciples.” It has been said people don’t care how much we know until they know how much we care. This begins with our immersion in God’s Book of Wonders, His life-giving Word, and it’s lived out in the way we sit and listen, share and pray in the name of Christ. At last Wednesday’s “Digging Deeper” class ten folks ran through the 32 questions from the survey. No one missed more than three. Now, we can either feel smug about that, or we can ask, “How are we doing at loving our neighbor in Jesus’ name?”

Where do you think we all need to start?

- Pastor Jack

Let Go of the Rope

2010-09-25T09:24:00.003-05:00

"Let Go of the Rope"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“Warn troublemakers once or twice, then don’t have anything else to do with them. You know that their minds are twisted, and their own sins show how guilty they are.” [Titus 3:10,11, CEV]

Our 30-something surrogate daughter in Minnesota is a natural athlete…All-American track, basketball, you name it; even played great golf 7-months pregnant. Recently she decided to take up water-skiing, and did so handily in one afternoon. So that’s what it’s like to have coordination and balance! Gag!

On the other hand, I vividly recall when a former college friend [and gifted sportsman in his own right] made the same effort one summer day long ago and failed miserably not only to keep his balance but also to remember the First Rule in Water-Skiing. You do know that rule, don’t you? When you fall, “Let go of the rope.” Ummm. I never knew a man could drag that far and swallow that much water without actually drowning… It was impressive, though; all we had to do was reel him in and pry his fingers off the bar.

Y’know, after 35 years of ministry, it appears to me associating with troublemakers and argumentative people is about as dangerous as not knowing what you’re doing when you water-ski. I’ve seen way too many folks ruined in their weak faith by hanging on to bad relationships with sour people when the best thing they could have done was just “let go of the rope.”

Sure, that sounds harsh and unloving, but believe me, it’s not. It’s love when you warn these sour-minded individuals and point them to Scripture, showing them God’s unconditional grace and peace. It’s love when you remind them His plan is for joy, not division, and that their duty is to seek reconciliation and harmony. And it’s love -- tough love -- when you tell them you will not put up with gossip or slander or malice. In fact, to stay in that relationship, unchanging, jeopardizes your own spiritual health and makes it appear you approve of their unhealthy practice. And BTW, rather than simply deciding which relationships to end, be sure to first remind and warn them. After all, if these are friends, aren’t they worth the effort? Indeed, there may be some ties you have to cut, but there may also be bonds you can forge in Christ.

You see, for every person gifted with the balance and coordination it takes to ski, someone needs the vision and skill to drive the boat and keep the skier safe [but that’s another topic/article]. Together in Christ, there’s no letting go of the rope.

- Pastor Jack

The Crisis of Now

2010-09-08T14:45:00.001-05:00

"The Crisis of Now"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, so that we may walk in His paths.’” [Is.2:2,3, NIV]

We’re not in the country any more, are we? 25 years ago St. Paul was surrounded by farmland, but now 273,000 people live in Plano, roughly the same number as Buffalo, N.Y., Norfolk, Va., and St. Paul, Minn. It’s also true Plano has the highest median income [$85K] among large U.S. cities, even as we’ve begun suffering the growing pains and struggling tax base Richardson and Garland did 20 years ago.

Nothing shocking about this info… It’s from a fine article by Theodore Kim and Matthew Haag of the Dallas News. What’s more intriguing is their revelation that nearly a third of Plano’s primary language at home is not English. That’s up 11% in the last 10 years. Before you jump to conclusions, yes, Plano has a significant Hispanic population; what city in Texas doesn’t? But Spanish is not the only major non-English language used in Plano homes. Read the Isaiah 2 text again and consider this phrase: “all nations will stream to it.” The fact is 14.4% of Plano’s population is Asian -- three times higher than the national average -- a result of education and technology.

Kim and Haag suggest some city leaders seem to feel Plano faces an identity crisis based on how we plan to face issues like poverty, homelessness, budget and age. I’d suggest we indeed have an identity crisis on our hands, but from a spiritual viewpoint, and with an incredibly rich opportunity for our witness to the transforming power of Jesus Christ in this community. Our own Christian Day School is a microcosm of the greater Plano community, and not a day passes without every person, from classroom teacher to facility supervisor to pastoral staff and volunteers asking, “How can we be the presence of Jesus Christ to every person who walks through these doors?”

What about you? Does Jesus walk with you…in you…alongside you…through you each day wherever you go? You have been placed here for a purpose, to touch specific lives in His name.

“…And He determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of Us. For in Him we live and move and have our being.” [Acts 17:26,27, NIV]

- Pastor Jack

Go Wash Your Feet

2010-08-30T13:12:00.001-05:00

"Go Wash Your Feet"

By: Pastor Jack Schneider

Jeremiah: “Why is my pain unending and my wound grievous and incurable? Will you be to me like a deceptive brook, like a spring that fails?”

God: “I will save you from the hands of the wicked and redeem you from the grasp of the cruel.” [Jer.15:18,21, NIV]

            I grew up in what was unlovingly and for good reason called “Swampeast Missouri,” but while the humidity never quit [think Houston on the Mississippi], neither did the creeks and springs. This is North Texas,though, and after three weeks of triple-digit heat we know all about brooks that disappear and springs that fail. Nothing new for this area. Before the advent of city water lines and reservoirs to keep communities supplied with life-saving, clean water, we were at the mercy of seasonal rains. Old-timers are harder now to find, but a few can still tell of dust-bowl days when water was more precious than gold.
            Jeremiah understood this firsthand and compared it to the mercy of God -- or the lack thereof. He actually felt cheated by God, abandoned in his zeal for God’s cause, and complained to God about it. “Look what I’ve done for You!” he shouted… “Look what I’ve given up because of my love for Your holiness! So where are You now when I need You?! Dried up like a Texas creek in August?” Truth be told, we’ve been there; felt like that, haven’t we? Sure, there have been times it seemed that God took the day off or sat on the porch with His feet up on the rail just watching the universe go by, thinking, “Nope…not gonna touch it today…que sera, sera; whatever will be, will be.”
          Don’t miss God’s answer to Jeremiah, because it’s also His answer to you and me. V.19,ff [paraphrased]: “Quit griping and I’ll use you for some good after all! Talk sense instead of crying, because you’re here to serve Me and I’m about to shape you into a strong wall that people will learn to respect and trust. I’ll save you…I’ll redeem you… no matter how things look.”
          I know you’re tired of the heat -- and I’m not talking about what’s outside. I mean what’s inside, in your marriage and family, at your workplace and even how you sometimes feel here at church. Yet in the midst of this heat and your feeling that even God has ceased to notice your pain, His promise is sure and His presence is real. You are His…You may actually be His answer to someone else.
          As you reflect on these words, do yourself a favor: go wash your feet in some cool water. Inside, in the tub or outside, with the hose; it doesn’t matter. Just do it, and enjoy the break. Then, wash someone else’s feet.

[Think about that..]

- Pastor Jack