The Power Of Lent

As I look at the difficult economy and the troubled times that we are in, I am reminded anew of the power and significance of Lent. Lent is a Christian season that takes place before Easter. It is a time where Christians reflect on the sacrifice of Christ and ponder what this means or should mean in their lives. For me, my Lent is more than giving something up or committing to do even more. My Lenten time of 2009 is about recommitting myself to being more like Christ. It is a time of pondering the forgiveness and redemption of God in my world and my life. Above all, Lent this year is about having a right relationship with God in which I fully embrace His forgiveness and His restoration and fully commit to a continual re-creation of my life by God.

Our Need For Forgiveness

A few weeks ago, I read The Shack. It is a fictional story that speaks volumes about grace and forgiveness. I won't go into details (this would ruin the book) but the story tellingly gives an account of the power of evil and how forgiveness is essential to fully overcome evil. The story represents God in three persons who are one (Blessed Trinity) who care for us, walks with us, and is always there for us in the deepest and darkest of times. In the story, the author beautifully presents how God interacts with us and is constantly working out our forgiveness for us. As I finished the book, I was touched to the point of tears and had a new wave of understanding and of forgiveness come over me.

Light That Gives Life

The fall has flown by and now we are in the middle of Advent. Christmas is coming soon and the joy of seeing family and celebrating again the birth of Christ is upon us. While busy, this is an exciting time of year full of joy, of happiness, and sometimes sorrow.

I speak of sorrow because another local pastor and friend recently and unexpectedly died. David was a sweet man who loved God, loved his family, and loved God's church. He served an independent Christian church but was always looking for the interdependence of our faith. While I only knew him one year, his presence and our time during this year is memorable and has left a mark. We worked together ecumenically on many things and sometimes we even talked about our differences. However, what was special about David was not the difference but the love of the similar. We both loved God first and tried to share that love with others...even other ministers!

While the absence of David does bring sorrow, it also brings great joy and happiness. He was a man who lived what he believed and did the best he could. He was by no means perfect...he would tell you this...but he was genuine. He loved me and many others irrespective of our warts or shortcomings. His life was lived brightly and the light of his life that originated with Jesus Christ still shines in the light of my life, in the light of the lives of many others, and the light of his memory. He will be sorely missed but not forgotten!

Experiencing God's Healing

Not long ago, I had a very painful experience that deeply wounded me and my family. The pain was not from a physical injury but was spiritual and emotional in nature. A small group of people did not like how we handled things in our previous ministry setting and so they made it their mission to be critical of me and us and to sow seeds of dissent amongst the people we served. Of course I made some mistakes and so they had ample ammo to "build their case" so to speak. As things reached a point of open conflict, we decided to leave that church for the greater good of the people, of our family, and of me. However, the whole affair hurt us and several others and this pain still shows itself now and again.

As we "picked up the pieces" and moved on, we have had to wrestle with some wounds and have needed healing. Since I was at the center of this pain, I have been the one needing the most healing. Besides the pain of strained relationships and an unexpected relocation halfway across the country, I had times where I doubted by faith, my Call to ministry, and the relevance of the church. For a time, I couldn't even go to church and I certainly didn't want to be in full-time ministry. The only thing that helped me overcome this pain and work through these issues was the healing presence of God.

God allowed me to be angry, to be silent with Him, and even to yell at Him. He let me groan in misery and suffering and great spiritual pain. He also waited beside me, reached out to me with His loving arms, and often gave me spiritual hugs. He has even let me lay my head on His shoulder and cry my eyes out until there were no more tears to be shed. Since that time, He has been healing me and my family. We have not reached a place of complete healing but everyday my family and I experience His healing touch. As each day passes, the pain grows duller and the joy becomes sweeter. As we go forward, I know my life and ministry will be better and I can't wait to see how God uses even this for His greater good!

Journeys That We Make

I recently took a long journey from Oklahoma to North Carolina for a meeting and to visit some dear friends. The road was long, curvy, full of mountains, and filled with valleys. I enjoyed the trip and had a great time at the meeting and with my friends. However, it was a long journey that wore me out and left me weary. Even now, I am still recovering and regrouping from the exhausting aspects of this trip. As I look back on this recent journey, I am struck by how similar it is to the journey of faith that we all take.

Like the long trip, my faith journey has been full of roads and paths that are long, curvy, full of mountains, and filled with valleys. Over the last few weeks, this journey as been especially hard and even slow. The pressures of life, the burdens of living, and the uncertainties in our world have worn me out and made me feel weary and very tired. Even now, I am trying to shake off the weariness and find new energy. I don't doubt God or even my faith but I am not as motivated or excited about God or my faith. This point in my faith journey is one of a valley moment where I am trying to climb back up the side of a mountain. It is hard work, very tiring, and seems to be neverending. And yet, I know that I will make it to the mountain eventually, that the journey will be sweet again in the near future, and that the horizon of life and faith is only going to be brighter. In the meantime, I will struggle through the valley with the hope of the mountain guiding me.

You Are Mine...

Last week, I read from Isaiah 43 that I (God) have ransomed you...you are mine. This phrase keeps on coming to mind each day and is a reminder to me that God has paid a price for me and for all of us. He has willingly allowed His Son, Jesus The Christ, to suffer and die for me and for all of us. He has bought my life with a hefty price and has made an extensive investment in me. And yet, I still want things to go "my way" and I don't want to be "owned" by anyone.

While I want to be my "own man," it is obvious to be that we are all "owned" by someone or something--a job, a company, a family, a lifestyle, a culture, a nation, etc. Why can't I just simply yield my hope and dreams, my possessions and my intentions, to God? Why do I resist being owned by God? I often want to recieve the benefit of the ransom of God but I am not always enthusiastic about the ownership of God because it means "My Way" will not prevail.

As I continue to come back to Isaiah 43, it is apparent that I will have to choose "His Way" alone or He will foreclose on the overvalued and risky mortgage of my life. I don't simply want to put this in transactional or financial terms. However, a transaction of love and sacrifice has afforded me the privilege of being a Child of the King who is rescued from certain destruction. Considering the price that God has already willingly paid for me, I think I can embrace and gladly recieve His ransom for my life. I certainly see the blessed truth of God's statement to the nation of Israel, to all of humanity, and to me: I have called you by name; you are mine!!

Being Beloved

I was reading about how Jesus was beloved by God in Matthew 3 and was reminded anew how God truly loves us and has a special plan for us. He considers us to be His children and He first loves us and wants us to be loved by Him--to be His beloved. He isn't demanding us to make right decisions before He will love us--although He certainly appreciates this. He isn't requiring us to be perfect before He will love us. He doesn't set conditions on His love. Rather, each of us are His beloved that He first loves. Beyond His love, we give Him great pleasure and joy when we obey Him and choose His path. However, He always loves us and considers us to be His beloved irrespective of our choices. Isn't it wonderful to be God's beloved!!