Out of My Mind

We have just moved our offices over the last week, so I got a little bogged down and blogged down.  For those of you who have had a hard time existing since my last post, I truly am sorry.

I write this as I sit in my new office at our new church building.  I am truly amazed and humbled to see what God has done and is doing.  Perhaps the best thing of all though has been to see all of the men and women turn out to help over the last few weeks.

We have had people come out to paint, and do carpentry work in the children’s areas.  We have had people help unpack with us, and unload containers of furniture.  We have had people help us lay sod out on the new property.  I have never seen so much sod get laid so quickly.  We have had people come and scrub toilets, and mop floors.  It has just been awesome.

I am truly grateful for all the help we have received.  It has felt like a true partnership within the body of Christ.  Thank God for all of his wonderful people.  Way to go SSCC.  Thanks for knowing that we can count on you.  Many blessings to you.

David

This past week in church, I shared about the angels coming to the shepherds to announce the birth of Christ (Luke 2:8ff). This really was a radical step that God was taking. The shepherds were the outcasts, the ones who were not a part of the “spiritually in” crowd. The priests and teachers of the law, and all of those who came to the temple were the religious crowd. The very sacrifices they offered pointed to their need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God. The shepherds couldn’t even go into the temple because they were unclean. But God came to them that Christmas night. He announced the birth of a Savior to them - the outcasts, the ones cut off from God. God was making a pretty big statement in JESUS! The ones who were outside were welcome to come inside.

I think of the person I wrote about last week in my “Please Jesus…” post. Has she truly heard and seen a Gospel that welcomes her or just one that repels her? This is a difficult question. On one hand, the message of Christ can be offensive to the human heart. We must acknowledge our need before we can truly embrace a Savior. And yet, His sacrifice was the most loving act ever!!!! It is a powerful message of forgiveness and redemption, but scripture clearly leads us to believe that many will reject this message.

On the other hand, how many are simply rejecting the messenger, and therefore never really hear the message? I have been convicted as to how we create our “spiritually in” crowds, our holy huddles. We so often come off as elitists and judgmental, instead of grace filled and loving. Do we really love lost people like Jesus did, or do we merely tolerate them? Can we have the same passion of an angelic messenger who would announce the good news of the arrival of Christ to a group of unclean sinners (Shepherds)?

What does it look like to live a Christ centered life in this world of ours? As a Christian, would you rather be known for what you do not do? Or for what you do? I think it is time where we live out a life that is more focused on what we are for, than what we are against. I am against sin. I am against adultery, abortion, homosexuality, lying, cheating, pornography, etc. But you know what? I am for people. I am for generosity. I am for service. I am for compassion. I am for a God who announces himself to shepherds and helps an adulterous woman back onto her feet (without condoning her actions). I am for love - loving those who would hate me and criticize me. I am for loving those who disagree with me. I am for giving - giving to those who have need, and for those who have none. I am for family - seeing marriages grow stronger, and parents who truly love and guide their children. I am for sex as God’s gift to couples to be saved for the right context. But I am all for it, and so is God (in the proper time).

As Christians we often know what we are against. But I ask you, what are you for? What are you for? Because the world would love to know!

I was riding home from Target the other day. By the way, has anyone tried a burger from Five Guys (It’s over by Target). Wow. Those things are good. Definitely a must try before you die. Of course, you eat too many of those and you may die a little quicker. As I was on the spur headed back to St. Simons, I saw a little white Honda in front of me with a little black bumper sticker with white lettering.

I noticed the first line said, “Please Jesus…” so I kept on reading. I was wondering what little prayer I would find on the back of this car. Would it be a request, a praise, a jingle? Well this is what it said, “Please Jesus protect me from your followers.”

Read it again. It took me a second to really understand what this sticker was saying. This person was asking Jesus to keep his people away from him/her. I believe it was a her. First, I couldn’t believe this person would put such a bumper sticker on their car. You talk about intolerance. A Christian would be crucified for putting something like, “Please Jesus protect from gay people.” I wouldn’t ever advocate such a bumper sticker by the way. I just was struck by how bold this person was in there open resistance to Christians.

I didn’t get mad though. I actually felt a lot of compassion for this person. I began to wonder how she might have been burned by some Christians. Where had she seen us come up short? How had we blown our witness to this person? Perhaps some segment of our great big dysfunctional Christian family had come off harsh and legalistic. Perhaps she had run into some hypocrites who didn’t really live out what they professed. Perhaps she met some Christians who are all about the rules, but never really reflect the relationship aspect of truly knowing God.

I wondered if I had ever done things in the eyes of the world that would cause them to purchase a bumper sticker like this and place it on their car? Ouch…

What was it? If she had turned into a gas station, I was really at a place where I would have stopped and just asked. I wanted to look her in the eye and say, “Hey. I noticed your bumper sticker and was just curious as to what you felt Christians were about? What makes you feel this way?” No such chance though. So I just followed and prayed. I prayed that Jesus would really show himself to her. I prayed that God would change her heart and she would fall in love with Jesus. I found myself praying that I would really live out my faith in a way that truly honors and reflects Christ. My heart was moved for this person. I truly hope one day she will have an encounter with Christians that really changes her mind about Christ.

What do you think about this bumper sticker? Does it strike you funny as well? Does it bother? How do you respond to it?

This year we decided to put Christmas into action at St. Simons Community Church.  We are giving $100 to 50 different families/individuals.  They are to take the money though and pray as to how God wants them to use it to be a blessing to someone else.  We want this to somehow become a tangible expression of God’s love.  We also hope God uses it in a great way in the lives of the people who are entrusted with this mission.

On Monday afternoon, our administrative assistant Laura put 80 names into a basket.  We prayed over the names and then 7 of us took turns picking names out of hat until we reached 50 people.  You want to talk about fun.   We had a blast.  It was so cool pulling out those names.

On Tuesday, people started coming in to pick up their $100.  We ask that they let us know what they did with the money and how God used it in their life.  I can’t wait to hear how it went.  One lady already came in with a needy mother with her baby.  She was planning to take this mother shopping for her and her child that day.  How cool is that?  Another woman came in today and was squealing with joy that she had been chosen.  It is just awesome.  Laura has had a lot of fun giving the people their money.  Can’t wait to see what people say about it when it is all done.  I will share some responses after the first of the year.

Now you, go put Christmas in Action somewhere, somehow.  Live it out.

We are getting ready to do a Christmas series called Be Still at the church.  But I haven’t been able to be still long enough lately to blog like I want.  I am going to get it going again though.

Anyhow, I am excited about the series.  Christmas often seems to bring a whirlwind of activity, but there is no greater time of the year for us to think about being still.  Slow down a little, worship, give thanks, pray, examine your life, help someone else.  Sit around the Christmas tree and turn off all of the house lights and leave only the tree lights on.  That to me is one of the simple joys of the holidays.  I love those quiet moments of just enjoying the beauty of Christmas.

Christmas really seems to light up the world.  Whenever I see the lights of Christmas, I often think of how Jesus came as a light.  He came to bring revelation to our hearts, illumination to our minds.  He came to deliver us out of darkness and bring us into the kingdom of light.  Jesus came to show us what God is really like.  He came so we could draw near.   He came so we could be forgiven.  He came so we could live eternally.  He came so we could live abundantly.  He came so we could be free.

He came, but if we don’t learn to be still, we will miss Him.

I dare you to be still.  Slow down.  Listen to God.  Let Him love on you.  Let Him reveal Himself to you.

Be Still.  You may not know what you are missing.