Straw Hats or Crash Helmets?

HS2I’m getting ready for our simple church expression this morning, and I’m thinking about my favorite Annie Dillard quote:

“On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside of the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies’ straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake someday and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return. ”

Because we will gather in the Name of Jesus, Christ will be faithful to His promise to be right in the center of our gathering.  That is, the Risen Christ.  The One who is not limited by time or by space.  The firstborn from among the dead.  The same One who sits at the right hand of His Father on a throne.  He is preparing to return as a King and He will judge the living and the dead.  He is the source of real justice and will one day demolish the strongholds of the evil one.

That’s who is coming to our simple church expression today.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Dark Night in an Olive Grove

images-2Once again a garden becomes the backdrop for significant change in the life of mankind. In Eden, the first man’s disobedience changed the course of all who would follow him. In Gethsemane, the Son of Man’s obedience will change the course of all who would follow Him. This particular garden was surrounded by olive groves. Olives, and the oil that was produced from pressing them, were crucial to the life and well-being of all in Israel. In this garden, we will see Jesus “pressed” like He has never been before. As Jesus experiences the crushing pressure of contemplating His own death as well as the pressure of all of evil bearing down on Him, the oil of His obedience will produce life and well-being not just for many in Israel, but for the world. What a dramatic setting!

“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ he said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch.’   Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beauty in Brokenness

vase_2007_07_rainbow_flare_4x6Our stories in this age don’t always end like fairytales with a “happily ever after.”

I had a vision of a beautiful and expensive vase.  It was full of color and crafted magnificently.  It stood in the center of the room on a pedestal.  As I marveled at its beauty, the pedestal began to rock.  In my vision, I was helpless to stop it.  The vase began to totter and I knew that it would fall.  As the vase tilted from one side to the other, it was inevitable.  It fell from the pedestal and broke into many pieces.

Such a waste of beauty. . .broken pieces scattered across the floor.  I was sad.   Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mystical Union With Christ

grow-in-christ-silhouette-e1357680511405One of the most important elements in a wedding ceremony is the “charge to the congregation.”  It lets everyone present know that this is a worship event blessed by Christ Himself.  Here is a portion of the charge:  “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony.. . .It is an honorable estate, instituted of God, and signifying until us the mystical union which exists between Christ and His Church. Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Judas, Peter and John

passion_of_the_christ_by_saviourmachineJudas betrayed Jesus.

“Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, ‘Greetings, Rabbi!’ and kissed Him.” Mt. 26:49

Why did he do it?  Was Judas so offended with the path Jesus was taking that he burned with anger and wanted Him dead?  Was he trying to force Christ’s hand to begin responding with power to Roman bondage and Jewish legalism?  Was it just plain greed?

It’s hard not to cringe at the scene where Judas betrays Christ with a kiss.  It is even more difficult to hear Christ’s first word in His response:  “Friend…” Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment