It seems just yesterday we were preparing to celebrate Ash Wednesday and now Easter is just a few days away.  We have traveled through Lent and have reflected on the reality of our humanity, our need for a Savior and of the grace of God that extends love beyond measure into this broken world.

During Lent I, like many of you, have been reading from a collection of Henri Nouwen and C.S. Lewis’ writings called “A Wondrous Love”.  One that struck a particular chord with me was from Saturday, fourth week of Lent

“Making a Choice”

“A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic – on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg – or else he would be the Devil of Hell.  You must make the choice.”   C.S. Lewis

His words got me thinking.  What sort of things did Jesus say that cause us to wrestle with who he really was?  What words did he speak that put us in a place of choosing to believe that “he was and is, the Son of God or else a madman or something else?”

How about in John 10:30 when Jesus says, “I and the Father are one” or maybe John 14:9 when he says, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”  “I am the way and the truth and the life, no one comes to the father (God) except through me” is an extremely bold claim that a mere moral teacher would not ever make.  During our Tuesday Bible Study Martha pointed out the time in Luke 4 when Jesus read from the scroll of Isaiah and then said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  I am sure there are many others we could think of together…times when Christ spoke and declared, I am more than a mere teacher…I am the Son of God!

As we gather for Holy Week Services let us never lose sight of who we worship.  Let us remember that the empty tomb we celebrate was once filled with more than a good teacher…it was the Son of God come to offer himself on our behalf so that we may know the Joy’s of Life to the Full.

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done…One Earth as it is in Heaven

Yet even now, says the Holy One, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing.

Return to the Lord, your God, who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.

(Joel 2:12-13)

These words of the prophet Joel served as the call to worship for our Ash Wednesday Service just a few days ago.  Words that call us to reflect upon the reality of who we are, the truth of who God is, and of our desperate need for relationship with God.

As the prophet writes, “return with weeping and mourning” he is calling on us to examine the reality of how in our sinful and broken state we fall far short of a Holy and perfect God and calls upon us to respond appropriately.  Do you remember how you felt the time your little league team lost the big game, you did not pass your driver’s test the first time you took it, or did not get the promotion or job you were expecting?  How about the time when you failed a test or did not do as well on a review as you had hoped for?  I do.  My spirit was damaged and I was reduced to mourning my shortcomings and failure.  The prophet reminds us that as we honestly look at our sinful, fallen selves in light of a perfect and holy God we fall far short of perfection.  We are dust and one day to dust we will return.

What are we to do with that reality?

“Rend your hearts” and “Return to the Lord who is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relents from punishing.”  Hope for the hopeless!  Strength for the weak which leads to renewal, new life and the opportunity to experience, “Life to the Full”.

As we examine the truth of our desperate need for God it should drive us to mourn our shortcomings and then celebrate with gladness a God who welcomes us with open arms just as the Father welcomes home the Prodigal Son.

Over the next few weeks as we Journey through the Cross of Good Friday to the Empty Tomb of Easter here are some questions for you to carry to God in your times of reflection and quiet.

1. Father, where are you speaking clearly and I am simply not understanding your leading, guiding and directing?
2. Father, where am I missing your invitation to a deeper, more intimate relationship with you?
3. Father, where do you want to surprise me with your Grace, Mercy, and Love…but I am too busy and distracted to see the blessing that is placed in front of me?

I had one of those days yesterday.  The kind that just take your breath away and you are not sure if you have the strength to carry on.  One of those days where by 9:30 you just want to go back to bed and pull the covers up over your head until the next day.  The morning started out like any ordinary day and then things picked up speed and just never slowed down.  I felt myself pulled in multiple directions at the same time.  Nothing was getting my best, I felt I was simply “putting out fires.”  Appointments that were supposed to last “a few minutes” suddenly took hours and caused what had been a very ordered day to feel very rushed and chaotic.  There was some unexpected bad news which demanded I shift my focus away from my plans and agenda.  As the day turned into evening I was finally able to slip away and return my focus to what had been on my agenda early in the morning.  As I came toward my office I heard it…running water.  Not the kind that you hear when a sink fawcet is left on…the kind that results from a bathroom being turned into a baptismal!  So much for the plan to salvage a few moments of quiet from a chaotic day.

Have you ever had a day like this?  One where nothing went the way you imagined it should and everywhere you turned there was chaos, disorder and disruption?  When the evening turned to night and I was finally able to put an end to this day where chaos reigned I found myself to be glad that tomorrow would start anew and fresh.  I was also glad that I had not gone through the day alone.  I was glad that God had walked with me each and every step, that He had given me strength when I needed strength.  Thankful that God had helped me hold my tongue when I may have wanted to share more of my thoughts than was necessary.  Glad that even in the most tiresome moments of the day there were things to celebrate and bring joy if one had eyes to see.  Humbled that as I did the “woe is me” thing while mopping up a bathroom floor I was reminded of my Savior who knelt to wash his disciples dirty feet while on his way to the cross.  Surely if Jesus could endure the cross for me I could (with joy) mop up a flooded bathroom.  As the chaos of the day slipped into the quiet of night I decided the day had not been that bad and that God had met me in the midst of it.

May God grant us the ability to see clearly how He is at work in our lives each day…the days that go as we plan and the days that have a mind of their own.

Pastor Dan

There are a lot of times a pastor has the opportunity to hear words of thank you that really should be spoken to the entire congregation.  Today was one of those days.  I was making my way across the welcome center when one of the many people who attends the Midday Miracles AA group stopped me, “Are you the pastor here?”  It was an honest question…I was traveling incognito wearing my blue jeans and polo shirt.  “Yes, I am the pastor.”  “Hello, I just want to say thank you for letting us meet in this space, it is a beautiful picture of Christianity at work.”

“A beautiful picture of Christianity at work.”  I started to think about that for the rest of the afternoon.  What does Christianity at work look like?  In the mind of the young woman I was talking with it has something to do with gracious hospitality.  Opening your doors to people who are seeking to improve their lives, working to overcome addiction and who are supporting each other as they take it one day at a time. There is something very Christ like in the way our church is continually open to multiple AA groups, providing them space to do the work they need to do as they pursue sobriety and peace in their lives.  Thank you for being a people who share the space God has blessed us with, you bear witness to graciousness of God with your hospitality.

My mind started to wander to several other conversations I have had over the past few weeks.  As we have pursued a deeper understanding of the Mission, Vision, Values of FBC several people have shared these thoughts…

“Pastor, this is not easy”

“Pastor, I believe I may have been selfish with my gift”

“Pastor, You are not making it easy for me”

I want to assure you that as I prepare these messages each week I am wrestling with what the scriptures are calling us to.  I agree with many of the thoughts shared in response to the messages each week.  Living as a “Mature Follower of Jesus” is not easy.  It takes work.  It is a journey.  Praise God we do not have to accomplish it relying upon our own strength…we have the Holy Spirit alive and well at work inside us helping us mature and grow each and every day.  Praise God we do not have to accomplish it alone.  We have the privilege of journeying together as a community of faith: learning, encouraging, supporting and speaking honestly with each other as we journey towards spiritual maturity.  Praise God we have the promise shared by the Apostle Paul, “that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6

My prayer is that as we continue to grow in our ability to live out our Mission, Vision and Values we will hear more and more people stop us and say, “This is a beautiful picture of Christianity at work.”  At this point we will give God all the praise, honor & glory and thank Him for allowing us to have some small part in being an answer to the prayer we are so familiar with, “Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be Done, On Earth as it is in Heaven.”

Pastor Dan