I think about acorns every fall when they start raining from the trees. Sometimes I pick one up in sheer wonder, "How does this end up being a giant oak tree?" We study science and see a million acorns, and we shrug our shoulders, and we lose our wonder, but SERIOUSLY, those little acorns can become oak trees. Not all acorns do. In fact, most don't, but they are all potential oak trees and that is crazy to contemplate.
In 2012, a friend of mine believed for the first time that Jesus is truly God and her Savior. It's an incredible experience to have and almost just as incredible to watch- a person meeting Jesus. And it's one of those experiences you cannot even imagine what it's like until it happens, and then it's so exciting and even a little scary. Just imagine (or remember) the God who created the entire universe and all that's within it down to the very last atom becoming real to you and having a relationship with you. Amazing. Exciting. Scary.
My friend hesitated in a moment of fear. She was afraid of what she would need to change in her life, what she would need to give up. Eventually, those fears gave way to love, but that moment she had stuck with me.
An acorn cannot become an oak tree without shedding its old shell to make room for what's to come. After all, no way would an oak tree fit in an acorn. In the same way, we must shed our old self, our dead self in order to make room for the new life. They cannot coexist. The old must go. Jesus offers us freedom from that prison of sin and shame. And just like the acorn, what we give up is nothing compared to how God will transform us as he makes us more like Jesus, more like the people he created us to be before sin and brokenness stood in the way.
Most acorns do not become trees, but becoming a tree seems like a much greater adventure.
"And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all"
Hebrews 10:10
"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions- it is by grace you have been saved."
Ephesians 2:4-5
Monday, October 26, 2015
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Fingers in Holes
Interesting title... just for the record, I'm not talking about bowling or whatever else you might have thought of. I am actually talking about... well, I guess I am about to explain that in a minute.
So as many of you may already know, Jesus had this close group of 12 followers called the Apostles. I am not sure if this is NORMAL, but I have sometimes wondered what apostle I would most relate to if I was rolling with that crew back in Jerusalem.
Maybe there's a Buzzfeed quiz out there for that sort of thing.
But seriously, I realized this week which apostle I most relate to and was honestly surprised by my own answer. You see, I am most like Thomas, better knows as Doubting Thomas, even though he does get a bad rep for being the "doubting one."
Here's Thomas' story:
"Now Thomas, (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.' A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'
Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
(John 20:24-29)
This story always makes us modern-day believers smile a triumphant smile to ourselves, doesn't it? We are BLESSED, those of us who have not seen and yet believe. Jesus validates and applauds our faith.
But there's more to this story that we often forget about.
Jesus loved Thomas and knew his heart. He knew how Thomas was created, how he was wired, and Jesus shows up for him because he loves Thomas. Thomas did not just want to hear a first-hand account of the living God; he wanted to experience it for himself. Yes, there is something undoubtedly blessed about the faith of those who never see nor feel nor hear and yet still believe, but me, I'm wired more like Thomas. Jesus knows this and he loves me. I very rarely shrug my shoulders and accept things on blind faith- I need to seek God's face again and again until he shows up. I want to see him and feel him and hear him. My soul thirsts for this. When it comes to a supernatural God and a supernatural faith, I want Jesus to show up.
God is teaching me to ask, to seek, to knock in faith. Part of prayer is just our seeking more of God as he draws us near to him. The more we see of Him, the less we desire lesser things. He is what my heart longs for, and I would argue that Jesus is what your heart longs for even if you aren't sure of it. So don't be afraid to ask him to show up.
And for the record, Thomas just wanted the gift that the other apostles were given, and we have a Father in heaven who delights in giving good gifts, especially his very Son to us.
St. Thomas, pray for us.
So as many of you may already know, Jesus had this close group of 12 followers called the Apostles. I am not sure if this is NORMAL, but I have sometimes wondered what apostle I would most relate to if I was rolling with that crew back in Jerusalem.
Maybe there's a Buzzfeed quiz out there for that sort of thing.
But seriously, I realized this week which apostle I most relate to and was honestly surprised by my own answer. You see, I am most like Thomas, better knows as Doubting Thomas, even though he does get a bad rep for being the "doubting one."
Here's Thomas' story:
"Now Thomas, (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, 'We have seen the Lord!' But he said to them, 'Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my fingers where the nails were and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.' A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, 'Peace be with you!' Then he said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.'
Thomas said to him, 'My Lord and my God!' Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
(John 20:24-29)
This story always makes us modern-day believers smile a triumphant smile to ourselves, doesn't it? We are BLESSED, those of us who have not seen and yet believe. Jesus validates and applauds our faith.
But there's more to this story that we often forget about.
Jesus still showed up for Thomas.
Thomas desired to see and touch the risen Christ, to put his fingers in the nail marks and his hand into Jesus' wounds and Jesus shows up, telling Thomas to put his fingers in the holes and hand into his side.
Jesus loved Thomas and knew his heart. He knew how Thomas was created, how he was wired, and Jesus shows up for him because he loves Thomas. Thomas did not just want to hear a first-hand account of the living God; he wanted to experience it for himself. Yes, there is something undoubtedly blessed about the faith of those who never see nor feel nor hear and yet still believe, but me, I'm wired more like Thomas. Jesus knows this and he loves me. I very rarely shrug my shoulders and accept things on blind faith- I need to seek God's face again and again until he shows up. I want to see him and feel him and hear him. My soul thirsts for this. When it comes to a supernatural God and a supernatural faith, I want Jesus to show up.
God is teaching me to ask, to seek, to knock in faith. Part of prayer is just our seeking more of God as he draws us near to him. The more we see of Him, the less we desire lesser things. He is what my heart longs for, and I would argue that Jesus is what your heart longs for even if you aren't sure of it. So don't be afraid to ask him to show up.
And for the record, Thomas just wanted the gift that the other apostles were given, and we have a Father in heaven who delights in giving good gifts, especially his very Son to us.
St. Thomas, pray for us.
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Sexuality, Gender, the Pope, and Jesus
As if I could really tackle this topic in a blog post... But here's a short reflection
A headline jumped out at me from cnn.com:
CNN Exclusive: Pope held private meeting with same-sex couple in U.S.
Who is Jesus?
When Jesus walked the earth in the flesh, he ate with those people who were on the margins, those who were rejected by the religious people. In Jewish customs, eating with such people made a person "ceremonially unclean." In this passage, Jesus is eating at the home of Levi, a tax collector. By name, he should have been a priest in the temple, but instead chose a more lucrative path- being a tax collector for the Roman Empire, a traitor to his people. Tax collectors were known to be greedy, overcharging poor people and pocketing the money. But Jesus embraces him, and Levi, after his life is forever changed by God, eventually becomes Matthew, one of the twelve apostles, someone God used to change the world and spread his message of love and forgiveness.
A headline jumped out at me from cnn.com:
CNN Exclusive: Pope held private meeting with same-sex couple in U.S.
After reading the article, my heart rejoiced and my heart broke. Here's why:
Why I rejoiced:
This was a headline. A good one. One about love. How often do we get a good headline at the top of a news website?
Also, the news prints what sells. People want to hear about the pope loving people. People want to know a man who represents the real Jesus that we see in the Bible, whose mercy and love for the world led to a sacrifice for us all.
Why my heart broke:
For the same reason I rejoiced: this was a headline. This small act was viewed as so extraordinary to the world that it made the news. And my heart broke to think of how we, the Church have so failed to love an entire group of people, who are created by God.
If you didn't read the article, the Pope met with his former student, an openly gay atheist, and his partner. The article mentioned multiple times the affection that the pope bestowed upon the men, including phrases such as "warm hug" and "kisses them on the cheek." The writer found it necessary to emphasize to his audience that the pope not only met with the couple but embraced each man with love.
I do not believe that the Church hates gay people. The Church is the people of God, and as part of the Church, I do not hate gay people. Each person is created in the image and likeness of God, regardless of sexual attraction. Someone who is gay is not a lesser person in the eyes of God. But much of the world thinks the Church hates gay people, and I think we as Christians need to take some ownership of that. We are entrusted with being ambassadors, representatives of Jesus, and if we fail to witness who Jesus is to the world, we have failed our mission.
Our love must speak louder.
Who is Jesus?
Jesus is God. He is the Savior of the world. He came to heal the sick. He came to save the sinners. He came to carry home the lost. He came to save us- we are the sinners, we are the sick, we are the lost.
"When the Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and the tax collectors, they asked his disciples: 'Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?' On hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners." Mark 2:16-17
When Jesus walked the earth in the flesh, he ate with those people who were on the margins, those who were rejected by the religious people. In Jewish customs, eating with such people made a person "ceremonially unclean." In this passage, Jesus is eating at the home of Levi, a tax collector. By name, he should have been a priest in the temple, but instead chose a more lucrative path- being a tax collector for the Roman Empire, a traitor to his people. Tax collectors were known to be greedy, overcharging poor people and pocketing the money. But Jesus embraces him, and Levi, after his life is forever changed by God, eventually becomes Matthew, one of the twelve apostles, someone God used to change the world and spread his message of love and forgiveness.
The pope embraces his former student, and in that act welcomes a man who has felt rejected and marginalized by the religious people of our day. The act is so radical that it makes headlines, but that is the love of Jesus. Jesus still embraces and loves and calls those on the margins. We are all people. We are all sinners. And God so loved us, that he came to die for us so that we might know him and share in his love forever.
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Prayer Part I: What We Fear Most
A couple weeks ago, I was surrounded by people singing about Jesus, and I heard in my heart a voice whisper, "your prayers are too small." It called to me like a beckoning, a wink, an invitation into a world I rarely venture. In light of who God is, who He says He is, and who I say I believe He is, my prayers are too small.
I actually don't think my prayers could ever be too big for God. So why don't I pray as if I believe that?
I'm afraid.
Although in the past five years God is driving out all fear, I'm often afraid to pray big and dream big with God. I'm afraid to pray for complete healing and I instead settle for prayers of disease management. I'm afraid to pray for complete transformation of the hearts of the people around me, of toxic situations I witness, of the evil that I see in the headlines, and instead I pray using nondescript and comforting words. I pray for better but not for best. I pray for improvement but not for total redemption. I tack on "if it is your will" to prayers not just because I desire God's will be done but as a little insurance statement. Sometimes I pray like I don't expect God will act.
Why am I afraid?
Because what if I begin praying prayers big enough that if God were to answer them, no one could deny it was anything or anyone but God? What if we asked for the kingdom to come? What if we asked for his miracles? What if we asked for our world to be transformed? What if instead of asking for help walking in the sand, we asked to walk on water?
But what if I ask in great faith for God to do the impossible, and he doesn't? What then? Would my faith be shaken? Would the faith of those around me crumble? And so I shrink in fear and pray safe prayers and settle for management instead of begging for healing. But he WANTS us to ask and INVITES us to ask and whispers to our hearts: "your prayers are too small."
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work win us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21
I actually don't think my prayers could ever be too big for God. So why don't I pray as if I believe that?
I'm afraid.
Although in the past five years God is driving out all fear, I'm often afraid to pray big and dream big with God. I'm afraid to pray for complete healing and I instead settle for prayers of disease management. I'm afraid to pray for complete transformation of the hearts of the people around me, of toxic situations I witness, of the evil that I see in the headlines, and instead I pray using nondescript and comforting words. I pray for better but not for best. I pray for improvement but not for total redemption. I tack on "if it is your will" to prayers not just because I desire God's will be done but as a little insurance statement. Sometimes I pray like I don't expect God will act.
Why am I afraid?
Because what if I begin praying prayers big enough that if God were to answer them, no one could deny it was anything or anyone but God? What if we asked for the kingdom to come? What if we asked for his miracles? What if we asked for our world to be transformed? What if instead of asking for help walking in the sand, we asked to walk on water?
But what if I ask in great faith for God to do the impossible, and he doesn't? What then? Would my faith be shaken? Would the faith of those around me crumble? And so I shrink in fear and pray safe prayers and settle for management instead of begging for healing. But he WANTS us to ask and INVITES us to ask and whispers to our hearts: "your prayers are too small."
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work win us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen."
Ephesians 3:20-21
Monday, September 21, 2015
Image of God
From the top of Mount Washington we saw nothing. White fog formed a wall around us at the peak, and I could only just see the outline of one of my brothers 10 feet away. So then, into the white veil we made our descent. And as we began our hike down, winds began to blow the fog across the mountain so that the ground rose up before us. Then finally, the veil swept aside and we had our full view of the mountain and the valley.
We stopped.
Awestruck.
And in my heart I wondered, if I spread my arms wide enough, would the wind take me soaring? How beautiful and marvelous are the works of your hands, Lord.
Moments like this bring me back to one morning when I was 19. As I beheld the Grand Canyon for the first time. The canyon appeared piece by piece in a tremendous pink and gold revealing at sunrise, and I had declared that day that it was the most spiritual experience of God in my 19 years.
Throughout my life, few things draw me to praise God and fill me with awe of the Creator like being surrounded by the beauty of his creation. Whether it is the view from a mountain, a hawk in flight, a thundering waterfall, or a field of wildflowers, the natural world is the art of the Great Artist and a reminder that God is infinite and beautiful and powerful.
This summer, as I beheld the mountain view, I couldn't help but reflect on one truth, however. Of all the amazing works of God's hands, one creation is set apart. Only one creation is made in the image and likeness of God himself- human beings. We bear His very image.
Why, then, do I stand in awe of God when beholding his mountains or oceans or sunrises, yet I rarely stop to praise God when there is a person in front of me? Why am I so slow to see the image of God that is imprinted on this very human God loves? Shouldn't the magnitude of that truth stop me in my tracks and draw my heart to overflowing praise of the God who created them? Maybe seeing the image of God in the human standing before us is where loving them begins. Lord, let us see your image made visible.
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