The Father's Protection

As we wrap up our lenten discipline of praying the Lord’s Prayer, one thing should be stated: the Lord’s Prayer is a prayer of surrender.  It is asking God six different things that we can’t do on our own.  We acknowledge our need for God.  But we are also surrendering and trusting him to meet those needs in whatever way he chooses.  We can offer suggestions, but daily bread doesn’t always come at the time and in the amounts we want.  Yet it always comes as we need it.  God’s guidance (“lead us not into temptation”) doesn’t always direct us to our first choice.  When we ask for God’s kingdom to come, we are submitting to the way he chooses to bring it.

As we pray the last request, we must also come with the same spirit of surrender.  We ask God to deliver us from evil.  God may protect me from the evil that would come to me if I had too much.  He may protect you from what a level of success would do to your marriage and your family.  God may protect you from complacency or spiritual apathy by letting some hardship into your life.  In praying this request, we are giving God the power to pursue our greatest good.  Protecting us from the worst things may mean exposing us to some other things.

The Father’s Guidance

The Lord’s Prayer is a beautifully crafted and easily accessible prayer to pray… except for one small phrase.  “Lead us not into temptation.”  It seems very odd that we would need to ask God to not lead us into temptation.  It seems like he would do that automatically.  Why would he intentionally make us deal with temptation or trial?  To deal with this tension, Pope Francis changes the phrase to read, “Do not let us fall into temptation.”  Other traditions have changed it to say, “Save us from the time of trial.”  All these are attempts to make sense of a prayer request that seems to misunderstand who God is.

As we focus on this part of the Lord’s Prayer this week, I believe that the jist of this teaching is Jesus reminding us of a powerful truth: unless God leads us, we will always fall into temptation and worse.  This part of the Lord’s Prayer is a plea for God’s guidance in our lives.  We are asking God to lead us and guide us, to give us wisdom and discernment as we go through life.  We are praying with the old hymn: “Lead me, guide me along the way.  For if you lead me, I cannot stray.”

The Father's Forgiveness

There is a litmus test for forgiveness.  There is a way to tell if a person has been forgiven - even a way to tell how much they’ve been forgiven.  Jesus shares this indicator with us when a woman sneaks into a party and begins washing his feet with her tears.  We learn that this woman had lived a sinful life.  She had made choices that were immoral and deviant.  She had to sneak into this party because she never would have been invited.  When the host objected to this turn of events, Jesus said, “Her many sins have been forgiven - as her great love has shown.”

Love is the litmus test of forgiveness.  People who have experienced the power of forgiveness cannot help but love.  They love Jesus most of all because they know what he has done for them.  But they love others as well, because love spills out in all directions.  This week we are praying, “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.”  God has indeed forgiven our sins.  And so perhaps a fitting paraphrase is, “Forgive us our debts and increase our love for you and for others in a way that is consistent with how much we’ve been forgiven.”  

The Father’s Provision

What do you need?  What do you need today?  These are two very different questions.  When I think about my material needs, most of them aren’t very urgent.  Sure, I need to eat today.  But there is food in my cupboards and in my refrigerator.  I need clothes to wear today but my closet is full.  Most of the needs I worry about are well into the future.  In fact, they’re not really needs as much as things I need to figure out or remember to do.

While most of us are in this same blessed position, there are still things we need today.  As you go into this day there are decisions that need to be made.  There are hard conversations to be had.  There are tests to be taken and pitches to make.  But there are also challenges lurking that you aren’t even aware of.  Situations that will come up and surprise you.  Snags that you didn’t anticipate.  While you can’t see these things coming, God does.  He knows exactly the daily bread you need for today.  Ask him for it with confidence!

The Father's Kingdom

I remember hearing a story about a Cambodian man who felt God’s call to minister to Cambodian peasants who had been pushed off their land and forced to live in camps outside of town.  These camps were in swamp land and lacked sanitation.  The people had no access to healthcare and rarely found enough to eat.  This missionary spent the first few years working to improve conditions.  He drained the swamp (literally!).  He helped people build homes.  He brought in doctors and dentists to provide medical care.  When asked how he knew to do all of this, here was his reply: “In the age to come, people won’t live in swamps without roofs, medical care, or food.  So I just tried to make the camp more like God’s kingdom.”

This week we are praying for the Father’s Kingdom. We are praying, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”  Perhaps the best way to start is by imagining a challenge, obstacle, or struggle once heaven has been poured out over it.  What is different for this person when God’s kingdom comes upon them?  How does this situation change when heaven floods into it?  Jesus invites us to pray his glorious future into our difficult present. 

The Father's Character

In any conversation it’s crucial to know who we are talking to.  We talk differently to our friends than we do our spouse or our boss or our teacher.  It makes a difference!  When we begin our prayer, Jesus wants us to be crystal clear about who it is that we’re praying to.  We are praying to our Father.  Isn’t that amazing?  Naturally, Jesus could claim God as his Father.  But Jesus is not just telling us about his prayer life.  He is telling us how we should pray.  We get to call God “Our Father.”

But Jesus also reminds us that he is a different kind of Father.  He is in heaven.  Not only is he as close as a father, he fills the universe with his presence.  He is a Father who can do immeasurably more than we could ask or imagine.  Don’t just spend time in prayer this week.  Spend some time this week reflecting on the amazing Father to whom you are praying.

Giving Up for Lent

It’s a practice in many Christian traditions to give up something for the season of Lent.  In the Roman Catholic Church red meat is the usual sacrifice.  This has led to all kinds of new and delicious ways to eat fish.  Other denominations in the liturgical church tradition also have observed a lenten sacrifice.  Maybe you choose to give things up for Lent too.

Here are a few things I can tell you about this practice.  It won’t bring you good luck.  It won’t make God love you more.  You may or may not grow closer to Jesus if you do it.  The real value in giving up something for Lent is in remembering what God gave up.  He gave up His only Son.  He sent Christ to the world to be the sacrifice for us.  As you experience the inconvenience of giving up something in your life, remember the deep pain of the sacrifice God made for us.  Most of all, think about the incredible love for you that drove God to do it.

Unshakeable

This year our GEMS theme is “unshakeable” as drawn from Psalm 62:2, which says “Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress, I will never be shaken.” Each GEMS lesson has shown how our God is unshakeable by emphasizing one of the “I am” promises that God makes to us in the Bible: I am loved (1 John 3:1); I am not alone (Deuteronomy 31:6); I am strong (Philippians 4:13); I am forgiven (1 John 1:9); I am a world changer (Micah 6:8).

These promises are ever so relevant to GEMS girls as they navigate the challenges that come with growing up in a broken world. But I find myself reminded week by week that they are just as relevant for the rest of us too. In a world corrupted by sin it is easy to feel that we are not good enough, not capable, or even broken beyond repair. Yet God’s promises remind us that our strength does not come from ourselves, but from Him. He loves us, He will never leave us nor forsake us, He forgives us, He purifies us, He shows us what is good, and through Him we become more like Jesus. May we all rest in the truth that God’s promises are unbreakable, even when the world is shaking all around us. God is our rock, our salvation, our fortress. He is unshakeable, and we are too when we rest in Him.

Valentine’s Day and Spiritual Discipline

Today is Valentine’s Day.  This day comes with certain expectations of people who are involved in a romantic relationship.  Flowers, roses, chocolates, jewelry, a night out.  I’ve always felt a bit uneasy about having Hallmark tell us when we should express our love for a significant other.  It bothers me that Hallmark also gives us a script for how we express our love.  At the same time, I recognize that we probably need these nudges.  We need to be reminded to say the things we really feel.  Perhaps we even need to be reminded of how we feel.  Sometimes we need words not our own that we can sign our name to.  

As followers of Jesus, spiritual disciplines can function much like Valentine’s Day.  Sure, we should be talking with God throughout the day.  “Pray on all occasions.”  But we typically need reminders to talk with God.  Sometimes we even need words to pray that, while not our own, help us express how we feel.  A spiritual discipline like prayer or Bible reading or fasting can feel perfunctory.  But setting aside time for God is a reminder that God is always with us.  So when you pick up roses or grab a card from the rack, remember your God who is the definition of love.  Write him into your calendar.  He longs to spend time with you no matter what it takes to get you there.

In Between

There are times in life when we feel in between two things.  Right now is one of those times.  We are in between the year-end holidays and the best and beautiful parts of winter.  We are not yet to spring break and the warmer temperatures.  There are other in-between times in the year, depending on who you are: mid-October, July, and anytime Covid surges.  The point is that these times place us in a difficult situation.  The cheer of the last thing has worn off and the anticipation of the next things has yet to take hold.  It can be disorienting.

For centuries Christians have followed a rhythm that we call the “church year.”  It is made up of two seasons (Advent and Lent) and a number of special days (Christmas, Easter, Pentecost).  Built into the church year are in-between times.  The time after Pentecost, for example, is nearly six months long.  Right now we are in one of those in-between times.  We are between the Epiphany and the start of Lent.  We are neither celebrating nor preparing.  So if you feel a bit in-between right now, it might help to know that centuries of wisdom recognized this and made room for it.  It’s okay to be in-between.  No matter how in-between you feel, these truths still remain: Christ is born and Christ is risen and Christ lives in you through the Holy Spirit.  Hallelujah!

Cadet Contribution

This coming Sunday, the tri-cities Cadet club would normally have their annual Cadet Sunday.  Because of Covid, they won’t be together at a church.  We will still be taking an offering for the Cadets.  Cadets is a boys club that has fun, learns God’s word, and builds intergenerational relationships.  Things change over the years, but Cadets left an indelible mark on me.  There were a lot of laughs as we cracked jokes and blew off various forms of steam as boys are wont to do.  But I also saw Christian men sharing their lives with us.  Mr. Van Laar, Mr. Scheffers, Mr. Laning, and my own father were all Cadet counselors.  They invested in me and other squirrelly boys from my church in ways that contributed to our lives and our walk with Jesus.  They have become a part of my story.

It blesses me to know that men are still investing in squirrelly boys in the name of Jesus, contributing to their lives and their stories.  These are ordinary men who keep showing up twice a month to be a living example of what it means to follow Jesus.  Say a prayer for Rod Pell, our lead counselor, as well as the other counselors who are helping.  Pray that they will know their labor is never in vain.  They are leaving an impact and becoming part of a young man’s story.

What You Can Do

When was the last time you set out to do something that you knew you couldn’t do?  Ever attempted something that, in order for it to happen, would require miraculous outside intervention?  In business this happens all the time.  There are risks because no business plan, no matter how good, can account for or control every variable.  Even sporting events are often decided by a funny bounce, a lucky roll, or a highly unlikely combination of events.

What about church?  What risky things do churches do?  When do churches make leaps of faith that require God’s miraculous intervention for success?  Perhaps capital campaigns are an example.  But I would contend that most things that churches do can be done without God.  Of course, we need God for our every breath.  But most of the goals we set and the plans we make are well within our power to accomplish.  We don’t need God to achieve them.  Does that sound right to you?  We are people with the power that created the universe and raised the dead available to us.  And we set goals and make plans that require none of it.  That might be worth some reflection.

Quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.

Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend.

Snow Day

There are few events in life that polarize children and adults like a snow day.  Now the first snow day of the year is often fun for everyone.  It can even awaken the child in all of us.  As adults we remember the thrill of waking up and hearing mom say, “No school today.  You can go back to bed.”  The second snow day of the year is not received so gladly by adults.  It often comes at a bad time.  So when we get to the third or fourth cancelled school day of the year, adults have had enough.  Most parents still have to go to work.  This means scrambling to figure out what to do with the kids.  Our children, on the other hand, receive the news of a snow day with great joy.  It is a gift.

I’m reminded of the time Jesus told His disciples, “Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  Let me paraphrase: Anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a snow day will never enter it.  I challenge you today to see the joy in a child’s eyes at the good news of a snow day.  Receive the good news of the kingdom of God like that - as a gift.

Epiphany

This Thursday is Epiphany.  It’s a day in the Church year that has mostly gotten swallowed up by Christmas and the New Year.  At Ferrysburg Community Church, we’ve not traditionally done a lot with Epiphany.  We mention Epiphany Sunday (this coming Sunday) and sing some Epiphany songs, like “We Three Kings.”  But other than that, it gets little attention.  Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means “an appearing” or “a manifestation.”  In the Greek language this word was sometimes used to describe the appearing of an enemy coming to attack.  Epiphany was also used to describe the dawn - the appearing of the sun.  

This is a powerful way to picture Jesus being revealed to the world.  We often think of Jesus bringing light and life to us, the people of God.  But imagine the forces of sin and death seeing Jesus appearing on a ridge, marching toward them into battle.  Picture Jesus, like the sun, breaking into the darkness with rays of light.  As great as it is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Epiphany marks the start of business time.  Epiphany means that the battle has begun in earnest.  As we live out the drama of Christ’s life, Epiphany is a time to remind us that Jesus has declared war on brokenness and sin.  It’s on!  Light has come!

Christmas Letdown

The lead up to Christmas is a marvelous one.  So much preparation: gifts are purchased, decorations hung, tree trimmed, food cooked, clothes bought, gatherings planned.  It’s the equivalent of planning a small wedding each year.  As the day comes, our anticipation grows, our expectations grow, our hopes grow.  And nearly every year, Christmas itself is no match for these things.  The gifts disappoint initially or eventually.  The food - no matter how delicious - devolves into leftovers.  The people - no matter how much we love them - often leave us with a splinter or two if we’re not careful enough.  And so after Christmas we are left longing still.  We long for the things Christmas was not able to bring us or deliver.  Hope has not been quenched.  We are still waiting.

I believe that a Christmas is coming that will meet every longing.  There will be a Christmas that delivers beyond every expectation and hope.  It is the Christmas when Jesus returns to this world.  He will come not simply to announce his kingdom, but to bring it fully.  He will come not just with promises, but with fulfillment.  His return won’t just point to a day to come.  It will be that day.  In your every hope, longing, desire, and wish, that is the day - the Christmas - you are ultimately waiting for.  The Christmas letdown that you feel right now is perfectly appropriate.  It tells you that the real Christmas is yet to come.

Untainted

For many people, Christmas is the best time of the year.  The whole season is full of good tidings and cheer.  We seem to rise above the doldrums and embrace our better selves and the better parts of those around us.  It’s a time of hope, if only because we choose to believe that people are still good and, for a day or two, can channel their generous side.  But it’s not that way for everyone.  For some, Christmas is a miserable time.  Whether it’s because of loss or strained relationships or an aversion to crowds and chaos, some people dread December.  For them, Christmas is far from the best time of year.  It is the worst.

I’d like to suggest that both parties have got it wrong.  Both the “Whos down in Who-ville” and the “Grinches” are wrong for the same reason: they see Christmas from their own perspective.  They evaluate it based on how it affects themselves.  It’s the idea that Christmas is what we make of it.  Sort of like a baked potato.  The potato is just a platform for butter and cheese and sour cream.  The potato itself is rather tasteless and unremarkable.  While we may think that Christmas is what we make of it, we are very wrong.  Christmas is not simply a platform we decorate with generosity and gifts, family and food.  Christmas is the defining event in history.  It requires neither presents nor carols, neither relatives nor eggnog to be remarkable.  We don’t decorate the birth of Christ.  It decorates us.  We don’t make it good.  It makes us good.  Christmas is unenhanced by our revelry and untainted by our humbugs.  So don’t let yourself try to make the best of Christmas this year.  Let it make the best of you.

GrowGroups - Huddles

Here’s an offer - a bargain, really.  You are invited to invest about an hour every week and, in return, gain a great deal of spiritual growth and capital.  For just over an hour a week you will understand more clearly what it means to follow Jesus and how to do it.  You will gain a small community of people who are praying for you and walk the journey with you.  All that for just an hour or so each week!

Starting in January, we will offer a type of GrowGroup called a huddle.  It’s a weekly meeting where we look at concepts from Jesus’ life and apply them to our own.  Huddles are made up of 5-7 people and will meet on Tuesday evenings from January into June.  We’ll learn about the rhythms of Jesus’ life, the way he related to others, and how he thought about his own life.  We’ll find ways to respond to these concepts that help us become more like Jesus.  For more information or to sign up, email Pastor Nate by clicking here.

Spiritual Discipline: Solitude

Last week in this space I wrote about the claim that Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year.  That may or may not be true.  But it is undoubtedly the loudest time of the year.  We are bombarded with music everywhere we go.  Christmas music gets turned up louder than any other time of the year.  There are more people in the stores, more voices announcing the “deals of the year,” more cars on the road, honking their horns at the person looking at their phone while the light turns green.  The lights come out this time of year too.  Have you driven through the village of Spring Lake after dark?

In the midst of all of this, a person needs a break.  We need quiet to hear the most important, but softer voices in our lives.  We need a little darkness so that we can see the brightest light of the Christmas season.  And the spiritual discipline of solitude helps us do that.  Solitude helps us listen to what’s most important and focus on what is of greatest value.  As you consider taking some time in quiet solitude this month, here’s one way to get started.  Pick a day and leave the radio and the TV off.  You’ll be surprised at what comes into focus and what you hear when you give yourself a little extra time and space.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

You know the Andy Williams song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.”  It’s about Christmastime.  There is something special about this season.  Even I, though given to bouts of “grinchy-ness,” feel the excitement of celebration and cheer.  We enjoy the time with family and friends.  We cherish a few days off to eat and rest and give and receive gifts.  For those of us who belong to Jesus, Christmas has an even deeper reason for joy.  We celebrate the birth of a savior.

At the same time, I think we should recognize that for many this is not the “hap-happiest season of all.”  At the holidays many are confronted with loneliness, dysfunction, grief, and pain.  It brings hurtful family dynamics to the forefront.  Losses are magnified at Christmas.  If you struggle at Christmastime, I want to direct you to a much greater promise than presents and family and shopping.  It’s the promise of a returning Savior who will wipe every tear from your eye and make all things new.  And for those who are blessed to be able to enjoy this season, say a prayer for those who struggle.  When you pray before a family meal, remember those who will not be gathering with family for various painful reasons.