Inconvenience

This past weekend we identified four areas of inconvenience: time, messiness, money, and reputation. Each one of these are deeply inconvenienced when we step out to help our "neighbor" (as Jesus identifies neighbor in the parable).

For me I have been focusing this week on surrendering over my time to the Lord. This doesn't mean I have given up on planning and organization. God made me that way (I am an off-the-chart "J" on the Myers/Briggs)! However, it does mean that I am capable of responding with grace and mercy to "curves in the road" that I did not anticipate. God does not seem to warn us of them. It's as if God knows that the navigation of an unexpected turn produces something in us that would not develop if we were informed that the turn was coming. So let's get busy holding tight to the steering wheel and being ready for wherever God leads.

So this has been my focus this week from the sermon. I hope you are joining in with us and becoming ministers of inconvenience!

Rob

Fast and Ashes

The Lenten season is upon us. Last night's Ash Wednesday worship gathering was particularly meaningful for me. Dr. Ken Priddy began our series on the Parables of Luke with a message about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. This morning I still have ringing in my heart the following line from his message: "Mardi Gras is for the Pharisee. Ash Wednesday is for sinner."

As I sat there last night in worship feeling hungry from 3 days of Daniel fast, challenged to allow the Holy Spirit to realign any areas of my heart that have gone adrift, a little tired, and most of all moved to tears, I sensed a freedom and weightlessness come over me. As I repeated those words to myself, "Father, I am a sinner. Have mercy on me, " I enjoyed the resulting awareness in my heart that total dependence on God is the most "freeing" posture in which one can be.

May these 40 days draw us closer to our Holy God, be a "tipping point" in our Call to mission at ComChap, and cause us to be people of prayer not people who pray.

I look forward to hearing how God is showing up in your life!

Rob

Remember the Word

I challenged us this past weekend to commit an entire chapter of Scripture to memory between now and Resurrection Day (April 4th). It can be any chapter you want from any version of Scripture.

This morning I decided on Colossians 1. It is a chapter I have admired for years so why not just have it memorized. It has a total of 29 verses so I can memorize one per day.

As you select your chapter let me know. I will keep a running list of them. We will get back to you with a Tuesday night in April to present them (if you want to do that - no pressure).

Let the Scriptural Renaissance begin.

Rob

Valentine's Day Movie

Jenn and I went to see the new Valentine's Day movie yesterday late afternoon (had no idea the matinee is so expensive, when did that happen?) Afterwards we went to dinner and spent some time talking about the content of the movie.

We live in a culture that has officially joined the ranks of total depravity and carnality when it comes to relationships. Every relationship depicted in the movie represented a complete disregard for biblical morals (the only exception to this involved a young boy in 5th grade and his mother that serves in the army).

I realize that this is nothing new. I did not suddenly see something yesterday in the movie that was "on the big screen" for the first time. Rather I was alarmed that there was not even an attempt to present thematically a higher moralistic option. It was as if the movie was communicating that none exists! Has that part of our meta-thinking as a society completely evaporated? I thought there were at least some small morsels of it remaining? Not according to the how-could-you-be-so-educated-and-stupid-at-the-same-time writers and producers of this movie!

Brokenness and relational pain will continue to get worse the more our world discards the established truth of God and replaces it with immature, cheaply imitated, self-generated, narcissistically based, pathetic examples of relationships. How bad does the pain need to get for us to admit we are wrong and God is right?

If you want to see a good example of what is acutely foul in our messed up world's understanding of relationships, go see the movie. If you want to remain enlightened and focused on God's love and truth, spend your money on something else.

I wish we had.

Rob

Lost and Found Bibles?

We are doing some cleaning up this week at Park/Meadow facility. I am astounded at the amount of unclaimed Bibles we have accumulated over the last 5 years. Perhaps the body that was originally attached to the Bible is not aware of where it was left and he/she has been searching diligently for it for many years!? Or maybe it is tragic to consider that they have not evenly realized yet that it is missing!

So we are going to give the Bibles away this weekend in worship to people who actually want to study them and go deeper in their walk with Christ. Some of you may even want to get one for a friend.

Scriptural Renaissance begins this weekend.

Rob

Holy Scripture

Paul told Timothy that all Scripture is "God-breathed." We will study this together this weekend. I am going to be challenging us to start a "Scriptural Renaissance!"

A renaissance is a rebirth or renewal of thought, idea, and/or practice. It represents that which is not new but in need of reviving, awakening. It's amazing to me that such an antiquated document as Scripture has intense power and relevance for today.

In my lifetime I have allowed many authors, philosophers, "armchair critics," coaches, teachers, acquaintances, media personnel, pop culture icons, athletes, graffiti artists, theologians, and many other communicators to "breath" their message into my life. It's impossible to live in this world and not have this occur on a daily basis. While my goal is not to close my ears to the chatter of this world (for how else will I be in conversation communicating the power of the message of the Gospel) but rather to marinate in "God-breathed" words to dispel the emptiness of "world-breathed" words.

Join me this weekend in starting a "Scriptural Renaissance." Breath on us oh breath of God!

Rob

Pray Together?

Why is it so difficult to convince the Church to gather for a time of prayer together? I have pastored for almost 20 years now and nothing even comes close to the "scattering" and "excuse making" that an announced time of prayer produces. I am left to conclude that one or more of the following is true:

1. Prayer is the greatest weapon God has given us. Satan knows it. So Satan successfully deceives and manipulates us into not gathering together wholly. And we seem to accept it.

2. Followers of Christ are so far gone in their need to be entertained in church that the ability to be together in prayer without entertainment has been completely lost. And we seem to accept it.

3. The designated night for prayer is simply a bad night of the week (accept for personal socials or other things that people choose to do on that same night). And we seem to accept it.

4. People say, "We pray at church or missional community or other places." Really? You intentionally every week pray for 60 plus minutes with a group of people in an intense strategic way? I doubt it. And we seem to accept it.

5. We don't truly believe that prayer makes a difference. Of course, nobody wants to go on record saying this so we say it with our actions and choices. And we seem to accept it.

There is probably more excuses but these are five that come quickly to mind. I'm appalled that we seem to accept it.

Rob

Snow Rules Christianity

I just heard this phrase a week ago. Unfortunately I loved it. Apparently "snow rules" is the you-don't-really-have-to-obey-the-rules reality that occurs when there is a lot of snow on the ground. It is great: traffic light taking too long to turn green? - run it! - snow rules!; arriving on time at work? not necessary! - snow rules!; garbage needs to go out? - just let it sit there! - snow rules! and on and on the examples could flow.

I have sensed a connection between this fun and light-hearted approach to snow and the very serious reality of "lukewarm Christianity." I have found myself disgusted internally when I consider the ways in which I am tempted to simply "change the rules" on God when I feel like it. It is as if ever-changing circumstances justify a suspension of God's authority in my life.

How ironic that I am quick to admire and respect those "heroes" of the faith who maintain consistent devotion to Christ in the midst of any and everything. And yet, one day where things don't go my way and I'm ready to "lose my religion."

"Oh God, my prayer today is that the resolve of Daniel would reside within me. Even as circumstances may change, may my devotion to Christ be steadfast. I can't do this in my own strength. My humanity seems to be a constant barrier as is it seeks to lure me into self-pity, destructive thinking, fickle behavior, and other related weaknesses. May my life be planted on the rock of your Word and promises. I mean this with all my heart."

Rob

2 Timothy

1 and 2 Timothy and Titus are three very special books in the New Testament. I continue to be amazed weekly (just in 2 Timothy) how relevant and convicting Paul's instruction is to young Timothy. There is so much God is working in my life during this series.

My father recently encouraged me to read these "Pastoral Epistles (as they are technically referred to) once a quarter. I understand now why he recommends this.

This weekend we will be moving into part six "Holy Scripture: 3:10-17." I just finished the teaching notes this morning and am reflecting on the message. I like to "preach" it to myself first. I am praying today that the "scriptural renaissance" I will refer to this weekend will begin in my heart. I so desire to surrender all of my being to God - my actions, my thoughts, my study, my ambitions, my selfishness, my past mistakes, etc... The words of Holy Scripture are life in the midst of a lifeless world.

"Taste and see that He is good."

Rob

Today's Focus: Peace

From our message this past weekend, I am focusing today on taking aim at "peace." Historically, this has been very absent from my life. I have often struggled with worry, anxiety, excessive fixation on problems, and basic discontentment.

Peace is the catharsis we experience when we fully comprehend God's grace and mercy and love towards us. I find, quite simply, that the less I am thinking on these "graces," the less peace I experience. And conversely, the more I think on these "graces," the over-abundance of peace I experience.

My focus today is to remain in a constant state of peace through all that God has for me. I believe that God has wired us to simultaneously engage in the responsibilities of the day while doing so from a posture of peace. Jesus is the ultimate example. He never was content to passively approach his day. Rather he actively pursued the will of the Father and was at peace doing so.

Busyness in the world typically implies stress. Busyness with God is about doing His will and implies peace. "My yoke is easy and my burden is light," said Jesus. I believe him. Do you?

Rob

Holy Living

Holy Living

I am reflecting this morning on our worship together this past weekend. It was a crazy, snowy weekend. I know many of you were unable to make it out but some did. Check out the pic above of the Saturday night crew!

We presented the 5th message on our series Devout: A Study of 2 Timothy. Specifically we studied 2:22-3:9 "Holy Living." The message should be posted for you to listen to by Tuesday night.

A big "take-away" for me this weekend was Paul's instruction on "aim." We are to aim at righteousness, faith, love and peace. We want to be a church community that constantly creates an environment of target practice. It is rare to hit any target the first few times. It takes practice.

Aiming and hitting the target of righteousness, faith, love and peace takes practice. So let's practice together. I would love to hear from you. How are you doing? What questions or suggestions do you have for us?

I am focusing today on faith. I realize that so much of my life is structured and dependable. Where am I walking in faith? How am I trusting God to stretch me in trusting Him for everything? This is what I am chewing you. You?

Rob