Awake, O Sleeper

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

"“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

"Since you have been raised to new life with Christ"

"conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."

"'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind" and

"fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame"

"that your sins might be wiped out."

"Offer your bodies as living sacrifices,"

and "do everything for the glory of God."

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Amen.

Eph 5:14, John 3:16, Col 3:1, Phil 1:27, Luke 10:27, Heb 12:2, Acts 3:19, Rom 12:1, 1 Cor 10:31, Hew 12:1

A Prayer for Vision

O Lord, it is faith, not sight that allows us to perceive reality,

so please grant me faith, that I may understand reality.

That I may know the reality of my depravity and Your grace.

That I might trust You fully and completely,

hating the thought of trusting in myself.

That I might be consumed by You,

seeking You and Your glory above all else.

Breathing Your name, and inhaling Your grace,

that I might decrease, and You might increase.

O Lord, I want to want You more than anything,

but my flesh seeks anything but You.

So tear these fleshy desires out of me and create me anew;

with a spirit of yearning,

a heart of seeking,

a mind of understanding,

eyes of perceiving,

and hands of doing,

that You might be glorified in my life.

O Lord, make the incarnation the reality of my life today,

not a myth I smile fondly back on.

Give me one desire Lord,

and make it You.

Trusting the Storyteller

Ya know who I really don’t want to be? I don’t want to be that annoying “movie guy” who asks a question every 5 minutes. Nobody wants to watch a movie with him because he ruins the entire experience. Every time I watch a movie with “movie guy” and he keeps asking “why would they do that” or “why did she say that,” I’m always tempted to scream at him, “hang in there, I promise the movie will explain itself. I promise the writers knew what they were doing and if you just watch the whole movie, it’ll make sense.” But he never listens…he just keeps asking.

Here’s the problem though – As I watch my life unfurl before my feet, I am that “movie guy”.

The problem with “movie guy” is that he isn’t willing to look at the story as a whole, but instead looks at small isolated events within story and freaks out when he cannot understand them. He wants and needs every second of the movie to make sense because he isn’t willing to trust the storytellers. So when something hard or confusing happens, he can’t handle it. He isn’t willing to wait and trust that the movie will explain itself, so he feels the need to ask questions every 5 minutes to attempt to understand. When we watch a movie we should trust that the story will be cohesive and makes sense as a whole even if there are confusing aspects, but “movie guy” doesn’t do that. If he is confused by a part of the story he immediately doubts the legitimacy of the story and begins to question the plot. However, while you may not be “movie guy”, we can all at least partially relate to this problem. Check out the clip I video and you'll begin to understand what I mean.

When you watch Lion King and you see Scar kill Mufasa, you’ve got begin to question the movie. That moment of the movie doesn’t make much sense – why would the good and noble king get killed by his weak and wretched brother? You love Mufasa, and you hate Scar, but Scar is the one who comes out on top. It doesn’t make any sense…until you watch the rest of the movie. The death of Mufasa never ceases to be painful, but if you watch rest of the movie you see that in the end, the story makes sense and is a good story. Simba journeys through his pain to become a noble king himself and goes back to defeat Scar. (Sorry to over analyze a Disney movie, but I’m a big Lion King fan, and I can't think of anything more awful than Mufasa's death)

I live life like “movie guy”. Every time something difficult or confusing arises in life, I quickly turn to doubt rather than trust. “Why is this happening God? Why would you do this? It doesn’t make sense. You’re supposed to be good, but this doesn’t make any sense.” But here’s the thing, God is a good storyteller, and if history is a movie, it’s a good movie (like Lion King). Even though there are hard parts to His story, it is a good story, in fact, it is a great story. Sure there are deaths, and there are bad guys, and there is pain and struggle, but doesn’t every good story have those things? We question and question and question…but God has written and is writing a good story, and while certain events are confusing and painful, in the end the story makes sense and is a really good story. The good guys win, the bad guys lose, and the journey through pain and strife is beautifully redeemed. All things are redeemed.

So let’s trust. Let’s live life as characters in God’s story trusting that He is the Great Storyteller and He knows what He is doing. This doesn’t mean we don’t grieve in trials or weep in sorrow; we do, because those hardships are real parts of the story. It doesn’t mean we should pretend pain isn’t real – because it is real. It doesn’t mean we don’t wrestle with God in confusion, plead with Him in our desperation and pray to Him in struggle. It doesn’t mean we pretend everything is “fine” or that we never get angry, frustrated, or confused. It simply means we trust. We trust, because He is the Great Storyteller. We trust, amidst the pain, the tears, the sorrow and the frustration - we trust. We trust because God is the storyteller and in the end, His story, which we are characters in, is a good story. So endure the pain with faith, enjoy the laughter with gratitude and look forward to the ending with joy.

Living the Story

No one wants to read a boring story, no one wants to watch a boring movie, but yet most people go through life without ever thinking of the fact that their lives are stories also. Just as we don’t want to spend some time watching a boring, movie, like all of those indie films that you watch and end up going “huh? That’s it?” There are three things that every good story has. I bet you can think of what they are: car chases, vampires, and zombies. Well maybe not all of the good stories have those three things. But really, all stories have three essential elements: a character, who wants something, and overcomes conflict to get it. Think of a movie that you have seen that does not have those three elements. I bet if one of those elements were missing you would walk out of that movie theater and demand a refund. Even the Bible, has these three elements. In fact, in the Hebrew translation Saul drives a Hummer chasing David on a motorcycle, how do you think Moses turned the Nile into blood…vampires, and who was Lazarus? Zombie, that’s right. But really, Jesus is the author, producer, director and star of the story that is the Biblical narrative. What does he want? He wants His people to turn to Him, glorify Him and make His name great. There is plenty of conflict in the Biblical narrative, just read Judges. So again, without a character, wanting something, and overcoming conflict to get it, you get nothing.

The first element of a good story is the character: the character has to sacrifice. The character will do something for someone else that makes the person watching the movie feel for the character. You have to empathize with this character. The character can have flaws, but you have to care about this character and that comes from doing something for someone else. You ask yourself the question, “Do I care that this character succeeds?” If you don’t care that the character succeeds then your story will fail. I watched “The Expendables” this summer. The movie had all sorts of explosions and more body parts flying in every direction than any movie I had ever seen. But, throughout the movie I kept asking myself, “Do I really care if these characters succeed?” I had to answer no, and despite all of the conflict or explosions in the movie, I left the theater disappointed.

The second element is to want something. If at any point in the story you do not know what the character wants, then you. Will. Get. Bored. It also matters what the person wants. If your character’s goal in life is to die with the most cars in his garage and the character goes the whole movie accumulating vintage import cars from far and wide and you get to the end of the movie and no one is crying. Why? What the character wants is not meaningful. The character should want something great. The character should want something meaningful. Rocky wants to be the World Heavyweight Champion, Luke Skywalker wants to bring balance to the force, and Edward Cohen wants blood…and Bella.

Finally, the character has to overcome conflict. We assume that we are not supposed to have conflict in our lives. If I could only have the new iPad then my life would be complete, I would never want again. I don’t even know what an iPad does, but if I had one I could die happy. We are taught by our culture that if there is conflict in our lives there is something wrong. God intends for there to be conflict in our lives. Conflict was present even before the fall. Genesis 2: Adam is lonely, incomplete, to say it another way: he wants something. I am not saying that conflict is easy. Conflict is difficult and can even be painful. What comes along with conflict? Fear. And fear leads to hate and hate is the path to the dark side. Conflict also brings meaning to what we want. If something is easy it is rarely worth pursuing. Anyhow, we do desire that the conflict ends, and that happens at the Act III climax. When does that happen in our story? When Jesus returns. The Jews, when they saw Jesus expected him to be the Messiah who would bring about that Act III climax, and they thought that the story would essentially be over. The Kingdom would be upon them there would be judgment, return of the exiles, and they would receive land, the temple would be restored and a number of other promises. So we live in a strange chapter of this metanarrative. We know the end of the story, Jesus wins and Satan is defeated. But we still experience conflict because of the already but not yet nature of how Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom.

So, live a good story. Be a meaningful character in the story that God is telling. After all, it is the greatest story ever told. Sacrifice for the sake of others. Don’t run from conflict but live fully in it. Let conflict give meaning to your life. Finally, at some point in your life, get in a car chase where you are hunting down a team of zombies and vampires. The end.

The Romance of Christ

I’ve got to be honest with you, I think Valentines Day is kind of weird. Now many of you will simply accuse me of being a bitter single young man, but I really just find the whole day sort of bizarre. Once a year on this one day everybody must celebrate their love in a special way. Now I know its not bad because my Dad takes my Mom out for Valentine’s day, and he’s not being insincere at all – He really loves her a ton. It's just weird we institutionalized a day of love. On the flip side, I do love getting all candy that it brings, although Valentines Day is notorious for bringing out the worst candy of all time…even worse than Twizzlers. I swear those little nasty heart candies are literally be made of chalk. Sidewalk chalk.

Anyways, Valentines Day made me ponder what romantic love really is from a Christian perspective. Now seeing as I’m not married or dating, I’m probably not a very reputable person to pursue this thought process, but I did so anyways. Obviously romance is very important, since God is the creator of romantic love. The Bible is full of romantic love (Song of Solomon) and romantic stories (Ruth and Boaz). Romance is the original foundation of mankind’s interaction with one another as marriage, not cities, government or friendship, lays the groundwork for human society in Genesis. In fact, romance is so important that the passionate love Christ extends to the Body of Christ is described as the intense love found in marriage between a husband and wife. We see a beautiful picture of romance in Christ standing as the groom, and we his bride. Clearly, romance is important to God and to Christians.

Yet, I think we often miss out on what romance is. We have bought into the worlds skewed vision of romance as something that is “sexy” rather than something truly beautiful. The world’s romance is a weak and hollow shadow of the deep and mysterious love that Christ extends to the Church. If you ask somebody what it means to be romantic most will probably croon a sentence littered with the words “cute”, “sweet” and “adorable”, but few talk about sacrifice or serving. We have taken romance and “sexed” it up by dressing it in jewelry, bouquets of flowers and chocolate. Now I’ve got no problem with chocolate, but we have far too many men in the world buying lots of chocolate but failing to sacrificing everything to love their wives in radical ways for the glory of God. Buying flowers is great, but “loving your wife as Christ loved the Church” is a whole lot better. Now I’m not married and certainly don’t claim to be an expert on love, romance or relationships. I don’t know much about any of that. But I do know Jesus, and I know how He has pursued me. I know how He sacrificed EVERYTHING to love me, and serves me with radical humility. I know he shed blood that I might breath life, and I know he took a beating that I might be safe. I know he experienced incomprehensible pain simply so I wouldn’t have to. I know He died for me, so that I could live – and I think this is romance.

I know gifts are a great way to express love, and I know that nobody is perfect and able to love exactly as Christ loved. But I do think we could focus a lot more on humbly serving our loved ones. I think the image of Christ washing his disciples feet is a better image of romance than a massive boquet of roses. It’s not that roses are bad at all, I just think laying down your life is whole a lot cooler. No need to pick and choose though - buy the girl her roses, but then wash her feet and serve her with radical humility.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.”

Ephesians 5:25-27

Maybe this is romance. It is strong, it is powerful, and it transforms. It refines and it sanctifies, and it brings God glory. Or maybe I’m wrong and romance is something else altogether, but I’m pretty sure it’s not chocolate, and it’s certainly not those nasty candy hearts made of chalk. Seriously, they are so bad…

Spoken Into Love

In the beginning, there was nothing. Then God spoke, and there was something. The words of God have the power to form, create and define.

God created ex nihilo - out of nothing. There was literally nothing in existence, then He spoke and creation took form. His words create. They give form and definition. They give matter and speak the essence of a thing. Light had never existed before but when God spoke it into existence it found its form, its purpose, its definition, its substance and its very essence.

Speaking creation into existence is remarkable; a beautiful miracle that clearly reveals the authority, power and creativity of our God. However, the power of God’s words to create brings us to a new level of awe when we begin to ponder the implications of what God has spoken to us.

God has called us His “Beloved” (Romans 9:25). We were enemies of God, dirty and filthy, drinking damnation upon ourselves. We were prodigals sons hiding in the shadows where we might feast and fulfill the lusts of our heart. We were lost in the wilderness, wandering aimlessly wherever our cravings led us. Yet, God did not abandon us in our wretched state, but instead God has called us His “Beloved”. He has called us Beloved, so that is what we are. That is our identity. God said “let there be light” and there was light, and so when God says “You are my Beloved”, we are his His Beloved. It’s as simple as that. His words create, they form and they define. God speaks, and it is so. So, when God calls us His Beloved, something remarkable happens. I true transformation, or recreation occurs. Though we were once enemies of God, that is no more, and we become new creations who are clean and loved. We become God’s Beloved. Not for what we do, but simply for being - it becomes our being.

God’s Beloved. This is our identity. It is our essence and it defines our purpose. We are His Beloved, his friends, his children. Our sin weighed heavy on our souls and we sunk deep into the mire, but his voice called out to us amidst the darkness and now, under this new name we become an new creation as God once again spoke the impossible into reality. With the burden of sin tied securely to our back there was no way to become lovable, but then out of the silence He spoke and we emerged as new creations. Children of God who are cleansed and loved. He has spoken, we are new.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come."

2 Corinthians 5:17

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I read an article by Henri Nouwen that was really encouraging in this thought process. Also check out this blog written by somebody MUCH smarter than me here.

Morning Prayer: Prescious Lord, Take My Hand

Precious Lord, take my hand

Lead me on, let me stand

I'm tired, I’m weak, I’m lone

Through the storm, through the night

Lead me on to the light

Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home 

When my way grows drear 

Precious Lord linger near

When my life is almost gone

Hear my cry, hear my call

Hold my hand lest I fall

Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When the darkness appears 

And the night draws near

And the day is past and gone

At the river I stand

Guide my feet, hold my hand

Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home 

Precious Lord, take my hand

Lead me on, let me stand

I'm tired, I’m weak, Lord I’m worn

Through the storm, through the night

Lead me on to the light

Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Platt, Piper and Lockridge

Here are 3 videos for your edification and entertainment. Enjoy.

The Wandering Man

A weathered man wandered down a dusty road heading to nowhere. Indifferent trees loomed overhead as he trudged uphill silently, and the bitter ground gnawed at his bare feet. At night, the wind would whisper in his ears, reminding him that he was alone. During the day it was even worse – it was silent.

One day the Wandering Man stumbled across a man nailed to a tree. The man simply hung there, beaten and broken, blood dripping from his mangy hair. His somber eyes were filled with fire, and a crown of thorns christened his brow.

“Who are you?” asked the Wandering Man.

“Who am I?” replied the Man of the Tree.

“I am The Forsaken Man who, for the sake of man, forsook heavenly glory to hang on a tree that dead men might live. I am the Known Unknown who knew no sin, that you might be known as a child of God. I am the Eternal Word who spoke all things into creation, then became a creation to speak grace to the saints. I am the King of filthy beggars whose dirty rags are cleansed white in my crimson blood. I am the Son of God who died for men, that men might become sons of God.”

“It was long ago that man plucked sin from that tree, so now I hang here on this tree that you might put your sin back up on a tree. Man’s debt was infinite, so infinity became finite to pay the impossible price. Man had sinned against God, so He sent the God-Man to reconcile creation to Creator. Now nail your sin to this tree, and you shall be cleansed.”

The Wandering Man heard this, pondered it for a moment, and then he replied with sorrow, “My travels have left me filthy, I cannot be cleansed. I was born of the dust, I have walked in the dirt, I have wallowed in the mud, and I will die in my filth.”

The Man of the Tree replied, “Your wretchedness runs deep, but my blood runs deeper still, and now in your death you will find life, and in your life you will find breath. I came to be sin for the unholy, that sinners might be holy. I have tipped this world upside down; the lost are found, the blind can see, the dirty are cleansed, and those who kneel will be exalted.”

“I have become your unrighteousness, now go, O man, and be righteous. Put your sin back up on this tree, and wander no more.”

Morning Prayer: Lord of All

For the beauty of the earth, 
for the glory of the skies, 
for the love which from our birth 
over and around us lies; 
Lord of all, to thee we raise 
this our prayer of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour 
of the day and of the night, 
hill and vale, and tree and flower, 
sun and moon, and stars of light; 
Lord of all, to thee we raise 
this our prayer of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye, 
for the heart and mind's delight, 
for the mystic harmony, 
linking sense to sound and sight; 
Lord of all, to thee we raise 
this our prayer of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love, 
brother, sister, parent, child, 
friends on earth and friends above, 
for all gentle thoughts and mild; 
Lord of all, to thee we raise 
this our prayer of grateful praise.

For thy church, that evermore 
lifteth holy hands above, 
offering up on every shore 
her pure sacrifice of love; 
Lord of all, to thee we raise 
this our prayer of grateful praise.

For thyself, best Gift Divine, 
to the world so freely given, 
for that great, great love of thine, 
peace on earth, and joy in heaven:  
Lord of all, to thee we raise 
this our prayer of grateful praise.