@ the crossroads

I believe that most of us are somewhat stunted in our growth toward Christ likeness because we, for many possible reasons, have refused to believe the truth that we are truly beloved children of God.  God’s loving embrace is held at arms length, not so much because we deny that God is love, but because we simply cannot see ourselves as lovable.  We know ourselves well; we understand at least a portion of how our sinfulness has ransacked our lives and wounded others simply through their proximity to our brokenness.  Like shrapnel from a grenade, there is collateral damage.

Yet, as well as we may think we know ourselves and our dark, shadow side, there is One who knows us perfectly, and He still chooses to make the initiative graceful move in our direction.  Our sin doesn’t weaken God’s love toward us; instead, it helps define Divine love: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins” (1 John 4:10).  Once we receive this radical truth, we are empowered to live differently–to live as true children of God and, consequently, to be given the fullness of God’s Spirit to fulfill the God mission that has been entrusted to us.

At a few strategic moments in the life of Jesus, namely at his baptism and transfiguration, God the Father conferred these powerful words upon Jesus: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”  It was the received and reinforced reality of being God’s Son that strengthened Christ to fulfill his mission.  The cross was bearable, in large part, because Jesus desired to walk in obedience to the Father as the faithful Son. 

Henri Nouwen, in his book, Home Tonight: Further Reflections on the Parable of the Prodigal Son, writes these words about Christ’s sonship:

Jesus made the connection about his belonging in his baptism…this knowledge of his primal truth made it possible for him to live his life and to accept his death in a world of both acceptance and rejection, without ever losing his deep affiliation with the One who sent him into the world.  He knew the truth.  He claimed himself in truth so that whether people wanted to be with him, listen to him, make him king, reject him, beat him, spit on him, or nail him to the Cross, he never lost the truth that he was God’s beloved child.

A thorough and accurate understanding of one’s identity in Christ is a necessary component of growing discipleship.  Those who humbly receive the status of children of God will desire to please the Father, and be willing to take the heat from the hands of those who are living for the kingdom of this world. 

My friend, Rick Sumner, died last Friday morning at Good Shepherd Hospice.  He is finally healed from cancer and the debilitating effects of multiple strokes.  Rick’s church family prayed for healing; God answers prayer.  One of my last conversations with Rick revolved around God’s presiding peace in storms and sickness, His sovereignty over all events–including human suffering, and Christ’s amazing power to shape us–even while confined to a bed.  God’s presence ran deep in that exceptionally meaningful interaction of words, groans, facial expressions, silence, and prayer.  Rick couldn’t really speak very well for the stroke had done its damage, but, among friends, words are sometimes nonessential.  Rick communicated to me through his eyes.  This is what I perceived Rick’s eyes to say for Rick as they teared-up in my presence: “I’m holding fast to Jesus.  I don’t completely understand all that I have gone through, but I’m holding fast.”

Rick’s funeral yesterday was a celebration of his life.  A portion of the service was declared as an “open microphone” time for people to share different ways Rick had impacted their lives.  As I listened to the family members and friends testify about Rick’s life, I noticed that in most, if not all cases, the memories were focused on conversations and activities that most people would normally consider insignificant (feeding birds with bread, telling jokes, disciplining children by forcing them to watch history documentaries, etc.).  An imprint was made–not through phenomenal career success, six-figure income, or world-wide fame–but through an attention to detail: quality time with a grandchild, caring enough to make someone laugh, and instilling a love for learning in others.  I walked away from Rick’s funeral having learned something about the nature of true impact.  In our culture, people are celebrated as impact people based upon the size of splash they create in the world.  This celebration is unwarranted because the greatest impact is made, not necessarily through the size of the splash, but by the strength of the undercurrent of one’s life.  Sometimes, the most significant moments in life are not the ones often discussed, but the ones that are bubbling beneath the surface of life–the moments that are caught rather than dissected and analyzed.  Yesterday afternoon I began to think more intentionally about the undercurrent of my life.  What is being caught from my interactions with my family and friends?

After the funeral, I took my son to his baseball game.  During the game, the home plate umpire made a few bad calls (in my opinion) as my son pitched.  Normally in that type of a situation I would become internally irate, but having just left Rick’s funeral service, my perspective was different.  The undercurrent had been shifted.  Baseball just didn’t mean as much last night as it did the previous week.  What did actually mean more to me last night were my wife and daughter–who were sitting next to me on the bleachers–and my son, who was on the mound–and the knowledge that God is faithful…no matter what kind of curveballs life may throw.

On a recent trip to Chicago, my eight year-old daughter spent time with her ninety-eight year-old great grandmother.  Ninety years separate the hands in the photograph above.  Yet, nothing truly separates the hands as they touch gently on a cool, rainy, spring afternoon in Illinois.  In a profound way, the older hands teach as the younger hands receive.  Wisdom speaks, often without many words.  Those who spend time with my grandmother walk away changed.  There is a solid, unshakable maturity that has been gleaned through the years and this Christ-centered life has a ripple effect on those who encounter it.

My prayer for my daughter is that she will allow Christ to be formed in her all the days of her life….just like her great grandmother…

“I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.”  2 Timothy 1:5

One of the marks of spiritual formation in a follower of Jesus Christ is the ability to listen to others.  Most of us find it much easier to speak–even if we really have nothing meaningful to say at the moment–than remain silent and enter into the life of another through active listening.  The American evangelical church is noted for activism, which is quite a positive trait when it comes to actively sharing the gospel, actively serving the poor and marginalized, and actively teaching and studying God’s Word.  However, the blessing of an active life can potentially become a hindrance within the body of Christ if the activity prevents people from taking an interest in others through thoughtful listening.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his classic work, Life Together, writes:

The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them.  Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for the brethren is learning to listen to them.  It is God’s love for us that He not only gives us His Word but also lends us His ear.  So it is His work that we do for our brother when we learn to listen to him. 

The great temptation in the church is to highlight ministry programs, growth strategies, and leadership techniques at the expense of foundational spiritual formation.  Here is the reality: strategy and technique sell.  I can hardly imagine a best-selling book in our current cultural milieu on the topic of listening!  Yet true listening, one to another, can serve as a powerful, counter-cultural mark of Kingdom living in a world full of people often too busy to stop and care for others by simply remaining silent in their presence.

As a pastor, I have learned (often the hard way) that at certain times, my physical presence communicates enough.  Words sometimes are out of place and can create an awkwardness that puts awkward silences to shame.  True caring involves patient listening.  Recently I had this striking thought: What if Crossroads was known as the church where people know how to listen to others?  This sounds strange, but I believe an attentive, listening body of Christ could make a significant, life-giving, subversive inroad in a noisy world.  I believe that people will want to listen to Christ followers who listen well.

“My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry…”  ~James 1:19

Crossroads had a great weekend celebrating the resurrection of Christ.  There are many new people connecting to the church and the number of children continues to grow each week.  A big “thank you” goes out to all the volunteers who helped the weekend events come off in spectacular fashion! 

Tonight at 7 p.m., Crossroads will gather to reflect, meditate, worship, and pray.  It’s all about the suffering of Jesus this evening; this suffering serves the greater purpose of redemption, the purchase of people’s lives by way of perfect blood shed, perfect body broken.  There can be no Easter without the darkness, gloom, and finality of the Savior’s God-forsakenness and last breath taken. 

Abundant life is always preceded by a death experience.  This is why Jesus calls his disciples to take up their crosses daily and follow Him.  We really only begin living when we die to ourselves.  Through the cross, Christ sets us free!

The prisoner leaps to lose his chains; the weary find eternal rest, and all the sons of want are blest.

~Isaac Watts 

The bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead makes life transformation possible.

C.S. Lewis, the great Christian thinker and author, wrote, “Each day we are becoming either a creature of splendid glory or one of unthinkable horror.”  The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead has paved the way for people to experience spiritual life transformation.  The conquering of sin and the grave by Jesus has provided a great exchange for those who come to Him in faith and repentance: exchanging unrighteousness for righteousness, darkness for light, death for life, unholiness for holiness, hell for heaven.  Through grace, everyone who humbly comes to Jesus and lays down one’s life for the Kingdom of God experiences a personal “rags to riches” story that becomes a powerful testimony to a watching world about how a risen Savior can enact true, transformational change in a person’s life. 

The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the church in Corinth, wrote, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).  The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the power that is working in those who trust in Christ.  This is good news because it means…

*The resurrection power of Christ is stronger than any addiction.

*The resurrection power of Christ is powerful enough to cleanse sin.

*The resurrection power of Christ is able to literally change people from the inside out. 

*The resurrection power of Christ transforms!

 What are you becoming?

*The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead makes forgiveness of sin possible–once and for all.

One thing that is common to us in our human condition is the feeling of guilt and shame over the rebelliousness and disobedience in our lives.  When we experience the darkness and dirtiness of sin in our interior selves, we will often go to great lengths to cover up that powerful sense of unworthiness.  Most of the time, we resort to defective coping mechanisms, addictive behaviors, and delusional cycles of denial that, at best, cover up the pain originating from alienation from God only for a very brief period of time.  The Bible makes it very clear that the only one who has the power to cleanse the conscience, remove guilt, obliterate shame, and forgive sins, is Jesus Christ.

If Christ was not raised from the dead, his sacrifice on the cross would be insufficient and defective.

Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand.  By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you.  Otherwise, you have believed in vain.  For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures….and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.  (1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 17)  

Easter is significant because it represents the perfect offering for our sinfulness: Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God.  Because of the resurrection of Christ, there is the possibility of a new life characterized by liberation from the power of past failures, sustaining strength for the challenges of today, and an impenetrable hope that all of God’s promises still unfulfilled will come to pass in the future.

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”  (Jeremiah 31:34)