@ the crossroads

Archive for December, 2009

Void

Wednesday, December 23rd, 2009

I have always been impressed by people who are artistically gifted with their hands; those such as sculptors and painters have the ability to create something incredibly alluring by utilizing relatively small amounts of resources in comparison to the striking beauty that radiates from their works.  However, even the greatest artist needs to start with something: Michelangelo required a slab of marble to chisel out La Pieta and he utilized the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to paint a 12,000 square feet masterpiece; Claude Monet, the great French impressionist, needed canvas and paint to create his 250 piece Water Lilies collection.  The most gifted humans cannot create ex nihilo–out of nothing.

 

The only being who has the power to create something out of nothing is God himself.  Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God created…”  The only thing God had to work with was void, formlessness, nothingness–a far cry from Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, or Florida beaches which are prime examples of God’s unique creative power.

 

During this Christmas season we are reminded once again about God’s ability to create something incredibly beautiful out of the void.  Christ the babe was born of a virgin.

 

But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.  You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”

 

“How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”  The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:30-35) 

 

Whenever you are tempted to doubt the reality or power of God, just reflect upon:

 

*the beauty of nature around you–and realize it was created out of nothing

 

*the wonder of Christmas–that it is made possible because a virgin gave birth

 

*the experience of new life and forgiveness–made possible because the Christ child grew up, died on the cross, and then rose from the dead–triumphantly communicating to the world once and for all that something Beautiful can truly come from nothing.  Life emerged from the grave.

 

Be encouraged today in your life journey, for with Christ there is the wonderful potential built into each day to experience his ongoing creative work.  God moves in the mundane; the Spirit speaks in the silence; the Christ child cries out for our hearts to be connected to his.  If your life feels like a batch of nothingness, take heart, for Jesus is present to create a beautiful–and wonderful life.

 

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Family Trees

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

The reading of genealogies is not necessarily the favorite pastime of most people.  In general, the majority of the population would rather settle down with a good suspense novel, sports magazine, or newspaper than read an ancient family tree.  Yet, in the opening page of the New Testament, Matthew the tax collector chooses to use a geneaolgy as the genesis of his account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.  For Matthew, Christmas begins by tracing the lineage of Jesus for several reasons:

 

1) The person of Jesus Christ is firmly rooted in history.  The faith we adhere to is a deep trust in a God who has chosen to make himself known in the course of history.  Christ followers have not based their lives on some strange myth or ecstatic vision.  The Christian faith is based upon the only true God, who has always existed, who has not been created by human hands, and who stepped into an earthly existence bound by time to give his life as a ransom for humanity.  I once read about a young Hindu man who came to Christ by reading the first chapter of Matthew’s gospel.  He was struck by the historical rootedness of the Christian faith as opposed to the mythology inherent in Hinduism.

 

2) The family tree of Jesus shows how God’s power is available for the seemingly impossible family situations people often face.  The first line of the genealogy of Jesus reads, “Abraham was the father of Isaac.”  Humanly speaking we know that there is no possible way that Abraham should have been the father of anybody.  He was extremely old and his wife Sarah was barren.  Yet God’s divine purposes move forward in the midst of human barrenness so there can be no doubt who deserves glory for the miracle.  Perhaps you are facing a challenging family situation that seems impossible to resolve.  Remember that the family tree of Jesus includes people with similar struggles–and God moved–as people responded in faith to a God who can save, heal, and restore.

 

3) The genealogy of Jesus shows us that God’s family is open to all who come to him in faith–regardless of the past. 

Jesus’ family tree contains some rough characters.  If you do a little background reading on some of the people, you soon discover that Jerry Springer-like living is nothing new.  Even Matthew, the gospel writer, was a tax collector.  The nature of his occupation carried him into criminal behavior such as extortion.  Yet Jesus welcomed him in the family; there was an opportunity for new life and a second chance because of God’s grace.  

 

Maybe you will be spending time with extended family this Christmas.  I hope you will remember that Jesus had a family as well–and all the branches of the family tree contained many imperfections.  However, Christ comes right into the middle of the family tree disease and offers hope and the possibility of reconciliation.  God’s purposes prevail–even in family dysfunction!

 

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Power over Method

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Hudson Taylor, the famous Christian missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission, once said,

 

“Since the days of Pentecost, has the whole church ever put aside every other work and waited upon Him for ten days, that the Spirit’s power might be manifested? We give too much attention to method and machinery and resources, and too little to the source of power.” 

 

As a pastor, I receive countless pieces of mail each week promising strategic, sure-fire ways to grow church attendance and make a big impact in the community.  There is no shortage of creative ministry methodologies or heavily promoted resources.  However, I agree with Hudson Taylor that, in general, we spend too little time waiting on the Holy Spirit to manifest His power.  After all, when the Holy Spirit moves, creativity is unleashed and church promotion has a way of taking care of itself–in the form of changed lives.  People who are transformed by God’s grace share freely about Christ. 

 

During the past few weeks I have been struck by the consistent theme being heard through many different individuals and ministry groups in the Crossroads community–there is a deep desire to spend extended time praying and waiting on God, knowing that apart from Him, we can do nothing (see John 15:5).

 

Here are some ways you can be actively involved in prayer in the coming days:

 

1) Sign up this Sunday to participate in the Crossroads week of prayer (Jan.4-8).  We are looking for people to take 30-minute prayer slots so we can offer 24 hour prayer during the early days of 2010.

 

2) Come to the pre-service prayer gathering on Sunday mornings from 9-9:30 a.m.in my office.  This group prays for needs in the church as well as for the Sunday worship service.

 

3) Pray for the people located in the prayer requests section of this weekly email update.

 

4) Pick up a Life Journal this Sunday and begin keeping a prayer journal during your daily devotional time. 

 

Let us never forget: The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. (James 5:16)

 

 

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