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Reflection on COVID-19

First of all I want to thank everyone who checked on me and prayed for me while I had COVID-19 this past month. Your love and concern helped me to feel the love of God even while I was sick and generally feeling terrible. So, thank you. The pandemic has left us all in a pickle. As Christians we are torn between our desire to gather together as we have always done and our desire to not spread this virus. We feel the call to love our neighbors, but we aren't entirely sure how to live that out. There is no easy option. On the one hand, the virus is real and it is dangerous. I didn't even have it that severely, but what I experienced I sincerely wish no else endure. As people who love our neighbors, those who are called to see others as more valuable and better than ourselves, if there is something we can do to keep them safe we should leap at the call to do it. This is true even if that something involves inconveniencing ourselves and laying down our desires and comforts. On the o

Is Jesus Less Human Than Us? - Looking at the Incarnation, pt. 5

This one isn't based on any particular verse or passage, but rather a misguided assumption. Since Jesus is God and didn't sin, then he must be not quite fully human. To put it another way, Jesus was special in his humanity in a way we are not. While I obviously absolutely defend the uniqueness of Jesus as being fully God and fully man I do not think Jesus was some sort of superhuman. We look at Jesus and see all the wonderful things he did and the fact that he lived a perfect life and just assume that he wasn't quite as human as the rest of us. After all, to err is human. Part of what it means to be human from our experience is to fail, but Jesus never failed. So, he must be something unique. The truth of the matter is it isn't Jesus who is less than human but us. God created human beings in his image, to live with him and for him. We routinely fail to live up to our own design. God sets the standard for what it means to be human, and it looks like we have all failed. F

Did God Need to Understand Us Better? - Looking at the Incarnation, pt. 4

As we've been looking at the Incarnation I think that there are underlying theological issues that lead to many of our misconceptions. The last two weeks we have looked at basically one issue; the hypostatic union. That is technical theology talk for the fact that Jesus is fully God and fully human at the same time. As we've seen many have trouble with that basic concept of these two, different natures coexisting in one person. So, in order to simplify the mystery, we tend to diminish either Jesus' divinity or humanity.  This week is a little different. The misconception we will examine this week is that God became a man in order to understand and relate to us better. This is usually drawn from the book of Hebrews in the discussion of Jesus being our great High Priest, something we discussed last week.  "For we do not have a high priest that is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." - Hebrews 4:15 Many t

Did Jesus Stop Being Human After the Ascension? - Looking at the Incarnation, pt. 3

I remember a couple of years ago seeing a post on Facebook where a young mother was explaining to her child what happened to Jesus after he went back to heaven. The long and short of it is that the mother explained that Jesus transformed from being a human being back to being God. It's a common enough error that I see all over the place that is related to our discussion from last week. If you assume that whilst on Earth Jesus stopped being God in order to be a human being, it only follows that when he returned to heaven the reverse happened. However, many that would deny that Jesus' lost any divinity on Earth would also maintain that he ceased to be human following the Ascension. In essence, they make the Incarnation a thirty year or so stint as a human being. The truth is far more impactful. The Incarnation wasn't a short term role played by God for only thirty years. It was a permanent addition to the Son's nature and identity. Just as he never ceased to be God during

Did Jesus Stop Being God While On Earth? - Looking at the Incarnation, pt. 2

I'll confess that this particular misconception is one I believed for a while several years ago. The idea of God giving up his divinity while on Earth in the person of Jesus appealed to me. It made the Incarnation seem so much more like a sacrifice and learning experience on God's part. It also seemed to gel nicely with a certain Bible passage that we are going to talk about shortly.  However, the idea that Jesus gave up being God while he was on Earth not only doesn't make sense it also completely devalues the Incarnation. It is, at its core, a way of simplifying the mystery. Before discussing why this view is errant we should examine the Bible passage it is based on; one of the central texts concerning the Incarnation, Philippians 2:5-11. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the

Looking at the Incarnation

There are few things as important in the Christian faith as the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. It stands at the heart of all that we believe and do alongside the Trinity, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. The idea that God almighty became a fully human person is a marvelous mystery that flummoxes many Christians and non-Christians alike. However, as central as this doctrine is there are many common misunderstandings about it. Over the next few weeks we are going to look at the Incarnation of Jesus. Specifically we are going to address certain common misconceptions that many believers have about it. These are issues I have heard repeatedly from many sources, many quite recently. Here are a couple of examples of some misconceptions that we have about the Incarnation. 1. Jesus stopped being God while he was human. 2. Jesus stopped being human after his Ascension. 3. God became human so he could better understand and relate to us. 4. Because Jesus was fully God, he wasn't really fully human

Weakness

 I am weak. There is no doubt about it. It is a struggle every day to live content in the presence of God. I constantly want more than what I have. I want to be able to decide my fate, but I can't. I am weak. Most of us probably have felt that same weakness in our lives. We live in a world that preaches strength of will, ability, and position. You are determined by your strength to accomplish what you want to accomplish and achieve what you set your heart on achieving. I think we've even let this mindset slip into our preaching and teaching in our congregations. The truth is that our weakness is an opportunity to lean more fully on the strength of God. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul says he pleaded with God to remove some weakness from him. The response is something we all need to wrestle with. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Do we recognize that our weakness is OK because we have God's grace? Do we treat our moments of inabil

God is in Control

(This was originally a sermon preached at the Church of Christ Northwest on 9/6/2020) God is in control. I think this just might be our favorite thing to say, no matter the circumstance. When good things happen, we laud the fact that God is in control. When bad things happen, we quietly remind ourselves that God is in control and therefore the bad things cannot last forever. It’s a cliché that we pass around in order to lift our spirits. So, what does it mean? When you say “God is in control” what exactly do you mean? I think back to five years ago when my mother was lying in the ICU, breathing tube down her throat, IV hooked up, and a well-meaning person, doubtless in an attempt to comfort me, said “God is in control.” Though I remained silent in an effort to be polite and respond to the intention, inside I was anything but quiet.              God did not do this! That was the burning thought that scorched itself into my mind. How interesting it was, and I think I am not alone in

The True, Good, and Beautiful

The last three weeks we have discussed the three transcendentals, a concept from philosophy that helps us think about the Christian life in a new and helpful way. We discussed Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. All three are things we inherently crave and desire in our lives, and all three are ultimately found in God. Truth is about the real. Goodness is about flourishing. Beauty is about perfection. The challenge this week is to understand how we, as God's people, live true, good, and beautiful lives. How do we ground ourselves in the most fundamental reality? How do we flourish? What is the standard we are striving to imitate and attain? Finally, how do these three things work with each other? The answer to the first three questions is easy; Jesus. He is the Truth itself, the most fundamental reality. As Christians we must ground everything we do in Jesus. He is Goodness itself, the source of human flourishing and life. As Christians we seek life and growth from Jesus. He is Beauty its

Beauty

 We've now discussed two of the three transcendentals. We've seen that truth is ultimately about what is real, and that God is transcendent Truth itself. We've seen that goodness is ultimately about flourishing and growth, and that God is transcendent Goodness itself. Both truth and goodness are things that generally churches have pursued. We understand the importance of seeking out the truth, especially in regards to the Gospel. We also understand the importance of contributing to flourishing, especially in serving the poor.  Beauty is something we haven't pursued as much. Just like truth and goodness we crave beauty. We seek it out relentlessly. It is something we need in our lives. Look at the music industry or the fashion industry. We spend billions and billions of dollars seeking some form of beauty. Most people understand the value of a skillful painting or a talented musician, but we aren't sure why. Beauty is fundamentally about perfection. It's about th

Goodness

Much like our innate desire for the truth, we all have an equally deep need for goodness. We seek this just as much as we do the truth. Goodness corresponds to flourishing as truth does to the real. Everyone wants to do more than merely exist but thrive. It is a powerful impulse within all of us to not only personally flourish but for our society to flourish as well. We see our quest for goodness manifest in our car for the sick and left behind. Soup kitchens, homeless shelters, hospitals, and all other sorts of charities are a result of our search for goodness and flourishing. We seek fairness under the law, equal opportunities, and chances to improve our situations in life. As with truth, the various ways we find goodness in this world correspond to some ultimate Goodness: God. God is Goodness itself. He is life eternal. To know what flourishing truly is is to look at the inner life of the Trinity. We seek to participate in that Goodness. As Christians we are called to be Goodness pe

Truth

 We all have an innate desire to know the truth. It's hardwired into us to seek out what is real and authentic. You can see this in a variety of places in human life and society. Our dedication to scientific advancement and discovery, the plethora of books on philosophy, and the meticulous nature of most justice systems point to our desire, our need, for truth.  This happens on a personal level as well. For many people, starting right about their teenage years, they begin the process of "finding themselves." We often treat life as a journey of discovering truth either about ourselves, the world around us, or some combination of the two. True happiness is then found when you find your "true self." While none of the things I've mentioned so far are perfect or even good, they all point to the same innate longing in all of us; the need for truth. Behind all our attempts at discovering truth, either scientific, historical, or personal, is the implicit assumption

The Three Transcendentals

I'm going to skip right to the chase; the three transcendentals are truth, goodness, and beauty. The word "transcendental" refers to a field of interest and its transcendent ideal. In this case the three are truth, goodness, and beauty. This is an ancient philosophical concept that originated most cogently with Plato, but was picked up and developed in a thoroughly biblical and theological way by Christians centuries later. So, why am I talking about this? Well, because I think it's right. There are at a fundamental level only three areas of human interest and life. There is truth, the study of what is and what is not. This includes things like science, education, research, and law. There is goodness, which is benevolence, medicine, charity, and community. There is also beauty, which we see in art, music, and film.  Everything in our life can essentially be boiled down to a pursuit of either truth, goodness, beauty, or a combination of these things. We instinctively s

Amazed by Grace

Too often I am numb to the extraordinary truth of Christianity. My whole life is inundated with theology, church, prayer, and the whole religion thing. I work for a church so everything I do, in some way or another, is about or at least related to faith. This means that I hear and read the language of grace, redemption, resurrection, and all the rest all the time. I will admit that I sometimes just get used to it. Grace no longer astounds me, its just a part of life. Redemption is something brought up twenty or thirty times a day. The Resurrection of Jesus, the center point of history and the fundamental fact of Christianity, is just a given fact. Prayer becomes mundane, worship rote, and reading the Bible something I have to do because I teach multiple Bible studies a week. I get the feeling that I'm not alone in this. Many Christians at some point in their life get in a rut. The more you are around something the more accustomed to it you get, and sadly this holds true to the trut

The Power of Written Prayers

We're all biased in many ways. The tradition we grew up in, our family life, nationality, language, and many other factors contribute to the way we look at the world. As we all know this happens in our churches too. We get used to one way of doing things or even try to be different from other groups. This can have the unfortunate effect of leaving us without some excellent tools for spiritual growth and discipline. One such thing is prayer. Most people I know from my particular tradition are very much against pre-written, repeated prayers. They want prayers to be "authentic" and "from the heart," so all prayers are therefore improvised. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this way of praying, but there is also nothing wrong with praying through an already written prayer. In fact, I'd argue that sometimes it's better. Written prayers help us pray when we don't know what to say. Too often I think instead of using a written prayer or even being silen

Regrets

Every one of us has regrets. I think it's a normal part of living in this world. Some regrets are small, like having a second helping at dinner that makes our stomach upset. There are others that are big. These are the regrets that keep us up at night. They keep us wondering if we had just said something different or had been there a little earlier things would be different now. I have no answer for how to deal with regret. Everyone is different and copes differently with this issue. Some bury regret deep down and let it fester, but never really acknowledge it. Others act out and their guilt or other feelings manifests as increasingly dangerous or risky behavior. Still others dwell in their regret and become depressed, running through scenarios over and over again even years later. To be completely honest, I'm one of the latter people. There are days where my mind is filled with nothing but regrets of things I said (or didn't say) and did (or didn't do). I can stay awak

The Ornaments: The Christmas Tree Analogy pt. 5

When we think of Christmas trees the primary thing I think most people think of is the lights and ornaments hanging on the branches. They are colorful and catch our eye. In many respects, the tree is there solely to support the beautiful and eye catching ornaments. They are the center of attention in many cases. In our analogy of the Christmas tree for theology and faith, the ornaments serve much the same function with one major exception; the tree does not exist to support the ornaments. They are often the thing that everyone gravitates towards and gawks at. The ornaments are usually the things that get our blood boiling and start arguments, and they can quickly consume all of our attention. This forgets the fact that the living tree supporting them is actually far more important. So what do I mean by ornaments? These are the hot button issues of our time or particular place. For example, in the Churches of Christ the question of instrumental music is unquestionably a flashy ornament

The Branches: The Christmas Tree Analogy pt. 4

We've seen the roots of our faith, those things that deal directly with Jesus and God. Last week we examined the trunk, those large matters of faith that grow directly out of the roots. These two things form the foundation and primary tenets of the Christian faith. The roots anchor our tree (the Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, etc.,) and the trunk is where the tree grows tall (Scripture, salvation, the imago dei, etc.) Next up are the branches. On a Christmas tree the branches are one of the most visible parts. They fan out and cover a great deal of ground. The branches grow out of the tree trunk, receiving their nutrients from the roots below. In our analogy of theology and faith, the branches represent the outworking of various beliefs. For example, a root belief of Christianity is that God has revealed himself to us, specifically in Jesus. In the trunk that grows up from that root is the firm conviction that the Bible is from God and the authoritative source of God's rev

The Trunk: The Christmas Tree Analogy pt. 3

Last week we examined the roots of the tree. These are the foundational issues of the faith that anchor all other doctrines and practices without which there would be no Christianity. This week we examine the next part of  the Christmas tree analogy, the trunk. From the roots grows the trunk of the tree. The trunk stands tall and gives the tree its height and girth. A strong trunk means resistance to the wind and other forces of nature. It also means there can be many branches that grow from it, each able to fan out and cover a lot of ground. If the roots of our tree are issues directly pertaining to who God is and what God has done, then the trunk is what grows directly out of that. God has revealed himself to us. This leads directly to the Bible and our definitions of authority, inspiration, and so on. God made human beings. This goes into the concept of being made in God's image. God is our savior, which naturally means that there is something that God is saving us from. The tru

The Roots: The Christmas Tree Analogy pt. 2

Last week we discussed the analogy of a Christmas tree for discussing Christian theology and doctrine. In brief a living, growing Christmas tree has four parts: roots, a trunk, branches, and ornaments. When thinking about our beliefs and how important they are in relation to one another and living the Christian life, this analogy can be helpful. Today we are going to talk about the first part of the analogy, the roots. Every system of belief is built on something. There is always a foundational principle that anchors the rest of the beliefs, even if it is not readily seen. These are the beliefs so central and core to the rest that without them the whole system falls apart. The roots of tree serve much the same purpose. They are what keeps the tree alive and secure on the ground. The roots collect water and nutrients, feeding the rest of the tree so it may grow big and tall. The roots are also the thing that keep the tree in place during storms and massive winds. If the roots are weak a

The Christmas Tree Analogy

What are the most important Christian beliefs? We deal with all sorts of questions all the time as Christians concerning our faith and practice, often from inside the church. We debate all sorts of issues, study all manner of topics, and sometimes even draw battle lines over specific practices or beliefs. The question I asked right at the start is always relevant and important. What we define as the center of the Christian faith is going to have dramatic effects on the rest of our beliefs and practices. The problem comes when we all try to answer the question. While I'm sure there would be a measure of similarities in our answers I am entirely confident that there would also be a wide array of differences. One of the major issues when it comes to disagreements among Christians concerning matters of faith and practice is that we honestly don't agree about what the most important issues are, though we often don't realize it. The reality is that some Christian beliefs are more

Come, Lord Jesus!

I don't have much to say today. The country is in the throes of multiple crises. The old cry from the prophets seems to ring true, "There is no justice in the land!" Buildings burn. Innocents are dying. Corruption is rampant. The prayer of Habakkuk seems to be on many people's lips.  How long, O LORD, shall I cry for help,  and you will not hear?  Or cry to you "Violence!"  and you will not save? Why do you make me see iniquity, and why do you idly look at wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; strife and contention arise. So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. Come, Lord Jesus! The government has shown itself inept to deal with the deep infection of sin that runs through our whole society. We see it all around us in racism, sexism, and other prejudices that poison mind and soul. Instead of uniting in solidarity we have divided along the old, tribal lines and prep

Special Edition: Violence, Justice, and Tragedy

I think everybody by this point has heard the story coming out of Minneapolis about George Floyd's death at the hands of a police officer. By now the battle lines have been drawn, protests have erupted into riots, and condemnations have been flung from all sides of the political debate. As has been the case so many times across so many issues in America, the reactions have generally coalesced into two camps; the side crying out for justice and the side crying out for order. As is sadly to be expected at this point, Christians are split on their reaction to this event right along these same lines. Some are outraged by the death, others are outraged by the riots, and neither seems that keen on listening to the other. This is sad because I am about to espouse one of the most heretical things that can be said in today's modern, political climate; both sides are right.  As Christians we need to be able to look beyond the partisan divides of our day and view the situation from the va

The Power of Hymns

One of the great joys of being apart of a community of believers is singing songs of worship together. Be it old hymns, new ballads, or short songs aimed at kids there is something powerful and joyful that happens when Christians come together to sing. It is one of the most commonly stated things that people miss during this time of quarantine and lock-down. Those who know me quickly figure out that I can be rather picky about the songs I like to sing in worship. It isn't based upon whether the song is old or new, long or short; it depends upon whether or not the song is theologically sound. This is something that has only increased with my growing education and learning of Scripture. When we think of the power hymns have we usually think about how they can uplift the sorrowful and encourage the weary. This is true and is one reason singing in worship is so wonderful. An often unrealized power that the songs we sing have is the way they can shape our theology and doctrine far more

I No Longer Live

There have been a lot of reactions to the coronavirus situation that is currently plaguing the whole world. This is normal. After all, we are all different people with different experiences and life situations so it is only natural that we would all react in different ways. Some people believe that everyone should remain shuttered in their homes for safety while some see government mandated lock-downs as dangerous overreach. Still others worry about the very real and costly economic effects as millions have now lost their jobs. As with any situation the factors are numerous and complicated. There is one particular set of responses that I find disturbing, however. That would be the inordinate amount of Christians who are against the current measures because it infringes on their rights.  I am an American who loves the rights and freedoms this great country offers. It is nothing short of a blessing to be able to live in such a nation. However, as great a blessing these things can be ther

Wrestling with Proverbs

During the month of May my congregation is reading one chapter of Proverbs every day. If anyone else wants to join in, I encourage you to do so! Proverbs is a book all about helping people grow in wisdom. I also have a confession. Proverbs is the one book of the Bible I struggle with the most. I think if we are completely honest, we don't necessarily like every part of the Bible. We all have favorite books and parts that we go back to again and again. We also have parts we that we just don't know what to do with. This is something we need to be honest about. The Bible is a complex myriad of poetry, history, biography, law code, and so much more. Different parts are bound to appeal to different people. That's OK! This is one of the reasons we need each other, to help shore up one another's weaknesses and struggles. For me Proverbs is where I struggle the most. I like themes and structure. I like tracing an overarching narrative or point through a whole work. Huge

A Reflection on the Nature of Sin

The more I meditate on the topic of sin and the more I study evil, the more I am convinced of one truth. Evil does not exist, but it is very real. Allow me to explain that seemingly absurd statement. Nothing that exists does so apart from God. God is the source of existence itself, therefore everything that exists derives its existence from God. We see this clearly in Scripture as it repeatedly affirms that God alone is the creator and sustainer of all things. We also see in Scripture that God does nothing evil and is not the cause of evil. In other words, everything God makes is good. Now I can hear the objections being formulated as I type this. "Just look at the world! How can you say evil does not exist?!?" To state the point again, while evil does not exist it is very real and very dangerous. How can this be? Evil is actually a failure to exist. God brings all things into existence. God makes everything good. Evil, then, cannot exist as its own thing, for that woul

Living in the Tension

Let's be honest, Scripture is often not nearly as clear and precise as we would like. I think we make a big mistake when insist that everything the Bible teaches is 100% clear. While it is exceptionally clear on the heart of the matter, namely the Gospel, it can be a little tricky outside of that core message. Just think of how many different Christian traditions and groups exist today. There major and minor theological differences between all of them, and all of them point to the Bible as their source for their belief. It would take a great deal of hubris to simply declare "I am right! You all are wrong!" Yet, this is often exactly what we do even though they are simply trying to follow what they believe Scripture to be saying just like us. Now don't mistake me for saying that theological differences don't matter; they do. However, I think a dose of humility and a large helping of grace is mandatory when entering into that discussion. Besides, there is a real

Desiring Salvation for All

1 Timothy 2:3-4 "This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." Let's be honest; how many of us genuinely wants what God wants? God wants everybody to be saved and to come to know Jesus. Everybody. Not some people or only those he likes, everybody. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is intended for every person on this planet. If we are all being 100% honest, I think that many of us find ourselves at odds with this desire of God. I'm sure most of us would say  we want all to be saved. I know I do. However, as I look into my heart that may not be true. The more I learn about Nazi atrocities, the less I find myself feeling merciful. The more I learn about the horrific conditions under communist regimes where millions were casually murdered, I find myself less enthusiastic to share the Gospel. As I read headlines daily of child abuse, cold blooded murder, and human traffickers wh