Monday, April 16, 2012
Hospitality!
Looking back over the past month and a half all I can say is “WOW!” You all (the folks at fcpc) have been so kind and generous to my family as we are in this state of transition. Your cards of encouragement, your visits and all the food that’s been sent our way are genuinely helping us out as we temporarily struggle with being a “broken-up” family. We have been blessed by you and we don’t take that lightly. Scripture talks about the spiritual gift of HOSPITALITY. I find that in our increasingly fractured society with all of its impersonal connections and e-this’s and i-that’s, nothing makes an impact on others quite like hospitality. Nothing makes an “outsider” feel like an “insider” any faster than to be shown hospitality. For the church and her relationship with lost and left-out, nothing communicates “YOU HAVE GREAT VALUE” any more than the exertion of this gift of hospitality. As Webster talks about hospitality, he uses words like “generous and cordial” as they find their place in the context of welcoming visitors. For us in the church, however, spiritual hospitality implies so much more. Scripture implies that the spiritual gift of hospitality is expressed when we welcome others as Christ Himself would welcome them. When we give to others with the generosity of Christ Himself; when we go the extra mile to initiate grace-giving; when we open our arms as wide as the Master and say, “You have my best because Christ gave me His!” That is true hospitality and that’s the sort of attitude that will enable us to reach our community and our world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. No “looking-down-our-noses,” no critical judgment; it’s simply a matter of treating others in the same way that Christ has treated us. Has God been good to you? Our only proper response to His goodness is to grow in our ability to express His hospitality to everyone around us.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Our Easter Cross
Here's the promised pics of the Cross I made for Easter. A huge thanks goes out to Ed Berry who donated the cedar logs and to Randi Berry who made the crown of thorns. It was a pretty cool experiment.
Monday, April 02, 2012
Easter HOW as much as Easter WHAT!
One of the things I notice the most about the Passion Story of Easter is the look of sheer determination on the face of Christ. At the triumphal entry and the ensuing cleansing of the temple we can clearly see that He had opportunity to revel in the attention that was being shown Him…but He didn’t. He fixed His eyes on the task before Him. Determined to honor His Father in all that was taking place.
As He serves His disciples in the Upper Room and institutes the meal of Holy Communion, His eyes are fixed on the task before Him. Setting the example, determined to Honor His Father.
As He turns to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemene He is so determined to pray this “thing” through that drops of blood fall from His forehead. Nobody else was able, but He is determined to honor His Father.
Through His betrayal and arrest and His trial, only one thing seems to be on His mind. He is committed to bringing honor to His Father and completing the task He has been given.
On the Cross, though His breathing is shallow and the blood and sweat and tears and bitter wine are searing His eyes, that same look of determination is still there. What a relief, what a joy it must’ve been…to finally close His eyes and utter with His last breath…IT IS FINISHED!
You know, I am certainly thankful for WHAT Jesus accomplished on my behalf on the Cross. But I am also so very thankful for HOW He accomplished it. It’s the HOW that I mostly need to be reminded of. I often let my feelings dictate my actions. I’m a little bit prone to fickle wishy-washy-ness. But Christ sets the example here that I am to follow. He shows me what commitment looks like. May this Easter be a season where we are reminded by the commitment of Christ to give ourselves fully to our Lord, His Church and the people around us. May we be renewed in our commitment and strengthened in our determination to live and serve in such a way that Christ is glorified and God is honored through our faithfulness.
As He serves His disciples in the Upper Room and institutes the meal of Holy Communion, His eyes are fixed on the task before Him. Setting the example, determined to Honor His Father.
As He turns to His Father in the Garden of Gethsemene He is so determined to pray this “thing” through that drops of blood fall from His forehead. Nobody else was able, but He is determined to honor His Father.
Through His betrayal and arrest and His trial, only one thing seems to be on His mind. He is committed to bringing honor to His Father and completing the task He has been given.
On the Cross, though His breathing is shallow and the blood and sweat and tears and bitter wine are searing His eyes, that same look of determination is still there. What a relief, what a joy it must’ve been…to finally close His eyes and utter with His last breath…IT IS FINISHED!
You know, I am certainly thankful for WHAT Jesus accomplished on my behalf on the Cross. But I am also so very thankful for HOW He accomplished it. It’s the HOW that I mostly need to be reminded of. I often let my feelings dictate my actions. I’m a little bit prone to fickle wishy-washy-ness. But Christ sets the example here that I am to follow. He shows me what commitment looks like. May this Easter be a season where we are reminded by the commitment of Christ to give ourselves fully to our Lord, His Church and the people around us. May we be renewed in our commitment and strengthened in our determination to live and serve in such a way that Christ is glorified and God is honored through our faithfulness.
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