The Ultimate Responsibility

"Imitate me, as I imitate Christ."

-Apostle Paul, letter to the Corinthians

Evolving Desires

It's interesting to look back and see what my goals used to be and what they are now.  I graduated from College 11 years ago and set out to accomplish many things.  11 years later...some I have achieved and some I haven't.   However, throughout the last few years my goals, dreams and desires have been completely re-calibrated.  At the moment I have two desires that are on my mind constantly.

1) I want to celebrate 50 years (or more) of marriage with Rachel

2) I want my children to have a relationship with God that trumps everything else in their life

Jesus and John Anderson

The other day Abbey and I were driving around and she began singing songs that she has leaned in Sunday school. It's pretty encouraging when you hear your daughter (on her own) start to sings things like, "I've Got Joy In My Heart" and "Jesus Loves Me...This I Know." (A testimony to the importance of taking your child to church by the way!) She then asked me if I could play "that country song." It amazes me when she picks up lyrics of songs I listen to. The song she wanted to listen to is a song by John Anderson called, "I've Got It Made." She knows all the words and sometimes walks around the house singing it.

I like the fact that she is learning "church songs" but sometimes I wonder if songs like this from "secular" artists will shape her faith as much anything. That's been the case in her father's life!

I've Got It Made by John Anderson

A high dollar woman in a low cut dress
God never wanted me to have a woman like that I guess
A forty room mansion sitting high on a hill
I ain't ever lived in a place like that and I never will

But I've got the mornin' sun, I've got the evenin' breeze
I got the woman that I love lyin' close to me
I've got a few good friends and all my bills are paid
I got the moon and stars above and I've got it made

I don't need a gold mine or a long limousine
I'm not the kind of man to surrender my soul to material things
Just give me an iced tea and a shady spot to sit
To me that's about as close to heaven as a man can get

But I've got the mornin' sun, I've got the evenin' breeze
I got the woman that I love lyin' close to me
I've got a few good friends and all my bills are paid
I got the moon and stars above and I've got it made

I've got a few good friends and all my bills are paid
I got the moon and stars above and I've got it made
I got the moon and stars above and I've got it made

Easter: Confusion to Clarity

I like the way Mark's gospel account retells the resurrection story (it is by far my favorite), but I forced myself to avoid the temptation of going with my "favorite" and decided to preach something else this morning.  I chose to look at both Matthew and John's resurrection account and then sprinkled in a little Luke at the end.

My emphasis was "Confusion to Clarity."  We read the Mt. account and then watched the clip from the Mt. video series and then we read John's account and watched the clip from the movie "Gospel of John."  After reading and viewing the two accounts I pointed out all the differing details and facts.  Have you ever stopped to notice that the 4 gospels tell the story differently?

Here are just a few differences in the Mt. and Jn. accounts:

-Mt. says its dawn when Mary visits

-Jn. says its still dark

 

-Mt. says that both Mary’s went to the tomb

-Jn. says that only Mary Magdalene went

 

-Mt. tells of a violent earthquake…we don’t get that in Jn.

 

-Mt. says an angel of the Lord rolled the stone away and sat on it, then spoke to Mary

-Jn. says Mary runs away to get Peter and John and later sees two angels in the tomb

 

-Mt. tells us that both Mary’s run off and Jesus meets them on the road

-Jn. tells us that Mary is weeping at the tomb and mistakes Jesus for the gardener

I avoided the temptation to defend the Bible (and all these differences) and instead tried to make an important point.  The one constant in these two stories is the fact that Jesus has been resurrected.  Yes, the details don't add up.  Yes, the characters are out of place.  Yes, the two texts seems to contradict each other.  But all the while...Jesus is the risen Savior and in our midst.  

The Bible can be confusing; these texts can be confusing; our faith can be confusing...and God knows that our life can be confusing.  But as Christians we are the ones who believe in a resurrected Savior...and that changes everything.  I went on to say that everything hinges on the resurrection.  If they find "Jesus' bones"...I won't preach another sermon; I'll walk away.  Our lives are defined not by how comfortable we are at any particular time, not by how much money we have, not how secure we are at work, but in the fact that we serve a risen Savior.  And that message doesn't bring confusion, instead in offers clarity.  Clarity, that we are people who worship and hold up a resurrected Lord.

I was recently visiting with a basketball recruit from Bosnia.  He explained to me that he was a Muslim and wanted to know if that would be "ok" as he considered attending the Christian college I work at.  My response was "absolutely."  I will do whatever I can to make him feel comfortable and welcome.  And I promised him that I would never force Jesus down his throat (just like I wouldn't want someone forcing Muhammad down Abbey's throat if we moved to the Middle East).  I assured him that I would go the extra mile to be sensitive to him as he worships freely.  However, if I ever get to the point where I have developed a trusting relationship with him and we discuss our beliefs...I will explain that I believe I worship a risen Savior.  You can't visit Jesus' grave.  Everything hinges on the resurrection!

I ended my sermon with the story in Luke about the two men on the road to Emmaus.  These men were confused, frustrated and angry.  They were filled with both doubts and questions.  And you know what?  The risen Savior was right in their midst and they couldn't see Him.  He walked right by their side and they didn't notice.  Their confusion got the best of them and therefore robbed them of their clarity.  Does the same thing happen to us today?  Do we sometimes get so confused and distracted with life, security, material possessions and desires (and in the case of the men in Luke...an earthly kingdom instead of a spiritual one) that we lose sight of the fact that the resurrected Lord is walking beside us?

I heard a story once about a man who went on an expedition by himself to the North Pole.  He set his camp up one evening and a terrible blizzard blew in.  He recounted that the blizzard was so bad that, "He couldn't even see his hand in front of his face."  He decided to take a few steps outside of his tent to get one of his supplies when he was all of a sudden blinded and lost.  He knew he only had a few minutes until hypothermia set in.  He happened to be carrying a stick and decided to jab the stick into the snow and tie one end of his scarf to the stick and grab hold of the other end of the scarf.  He then ventured out a few steps in one direction, but no tent.  He then ventured out into another direction, but no tent.  He tried a third time, but no tent.  Finally, on the forth attempt he found the tent and was able to survive the blizzard.  Later he retold the story and said if it were not for the stick (which he referred to as his "centering point") he would have surely froze.  

The resurrection is our "centering point."  It reminds us that no matter how difficult life may be, no matter how small our bank account may get, no matter how difficult it will be when we lose our job...we serve a resurrected Savior.

And that's a message worth believing...even if the details are out of order.

Klint