Category: Liturgical Calendar

Lent 2022 | Day 22: Wonderful

A cursory search for the etymology of the word wonderful shows it is derived from two words. The words “wonder” and the word “full”. This should not be surprising. But what is interesting is that the word wonder is an old word describing something that is miraculous or astonishing. Therefore, when we say that something is wonderful we are describing the quality of the object to which we are referring. That it is something marvelous and worthy of being astonished at.

We too often use words like this in ways that may not necessarily measure up as well as we might think. Many times we describe things as wonderful that are truly aesthetically beautiful or pleasing to the eye. They just may not necessarily be filled with wonder themselves. And I’m not trying to get too technical at this description of the word. My desire is merely to highlight the unique attribute of how this word had been used and may be found useful to use again.

Within the Christian faith, there are several things worthy of being wondered over. Things such as the grace of God in his mercy, the sacrifice of Christ for sinners, and even being able to gather together with other believers. I know that not everyone would agree that these are wonderful. But I think that’s part of the problem. The fact that these things exist and that we can be partakers of them is exactly what makes them wonderful. Just because they may appear to be ordinary by the standards of some does not make them any less astonishing.

Of all the things which we could find wonderful, the presence of God among his people is one of the most astonishing of them all. How God is able to do that is a mystery. But it is not a mystery that has been kept hidden from us. It is a mystery that now resides in the open. For when we gather to sing and celebrate, to study and share our lives together, to serve those around us we are told God is among us as well.

It is through the simple acts of living life, aware of his promises, that it becomes a reality to us. Too often we try to fabricate a divine encounter by using means that stimulate our emotions. But that only serves to cloud God’s presence in our lives. There is a sense in which our ability to apprehend those things filled with the quality of producing wonder requires a stillness we are not always comfortable entering into.

Every year in the 40 days prior to Easter we are given an opportunity to slow down. To take some time and look back over the course of our lives and the previous year and remember God’s faithfulness to us. And it’s not that we always can see God’s faithfulness. But learning to accept that it is really present even when we’re not as aware of it as we would like.

This is why when I think about those things that elicit wonder in me I think of God’s presence permeating the world in which I live. Similar to the oxygen that I need to breathe but cannot see, God surrounds us with himself.

Lent 2022 | Day 21: Delivered

One of my favorite movies growing up was The Ten Commandments starring Charlton Heston. It is a retelling of the events found in the book of Exodus. The story of the rise of Moses, his exile, and his ultimate return as a messenger of God. It is one of the more compelling stories found in the Bible. In some ways, it is no surprise that it was adapted as a feature film.

One of the central themes of the movie is that of deliverance. The idea was that God would provide the means for the rescue of the nation of Israel from the slavery it endured in Egypt. This deliverance came through God’s use of an unlikely person.

Moses was spared from the annihilation of all the Hebrew male children by the ingenuity of his family. God’s protection of Moses would place him into circumstances that would prepare him for what God had in store for his life. No one could have foreknown how God would accomplish the deliverance of his people. There had been 400 years of difficulty and hardship. God remained faithful to his word.

The story of the Exodus is one of the key motifs of understanding the work of Christ to deliver us from the bondage of sin. Through the story and the events of the Hebrew people, we get a glimpse into how God brings about deliverance. There are too many facets to the story to be covered here but we will focus on the one that most closely connects the events in Exodus with Jesus. Namely that God’s deliverance of his people would involve a supernatural and miraculous set of events.

The work of Christ on the cross is the fulfillment of everything God promised for the generations of descendants of Adam and Eve. We all share in the same image that God put in them. And we all share in the same fallen nature that keeps us from having a relationship with God. But God is able to overcome this separation by entering into the world he has created. Through this entrance, God demonstrates his willingness to not only save but to be the one who leads us out of our captivity.

When I think about deliverance I find that there is a personal connection involved. That someone has come to where I am because I cannot get out of those circumstances on my own. This is deliverance. That Jesus Christ entered into the world to set us free. And that without his coming and his sacrifice we would have remained separated from God.

The season of Lent is an opportune time to remember that while we were sinners God sent his son on a rescue mission for us. And even more remarkable than this is Jesus accomplished the work God the Father had given to him.

As we continue drawing closer to Easter Sunday may remember we have been saved from the clutches of sin. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. And we have been delivered from what seemed to be an impossible situation and have been restored to fellowship with God.

Lent 2022 | Day 20: Joy

Many times we confuse joy with happiness. Happiness is what we feel when the conditions and circumstances of our lives produce a sense of excitement because everything seems to be falling into place. What this means is happiness is dependent upon what is happening around us. If things are going well and we feel happy, generally speaking. But if things are not going well, then our feeling of happiness is diminished or even nonexistent.

Joy, however, is not dependent upon the external realities of life. Joy is the condition of our internal self regardless of what is happening around us. Joy is not supposed to be something that comes and goes. Joy is something that is resident within us.

I don’t want us to think that there is no relationship between happiness and joy. There is. Our emotional state at any given time informs how we view what is happening around us. However, happiness can be understood as the immediate reaction to what is happening around us. But joy is more of a long-lasting feeling because it looks further down the road than what is happening now.

As an example of this, when my children were born I was happy. But I was also filled with joy. And the reason for my happiness was because they were now here with us, expanding our family. But I was also joyful because of what their lives meant to me.

Joy is more of a long-lasting feeling because it looks further down the road than what is happening now.

So let’s fast forward a few years, and now we have teenagers living in our home. Will there will be times when I am unhappy with what they do? Of course, there will be. But that does not change the hope that I feel when I think of what they could be. What they could become. I have joy for the potential of what God can and will do in their lives. And that is not dependent on the choices they make in the immediate moment that may or may not make me happy.

This is a somewhat simplified way of thinking about these two realities of life. My goal is not to define every moment that can either make us happy or not, or explain what can bring any person joy at any given moment. We should strive, the best we can, to understand how what is happening around us and within us can impact how we live our lives.

The season of Lent can be a time filled with moments of happiness or sadness. As we consider the realities of our actions and the consequences they may produce we are awakened to everything we do. But we also know that the season of Lent will eventually come to an end. There will be a morning when we arise and we will give God glory and praise for his goodness and mercy. And on that morning we will celebrate our redemption which was purchased by the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

But the sacrifice was not the end of the story, it was merely a parenthesis. What this means for us is as we go through life from year to year, and as we continue our journey in this season of Lent, we must become more aware of the interaction between what makes us happy and what gives us joy.

The interaction between these two realities can oftentimes be difficult to decipher. But that does not mean it is impossible. We should make the effort in understanding this relationship now more than ever.

Lent 2022 | Day 19: Gathered

There has been a lot of conversation in the last couple of years about what it means to be the Church. In this time in history, when much of the world has been affected by a global pandemic, the church has to reflect on what it means to be the Church. The struggle has been around discerning what it means to be the body of Christ. Particularly in light of the rules imposed upon large groups of people by governments around the world.

In the midst of these new challenges, insights have been gained as a result of extended periods of separation and even isolation. In the opening chapters of the Bible God tells the first man it is not good for him to be alone. And an implication is that isolation is not good for anyone!

The immediate context of his declaration is Adam’s discovery that of all of God’s creatures man was without companionship. And so while there is much that can be said about the need for community and fellowship as individual members of society, there is also a lesson about what it means for us to be a community of faith.

In the New Testament, we find the admonition that we should not refrain from gathering together for worship and instruction. There is no prescription as to what that should look like. But there is a warning that we should not keep ourselves from coming together regularly. We should ask ourselves why is this oftentimes is something we have avoided.

The gathering of God’s people is not merely a social event. The community of God exists to foster the kind of growth which leads us to a deeper appreciation of God’s grace.

I think the challenge of understanding the gathered nature of the church hinges on our understanding of what it means to be people created in the image of God. For those of us who hold to a Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead, the notion of divine community makes sense. While we do not fully understand how God exists within the divine essence we can know that God exists in perfect community. The mystery of the Trinity is not something that can be explained. It is a truth of faith that is revealed and must be believed.

This reality of God’s own existence helps us to see that as image bearers we too will find our emotional and communal needs satisfied when we gather together with others who share the journey with us. The gathering of God’s people is not merely a social event. The community of God exists to foster the kind of growth which leads us to a deeper appreciation of God’s grace. Not only are there opportunities for instruction and correction but there are opportunities for sharing in one another’s lives. This sharing includes the celebration of the joys in the distribution of the burdens among those who are doing life together. This is a key element of the community of God.

One of the wonderful aspects of celebrating the season of Lent is this shared experience of reflecting and preparing for Easter morning. All over the world there are countless millions of Christians who in this season slow down enough to remember all God has been doing in their lives. By doing this we give testimony to the grace of God offered to everyone who finds themselves alone. Being grafted into the body of Christ gives us access to a fellowship that fosters our development as the children of God.

And so we gather together not merely to perform religious ceremonies or to receive doctrinal instruction but to enjoy the company of those with whom we share a common faith.

Lent 2022 | Day 18: Endures

The focus of our thought today is the word endures.

This is an interesting word for at least two reasons. First, it conjures in my mind the idea of continued effort. We live in a world where we have instant access to information. Instant access to entertainment. Instant access to new friends made around the world. It would appear that our threshold for patience has been diminishing with the advancement of technology. This decrease in our ability to delay gratification has truly created a circumstance in which people seemingly cannot control their displeasure when what they want is not readily available.

When we as a group of people or as individuals are consumed by our own sense of entitlement we no longer fear or care about harming others in order to get what we want. This may seem like a dark and pessimistic view of the world. But I would disagree. If we accept what the Scripture tells us about the human heart, that is wicked (Jeremiah 17:9), that it is made of stone (Hebrews 8:10), and that it is deceitful we can calibrate our engagement with the world more consistently.

Second, the word endures serves as a reminder that the goal is not just around the corner. It is the difference between the proverbial marathon and sprint. This imagery is often used to describe the need for us to recognize that some goals will take time to achieve. It may seem a bit trite to some, but I find it helpful to remember that most things in life will not happen immediately.

The most important things in life will take time to do well.

In the midst of the daily grind of living, we should not lose sight of the fact that the most important things in life will take time to do well. When we try to short-circuit the process of growing and maturing as individuals we invariably deny ourselves the wisdom that is earned in the process. The longer we cut corners the more difficult it becomes to grow.

The ever-growing tendency that we have to find the quickest and easiest route to where we’re going blinds us in ways we do not always anticipate. Every choice we make has consequences. And every consequence impacts the future choices we will make. This is why it is better to decide more slowly than to make quick decisions in the heat of the moment. When we are deliberate in our decision-making process we create the room we need in order to achieve the goals we have set. This is not a guarantee, but it does improve our chances of success.

In this season of Lent, we are called to a time of self-denial for a period of 40 days. In that time we may find ourselves trying to get out of the burden of it. But if we convince ourselves that this is just an arbitrary activity we will have proven to ourselves that we have not understood what it means to endure. Just because something can be classified as mundane or ordinary does not mean that it cannot have a lasting effect.

As we continue toward Easter morning take this time to ask yourself why you should choose to endure?

Lent 2022 | Day 17: Thanks

In a season of contemplation and reflection, it’s important to stop and remember all the reasons why we can be thankful. Even in difficult times, there is room to appreciate the blessings we have access to, no matter how small. And so in this season of Lent, I think it’s important to look around us and get a sense of all God has been doing in our lives.

Giving thanks can be challenging when we see it has an obligation. But giving thanks is not something we should do because we feel the person deserves it. Giving thanks is what we do when we want to acknowledge what someone is done for us, blessing us in the process. When we give thanks as a response to the kindness of others it is a small token in light of the gift.

I am reminded of the story of the 10 lepers who as they passed Jesus asked him to heal them. Once the healing had taken place they went on their way rejoicing over the change of fortune that they had experienced. But the writer tells us there was one who came back to Jesus. That one offered his thanks to Christ while the others did not. We can ask ourselves why? What was it about this man that led him to make that choice?

When we give thanks as a response to the kindness of others it is a small token in light of the gift.

We will never know for sure this side of eternity. But I think it is worth considering that this man, when he realized what it meant that he could return to his life as he remembered it, was moved by the miracle of his healing. All the memories that sustained him up until that moment would become real again. Not merely distant recollections of a life he thought he would never return to.

While these are just assumptions based on what I imagine would be my response to the same event, I think many of us would confront the same doubts and fears as this man did. None of us ever really knows what we will do in difficult times. We can think about it and conceive of various scenarios of what we would do. But it’s not until we are living in the moment that we know for certain what we will do. This is the challenge of living life for a tomorrow that is known only to God.

As we continue our steady move towards the celebration of Christ’s resurrection we should remember all the reasons we have to give thanks. There may be some who could say they don’t have very many reasons for giving thanks. As difficult as it may be, if you find yourself in that position, I believe it is worth the effort to remember that if the only thing Jesus ever did for us was die for our sin that is enough to provide us entrance into eternal rest.

This kind of perspective is not always easy to sustain. However, it is worth trying to remember, as often as we can, the wonder of our salvation. A salvation purchased by the precious blood of Jesus and secured by the power of the Holy Spirit.

So my encouragement to all of us is to lift our eyes just a little bit higher; to not allow the affairs of this world to discourage us too much, and to put our trust in God to fulfill his word and promises to us.

Lent 2022 | 3rd Sunday in Lent: Celebrate!

As we continue our journey through Lent each Sunday, we have been looking at one aspect of God’s grace. Today we will look at the majesty of God’s grace.

The word majesty is one we don’t use very often anymore. But it’s one that describes a particular attribute of something of great value or of significant importance. One of the easiest examples of where this word is still used is in countries that still have royalty. One of the best examples of those would be the United Kingdom. Whenever referring to the reigning monarch the honorific used is “your Majesty”. This denotes recognition of the station and honor belonging to the person to which you are referring.

I’ve always found it peculiar that you say “your Majesty” and not “my Majesty.” The reason is, that as the speaker, we are referring to the dignity of the person we’re speaking to. That person holds a higher dignity, at least as it relates to protocol and decorum than the person referring to them. It is an acknowledgment of that person’s office in relation to others.

This earthly example of majesty can be helpful for at least two reasons. First, it gives us a point of reference about how we relate to those who have been given or afforded a particular form of dignity. As an American, the idea of royalty is not a part of my regular life. It is a foreign concept and social relationship.

God’s grace is majestic and worthy of our acknowledgment of it because we are not worthy of having been recipients of it.

Second, it reminds us that if there are earthly forms of majesty there are also spiritual forms of it as well. This analogy is not perfect. And it doesn’t have to be. The fact it exists in the world can help us understand, at least in part, how it may work in our relationship with God.

When we talk about God’s grace, there is within it an attribute that makes it majestic. God’s grace is majestic not just because God is the actor. God’s grace is majestic and worthy of our acknowledgment of it because we are not worthy of having been recipients of it.

Grace has been defined as unmerited favor. The idea is it is the reception of something we did not deserve. This is true. But grace is also something we could not earn. And because we did not deserve God’s grace and we cannot earn God’s grace we should acknowledge it with a greater sense of awe.

The word awe is the reaction we should have been something we cannot properly describe with human words captures our imagination. It is a feeling of being in the presence of something beautiful. And sometimes in the presence of someone greater than ourselves. Anyone who has ever met a childhood hero can understand what this means.

As we celebrate the grace of God today, and in particular the majesty of this grace, we should do all we can to never lose this understanding of what God’s grace is or what God’s grace means to us.

Lent 2022 | Day 16: Honor

One of my favorite movies is The Last Samurai starring Tom Cruise. It’s an interesting movie for several reasons. While I recognize that it is not an accurate portrayal of Japanese culture, it does have elements that point to key ideas that are true to the underlying philosophy of the samurai mindset. I base this assessment on reviews that I have seen and read since the movie came out.

But for the purpose of this post, I want to focus on a characteristic that was demonstrated by the other main character of the movie. The character Katsumoto is supposed to embody the ideal of the samurai’s spirit. There is a tranquility about his character that surprises Capt. Algren. So much so that Katsumoto’s demeanor and conduct begin to sway the captain’s outlook on life.

In the movie, the idea that is being played out on the screen is that of Bushido. This philosophical framework is beyond the scope of this post, but a shorthand for why it was practiced by the samurai is the idea of living a life governed by honor.

Sometimes it is helpful to see in other circumstances or events ideas that we are trying to make sense of in our own life. Because of the stark cultural and historical differences portrayed in the film, the idea of honor seems more poignant. And while this is a fictional and overly dramatized story the idea is still easy to grasp.

In a way, honor can be defined as the guiding principle by which the samurai conducted every aspect of their lives. And the lengths to which they went to achieve this ideal were through a complete dedication to those principles that advanced the discipline required to achieve them. We see this in a montage as Capt. Algren is familiarizing himself with the hamlet in which he is held captive. With nowhere to go he begins to see beyond the exterior, and physical expressions of the surroundings, to the motivations of the people themselves.

When we are able to accept the fullness of God’s grace, we honor the sacrifice of Christ by living a life consistent with the Father’s character.

What is the connection we can draw between the example of Katsumoto in the movie and our journey towards Lent? For me, it is that living a life of obedience to the principles and truths of Scripture affords us the ability to become what God envisioned in the creation of humanity.

And so, while honor can be seen most often as an internal conviction that guides how we live, it can also be a choice we make as a way of acknowledging the worth or value of something outside of us. When we are able to accept the fullness of God’s grace, we honor the sacrifice of Christ by living a life consistent with the Father’s character.

And so in this instance, I think it makes sense to see and to talk of honor with this two-pronged understanding.

May we learn to live with honor as we strive to honor our Savior.

Lent 2022 | Day 15: Rested

Over the last several years I’ve had conversations with my friend, Pastor Drew Anderson, about what it means to participate in Sabbath.

Too often this conversation becomes about taking time off or going on vacation. And while this may be a part of what it means to take Sabbath, this is not the primary emphasis for this idea.

I have been struck by the fact that too many in the Western church do not understand what it means to take Sabbath. And I say that including myself into that group. We have become so accustomed to filling every moment with activity. The idea of stillness bothers us. So much so that we can spend hours endlessly scrolling through social media feeds or news aggregators.

But what actually does it mean to take Sabbath? It’s an important question. One we must do better to answer for ourselves. So I will attempt to offer my thoughts on this topic today.

I think the primary focus of Sabbath should not be inactivity or mindless stillness. I think the primary focus of Sabbath should be a purposeful and intentional attentiveness to God. This can include an increased awareness of those things which God has blessed us with. But the idea is not to become enthralled are entangled with what’s around us. The goal should be to look at our surroundings, to consider God’s presence, and then to rejoice in those things.

One way of thinking about it can be of having a holy detachment from the world so we can see what we have around us as the gifts from God that they are.

The primary focus of Sabbath should be a purposeful and intentional attentiveness to God.

This is not always easy. The circumstances of life can cloud our ability to do this. But I think that should give us more reason to try. To try and take the time necessary to consider what God has been doing in our lives. To give thanks to God just because he is God.

Being rested is not merely about getting enough sleep. Being rested is a spiritual state where we are not restless. We are not constantly burdened by the stressors of life.

I’m not saying we act as if nothing is wrong. I’m saying we cultivate a mindset that in the midst of all that is happening we will take time to spend with God. This is something we must do consciously. We have to make time for it. In much the same way God made time for it in the creation story. God declared the day of Sabbath and commanded that we must participate in it. This is not an incidental command because God had grown tired of creating. This was an act of Revelation for our sake.

Therefore, when we fail to take heed of this admonition, we do so to our own detriment.

I would encourage you to find some time tomorrow to rest with God. For many, it is impractical to do it all day. But it would be wise for us to begin with a set time dedicated to being with God. As we do this we will begin to experience a sense of greater peace. Not necessarily because all life’s problems of going away. We will find an abiding peace within us because we know, in a new way, how faithful God has been to us. And when we have a renewed appreciation for God’s goodness, we can look forward knowing God will continue to be good regardless of what happens on life’s road.

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Lent 2022 | Day 14: Labor

The word labor can be used to describe a variety of activities. And I’ll leave that up to your imagination what those could be. But regardless of how you envision what the word describes, at its simplest level it will involve effort in order to accomplish the task.

We live in a world where convenience and easy access to resources and entertainment are all around us. It is becoming so convenient to get what we desire. We can order it in one minute and have it at our doorstep within a couple of hours. Now, this is not true of every place in the world but it is very common in many places. This is not to denigrate those who have access to such conveniences. This is merely an observation.

The reason I make the observation is to ask a question: what impact has this convenience had on how we understand our faith?

My friend, Pastor Drew Anderson, has written several blog posts and two follow-up books that speak in greater detail on the questions of how, in my particular case, the American cultural experience has impacted my Christian faith. And I think it’s a question worth exploring. I bring it up in this conversation about labor to highlight the fact that an integral part of the Christian experience is the work of building vibrant faith communities in those places where we live. This is not some overtly strategic campaign by a local congregation. This is the simple call of discipleship and to discipleship for which Jesus lived, died, and was resurrected.

As Jesus departed from this earth he instructed the disciples to go into all the world and make disciples. This was the labor to which they had been called. And it is the labor to which we must enter in. It is not one we can pass off to those with official titles or organizational endorsements. The call to obedience to make disciples is the work by which we will be judged when we stand before God. Not that it will put our salvation at risk, but it will be a measure of our faithfulness to what God requires of his people.

For some, this may seem harsh or even exaggerated. But I don’t believe that it is. Think for a moment about what Jesus said in Luke 18:8. In that passage, Jesus asks a simple question. It is a question offered after describing the parable of a woman who persisted in seeking justice from a judge. Jesus asked, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

When Jesus returns, what will he be looking for? He himself says he is looking for faith. But what will be the evidence that faith has persisted? It will be the presence of his people on the earth. For if they are not present it will mean that his command to make disciples will not have been obeyed. But as long as disciples are made and formed by the people of God the hope that Jesus will find faith endures.

The season of Lent is a good time to draw these various strands of thought together. What does it mean to serve the Lord with our labor? What does it look like to obey Christ in the making of disciples? I think the answer to these questions is simple in one sense and complex in another.

It is simple in that we are called to faithfully declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. This means we point people to Christ for salvation. This means we call all sinners to repent, to surrender their lives and purposes to those offered by God the father. And it means we should not make it complicated for people to understand this message.

This can be complex for a variety of reasons. But I think the one that concerns me the most is when we add requirements to the message of hope and salvation that Jesus never did. Living a life of obedience is hard enough without the added burdens we can impose upon ourselves or others. The Scripture is replete with examples of people doing this. And each time those who initially heard what Jesus said, and those of us who read it now, are admonished to fight against the tendency and temptation.

So as we think about our labor, may we never lose sight that we do not work in our own strength. But we labor according to the strength that Christ supplies us by the Holy Spirit (Colossians 1:29).

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