… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God … - Romans 3:23

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 31, 2015): Romans 3

I love the Sikh practice of wearing a turban. Others may rail against the practice, especially when a person is undertaking a task in support of the public, but for me it is a good reminder of exactly who it is that I am. A Sikh wears a turban to bind up his hair which has never been cut. The idea is that God who creates and provides, created us as he needed us to be. By cutting our hair and our beards (which out of honesty I need to admit that I do in regular fashion – usually on a daily basis for the latter) we are giving in to the concession that there is something about us that needs to be changed. A Sikh disagrees. This is exactly how God intended me to be, so instead of cutting the hair, I will bind it up inside the turban – and this turban and the length of the hair bound within it serves as a reminder to me, and to others, that God doesn’t make junk. I simply am as God created me.

I don’t wear a turban, shave daily, and cut my hair regularly if not frequently (the last time I sat in my hairdresser’s chair she reminded me that it have been fourteen weeks since I had last occupied that spot, I honestly hadn’t realized that it had been that long – the cutting of my hair has never been a favorite task of mine, or one that I desired to commit myself to unnecessarily.) But I agree with my Sikh friends that God has created me just as he intended me to be – and that God values who it is that I am.

Having said that, while I am as God wanted, often my actions fall short. I sin. I go against what God wants for me. But those blemishes in my life do nothing to decrease my worth. Or maybe better said, even though my actions often don’t measure up, I continue to be what God has created me to be. It is just hidden under, sometimes, layers of dirt. And even as a Christian I need to understand that. I am like a child who misbehaves. My value is not lessened even in those moments that I stand in need of discipline from my parents.

And this is the heart of the Christians message of Good News. The dirt that has collected on all of us, has in no way devalued the product. God believed that so strongly that he that he sent his Son to die on a cross so that the dirt could be removed once and for all – the person that God intended me to be, the one that was hiding underneath all of the dirt, could now finally be revealed. And every time I see one of my Sikh friends dressed in their turbans, that is the message of which I need to be reminded.

Tonight we celebrate New Year’s Eve. A time for looking back … and for looking forward. Traditionally it is a time for the making of resolutions on things that we would like to change about ourselves. But just for a moment, may I remind you that you are as God intended you to be. All that really needs to happen is that we allow the God who created us to wash off the dirt that as collected on us through the process of living. And for that task, God has already paid the price. This year, let the washing simply begin.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Romans 4

Personal Note: Happy Birthday to a great Son-in-law.  Have a great day Greg! 

As it is written: “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.” – Romans 2:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 30, 2014): Romans 2

We don’t want to admit it, but we (especially those of us who live in North America) are a major stumbling block to the spread of the gospel in other world areas. The problem is that our culture is seen as Christian, therefore everything that our culture does is assumed to be in accordance with the Christian faith. As a result, in the other world areas, for example areas dominated by our Islamic friends, Christianity is seen as a religion which endorses pornography, espouses the indiscriminate use of violence, and is weak on family issues. The last one is actually the nail in our coffin. In cultures where the family is seen as the most important priority of the people, there is absolutely no attraction to a culture which is dominated by divorce and sins against the family. And when a faith becomes connected with that culture, that faith shares the same negative evaluation as the culture receives.

Admittedly, much of the problem is with our culture; a culture that many Christians also struggle with. But in many of the family stats, there is precious little difference in North America between the church and the culture in which the church exists. And that is not just something that we need to be aware of, it is something that we need to work to change.

Paul, speaking to the church in Rome, seems to have identified some of the same issues within the Roman Church. The church was advocating what seems to have been a strict Jewish interpretation of the faith, but Paul wonders if even they are living up to their expectations. Or is it possible that while they are advocating a high Jewish spirituality, but they have been infiltrated by the culture in which they live to the point where they are unable to live up to their own expectations. And it is for this reason that “God’s name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

The actual passage the Paul is to be referring to is found in Isaiah 52:5. And the passage in Isaiah is referring directly to the Babylonian Captivity. Isaiah wants his readers to understand that their sin, sin that caused the captivity, also made those watching outside of Israel question the power of Israel’s God to save them. In this way, dirt was caused to fall on the name of God (and this is the real definition of the idea of “taking the Lord’s name in vain”) and, therefore, no one was compelled to give worth to the God of Israel. For Paul, the Roman church was in position to do the exact same thing by espousing a law that they refused to keep. The Roman church needed to understand that their sin was causing the same reaction as the sin of Israel had at the time of the Babylonian Captivity. And as a result of their sin, the nations saw no reason to believe in their God.

Our sin is causing the same thing to happen in many areas of the world. The biggest barrier to the spread of the Gospel is still us and our sin. It is a situation that God takes seriously – and so should we.      

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Romans 3

For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” – Romans 1:17

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 29, 2014): Romans 1

I can’t be good. This I know. Sometimes I think that other people believe that I am unaware of my foibles, but I am not. And the worst thing about it is that even when I think I am being good, I find out that I don’t quite measure up. I fail and fall short too often for my own comfort. Having said this, I don’t want you to somehow believe that this is a disease that I am keeping to myself. I see it almost every day, in almost every person that I find around me (I want to say every day and every person, but I will leave some room for those who believe that they must be exempt from the illness.)

A few weeks ago I had to have an uncomfortable conversation with a good friend. He had been hurt by the comments that had been made by others within our little faith community, and wondered why it was that we have such a hard time loving each other. But at the same time, he had overlooked how he had done the exact same thing. And the unpleasant reality is that none of the hurt was caused purposely. They were both trying to be good, but both had failed miserably.

I can’t be good. But somehow that doesn’t make any sense to me. I should be able to do anything to which I will set my mind. Being good should be almost a mathematical probability. If we do A, B, And C then the result will always be D. But it never works out like that. Something deflects us – stops us – wrecks us. We fail. And I can’t explain that – and that bothers me.

I recently had another discussion with someone who would never consider themselves a Christian. And one of the comments that was made during the conversation was that you didn’t have to be a Christian to be good. The idea is one of the biggest misconceptions with regard to Christianity. My friend is absolutely right. In fact, the only chance you have of thinking of yourself as good is if you stand solidly outside of the faith - because inside of the faith the righteousness of God is revealed, and we just can’t measure up.

And so we are left with our faith. I know – we know – that we are not good. Our only chance at being thought of as good is that by faith we can somehow reflect the righteousness that comes only from God. We live by faith. And it has always been that way. One of the things that I love about the Bible is that it refuses to pull punches in describing the heroes of the faith. These men and women have committed every crime possible. And yet they are considered to be good because they reflect the righteousness that comes from God. All of this is because, from the first to the last, the righteous live by faith.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Romans 2

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. – Acts 20:24

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 28, 2014): Acts 20

Colin Kaepernick, quarterback for the NFL San Francisco 49ers, was rewarded for two years of excellent play with a record contract last offseason. The contract was a seven year deal worth $126 million – except that apparently it wasn’t. The reported contract was apparently for a possible $126 million, on the condition that Kaepernick was named to either the first or second All-Pro teams, or the 49ers appeared on the Super Bowl every year of the contract. If neither of these things happened, then the contract de-escalates by two million dollars a year. Not only that, the contract has a clause that specifies that every year the 49ers have an opportunity to walk away from the contract and owe Kaepernick absolutely nothing. With the San Francisco 49ers having already been eliminated from playoff contention, and Kaepernick languishing in the bottom half of the league in performance related stats, the de-escalation has already begun. And while it is unlikely that the 49ers will walk away from Kaepernick this season, another disastrous year will likely make that a very real option. In the end, the famous seven year deal for $126 million could end up being just a two year deal for $26 million. That is still a lot of money, but it is only a fraction of the deal that could have been.

There is a major problem with deals like the one the 49ers signed with Kaepernick. The amount of money that the team has to spend to keep their quarterback happy means that that money can’t be used in other areas. The Seattle Seahawks this offseason are going to have to make some similar decisions to keep some of their key pieces in place. Whether the players like it or not, their salaries are sometimes a major obstacle to obtaining success that they seek. The 49ers season, and Colin Kaepernick’s stats, might have been greatly changed if the quarterback had told the team he would sign for less money as long as the team used the money he was leaving on the table to put some other key pieces in place. Because the goal children chase after from early on in life is not usually the money, it is a win in the championship and be regarded as the best in the sport. And years from now the only question that will be asked about Colin Kaepernick and his NFL career will not be how much money the quarterback made, it will be how many Super Bowl rings he won.

This is exactly Paul’s point. His eye is firmly on the task that he feels that God has given to him. And he will trade everything to reach the goal. Paul uses a sports metaphor here, “to finish the race.” He is chasing after his Super Bowl, and he is willing to pay any price, not to be paid a price, in order to achieve that goal. Paul has decided that he will leave it all on the field. He doesn’t care how the future will regard him. Maybe they will consider him as a great theologian, or a prestigious church planter, or a tireless missionary. But none of that matters to him. All he wants to do is to spend his life chasing after the prize – he wants to win his Super Bowl.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Romans 1

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? – 2 Corinthians 13:5

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 27, 2014): 2 Corinthians 12 & 13

A couple of weeks ago (December 14, 2014), Johnny Manziel made his first professional football start at quarterback with the Cleveland Browns. Previously this season he had come in to relieve the Browns starting (primary) quarterback, Brian Hoyer; but on this day the game and the hopes and dreams of all of the Browns’ fans now rested on his young shoulders. For those of you who do not follow American Football, the young Manziel has been one the most polarizing figures in the game this year. At the NFL draft last year (which is really just like a schoolyard exercise of picking teams so that a game can be played), Manziel was picked by some to go as high as one of the top five choices (of the 256 players who would hear their names called on draft day), but others insisted that the Quarterback was undraftable and should not appear on anyone’s list of the 256 players. In the end, Manziel was chosen with the 22 pick by Cleveland. So when he walked out onto the field on December 14 to play against the rival Cincinnati Bengals, a lot of questions still needed to be answered.

On that day, Manziel answered absolutely none of the questions. The young quarterback had a horrible day on the field of play. And after the game he admitted that he hasn’t worked hard enough this year. When he found out he was going to play against Cincinnati he worked very hard, but just for that one week. In the eyes of some football pundits, there is absolutely no surprise here. According to these experts, Manziel does not have the necessary character and work ethic to be in the game. But others are a little more lenient. They do advise the young player that he needs to work every week as if he is starting in the next game. And that he needs to approach the game as if he was chosen last and now has to prove himself, but they insist that if he will work, there is still a future for him in professional football.

This is the same advice that Paul seems to be giving to the Corinthian Church. They are to test themselves, continually examining themselves, asking themselves the really hard questions. They need to remember that if they are part of the faith, then Christ is in them – and they need to reflect his nature. Above all, they need to work every day like Christ was going to appear at the end of it, because the reality was that Christ was appearing to the people that they came in contact with through them. They were to be Jesus with skin on to a world that needed his touch.

It is so easy to forget this, to let things slide – to believe that it is not important to get things right today, because we will always have tomorrow. But that isn’t the truth. God has not called us to get into the game someday. The world needs his presence now, and if we are not the ones to carry that presence into the world, then who? If not now, then when? Our coach is calling us into the game now – we are the starters. Are we prepared to meet the call?   

Tomorrow Scripture Reading: Acts 20

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? – 2 Corinthians 11:28-29

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 26, 2014): 2 Corinthians 11

“Basically, they took 19^th century technology and put it in a box.” The statement was recently made as a description of the traditional lie detector. The famous lie detector, still used in a variety of security areas, is really just a piece of antiquated technology that has been upgraded to look like something more modern than it really is. And contrary to popular belief, a lie detector has no idea about whether you are lying or not. In fact, a lie detector doesn’t even measure the telling of things that are not true. The lie detector is really an anxiety detector. And the truth is that sometimes you are anxious when you lie, but not always. And sometimes you are even anxious when you are telling the truth. And none of this is exactly new. A 1983 report prepared for Congress (The Saxe Report) banned the use of lie detectors by private companies in their hiring process because of questions regarding the device’s legitimacy. And in 1998, a Supreme Court ruled that polygraphic evidence could not be used in federal courts because "there is simply no consensus that polygraph evidence is reliable." They were right.

Lie detectors simply do not work – at least not at the task of telling whether or not a person is lying. They are very good at discovering whether or not you are anxious. And according to this passage, Paul would have set one off. This passage is basically a description of the things in his life that make him anxious. And his list would make any of us anxious. But after finishing his list he makes this comment – “Besides everything else” or maybe “Above everything else” I am concerned and anxious over my churches. I am happy when they are happy. I weep when they cry. I even feel like I can experience the effects of their sin.

This is the experience of, I hope, of most church leaders. But one trusted mentor said that when people leave my office, I need to be able to take everything that they have laid on my shoulders, and place it back on theirs. I understand the advice, but I have always struggled at executing it. And apparently I am in good company – Paul seemed to have struggled at the same task.

But maybe we are supposed to struggle with it. I am not saying that we are God or that we should have a God complex, but the basis of our faith is that God came down and met us in the midst of our problems. And the act of God coming down should be the model of the church. We can do amazing things when we are willing to actually feel the pain of those around us. For me, I know that I too am happy when those I minister to are happy, and when they are in trouble, even when that trouble is of their own making, I physically feel their pain. I don’t necessarily like it, but I am not sure that I would want it to be any other way.

So bring on the lie detector. But if the questions involve the people that I minister too, like Paul, I am unlikely to pass.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 12 & 13

“The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). – Matthew 1:23

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 25, 2014): Matthew 1

Most of us have dreams for our kids. If we were asked what our dreams are for our kids we would probably reply that we are happy if they just stay healthy – but, most likely, our dreams go just a little deeper. We want them to make a difference in their world. We want them to find a good spouse who will complement them and help them to make their dreams come true. We may not wish great financial success on them, but we do want them to be comfortable – to be able to pay their debts and save enough money to purchase a house and someday to retire in comfort – and not have to spend their lives living from paycheck to paycheck. All of this is part of our dream.

Things haven’t changed much in this respect. We still dream for our kids like the parents of centuries past dreamt for their kids. So, when Mary and Joseph found out that they were going to have a baby, they were given a name. The name described all that the baby boy was meant to be. The angel told them to call him Jesus. A few years ago archaeologists found a grave marker of a family that contained the names of Mary and Joseph and Jesus. A thrill went through the world as people wondered if we had found the burial spot of the holy family. Then we started to do the math. Mary was the most popular name for girls in Jesus time. A quick look through the bible confirms that Mary was not an unusual name. Joseph and Jesus were also very popular names. Israel 2000 years ago was filled with little boys named Jesus. The probability of a family having the names of Mary, Joseph and Jesus was fairly high – probably higher than any other combination of names.

Parents would name their sons Jesus, or a variant of the name, simply because they desperately wanted a name that would sum up all of their dreams and hopes for their children.  By naming the boys Jesus, and the girls Mary, they gave a name that would indicate that their child were important. But no one was giving their children the name of Immanuel. No one wanted to claim that their child would be “God with Us.” One would come – sometime in the future – that would be “God with Us.” Oh, no doubt they would have loved to name their child Immanuel – but that would be a little too forward.

The angel spoke to Joseph. Mary will have a baby and you will call him Jesus – just like so many other boys that he will grow up with – but he is also Immanuel. He is God coming to us.

We don’t worship Jesus – there were too many of them. We worship at the name of Jesus who is also Immanuel. God has come to you – and to me. And nothing is more worthy of my praise.
 

Merry Christmas to all!

(Originally Published on December 26, 2010)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 11

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. – Psalm 63:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 24, 2014): Psalm 63

Tonight is the night for angels. This is the night that we celebrate the angels breaking the silence in a small village named Bethlehem. It was on this night in 1865 that Pastor Phillips Brooks was half a world away from his congregation in Philadelphia. He was tired, burned out and discouraged. The American Civil war had taken its toll on him. He opposed slavery, but the idea of Americans killing Americans was an idea that Brooks could not understand. And then in April 1865, President Abraham Lincoln’s opposition to slavery and support for the black vote resulted in his assassination. Phillips Brooks was eloquent as he spoke at Lincoln’s funeral, but it was the last straw. Brooks was done. And by the end of the year, Brooks was in Palestine. He expressed a desire on Christmas Eve to ride up to Bethlehem - despite the warnings he received that indicated that thieves made that ride a dangerous one. But Brooks ignored the warnings and arrived in Bethlehem as the sun was setting. It was Christmas Eve. The town lay silent and still. And Brooks remembered the events that had taken place in these Palestinian hills over 1800 years earlier. It would be this memory that three years later would turn into the Christmas Carol “O Little Town of Bethlehem” and the line “While mortals sleep, the angels keep, Their watch of wondering love.”

Angels are such prevalent characters in the Christmas drama. And yet, in the past I have wanted to play with that image. So I asked a question - Did angels really sing? The Luke text strongly suggests that the answer to that question is no. The angels spoke the good news. Oh, it is quite possible that there was excessive dancing that accompanied the announcement, but no singing. At least, there was no singing on the part of the angels.

It could even be argued that angels simply do not sing – or, if they do sing, it is because they are joining in on a song that we are singing. It is not a hill that I am willing to die on, but I do find it an interesting proposition. What if the song is our private language with God? What if that is the reason why music seems to be the universal language, and why we get so attached to the idea of the song – and why singing has always been part of the way in which we all get to participate in the community of God. What if our songs are a language that only we can speak – and angels can only try to imitate the way that we communicate with our God?

David says he sings in the shadow of God’s wings. His singing was the automatic reaction of a man who realized that God was his help. His song was his cry in a language that was reserved for communication between him and his God. On that hill in Bethlehem a little more than 2000 years ago I think that there was singing – but it might not have been done by a choir of angels, but rather by a group of shepherds, communicating with their God under his wings (and the wings of his angels.)

(Originally Published on December 24, 2012)

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Matthew 1

You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. – 2 Corinthians 10:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 23, 2014): 2 Corinthians 10

I have to admit that the real Christmas story is a bit strange. In fact, the biblical story of a baby being born of a virgin and placed in a feeding trough is probably just as unbelievable as the story of the Jolly Old Elf making a trip around the world with his sleigh and eight – or nine including Rudolph – reindeer. The biblical Christmas story features the Messiah, born as a baby (we were expecting him to come as an adult); this baby was born to a working class family (we were expecting royalty); he was born in an obscure village – Bethlehem, the town of David (we were expecting Jerusalem, the city of David); the birth announcement was made to shepherds in the field (we were expecting the announcement to be delivered to religious officials in the temple), and in a real plot twist, Wise Men (read astrologers – not astronomers) or Magi (these men were worshippers of the god Zoroaster) found clues to this story in the stars and came running to greet the new king (this in spite of all the passages that condemn the practice of astrology within the pages of the Bible – and also condemn the worship of gods other than Yahweh). By all appearances, this could not be the way that God was choosing to enter into the world. And yet, this surprising story line is actually supported by the prophets – although it is unlikely that even the prophets imagined that the Messiah would come exactly in this way.

But Christianity has always violated appearances. And this is something that Paul wants to stress to the Corinthian church. Apparently, Paul felt that the Corinthian’s were making spiritual decisions based on appearances. They were ignoring the instructions of the apostles that stressed equality, not based on position or race, but rather based on the idea that we are all part of God’s creation – and that we are all the children of God. Specifically, some may have been unwilling to listen to Paul’s teaching solely because of the way he looked. And the description that we have of Paul is not a complementary one. Paul was an unimpressive man. He was a small man. Paul was bald and apparently had crooked legs, a hooked nose and eyebrows that met in the middle. But in Corinth Paul’s teachings were being ignored because of the way that Paul looked, and Paul’s Christianity was even questioned – to the point where Paul felt that he had to defend himself as well as those who had committed themselves to the task of advancing the gospel of Christ beside Paul.

Judging someone on the basis is as easy as it is foolhardy. I have known people who were unwilling to see past appearances. And I have known congregations that struggled with the same issue. Short people were overcompensating, larger people were lazy, and ugly people were stupid. Amazingly these people would probably been much like some of those in the Corinthian Church and would have ignored the apostle’s message. These churches would have never extended a call to Paul asking him to come to be their pastor. And both would have lost a great spiritual opportunity because of their preconceptions.

So maybe it is good that we don’t have a picture of Paul to go along with his letters. Without an image, we have the chance to hear the heart of this spiritual giant, without being influenced by what the apostle may have looked like.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 63

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 22, 2014): 2 Corinthians 8 & 9

It won’t be long now. Just a couple of nights from now we will be gathering to celebrate the Birth of Jesus Christ on Christmas Eve. I have always loved Christmas Eve – and probably for a couple of reasons. First, there is a great feeling of celebration and worship as we sing the carols and light the candles on Christmas Eve. But there is also a sense of relief. By the time we begin to worship in the Christmas Eve service, everything is done. No more shopping. The prep for Christmas is done. All there is left to do is enjoy the Candlelight Service - and then head home to enjoy time with family.

The story is a familiar one – it is all about a baby born in a manger because there was no room in the inn, and it is about the proud parents Mary and Joseph holding their son surrounded by the animals in the barn, and it is about shepherds in the field taking care of the sheep listening to the angels singing in the field. God had come down to be born on the earth – and he had arrived not in a palace, but in a barn. The creator of all of the earth begins his life on this planet in the lowliest way that we could imagine.

Paul talks in this passage about Jesus being rich. But there is absolutely no evidence that the Jesus of the Gospels had any worldly wealth. He was the son of a carpenter, a member of a blue collar family. He learned a trade and most likely worked with his father on worksites in the areas around Nazareth, but rich? … no, that he was not.

Yet we can’t get around the fact that Paul calls Jesus rich. And the only answer to the riddle is that Paul is not referring to the story of Jesus life, but is instead referring to the familiar Christmas story. The idea of Jesus being rich would seem to have a double meaning. First it indicates the contrast between the eternal and finite. In giving up heaven, Jesus did more than just change his address. He sacrificed his eternal state so that he could become like us. And the incarnation was more than just a momentary change of station. We believe that Jesus has remained in his incarnated form, he continues to be like us so that he can intercede for us.

But the idea of Jesus poverty also points to the way that Jesus could have come. He could have been born into a palace, but instead he was born in a barn. He could have been born into a life of leisure, but instead he was born into a life of hard work, a life that would produce callouses on his hands. He could have been born into the home of a rabbi, but instead he was born into the house of a carpenter. He could have been rich, yet for our sake he became poor – so that we might be rich, possessing some of the very things that Jesus gave up.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 10

I am glad I can have complete confidence in you. – 2 Corinthians 7:16

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 21, 2014): 2 Corinthians 7

Lebron James, beyond playing some great basketball of late, earlier this month also succeeded in offending the Brits. The offending moment came during a photo shoot with basketball’s King James of Cleveland and Prince William and the Duchess Kate Middleton of the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth. During the photo shoot, James placed his arm around the shoulder of the likely future Queen – a breach in protocol which sent the British tabloids into a feeding frenzy. To be blunt, it is unlikely that the Duchess was actually offended by the friendly touch of James. But that didn’t stop British watchers from their condemnation of the basketball player – and American culture that they find much too touchy.

Again, the reality is that Britain has long ago become used to North American protocol breaches. And James arm around Kate was just further proof that, at least from a reserved British perspective, North American culture simply places too much emphasis on the idea of touch, or maybe it is that we simply don’t understand how touch is viewed in a reserved culture. The result is that the breaches in protocol have almost become – expected. From a British standpoint, North Americans simply have no idea of the proper way to act.

Paul had sent Titus to Corinth hoping that the problems that Corinth had been experiencing could fixed. He had sent them a letter (1 Corinthians) and Titus to help make the change. And the experiment had been successful. It was not that everything was perfect in Corinth, there was still work to be done. But the Corinthians had made improvements and were heading in the right direction. And because of that, Paul had confidence that the Corinthians would make it the rest of the way. Paul was proud of the Corinthian Church, and he simply wanted to make sure that they knew that.

Paul’s confidence in the Corinthian Church was pretty much the reverse of the confidence that the British have in North American culture. Paul was confident that the Corinthians could – and would do the right thing. The British, on the other hand, seem to be confident that we will mess up and breach protocol. And yet they continue to come and visit our fair shores. While Paul was encouraged and was sure that the Corinthians would continue to be an encouragement to him, the Brits seem content to be sure of our commitment to continue to be a disappointment to them. Our disappointment is simply a reminder of the distance that has developed between our cultures. And while the British might hope that we will make the journey toward them, we privately wish that they would move toward us – and neither of us is likely to be encouraged by the way our cultures move into the future. Everything points to the fact that we will continue to disappoint – continue to be an example of the opposite kind of relationship that Paul had with the Corinthian Church.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 8 & 9

As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. – 2 Corinthians 6:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 20, 2014): 2 Corinthians 6

It is easy to get caught up in the comparison game. We all do it. Every time we meet someone new, something inside of us begins to compare our lives with theirs, evaluating how well we measure up to them. From my experience, we often make two opposite mistakes with our comparisons – and sometimes at the same time. We place a higher value on ourselves and the things that we do – after all we know more, we have more education or, at the very least, more common sense, than the average bear – and we want to be honored for what it is that we do. Yet at the same time we often feel we don’t measure up on some scale – maybe it is that we are not as rich as they are, or not as pretty. It doesn’t really matter what the scale is. It may seem superficial to everyone else, but to us it is important – and the comparison we build up in our mind reigns.

Paul had every reason to believe that he was better than the Corinthian Church. After all, he was Paul, the great missionary. He was the one who had planted most of these churches in the first place. Paul was the church executive, the sought after teacher of the faith, the one who would one day define the theology of the Christian Church. And Paul would have had every right to demand and command. But he chooses not to.

Instead, Paul urges the Corinthian Church to listen to him “as God’s co-workers.” He reminds them not that they are under his command, but that together they were working toward the same goal. His message is clear. We are one together on a journey and our goal is the same. You are called to work for God, just as I am. And together we can make the God Dream a God Reality. But this can only happen if we are willing to work together toward a common goal – to stop playing the comparison game.

Specifically, Paul was worried that the Corinthians had received the grace of God in vain. The comment could mean two things. First, it could mean that the Corinthians had adopted a works righteousness apart from faith. This was a favorite issue that Paul seemed to like to write to the churches about, but the context of the Corinthian letters don’t seem lend themselves to this conclusion. It was much more likely that Paul’s concern in Corinth was actually the opposite – that the Corinthian church was making a mockery of grace by believing that grace meant that there was no need to change their behavior – grace meant that there was no need for repentance. The truth is that Paul did not advocate either extreme. For Paul, salvation was by faith, but the grace of God demanded a change in our lives. If there is a passage that shows that Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, and James, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, were actually on the same page and not fighting against each other – this just might be it. Neither believed that that grace was easy. Both believed that when grace was truly understood, lives were changed.  And if that did not happen, then grace had been received in vain.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 7

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. – 2 Corinthians 5:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 19, 2014): 2 Corinthians 5

What I am about to say might not win me any friends, but I feel sorry for Bill Cosby. Okay, that may not be completely true. My emotional response to Mr. Cosby’s legal troubles is probably a little more complex than that. The truth is that Bill Cosby has made me laugh many times over the years – sometimes with just that turn and stare maneuver that he always does so well. Bill Cosby has been permanent fixture in my entertainment world. From his “I Spy” days (which admittedly I have only known in reruns) to Fat Albert (what kid of my generation didn’t love to hear the “Hey, hey, hey” of Fat Albert) to the various versions of the Cosby show, Bill has simply been there. He has been respected by most, taught me to eat “Philly Style Subs” (subs stuffed with potato chips) and in many ways was simply special.

And no, I do not condone his actions. Deep down I just wish things were different. Obviously as I write this everything is still up in the air. Every day seems to bring more women forward with charges to lay at the comedian’s feet – most seem to be actual allegations, but I suspect that some might simply be the lunatic fringe looking for attention, and that is a problem and it taints the testimony of the women who were actually assaulted by Cosby. And all of this influences the main question that is currently being asked, and one that we can’t answer this close to the allegations. The question that needs to be answered at some point in the future is simply this -  is it possible to separate Bill Cosby the man, from the art of Bill Cosby. But it is a question that will simply have to wait.

But … there is also something else at work here. It is a familiar story that we see at work in several areas of life. Often with the rich and the famous, but also sometimes among some of the rest of us. It is the idea of entitlement. At some point we forget who we are, and we begin to believe that we are something that we are not. Maybe it is simply that the rules don’t apply to us (which if the allegations prove to be true it would seem that Mr. Cosby came to believe.) Maybe it is in the belief that our intentions are different than other peoples, even though our actions are the same. This might be the most common excuse of people in my circle of influence – when I do this it is because it just has to be done, but when they do it they are just being mean. Either way, the end result is that we come to feel that we are entitled.

Paul seemed to realize that this was our weakness. So he reminds us of what he sees as our reality. First we need to understand that Jesus died because we are all dead. Specifically, Christ died because there is no way that any of us are spiritually self-sufficient. We simply cannot choose what is right. We needed help, and that help came from the death of Christ. Again, Jesus did not die to make us good, he died to allow us to live.

But the second thing that we need to understand is the reason why Christ died – he died because of his love for us. (Note, this passage is not about our love for him, it is clearly about his love for us.) And the result of Christ’s love is that we are compelled, or constrained, or even contained. The idea is that we become a people under orders. We are an army charged to love others the way that we have been loved, we are compelled to treat others with the utmost respect because that is the way that God has treated us. We are not entitled – we can’t be. We are compelled not to be.

It is something that we need to be reminded of. Christ’s love for us has placed us under an obligation as his soldiers to join him at the task of making this world a better place. Anything less is simply not good enough. And this obligation rules out any kind of entitlement.  

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 6

 

The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. – 2 Corinthians 4:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 18, 2014): 2 Corinthians 4

American Atheists National Convention has once again released their billboard for the Christmas season. I have to admit that I look forward every year to the occasion – and I even have a few of them saved on my computer. This year’s edition displays a little girl with a Santa Hat on writing her Christmas wish list for Santa. The letter reads – Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is to skip church! I’m too old for fairy tales. (You might need to pause here a moment to let the intended irony sink in.) The billboard has been released in a limited number of areas for the Christmas season – largely in Bible belt areas where the association believes that too many atheists are hiding in the closet and need some encouragement to come out.

 

 

But what has always amazed or bothered me with the American Atheists National Convention is that they seem more like closet Christians. They seem to want all of the things that are offered by the church, just without the awkward inconvenience of a belief in God. And why not, they are people too. We all need the kind of community that seems too often be only available inside various faith based organizations.

Atheists seem to want to promise a lot of things – better world, peace, love, the simple ability to be good – all of which they believe that they can do and be without God. And I would be the last one to disagree with them. I think that you can be all of those things without God. But they are also available with God. Maybe the biggest misconception is that we rely on God to give us all of those good things. But the truth is that we need God for none of it – the promise of God is not that we will be good, but simply that we would be finally find life.

A while back another Atheist campaign advertised an atheist family (the Monnett family) with the tag line – come doubt with us. Admittedly the billboard confused me. How can you doubt if you are sure that God doesn’t exist.

Let me tell you a secret. Don’t tell anybody, but I doubt every day. There are so many things that I just don’t understand about life or about God. Christianity has never really been about not doubting – it has been about being willing to journey and to consider the possibility of God, it is about refusing to be blinded to the possibility of God. And that is the commitment that I make every day. I refuse to allow myself to be blinded to the possibility. And the journey – and God - has never disappointed me.

So, maybe it is time to extend the invitation back to all of my Atheist friends. This Christmas, why not come and explore your doubt us. At least we have an alternative to offer – and it is an alternative to which you don’t have to be blind. Come on and join us and we can doubt together – you know you wanna!

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5

And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. – 2 Corinthians 3:18

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 17, 2014): 2 Corinthians 2 & 3

Sometimes, when we look in the mirror, we don’t actually see what is real. What we often seem to see is just a caricature of ourselves, a cartoon picture drawn by a street corner artist that only seems to magnify our flaws. I recently attended a farewell function for a colleague. Part of the entertainment at the function was an acted parody of the guest of honor, myself, and another pastor friend. The parody was wonderful – and frightening. I admit that I recognized myself in the presentation, but I also have to admit that at times I wished I couldn’t see myself. It was just a caricature. I have the same issue when I watch a video of myself speaking. I never see myself as I am, just the caricature of me. And deep down I know that it isn’t truth.

Paul’s revelation in this statement is a fork of at least three prongs. The first prong is that the statement concerns all. Some wish to limit this statement, maybe to all who are chosen by God, but that is not what Paul really tells us. He says all, or maybe more precisely, all who care to look, will see God. This is in opposition to the story of Moses where it was only Moses who was allowed on the Mountain to meet with God. The rest of the Israel had to stand aside and wait – not even touching the base of the mountain. But for Paul, all of that had changed. It was no longer the one, or even just the apostles, it was all.

The second prong considered the presence of the “unveiled faces.” As Moses came off the mountain, all of Israel was dismayed because his face reflected the God that he had spent time with. It was too much for Israel, and so Israel made Moses hide his face. But we stand with unveiled faces. While Moses reflected God in diminishing fashion, less as time moved him away from the Mountain of God, we are reflecting God in increasing fashion, becoming more and more like him. In fact, if there is proof of a person’s “Christianity,” it is that we are becoming more like Christ as we become more willing to spend time with him; the more we are willing to look and see him.

But the third prong demonstrates the limitation that we still live under. Older translations replace contemplate with the idea of seeing God as if we are seeing him in the mirror. Ancient mirrors didn’t reveal the truth, they revealed only a caricature by their nature. And that is how Paul says that we see God. A caricature of who he really is. One day we will see him face to face, but for now he is only a reflection, seen imperfectly by those of us who are willing to look.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 4

And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. – 2 Corinthians 1:7

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 16, 2014): 2 Corinthians 1

A.W. Tozer, in his book “The Root of Righteousness,” wrote something that we have ever since that time really wish he had left unsaid. In Tozer’s words “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until he has hurt him deeply.” It is not something that we want to know. Often, in spite of our objections on the issue, we want God to be an escape from the bad, not the perpetrator of the hurt in our lives. And yet, I have to admit that even I know the reality of Tozer’s comment.

One of the hardest stories in the Bible to understand is the “Sacrifice or the Binding of Isaac” – an event that happened at the hands of his father, Abraham, and at the direction of God. We go to great lengths to explain the story away; we argue that it is misunderstood. But what if it wasn’t. There is absolutely no argument that this day had to be the most painful day of Abraham’s life. Tradition holds that Abraham and Isaac never spoke again after this day. We know that Isaac seemed to be a mere stopping place between the exploits of Abraham and the adventures of his grandson Jacob. Maybe that is just the way the story is told, or maybe there is a deeper reason, one born out of the pain of Isaac’s childhood – a pain that he was never able to leave behind.

Paul says that he has a firm hope in the Corinthians because he knows that they have shared in the sufferings of the greater Christian community – and because of that pain, he knows that they share also in the comfort of God. It seems to be the very thing that Tozer was trying to point out. God was able to use the Corinthian Church in a great way simply because they had been hurt deeply. The pain had proceeded the blessing – just as it had with Abraham and Isaac (the blessing in the story of the “Binding of Isaac” begins with the release of Isaac and the provision of a ram for sacrifice – but we shouldn’t kid ourselves that the blessing in any way erased the pain.) Yet, as Christians we often want to run from the pain, escape the pain, rather than allow God to work through it – allowing the pain to lead us to the blessing of God and God’s using us to change this world in ways that we would never have imagined.

Tozer goes on with this description.

The flaming desire to be rid of every unholy thing and to put on the likeness of Christ at any cost is not often found among us. We expect to enter the everlasting kingdom of our Father and to sit down around the table with sages, saints and martyrs; and through the grace of God, maybe we shall; yes maybe we shall. But for the most of us it could prove at first an embarrassing experience. Ours might be the silence of the untried soldier in the presence of the battle-hardened heroes who have fought the fight and won the victory and who have scars to prove that they were present when the battle was joined.

Tozer understood, maybe better than most, that the pain and the hurt in our lives were merely the signs that we have been in the battle. And as deep as the pain may have been, the comfort is even deeper. It might be a comfort that we only get glimpses of today, but we know that one day we will emerge from the battle wearing he scars of the battle and the comfort of God will be made complete.

But for today, we need to understand that we are still in the battle. The pain of today is just the evidence that God is using us – preparing to make this world a better place.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 2 & 3

Do everything in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:14

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 15, 2014): 1 Corinthians 16

A recent article outlined the many ways that we annoy our servers in a restaurant setting. As I read the list, I thought for sure offering a Gospel tract (you know, those little brochures that some Christians like to hand out) instead of a tip would make the list, but it didn’t. Personally, I think that if you must leave a tract, you should probably double the tip so the server knows exactly how much you value them, and that is why you are concerned. The list offered good advice such as not saying you need something removed from your order because you are allergic – if you need something off the item you are ordering, just tell them to leave it off, or better yet, order something that comes without things that you are allergic to on it (as someone with many life threatening allergies, I was actually glad to see this one on the list. I know I annoy a lot of people I have dinner with by not mentioning my allergies.) Sending your food back without a good reason was also on the list. As was camping out at a table after you have paid your bill. If you are no longer purchasing anything, then it is time to go (I do admit that I am guilty here - I camp out way too much.) Ignoring your server and calling them over to your table while they are busy at another table also made the list. And the intent of the list seemed to be that life could be so much better if we would just stop annoying the server (or maybe it is that we would have less spit in our soup if we would stop annoying our servers.)

Paul says “do everything in love.” It is easy to see the need for love in some of the bigger events of life. As the protests rage around our world over several issues, I am a firm believer that even our protests need to be done lovingly. I really do believe that love changes everything, and I believe that, in the end, love really does win. But I also know that love is hard.

I have said that in the abortion debate I am pro-choice. The comment is often a shock to people. But the reality is that I feel I have been pushed over to the pro-choice side not because I don’t believe that in the sanctity of life (which is something that I do strongly believe in), but because I have witnessed too many pro-life protests that have been devoid of love. None of us have a right to hurl insults at a young girl who is making the hardest decision of her life, and a decision that we know is going to cause debilitating guilt throughout the rest of her life. She will pay a price for her decision, we don’t have to make it a higher one. In the homosexual debate, again I have witnessed too much hate directed at the homosexual community. As Christians, we have often said that we “love the sinner, but we hate the sin.” I have to admit that I think that statement is overly optimistic. The truth is that God seems to be the only one able to ‘love the sinner while hating the sin.” Personally I think we should “love the sinner – because that is who we all are – and leave God to deal with the rest.” All of this is important to me because I believe in the tangible quality of a love that wins and changes everything.

But in many ways these are the big ticket items, the ones where love and hate is obvious. Paul’s message is to do everything in love – big or small. His message is that we need to react to every situation with love – the same way that Jesus did. It means that we react with love on the big stage – the one with all the media cameras pointed at us, and on the smaller ones. We react with love toward those that love us – and toward those who want to make our lives just a little more difficult. We even need to react with love to the server in the restaurant, taking care of them as they take care of us.

So stop annoying the servers in your life – and please throw your gospel tracts away. The truth is that if you love, you will change your world. Love always draws people towards you, and it makes them willing to listen to and hear everything that you have to say – even about God.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 1

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. – 1 Corinthians 15:22

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 14, 2014): 1 Corinthians 15

Benjamin Franklin once remarked, “I wake up every morning at nine and grab for the morning paper. Then I look at the obituary page. If my name is not on it, I get up.” He seems to not be the only one. The truth is that we are fixated on death. A survey of the headlines on any news website on most days will reveal a list of those who have recently died. Sometimes the dead are the greats, the ones that we all liked to think that we knew. Others are the unfortunates, the ones who died as a result of serious accidents, strange and compelling illnesses, or as a result of serious crime. And if that is not enough death for us, we can usually find a list of the most dangerous mountains to climb, or maybe the most dangerous roads to travel, or any of an almost endless list of most dangerous items, and every one of them measuring the danger in terms of how many have died over time in pursuit of the goal.

None of this is much of a surprise. Death is the one thing (alongside taxes) that all of us will face at some point in the future. So maybe we should allow ourselves a little curiosity at this inevitable part of our lives. People die – this is our grim reality.

The Bible seems to teach that death has entered the world because of sin. Apparently we were not always meant to die. But this has also been a point of discussion among theologians. The argument is that death already existed in the animal kingdom before the advent of man and sin. It is also true that the first sins did not result in death – at least not immediately. Adam and Eve lived for many years – in fact centuries – after their sin in the Garden. And Abel died as a result of sin, but not his own. Cain killed his brother Abel committing the first murder, and God seemed to take great strides to make sure that Cain remained alive, placing a mark on him letting people know that he was under God’s protection.

However, there is no doubt that sin begins a slow spiritual death inside of us. Most of us are haunted by the wrongs we have committed, and for those who dare to desire to follow God, it seems that the death caused by sin is actually heightened. Like Adam and Eve as they are evicted from the garden, we become aware of the great heights from which we have fallen. And death seems to claim even more of us spiritually – and that does have an effect on us physically.

But maybe one of the great misunderstandings of Christianity is that Jesus died to make us good. That is why people enter the church and are so disappointed by the people that they find there. We are just people on the same journey as everyone else, because Jesus had no intention of dying to make us good. He died to make us alive. And because of sin, life in Christ is the only life that is really ever available to us.   

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 16

Again, if the trumpet does not sound a clear call, who will get ready for battle? – 1 Corinthians 14:8

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 13, 2014): 1 Corinthians 14

I am intrigued by poll numbers. As Obama’s approval numbers dip even among his core supporters in the wake of the tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri, one things becomes very evident. None of us want to hear the truth, what we want is to be told that we are right. It happens in my office almost every week. Someone comes for “pastoral advice,” but the reality is that they are not seeking my advice, they just want to be told that they are right. They want to know that things should be different, but that there is nothing that they need to do, no responsibility that they need to bear in order to make things right. We don’t want to hear the hard news, and we never want to know how it is that we could improve – all we are looking for is someone to encourage us that future – our future – looks bright. And that we are on the right path.

One Sunday evening, when I was out for a walk, I came upon a storefront church. A service was still going on, and to be honest I had had a tough week and so I thought that maybe, just for a moment, I could stand inside the door and just listen to what was going on in the service. Inside, songs were being sung, but in between the songs were moments of prophecy. So I listened. One lady prophesied that one of the teens in the service was going to one day be a major recording artist, God had spoken and it was going to happen. Another prophesied that a young man in the service would soon be bound for Hollywood for a career as an actor. Another unemployed man was told that he was going to one day be the CEO of a fortune 500 company. And the stories went on. All of them revealed the same optimism. It wasn’t just that there was a job out there, it was that there were incredible opportunities that God had for his people. And interspersed with the prophecy were snippets of prayers spoken in tongues – none of which were being interpreted.

The evening events inside this small storefront church were so far removed from the model of the Biblical prophecies of which I was familiar. The one call that was missing on this night of prophecy was any kind of message urging a return to God. On this night, God was the billionaire grandparents blindly handing out gifts to his grandchildren with absolutely no knowledge of what was going on in their lives. There was also no mention of God’s love – just his gifts. This small congregation was solidly focussed on the hands of God and what he was doling out and they were ignoring the wonderful experience of his presence.

It is the culture in which we live. I can’t think of one area of the world that does not need to hear a clear call to battle, not one segment of our society that does not need a word spoken about the responsibility we have for this planet and for our collective futures. Paul seems frustrated in this passage by the emptiness of the words that were being spoken in Corinth. For Paul, it is long past time for the Corinthian Church to stop their collective navel gazing and began to get ready for the battle that was before them. It was past time for the church to end the disease of selfishness which had them firmly in its grasp, and lift up their eyes and see the needs that were all around them.

This is the role of a true prophet. And it is what we need to hear today. The call that I continue to hear is that the world is simply the way it is – and there is absolutely nothing that we can do about it. And that is just not true. But we need to hear someone who will clearly call us to live beyond ourselves –and tell us how we need to change so that this world can be a better place.    

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 15

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. – 1 Corinthians 13:13

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 12, 2014): 1 Corinthians 13

Steve Bouma-Prediger, Professor of Religious Studies at Hope College in Michigan is rumored to have sometimes included the Bible verse from 2 Hesitations 4:3 which reads “There are no internal combustion engines in heaven” in his religion class. The problem is that the verse doesn’t really exist. In fact, the book of Hesitations doesn’t actually exist. Nor would the biblical writers have had any idea what an internal combustion engine was. But in spite of these obvious flaws, few students catch on to the joke. The problem is that we live in a culture that is increasingly biblically illiterate and that there are a number of phantom bible verses that simply are not in the Bible. “God helps those who help themselves” probably tops the list. The quote is not actually in the Bible. It is often erroneously attributed to Benjamin Franklin, but the saying itself probably originated in ancient Greece, not in the Bible. Other popular phantom verses would include “God works in mysterious ways,” which is actually a paraphrase of a 19^th century hymn written by the English poet William Cowper (God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform), as well as the saying “Cleanliness is next to Godliness,” which is an 18^th century saying coined by John Wesley. Neither appear in the pages of the Bible.

This passage might be among a different group of Bible verses – verses that are found in the Bible, but which people often don’t seem to know are from the Bible. The last portion of 1 Corinthians 13 is on my list of possible biblical passages to be read at weddings and it is amazing how many people have heard the passage, but have no idea that the words are from the Bible. A friend of mine, a Christian who often performs secular weddings, says that he can often slip the passage into a wedding where the participants request that the Bible not be used.

But this verse can also be problem to those who know it is there. I am in contact with people who would argue that this verse cannot be right. They would argue that faith always surpasses love - that the supremacy of faith is critical to the Christian understanding of the religion. Yet that is not what this passage says. Paul argues that hope, faith, and love are all important, but that the most important is love – not faith.

The reality is that it is a faith that has built religions that have often seemed at odds with each other. Faith has been the main reasons why wars have been fought. In Corinth, it was faith that had caused the division, faith developed from the teachings of the various Christian preachers. But Paul’s point is that love could never do that. Love is the fulfillment of the law, never faith. Love outranks faith in its power to motivate. Jesus even said that highest law is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” – not to have faith in him (Matthew 22:37). Even James argued that even the demons believe in one God – or have faith in the nature of the one true God – and shudder (James 2:19).   

God’s signature, his mark on our lives that identifies us as his has never been our faith – it has always been love. Love really is the greatest thing, not just between it and faith and hope, it is the greatest of everything. And without love, we can never be the difference in this world that God has called us to be.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 14

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. – 1 Corinthians 12:4

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 11, 2014): 1 Corinthians 12

Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson recently made a comparison between the way that he plays football and a point guard in basketball (which is interesting because a basketball point guard has often been charged with being the quarterback on the basketball court.) In basketball, a point guard is often in charge of moving the ball forward and then making a quick, on the spot decision as to where to put the ball depending on the defense he sees as he moves up the court. He needs to be able to react fast and improvise, all based on the tendencies he sees forming on behalf of his opponent. There are set plays in basketball, but what is more common is this idea of watching the defense and taking advantage of whatever the defense seems to be giving up.

In contrast, American football is built around the idea of a set play. What is happening as the players huddle on the field is not a conversation about how the player’s families are doing (at least not normally). The huddle is the place where a certain play is called and every player (hopefully) understand specifically what needs to go as he takes his place on the field. The play develops in football in a matter of a couple of seconds – the quarterback has less than four seconds to get rid of the football to either a running back or a receiver. In NBA basketball, the point guard has twenty-four seconds to make the play – and eight seconds to get the ball across half court.

So, enter Russell Wilson. Yes there are still set plays, but Wilson’s idea of the quarterback is that he is the one who simply sees what the defense is giving and distributes the ball accordingly, including the option to keep the ball and run. In seeing what the defense will give him, he often scrambles which lengthens the amount of time that he has to distribute the ball. No it never gets to the twenty-four second mark that is available in a basketball game, but it is not unusual to see him still with the ball after seven or eight seconds. A point guard quarterback has the ability to make fast decisions and improvise on the field of play. He can run the fast break – which in football would mean going without a huddle – to perfection. And he never seem to get rattled.

And this is exactly the image that I have of the Holy Spirit in this passage. Paul says that the Holy Spirit (and I hope this doesn’t sound sacrilegious) is the point guard quarterback of the church. He distributes the gifts where they will do the most good, considering the defense he sees being put up on the other side. So if we feel that we have been gifted in a certain area, there is a good reason for it. The Holy Spirit is going on the offense, and we are simply where he needs someone with our gifts to be.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 13