One Minute Review: Up in the Air

Up in the Air OMR from Thomas McKenzie on Vimeo.

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Christmas Eve

Let’s face it, today is the best part of this whole Christmas thing.  Christmas Eve is way better than Christmas Day, just as anticipation is almost always better than the thing anticipated.  Most of the time, the wrapped present under the tree is far superior to the unwrapped thing we stuff in a drawer within a few days.

Why is that?  I’m sure there are many reasons, but let me take a shot at one.  A wrapped present is a symbol of hope.  An unwrapped present is an object that was manufactured at a factory in China.  A wrapped present is mystery, an unwrapped present is utility.  A wrapped present is, therefore, heavenly while an unwrapped present is a mere commodity.  When I look at those gifts shrouded in colorful paper and bows, I am catching a glimpse of heaven.  Nothing you buy at the mall will ever compare with heaven, so the gift you give or receive will never measure up to the hope that came before.

The only way that hope could be outmatched by fulfillment would be if that which is hoped for is heaven itself.  For this reason, I am confident that the anticipation of the ever expectant Church will be far surpassed by the joy that is coming to her.

When Christ came as a baby, the angels sang his praises to a limited number of laborers.  Their experience took them from the heavenly chorus to a manger.  When Christ returns, everything in heaven and on earth will sing his praises.  No one will need to point the way to him, no one will need to seek him out.  He will be as obvious as the Sun on a cloudless day, as loud as thunder that has come too close.

How we will greet Christ depends in part on how we live in the ongoing Advent Season of our lives.  If we are not watching, not waiting, then I expect we are in for a rude awakening.  If we are waiting with fear, trying to make sure we are doing enough to earn his favor, I expect we will be in for disappointment as we see the last being made first.  If we are waiting with hope, as a child looking on that unwrapped Christmas present, I believe that the joy we find will far exceed any expectations.

Advent 2009 is almost over.  The Great Advent of Life will end one day, we know not when.  Let’s welcome Christmas Day with joy this year.  Let’s also keep our eyes open, for that final Gift will come when we least expect him. 

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N.T. Wright on Advents

N.T. Wright is, in my estimation, our greatest living theologian.  By 'our' I don't just mean us Anglicans, I mean us Christians.  A bold statement, to be sure, and one with which others might take issue.  This year, Bishop Wright wrote the words (libretto) for a choral piece about Advent.  As Advent draws to a close, I want to give you some of his introduction to that piece.  He provides for us a clear-headed reflection on the nature of this season.

From N.T. Wright’s Preface to the Advent Oratorio

The great, massive Advent moment is still to come in the future. . . Both Old and New Testaments promise that one day the God who created the world will flood it with his glory, transforming it so that it thrills and throbs with his love, justice and peace. That is the promise, from both Testaments . . . In the Old Testament, this is seen in well-known Psalms such as 96 and 98, and in particular the great Messianic vision of Isaiah 11, where the whole creation is restored in peace under the rule of the ‘little child.’ In the New Testament, it encompasses passages such as Acts 1, Philippians 3, and of course Revelation, which speak of the return of Jesus himself (the ‘second coming’) to put all things to rights.

Part of the difficulty of grasping all this, in our day, is the frustrating fact that a good deal of Western Christianity has almost entirely forgotten this promise. Many people assume without question that the final Christian hope is to leave this wicked world of space, time and matter and to go off, as disembodied souls, into ‘heaven‟. That is fine as a statement of what happens to God‟s people immediately after they die, but it won’t do as an account of the great scriptural promises of new creation. There is a further, fuller hope, for a new world in which we shall have new bodies and new tasks to perform, celebrating and implementing God’s victory over evil, injustice and death itself.

The other moment, umbilically joined to this final one, is of course the first ‘coming’ of Jesus. In the four gospels, this is not primarily concerned with Jesus‟ birth, important though that is, but with his appearance at the time of John’s baptism, and the launch of his public ministry in which he announces that God is at last becoming King. This combination of themes makes our own liturgical keeping of Advent very complex: are we preparing for Christmas, for the Coming of Jesus through John’s Baptism, or for the Second Coming? The answer, liturgically, often seems to be ‘all three’, but I suspect that many ordinary worshippers are just confused.

Jesus’ Kingdom-announcement (What would it look like if God was running the show? Watch and listen and you‟ll find out!) is the anticipation, close up and personal in Jesus’ deeds and words, of the final promise in the Psalms and Isaiah. So the role of John the Baptist ... is to get people ready for this ‘coming’. His ministry of baptism picks up the Old Testament promises of God’s fresh cleansing of his people. His preaching and teaching warn people to get ready for the Coming One who will sweep through God‟s world and God‟s people like a forest fire. And part of that ‘getting ready’ is the challenge to live already, in the present time, by the rule of the justice that is coming. Hence John‟s simple, direct challenge to his hearers.

The close link between first and second comings of Jesus then becomes clear. Jesus is baptized by John. The Spirit descends, anointing Jesus afresh for his public ministry. The voice of God himself is heard, announcing him as his beloved Son. He is the one who will bring God’s sovereign, saving rule ‘on earth as in heaven’. The double Advent theme thus dovetails perfectly together. The first coming is not only the preparation for the second one; it forms a kind of template for it. Learning to live appropriately between the two ‘comings’, under the rescuing rule of Jesus and in the power of his Spirit, is what it means to be Christian.
 

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Joseph

We know very little about Mary’s fiancé. He was quite possibly a woodworker. The reason we believe this comes from the fact that Jesus is called a “woodcarver” in Mark 6:3. Sons often took on the jobs of their fathers, and since Jesus made things out of wood, then it is likely that he learned this from Joseph. It is likely he was around 20 years old when we first meet him in Matthew’s Gospel.

Thankfully, Mary’s parents chose a good and compassionate man when they selected Joseph. At his juncture in the story, Mary had become pregnant through the power of the Holy Spirit, but had immediately left town for three months. Now she has returned to Nazareth and it is obvious that she is going to have a baby. A close reading of the Bible reveals that it is possible Mary didn’t tell Joseph that she was pregnant, or how it happened. He may have found out the same way everyone else had (by looking at her).

Regardless of how he found out, Joseph showed remarkable compassion and restraint. In those days, an engagement was a legal contract. Joseph could have publicly humiliated Mary and her family. Some scholars say that he could have sued Mary’s father for allowing the girl to be “damaged.” However, the New Testament tells us that “because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.” (Matthew 1:19)

It was then that Joseph had his own conversation with an angel. The first chapter of Matthew’s gospel tells us about a dream he had in which God revealed that Mary’s pregnancy was from the Holy Spirit. The Bible then says that Joseph took Mary home with him, but they did not have sex until after she had given birth. (Matthew 1:24-25)

So Joseph and Mary moved in together. At this moment, they are technically married. No ceremony is mentioned, just the fact of cohabitation. The other villagers assumed that the baby was his, or at least he would raise it has his own. In their eyes Joseph was at best immoral, at worst a fool.

Entitlement is the belief that you deserve things to go your way. God or the Universe or the Church or the Nation owe you something. When you get what you want, it is your just reward for being you. When you don’t get what you want, you are angry and bitter. I believe entitlement is one of the most disastrous of spiritual sicknesses.

Joseph did not suffer from entitlement. When it seemed Mary had broken her contract, he decided to be merciful. When God told him he would have to raise a son who was not his, he gladly took Mary and the boy into his home. When Joseph is forced to go to Bethlehem, and the flee to Egypt, he moves forward in God’s plan with no recorded complaint. He is the model of a man who is not getting what he wants or what he ‘deserves,’ and yet is faithful to the Lord and to his family.

May God give me the grace to lay down my entitlement, like Joseph does. May God give that grace to all his Church in this Advent season.




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One Minute Review: Avatar

Blue People in 3-D at huge expense.  Is it the next Star Wars, or the next Waterworld?  Find out now!

One Minute Review: Avatar from Thomas McKenzie on Vimeo.

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Blessed She Is

The woman who would be the Mother of God lived in a small town called Nazareth.  Nazareth was part of a small, relatively unimportant district known to the Romans simply as “the Circuit,” a word that, through the Hebrew language, comes to us as “Galilee.”  I grew up in North West Texas, also an unimportant district with lots of tiny towns.  Some of these only have one traffic light or one restaurant (often a Dairy Queen).  These towns are little more than wide spots in the road where a few shops and houses have been built near each other.  We call them “one horse towns.”  That’s what Nazareth was, a one horse town, a rest stop between other places.  An insignificant place inside a larger insignificant place. 

We know that Mary was unmarried and a virgin.  Scholars agree that she was likely quite young, around the age of 14.  It is most likely that her engagement with Joseph was arranged by her parents.  There would have been a combination of political, social, and economic reasons why he was chosen above other possible suitors.  In their culture, Mary would be given over to Joseph along with some of her father’s possessions (a dowry) and she would become his wife.  Being a wife was a great deal like being a piece of property, and Mary would be expected to have children, care for her family, and engage in the life of the village as she had been trained and taught since childhood.  There was no reason for Mary to believe her life would be any different from all the other women she saw around her and knew so well. 

Mary’s life took an unexpected turn when an Angel came to her home.  We don’t know where this encounter happened, what time of day or night.  We have no description of Gabriel or of Mary.  We do know that this visit made a profound impact on the girl.  In just a few sentences, she reveals her distress, her fear, her astonishment, and her curiosity.  She is a person just like us.  When an angel from God tells her that she will give birth to a king who will reign forever, she focuses not on the brilliant future but the practical reality staring her in the face: she isn’t pregnant.  Gabriel’s explanation could not have been that helpful.  After all, every person who lives around animals (like girls in ancient small towns) knows exactly where babies come from.  They don’t come from the Holy Spirit.  Ultimately, though, Mary also shows us her utter trust in God.  She accepts that she will become pregnant without sex, and that this is the divine will.

I went to school in a small, religious town.  In my high school we had a couple of girls who got pregnant and carried the baby to term.  I saw how those girls suffered.  The stares, the gossip, and the abandonment they must have experienced from former friends.  As their pregnancies progressed, our public school wouldn’t even let them come to class.  (I suppose we had to be protected from these bad examples.)  Instead, they received “tutoring” in their homes.  I don’t believe any of these girls graduated.

That in mind, consider Mary’s situation.  She lived in a society that was much more sexually conservative than ours.  She lived in a tiny, close knit community.  In our society, we have credit scores and reputations and social standing acquired through education or wealth.  These things tell other people who we are and what we are worth.  In Mary’s society, they had “honor.”  By being unmarried and pregnant, Mary had dishonored herself, her father, her family, and, ultimately, Joseph.  She was in danger of losing everything.  There was a very real possibility that Mary would be driven out of her father’s house, out of her home town, and left to wander.  She could possibly end up in slavery or prostitution or both. 

Mary accepted the angel’s message and took an enormous risk.  She did this for her people and for us as well.  As Advent begins to draw to a close and Christmas comes ever closer, I give thanks to God for the gift of Christ.  I also give him thanks for the grace he gave that little Palestinian girl.  She inspires me today to trust the Lord and let him take care of the outcomes.  

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Can I Get an Amen?

I have just returned from seeing Handel’s Messiah with my wife, children, and mother.  I have had the opportunity to attend the Nashville Symphony’s production each year since they Schermerhorn Center opened.  Going to this concert has become one of my favorite things about this season.  I also have a recording of the Messiah on my iPod, and I like to listen to it year round.

I have my favorite parts.  I’m especially fond of the tenor solos, and the Isaiah texts generally.  The Hallelujah Chorus is, of course, a highlight.  At this point in my life, my favorite bit is the final chorus entitled "Worthy is the Lamb."  It is taken from Revelation 12, and it says:

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.   Amen.”

While it takes a second or two to read those words, it takes a great deal longer to sing them.  The Amens by themselves go on for quite some time.  Tonight, my daughter Ella’s first question after the concert was “how many times did they say ‘Amen’?”

The Amens are my favorite part.  Musically they are great, though that is not why I love them so much.  I love them because they tell me that Heaven itself says “Amen.”  In other words, there is a final word to all that is taking place on earth, and that word belongs to God and to his people.  Amen means that everything will come to a conclusion, that all that has gone before will be summed up.  The eternal purpose of my life will be made known, and that purpose will rest entirely in the grace of Christ. 

Right now, I need an Amen.  I need a conclusion to my concerns, my worries, my questions.  I need God to have the final word on all that I am going through, both the good and the bad.  I need my mind and heart to be reordered so that I can look into the Heavenly Throne Room and see the angels and people of God giving him glory and honor.  I want my eyes off of myself and on Christ.  I want to join with the four living creatures and sing a great ‘AMEN’ to those praises.

May God grant me and you an Advent in which we catch a glimpse of that Amen.  May he open our hearts and minds and eyes and ears so that we may see that this Amen is coming in the future, and that it happening even now.  Our God reigns now, and he will reign forever and ever.  Amen.  

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He Shall Not Eat

I grew up going to church, but a church very unlike the ones that everyone else in my town seemed to go to.  At my church, we talked a great deal about being nice to people, and especially poor people.  The people I knew at school went to churches where they seemed to talk a lot about giving your heart to Jesus. 

When the poor were mentioned, they seemed to have a different understanding from my church.  It seemed that there were only two verses in the entire Bible that talked about poor people.  One was where Jesus said “the poor you will always have with you (Matthew 26:11, etc.).  The other was “anyone who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” (1 Thess 3:10)

What I understood from their use of these verses was that a) there will always be poor people and there is nothing you can do to change that and b) if they weren’t lazy they wouldn’t be poor so tell them to get a job.  It seemed to me that people could ask Jesus into their hearts but not actually have the heart of Jesus. 

Times have changed in the American Church, and in at least one way for the better.  Nowadays I rarely find a Christian with this attitude.  Giving time and money and energy to serve the poor seems more important to the Church as a whole, and I’m glad for that.  Those verses from 2 Thessalonians, though, are still a challenge that we have to take seriously. 

It is important to note that these are addressed to the Church and not to secular society.  Members of Christ’s Body are not to sit around and expect others to financially support them.  Rather, we are called to fully participate in society, to contribute our God-given talents so as to be givers more often than receivers.  Of course, this does not always work out.  There are many times that Christians find themselves in real need, and the Church is called to do what it can to help in those times. 

This passage is also about how we spend our time with one another.  Are we the kind of people who are interested in stirring up trouble in the church (busy bodies)?  Or are we instead spending our energy in finding ways to be more loving, more tender, more merciful? 

Interwoven in the Spirit’s command to the idle to earn their bread is also the command for the rest of us to “never tire of doing what is good.” (2 Thess. 3:13) One way we can do that is by helping people who need work to find it.  We can provide ways for those in need to be trained, to find a job, so that they can use their gifts and talents to earn their bread.  "Teach a man to fish," as the old saying goes. 

This brings me to the last “alternative Christmas gift” that I’m going to suggest this year.  Kiva.org is a secular organization that helps people like you and me give micro-loans.  A micro-loan is a small business loan given at no interest.  It is given to people who want to earn a living for themselves, but need seed money for that to happen.

At Kiva.org, you can loan money to someone so that they can start a business.  In fact, you can give another person a gift certificate so that they can go on the website, find a business proposal they are interested in, and give towards it.  Kiva guarantees that you will get your money back within about a year.  So you can give a $25 gift certificate to someone.  They can invest it and in a few months they get the $25 back.  They can then spend it however they wish, or they can reinvest it in another project at Kiva.org.

This is an example of how we can a) encourage the poor to work for their own bread and b) never tire from doing what is good.  I offer it to you as you consider what to get those last people on your Christmas list.  The mall is crowded, traffic and parking are a mess, shipping is getting more expensive each passing day, and most people don’t need what you are buying them.  Here is a way to give a gift that means something.  OK, sermon over.


 

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An Obstructed View

Tonight I had the privilege of seeing some good friends sing their songs at the Ryman.  Andrew Peterson and company put on their annual “Behold the Lamb” Show, which includes members of our very own little church.  While I listen to their music on my iPod or in my car, I almost never see these folks play live.  All I have to say is that we know some pretty amazing artists.

In his album “Behold the Lamb,” Andrew is essentially doing the Jesus Story Year in music.  He is placing the Christmas story squarely in the context of God’s ongoing mission to his people.  If you have not listened to this CD, now over 10 years old, may I suggest it to you.

I have intended to go to this concert for months.  However, I only bought my tickets a week ago.  Ticketmaster gave me their “best available seats,” warning me that I would have an obstructed view.  Given that it was these seats or nothing, I took them.

Obstructed view is a mild way of saying what we had.  Laura and I were on the floor, towards the back of the room, as far to stage right as you could get.  From where I sat, I could see only the front portion of the stage, and even half of that was blocked by a huge stack of speakers.  I got to see Andrew Peterson and Andy Osenga, which was nice, but I basically didn’t see anyone else.  I could hear Andy and Jill, Ben and Randy, but see them?  Not a chance.

The guy behind me was angrily telling his girlfriend how “they might as well have stayed home” and the “first thing I’m going to do tomorrow morning is call the ticket office.”  Me, on the other hand, well I just sat there and beamed and cried and sang along.  I was sitting with my beloved wife, hearing great music, “seeing” good friends move in the gifts God has given them, and having a great time.  Most importantly, I was hearing the grand story of the Gospel.  No, I couldn’t see everything.  But I could hear, and what I heard I loved.

Sometimes I have an obstructed view of Christ.  I can’t see him or what he’s doing.  Or I think I know what he’s up to, and then something knocks me for a loop.  I think I have things figured out, but then I am rudely awakened to the reality that I only see a small part of the stage, a fraction of the total picture.  I don’t have all the information, and neither does anyone else.

I can’t always see God moving.  I don’t always experience him.  But I can always listen to his voice.  I can hear him in his Word.  Things may not look so great from where I’m sitting, but there is always Truth available to me.  If I can put aside my indignation and anger for a minute, maybe I will even read something I need to hear.

Having an obstructed view of Christ doesn’t mean he isn’t there.  Andy Gullahorn was on that stage, though I saw him not.  So God is in the midst of my little life, whether I happen to be staring at him in the face or straining my neck to catch a glimpse of his shoe.  In any case, I always have the opportunity to listen to his voice. 


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One Minute Review: The Princess and the Frog

 
OMR: Princess and the Frog from Thomas McKenzie on Vimeo.

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One Minute Review: Invictus

OMR: Invictus from Thomas McKenzie on Vimeo.



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Story Telling

I just got home from Story Telling Night at Redeemer.  Forty or so of us gathered together in the living room of the house, ate and drank, and took turns standing up to tell stories.  It was a festive time, with colorful Christmas lights blinking and lots of laughter.  Most of the stories were humorous, some silly, some touching, and all beautifully told. 

Gathering to tell stories is an essential part of our faith.  After all, what is it that we do on Sundays but join together to relive the greatest story ever told?  We tell the stories of our faith in church, but we also tell them in our homes.  We tell the tales of the men and women of the Bible, we talk about the saints of old.  We also remember the ways God has been present to us.  We testify to Christ’s faithfulness in our own lives.

I was blessed to hear the stories that were told this evening.  From the little girl who told us about her shoes, to the newlywed who told us how she (re)met her husband, to the man who told us how he got that scar on his neck, I got to hear about God’s faithfulness in moments great and small. 
In that song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” the singer says the there will be “tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago.”  There is something good and true about that line.  This is a season in which people gather, friends and family members alike.  Perhaps this year, as I am recounting some of my favorite moments with those I love, I will remember to talk about the faithfulness of God.  This is a great season for storytelling, and a good time to remember God in the midst of my stories. 




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The Accuser

Then he showed me the high priest Joshua standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire?”

Now Joshua was dressed with filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” And to him he said, “See, I have taken your guilt away from you, and I will clothe you with festal apparel.”  And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with the apparel; and the angel of the LORD was standing by. Then the angel of the LORD assured Joshua, saying ”Thus says the LORD of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my requirements, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

Now listen, Joshua, high priest, you and your colleagues who sit before you! For they are an omen of things to come: I am going to bring my servant the Branch. For on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven facets, I will engrave its inscription, says the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the guilt of this land in a single day.  --Zechariah 3:1-9

The reading above is the Old Testament lesson from today’s Daily Office.  (The Daily Office is the Anglican cycle of scripture readings).

This reading is one of the many examples of Christ in the Old Testament.  In it, the prophet Zechariah sees into God’s throne room.  What he witnesses is, essentially, a court scene.  The high priest of God, named Joshua, is on trial.  The prosecuting attorney is Satan.  The defense attorney and the judge seem to be the same person: the Angel of the Lord. Satan accuses Joshua, but the Lord (or the Angel of the Lord, as they are nterchangeable) rebukes Satan. 

There is a lot going on in this passage.  For instance, the name Joshua and the name Jesus are essentially the same (yehoshuah and yeshuah in Hebrew, respectively).  Joshua has his rags removed and is given rule over God’s house, much like Christ goes through the brutality of the crucifixion before his glorious resurrection and triumphant reign.  There is a prophesy of God’s “servant the Branch.”  Christ is also called a branch from the stump of Jesse, and is the suffering servant (both from the Book of Isaiah).  The Lord says he will remove the guilt of the land in a single day, as the work of Redemption is accomplished in a single day on the cross. 

But the thing I most want to point out is the idea of Satan as the prosecutor.  In the Book of Revelation 12:9-11, Satan is called the Accuser who “accuses (our brothers and sisters) before God day and night.”  Essentially, the devil’s “job” (for lack of a better term) is to point at God’s people and say “look how bad they are, you must punish them!” 

Consider that for a moment.  It is the devil who accuses us of our wrong doing.  Just as he did to Job (Job 1 and 2), he seeks to incite God to punish us for our sins.  The Holy Spirit brings conviction to God’s people.  That means that the Spirit shows us our sins so that we can repent and be forgiven.  On the other hand, Satan brings condemnation to God’s people.  He points out our sins so we can be tormented by guilt and shame and self-loathing.  Satan does not want us to repent and be healed.  He wants us to stay focused on our sins and our sinfulness.  In this way, the Bible says that he leads us astray (Rev. 12:9)

Advent is not a time to beat ourselves up about what we’ve done wrong.  It is not a time to wallow in our self-hatred.  It is a time to allow the Spirit to convict us so that we can repent.  But if you are tormented by guilt and shame and self-hate, then you are not getting that from God.  You are experiencing the condemnation of your own mind or of the devil, or both. 

In Revelation 12, the Accuser is hurled from heaven.  Those who are in Christ are said to have overcome him “through the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” (Rev. 12:11)  In other words, the Cross and the Gospel have separated us from the condemning voice of Satan.  We don’t need to listen to him anymore. 

As we continue to journey through Advent, let’s spend time in repentance.  But let’s also keep focused on the Good News of the Cross.  Christ came and died to set us free, not to imprison us in condemnation. 

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”  (Romans 8:1-2)


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Story Telling Night: Wednesday at 6:30!

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The Sign of Jonah

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.  He replied, “When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,' and in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.  A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Jesus then left them and went away.  -- Matthew 16:1-4

Two nights ago I went for a walk.  To be honest, I hesitated to go out because it was so cold.  But I needed it; so, I bundled up, put on my heaviest coat and my gloves and my ski mask, and out I went. 

Last night, just 24 hours later, I went out for a run.  This time out I wore a t-shirt.  In the short time from one night to the next, the temperature had changed dramatically.  On Saturday night it was 23 degrees, on Sunday night 54.  Today it has been even warmer.

Weather changes, sometimes slowly, sometimes rapidly.  I find the same is true of my mood.  I can be going along feeling great, and then the smallest thing can irk me.  Or I can be feeling sad about something, but then my wife or one of my daughters says something kind and I’m out of it.  Sometimes I can see a shift coming, but other times it take me by surprise. 

The spiritual life can be like this also.  I can have moods that creep along, and others that change.  I can go from praising God for this faithfulness to doubting whether or not he is even real.  Sometimes, this change can take place quickly.  A bill will come in, or an unexpected phone call, or a flip comment from a friend.  All of these can not only affect my emotions, but my trust in God as well. 

What I sometimes want is a sign.  A sign from God that he is paying attention, that he has not forgotten me.  Advent is a time when I look for signs.  I pay attention to where Christ might be, where he might appear.  Often times I am looking for him because my mood has shifted in a dark direction.  Things aren’t going so great, and I would like to know that he cares. 

When the religious leaders of Jesus’ day looked for a sign, they were testing Jesus.  They angered him because they were supposedly looking for the Messiah, but there he was standing right in front of them.  Sometimes we might be like that, we are testing God because we are angry.  Other times, though, we are honestly searching.  In either case, we are given the Sign of Jonah. 

The Sign of Jonah is a reference to the Book of Jonah.  Jonah the prophet is swallowed up by a whale for three days, and then spit back up.  Christ was swallowed up by death for three days, but then he burst back forth. 

When I am looking for Christ, it helps me to remember that he is already here.  It helps to recall that he has already won the victory, that he has already conquered my greatest enemies: Sin, Death, Hell, and the Devil.  While I may not be feeling his presence at this moment, he is very present.  He has given me a sign, one that reminds me that he will never leave me or forsake me.  That sign is his Cross and Resurrection.

Rather than looking for a good event or a happy feeling, by focusing on that sign I can find myself comforted today.  In this way, I may find myself uplifted even if my circumstances are not so great. 



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Sheep and Goats

A few weeks ago, I took my girls to see Disney’s film “A Christmas Carol.”  It is a new animated version of the story shown in amazing 3-D.  Perhaps because Disney makes amusement park rides, part of the film felt like being on a roller coaster.  Speeding through the streets of Victorian England was pretty fun.  That wasn’t what impressed me about the film, though.  What really stood out is how devoted the script was to Charles Dickens’s original novella.

Because most of the script of the film was taken word for word from Dickens, the point of that original story came loud and clear through this secular film: Christians are supposed to care for the poor.  That is the point Dickens was making, and the film pulled no punches.  While I would argue that a Christmas Carol suffers from a hefty dose of works-based salvation, it certainly made an impression on me and my kids.

Advent is a season in which the Church looks ahead at the great Day of Judgment.  On that Day, you and I will not be saved or damned because of how we treat the poor.  Salvation is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone.  But the Lord will judge our works, including the way we treat the poor.  We will be answerable for our actions.

In this season of Advent, then, it is important to spend some of our time, energy, and money on those who are less fortunate.  Last week I suggested giving to or working at the Family Affair Christmas Store, and I still do.  Another way that I recommend is through World Vision’s Christmas Catalog.  This catalog, available via mail an on-line, allows you to select gifts that will be given to the poor in the name of another person.  So, instead of buying a sweater for your sister, you could give a goat to a family in Africa.  You could provide a month of education to an orphan, or a fish pond for a village, or clothing for the homeless, or a soccer ball for children in Latin America.  World Vision will then send your recipient a card, or you can print one off and send it yourself. 

You can visit the Christmas Catalog by going to WorldVision.org, or by following this link directly to the catalog.

Gift giving is part of the tradition of Christmas; I am not suggesting otherwise.  I am suggesting that perhaps some of the gifts we give this year could be a blessing to both the recipient and to a person in need.  I especially think of those people who don’t really need anything else, the man or woman “who has it all.”  Maybe this would be a good time of the year to feed the hungry and clothe the naked in their name, and in the Name of Christ.


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No Room

The commonly told Christmas story tells us that Joseph and Mary came into a crowded Bethlehem.  Men and women were there from all over the Jewish world.  These crowds had traveled, like them, to register for the Roman census.  Because of the numbers of people in town, there was no room for them in the local hotels.  Joseph went from door to door, searching valiantly for a place for his betrothed to give birth.  Fortunately, a kindly innkeeper told them they could sleep with his animals.  So he either placed them in a barn or a cave, depending on who told you the story.  It is truly a lovely story, but there is a small problem.  It isn’t found in the Bible. 

Luke’s Gospel tells us that “While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guestroom available for them.” (Luke 2:6,7 TNIV)  Many translations say “there was no room in the inn.”  Those translations are incorrect.  They are reading later Christmas stories into the text. 

In Greek, the language the New Testament is written in, there is a perfectly good word for “inn.”  That word is not found in this story.  Rather, the writer says there was no “living space” available for them.”  This phrase, “living space” refers to a room designated for humans in a home.  In this culture, people kept both animals and people in the same house.  After all, animals were wealth.  To keep them out in a barn or a cave would have been foolish, especially in a city.  People had a room or two in their homes for their families, and then a room for the animals.  Often this room was a step or two down from the rest of the dwelling.

Here is one possible scenario for how they ended up in the animal’s room.  Joseph brings his young, pregnant fiancé to Bethlehem.  He is the distant relative from out in the sticks who has come into the “big city.”  He’s got his pregnant live-in girlfriend with him.  No one knows who the baby’s father is, though these two claim it is God.  Joseph is poor, has a funny accent, and lives in an area known for mixed races and pagan worship.  His family in Bethlehem share little more than his blood.  They are of a higher and more pure class than he is. They don’t want to have anything to do with Joseph and his “lady.” 

However, because of their honor they can’t let him sleep in the street.  That just wouldn’t do, not in a culture so invested in hospitality.  At the same time, they can’t have these people in their house.  What to do?  They put the kid and his girlfriend with the animals.  Yes, they offered hospitality.  But they also made sure that Joseph and Mary know their place.  Joseph is in no position to refuse.

This story won’t be shown in our church Christmas pageant.  No one sings songs about Joseph’s family rejecting him.  This is just one possibility, of course.  Perhaps the family house was just so crowded that there was literally nowhere else but with the animals.  We don’t know.

It is, though, a reminder that Christ was always an outsider.  Though the Son of God and the King of the Universe, he was born to a lowly family in a lowly place.  As John’s Gospel says “he came to that which was his own, but his own people did not receive him.”  He was so cast out, he wasn’t even born in a normal room.  Rather, he was birthed among animals and laid in a feeding trough. 

In this season of Advent, we may feel cast out.  Perhaps you are the black sheep of your family.  You feel rejected, like they would rather have you sleep in the garage.  Perhaps you are the one looking down your nose at your relatives.  You just can't bare the thought of those people coming into your home.  In any case, it is important to remember that the One we are expecting comes to us through the lowest of places.  He knows our suffering, and he implores us to receive the lowly in his Name.


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Two Seasons at Once

Jesus said “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” --John 14:27 

There are two seasons taking place right now.  Both are filled, in part, by hope and expectation.  Both have music and holly and sparkling lights.  One is the Holy Season of Advent, the other is the Christmas Shopping Season.  Both seasons are building up to December 25th.  We live in both seasons at once, but they are not the same. 

The Christmas Shopping Season is an anxious place.  It is anxious because it all depends on you.  You have to buy the presents.  You have to go to the party.  You have to send the cards.  You have to cook the food and hang the lights. You have to pay the bills You have to make sure not to forget anyone.  If you mess up, people will get their feelings hurt.  Will you have enought time, enough energy, enough money?  It’s enough to make you crazy.

Advent, on the other hand, is a peaceful place.  It is peaceful because none of it depends on you.  Christ came, and you can’t change that.  Christ is coming, no matter what you do.  You can participate by choosing to pray for his grace, by choosing to keep your eyes open.  But, whether you do or not, he is likely to come and be right where you are.  He comes and makes you sane. 

You and I experience two seasons at once.  We live in Advent and the Christmas Shopping Season.  By God’s grace, we can focus on one more than another.  We can set aside a little anxiety today and ask for a little more peace.  Perhaps, a little at a time, we may find ourselves living for a minute, or an hour, or even a full day completely in the Holy Season.

Henri Nouwen, one of my personal heroes, wrote a prayer that speaks to where we are.  I would like to share it with you.  I commend it to your use in midst of these seasons. 

An Advent Prayer
by Henri Nouwen
Lord Jesus,
Master of both the light and the darkness, send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do, seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy, seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking light.
To you we say, Come Lord Jesus....
Amen.


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The Porpoise Driven Life

 Check out this great video about the Porpoise Driven Life.  A great comment on evangelical craziness. 



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Top 3s, So Far

My buddy Andrew Peterson challenged those of us who write on the Rabbit Room to give him a list of our top three albums, books, and movies of the year.  This is how I responded.  How would you respond?

I took this very seriously and made three rules for myself.  First, it had to be a piece of media that I have actually consumed.  No claiming movies that I will probably love that haven’t been released yet.  No claiming to adore the Hurt Locker, which I missed in the theater.  Second, it had to be something that was actually released in 2009, not just something I read in 2009.  Finally, I decided not to mention any Rabbit Room contributor so as to expand our horizons, and so as not to make Andy Gullahorn mad at me when I didn’t choose him.  Not because I don’t love his music but because he shames me in bowling.  So, I did TV instead of music.  Cheating?  Who cares?

Films

1. An Education:  The film that you most likely haven’t seen but you really should, because it is just that funny/beautiful/thoughtful.
2. Inglourious Basterds  Get over your prejudices and Tarentino’s silly showmanship, close your eyes 3 or 4 times, and watch the best picture likely to be made this year.  
3. Up:  Because if I can’t stop crying in a film, and I can’t stop thinking about it later, it has to be in this list. 
   

Books

1. Justificiation by N.T. Wright:  Not his best book, but better by far than any other theological book written this year (I assert having not read all those books).  He is humanity’s greatest living theologian.  Anglicans Rule!
2. Lost to the West by Lars Brownsworth: Based on a fantastic podcast, this history of Byzantium is well worth your time.
3. The Prodigal God by Tim Keller:  Didn’t love the last half of this little book, but the first half unveils the heart of the Gospel. 
   

TV

1. Glee:  Yes, it has its Christian bashing moments.  But it is the one TV show guaranteed to make me laugh, smile, shed a tear, and feel all warm and fuzzy. 
2. Battlestar Galactica, the final season:  If you have not watched the new Battlestar Galactica from the beginning mini-series through the end, you are missing out on the best television show of this decade.  
3. Mad Men:  The music isn’t just the notes, it’s the silence between.
   

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ReOrdered

When I’m upset about something, I can get into a bad headspace.  Instead of living in the moment, I get focused about worse case scenarios.  I can start to play these out in my head until all I see is a dark future.  Instead of being thankful for my many gifts, I can only think of what I don’t have, or what I might lose.  I start getting short tempered and difficult to live with.

I was in that place on a recent Saturday.  I wasn’t feeling in the least bit social, and I wasn’t looking forward to worship on Sunday morning.  I got up early that Sunday to spend time with the Lord, but my mood wasn’t improved.

I showed up at the church, I got my robe on, and I gathered with those who would serve at the altar.  We prayed together.  As I often do, I thanked God for this time to gather, and I praised him for his Word and Sacrament.  I asked him to stir up his Spirit, and to reorder our hearts and minds as we worshipped him.

The Eucharistic Feast, the ancient pattern of worship we engage in, brings me away from the world of my feelings and my thoughts.  Instead of living in a universe in which my own head makes reality, the Eucharist opens my heart and mind to the Truth.  That day as I engaged in worship, from the opening words to the music to the reading of the Word all the way through the celebration of Communion, God did a work in me.  I had arrived that morning with a disordered way of thinking.  I went home recognizing that Christ was enthroned and that I was not the maker of reality.

Advent is a time for reordering.  By grace, we stay focused on Christ and not on the things of this world.  All the products that society has to offer begin to look more like the dust they are made from.  The Lord is exalted as we look to him and allow him to put us back in alignment with Heaven.

I end this post with a prayer written about 1650 years ago by St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, who’s feast day this is.  I commend this prayer to your use when you are feeling disordered.

“Lord Jesus Christ, you are for me medicine when I am sick; you are my strength when I need help; you are life itself when I fear death; you are the way when I long for heaven; you are light when all is dark; you are my food when I need nourishment.”
--St. Ambrose of Milan

Promises, Promises

Today at our church, I am preaching about God fulfilling his promise to David.  In 2 Samuel 7:8-16, the Lord promises King David that the throne of his kingdom will be established forever.  God does put David’s son on the throne.  Then he gives the throne to David’s grandson, his great-grandson, his great-great=grandson and on and on.

Eventually, though, the sins of the Kings built up to the point that their nation was dismantled and their reign was over.  Beginning with the deportation to Babylon, there was no descendent of David on the throne.  In fact, there was no throne at all.  Just the rule of foreigners in distant palaces.

God did not forget his promise.  Jesus Christ came as ruler, and this son of David sits eternally enthroned.  He reigns, and in him God’s promises are fulfilled. None of David’s other offspring could even have imagined such a glorious throne.

The promise did not come the way that many would have hoped, and it didn’t come in a way that was personally satisfying to thousands upon thousands of people.  Centuries passed in which it looked like God had forsaken his promise.  Generations lived and died and did not see the promise fulfilled.

Advent is a time when we expect the fulfillment of God’s promises.  God always keeps his word, but he doesn’t necessarily do that according to our vision or our timing.  He will do what he said he will do, but he may not do it the way we wish.  He will provide for us, but maybe not give us what we want.  He will save us, but may not make us feel good while he’s doing it.  He will help us, but his help may bring us to some difficult places.

Our culture is populated by men and women who are selling instant success and instant happiness.  Just read their book, or watch their show, or take their drug, or wear their jeans.  Some of these people even claim to be Christians, some even use the church as their platform.  At best they are self-deceived, at worst they are thieves and liars.

God does not promise instant anything.  Advent is a time to be reminded of God’s promises, but it is also a time to be patient for them.  Only by his grace will we be patient, because it is only in him and with his strength that we can hope to do any good thing.  He is trustworthy to give us grace, and we must rely on that grace to stay peacefully expectant.    He will fulfill his promises to his people and to his creation.  And he will do it in his own time and in his own way.

One Moment at a Time

Thus says the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel:
O people of Zion, who dwell in Jerusalem, no more will you weep;
He will be gracious to you when you cry out, as soon as he hears he will answer you.
The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst.
No longer will your Teacher hide himself,
but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher,
While from behind, a voice shall sound in your ears:
“This is the way; walk in it,” when you would turn to the right or to the left. 

Isaiah 30:19-21

The scripture above is from a reading assigned to this day.  It is a promise from God to his people.  In the time of the Messiah, God will treat them graciously.  He will hear them and care for them.  He will guide them and show them what to do.

Many of us long to hear God guide us and tell us what to do.  We would love to have him walk behind us and tell us when to turn to the left or to the right.  Sometimes we feel like he does this.  Other times, we aren’t so clear.

I moved here to Nashville ten years ago this very day.  I was 28 years old and had served as a youth minister and assistant priest in San Antonio Texas for about three years.  I came her with my wife and our little 8 month old baby, Ella.  I’m older now, my hair is thinner, my wife and I are closer and know each other so much better.  That little baby is now in the 5th grade and has a little sister.

I have never had reason to doubt that God guided us here ten years ago.  Certainly there have been many trials.  Things have definitely not gone as I could have foreseen.  I thought we would live here for four or five years, and then move on to some other church in a different city, and then to another, and then to another.  I had no idea that I would leave my previous denomination and start a new church.  I had no idea that I would come to love this city and the people in this community so deeply that I now want to stay here as long as I live.  No one can see the future.  All we can do is, by God’s grace, take his direction in small things as well as large things.  One decision, one moment, at a time; choosing to do the next right thing.

You may be in a situation in which you are being called upon to make decisions, or live with decisions that others have made.  You may clearly hear God’s voice, or you may be waiting and wondering.  In any case, Advent is a time to remember that God is present to you.  He has promised to provide for you and guide you if you will open your heart to him and listen to his voice.  His provision may be hard to see, and his voice hard to hear.  But this is a temporary condition.  The Redeemer has come, and he will make himself known to you.  One moment at a time.

The Coming Thief

Jesus said “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into.  So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”  Matthew 24:43-44

Two nights ago.  At one o’clock in the morning, I was downstairs in our den.  I had twisted the television set around so I could get behind it.  Squinting, I was writing down the serial number written on the metal plate on the back side.  For whatever reason (fear mainly) this seemed like a good thing to do in the middle of the night.

I live in Crieve Hall where we have had a number of homes burglarized recently.  Just a few weeks ago, a family in our church had their home broken into and their valuables stolen.  Last week, our friends who live just four houses down from us were burglarized in the same manner.  The thieves hit in the morning, after both adults have left the house.  They smash in the back door and then go for electronics and jewelry.

As a husband and father of two little girls, I am very aware of the threat of home invasion.  We have an alarm system which we arm at night or whenever we leave the house.  We have a dog.  We have a fenced in backyard that I keep chained and locked.  We lock our cars and our house.  We are also capable of defending our home if we are present.  And now I have recorded the serial numbers of all our major electronic devises.  We are careful.

As careful as we are, however, I know that a person who really wants to break into my house can do it.  With all the burglaries of the last few weeks, I’m even beginning to get this sick feeling that such a crime is inevitable.  If not soon, then someday.  Preparation is important, but ultimately I am not in control.  There is nothing I can do to stop it.

In the Bible reading above, Christ compares himself to a thief who breaks in to someone’s house.  Jesus says that if the home owner had known when the thief was coming, he could have stopped him.  If my friend down the street had know what time the burglars were coming, I guarantee there would have been a shotgun waiting for them!

My friend didn’t know when they were coming, and we don’t know when to expect Christ.  Advent is a time of preparation, but it is also a time to expect the inevitable.  Yes, we can pray and fast and give and prepare our hearts for Christ.  We should do these things.  Yet Advent is also a time to be aware that we are not in control.  No matter what we do, or don’t do, Christ is going to show up.  He’s going to come into our lives whether we ask him to or not.  We might as well get used to it.

I have a sign on the door to my office.  It reads, in Latin (because I’m just that pompous) “Vocatus atque non vocatus Deus aderit.”  Translated: “Called or not called, God is present.”  The Christ who came as a baby, the Christ who will come as judge, and the Christ who comes into our daily lives will come, whether we call him or not.  He doesn’t need our summons.  I don’t know if that comforts you or scares you today.  Maybe a bit of both.  Either way, this Christ is the one who loves us.  As C.S. Lewis said of Aslan, he’s wild but he’s also good.  I welcome his coming.

Fasting by Giving

The prophet Isaiah writes,

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free; and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter—;
when you see the naked, to clothe them; and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn; and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.

Isaiah 58:6-8

Advent is a season of fasting.  Crazy, right?  All around us is celebration, but the Church is called upon to fast.  In the Book of Isaiah, the Holy Spirit counsels us that fasting is not just about giving up food.  It is also about sharing with the poor.  In the secular world, the Christmas season is about buying and receiving, as well as giving to those we love.  In the Church world, the Advent season is about giving to those who are in need, and even giving to those whom we don’t know as an act of Christian love. 

Today, I would like to tell you about Family Affair Ministries' Christmas Store.  Each year, FAM provides the poor in East Nashville with an opportunity to shop for Christmas gifts.  The blessing is that the gifts are free to those who come to the store.  Yes, there is a great system in place which ensures fairness and prevents people from abusing the system.

All gifts in the FAM Christmas Store are donated, and many are given by members of the church I am a part of, Church of the Redeemer.  This coming Sunday is the last day to bring unwrapped gifts to Redeemer so they can be ready for the Christmas store.  You can also take them by Family Affair Ministries at 1600 Riverside Drive in East Nashville.

Let me invite you to consider giving a gift through FAM as a way of fulfilling Christ's command to minister to the "least of these." 

Here is a list of items that the FAM Christmas Store needs.

Clothing Items: New coats, jackets, pants, pajamas, socks, shoes, gloves, scarves, etc. (any size…boys, girls, men and women)
 Electronic Items:  CD players, MP3 players, alarm clocks, etc.
Baby Needs: Diapers, bottles, rattles, strollers, warm clothing, etc.
Hygiene Products:  Lotion, soap, deodorant, shaving cream, packaged razors, denture products, etc.
Household Items: Laundry detergent, fabric softener, towels, washcloths, etc.
Household Appliances: Irons, toasters, blenders, can openers, etc.
Sports Equipment: Bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, basketballs, footballs, etc.
Children’s Books and Toys:  Books, board games, stuffed animals, dolls, art supplies, puzzles, etc.
They do ask that the items be new.  They also ask that we do not purchase items that are Pokemon, Digemon, Harry Potter, Bratz, or negative super heroes.

One Minute Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox

I have finally reviewed Fantastic Mr. Fox! Did George Clooney redeem himself after that Men Who Stare at Goats fiasco? Has Wes Anderson made a mistake by going into stop motion animation? Find out. Watch below, or follow this link: www.vimeo.com/7922577


One Minute Review: Fantastic Mr. Fox from Thomas McKenzie on Vimeo.


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Looking for Christ

Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of Christ.  On one hand, how is that even possible?  After all, Christ’s coming has nothing to do with me.  He came the first time without my permission.  He likely won’t wait for me to get my act together before he comes the second time.

On the other hand, Jesus teaches us to “stay alert” at all times for his coming. (Mark 13:35)  Yes, this means that his second coming might happen any time.  But it also means that he might show up in my life in new ways at any moment.

During Advent, the Church is summoned to pay particular attention to Jesus' command to stay alert.  So, how will I stay alert for Christ today?  The best I can think to do is to begin with prayer.  I take a moment to ask the Lord to keep me on the alert for his presence.  I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me today so that I may be prepared for whatever God might do.

And then I watch.  Maybe I'll hear him in a snippet of conversation, or see him in my wife's kindness.  Maybe I'll run into him on the street or in my office or at the hospital.  Maybe I will have a sense of his presence while I'm praying or listening to music or driving to pick up my kids. 

If I don’t notice him, that’s OK.  My task is to stay alert, he will do the rest.