Waiting

His friends took the crucified Jesus and laid him in a borrowed tomb. Well, some of his friends. Others were in hiding. Some of them clung to the hope that Jesus was not really dead, while others suddenly doubted everything he had ever told them. The disciples gathered to figure out what to do next. I would imagine that they sat around and told stories of Jesus. They wondered what it had all been for. It was clear there would be no political revolution. It must have seemed obvious to them that they would soon return to the same powerless lives they had been living before they heard the words, "Follow me." There was no doubt much discussion about what Jesus really meant when he said he would come back in three days. They didn't realize that when he said, "It is finished" from the cross he didn't mean his life, he meant his mission. There would be no more gap between God and man.  His work was done. As usual, they were slow to get what Jesus meant, and certainly Thomas was not the only one who doubted. But mostly, on that second day so many years ago, they waited. To be arrested, to discover truth, to learn what was next. But they waited.

And today, on this day between Good Friday and Easter, we wait as well- but it's totally different. We wait with the full knowledge that tomorrow we will celebrate the single greatest event in the history of our world. We wait knowing that Jesus is alive, that he took our sins, conquered death and rose to walk among the living once again. So while the disciples waited in a room filled with despair and doubt, we wait with party hats on. We already know what tomorrow holds. So don't hold back. In fact, don't even feel like you have to wait. Go ahead and jump the gun and start celebrating right now. The game has already been played, and ladies and gentlemen we have a winner. "Death is ended; it's swallowed up in victory!" God wins! Jesus lives! Let the celebration begin!!!

He Is Risen!!!

Wash a Few Feet

In August of 1977, as I was preparing to leave home for my freshman year of college, I went to a special meeting of my youth group at New Garden Friends Meeting. I would miss a lot of things about my hometown of Greensboro, NC, but that group of people was at the top of my list. That night, our youth director Rob Mitchell had the other students was the feet of the departing seniors. It was, at the time, a very odd experience for me.I had never been part of anything like that, and it made me terribly uncomfortable. I mean, feet are nasty. I felt bad for the washers and embarrassed for myself. I felt so totally unworthy. But as the service went on and Rob read the scripture from John 13:1-17 we began to understand. This was not about glorifying the seniors. This was all about humility and service.

It is easy to understand why Peter went ballistic at the thought of having Jesus wash his feet. Sandals and dirt roads most likely made Peter's feet even more disgusting than mine. Peter had already proclaimed Jesus as the Son of God. It just didn't make any sense. Even in his last few hours in his earthly body, Jesus wanted to remind the disciples (and us) that serving others is a prerequisite to leadership. The master should always be a servant. This was a great example. An even better one would come later in the week, when Jesus would sacrifice his life so that we might have eternal life.

Do you understand the power in being a servant? Or do you still seek power in lifting yourself above the people you encounter each day? If  this is something you struggle with, then I highly suggest you wash a few feet. It will change your perspective, I promise...

Because of Jesus,

On the Road Again

"Misery is how God lets us know we are on the right track."
Michael Kelso, That 70's Show

Those of us who seek out the place in life called the #NarrowRoad do so because we seek a deeper relationship with God, the Creator of everything. We walk with Jesus because we believe him to be the shining example all all we could hope to be and because he is the King of Kings and LORD of Lords who bridged the gap between our sinful nature and God. The message he came to bring us in often called the GOOD NEWS. We should be a joyful people, full of hope and wonder even when the sky turns dark. And yet...so many of us are not. Kelso may be the King of the Idiots, but we often buy into his words in our own ways. We think of the #NarrowRoad as dark, quiet and lonely. If we are having fun on the path, we are dong something wrong...

On the road again.

I just can't wait to get on the road again.

The life I love is making music with my friends,

and I can't wait to get on the road again!

Willie Nelson may not be a theologian, but in this case he does have a great theological point. Christianity is at its best, its brightest and its boldest when it is done in community. This is true of life on the #NarrowRoad as well. Jesus began his journey in ministry by gathering a group around him with whom to travel and share life. The good times become so much better and the bad times become so much less daunting when we are surrounded by people we care about. They push us when we need pushing, hold us back when we begin to get too self-involved, hold us when we feel broken and laugh with us as we discover the joy in the journey. Making music- sharing life- with our friends is an important part of our spiritual growth. If you feel alone on the road, then perhaps you have chosen the wrong path.

On the road again

Goin' places that I've never been

Seein' things that I may never see again

And I can't wait to get on the road again

One of the problems people have when they consider the #NarrowRoad is a real misunderstanding of the path that Jesus calls us to walk. Far too many of those outside the church, and even more tragically, far too many of those who call themselves Christians, think of the #NarrowRoad as a joyless, dismal path where every road sign reminds us of the things that we are called not to do. The markers along the trail all read Thou Shalt Not for these folks. To them, God is the great judge and a cosmic killjoy, and fun is forbidden by hidden biblical passages they have heard about but never read. Yes, there are commandments that we should obey because they were given to us by our God. But so many others that too many people hold near and dear are man made. Nowhere in scripture are we told not to have fun. Paul writes that we should find joy in everything. Following Jesus should lead us into great adventures, new places and unforeseen moments of life. If you think life on the #NarrowRoad is boring and drab, then perhaps you have made a wrong turn.

On the road again

Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway

We're the best of friends

Insisting that the world keep turning our way and our way

Is on the road again

The slideshow I put together featuring students from my years in youth ministry to the soundtrack of Steven Curtis Chapman's The Great Adventure has been through dozens of changes, but the picture you see above has always been in the same spot. They lyrics to the song are "Let's leave long-faced religion in a cloud of dust behind." Look at those faces. Do they look somber or bored? Does it look like they are worshipping a joyless God? My youth groups did indeed travel like a band of gypsies, friends bound together by God's love. Life wasn't perfect, but it dang sure was never boring! Life with Jesus should be anything but bland. There are highs and lows for sure, but they come with knowledge that in the end, God wins. Think about the events of the last week of the life of Christ on earth. What a rollercoaster ride! And at one point, Jesus was arrested and then killed, the disciples dispersed, Peter denied knowing Jesus and all hope seemed lost. Far too many Christians live as if the week ended on Friday. But it didn't. And Sunday always comes, no matter our circumstances, when we travel the #NarrowRoad. And what an amazing, joy-filled day it is- every single time!!!

Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for every purpose under Heaven. A time to mourn, a time to grieve, a time for suffering and a time for letting go. But Philippians reminds us that we are to count it ALL joy. Remember the old children's song "I've got that joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart?" That should apply to everyone on the #NarrowRoad. And for some of us, if we've got that joy in our hearts, we need to notify our faces. The world needs to see our smiles, hear our laughter, and know that we are on the road again- ready for them to join the family!

Because of Jesus,

The Next-to-the Last Supper Revisited

The scriptures are full of amazing stories from what has come to be known as Holy Week in the Christian church. With today being the Monday of that very week, here's a bit of a different take on one of those stories. I love to share this every year at this time...

Mark 14:1-9 (The Message)

In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want the crowds up in arms," they said.

Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly."

Curt

My old friend Curt Cloninger, the amazing actor and interpreter of scripture, calls the meal Jesus is eating in the scripture above "the next to the last supper." In Curt's brilliant one-man play entitled Witnesses, he plays a fictional character (Abe the Banana Man) who was present at this meal. He used to be unable to speak, he tells us. In fact, he points out, almost everyone there (in Curt's version) was a "used to be." Simon (their host) used to be a leper. Bart used to be blind. Lazarus used to be dead! Curt points out that Jesus most likely ended the party during his speech praising the woman who had anointed his feet with perfume, because he once again announced that he would soon be dead. Now THAT would end a party. The whole evening must have been indicative of the highs and lows of that last week.

We all used to be something else before Jesus got hold of our hearts. Some of us still are people that we would rather not be. Holy Week is a wonderful time to let Jesus make you a "used to be" all over again. He will- if you seek sanctuary in the grace he offers you. Honor him this week (and every week) with your very life.

Because of Jesus,

That Sinking Feeling

The following in an excerpt from my friend Rick Bundschuh's brilliant 2011 book, Deep Like Me. It is my hope that this will comfort you as you walk this season of Lent. It is so easy to feel like we are failing at Lent, falling short of stated goals and expected growth. We often beat ourselves up for our lack of faith, lack of commitment or failure to grow as quickly as we think we ought to. We want the faith of Peter so we can take a few steps on the water; instead we often see ourselves as sinking and in over our heads. Rick writes these words of encouragement. Soak in them today, and remember that God loves you as you are.

You are not alone. Others of us have those same thoughts and feelings.

You are not that weird. Our faith is often convoluted, inconsistent and conflicted.

You will make it. You still have a long way to go, but by hanging on to Jesus, your faith understanding and wisdom will grow, and yes, it is difficult and even baffling a times.

I would like to tell you that the journey gets easier over time, but that would be a half-truth. At the very point that you acclimate and finally get used to the new spiritual altitude, God hollers at you to get and get moving again.

Take comfort in knowing you are not alone. Get charged up knowing that God has more for you. Always.

Because of Jesus,

Grace for Ragamuffins

Today's "words to soak in" for Lent are excerpts from the first chapter of Brennan Manning's classic book The Ragamuffin Gospel (1990, Multnomah Press). It could also be called The Official Guide To Grace- or maybe that's just me. Enjoy.

Something is radically wrong.

The Christian community often resembles a Wall Street exchange of works where in the elite are honored and the ordinary ignored. Love is stifled, freedom shackled, and self-righteousness believed. The institutional church has become a wounder of the healers rather than a healer of the wounded... Put bluntly the American Church today accepts grace in theory but denies it in practice.

Our culture has made the word grace impossible to understand. We resonate with slogans such as:
"There's no free lunch."
"You get what you deserve."
"You want love? Earn it."
"You want mercy? Show you deserve it."
"Do unto others before they do it unto you."

Though lip service is paid to the gospel of grace, many Christians live as if it is only personal discipline and self-denial that will mold the perfect me. The emphasis is on what I do rather than on what God is doing.

Our approach to the Christian life is just as absurd as the enthusiastic young man who had just received his plumber's license and was taken to see Niagara Falls. He studied it for a minute and then said, "I think I can fix this."

We believe that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps- indeed, we can do it ourselves. Sooner or later we are confronted with the painful truth of our inadequacy and insufficiency. Our security is shattered and our bootstraps are cut.

As we walk through this season of understanding what God did for us in the person of Jesus, and what Jesus did for us in the sacrifice of his life, we pray for the God of grace have mercy on us- again. We are no good on our own. And the sooner we realize the biblical truth that we should should be thankful for that weakness, the closer we come to understanding the Easter event. Have a blessed Sabbath.

Because of Jesus,

Stop and Smell the Roses

You know the old wise saying that reminds us we need to take time to stop and smell the roses as we move through life? Nowhere is that more true than when we are walking the #NarrowRoad. Today I encourage you to read the Guided Meditation written below, or better yet, ask someone to read it to you. Close your eyes and soak in the the things the meditation asks you to visualize. Move slowly. Seek sanctuary in what Jesus has to say to you in these moments. Remember this quote from Richard Foster as you begin: "Our adversary (Satan) majors in 3 things:
-noise
-hurry
-and crowds.
If he can keep us engaged in 'muchness' and 'manyness' he will rest satisfied."

Get Behind Me
(A Guided Meditation)

Stop! Slow down! Take a breath.

Recall the events and activities of last week.

How much of that time was spent doing good for others?

How much of that time was spent doing things for your own personal pleasure or gain?

Now imagine you have arrived at a peaceful place. It is a place you know well, a place you love. You are sitting and resting. Jesus approaches you. He sits with you. He begins to list all of the activities and events from your week. He takes your hand, looks into your eyes and says "Get behind me."

Now think again of the busy days that lie ahead. Only this time, imagine that you are following Jesus as He leads you. Will your activities and choices changed? Are there things you plan to do or say that you do not want Jesus to see or hear?  Turn to Jesus.  Ask Him what things in your life you need to change so that you may follow Him more closely.  Ask for guidance and courage to follow the Christ. Ask for direction, that you would know what path to follow. Tell Jesus you seek to go where He would lead you in life. Understand that you cannot follow when you are leading...

Get behind Jesus.

Be still and know that He is God.

In this season of preparation we call Lent, it becomes more important than ever to our souls that we take time to pause and enjoy the many blessings God has given us. It is a time to understand that that we cannot be at our best unless we surrender our lives to Jesus. The #NarrowRoad comes with a guide. Follow him.

Because of Jesus,

"He will bear their iniquities"

For me, the cornerstone of the Old Testament prophecies about Jesus is this passage from Isaiah. Read it. Then read it again. Jesus knew what he would face at the end of his life on earth, and yet he came for us anyway. This season of Lent is about preparing our hearts for the walk to Calvary and the resurrection to come. Imagine walking in the shoes of Jesus, who, though he was God, was also fully human. He knew worry. He felt pain. And all of that was foretold by Isaiah. 

Isaiah 53:10-12 (The Message)

Still, it’s what God had in mind all along,
    to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
    so that he’d see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
    And God’s plan will deeply prosper through him.

 Out of that terrible travail of soul,
    he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
    will make many “righteous ones,”
    as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly—
    the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch,
    because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
    he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

"As he himself carries the burden of our sins." We are all black sheep and God loves so much he sent Jesus to take our burden. That is all we need to know about this season. He came to bring us sanctuary in the arms of a loving God. Remember.

Because of Jesus,

Jonah & the Fishslappers

Jonah 3:10-  When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

I love the VeggieTale movie about Jonah and the whale. In their version of the tale, you get a real feel for just how awful the Ninevites were. They were fishslappers. They literally walked around slapping each other with fish. They didn't need a good reason- they enjoyed being evil. And it was into that culture that God sent Jonah- albeit against his will. He sent his prophet with a simple message for the citizens of Nineveh- repent or die.

You can read this exciting story in the book of Jonah in the Old Testament. So what does it have to with Lent? Simply this: God was announcing (not for the first time and certainly not for the last) that He is a God of second chances. He gave those rotten fishslappers the opportunity to turn from their wicked ways- and they did. The grace that is shown to us through the sacrifice of the Christ was shown to them. And just as the Church is often suspicious of grace shown to real sinners, Jonah just didn't "get" how God could forgive those fishslappers. Grace seems so foreign to humans; we don't really understand it and we seldom give it to others. But as we see in this story from hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus, God has always been all about grace for those who are willing to turn from their sinful ways. And that love for us found its ultimate expression at the Cross of Calvary.  Thank you, LORD, for being a God of second chances...

There is pretty good chance that in the course of the coming week you will encounter a fishslapper. Remember the grace God showed the Nenevites. Remember the sacrifice Jesus made so that your sins would be forgiven. Share that grace with your world. Invite a fishslapper to join you in the warm, safe embrace of sanctuary in the arms of a loving God.

Because of Jesus,

A Silent Path

The modern church is surrounded by noise. In many ways, our congregations cannot survive without it. There is often loud music, either by a praise band or by a lone organ. Even in our "quiet " moments music plays in the background so there will be no uncomfortable silence. Our preachers are often loud, seemingly afraid they will not be heard unless there is volume to match the content. Church members are encouraged to clap hands, give shouts of praise and (in the words of a friend of mine), "Hoop and holler for Jesus!" We use noisy videos and special effects to insure that our church members will be entertained and stay awake, being certain that there be no "dead air," no pauses and no silence. If you judge by most modern worship it would be easy to assume that the #NarrowRoad of Jesus is a noisy one.

With this as our example, when is it we are supposed to take time to "Be still and know that God is God?" Where do we find the quiet moments in which we center our hearts for worship, in which we pray from the very depths of our souls and and in which we listen for the still, small voice of the Creator? We have given up on silence as a worship discipline in large part because we fear it. There is great depth and power in silence, and we no longer know what to do with it. True, complete silence in the 21st century leaves us gasping for air, waiting for someone else to do something to connect us to Jesus. We no longer know how to focus on God and God alone; we need "elements" to lead us there. Noise is so much easier, and worship fi;;ed with sound and action is so much easier to fake. And that is what makes me think that the #NarrowRoad is a path bathed in silence.

Lent is a wonderful time to find ways to remove some of the noise from your spiritual journey. When you pray, pray in silence. Take time to meditate, making time to listen as well as to talk to God. Turn off he music in the car as you drive alone. Sneak away to a part of the house where you can find 5 minutes of solitude (rest rooms work). We live in a society where sitting quietly contemplating the things of God is so contrary to the norm that it feels like a waste of time. We feel we should be DOING something- and doing creates noise! Silent worship is allowing the Holy Spirit to DO instead of believing it is all up to us. What did Jesus do at the most crucial times in his earthly ministry? He went off to be in solitude, to seek God's will through prayer and meditation. He sought out a quiet place, away from the noise of the world. We need to "go thou and do likewise."

Find a moment today to be overwhelmed by the power of silence. Bel alone with your thoughts and alone with your God.  Total, complete, awesome silence. No background noise, just you and God. It will change you, and will change the way you see life on the #NarrowRoad. Be blessed, my friends.

Because of Jesus,

Hiding From God

It is a story we all know, even those of us who don't read the bible or hold to the Jewish or Christian faiths. We know the story of Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the one tree God told them not to eat from. We know how the Satan (the deceiver), in the form of a serpent, tricked them into eating the only fruit that was forbidden. This was the original sin, the fall of humankind. Genesis 3: 8-12 recounts what came next. The first couple heard God walking in the Garden (Press pause right there. How amazing is that? God was strolling in the garden. We gloss over so many amazing moments in scripture...), knew they had done wrong, and decided to hide. We've been trying to hide our sin from God ever since. It was at that very moment that the need for Jesus to come to earth became apparent. God wanted so badly for this thing he had created in His own image to be connected to Him. After God questioned the couple about what they had done, he handed out punishment. He was disappointed, just as God is when we sin today. But in verse 21 God shows us His true nature. In the midst of all of this failure, God stops to create animal skin clothing for Adam & Eve, because they were embarrassed to be naked. They didn't deserve God's help. But they got it anyway. And grace was born. 2000 years later that same grace would be wrapped in flesh and bone and come to walk among us again- this time as Jesus.

Today, ask yourself in what ways you are hiding from God? Seek to discover the areas of your life where you need to experience grace. God is waiting. You can find true sanctuary in his presence.

Because of Jesus,

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is the traditional beginning of Lent and a time during which Christians everywhere dedicate themselves to growing closer to Jesus. Today, in churches of many denominations all over the world, believers will gather in somber recognition of the sacrifice Jesus would make for us. Many will mark the occasion by having ashes rubbed on their foreheads in the shape of the cross. The ashes are often palm branches from the previous year's Palm Sunday that were burned and saved. In many cases the minister will remind us that "from dust we came, and to dust we shall return." The entire service is a call to repentance. If you are able to attend an Ash Wednesday service at your place of worship, please do. It will provide a moving start to your Lenten adventure.

If you are unable to attend a service, then take time today to focus on being open to the meaning of Lent. I call it being Crosseyed- keeping yourself aware of the cross of Christ and the Resurrection that would follow. Assuming you don't have any ashes handy, I suggest that you take a piece of charcoal or some sort of marker and mark yourself with the cross. Pray about the things in your life that you need to let go of- the things you REALLY need to repent of. Look at the mark of the cross on your body. Do people see the mark of Jesus on you everyday?  

The ashes are a mark that are easy to put on, easy to see- and easy to remove. But what does the mark of Jesus look like in the lives of those who seek to follow him? It does not show up on the faces of dour sourpusses who see God as a great cosmic killjoy. It does not show up in the lives of those who see church as means to a political end or an institution placed here to promote causes in which they believe. Instead, it looks like compassion and a love that surpasses all understanding. It shows up when we reach out to the lost, the hurting, the under-resourced and the broken. The mark of Christ is visible on us when we put the needs of others ahead of own wants and desires. The cross shows up in our souls when we understand that Jesus came and died and rose again for the very people our world so often rejects, and when we reach out to them with love, respect and a helping hand. Jesus said that if we love him we must "feed his sheep." Not just the pretty cheep. Not just the sheep who agree with us. Not the sheep who have it all together. ALL the sheep. Our task is to love them all. And by this love they will know we are his, and that we bear the mark of Christ.

So wear the mark with humility, with hope and with compassion. The world needs to know that this 40 day adventure we begin today ends in life, not death; it ends in love, not judgement; and it ends in joy, not sorrow. Lent may point to the cross, but it ends with the Resurrection- and we are a Resurrection people. Wear the mark of Jesus so that the world may know...

Because of Jesus,

Good Friday

A gift of love that no words could express, given to a world that never deserved it. A sacrifice that we cannot understand made by a God that we cannot comprehend. 

This is the meaning of Good Friday.

But it's only Friday.

And Sunday is coming...

The Next-to-the-Last Supper

The scriptures are full of amazing stories from what has come to be known as Holy Week in the Christian church. Here's a different take on one of those stories that I love to share every year at this time...

Mark 14:1-9 (The Message)

In only two days the eight-day Festival of Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread would begin. The high priests and religion scholars were looking for a way they could seize Jesus by stealth and kill him. They agreed that it should not be done during Passover Week. "We don't want the crowds up in arms," they said.

Jesus was at Bethany, a guest of Simon the Leper. While he was eating dinner, a woman came up carrying a bottle of very expensive perfume. Opening the bottle, she poured it on his head. Some of the guests became furious among themselves. "That's criminal! A sheer waste! This perfume could have been sold for well over a year's wages and handed out to the poor." They swelled up in anger, nearly bursting with indignation over her. But Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why are you giving her a hard time? She has just done something wonderfully significant for me. You will have the poor with you every day for the rest of your lives. Whenever you feel like it, you can do something for them. Not so with me. She did what she could when she could—she pre-anointed my body for burial. And you can be sure that wherever in the whole world the Message is preached, what she just did is going to be talked about admiringly."

My old friend Curt Cloninger, the amazing actor and interpreter of scripture, calls the meal Jesus is eating in the scripture above "the next to the last supper." In Curt's brilliant one-man play entitled Witnesses, he plays a fictional character (Abe the Banana Man) who was present at this meal. He used to be unable to speak, he tells us. In fact, he points out, almost everyone there (in Curt's version) was a "used to be." Simon (their host) used to be a leper. Bart used to be blind. Lazurus used to be dead! Curt points out that Jesus most likely ended the party during his speech praising the woman who had anointed his feet with perfume, because he once again announced that he would soon be dead. Now THAT would end a party. The whole evening must have been indicative of the highs and lows of that last week.

We all used to be something else before Jesus got hold of our hearts. Some of us still are people that we would rather not be. Holy Week is a wonderful time to let Jesus make you a "used to be" all over again. He will- if you seek sanctuary in the grace he offers you. Honor him this week (and every week) with your very life.

Because of Jesus,

That Sinking Feeling

Do you have that sinking feeling that all the prayer, reading, Bible studies and seminary classes haven't turned you into a super Christian? Are you tired of trying to follow all the rules and say all the right things so that you can be "good enough" in the eyes of God? Then may I suggest something? GIVE UP! Because not a single one of us can be "good enough" for God. And that's Good News...

I have been re-reading my friend Rick Bundschuh's brilliant book, Deep Like Me. Rick reminds us that just as Peter sank in the waves when walking on the water, we all sink sometimes. We are all "deep" like Peter. And we all need rescuing. We can be in a right relationship with God not because of anything we do, but because of what Jesus DID! I hope that these thoughts will comfort you as you walk these last days of Lent in preparation for Good Friday and Easter. We often beat ourselves up for our lack of faith, lack of commitment or failure to grow spiritually as quickly as we think we ought to. We go back on promises to ourselves and to our God. And far too often we think we are the only ones who fail. Rick writes these words of encouragement. Soak in them:

You are not alone. Others of us have those same thoughts and feelings.

You are not that weird. Our faith is often convoluted, inconsistent and conflicted.

You will make it. You still have a long way to go, but by hanging on to Jesus, your faith understanding and and wisdom will grow, and yes, it is difficult and even baffling at times.

I would like to tell you that the journey gets easier over time, but that would be a half-truth. At the very point that you acclimate and finally get used to the new spiritual altitude, God hollers at you to get up and get moving again.

Take comfort in knowing you are not alone. Get charged up knowing that God has more for you. Always. Remember, even his closest followers thought Jesus was done on the Cross of Calvary. But he wasn't finished; death was! The story did not end on the Cross, and because it didn't OUR story is still being written as well. Don't give up hope. Just give up the stinkin' thinkin' that says following Jesus is some self-improvement plan. We will all fall short today. And that's...OKAY. It is Grace makes all things new again each and every day. That sinking feeling you feel is completely normal. Just relax and float. The Great Lifeguard is always on duty...

Because of Jesus,

Ragamuffins & Grace

It was on my heart to share this vintage post with you again today in the hope that it will get your week off to a grace-filled start...


Yesterday I shared the words and music of the late Rich Mullins with you. One of his heroes and influnces was the late Brennan Manning. Today's "words to soak in" for Lent are excerpts from the first chapter of Brennan's classic book The Ragamuffin Gospel (1990, Multnomah Press). It could also be called The Official Guide To Grace. In a world so badly in need of grace and forgiveness, we Christians hold the key- the love of God whose name is Jesus. Why are we so slow to share it?


Something is radically wrong.


The Christian community often resembles a Wall Street exchange of works where in the elite are honored and the ordinary ignored. Love is stifled, freedom shackled, and self-righteousness believed. The institutional church has become a wounder of the healers rather than a healer of the wounded... Put bluntly the American Church today accepts grace in theory but denies it in practice.


Our culture has made the word grace impossible to understand. We resonate with slogans such as:
"There's no free lunch."
"You get what you deserve."
"You want love? Earn it."
"You want mercy? Show you deserve it."
"Do unto others before they do it unto you."

Though lip service is paid to the gospel of grace, many Christians live as if it is only personal discipline and self-denial that will mold the perfect me. The emphasis is on what I do rather than on what God is doing.

Our approach to the Christian life is just as absurd as the enthusiastic young man who had just received his plumber's license and was taken to see Niagara Falls. He studied it for a minute and then said, "I think I can fix this." 

We believe that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps- indeed, we can do it ourselves. Sooner or later we are confronted with the painful truth of our inadequacy and insufficiency. Our security is shattered and our bootstraps are cut.

We cannot do it alone.  We need Jesus.  God of grace have mercy on us- again.


Because of Jesus,

Liver & Lima Beans Again

The 40 days of Lent are analogous to the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert fasting and resisting temptation (see Matthew 4:1-11). Many Christians choose to "give up" something for Lent as their way of seeking to commune with the Christ. We may have given up Starbucks, chocolate, soda, TV or something else that you feel is a sacrifice. Then at the end of the season we go right back to the things we give up, scarfing down chocolate or drinking like the world will end the next day.This is fine, but...

Each year I try to allow the scripture at the top of the page (2 Corinthians 6:11, The Message) guide me through the desert. The apostle Paul is telling us that Jesus wants us to live a WIDE OPEN life! Don't be fenced in by the standards of the world around you; go for the gold. For many years I joked that every year for Lent I would give up liver and lima beans. And I never cheated on that promise.  It was easy- I HATE liver and lima beans! This may seem like a terrible way to approach Lent, but in some bizarre way I was on to something. Liver and lima beans are still not a part of my life. This year, in addition to whatever you have chosen to sacrifice, consider this: Give up something you never want to take back again. Give up your anger towards another person. Give up a sin that you struggle with. Or don;t give up anything, instead ADD a new discipline to your life! Don't be fenced in; don't think small. Pray today about opening up your life to Jesus. What can you let go of and give to God that you never want to see again? Jesus came so that we would have life- and not just any life, but ABUNDANT life (John 10:10)! The season begins on Wednesday. Let's get our hearts in order as we prepare for the holiest of season in the church. It's time to do a little spring cleaning...

Because of Jesus,

A Day of Waiting

His friends took the crucified Jesus and laid him in a borrowed tomb.  Well, some of his friends.  Others were in hiding.  Some of them clung to the hope that Jesus was not really dead, while others suddenly doubted every thing he had ever told them.  The disciples gathered to figure out what to do next. I would imagine that they sat around and told stories of Jesus.  They wondered what it had all been for.  It was clear there would be no political revolution.  It must have seemed obvious to them that they would soon return to the same powerless lives they had been living before they heard the words, "Follow me."  There was no doubt much discussion about what Jesus really meant when he said he was come back in three days.  They didn't realize that when he said, "It is finished" from the cross he didn't mean his life, he meant his mission.  There would be no more gap between God and man.  His work was done.  As usual, they were slow to get what Jesus meant, and certainly Thomas was not the only one who doubted.  But mostly, on that second day so many years ago, they waited. To be arrested, to discover truth, to learn what was next.  But they waited.

And today we wait- but it's totally different.  We wait with the full knowledge that tomorrow we will celebrate the single greatest event in the history of our world.  We wait knowing that Jesus is alive, that he took our sins, conquered death and rose to walk among the living once again.  So while the disciples waited in a room filled with despair and doubt, we wait with party hats on.  We already know what tomorrow holds.  So don't hold back.  In fact, don't even feel like you have to wait.  Go ahead and jump the gun and start celebrating right now.  The game has already been played, and ladies and gentlemen we have a winner.  "Death is ended; it's swallowed up in victory!"  God wins!  Jesus lives!  Let the celebration begin!!!

He Is Risen!!!

Peter's Denial

Mark 14:66-72 (The Message)

While all this was going on, Peter was down in the courtyard. One of the Chief Priest's servant girls came in and, seeing Peter warming himself there, looked hard at him and said, "You were with the Nazarene, Jesus."
He denied it: "I don't know what you're talking about." He went out on the porch. A rooster crowed.
The girl spotted him and began telling the people standing around, "He's one of them." He denied it again.
After a little while, the bystanders brought it up again. "You've got to be one of them. You've got 'Galilean' written all over you."  Now Peter got really nervous and swore, "I never laid eyes on this man you're talking about." Just then the rooster crowed a second time. Peter remembered how Jesus had said, "Before a rooster crows twice, you'll deny me three times." He collapsed in tears. 

Today's message is simple.  As we approach Good Friday, we all have to deal with the ways we have denied Jesus.  We, like Peter and the rest of the disciples, often turn away when things get tough.  Yet Peter's confession that Jesus was the Messiah is the rock upon which our faith is built.  No matter our denials or lack of faith at points in our life, Jesus can and will use us to do amazing things if we will simply open our hearts to Him.   The question is not whether or not Jesus can take the mess of our lives and turn it into something glorious; the question is will we be WIDE OPEN to the grace and love of Jesus and what He wants to do with our lives.  It's a query I plan to answer before the rooster crows...

Because of Jesus.

"Feels Good To Be Forgiven"

"Jesus proved it and I have found,

you can't keep a good man down!

Oh, Oh...feels good to be forgiven!"

Welcome to Obscure Music Monday #3!  This ongoing series seeks to expose my readers to classic Christian music that you may have forgotten, or (more likely) never knew about in the first place!  Today I am happy to feature Eddie Degarmo and his classic solo hit, Feels Good To Be Forgiven.

Dana Key and Eddie Degarmo were pioneers of Christian rock music.  They began recording in 1978 and for over two decades recorded and toured together.  I have to admit to not being much of a D & K fan; their lyrics were often a bit heavy handed for my taste.  But they were quite popular in the early to mid 80's, with songs like Destined To Win, Six, Six, Six and Boycott Hell.  In fact, Six, Six, Six was the first Christian music video I ever remember seeing on MTV.  The video was considered tooo graphic and violent and was actually banned for a period of time.  Imagine that...  Eddie and Dana (who passed away in 2010) would go on to make an enormous contribution to Christian music in the 90's with the founding of Forefront Records- the company that gave us (among others) dc Talk and Audio Adrenaline. In the late 80's they each recorded their own solo projects, and I fell in love with Eddie's 1988 song Feels Good To Be Forgiven. It was bluesy, soulful, and had a message we can all relate to.  Who among us doesn't need forgiveness- from our families, our friends and our God?  And oh by the way- it does feel good to be forgiven, doesn't it?

As we count down the days to Good Friday, it is important to remember that Jesus' trip to Golgotha was not about betrayal or governments or faulty Jewish leadership.  It was about mission.  Jesus came to earth to die...for US.  Even thought we didn't deserve it and we don't deserve and we never will earn it, Jesus gave us grace, taking the sins of the world upon his back on the cross. He conquered our sin, and three days later he would conquer death as well.  Remember that this week.  And remember that Jesus died for YOU, too.  Forgiveness is yours. And it feels good to be forgiven!  "And if you're not sure you can sing along, look down deep 'cause something's very wrong..."  Christ is risen- He is risen indeed!

Because of Jesus,