Thoughts for the journey

I have to admit that if I had been in the room when the woman poured that perfume on Jesus’ head I probably would have said the same thing. The Gospel of Matthew says that, “When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. ‘Why this waste?’ they asked. ‘This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.’” (Matthew 26:8-9)

Why is it that we so often value stuff over people?

I was raised to respect people’s property. It was one of the key values that I learned as a child. I still continue to live by that principle, but I have to be careful not to let the thing become more valuable that the person.

Living in a society where our value is often determined by our possessions really blurs the line. Rather than valuing the thing because it belongs to another person, we often allow ourselves to value the thing above the person.

Nowhere is this more true than when it comes to our stuff. How often do we allow our things to come between us and other people? Whether it’s coveting what someone else has or being so protective of our own things, we can allow what we have to become more important than another person.

In Act 2:44-45, Luke writes, “All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.”

Imagine how much different things could be if we lived this way. What if instead of every person buying a lawnmower, a group of people bought one that they shared? What if a group of people decided to share a car instead of each of them having an extra vehicle?

Last year, I spent a weekend with the Rutba House community in Durham, North Carolina. This community lives in two houses near the campus of Duke University and they are committed to sharing life as a part of the New Monastic movement. In each of the houses you find a collection of people of different ages and life situations. From young singles to complete families, each house shares responsibilities, finances, and much more, and all under one roof!

I wonder what would happen if we could embrace some of these attitudes in our lives. Our society teaches us to build houses filled with empty rooms and furniture we seldom use. We own things that we could easy share with others, but we are led to believe that everyone needs one in their garage, kitchen, or basement.

We want to be self-sufficient and not have to rely on others, so we purchase possessions to enable us to take care of ourselves. How much consumption and accumulation would be unnecessary if we could change our views on stuff? Not only could it help us own less and be burdened by less, maybe it would help us learn how to live in connected community where we actually learn to value and depend on each other more.

shine!
Jason

I believe that we often sell hospitality short. When most people think of hospitality, they think of someone decorating their house nice for some guests or providing a delicious meal. While this is part of hospitality, it is so much more.

Hospitality is an openness, a willingness to be vulnerable and available. This can be hard in a world that values privacy and private property. Let me share with you a paragraph from an essay I wrote a few years ago:

In our current society, hospitality has become a lost art in many ways. We live in a world of microwave ovens, text messaging, and iPods. Food can be prepared with little human interaction or need for others. We can communicate with one another without ever having to speak a word or look someone in the eye. We are able to enjoy our own, private entertainment without little need to consider the desires or tastes of others. In this world filled with self-centered, sometimes impersonal interaction, we must provide an example of authentic community. This requires us to display an openness towards everyone we encounter. We cannot and should not necessarily return to the specific methods of hospitality from centuries ago. However, we can show ways to engage in meaningful relationship that includes hospitality. In a world where people often close themselves off from others, we can be the ones who open our lives and make a difference in a world filled with loneliness and isolation.

Hospitality, at least in the Kingdom of God, requires us to open our lives to others. It cannot simply be something we do, it must become a part of who we are. We must strive to be people who open our lives to others.

This starts with an openness towards God. Are you welcoming God into every aspect of your life? Or do you only allow God access to certain parts? The more open we are towards God, the more open we will become towards others.

In a society that tends to build walls, avoid transparency, and cherishes the privacy of the individual, we have developed a high sense of loneliness. People are more opportunities than ever to communicate, but our communications are becoming more shallow.

If we are going to practice deep and significant hospitality, we must open our lives to God and other people. We must create margin in our lives and not be so busy. We have to have room for random, spontaneous moments where God can show up in powerful ways. Hospitality is more than serving up a fancy meal, it’s serving others through offering them all that you have and are.

shine!
Jason

Sometimes suffering is a result of our decisions, sometimes it is the result of the decisions of others, and sometimes it can’t be explained. While the first two are easier to understand, the third one can be very challenging and difficult to deal with.

As we consider James 5:7-20 this week in our classes, I believe there are several lessons we can learn. The first is that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. I do not subscribe to the idea that God makes things happen so we can learn. However, I do believe that because of freewill, God allows things to happen. When they do, God can use them in several ways.

First of all, while God doesn’t will that things happen for us to learn, I believe he can use things that happen for us to learn his will. I once heard it said that the will of God is not what happens to us, it’s how we react to what happens to us. Difficult times will often force us to reconsider our priorities and change our behaviors.

In addition, God can use suffering to draw us closer together. When someone mourns, we mourn with them. When someone struggles, we help them with their burden. When someone hurts, we help bandage them up. Community is often strengthened through difficult times.

I remember watching the news coverage on September 11, 2001. On that day, as our nation suffered on the world stage, the members of Congress gathered together as a sign of unity. Democrats and Republicans stood together and sang together, putting aside their differences.

Maybe one of the reasons the Western church has lost its fire is because we don’t have to suffer much. I don’t mean that we don’t all have times of suffering. Loved ones die. Friends get sick. People lose jobs.

Rather, I mean that we don’t suffer much for our faith. While I believe it’s questionable if we live in a “Christian nation,” I also believe that we have it pretty easy. There is currently an Amercian pastor in Iran who may be executed simply for converting to Christianty and refusing to renounce his faith.

How would most Christians in America react if they were given a choice to renounce their faith or face execution? Many of us, if we’re honest, often renounce it a little bit at a time for significantly smaller reasons.

Let me finish by sharing James’ closing words in his letter…

My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (James 5:19-20)

shine!
Jason

This week in our student classes we encountered one of the most confrontational parts of James letter. He “gets in the face” of the rich and challenges them about the ways in which they use and abuse their riches.

Most of us would not consider ourselves rich. I mean, think about it, we don’t live in mansions. We don’t drive $100,000 sports cars. Rich people are people like Bill Gates and Mike Ilitch.

But think about this…

According to a recent statistic, more than 80% of the world’s population lives on less than $10 per day, or $3,650 per year. While we may not see ourselves as rich, I am sure that almost all of us live on more than $3,650 per year. That means we are richer than at least 80% of the world.

I think that James words speak directly to us and challenges us to consider our stewardship. While there are hundreds of ways we can help those who struggle to survive every day, I want to suggest one.

World Vision is an organization we have worked with for several years through our 30 Hour Famine. They also offer opportunities to adopt children and make a different in the lives of those who are not as blessed as we are. Here is some information from their website about sponsoring a child:

Child Sponsorship is an opportunity to personally connect with a child and walk alongside their family and community as they work on lasting solutions to the causes that keep vulnerable children from reaching their God-given potential.

When you become a child sponsor, you will be connected to one special child who will correspond with you, including sending a letter to introduce themselves. We encourage you to continue this relationship and get to know your sponsored child better by writing letters or sending cards. It is very exciting for a child to receive a letter from their sponsor knowing that someone far away cares about them and their future.

Your sponsorship donations will help build a stronger community and give children and their families access to programs that will provide greater opportunities. For just $35 a month, you will help your sponsored child and children in their community enjoy good health, be educated, cared for, protected, and participating in making their community a better place to live—and to love God and their neighbors.

The well-being of children is the focus of all the work World Vision does. Your donations, and the donations of other sponsors like you, work together within the community to address the needs and conditions of children and families and have maximum impact in the lives of children, families, and communities.

We help to change a child’s life by changing the world in which they live. The well-being of your sponsored child is tied to the well-being of their family and community. We work with the whole community to address issues that are important to them so they can better care for their children. The best solution to poverty, one that will last, is not about giving people handouts or doing the work for them. It is about working alongside them to build a better community. We work with many people that contribute to the well-being of a child, including their families, organizations, groups, churches within their community, and their government.

Each community that we work with faces different challenges and has different needs. Therefore, the way that we do our work is unique to each community. World Vision listens to the people in a community to understand what hinders their children from reaching their full potential. We then help to improve the lives of children by working with their community to address the needs they have identified.

As you consider the words of James 5:1-6 this week, consider whether sponsoring a child might be a way for your family to be a blessing to a child (and his or her family) living in poverty.

shine!
Jason

This week we will celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is a day centered on the love. Everywhere you look you will see hearts and a variety of other symbols that express the concept of love.

While romantic love is important, it is not the most important type of love. Our culture often waters down love to be about feelings and passion. While those are important parts of love, real, life-giving love goes much deeper. Paul describes that kind of love like this…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

Another early Christ-follower, the apostle John, has this to say about love that is anchored in the character of God…

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. (1 John 4:7-21)

As we hear a lot above love this week, remember that the love that emerges from the Kingdom of God is more than just a feeling; it’s a way of living life.

shine!
Jason

There is a lot of “wisdom” in the world. All you have to do is go to a library or bookstore and you can find hundreds of self-help books telling you how to succeed, be transformed, or change your life.

The reality is that while some of these books contain good advice, the best advice comes from God. Before we try harder, read another book, or Google “becoming a better person,” we should turn to God for guidance.

The first key in gaining wisdom is to submit to God. As James says, “the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17)

While people spend millions – if not billions – of dollars every year seeking to discover wisdom, the best place to start won’t cost them much at all, at least financially.

I believe that the problem with some people is that they are willing to give up money for wisdom, but they’re not willing to give up their desires. We live in a world driven by desire and selfish ambition. According to the world’s standards, the wisest people are often the ones who know how to manipulate, scheme, and do whatever it takes to be successful.

In the Kingdom of God, things are the exact opposite. The first will be last and the last will be first. The greatest among you will be your servant. These are the signs of true wisdom; wisdom born of God.

Unfortunately, it seems as though many Christians subscribe to the world’s attitude about wisdom. We come to church asking what’s in it for me? We complain when the church doesn’t meet our needs. When we are not being served, we might look for a church that provides what we want.

I wonder how much different the church in America would be if followers of Jesus gathered to ask what they can give and what they can do for others. How would it affect our attitude about the hymns we sing, the programs we offer, and a variety of other issues that churches so often fight about? Maybe one of the biggest problems for the church is that we’re living according to the wisdom of the wrong kingdom.

shine!
Jason

It seems like people often swing back and forth between extremes in many areas of life. I believe this is true in the area of faith and works.

I am currently in the middle of watching a documentary about the life of Martin Luther. What I have watched so far has shown what led him to write his Ninety-Five Theses. (If you’re not familiar with what I am talking about, I recommend taking a few minutes to look into this. It’s one of the most significant events in the history of the Church). One of the biggest catalysts was his realization that our salvation is not based on our works, but on faith in Christ.

We have to realize that Luther came to this conclusion after years of serving in a church setting where everything was about doing enough works to deserve salvation. He was coming from one extreme of the spectrum.

Unfortunately, some have taken the ideas Luther espoused to the other end of the spectrum and would argue that our works have little or nothing to do with our salvation. They would say that all you need is belief.

The reality – as is often true – is actually found in the middle. While our works do not earn our salvation, they are certainly an essential part of our walk. Without them, we are dead. We are not dead because we didn’t do enough. Rather, we are dead because the fruit we bear (or don’t bear) reveals our attitude and the depth of our faith.

I like to say it this way: We don’t do works to be saved. Rather, we do works because we are saved.

If we have truly encountered God and seek a relationship with him, our lives should reflect the character and nature of God. Our works should naturally flow from within as the Spirit fills us and pours out into our lives.

We should not think of the Christian faith as a list of rules to follow. That is selling things way too short. But at the same time, the Christian faith is not simply agreeing to some idea so we can have the promise of eternal life.

The Christian faith is a life-long pursuit of God in which our lives should continue to bear more and more fruit of the Kingdom of God as we are transformed. Our works are not the ticket to eternal life. They are the evidence that we are living lives according the Kingdom that will reign forever.

shine!
Jason

We added two new items to our Families with Youth newsletter this week that I hope will help families engage their faith at home.

In the “Pass It On” segment, I am inviting a different parent to write something each week where they can briefly share a way they pass on their faith to their children. Part of this comes from a passage in Deuteronomy that we discussed in our Parent/Student Meeting a few weeks ago:

⁴Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. ⁵Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. ⁶These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. ⁷Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ⁸Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ⁹Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)

This does not have to be anything complex or fancy. It might describing a weekly family devotional. It could talk about how a family prays together each day or week. They might share a special service opportunity they participate in as a family. It could be as simple as some way they weave faith into their everyday conversations. The options are endless.

Thank you to one of our parents, Laura Stewart, for her willingness to be my “guinea pig” by writing the first “Pass It On” entry. Parents are asked to email their submissions so I can include them in upcoming newsletters.

The second new segment is entitled, “Faith@Home.” In this section, I will be providing the title and description for our current series as well as the specific class topic for the current week. The “Talk about it” section of this segment will offer a few questions for discussion as well as an action point. Families may choose to read these questions verbatim or use them to formulate their own questions. In the action point, families are asked to put what they have discussed into practice.

As our ministry enters into this new season of helping the home become the center of spiritual formation, I am hoping these new resources will help our families along the way.

shine!
Jason

The last fifteen months or so have arguably been the darkest season of my life. Looking back over the landscape of that time, I believe that this time even eclipses 1999, the year that Michelle and I both lost our mothers. You see, it is one thing to lose a close family member. It is quite another to walk with an entire church community through a host of difficulties while dealing with your own personal struggles.

I am not seeking pity or praise for the last year or so, but as I look back at what the last fifteen months have been, I have new appreciation for the words of the psalmist, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley…” (Psalm 23:4) I feel like I have walked through a valley and as I stand on the edge of that valley and look back at the path, I see death, destruction, and discouragement in the midst of the hell that the Rochester Church and I have journeyed through together.

The death of a mother of four (including a teenager still at home) after fighting a brain tumor for five long years.

The unexpected death of a friend and partner in ministry, a 31-year-old husband and father of three (one of them still in the womb at the time of his death).

The tragic death of a seven-year-old child in a freak sledding accident.

The death of a 21-year-old young man who had been in my youth group, and the long recovery for his twin brother, who suffered serious injuries in the accident.

These are only the tip of the iceberg for a dark and difficult season in the life of our church family.

I don’t think you realize the weight of walking through a war zone until you escape it. I have never served in the armed forces nor have I been in a physical battle, but I have been through a spiritual battle in the last year or so. These have been some of the deepest, darkest days of my life, but only now am I fully realizing where I have been and the impact it has had on me.

It’s funny how you don’t really grasp how dark it is until light erupts on the horizon. I’m just now really beginning to understand how this has all affected me.

And in the midst of everything above, our church also went through a significant staff transition and I wrestled with my own calling in ministry. There were times I considered walking away from ministry. Other times I had no idea what to do. And in the midst of these upheaval and uncertainty, God spoke clearly to me and I returned to my true calling to minister to students and their families.

I don’t share this to receive sympathy. Rather, I want each of us to realize that sometimes we are in the darkness and we don’t realize it. Other times, we may get frustrated with others walking in darkness, but we need to realize they may not see it.

These past months have taken a toll on me physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I have gained back nearly half the weight I lost. I have not been the husband and father I should have been. My relationship with God has suffered. But today, I stand on the dawn of a new day. I look back at the valley, but just for a minute. Then I look to the future, to a new horizon.

In the early 1990′s, singer Gloria Estefan was seriously injured in an accident. Following that accident and her struggles in the months after, Estefan penned the words to a song that made it all the way to the top of the charts. I think these words speak to a hope we all long for and a healing we all seek. While she wrote these words to her husband, I want to take these same words and direct them to the One who has ultimately brought me out of the darkness.

Why be afraid if I’m not alone
Though life is never easy the rest in unkown
Up to now for me it’s been hands against stone
Spent each and every moment
Searching for what to believe

Coming out of the dark, I finally see the light now
It’s shinning on me
Coming out of the dark, I know the love that saved me
You’re sharing with me

Starting again is part of the plan
And I’ll be so much stronger holding your hand
Step by step I’ll make it through I know I can
It may not make it easier but I have felt you
Near all the way

Forever, forever I stand on the rock of your love
Forever I’ll stand on the rock
Forever, forever I stand on the rock of your love
Love is all it takes, no matter what we face

Thank you, Lord, for walking with me though the valley of death. Thank you for shining your light into the darkness. Thank you for bringing me out of the dark.

shine!
Jason

Today we are celebrating the life of a man who helped change the course of history. He stepped into a conflict dominated by hate and violence and offered love and peace. When others wanted to use bombs, guns, and intimidation to forward their cause, Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated peaceful marches and non-violent protests.

Martin Luther King, Jr. is about so much more than the Civil Rights Movement. Don’t get me wrong, racism lost a lot of ground because of the efforts of King and those who marched with him. But what he stood for went much deeper than that.

In his famous speech in Washington, D.C., King said, “I have a dream…” But this wasn’t King’s dream. It was God’s dream living through him. While I never knew him personally, I can tell by the fruit that he bore than Martin Luther King, Jr. was an ambassador of the Kingdom of God. He wasn’t perfect, but he was certainly taking a stand for something that reverberated the echoes of the voice of the Creator.

Ultimately, his willingness to stand against the tide cost him his life. A voice of hope, peace, love, and victory was silenced too early. But not before he sounded a cry that would echo for generations to come. Much like the man he followed, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, Jr. was willing to do what was right, regardless of the consequences.

When I consider the life that King lived I am both embarrassed and encouraged. I am embarrassed about the number of times I fail to live in way that reflects and advances the Kingdom of God. I am encouraged because I know that King struggled, too. When I read a biography of King’s life, I learned that this larger than life man was just as human as I am. He made his mistakes. He had his regrets. And in that way, he and I are no different.

If a man like Martin Luther King, Jr. can take a stand and change the world, so can I. There may never be a holiday named after me and it’s unlikely I will ever appear in a history book, but I can have a dream like God’s that will change the world around me in a way that ushers in the Kingdom of God.

Thank you, Dr; King, for showing us a better way to live so that God’s dream can become our dream, too.

shine!
Jason