GRACE AND THE HARDEST THING.

It is two minutes before midnight Sunday Evening and in one week I will no longer serve as the pastor of Birchridge Community Church. Funny how ones perspective can change when you realize you only have a week left.

How well I remember the cold night our family arrived in Kenai, Alaska. It was December the 31st of 1992 and though we had just flew across the continent and the children were tired and we were in a totally different culture I some how new in my heart this was home.

We flew in with twenty-Two suite cases and left all our earthly possessions in North Carolina. We gave our furniture away to people who could use it and literally came with nothing but cloths and a few of the children’s toys they had just received for Christmas.

I have been asked if moving to a place so far away sight unseen and relocating our children five thousand miles from their grandparents was the hardest thing I have ever done. The answer is no. You see moving was easy but staying was hard.

There have been times when our efforts seemed to produce very little results. As is often the case our church is far from perfect. There is a problem, we have people in our church. Oh, like most every church experience the first year is a cake walk. The honeymoon period where it seems that you really do walk on water. But like every marriage the honeymoon eventually ends and the real work of building the relationship begins.

Over the past Fourteen years we have had beautiful times of refreshing and God has blessed the work. For this we are grateful. There are only three families with us in the church who were here when we arrived. The others who greeted us the evening of our arrival have left the state. That seems to be a way of life in Alaska. We meet new people and pour into their lives, they stay for a while and then move on.

For the new families who have become a part of our church over the past few years we will miss you more than you know. You came to us during a crucial time and breathed new life into our fellowship as you helped us walk through a transition leading into more of a contemporary service. What a blessing you have been not only to the church but also to my family. Thank you.

The hardest thing I have ever had to do was not moving to Alaska and it was not staying in Alaska. The hardest thing I have had to do is leave Alaska. This too is a reflection of grace.

AN OLD TROPHY AND LOTS OF GRACE

I graduated from High School in 1980 and that was also the year the country music band Alabama made their splash over the radio with the song," My home is in Alabama." It quickly rose to number one on the charts and the rest of their story is history.

In 1981 they kicked off a first tour and called it, "Feels So Right". The band had booked several small shows before their initial tour and I went to one which was off the beaten path in North Carolina. It was in a high school auditorium. In all around 150 people were there. I took my girl friend and at that time she did not know about the band.

It may be hard to believe now, but until the first tour was well under way most people had never heard of Alabama.That night they played for over two hours which meant some of their music was borrowed from other artist because they simply had not developed much of their own at that point.Also, that night I purchased a tee shirt of their first tour. I had an opportunity to go around to each band member and have them autograph it.

I took it home and hung it over my head board as a trophy.That summer Alabama become the big act in country music. Every tour after that one sold out and today Alabama remains one of the most successful bands in the history of the industry. They have sold over 70 million records.

Question? What happened to my Tee Shirt? Well, the following summer I married the girl I took to the concert. I soon went to college and entered the ministry. We got on with our lives and moved a couple of times.Somehow during our move a box of our stuff ended up with my sister-in-law.

A few years later She needed to refinish some furniture and found a box with some old cloths. Digging through the box she found a shirt with some scribling on it. Guess what? Yes... my trophy became an over shirt for staining furniture. If that was not enough she then thought it wise to through the old shirt in the washing machine.

She has often wondered if I could forgive her such an atrocity. Val... I love you more than you know. It was just and old shirt that probably would have been worth its weight in gold today. I have never seen or heard of another shirt like it.

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However, I remember the first time you hugged me and welcomed me to the family. Rather than judge me by my actions the previous evening, which left many embarrassed, you were able to look beyond and extend grace. Val grace is an amazing thing. It has a very short memory. By the way...the book you gave me by Phillip Yancey many years ago taught me much about the subject.

EASTER GRACE (PART TWO)

In this sculpture Josep M. Subirachs has captured a moment when the courage of a man crumbled. While one must travel to Barcelona to see this work you can find his inspiration in the Gospel of Matthew.

Over supper and in the presence of his fellow disciples Peter had insisted he was willing to die for the One who had just washed their feet. He even drew a sword in defense of his closest friend while in Gethsemane. However when challenged by a young girl as to whether or not he knew the Galilean, Peter failed. With an opportunity to stand up as a strong man of principle Peter choked and walked away totally emasculated.

“Now Peter sat outside the courtyard. And a servant girl came to him, saying, You also were with Jesus of Galilee.’ But he denied it before them all, saying ‘ I do not know what you are saying’…And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly.” (Mat.26: 69-75)

Peter wept bitterly and so have I when faced with the failures of my life. As a husband to my wife and a father to our children there have been occasions when I have blown it in a royal way. I serve as a pastor in a small town and if you know much about small towns, you know there are very few secrets. Even a mans worst failures can be placed under a microscope of public opinion leaving him feeling very much like Peter with no other option but to find a place outside the city to weep and wallow in his shame.

What do you do with a man like the apostle Peter who knew better but screwed it all up in spite of himself? I can tell you what God does with such a man. He offers grace for a wounded heart. In the Gospel of Mark you will find a message was sent to the ladies who had come to the tomb.

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“ But go tell his disciples-and Peter- that He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.”
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Did you catch the significance of the message? Peter was not forgotten. God is telling Peter,

" your failure is not fatal." In the resurrection our failure has been swallowed up in His victory and this too is a reflection of grace.

GRACE FOR EASTER (PART ONE)

We in the Community of Christianity have just celebrated the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Church attendance was high across our land this past Sunday. It has been reported that attendance was up and estimated Twenty-Five percent. We will not see this many people in service again this year until Christmas.

What is the significance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? For many it would be the paid holiday our federal government recognizes. It provides an opportunity for a long weekend to kick off the spring season. It is an occasion for the family to get together and share a meal, hide Easter eggs and have fun. Perhaps fire up the Barbeque for the first time this year and look forward to summer.

For others it is all about marketing. Retailers look for an increase in “Easter” spending this year. It is believed that retail numbers were up by 11% and overall spending for the holiday is believed to have surpassed 14 billion dollars.

May I invite you to read the story of the resurrection as it is recorded in the Gospels and challenge you to find significance for the Holiday in the lives of those who were present at that time? If you will look to the story you will find there is also something incredibly significant for our time.

“Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome brought spices, that they might anoint Him…But when they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away for it was vary large…And entering the tomb. They saw a young man sitting on the right side and they were alarmed. But he said to them, ‘Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here…. But go tell His disciples and Peter that He is going before you into Galilee; There you will see Him, as He said to you…’” (Mark 16: 1-8)

In this account a lady named Mary Magdalene will find significance in the resurrection. You may remember she was described, as a woman possessed of demons. Therefore her story reflects a life of torment and bondage. The priest would not have welcomed her into the fellowship of the spiritual community because she would have been unclean. Also, she would not have had much of a social social life. She would have been treated as freak of nature and a social outcast.

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However, one day her life did change when she met Jesus of Nazareth. He brought healing and wholeness to her life and like so many other undesirables and rejects of His day, she became a follower.

In his book the DaVinci Code Dan Brown presented a Mary Magdalene, which has been fabricated and fictionalized to mythic proportions. Neither the Scripture nor actual history will offer evidence to support the myth presented in the novel. It made for a story line, which has sold millions of copies, but at the end of the day it is still just a myth.
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However, in the scripture you will find that on the resurrection morning it would not be Peter, James or John or any of the other apostles to first look upon and behold the glory of the King. It would be this lady Mary Magdalene from whom he had cast several demons. In the resurrection her life moves from a futile existence to a reflection of grace. He is risen indeed!

RHYTHM AND GRACE ( PART TWO)

“ After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘ Follow me.’ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him.” (Luke 5: 27 & 28)


In first century Palestine among the Hebrew culture a teacher of the spiritual disciplines would have been called a rabbi. It was a custom of the time for young adolescents to approach a rabbi and inquire about the possibility of becoming a student by asking, “ May I follow you?” The rabbi would either accept the student or suggest he follow a trade.

Is it possible that Matthew had presented himself to a rabbi earlier in his life only to be rejected? When a student presented himself to a rabbi he was asking the question, “ Do I have what it takes to be like you?” It is very possible that Matthew (Levi) was told, “ No you need to find something else to do with your time.” The wounds of rejection are deep and debilitating. Last week we asked. “ How can a Levite with such a rich history get so out of rhythm with God? Could it be that no one believed he had what it took?

This is s sharp contrast to the story we read in the Gospels of how Jesus stopped by the table of a tax collector and looking among the undesirables and rejects of his day finds Matthew (Levi) and extends to him an offer to come and follow.

This is an invitation, which will bring the rebel Matthew (Levi) back into rhythm with the purpose of God. Among the most quoted words in the New Testament are found in Matthew’s Gospel.

“ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28: 19&20)

The great commission is shared through the voice of a man who, though out of step with God, responded to an invitation of The Rabbi and came back into rhythm showing this world a reflection of grace.

RHYTHM AND GRACE (Part One)

Though the name of the artist eludes us you will find the inspiration for this portrait in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. It is a story of rhythm and grace.

“ As Jesus passed from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him. Now it happened, as Jesus sat at the table in the house, that behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.” (Matt. 9:9-10)

To appreciate this text you have to understand Matthew is telling us his story. In fact he is showing us how his life has become a small chapter written into the plot of a of a much bigger story. John Eldridge says stories are the language of the heart. The Bible shares the redemptive story of our Heavenly Father. Found in this Grand Story are Sixty-Six smaller books each describing a narrative which comes to the harmonious conclusion, “God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son….” (Jn. 3:16)

We read in II Sam. 11:1 “ Now it happened in the spring of the year…” this is the introduction to the story of David and his personal failure with Bathsheba. You sill see in Job 1:1 “ There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job…” Also, in Job 2:1
“Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord….” This is the intro to the story of Job, which will address the problem of suffering.


Now read Matthew Nine verse ten again. “ Now it happened, …” Once again, Matthew has opened the window of his soul and is telling us his story. However before we look at his story may I ask you to consider your own? If you could reduce your life down to a kernel what would it look like? Two questions will need to be answered. First, where have you come from? And second, where are you going?

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To answer these questions you will need to reflect on the past and then peer into the future. Looking to the past may be difficult, even painful but a very necessary step in the process of getting to your future.

When reading the story of Matthew we must take the necessary step of looking to his past and asking the same question, “Where did he come from?” To answer that question we must look to the Gospel of Luke and and while sifting through the pages you will find a nugget hinting toward something of his yesterday.

“ After these things He went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow me.’ So he left all, rose up, and followed Him. Then Levi gave Him a great feast in his own house. And there were others who sat down with them.”

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Luke tells us that Matthew was also known as Levi. You will recall the name Levi is associated with the priesthood in the Old Testament. Those of the tribe of Levi had the responsibility of serving the Lord in the tabernacle.

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I am of the opinion that Levi was actually from the tribe of Levi and he had a working knowledge of the significance of his heritage. It would have been his ancestors who carried the Ark of the Covenant on their shoulders.

If this is true how does Levi (Matthew) find himself in a position so out of rhythm with God? What happened? As we are introduced to this Levite we find him in a different environment. He is sitting with tax collectors and other undesirables. He is guilty by association and also by the choices he has made.

To answer the question of how we must also so look to the times and traditions of his day. (This will be posted in part two.)

GRACE AND THE RHYTHMS OF GOD

In 1930 George Gershwin wrote, “ I’ve Got Rhythm.” This classic has been used in at least two major motion pictures, preformed by swing choirs as well as featured in countless other venues. Question. Where does the rhythm come from?

If creation reveals the thumbprint of God then rhythm reflects the grace of God. Rhythm is so built into the creative order one can scarcely imagine this world with out it. Like grace rhythm shows up everywhere.

Musical Rhythm


What do Bach, Beethoven, and Bob Seger have in common? Though the spectrum of these musicians may be extreme and two hundred years separate their physical existence the thread that will bind these artists together is rhythm.

I am a pastor and have heard every conceivable argument about what is “ proper music” for the church and must admit I often walk away and shake my head in disbelief at the ignorance of our day. There is no such thing as “Christian Music”. All of music is a gift from God. However there are Christian lyrics. The term Worship War was coined to describe the conflict created in the church as a younger generation entered into worship with a more contemporary rhythm.


Poetic Rhythm

The psalms are a poetic expression of worship and lament. No less than Fifty-Five of the psalms are addressed to the “Chief Musician”. David himself was a musician and understood the value of rhythm. While poetic form may vary and there may not always be rhyme there will be rhythm. There is a way in which the poem is to be read where rhythmic value is important. Robert Frost who was called the poet of the Twentieth Century would often emphasize the importance of voice and timing when reading and writing poetry.


Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythm refers to the biological clock inherit in all life forms from human to insect. When one boards a plain in Anchorage Alaska at midnight flying to the east coast, as I have often done, jet lag becomes a very real phenomenon. It is midnight and still daylight in Alaska. While flying east you are actually chasing the sun. It does something to the synchronization of the internal clock.

According to the Centre Of Circadian Biology and Medicine, “ Circadian rhythm is a biological process that oscillates with in an approximate Twenty-four hour period when there are no external timing cues." Basically a circadian rhythm is an internal daily biological clock. Another Medical Journal reports that, “ The brains circadian clock is a tiny cluster of neurons behind the eyes. This cluster of cells sends out signals that control the body’s daily rhythms.”


Cardiac Rhythm

Cardiac Rhythm is the rhythm of a beating heart. When the heart beats out of rhythm it is called arrhythmia and presents what could be a rather serious problem for the unfortunate patient. There are procedures to get the heart back in rhythm.


Tidal Rhythm

The oceans tides move in such rhythm we can predict high and low tide to the minute. Both Commercial and Sport Salt-Water fishermen have learned the necessity of fishing with the tide.

Why has God so orchestrated rhythm into the daily function of our earthly environment? I offer an opinion. He has given this world rhythm and invites us to dance. Rhythm flows from the Throne of Heaven drawing all who are willing to the very heart of God.

Remember the first dance you attended in middle school. The music was playing and the boys were on one side of the room standing in their huddle working up the nerve to approach the young ladies who were on the other side of the room. On the floor there were those who were dancing and those who were trying to dance.

Sitting around the perimeter were those who wanted to dance but were convinced they did not know how. Perhaps they felt like they did not have the rhythm or else they were simply too insecure to try because they had been taught all their life that dancing was wrong.

Where are you in this scenario? God has given this world rhythm and is inviting you to dance. If we are dancing with God we are walking in step with Him as he takes the lead. If you are one who knew what it was like to be in the dance, to walk in step with the one who created rhythm but now you find yourself sitting on the side feeling alone. I have good news for you. The grace of God is reaching out and extending a hand inviting you back on the floor for another dance. This too is a reflection of grace.