Don't Exchange Friendship For A Hotdog And A Lawn Chair

I'm just so busy...

Maybe this line will sound familiar: "summertime's just so busy..."  Have you ever noticed that we have a tendency to regurgitate different versions of the same excuse?  Busy summer excuses turn into, "now that fall's here we're just busy trying to get back into a routine."  Or, "let's catch up after the holidays."

As reality would have it, we're all allotted approximately 24 hours in a day and those 24 hours are going to get filled up with something.  It's not that summer is busy, life is busy.  We are all  forced to choose some things and reject others.  When we say "yes" to one thing, we're saying "no" to something else.  The situation is neither good nor bad, it just is.

I'm a pastor and last Sunday I skipped church to run a marathon.  I'm a living example of the fact that we all make time for the things that are important to us.  I doesn't hurt my feelings in the slightest when people say "no" to being at church Sunday morning so they can say "yes" to something that's important to them.  What saddens me is when they choose trinkets, entertainment and even lethargy over Jesus and the family that He's established for them to enjoy.  One Sunday turns into 4 and before you know it, skipping out on time with our church family is the new norm.

My advice: Take the time to enjoy summer.  Be with people you love and do things that rejuvenate you.  In the middle of it, watch out for the pitfall of loosing your connection to your Christian community.  Don't exchange friendship for a hotdog and a lawn chair.  Biblically speaking, every good thing exists for one purpose; to bring glory to Christ.  Being engaged in His family (the church) does that very thing.

"living in community is hard on our schedules.  Living in isolation is hard on our souls."  -Brad House

How Refreshing

I was chatting with a friend on the phone this week.  This particular friends has an unusually demanding occupation and was, at the time, traveling for work.  He said to me, "Sunday morning is my time to get refreshed..."  It made me think about my own attitude toward being at church on Sunday morning.  Do I view it as a time of refreshing?  Do you?  Or is it a duty or a burden or an obligation?  Is there somewhere else you'd rather be?

If it's not a time of refreshing for me there could be a myriad of possible causes.  Maybe the pastor is boring, maybe the music is too loud or too soft, maybe the kid's ministry isn't what I think it should be, etc...  But more than likely the problem is me.  Maybe the reason we've stopped being refreshed at church is because we've lowered the bar of our expectations to the point where we can step over it ourselves there isn't much need for God now.  Good news! All of those problems are easily solvable: Expect more from God!  I promise you, God is not too tired to intervene in your life and completely upgrade your state of being.  Are you anticipating that it will actually happen?

So my questions are simple:  Do you expect to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit this Sunday?  Are you listening for the voice of God?  Do you believe that He has great plans for you this week?  Are you aware that Jesus' death and resurrection can completely change your experience of reality if you'll let it?

Contemplate the grace of God.  Look for His hand at work in your life.  Embrace the opportunity to be a part of the "body of Christ."  The Spirit of God is on the move at all times and He's seeking those who pursue Him.  Allow yourself to be fully captivated by His message and you will see a significant change in the way you experience the world.

A life that is fully captivated but he good news of Jesus is a life well lived.

Epic Failure!

"It happened again.  It happened again."  I've thought that phrase so many times it's ridiculous.  So often Christians look at their behavior and attitudes and can only feel one thing, shame.  Shame because there seems to be a huge gap between what we say we believe and how we actually conduct ourselves.  This is a gap which skeptics and critics are all too happy to point out.  

One of the most freeing moments of my life was when I realized that, without Christ, failure is just failure.  Without redemption, it is a point worthy of shame.  But Jesus makes our failure epic.  Epic because He came and absorbed God's wrath against our failure.  Epic because He knew what a failure I'd be and He payed the price anyway.  Epic because every sin I've committed and the ones I'll commit in the future are already redeemed and wiped away.  

Our failure is epic because, once redeemed by Jesus, it serves as a billboard displaying how good and gracious and loving our God is.  

Don't focus on changing your behavior or having an ultra-spiritual experience.  That motivation is only temporary and it results in disappointment more often than not.  Focus on Jesus and what He's already done for you.  After all, it's His kindness that leads us to Him (Rom 2:4).