Church

As I've been preparing for my Palm Sunday message (I don't actually call it my Palm Sunday message but that sounds much more official), I've been pondering this idea of giving versus getting.  Or, to put it another way, giving or taking. As the gospel narrative approaches the cross, it becomes obvious that Jesus was more concerned about giving than getting.  He tells his disciples that he came to "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).  Even when he prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, he gave up his right to get his way. Generally speaking, there are two types of people in this world: people who give and people who take. A giver looks for ways to add value.  A taker drains away resources. A giver asks, "What can I do for you?"  A taker asks, "What are you going to do for me?" A giver…

OK, if you don't know what a barista is, you might not get the full impact of this post. A barista is the person who makes your coffee.  For you luddites and male chauvinist pigs, I'm not talking your wife.  And the guy behind the counter at McDonalds doesn't count either. A true barista is one who understands coffee and knows how to make it right.  A true barista is one who recognizes you and remembers your drink.  The good baristas are worth their weight in gold, which is about the price of a pound of coffee. Since I drink a fair amount of coffee, I've met a fair amount of baristas.  More to the point, I've seen how people treat the baristas.  For the most part, they treat them well -- more so if the person is a regular.  But every now and then there is the person who…

The country of Nepal is best known for being the home of Mt. Everest. What isn't as known about Nepal is that it is also a conduit for the sex trafficking industry. Young children are smuggled across the border from Nepal into India, and into a life of abuse. Our church is sending an exploratory mission team to Nepal to learn more about Christian efforts in Nepal to intercept these children BEFORE they enter the sex trade. There is also a growing Christian presence within Nepal and I will be meeting with Nepali pastors to see how we might partner with them to strengthen their churches. I'm especially excited for this trip because I have the opportunity to go with my oldest daughter, Hannah. She will turn sixteen just a few days before we leave for Nepal. Without a doubt, this trip may well be a life-changing experience for both…

Last weekend I concluded our "Church 2.0" series on core values with a message about living a life of intentional mission.  Individual Christ-followers are called to a life on mission. Churches, as communities of individual Christ-followers, are called to be on mission, too. I chose as my text 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.  The Thessalonian church was birthed in the midst of opposition.  Acts 17, which tells the story of how the church began, describes Paul's opposition as rounding up a few "bad characters" who chased Paul out of town.  Bad characters have been chasing preachers out of town ever since! 1 and 2 Thessalonians are two letters that Paul writes to the church he had helped establish to encourage and instruct them.  As you read the first chapter of 1 Thessalonians, you quickly discover that this is a church that is living on mission. "You became imitators of us and of…

Did you know that I live in temporary housing?  And this may come as news to you, but I know that you live in temporary housing, too.  Even though I've never been to many of your houses, I do know what color some of them are.  To be honest, the paint is thinning on more than a few of them. Confused yet? Everyone lives in temporary housing.  It's called your body.  What feels like a permanent dwelling while in your 20's begins to show signs of wear and tear in your 40's (or sooner).  As you grow older, the idea of permanent housing begins to lose steam. Our temporary housing is the cause of much confusion and heartache. Since we live in temporary housing, we tend to be shortsighted.  We live moment-to-moment, a consequence of living in a temporary abode.  Instead of finding a lasting satisfaction, we live on short…