Church

There are many reasons why I love being a part of non-denominational churches.  One of the main reasons is that it reminds me that the church belongs to no man or group of people -- it belongs to Jesus.  The church is the bride of Christ.  He is our head and we are his body.  I did not die in order for the church to be birthed; Jesus did. Just one more reason I love being non-denominational.

On this Easter afternoon, my mind went back to an old Dallas Holm song (how's that for going retro!).  It's the song, "Rise Again," an appropriate song for Easter weekend.  Here's the chorus: Cause I'll rise ... again; Ain't no power on earth can keep Me down! Yes, I'll rise ... again; Death can't keep Me in the ground. The promise of scripture is straight-forward: Because Jesus was raised to life, we, too, may life a new life (Romans 6:4). Death couldn't keep Jesus in the ground.  What's holding you back?  Is there a part of you that needs to rise again? Perhaps you've let go of a dream because it seemed impractical or the timing wasn't right.  Is it time for that dream to rise again? Maybe you have a relationship that has been broken and needs to be restored, but neither party is willing to take the first…

I shared this past weekend the story of a fellow who traveled to Latin America to deliver a speech.  Since he spoke only English, they had arranged for a translator to translate his speech into Spanish.  Wanting to create a connection with his audience, he decided to open with "Good evening ladies and gentlemen" in Spanish.  Only one problem: he didn't know the Spanish words for ladies and gentlemen. To solve the problem, he arrived early and went looking for the restrooms -- knowing that the names for men and women would be used to distinguish the rooms. And so he began, "Good evening ladies and gentleman."  The audience was silent, almost shocked.  Thinking they must not have heard him, he said again, even louder: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen." A ripple of laughter spread across the crowd.  Finally, someone shouted, "You just said, 'Good evening bathrooms and broom closet.'"…

Of the seven statements that Jesus makes from the cross, the most bland appears to be "I am thirsty" (John 19:28-29).  It sits among others such as "Father, forgive them" and "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This last weekend I had the privilege of preaching on this text.  In these three words, we are reminded of a great truth: Jesus was human, too. I'm glad, because I get thirsty, too.  And tired, and weary, and worn out.  I understand what Jesus meant when he said the "spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matthew 26:41). Our thirst will either kill us or motivate us. Thanks to Jesus, it can actually move us closer to God.

In 1866, part of the Hawaiian island of Molokai was designated as a leper's colony.  Seven years later, a Catholic priest from Belgium, Father Damien, arrived. Father Damien did more than simply administrate the colony.  During his time there, he built homes and churches for those who had been ostracized from society. Over his sixteen years there, Father Damien built 2,000 coffins by hand so that, when they died, the lepers could be buried with dignity. Father Damien lived among those he served.  He ate with them, shared belongings with them.  In fact, he didn't always wash his hands after attending to their open sores.  For his willingness to get close to them, the people loved him. It has been said that during the time he served the leper colony that it went from being a place where one was sent to die to becoming a place to live. Then one day he stood…