Church

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…

In my last post I wrote about how professional teams balance two needs: the need to win and the need to develop talent. The people of God must realize that we are involved in much more than a game.  In fact, we are involved in much more than life itself.  We are involved in helping write eternity.  That's not being dramatic; it's being truthful. Professional teams will invest heavily in coaches, facilities, and more in order to develop young talent.  A guy like Aaron Rodgers gets to watch Brett Favre for a few years before becoming a superstar in his own right.  Baseball players work their way up through the minor leagues. Does your church have a system for developing the young talent in its midst?  All too often, the answer is no. As the church-going population continues to attend a smaller percentage of the churches (mega churches account for…

The recent kabuki dance between the Broncos, Peyton Manning, and Tim Tebow was interesting to watch.  Ultimately, the Broncos decided that a 36-year-old Peyton Manning put them in a better position to win than the younger Tebow did. In professional sports, there are two competing needs: to win and to develop talent.  If you can do both at the same time, all the better.  If not, a team must decide which they will give up in order to pursue the other.  In other words, they may decide to into a rebuilding phase, recognizing that it may mean fewer wins for a season with the hope of more wins in the future. What about in the kingdom of God? First, we must define what a "win" looks like.  In my mind, a kingdom win is when an increasing number of people are finding a relationship with Jesus. If that is what…

Lou Holtz once said, "It's not the load that breaks you down, it's the way you carry it." There are times when life is downright heavy.  We watch those we love battle a disease that withers them away and wears us down.  The concern parents feel for their children can be all-consuming.  The baggage we may carry from a bad decision takes the spring from our step. When life is heavy, we need hope -- not wishful thinking.  We need an assurance that everything will work out, perhaps not the way we would like it, but in the most beneficial way.  Hope in better things is what allows us to pick up and carry on. Hope is what Jesus offers: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and…