Mangers and Crosses

Protestants take great pride in their symbolic piety… or lack thereof.

In recent years we’ve abandoned the table… removed the cross… hymnals and bibles and stain-glassed windows…

“It’s not about the symbols” we’ve said, “It’s the truths they represent!  As followers of Christ,” we’ve continued, “we live the truths of the symbols!” 

(…I’m not sure that’s true but we like how spiritual it sounds and anyways that isn’t the theme of this post so I’ll let it slide). 

In truth, the symbols simply cost too much in time, energy and money to maintain… and we have other things (better things?) to do with our time… our energy… our money…

...it’s convenient how God no longer expects me to make a sacrifice of the things that I want for myself (that’s a different post too… I’ll let it slide).

Get to the point!

Surely, you’ve noticed how the protestant cross is always empty.  Catholics use a crucifix – a cross with an likeness of Christ still attached.  Protestants insist, “He is no longer on the cross!”  So, we shun crucifixes.  Some go so far as to call them idolatrous.

…which is ironic given our love of placing some sort of likeness in mangers at Christmas.

We prefer the baby Jesus to the crucified Christ.

Is that because we imagine we prefer a god we can control?  Because a manger-bound baby is safer?  Because a god-in-a-manger won’t challenge my attitudes, my spending, my busy-ness, my reveling, …and if he does I can always coo-coo-coo and pretend I don’t understand.

Christ on the cross confronts my lust and greed and selfishness and busyness and pride and….  Christ on the cross reminds me, “This is for you!”  Christ in a manger?  …He’s cute and cuddly and don’t you just want to pinch His cheeks as you scurry off to buy something else that you don’t need in order to impress people who don’t even know you exist?

Listen, I believe the cross… and the tomb are empty.  He IS risen!

…but the manger is empty too…

my 2c

Celebrating Advent

Your local Christian bookstore should have lots of Advent tools like devotionals, calendars, cards and family activities for families at various stages… and of course there are a lot of great tools available online (some crazy nonsense too so be discerning☻)

Here is one very simple tool that can be easily adjusted for your family.

You’ll need:

·       Five candles

·       A designated time once/week for the whole family to gather

·       A Bible (age appropriate for your family)

·       A fireplace to sit around (just kidding… unless you have one☻)

·       Set aside one night a week.  I suggest right after supper.

·       Gather the family together around the candles (If possible leave the candles (unlit) in place all week as a constant reminder.)

·       If you are on weeks 2-4 you may wish to light the previous week’s candles at this point.  For example, on week two you might light week one’s candle at this point.  On week three you would light two candles – one for the first week and one for the second, etc.

·       Read a few verses of the Christmas story as a family.  You can have the same person read each week but it might be nice to use all of your family’s readers over the course of the season.  Here are some possible selections to read:

o   An angel visits Mary – Luke 1:26-38

o   Mary visits Elizabeth – Luke 1:39-45

o   Mary’s Song – Luke 1:46-56

o   Joseph – Matthew 1:18-25

o   The Trip to Bethlehem – Luke 2:1-7

o   The shepherds – Luke 2:8-20

o   The Magi – Matthew 2:1-12

o   Simeon – Luke 2:25-35

o   Anna – Luke 2:36-40

·       After the reader(s) is finished light the candle for that week.  (The fifth candle is for Christmas day)

·       Offer a brief prayer inviting Christ to be a part of your holiday rhythm.  You may wish to have a different person assigned to pray each week.

No, this is not the strict liturgical way of engaging in Advent but this isn’t about liturgy this is about remembering and inviting Christ into our lives.  Of course this isn’t the only way and you’ve probably got some wildly creative children in your family that can create an Advent tradition that works for you.  Try to include these three things.

Remember – Advent is about remembering Jesus.  Your Advent activities should work to remind you of the following.

·       Who Jesus is…  

·       What Jesus has done…

·       What Jesus is doing in your life, family and the world

·       What Jesus has promised to do

Secondly, this is supposed to be fun so celebrate Jesus!

·       Why not have a party for Jesus.  I’m sure He’d be OK with you celebrating early.  Bake and eat a cake together as a family.  Play some games together conscious of His presence in the laughter and joy.

Finally, share Jesus’ love with others

·       Meet a need in the community – Volunteer with Salvation Army, a local Food bank or a soup kitchen.  Do you know a person or family in need?  Take them a meal, or invite them over to share one with you.  Drop off an anonymous gift/giftcard, etc.

Advent! It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1.    Remember

2.    Celebrate

3.    Share

Gotta Serve Somebody

Our Lord’s first obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of men; the saving of men was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father.  (From: Chambers, O. (1986). My Utmost For His Highest: Selections For The Year)

It’s hard not to get overwhelmed.

Everywhere you turn there are multiplied needs.  You don’t have to be a Christian or a religious person to see it…

…simply human. 

It’s on every channel of TV (so I’m told), it’s on the radio, in the margins of your browser, check your twitter feed, CBC, CTV, GLOBALnews…

…#troubleintheworld

(I don’t know what that is …it just seemed to fit☻)

I can’t imagine what it must be like to be a police officer (an early dream), Fire and Rescue, Paramedic, Nurse, Doctor… I have challenge enough just trying to journey with people through spiritual challenges! (…and let’s be honest, for the most part those are easy to hide so I’m sure I don’t see more than 10% of those).

So-o-o-o many needy people

So how did Jesus manage?  The first in all of history who could meet every need He saw… heal every disease… cure every illness… restore every broken, lifeless, fragile heart.

John, the gospel-writer, records  an incident in which Jesus visited a place that was crowded with the needy.  According to John 5:3, “a multitude of sick-blind, lame and paralyzed”.  That is to say – the needy, the powerless, the broken, the weak, the feeble and so-on.  Jesus, John records, steps through this multitude and heals one man… a single person from the crowd.

We all think, “If that were me, I would have waved my hand and healed them all!”

…because we are slaves to our own neediness. 

Christ served not the needy… but the Father. 

That’s the point Chambers is trying to make in that opening quote.

The theological knots in this are perhaps beyond my pay-grade but the basic question is one we all need to wrestle through…

Who you gonna serve?

…as Dylan said… You gotta serve somebody…

…just sayin’

Holding Nothing Back

A number of years ago I wrote a book.  It was called “When the Leaders Led”.  I wrote it mainly because a number of folks kept encouraging me to put some of the stuff I was teaching into a format that could be used by churches and ministries.  In my mind it was designed to be a practical tool to help worship and music ministries.

It’s sold out and out of print now but back in the day I remember reading comments on a worship website where someone quoted my book.  They got the words right but totally missed the point I was trying to make… I think my reaction may have involved some shouting at the screen and pacing about the room …followed by the realization that once you put something out there you can’t control how it’s going to be used.

All of that to say this: Here are some words from Oswald Chambers.

“Never reserve anything. Pour out the best you have, and always be poor.”

Those words have had kind of a ringing effect on me.  They keep echoing through my thinking.  I confess I may not be thinking exactly what the author was thinking when he wrote those words but he does mention in the following in the same section:

“The grace you had yesterday will not do for to-day. Grace is the overflowing favour of God; you can always reckon it is there to draw upon.”

This morning my reading came from Exodus 16.  That’s the story of God’s provision of manna to His people in the desert.  Each family was supposed to gather just enough food for the day… and trust that God would provide tomorrow’s food… tomorrow.

Can I trust God to provide what I need when I need it, or do I insist on a safety net.  “Look, God I’m sure You can provide what I will need tomorrow but just in case You get busy and forget…  or get angry… let me take a little extra.”

I wonder if we sometimes try to store up grace just in case it runs out.  Not like runs out exactly but… you know… maybe God forgets… gets too busy… or too angry to give us more.

When we horde grace we call God a liar… a poor provider… a covenant breaker.  His promise is grace beyond measure.  Grace never-ending! 

Unlike manna that only came at certain times of the day…

Unlike manna that I had to go out to collect…

His totally sufficient grace is ever-ready and overwhelmingly available every- and anytime I need it.

…I suppose that’s what makes it grace.

So that grace that you have?  Don’t try to reserve or save it.  Poor it all out… ALL of it… try to be “grace-poor”!  God has promised that can never… will never happen so stop being so stingy with it!

…just sayin’

(Oswald Chamber quotes from My Utmost for His Highest)

Other things my Mother taught me...

1.    Love the ones no one else will (you’ll figure it out)

2.    Give… even when it can’t be given to you.

3.    You can always use one more comforter (If you don’t need it, find someone who does).

4.    Volume doesn’t make you right… and rarely helps.

5.    It’s OK to be wrong.

6.    When someone calls you stupid – instead of proving them right, prove them wrong!

7.    Getting knocked down doesn’t hurt as much if you get back up

8.    Smiling at strangers is more fun than scowling.

9.    If someone is staring it’s probably because they think you are royalty... might as well act the part.

10. If you act stupid… you are.

11. Generosity is just better.

12. Sometimes “losers” just need a helping hand… you did.

13. When someone yells “duck” duck first, look up second… it’s safer in the end.

14. Always… ALWAYS be overjoyed when family visits… no one promised you another.

15. Do not be afraid.