Ash Wednesday. Today begins Lent, the forty day period leading up to Easter. This season of Lent, as a community, we want to unleash Christ’s love in our communities—where we work, where we live, where we shop, learn, play, drive, eat, and drink. While I eagerly embrace the call to love others, I am generally less than enthusiastic about the call to sacrifice. Yet love and sacrifice always go together. Always. So if we’re to love, that implies a giving away of self—sacrificing time, sacrificing what is comfortable, easy, or safe for the sake of the Gospel.
As we’ve been looking at Philippians, Paul writes of his own sacrifice of suffering, referring to it as pouring himself out as a drink offering. Just as Jewish priests poured wine on the altar of fire as a sacrifice in God’s honor, as an aroma pleasing to the Lord, when we give ourselves away on behalf of others, we are in a sense being poured out as a fragrant offering to God. Paul also reminds us of the way in which Christ, compelled by love and humility, sacrificed on our behalf, becoming a servant and giving his very life. As we follow Lent through Easter, it is a time to remember Christ’s sacrifice, and as his followers, to share in his suffering by pouring ourselves out in love and sacrifice.
Futhermore, Paul writes to his readers to stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the Gospel. In a very real sense, we are warriors of light heading into battle to set souls free from darkness. We are armed with faith, hope, and love. We must stand together as one in spirit and in purpose. With that in mind, let us encourage and support one another here by sharing the ways that we will move forward in love this Lenten season. And let us consider ways that we can gather around each other to contend as one.
If you have not yet, I encourage you to read back over Paul’s powerful words in Philippians 1:27-2:18, and prayerfully ask God to show ways in which you can, in humility, consider others better than yourself. Specifically, during Lent, who will you serve? How will you serve them? And what will you sacrifice in order to serve them?
Please share here what God has put on your heart to commit to during Lent. Whether it be the sacrifice of not taking the best parking spot each day or the sacrifice of fasting and prayer for an unsaved friend—whatever it may be, leave a comment to let us know. You may leave your comment anonymously if you prefer.
Finally, let’s rejoice together at the privilege of sharing in Christ’s suffering!
2.25.2009
2.18.2009
Broken Things
I hate broken things. Nothing is worse than going to start the car and hearing that tell-tale silence that lets you know you’re not going anywhere, anytime soon - Or when your cable is out during your favorite show, when your favorite song skips, when your guitar string breaks, your grill won’t light, or favorite jeans get a hole in a inconvenient, conspicuous area. Of course most of these things can be remedied, but that is beside the point. I want things to work the way they are supposed to- to be able to use the thing right now. I’d rather not hassle with getting the stupid thing fixed, and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes it’s because the thing is beyond repair or not worth fixing, but many times I’m just annoyed and ready to get rid of the useless broken thing. Terrible and wasteful I know, but I’m just being honest.
It would be nice if things didn’t break, but there’s heaps of garbage around the earth to prove that broken things are part of this fallen world. However, brokenness is not limited just to our “stuff;” life is full of broken situations and broken people. Broken situations are everywhere: dysfunctional families, severed relationships, addictive cycles, financial ruin, discrimination, illness, death, victimization…. And, we need only to look in the mirror to find a broken person. Some of us are full of shame and guilt, some motivated by greed and self interest, some drowning in addiction, some living in hypocrisy, some lonely and desperate. In any case, this brokenness is all around us and in some cases in us. Sometimes the brokenness seems like too much and we wonder: “Will this ever be fixed? Can any possible good come from the broken mess?”
The answer is…YES! We don’t always know why things get broke the way they do, but our God is one who can restore broken situations and people. Not only that, there isn’t a person or situation so broken that God cannot use to demonstrate His love, advance His Kingdom and bring glory to Himself. Think about Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Imprisoned and limited to where he could preach the gospel and carryout his ministry, by all accounts Paul was in a broken situation. It would have been easy (and justified) for Paul or other Christians to questions what possible good could come from him being chains. However, Paul saw evidence that God was using this broken situation to advance the gospel. Moreover, a group self-serving, hypocritical Christians were ministering in Paul’s absence not only for their own gain, but to make more trouble for Paul. What good could from these sinners preaching the gospel? Well, much to our surprise a whole a lot. These broken people were still sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
And the point is? Situations and people don’t always function the way we would like. There will always be situations that need resolution and people (including me and you) who aren’t worthy of being loved or used by God. But Jesus Christ restores and uses broken people and situations. These aren’t waste to be tossed aside, but pearls in the making. This is not always easy to see, and the truth is, not everything gets fixed. But the good news is that God doesn’t wait until we can figure it out or until everything is perfect to do his work in and through us. We have a hope and a promise that One Day this brokenness will be no more, but until then we must pray that God makes the most of our messes-those we create, those we observe, or those that just fall in our lap.
May God give you the strength and patience to navigate through brokenness.
May we offer grace to broken people, including ourselves.
May the Lord use us as agents of change in broken people and broken situations.
And please, Lord Jesus, restore the broken things of this life for the sake of your people and your glory.
Amen
It would be nice if things didn’t break, but there’s heaps of garbage around the earth to prove that broken things are part of this fallen world. However, brokenness is not limited just to our “stuff;” life is full of broken situations and broken people. Broken situations are everywhere: dysfunctional families, severed relationships, addictive cycles, financial ruin, discrimination, illness, death, victimization…. And, we need only to look in the mirror to find a broken person. Some of us are full of shame and guilt, some motivated by greed and self interest, some drowning in addiction, some living in hypocrisy, some lonely and desperate. In any case, this brokenness is all around us and in some cases in us. Sometimes the brokenness seems like too much and we wonder: “Will this ever be fixed? Can any possible good come from the broken mess?”
The answer is…YES! We don’t always know why things get broke the way they do, but our God is one who can restore broken situations and people. Not only that, there isn’t a person or situation so broken that God cannot use to demonstrate His love, advance His Kingdom and bring glory to Himself. Think about Paul’s letter to the Philippians. Imprisoned and limited to where he could preach the gospel and carryout his ministry, by all accounts Paul was in a broken situation. It would have been easy (and justified) for Paul or other Christians to questions what possible good could come from him being chains. However, Paul saw evidence that God was using this broken situation to advance the gospel. Moreover, a group self-serving, hypocritical Christians were ministering in Paul’s absence not only for their own gain, but to make more trouble for Paul. What good could from these sinners preaching the gospel? Well, much to our surprise a whole a lot. These broken people were still sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
And the point is? Situations and people don’t always function the way we would like. There will always be situations that need resolution and people (including me and you) who aren’t worthy of being loved or used by God. But Jesus Christ restores and uses broken people and situations. These aren’t waste to be tossed aside, but pearls in the making. This is not always easy to see, and the truth is, not everything gets fixed. But the good news is that God doesn’t wait until we can figure it out or until everything is perfect to do his work in and through us. We have a hope and a promise that One Day this brokenness will be no more, but until then we must pray that God makes the most of our messes-those we create, those we observe, or those that just fall in our lap.
May God give you the strength and patience to navigate through brokenness.
May we offer grace to broken people, including ourselves.
May the Lord use us as agents of change in broken people and broken situations.
And please, Lord Jesus, restore the broken things of this life for the sake of your people and your glory.
Amen
2.11.2009
You: A Masterpiece in Process
You: A Masterpiece in Process
The Artist approaches the blank canvas. The vision of what He will create has been in His mind for some time; and now, with all the tools of His craft at hand, He will allow the rest of the world to see the beauty only He has yet imagined. With the first stroke of the brush a masterpiece is born; incomplete for sure, but that first drip of paint will be the first of many more. When the Artist’s process is complete, the once plain canvas, now full of color and texture, will serve as a window to the Artist’s heart and mind.
As I reflect on Philippians 1:1-9, I am moved to think of God, the Great Artist - the One who painted the stars in the sky, sculpted the mountains and valleys, set the rhythm of the seas and who wrote the melody the birds sing. This God who created the heavens and the earth is now at work in you! You may not feel like much of a masterpiece right now, but be sure of this: those who belong to Jesus Christ are being transformed to truly reflect his glory and beauty. We have this promise: the Artist is able to complete his masterpiece in us and through us! We don’t know when this masterpiece will be complete but it is ever on the horizon.
But what about now? We must remember we are a masterpiece in process. The Holy Spirit is at work in us, moving us toward a specific goal: Christ-likeness. This should be an encouragement to us that we don’t have to do this on our own. We cannot, on our own, become the masterpiece we are designed to be. However, we must not assume we are totally passive in the process. Paul repeatedly reminds his Philippian friends that there is a goal for which we must strive. There is a conduct or way of life that is expected of us while we are undergoing this process. We must never be satisfied with patterns of life which do not reflect the true beauty of the Artist at work in us. Always, with the end goal in sight, we must submit ourselves to the Artist’s work. In doing so we not only please Him, but like all great works of art will draw the attention of the world to the Artist.
It would be easy for each one of us to simply apply this to ourselves individually, but we must remember that Paul writes this letter to a community. So, while it is certainly appropriate to see yourself as a work in process, the same is true of the Body of Christ corporately. Jesus Christ is at work in his people, in both local communities of believers and the universal Church. God has a beautiful vision for Fusion Church as a gospel community. We are both individually and collectively the canvas for His artistry.
Close your eyes. Imagine. Dream. What will this portrait look like when it is complete? YOU, Fusion Church, individually and corporately, are a masterpiece in process….
Chael
The Artist approaches the blank canvas. The vision of what He will create has been in His mind for some time; and now, with all the tools of His craft at hand, He will allow the rest of the world to see the beauty only He has yet imagined. With the first stroke of the brush a masterpiece is born; incomplete for sure, but that first drip of paint will be the first of many more. When the Artist’s process is complete, the once plain canvas, now full of color and texture, will serve as a window to the Artist’s heart and mind.
As I reflect on Philippians 1:1-9, I am moved to think of God, the Great Artist - the One who painted the stars in the sky, sculpted the mountains and valleys, set the rhythm of the seas and who wrote the melody the birds sing. This God who created the heavens and the earth is now at work in you! You may not feel like much of a masterpiece right now, but be sure of this: those who belong to Jesus Christ are being transformed to truly reflect his glory and beauty. We have this promise: the Artist is able to complete his masterpiece in us and through us! We don’t know when this masterpiece will be complete but it is ever on the horizon.
But what about now? We must remember we are a masterpiece in process. The Holy Spirit is at work in us, moving us toward a specific goal: Christ-likeness. This should be an encouragement to us that we don’t have to do this on our own. We cannot, on our own, become the masterpiece we are designed to be. However, we must not assume we are totally passive in the process. Paul repeatedly reminds his Philippian friends that there is a goal for which we must strive. There is a conduct or way of life that is expected of us while we are undergoing this process. We must never be satisfied with patterns of life which do not reflect the true beauty of the Artist at work in us. Always, with the end goal in sight, we must submit ourselves to the Artist’s work. In doing so we not only please Him, but like all great works of art will draw the attention of the world to the Artist.
It would be easy for each one of us to simply apply this to ourselves individually, but we must remember that Paul writes this letter to a community. So, while it is certainly appropriate to see yourself as a work in process, the same is true of the Body of Christ corporately. Jesus Christ is at work in his people, in both local communities of believers and the universal Church. God has a beautiful vision for Fusion Church as a gospel community. We are both individually and collectively the canvas for His artistry.
Close your eyes. Imagine. Dream. What will this portrait look like when it is complete? YOU, Fusion Church, individually and corporately, are a masterpiece in process….
Chael
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