Deserting its Missiological Call: When Mass-Marketing Method Drives Mega-Church Message

Preface:

This is an edited and reduced version of the final paper that I wrote for graduate school. I had the blessing of writing on a topic about which I am most passionate. My paper will be posted in six parts.

Part One: Historical Antecedents

Part Two: Introduction to the Problem: Marketing the Church or Marketing the Gospel?

Part Three: Business Principles vs. Biblical Principles

Part Four: Quantity vs. Quality

Part Five: World-Centered Entertainment vs. Word-Centered Truth

Part Six: Returning to its Missiological Call

Note: Unless you are an enthusiast of the study of modern Church Growth, the first section may appear to be a dry historical analysis of the movement. However, it lays the important groundwork for the implications of mega-church marketing in the following sections.

PART ONE: HISTORICAL ANTECEDENTS

Two thousand years ago, followers of the teachings of Jesus Christ gathered in homes, “devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”[1] These fundamental components of early church worship were informed from the apostles’ interactions with Jesus. They embraced His method of incarnational teaching, emphasized the importance of Christian community that Jesus first modeled in meeting with the twelve disciples, remembered His sacrificial death through celebrating the Lord’s Supper, and devoted themselves to prayer as Jesus had exemplified throughout His earthly ministry.

By modern standards, the methods of the early church were simplistic and unsophisticated. The apostles relied exclusively upon the clear proclamation of the Gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit to regenerate the heart of the unbeliever and sanctify the soul of the believer. The message they proclaimed was life itself. The method of meeting in homes and informally discussing the doctrinal foundations of the faith was unpretentious. And yet, Scripture records the affect of their obedience in proclaiming the Gospel: “And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common.”[2] As their lives were transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit, they began selling their belongings and sharing with those who had need. They gathered together daily, and gratitude overflowed from their hearts. Though simple, their methods were attractive. They had “favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”[3]

Two thousand years later, the church continues to grow as the Gospel spreads throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.[4] The landscape of the church has emerged over the past two millennia as it adopts a different personality and distinctiveness informed by the current cultural milieu. In twenty-first century North America, the mega-church movement has become normative. Mega-churches report a weekly attendance of at least 2,000 worshippers.[5] In 1980, there were fifty mega-churches in America. This number increased to 1,210 by the year 2005.[6] By 2006, a new mega-church was being established every three days.[7] These indicators suggest that the North American church is growing and flourishing.

Examining the growth of the American church through a more critical lens, some surprising statistics surface. In 1937, an average of 41 percent of the population attended church. By the year 2006, this percentage rose slightly to 46 percent, an increase of only 5 percent in nearly 70 years.[8] These statistics take into account the exponential growth of mega-churches. Much less highlighted is the statistic that every eight days, another non-mega congregation permanently closes its doors.[9] And it is these smaller congregations that account for nearly 50 percent of the churches in America, numbering “fewer than 75 attendees on any given Sunday, and only 5 percent attract more than 350 [attendees].”[10] Meanwhile, 50 percent of all churchgoers attend the 10 percent of the largest mega-churches in America.[11] This suggests that reached individuals have moved from smaller churches into mega-churches; larger churches are not necessarily attracting the unchurched.

Prior to the rise of the mega-church, the waning of church attendance in 1960s America created a high level of concern among ecclesiologists. Research in the field of Church Growth escalated with statisticians and practitioners such as George Gallup, George Barna, and Lyle Schaller contributing their expertise.[12] The Church Growth movement, however, traced its roots to a much earlier time. Gisbertus Voetius (1589-1676), a Dutch missiologist, laid the framework for the views that have been adapted by modern Church Growth specialists. Voetius was convinced that “the first goal of mission is the conversion of the heathen; the second, the planting of churches; and the highest, the glory of God.”[13]

Donald McGavran (1897-1991) is the father of the modern Church Growth movement. McGavran served as a third-generation missionary in India, where he developed a passion to see the spread of the Gospel through the growth of the Indian church. Concerned that the church of India was stagnant, McGavran investigated the deterrents to church growth.[14] While in America as a student, McGavran attended a convention of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, an initiative instigated by Dwight L. Moody. Commenting on the impact of the event, McGavran wrote, “There it became clear to me that God was calling me to be a missionary, that he was commanding me to carry out the Great Commission. Doing just that has ever since been the ruling purpose of my life…. That decision lies at the root of the church-growth movement.”[15]

McGavran’s ideas of Church Growth were not widely disseminated until the 1970s. During this time, he wrote Understanding Church Growth, “which became the foundational textbook of the movement.”[16] He also founded the Institute for American Church Growth, which developed into the School of World Mission of Church Growth at Fuller Theological Seminary. McGavran organized a band of scholars within the School of World Mission who met together to discuss their convictions and broadly propagated their theories of Church Growth.[17] McGavran identified four key questions that guided the Church Growth movement:

1. What are the causes of church growth?
2. What are the barriers to church growth?
3. What are the factors that can make the Christian faith a movement among some populations?
4. What principles of church growth are reproducible?[18]

At this point, Church Growth was not dissociated from missiology. Church Growth specialists explored the reasons why select populations within a given culture were unreceptive to the Gospel, and the ways in which ministry practitioners might transcend cultural barriers in order to reach more people with the message of Jesus Christ.[19] At its core, the Church Growth movement was nothing revelatory; it was simply a proclamation of the Great Commission and establishing practices that would bring about its fulfillment. What became the precursor to the explosion of the modern mega-church was rooted in an externally-focused, missiological theology.

Thus the Church Growth movement operated under three assumptions. First, evangelism is not an ancillary purpose of the church, but the foundational mandate for the life of the believer. The church is called to incarnate the message of the Gospel, thereby impacting the surrounding community in the name of Jesus Christ. Second, the church must critically evaluate the obstacles to the advancement of the Gospel and report these findings for further analysis. Third, in interpreting these facts, the church must formulate practices that will enable growth and change to take place. As a result, any plan of action should include both the salvation of souls and the planting of new churches.[20]

McGavran’s focus was on applying principles of Church Growth internationally on the mission field. His colleague at Fuller, Peter Wagner, first applied Church Growth practices to the North American church. He published Your Church Can Grow, which became “one of the most influential books in spreading Church Growth thought in North America.”[21] During this time, Fuller tapped into the expertise of Wagner and developed a Doctor of Ministry program. Wagner contributed classes in Church Growth targeted not at international ministry leaders, but targeted at North American pastors and ministry leaders. Local ministry practitioners flocked to this program. Many of the graduates from the program successfully implemented Church Growth practices into their ministry contexts, and they began training other church leaders in these principles. Noteworthy alumni from Fuller’s Doctorate of Ministry program with an emphasis on Church Growth include Rick Warren, John Maxwell, Leith Anderson, Elmer Towns, Bill Sullivan, and Kent Hunter.[22]

Two models of Church Growth resulted: classical and popular. The classical model consisted of two schools: McGavran’s international focus and Wagner’s domestic focus. When the Fuller Institute for Evangelism and Church Growth closed its doors in 1995, the popular model of Church Growth replaced the former classical model.[23] The popular model includes the incorporation of Church Growth principles into the North American church and the reproduction of these theories by Church Growth specialists and statisticians, such as George Gallup and George Barna; church consultants; and training churches, the most prominent examples of which include Saddleback Church pastored by Rick Warren and Willow Creek Church pastored by Bill Hybels. Those interested in Church Growth shifted their gaze away from the declining influence of the classical model and onto pastors of thriving, flourishing churches.[24] Saddleback and Willow Creek, in particular, have laid the foundation for the modern mega-church movement.

Footnotes:

[1] Acts 2:42 English Standard Version
[2] Acts 2:43-44
[3] Acts 2:47
[4] Acts 1:8
[5] Mara Einstein, Brands of Faith: Marketing Religion in a Commercial Age (New York: Routledge, 2008), xi.
[6] James B. Twitchell, Shopping for God: How Christianity Went from In Your Heart to In Your Face (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2007), 48.
[7] Ibid., 230.
[8] The Barna Group, “Church Attendance”; available from http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=Topic&TopicID=10; Internet; accessed 26 April 2008.
[9] Twitchell, Shopping for God, 48.
[10] Dr. Gary E.Gilley, This Little Church Went to Market: The Church in the Age of Entertainment (Webster: Evangelical Press, 2005), 40.
[11] Twitchell, Shopping for God, 230.
[12] Paul E. Engle and Gary L. McIntosh, eds., Evaluating the Church Growth Movement (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 19.
[13] Ibid., 9.
[14] Charles Van Engen, “Church Growth Movement,” in The Encyclopedia of Christianity (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1999), 538.
[15] Engle and McIntosh, Evaluating the Church, 10.
[16] Van Engen, “Church Growth Movement,” 538.
[17] David F. Wells, God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1994), 68.
[18] Engle and McIntosh, Evaluating the Church, 12.
[19] Van Engen, “Church Growth Movement,” 538.
[20] Engle and McIntosh, Evaluating the Church, 15-16.
[21] Ibid., 17.
[22] Ibid., 17-18.
[23] Ibid., 21.
[24] Ed Stetzer and David Putman, Breaking the Missional Code: Your Church Can Become a Missionary in Your Community (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 2006), 46.

God's Demand for Worship

God is madly and passionately in love with…Himself. Sit with that thought for a while. Eat it. Savor its flavor. Digest it. Allow the nutrients contained within that simple phrase to nourish your body.

I remember the first time that I encountered this theological notion. Upon completing my senior year of high school, I began reading one of the books I received for graduation: Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. In this magnificent work, Piper proclaims God’s Self-love. God is wholly consumed with a passion for His own glory.

Viewing Christianity from the lens of American culture, in which I often heard messages of God’s unconditional love for me, I found this Self-love to be rather conceited. It grated against me and began peeling back parts of my soul. It was painful—a slow, steady pain that is experienced through the stripping away of the layers of self. And as a follower of Jesus Christ, I could not tell which was more painful: the actual stripping away of self or the idea that God’s Self-love ever disturbed me in the first place.

The very definition of God suggests Supremacy. In other words, God would not be God if anything or anyone superseded or surpassed Him in any way. Any notion that existed before Him could claim Intellectual Supremacy. Any person who held more power could claim Kingship. Any perfection that existed above Him could claim Deity. Any control that existed outside of His choosing could claim Sovereignty. In all of these cases, God would not be God.

But He is God. There is nothing that supersedes or surpasses Him. There is no notion that existed prior to Him. There is no person who holds more power than Him. There is no perfection that exists above Him. There is no control that exists outside of His choosing. He is God.

For man to worship anything other than God would be idolatry of the gravest nature. In worshipping God, we declare that there is none other who is worthy “to receive glory and honor and power.” Why? For He “created all things and by [His] will they existed and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

The notion that God demands my exclusive worship no longer disturbs me; in fact, it delights me! It is the greatest proof that the God who has called me to Himself is the One, True, Living, All-Sufficient, Supreme Being who breathes Life into my soul.

If God stirs within your heart a deep desire to know, love, cherish, and trust the God of gods, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords, to Whom we all will one day give an account, then at this very moment, respond to His voice and commit your life to eternally worshipping Him!

Afternoon Insights

Insight 1: Praying through Psalm 8 this afternoon, I felt the burden of verse 6. The Lord has given man "dominion over the works of your hands." I believe this extends much further and digs far deeper than taking care of the earth, though that is certainly a part of our mandate. Our very lives and the way in which we interact with the world around us--the environment in which God has placed us--must continually proclaim, "O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!" (Ps. 8:9). Man's dominion does not point to the power of humanity; it points to the greatness of God! Any other expression of dominion is an idolatrous attempt to write man's name over that which belongs to God.

Insight 2: Every action that I perform must complete the sentence, "Because I believe Christ is supremely more beautiful and infinitely more worthy than anything this world has to offer, I..." This expression is not merely theological; it is practical. It must be the driving conviction behind all that I set out to do.

My Soul Sings of its Salvation and Sanctification

Slowly sinking, sliding, spinning
Downward into deep despair,
The sin-saturated soul screams
Constricts, convulses, chokes.
Deteriorating, diminishing unto death,
It lies limp and lifeless,
Drowned in downright darkness.
Ceasing its struggle in the cesspool of sin,
Succumbed its spirit to shapeless structure.
Nature that nourishes nothing,
Death that dies undistinguished,
Sings this sad story of sordid sin.

Sovereign sees slave’s sinful state
And cutting across the constrictive curtain,
Reaches, receives, raises,
Lifts the limp and listless life
Towards triumphant Truth
Revealed! Releasing and relinquishing
Control, the creature is recreated,
Only to open the ominous
Secret: Sanctification severs ties to self!
And dying the death of all deaths,
Discovers this definitive death,
Leads to everlasting Life and Love!

Affections of the Non-Elect vs. the Elect

The affections of the non-elect and the affections of the elect are powerfully pitted against each other in the fourteenth chapter of Mark. The stage is set in Bethany and in Jerusalem during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The first scene, recorded in Mark 14:10-11, is bleak: “Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray Him to them. And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to betray Him.” Notice the reaction of the chief priests when Judas betrays Christ. Gladness: an emotion of delight, joy, and pleasure. The non-elect, bowing to the god of their own devices, are delivered up to their depravity and a desire for deleterious delights is birthed deep within their souls. When the spiny fingers of twisted affections creep up the soul, it is suffocated until it loses its breath, its life, and ultimately dies.

Peering into the window where Jesus reclines around the table with his disciples, celebrating the Passover, the scene turns solemn. Jesus informs his disciples that one of them is about to betray him—one who is eating with him! Can you hear the gasps echoing throughout the room? Scripture reads, “They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, ‘Is it I?’” (Mk. 14:19). Notice the reaction of the elect. Sorrow: grief, affliction, anguish. The elect, consumed with a concern that their hearts would be hardened, ask in an incredulous tone whether this disdainful betrayal is buried deep within their own souls. When put to the test, a soul softened by the sweet Spirit of God shrinks in sorrow when its Savior is despised and rejected.

But lest we think the heart of the elect is surrounded in a shroud of continual purity, we are given warning in Ephesians to forsake the futility of our former thinking and allow the Holy Spirit to make us new, beginning with the attitudes of our minds. We aspire to the attitude and mind of our great God, for we were “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (Eph. 4:24). Failing and falling, but striving through surrendering to His Spirit.

And we adapt the affections of the elect. For our very soul must mourn any mockery man attempts to makes of God. And our soul delights that God cannot be mocked, for a man reaps what he sows (Gal. 6:7).

Of Phinehas and First Things

The spiritual landscape was bleak. Israel had once again forsaken her first love in favor of false gods. Shittim reeked of decrepit immorality, for in her depravity, Israel emitted the putrid stench of her mounting sinfulness. Whoring after other gods, she paraded her wickedness in the sight of the Lord. Inviting His fierce anger to reign on their parade, Israel kindled the severe wrath of the Lord God Almighty.

Jealous of their absolute affection, the Lord’s passionate love for His chosen people and demand for utter holiness required His intervention. To appease His wrath, the Lord commanded Moses to “take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun” (Numbers 25:4). Sin faces the fist of righteousness and it cannot stand. In the midst of the purification process, one Israelite decided to flaunt his depravity in the face of God one last time.

Enter Phinehas, the grandson of Aaron and son of Eleazar. He had witnessed both the results of righteousness and the ramifications of sinfulness firsthand through his family. As his surrounding community sold themselves to lesser things and exchanged the glory of God for the alluring invitation of a lie, I imagine Phinehas’ father and grandfather breathing the truth into his life that the beauty and holiness of Yahweh—the God who is faithful to His promises and abounds in steadfast love—is worth infinitely more than everything else that vies for Phinehas' affection. Perhaps they warned young Phinehas that following El Shaddai demanded intense sacrifice as he embarked on an extreme adventure of faith. Or maybe they simply recounted the character of his great God as revealed repeatedly throughout Israel’s history.

Convinced that the sole purpose of His life was to glorify God and exalt His Creator at all costs, Phinehas burned with the zeal of the Lord. Leaving the congregation, he grabbed a spear in his hand and killed the Israelite man and Midianite woman who dared to defy God. Instantly, the plague on the people of Israel ceased and God decided not to consume them in His anger. Phinehas rejected the lure of sin in favor of the glory of God, and in so doing, discovered God’s peace. Rewarding Phinehas for his faithfulness, God blessed him with His covenant of peace—not only Phinehas, but also his descendants—and gave him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood. All of his life, Phinehas would mediate the redemptive power of God to the people of Israel and enjoy entering the presence of God, communing with Him.

For quite a few weeks now, my mind has wrestled with this very significant story in Scripture. I say “wrestled” because I heard God telling me that there are areas in my life where I lack the zeal of Phinehas, and as a result, I quench the power of His Spirit reigning within me. More than I would like to admit, I resemble Israel and exchange the glory of God for the alluring lie of the culture that surrounds me. God breathes into me that He is infinitely more beautiful and worthy than anything else that I could desire, but I moan and gripe that it is too difficult to let go. What if I give up everything only to find that I miss the secondary things in life? What if I find that my love for the first things—that which is from God and by God and to God and for God—is not enough?

Then God’s Holy Spirit invades my life and gives me the power that I lack to release the secondary things. What freedom is found from leaving the chaff behind! I can attest that the first things in life do not disappoint. Being filled with the zeal of the Lord and being blessed with a glimpse of His beauty is worth it all. Discovering His deep love for me, being refreshed in His Spirit, finding renewal in the streams of His mercy, overflowing with a passion for the way of Jesus Christ, standing in the shadow of the cross, rejoicing in the power of the resurrection, walking down the road of sanctification, rekindling the fire of my faith—this is what produces my highest hope, deepest joy, and greatest satisfaction.

At the Foot of the Cross

For graduate school, I was asked to write a paper over Henri Nouwen's In the Name of Jesus, and evaluate how I would apply it to my internship. Here is the result:

Ministry is messy. It means entering into the mud and muck of the human soul. It means sacrificing selfish pride and ambition—the need to be relevant—in favor of incarnating the love and compassion and hope of Jesus Christ. In losing ourselves, we find something much greater. In becoming irrelevant, we find our identity.

The pathway to irrelevancy is paved by the senses: a keen awareness of the voice, the feel, the heartbeat, and the countenance of God. Nouwen writes, “The central question [in Christian leadership] is, Are the leaders of the future truly men and women of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God’s presence, to listen to God’s voice, to look at God’s beauty, to touch God’s incarnate Word and to taste fully God’s infinite goodness?” (p. 29-30). This is the paradox. Only in tuning my ears to hear His voice can I hear the voices of my neighbors with clarity. Only in gazing at the beauty of Christ can I perceive the beauty of those who are created in His image. Only in touching His Word and tasting His goodness can I touch those around me and savor their uniqueness.

As I have been mulling over these thoughts, I am becoming more convinced that my highest calling in my ministry position is to enter on the journey with people towards the foot of the cross. Some people are running towards Golgotha, others are stumbling their way up the hill, and still others are frozen in place, not knowing how to take their first step. All of these people will undoubtedly cross my path in Assimilation Ministry. Nouwen challenges me to open my eyes to the spiritual needs of others as they stand at the crossroads of their spiritual lives and reminds me of the reason that I am pursuing a career in ministry. He writes, “While efficiency and control are the great aspirations of our society, the loneliness, isolation, lack of friendship and intimacy, broken relationships, boredom, feelings of emptiness and depression, and a deep sense of uselessness fill the hearts of millions of people in our success-oriented world” (21). As newcomers walk through the doors of our church and I have the opportunity to interact with them, this is what I must keep in mind. These burdens are carried on their shoulders while they make their way along their journey towards the cross. Jesus whispers, “Release your burdens. Shed them at my feet.” I cannot shed their burdens for them any more than I can heal them, but I have the opportunity to point them to the God who welcomes them into His presence in order to offer them redemption, refreshment, renewal, and restoration.

Here is where my greatest joy and my greatest struggle in ministry collide. I deeply resonate with Nouwen because there is nothing more that I desire in my own ministry context than for Christ to be glorified and exalted as I lead humbly and sacrificially, leading people to the foot of the cross, and yet there is nothing greater that serves as a temptation to me in my ministry than to glorify and exalt myself while leading with pride and selfishness, falsely thinking that I have already arrived myself. I find it much easier to invite people into my office and spend time praying for them than to talk about my own struggles. I would much rather serve as the mentor than be the one who is mentored. There is a part of me that feels like I have “graduated” into my ministry role and my “spiritual degree” has prepared me for a career of healing and comforting and reconciling. Unapologetically, Nouwen brings me back to reality. He states, “We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for” (43-44). When I am honest with myself, I recognize that I need those to whom I minister as much, or perhaps even more, than they need me. And I discover that the only way that I can move an inch closer to the foot of the cross is when I realize how far I have left to journey myself.

I am thoroughly convinced that humility of this magnitude begins in relinquishing control and allowing others to serve alongside of me. I remember sitting in my job interview at First Baptist, receiving advice from the Pastor of Missions and Outreach. “The goal of ministry is to equip others for ministry. This often means sacrificing ‘your’ right to do ‘your’ projects in ‘your’ way. There will be times when you will want to act independently in your work because you will feel like you can do it better on your own. But resist that temptation. No matter how much you want to do it yourself, you must let others rise to leadership.” Those words were simultaneously sour and sweet to my taste buds. They were sour because they grated against my perfectionist nature that craves control, and they began chipping away at my pride. They were sweet because they resonated with the type of ministry to which God calls me—a ministry that deflects the glory off of myself and turns the spotlight on Jesus Christ. Nouwen, too, believes that the remedy for the poison of pride and self-service is ministering alongside others. He writes, “…whenever we minister together, it is easier for people to recognize that we do not come in our own name, but in the name of the Lord Jesus who sent us” (41). The fame and glory of Jesus Christ should be my greatest desire.

If I could choose one sentence in Nouwen’s work to capture, place in my pocket, and carry to work each day, it would be this: “The way of the Christian leader is not the way of upward mobility in which our world has invested so much, but the way of downward mobility ending on the cross” (62). John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, put it another way: “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). This is my ultimate goal in the ministry to which God has called me.

A Cracked Pot for the Glory of God!

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us." ~2 Corinthians 4:7~

There is an ancient Indian proverb that tells as follows:

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the masters house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water in his masters house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."

"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"

"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your masters house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts." The pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the masters house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pots side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."

There is an obvious moral to the story. God can even use flawed creatures like us. Our inadequacies do not stop God from fulfilling His purpose for us. That is enough cause to rejoice!

But let's think further and deeper. God does not settle for us because He has nothing better to work with; it is not as if He resigns and says, "Well, it's the best I can do with what I created! I guess I'll just have to be content with who they turned out to be!" Do we think that God is not sovereign? On the contrary! God has ordained the situations and pain and cracks and brokenness in our lives because it is what brings Him the most glory.

We are to live fully as broken vessels. Beautiful vessels. Vessels that let the Living Water drip from our jars of clay to produce flowers along the path that we travel.

KEEP OUT: Threat of Oxygen Ahead!

This past Sunday, we studied John 3:1-21 at Come Thirsty. As I was preparing to teach the lesson, I was struck with the number of references to light verses darkness. We investigated the reasons why Nicodemus might have approached Jesus at night, in the darkness. We looked at our own hearts and asked ourselves what keeps us from coming to the light, then brainstormed ways to step out of the darkness and walk with confidence into His glorious light.

Have you ever wondered how a light bulb works? Light is emitted when an electrical charge passes through a thin filament, heating the filament until it produces light. Metaphorically speaking, God is our electrical current, and the filament is our lives. Without His life-giving energy moving through us, there would be no heat to produce light. When we are born again, this process begins, and His light shines through us.

But there is another key. The enclosing glass bulb around the filament keeps oxygen in the air from hitting the hot filament. If oxygen gets in, the light would be destroyed rapidly by the process scientists call oxidation.

What serves as the outside air in your life that seeks to destroy the light that God has produced? Is it wealth or materialism? What about relationships? Could it be distraction? How about image? Or is it egocentrism--focusing so much on your own needs and concerns that you fail to see those around you who are spiritually dying?

I generated this list from thinking about my own personal struggles. Every single one of those items would be on my list. Maybe they affect you too. Maybe they don't. But I want to challenge you to think about the outside air in your life.

For today's blog image, I chose a picture of a light bulb that is emitting light. I distributed this picture in class on Sunday, and around the bulb, we all wrote down the things which threaten to destroy our light. Then I challenged us to pray over and against one of these items every week, asking God to eradicate it from our lives. With all of the items I listed, I need to spend many months in prayer, and even then, I know I am only scratching the surface.

Ragman

Ragman

by Walter Wangerin, Ragman and Other Cries of Faith

I saw a strange sight. I stumbled upon a story most strange, like nothing my life, my street sense, my sly tongue had ever prepared me for.

Hush, child. Hush, now, and I will tell it to you.

Even before the dawn one Friday morning I noticed a young man, handsome and strong, walking the alleys of our City. He was pulling an old cart filled with clothes both bright and new, and he was calling in a clear, tenor voice: "Rags!" Ah, the air was foul and the first light filthy to be crossed by such sweet music.

"Rags! New rags for old! I take your tired rags! Rags!"

"Now, this is a wonder," I thought to myself, for the man stood six-feet-four, and his arms were like tree limbs, hard and muscular, and his eyes flashed intelligence. Could he find no better job than this, to be a ragman in the inner city?

I followed him. My curiosity drove me. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Soon the Ragman saw a woman sitting on her back porch. She was sobbing into a handkerchief, sighing, and shedding a thousand tears. Her knees and elbows made a sad X. Her shoulders shook. Her heart was breaking.

The Ragman stopped his cart. Quietly, he walked to the woman, stepping round tin cans, dead toys, and Pampers.

"Give me your rag," he said so gently, "and I’ll give you another."

He slipped the handkerchief from her eyes. She looked up, and he laid across her palm a linen cloth so clean and new that it shined. She blinked from the gift to the giver.

Then, as he began to pull his cart again, the Ragman did a strange thing: he put her stained handkerchief to his own face; and then HE began to weep, to sob as grievously as she had done, his shoulders shaking. Yet she was left without a tear.

"This IS a wonder," I breathed to myself, and I followed the sobbing Ragman like a child who cannot turn away from mystery.

"Rags! Rags! New rags for old!"

In a little while, when the sky showed grey behind the rooftops and I could see the shredded curtains hanging out black windows, the Ragman came upon a girl whose head was wrapped in a bandage, whose eyes were empty. Blood soaked her bandage. A single line of blood ran down her cheek.

Now the tall Ragman looked upon this child with pity, and he drew a lovely yellow bonnet from his cart.

"Give me your rag," he said, tracing his own line on her cheek, "and I’ll give you mine."

The child could only gaze at him while he loosened the bandage, removed it, and tied it to his own head. The bonnet he set on hers. And I gasped at what I saw: for with the bandage went the wound! Against his brow it ran a darker, more substantial blood -- his own!

"Rags! Rags! I take old rags!" cried the sobbing, bleeding, strong, intelligent Ragman.

The sun hurt both the sky, now, and my eyes; the Ragman seemed more and more to hurry.

"Are you going to work?" he asked a man who leaned against a telephone pole. The man shook his head.

The Ragman pressed him: "Do you have a job?"

"Are you crazy?" sneered the other. He pulled away from the pole, revealing the right sleeve of his jacket -- flat, the cuff stuffed into the pocket. He had no arm.

"So," said the Ragman. "Give me your jacket, and I’ll give you mine." Such quiet authority in his voice!

The one-armed man took off his jacket. So did the Ragman -- and I trembled at what I saw: for the Ragman’s arm stayed in its sleeve, and when the other put it on he had two good arms, thick as tree limbs; but the Ragman had only one.

"Go to work," he said.

After that he found a drunk, lying unconscious beneath an army blanket, and old man, hunched, wizened, and sick. He took that blanket and wrapped it round himself, but for the drunk he left new clothes.

And now I had to run to keep up with the Ragman. Though he was weeping uncontrollably, and bleeding freely at the forehead, pulling his cart with one arm, stumbling for drunkenness, falling again and again, exhausted, old, and sick, yet he went with terrible speed. On spider’s legs he skittered through the alleys of the City, this mile and the next, until he came to its limits, and then he rushed beyond.

I wept to see the change in this man. I hurt to see his sorrow. And yet I needed to see where he was going in such haste, perhaps to know what drove him so.

The little old Ragman -- he came to a landfill. He came to the garbage pits. And then I wanted to help him in what he did, but I hung back, hiding. He climbed a hill. With tormented labor he cleared a little space on that hill. Then he sighed. He lay down. He pillowed his head on a handkerchief and a jacket. He covered his bones with an army blanket. And he died.

Oh, how I cried to witness that death! I slumped in a junked car and wailed and mourned as one who has no hope -- because I had come to love the Ragman. Every other face had faded in the wonder of this man, and I cherished him; but he died. I sobbed myself to sleep.

I did not know -- how could I know? -- that I slept through Friday night and Saturday and its night, too.

But then, on Sunday morning, I was wakened by a violence.

Light -- pure, hard, demanding light -- slammed against my sour face, and I blinked, and I looked, and I saw the last and the first wonder of all. There was the Ragman, folding the blanket most carefully, a scar on his forehead, but alive! And, besides that, healthy! There was no sign of sorrow nor of age, and all the rags that he had gathered shined for cleanliness.

Well, then I lowered my head and trembling for all that I had seen, I myself walked up to the Ragman. I told him my name with shame, for I was a sorry figure next to him. Then I took off all my clothes in that place, and I said to him with dear yearning in my voice: "Dress me."

He dressed me. My Lord, he put new rags on me, and I am a wonder beside him. The Ragman, the Ragman, the Christ!

Love the Lord Your God

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30b).

One of my grad school professors started out class every day by having us reflect on a Scripture passage. One day, she asked us to read the verses out loud as many times through as there are words in the verse. Each time, we were asked to emphasize a different word. For instance, with the verse above, the first time through I would read, "LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart...." The second time, I would emphasize the article: "Love THE Lord your God with all your heart...." The third time, the emphasis went on the third word: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart...." And so on.

Last night, on my way to my niece's birthday party, Mark 12:30 popped in my head. I ran through that exercise in my head. I think it can teach a person quite a bit. Here's what I learn:

LOVE- God doesn't ask for our religious fervor inspired by duty, but our hearts motivated by love. He wants me to really love Him. That is the starting point. If I mess up at the first word in this verse, and my motivations shift away from love, everything else in the formula will be skewed.

THE- There is only one God. He is THE God, not a god. Wow! I serve THE God, and THE God invites me to love Him! He wants to be known by me! How sweet is that?!? :)

LORD- Here is the object of my affection. Though there are so many things in life that tempt me to remove my gaze from my First Love, God gently reminds me that it is He who my heart must pursue. The Lord is the only One whom I should love with all of my heart and soul and mind and strength. Everything and everyone else falls short.

YOUR- Again it strikes me that He is my God. My search is over; He has found me. I belong to Him and He is my God. If He is my Lord, it is only logical that I must live like He is my Lord. He must have Lordship over my life. There is no other option. There is no other joy.

GOD- I've often reflected on the longing in my heart to worship someone or something. I have been created to worship. Isn't that blatantly obvious in all of our hearts if we are honest with ourselves? Am I going to worship me--am I going to worship my hopes and dreams and desires for my life--or am I going to worship God? God doesn't snuff out our desire to worship as if He has to put out a dangerous fire in our lives. On the contrary, He invites us to worship with every ounce of our being, and He points to Himself as the One whom we must worship.

WITH- Semantically, the word "love" has no power. What gives the word power is not even the sentiment behind it, but the action behind it. If we are going to love God, we must love Him with something. Otherwise love becomes a meaningless philosophical term.

ALL- Three little letters. Why is this such a hard concept for me? God wants ALL of my heart, soul, mind, and strength. I tend to give only a fraction, most of the time deceiving myself into thinking 9% or 99% is the same as 100%.

YOUR- It is my personal offering unto God. No one else can offer it for me.

HEART- My affections and the deep inner longings within me all belong to God.

AND- It doesn't end with my heart. There is more I can offer to God!

WITH- See previous note on "with."

ALL- See previous note on "all."

YOUR- See previous note on "your."

SOUL- My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. God desires to dwell within me and reign supreme in my life. I must love Him with my spiritual senses, my emotions, my personality, and all else that makes me uniquely...me.

AND- See previous note on "and."

WITH- See previous note on "with."

ALL- See previous note on "all."

YOUR- See previous note on "your."

MIND- How can I love God with all of my mind if I am letting it become cluttered with the cultural messages that teach me that my value and self-worth and self-preservation lie in materialism, consumerism, humanism, and egocentrism. Man is not the measure of all things. God is. He is the author of Knowledge and Wisdom; these cannot be found apart from Him.

AND- See previous note on "and."

WITH- See previous note on "with."

ALL- See previous note on "all."

YOUR- See previous note on "your."

STRENGTH- If it is when I am weak that I am strong, then loving God with my strength involves becoming weak for the glory of God. It means realizing that Jenny Schulenburg has no strength. God does. Jenny Schulenburg is not wise. God is. Jenny Schulenburg cannot succeed or make a name for herself. God is the author of success and only His name is great. It is all from God, for God, by God, and to God.

One little verse. One lifetime of lessons. And I continue taking notes in the School of His Presence.

Happy Birthday, Lori!

The Bible has some very beautiful, detailed descriptions of God's handiwork. His creation is "majestic" and "full of splendor." It reveals His glory and magnificence. It illustrates God's creativity, His orderliness, His authority. All of creation will one day bow before Him, for He is the King of all.

Man's artistic ability is one of the many characteristics that sets man apart from beast. God has gifted select individuals with the ability to strike awe and wonder in the hearts of others using the canvas as their medium and the paintbrush as their tool. Whether or not the artist acknowledges the fact, he or she reflects on a diminutive scale God's painting of love, grace, and mercy on the tapestry of one's heart.

My sister-in-law Lori, married to my second oldest brother, Randy, has been gifted with great artistic abilities. She has enough vision to take an unadorned object and transform it into a thing of beauty and grace. But Lori's vision is not limited to her artwork. Lori sees beyond the sinfulness of unredeemed sinners and demonstrates love and compassion in her interactions with them. She illustrates the way that God transforms His children into beautiful vessels for His glory through both her artwork and her life.

Lori, today we celebrate who God created when He made you. I cannot consciously recall a time when you were not a part of our family. When I was around five years old, I thought my brother Randy was bringing over a friend for me to play with, and I would drag you away from him to play with my dolls. :) Even though you wanted to spend time with the man who would eventually become your husband, you were sweet and gracious and entertained the little girl in pigtails. I don't think time has changed much. I still drag you away, only our conversation has replaced our imaginative play. I hope you have a wonderful birthday!

He Covered Me

The Inspiration

"And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21).

Wow! I find this to be some of the most beautiful words in Genesis, perhaps in Scripture, and I enjoy spending time thinking and meditating on them.

The Backdrop

Adam and Eve are in the cool of the garden enjoying unhindered, unencumbered, unadulterated fellowship with the God who created them. Everything is perfect, until the serpent begins to hiss the sly sentiments of Satan himself. A sprinkle of deception. A dash of doubt. A pinch of despair. And viola! Creation falls. And the human dance of entanglement with sin and Satan begins.

They Are Naked, And They Are Ashamed

Immediately after eating of the forbidden fruit, Scripture tell us "the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked" (Gen. 3:7). Their immediate impulse is to cover their physical bodies. For the first time, they feel shame.

While they immediately address their physical nakedness, I cannot imagine the pain of feeling spiritually naked and exposed for the first time. I was born a depraved sinner; I've known nothing else. They were created perfect; they never knew the feeling and pain of sin. Until they ate the fruit of the tree, they never had the "knowledge of good and evil."

Can You Imagine?

How terrified Adam and Eve must have felt when they covered themselves, but the dirty stain of sin and shame shown through the futile fig leaves! They could cover their bodies; they could not cover their hearts and their souls. They could not make their sin go away. Their attempts fell short.

God Intervenes

Fig leaves can never cover a person permanently. Leaves crunch and crumble as they are crushed on the ground. Fig leaves fail.

So God intervenes. He writes Himself into the story, over and over again. He is their only hope. He takes an animal. I wonder if it was an animal that Adam and Eve knew by name. After all, God gave Adam the chore of naming all of the animals. I wonder if their eyes locked with the creature as it was taken away, wondering what God was about to do. I wonder if God killed the animal in front of them. I wonder if they were horrified as they saw life drain away from the animal they named as it slowly went to sleep and awoke no more. I wonder if they cried as they saw its blood flow from its lifeless body. Scripture doesn't spell out the details, so I am left to wonder.

He Covers Them

God then takes the skin of the creature and wraps it around Adam and Eve. He corrects them. He clothes them. He covers them. Through the death of another creature, they are covered!

He Covered Me

Two thousand years ago, the process repeats itself on a grand scale. All of life has built up to this moment. The King doesn't take His throne; He is nailed to a cross. His blood flows down and spiritually naked individuals gaze upon the sacrifice, hoping that they might be clothed.

He dies, but His death isn't permanent. He rises again, and there is power in the sacrifice. He defeats death. He crushes Satan. He provides a way for those who respond to His message. And those individuals find that they are covered.

I stand here today fully clothed, washed clean by the blood of the sacrifice. My fig leaves have been replaced with garments of righteousness. The Bridegroom has adorned His bride in white for her entrance into glory, and I am counted among that number. Praise God, for He was the garment that covered me!

Happy Birthday, Christina!

This year, my goal is to write a blog post dedicated to each of my family members on their birthdays. I find it beautiful that God has placed so many people into my life with various talents and gifts--people who I love deeply and who love me in return--and I want to celebrate who God created them to be for His glory.

My niece Christina turns seven today. She was the first child born to my youngest brother, Kevin and his wife, Melissa. Kevin and Melissa dropped by our house one night and said they had a gift for us. It was a small, unassuming box. We tore off the wrapping paper and found tiny baby shoes inside. It was their official announcement; in January a new baby would be born to the Schulenburg family!

Christina is very bright, she devours books, she is artistic, she has an infectious smile and a contagious laugh, she is "all girl," and she loves Jesus. Christina is my "look alike" niece. I love it when people come up to us and instantly know that we are related. But even more, I want her to reflect the heart of Jesus Christ. I want Him to increasingly become her all-consuming passion, greatest joy, and deepest satisfaction.

God is planting seeds of truth and life inside of her at an early age. I observe it every time she taps my arm in the church service to ask me a question in order to clarify what the pastor has just said. I relish those interruptions.

Christina, you are a beautiful gift from God. Live every moment of your life in pursuit of Jesus Christ. Devour your time in His presence as much as you devour your books on kings and princesses living in far away kingdoms. He is your King, and He has made you to be His princess. The kingdom of heaven is far away, yet very near. It is not a fairy tale, but a bright and shining reality. And you have been given the royal invitation!

A Year of God's Faithfulness: 2007 in Review

With the exception of last year when I rang in the New Year with 22,000 of my "closest friends" at Urbana, :) I have upheld the same New Year's tradition for the past few years.

Every day, I keep a journal of at least five things I am thankful for in that day. At the end of the year, I review the list and ring in the New Year by praying (praising) through the many evidences of God's faithfulness in my life. I have come to absolutely cherish this time with God.

I think there is something to be said for publicly praising God too, so I thought I would share with you some of my praises of 2007:

Come Thirsty

This year, God has done some amazing things in the young adult group that I am a part of. I have witnessed such growth in the lives of those within the group. We have bonded through sharing the stories of our spiritual journeys, devoting ourselves to corporate service in our church and community, spending time in prayer for one another in the midst of some very deep hurts, and just having some fun game nights with Catch Phrase!

Turkey

Turkey: the most difficult time of my entire life, and yet the time when I encountered the love and power and presence of my Almighty God like never before. This was the greatest, most significant test of my faith to date. I praise God that He preserved me even though this time. If you haven't heard or read my testimony that came out of this experience, I encourage you take the time to do so even if you read no other post on this blog. Really, it is a testimony of our good God--the God who is good continually, in the midst of great joy and in the midst of great suffering. You can read my testimony here in a former post.

Witnessing

As Christians, we have the great joy and responsibility to share the gospel message with those we encounter. God brought various people into my path this year who needed Him, and gave me the opportunity to share glimpses of truth with them. Never did I walk away feeling like I had shared "too much" or "shoved the gospel down their throats." In fact in most cases, I felt like I shared too little. But I still praise God for the opportunities to talk about the greatest joy in my life and to pray for these individuals. The story of one of these encounters (and the strange events that led me there) can be read here in a former post.

Wheaton and Comprehensive Exams

By the grace of God, I finished all of my graduate school courses and passed comprehensive exams! All I have left is my internship, and God willing, I will graduate in four months--this May! During my time at Wheaton, I have made some incredible friends who have been godly role models in my life. My friends are serving God all over the world. Some I will not see again until heaven, but I praise God for the impact they have had on my life for eternity and their dedication in serving God wholeheartedly.

Ipod

Yes, that's right. An ipod. Let me explain. This year, I decided that I would not buy myself an ipod. I figured that this would be one way that I could try to plug my ears to the message of consumerism ("You HAVE to have one!") that surrounds me. I'm NOT saying that buying an ipod is bad, but I figured it was one luxury item I could do without. (Of course, half the things I own are not really things that I "need!")

This summer, out of the blue, and for absolutely no occasion, one of my friends gave me an ipod as a gift! I knew this was really a gift from God, so when I talked with a teenager that I'm close to who is from a wealthy family and struggles with materialism, I was able to tell her that God gave me an ipod (through the generosity of a friend.)

Protection

My journal was filled with examples of God's protection in my life and the lives of my loved ones this year. I remember the night my brother Brian called us to tell us that he was okay. It was a few weeks after we returned home from our trials in Turkey. We weren't sure what he was talking about; we hadn't seen the news reports yet. The I-35W Mississippi River bridge in Minneapolis had collapsed. My brother often drove on that interstate, but he wasn't there when it collapsed. When we were in Minnesota for Thanksgiving, we drove over the standing portion of the interstate and I took the above picture of where the bridge once stood.

God Pursuing Me

This year, I relished God's love for me. It struck me that He knows the depths of my heart--even the little, silly things. I think He delights in pursuing us in the big ways and in the small ways. Indirectly, I focus on the big ways through the blog--God teaching me various lessons through His Word, God carrying our family through great suffering in Turkey, God's blessing of a godly family and friends, etc. But I want to focus on two small ways here. I do not mean for the following to sound irreverent. For those who know me well, you know I delight in the really small things in life. Here are some examples. :)

Ever since I was little, I have loved toads and frogs. I had pet aquatic frogs (yep, there actually is such a thing) from junior high through college, until I finally became an "adult" and let them go in our creek. This summer, when I was tempted to become apathetic in my walk with God, He filled our entire backyard with thousands (literally) of baby toads. It sounds silly, but it reminded me of how much God loved me.

Also, my favorite "non-religious" holiday is Fourth of July. I absolutely love it! I was in Turkey during the Fourth of July this year, so I missed out on any celebration. But soon after, I was given free tickets to the party deck of the Kane County Cougars stadium, and there was an unbelievable, long, musical fireworks show after the game. Again, that seems so small and insignificant, but it reveals that God knows my heart and loves me deeply.

Dinner with the Lost Boys of Sudan

I would be remiss to end this post focusing my attention on my own personal world and neglecting to call our attention to the nations that God is calling to Himself. This fall, I had an amazing opportunity. I was invited to a dinner party with the Lost Boys of Sudan. Have you heard of their story?

Northern Sudan (predominantly Muslim) was at war with Southern Sudan (predominantly Christian). Those Christians who refused to convert to Islam were severely persecuted. The reason why there is no "lost girls" of Sudan is because they were either raped, killed, or taken as slaves to the North. The boys, who were away tending herds, ran. Over 17,000 boys ran for years. Along the journey, some died of dehydration. Some were taken by wild animals. Others succumbed to insect bites or disease. But as they banded together, many survived, and over 4,000 have now come to the United States to begin a new life.

As I heard their story from their own mouths over dinner this fall, I sat speechless. This happened in my lifetime. These boys, now men, are not much older than myself. Their story is well known; it has been all over the news. What is often downplayed by the media is their Christian testimony. Familiarize yourself with the Lost Boys. Watch one of the documentaries that will leave you held captive, such as the CBS 60-Minutes special featuring their story or the film God Grew Tired of Us. When you hear them praise God that their relatives chose to die in the face of persecution, which they rightfully consider far better than recanting their faith in God, gratitude will take on a whole new meaning for you.

Conclusion

Happy New Year, my friends! May you find yourself absolutely in awe of the God whom you serve as you consider His faithfulness--through triumphs and trials--this past year of 2007. May you eagerly anticipate all that God will do in you and through you for HIS glory in 2008. You are His child. Rejoice!

Faith, Not Sight

A brief thought for today:

II Corinthians 5:7, "We live by faith, not by sight."

Walking by faith is certainly difficult, but it is also very rewarding. I find that it is the only way that I can have the fullness of joy that God offers me so generously. Too often, however, I trade walking by faith for walking by sight, and I settle for the tangible things that I can see and understand. It's so paradoxical, because the things I think will bring me happiness are the things that end up disappointing me, and the ways of God that are mysterious and imperceptible through an earthly lens bring me sheer joy and peace and contentment. So why do I often pursue the former instead of the latter?

The Divine Worm-eater

My mom loves to feed the birds. Every year for Christmas or Mother's Day or her birthday, she asks for bird seed. Her kids laugh, but humor her and pick up a bird-related product.

When I passed the bird seed aisle at the store, I threw two bird seed bells into my cart to add to my mom's Christmas presents. I noticed moths swarming all around the bird seed in the store. Something was obviously very wrong with this picture, but since I was tired of shopping, I never stopped to ponder the source of the moths, and I proceeded with my purchase. First mistake.

Tucking the bird seed bells away behind the books on my bookshelf to keep them hidden until Christmas, I left them sitting there for two months, unattended to. Second mistake.

Throughout the month of December, I noticed moths appearing in our home. I thought that was odd since all flying critters should have died with the first frost, but since our home is tucked away in the woods, again I didn't think too much about it. Third mistake.

Finally, I took the bird bells out of my closet to wrap for my mom the day before Christmas Eve. Crawling all over the bag, the bird seed, my bookshelf, and my books was moth larvae (a.k.a.: worms). My mom, having raised four boys and being given presents much more slimy and slithery than my moth larvae, graciously and joyously accepted my present and put the bird seed bells outside. For the birds, the worms were an added delicacy.

I wanted to tell that story because I find it entertaining, :) but also because it reminds me of sin. :( Many times, the negative effect of our sin surrounds us. There are signs, just like the moths appearing wherever the bird bells were sitting. But we ignore them or dismiss them or tell ourselves we will come back and root it out of our lives later. "Later" either never comes, or when it does, it has snowballed into a much larger problem that is more difficult to eradicate.

But just like my story has a happy ending (the worms in my room were destroyed and the birds had a tasty treat), so the story of our lives can have a happy ending. Christ took the curse of sin upon Himself--a divine Worm-eater--so that we might find life in Him. We do not need to wallow in the putrid nature of our depravity. The price has been paid; the debt has been canceled. Christ creates beauty out of ashes and brings life out of death.

As we head into a new year, let's allow our greatest celebration and source for our rejoicing be the new life that we have in Christ, who destorys the worms in our lives!

Incarnation

I remember the day when my first niece was born. I was a nine year old, third grade student. My mom tucked me in bed on April 24, 1991, whispering in my ear that my sister-in-law Carol was in labor. That meant only one thing. When I woke up the next morning, I would be an aunt.

Early the next morning, I bolted into my parents' room, waking them up from their peaceful slumber. I blurted out, "Am I an aunt yet?" "Yes! You have a little niece, and her name is Kirsten! She was born last night around 8:30."

We rushed to the maternity ward viewing room at the same hospital at which I was born. I looked through the plated glass window at all of the babies laying in the hospital cribs, searching for Kirsten Elizabeth. Grandparents and siblings and parents were surrounding me, gawking at their bundles of joy. When I saw her, my eyes were fixed on just one baby--my brand new niece. She was beautiful. And so tiny. Ten little fingers. Ten little toes. Two eyes and one nose. She looked so fragile, and yet so perfect.

This Christmas season, I find myself wondering what Mary must have felt when she held her Son in her arms. Did she count His ten little fingers and ten little toes? Did she stare into His tiny eyes, not yet able to remain open for any extended period of time, and wonder how this fragile Infant would serve as her Messiah? Did she allow herself to become completely overwhelmed with the joy of the moment, or did she feel a quick, sharp pain in her chest as prophecies from old flashed through her mind--prophecies that predicted her Son's death to preserve her life?

I seem to have a fear of looking too long at the manger, thinking that I might neglect to look beyond it. Our society has perpetuated the image of the content baby Jesus, "no crying He makes." While I think we should fight against this stereotype, I do not think it is right to rush Christmas either. Maybe I should peer into the ancient "maternity ward viewing room" once more and ponder again that Jesus humbled Himself, took on flesh, and came as a helpless little baby just to show Himself to you and me--just to write Himself into the story. That, my friends, is the greatest of love!

Deflection

He had a rather strange diet. His meat was locusts. His sweet tooth was satisfied with wild honey. He wore a roughly woven robe made of camel hair with a leather belt bound around his waist. He was the voice of one calling in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. He worshipped his Cousin, but not with an inappropriate hero worship. No, his exaltation went much deeper. He worshipped his Cousin as his Lord.

As I've been reading through the book of John, I have grown to respect John the Baptizer. He is quickly becoming one of my favorite biblical characters, though if I could have a conversation with him, he would undoubtedly shun any praise, deflecting all glory to Jesus Christ. This is precisely why I admire him.

I was eavesdropping on the discussion between John and his disciples in the latter half of John 3. John's baptizing like usual, but now someone else is sharing the waters near him. Everyone is leaving John in order to be baptized by this other man's disciples, and John's disciples are a little perplexed. "Hey John! Look whose disciples are baptizing! And look who everyone is choosing to go to instead of you!" He looks. It's his younger cousin. It's Jesus.

I think it's about to get tense and I should stop eavesdropping; it's quite rude really. But I can't help myself. I have to keep reading. What's John going to do? Will the green-eye of jealousy stare back at his disciples? Will his tone of voice change ever so slightly, vibrating with chords of envy and resentment?

John speaks such beautiful words, it leaves me speechless. He refuses to feel envy. He refuses to see himself as important in the light of the glory of God. He looks his disciples in the eye, but his irises are not green. He replies, "A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven" (Jn. 3:27). Then he reminds his disciples (and perhaps himself?) that they too bore witness that he said, "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him" (v. 28). I wonder if he glances over at Christ, whose disciples are baptizing the crowds that were once John's own, and because he has once more made the choice to deflect the glory off of himself and onto the only One who is worthy, God blesses him with true joy and contentment and peace and love for his Savior. John continues, "The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete" (v. 29).

Scripture doesn't describe John's facial expressions, but I imagine that his face is glowing. His joy is complete! He understands that it is not about him; it's about God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ! He risked it all. He gave up fame and glory and mortified (as in killed) his pride. Then he utters some of the most challenging words in Scripture (or at least challenging to me personally and the sin issues with which I daily struggle). He proclaims, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (v. 30). This verse was chosen as our class verse my senior year of high school, and ever since then it has become my motto in life.

On my way to work yesterday, I prayed that God would show me throughout the day how I can make decisions that would reflect the truth in this verse. I asked, "How can I decrease more and more throughout the day?" "How can I point to God in everything that I do and make sure HE receives the glory?" I was humbled in my job. I couldn't get a volunteer team together last minute to do the "menial tasks" that I have been trained to pass off to others, so I spent my day re-stocking connection cards and pens in the back pockets of over 650 chairs at our West Campus facility. I was grumbling and complaining, and then God reminded me of the lesson he had taught me that morning. In this task, how could God be glorified and His greatness be manifested through me?

This morning, my alarm went off to the sound of the radio, which was playing, "To God Be the Glory!" Amen! And may Jesus Christ be exalted!

Wonder or Wonder AND Worship?

Lessons in the School of His Presence

I love it when God teaches me something, especially when He gets my attention in a lot of little ways that could go unnoticed, but through them he is screaming (or perhaps whispering?) one gigantic message to me. That is exactly what has been happening the last couple of days.

As I have been flipping through the pages of Scripture, reading passages in John to prepare for teaching my Sunday school class, or stories of Jesus' birth in the gospels surrounding the advent season, or Psalms to guide my prayer time, the same concept has stuck me again and again. When people encountered Jesus Christ (or speak of God, in the case of the Old Testament), they walk away with a sense of awe and wonder, marveling in amazement and astonishment. I did a little research of how many times those four words are used in the gospels alone (using the ESV, my preferred version for study). Astonished is used fourteen times, wondered is used three times, amazed is used eleven times, and marveled is used fifteen times. No wonder why I have run across this concept so much in my reading! That is forty-three times in the gospels alone!

I've spent the past couple of days reading through all of those verses and trying to determine their context. The crowds were astonished when Jesus (1) healed and performed other miracles and (2) taught as one who had authority.

For a while, I've banked that lesson--that I should be in awe and wonder when I encounter Jesus Christ. But in the past two days, I realized I missed the greater lesson. Using the treasure hunt analogy I like to use in a lot of my blog topics (for Scripture IS a treasure!), I had found the treasure chest and was satisfied with that. I didn't open it and find the gold contained inside!

What's the gold? We have to go back to our Scripture investigation to find out. In all but a handful of these verses, the people doing the marveling and wondering are NOT believers! And the Scriptures never tell us that they become followers of Jesus Christ, only that they stood in amazement at His works. These individuals stop short. Before going further, let's give an example:

Modern-Day:

Yesterday, there were some amusing stories on the news that grabbed my attention. One story was about a skateboarder who entered the X-Games after skating for only four days. He miscalculated his jump and fell 45-feet. He survived, and four months later, is back competing in the X-Games. I was amazed hearing his story.

Another story followed the McCaughey septuplets, who just turned ten years old. All seven survived the risky pregnancy and birth, and five of the seven children do not suffer from any physical disabilities. Two of the children, however, have cerebral palsy. The McCaugheys are Christians, and when the news anchors asked them if they wished they had "used selective reduction" (the politically correct, "intellectual" phrase for "killed your babies"), tears filled their eyes and they boldly declared that their children are an ordained gift from God. I marveled at their testimony, watching in wonder as God's name was proclaimed.

Connecting Points:

In hearing these stories, I experienced wonder and amazement. Those are very natural, human reactions. In fact, to some degree or another, we experience them daily. My emotional reaction did not spur me on to any action. I did not become inspired to sign up to compete in the X-Games and defy gravity. I did not make it one of my life goals to have septuplets. Nor did I choose to worship those who did produce these results. They were just new stories.

Back to Scripture:

I think that is what it must have been like in the minds of the first century crowds who observed Jesus working miracles and heard Jesus teaching. I decided to dig a little more and find out how many times the word "worshipped" is used in the Gospels. Certainly, there were moments when worship resulted from awe, but there were many times when it didn't. I find it interesting that when Satan was tempting Jesus, he didn't want Jesus to be in awe of him. He wanted Jesus to worship him (Jn. 4:9-10).

Revelation:

The word worship is used more in Revelation than in any of the Gospels. I would encourage you to look up and read those verses. They are absolutely beautiful and your heart will resonate with them. You will long for that day to come!

But there are also horrible verses about worship in Revelation. Yes, horrible. In Revelation 13:3-4, it talks about the beast. Scripture says, "the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast." Listen to the very next words: "And they worshipped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, 'Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?'" Here is a natural progression. Marveling turns into worship, but it is ascribed to the enemy of God!

Application:

As I studied these passages, I felt utterly convicted. Tears filled my eyes as I pleaded with God to turn my awe into worship and preserve my heart for Him as His remnant. I realized that there are so many times that I stop short of worship. I love the Bible! I love studying God! I am amazed and intrigued and astonished and I marvel! But is that all? Does my expression of wonder stop with an intellectual fascination with God? Woe to me if it does! God wants my worship.

God began answering my prayer right away, teaching me what it means to worship. On my way to work, the hymn "How Great Thou Art" began to play on the radio. That song nails it. It begins with awe and wonder. Read the words again through that lens:

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,/Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;/I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,/Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

But it doesn't stop there. Now read the chorus:

Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,/How great Thou art, How great Thou art./Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,/How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Pastor Carl Gustaf Boberg, who first penned these words, begins the chorus with the word "then." BECAUSE God created this amazing universe that I see (that's the awe part), THEN my soul sings of how great He is (that's the worship part)!

I walked in my office, and guess what song was streaming through the speakers in my co-worker's cubical? "How Great Thou Art!"

Oh Lord, our great God who is worthy to be praised, teach me what it means to move from awe and wonder into worship! Do not let my intellect rob my affections, and let my affections arise from the Truth revealed in Your Word. Tune my heart to Your glory and greatness, so that I might gaze upon the beauty of my Lord and Savior and fall to my knees in reverent worship once more.