Christmas Eve on Halloween

          Today is Halloween, but already, Christmas decorations are beginning to come out in the stores.  Last week, our church staff spent a good bit of time reviewing plans for our Christmas Eve services, trying to be ready for our first Advent and Christmas in our new building. 

          That time was the opportunity for reflection about the sacred nature of our Candlelight Services.  Most are aware that one of the key memories of Christmas Eve is that special time when we sing Silent Night, the lights are turned out, and the individual candles are lit.

          The service never fails to move us.  That is in part, because of the method through which the candles are lit.  Three or four people light their candles from the Christ candle.  They light the candles of others who then go out and light even more, and more.  Within two minutes, from that single light of Christ, five hundred candles are lit.  Quickly, the darkened room comes alive with light that is brighter and more lively the electrics. 

          It is a beautiful Christmas scene but is also a timeless example of the way that God does things.  In a word, God’s is constantly about the business of multiplication. From Christ, God reaches down, lights our light so that we can extend that light to others, and so on.  It is God’s designed way of reaching and changing the world to reflect his kingdom.

          We live and breathe in a culture that often forgets this.  Too often, our gaze is upon our own lights, neglecting the cold and dark wicks around us. But in God’s eyes, despite the beauty of our light, the darkness commands more holy attention and therefore, should command ours.

          This weekend, we are going to be continuing our “Crazy Christians” sermon series and will speak about the challenges and priority of sharing our faith verbally with people around us.  I hope you will join us.  In this day and age, when so many are struggling to speak to others about that which we hold so dear, all of us can use some encouragement to share this light of power and hope.  See you in worship!

Pastor Pete

Anxious to Matter

            Years ago, that great movie “Pearl Harbor” came out.  It was about a couple of brash young fighter pilots and a nurse with whom both of them fell in love.  There was a fascinating scene as one of them, played by Ben Affleck, volunteers to serve in England, prior to America’s entrance into the war.  The “Brits” are in the middle of the battle and are being beaten.  Airplanes are returning with battle damage, and they are losing friends and fellow pilots daily. 

            Ben Affleck walks into that scene boldly.   He hasn’t even unpacked his bags as he approaches the weary squadron commander.  He tells him he wants to get up there right now and join the fight.  With fatigue in his voice the British Commander says, “Are all you Americans so anxious to die?”  After reflecting briefly, the young American pilot says, “Not anxious to die sir….just anxious to matter.”

            None of us today are in such a high stakes drama.  Our battles are generally tamer in nature.  All the same, I find that this young airman’s words strike a chord with most of us.  In the end, most of us want to matter.  We want to raise a family that is healthy and that stands for something in this world.  We want to leave our communities and this world a better place than what we found. 

            This general tendency is amplified in the Christian faith.  Our life is supposed to make a difference in this world.  Jesus said that we were the salt and light, the city on the hill.  As such, we are supposed to be a kingdom representative that makes the here and now more like the way it will be in eternity.  As such, we are anxious to matter.

            In the vein, please remember that this weekend in worship matters.  God has laid out incredible opportunities before us right now and in the coming year as Woodlake Church.  In worship, we are going to be placing our commitment cards on the altar.  Those may be simple pieces of paper but they represent our collective desire to make an eternal difference.  Those cards, like that young pilot, are our words to God saying we are “anxious to matter”. 

            I hope you will join me in praying for this weekend.  For several weeks we have been claiming that these two commitments will change your life.  I am confident that they will also play a premier role in helping our church to serve the kingdom in ways that matter eternally.  Thank you in advance for your participation in this important day!

In Christ,

Pastor Pete

Boiled Okra Believers

 

            Years ago, I had a Seminary professor who talked to us about “boiled okra” words.  She was from Texas, and in that classic southwestern accent spoke about this unique dish.  Apparently, when you boil okra, it becomes a slimy mass in your mouth that goes down so fast you can’t taste it.

            That may be a good thing for boiled okra but can be bad for followers of Jesus.  Even so, I am guilty.  Wondrous things happen all around me.  I quickly swallow it down, and move on to the next event.

            But this morning in prayer, I found myself reflecting on the incredible things that have happened in just forty eight routine hours around here.  It is amazing what happens when we, as the Psalm says, “taste and see that the Lord is good” (Psalm 34:8).

            Wednesday night, over forty fourth and fifth graders were running through the building on “wacky hair night”.  They were all excited to show me their green hair, their huge 1960’s “beehives”, and other outrageous displays.  For an hour and a half, with wacky hair, our elementary age children were singing and learning about Jesus. 

            This morning, in Bible study around the book of Job, we all wrestled with how to deal with our anger.  Wednesday night, in our men’s study, we talked about how to handle those times when temptation comes our way.  Tonight, I have the privilege of joining forty men who have set this weekend aside to be at a retreat to listen for the voice of God in their very real world.  The list of course can and does go on and on.

            I have to confess that so often, it is all boiled okra.  I take it for granted.  But when we stop and think about it, better yet, when we stop and pray about it, we find that at every instance, God is doing an incredible thing if we are willing to taste it.

            This weekend, throughout our time of worship, we are going to be reminded about those good things, and that all of us have the opportunity to celebrate and support God’s work here and elsewhere.  It is true, as the Psalm says, we can “Taste and see that the Lord is good…”  When we stop and look at his work right in front of us, we are reminded that our God is good and can provide for all of our needs.  Come join us for worship as we talk about this some more!

In Christ,

Pastor Pete

Your Restaurant Server and Your Soul

            How generous are you?   I don’t have any scientific data, but I would wager that if we rated ourselves on a scale of one to ten, most of us would place ourselves on the upward side of the line.  It is easy for all of us to be legends in our own mind!

            But how would your wife, your husband, your children, or your friends rate you?  Even more, where do you think your server at the last place you ate would place you?

            I have been thinking about that as we prepare to speak about generosity because every one of my daughters has worked or is working as a server or hostess at a restaurant.  This week I sat down with some of them and emailed others to see what they thought about this issue of generosity.  The stories they told me were incredible.  There were wonderful accounts of people who treated my daughters with so much kindness and generosity.  There were other stories that made their preacher-father think unholy thoughts…

            Could it be that the way we treat those who serve us in a restaurant is a window into our soul?  Could it be a fair picture of who we really are and what we think when it comes to money and generosity?   The question is worth pursuing.  This weekend, we are going to be listening to Jesus and his encouragement (actually that is too soft a description) to be generous.  He criticizes the man who spends all his time building bigger barns to enable a future easy life.  Instead, he commands his followers in a beautiful and poignant phrase to be, “rich toward God.”

            Nobody lives life with the goal of becoming stingy.  Every single one of us wants to be generous.  This weekend, we are going to talk about a way to do exactly that.  Come and join us!  And after church, make sure treat your servers well at the restaurant…the preacher’s daughter may be serving you!

See you there,

Pastor Pete