Ordinary but Extraordinary

The picture at right is of a stone manger, literally a feeding/watering trough used for livestock.  There is nothing terribly important about this particular manger.  In fact, many like this appear all around the world, this one just happens to be in Israel. 

By this point most of you reading this probably know where I am headed.  The combination of mangers and the Holy Land can mean nothing less than a post about the Nativity; an event celebrated worldwide by a common phrase "Merry Christmas!"

The fact that the Savior of the world should come to an ordinary family on an ordinary night and be placed in an ordinary manger is, to this blogger, nothing short of extraordinary!  God's Son could have come as a conquering hero, and political champion, a famous celebrity or athlete, but he didn't.  He came as an ordinary guy.  Just one more Joshua, Hosea, Hoshea, or Jesus to add to the list.  The son of a carpenter and his faithful young bride-to-be.  He came as an ordinary man so that he could relate to all of us.  Someone who could experience everything we experience, and therefore be qualified to represent all of us and redeem us all. 

Perhaps we need to take another lesson from the Savior this Christmas.  In the hustle and bustle of Christmas it is easy to get distracted by extraordinary nature of the season.  Lights, crowded shopping malls, decorations galore (including my neighbors 2 story blow-up Santa on a motorcycle) all vie for our attention.  In this time of extraordinary stress, activity, and distraction, please take some time to find joy in the ordinary -- the simple, but profound nature of God's gift.  "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." 

Light in the Darkness

  When Howard Carter first discovered King Tutankhamun's tomb, he was in the burial chamber with very limited light.  His partner called down and asked if he had found anything.  Carter, realizing he had stumbled upon something special, called for more light.  To his astonishment he had unearthed one of archaeology's greatest finds. 

  The discovery of King Tut's tomb, apart from astounding archaeologist, encouraging treasure seekers, and inspiring a hit song by Steve Martin serves as a reminder of the importance of light.  Too much light, or light misapplied can be harmful or unproductive, but light when properly used can be a source of great good.  We need to remember the lesson of King Tut's tomb as we let our lights shine.  Like Carter's electric torch, we too reflect light on a burial chamber, however unlike Carter, the burial chamber we reflect is empty; not because someone stole the body or because it rotted away, but rather because, "He is not [there].  He is risen!" 

Mountains and Valleys

These last couple of weeks have been the kind that really test one's spiritual mettle. Two weeks ago I was returning from a awesome mission trip to Haiti.  I preached (through an interpreter) and someone accepted Christ's salvation.  My team and I worked on a school and medical clinic, it was a mountaintop experience.  Then came the post-trip emotional let-down, followed by long hours at work.  A plateau, but certainly not a valley.  Then came the valley.  My grandmother passed away.  My joy had been turned to sadness, but still even in the shadow of the valley of death, there was hope.  Christ was there.  He was willing and able to lift me up and sustain me.  He is currently preparing me for my next mountain, plateau, or valley.  He will sustain you too.

Time to Eat and Drink

I love to eat. Sometimes I eat a little too much, but that really isn't the point of this message. I compose this short note as I prepare to sit down and eat. I happened to think that Christ used everyday expressions of food and drink to reveal the nature of His person to his followers. "I am the Bread of Life," "I give Living Water." If we want to know Christ, then we need to feast on this bread and drink from this water. It is an all-you-can-eat buffet leading to eternal life, and we don't even have to watch for an expanding waist line! This also got me thinking of how we share the message of Christ with others. Clearly food and drink provide great opportunities for fellowship. My Italian missionary friend reminds me that every worship service is preceded or immediately followed with meals. They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, so why not use physical food as a bridge to go from the stomach to the spiritual heart. Likewise the mealtime doesn't have to formal and/or overly spiritualized. Merely extending an invitation of fellowship, and then allowing others to see you and your family at mealtimes may be enough to encourage seekers to find out more about the Christ you follow. Just a a little food for thought.

Relational God

Recently, our missions team was reminded of some awesome truths about God. These truths were revealed in the context of a workshop entitled "Practical Ways to Share Christ with Your Neighbors." Out of the these truths, perhaps the biggest was a reminder that the God we serve is a God of Relationships. God is in relationship with Himself in the form of the Trinity. God desired relationship with his people, the Children of Israel, Christ became Immanuel, God With Us, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Is there any wonder then that the key to reaching others with the gospel begins with relationships? Here are few suggestions from a friend of mine who led the workshop. When sharing Christ with your neighbors remember to:

1) Make sure that your actions are consistent with your beliefs.
2) Figure out the climate where your neighbors are.
3) Remember the acronym F.R.O.M. Family, Recreations, Occupations, commit to Memory.
4) Become comfortable in your own skin. Be real when your around your neighbors.
5) Be creative.
6) Learn to celebrate and mourn. Allow others to celebrate and mourn for with/for you as well.
7) Remember everyone is an expert at something.
8) Remember the Holy Spirit is at work and His wisdom surpasses your own.
9) Practice the 5.3 Theory. Don't try to do everything yourself.
10) Don't place too much upon your neighhbors at one time. Treat them like a bridge with a spiritual weight limit until the relationship is stronger.