In Spirit and Truth

For almost three years, you and I have lived the Faith life together. We have worshiped, served in mission, studied scripture, and lived life together. As Kristin and I prepare to embark on a new adventure (with a slightly larger family than when we came to you) we are thankful for the opportunities we have had at Faith. In my time at Faith I have written over 120 articles on various themes. Today I write my last article to you. Final thoughts are often the hardest to come by. There is an urge to cram every important thought into the single page, after all, I’ll never have another chance to speak to you in this way. I have wrestled in my own mind over what to say here. Ultimately, I chose what I believe is the most important. Worship is a matter of submission to God, of seeing His majesty, of recognizing our own frailty, and submitting to His will and way. Worship is not found in the emotion of a song, or the swing of a hammer, it is found in the heart that does those things out of

"The mind of man plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps." —Proverbs 16:9 Over the last few weeks, Proverbs 16:9, Proverbs 3:5-6, James 4:13-17 and Acts 17:26 have been the mainstays of my meditations. They all speak to God directing our paths. I am reminded of a specific campout I attended in boy scouts where we competed in an Orienteering contest at Lake Texoma. Someone had laid out a path for us, that we were to follow. In order to get there we had to pay careful attention to our map, our compass, and the surrounding terrain. In the same way, our paths are laid out for us by God. Our destination is a life of intimate relationship with God. As circumstances in our lives change, as the terrain changes we have to reference our compass (prayer) and our maps (scripture). This often leads to a change of plans. For me, right now, this change of plans comes in the form of a career change. I always planned to work with music until I died. I often stated that I couldn&#

"Then [Jesus] said to Thomas, 'Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.' Thomas answered him, 'My Lord and my God!'" — John 20:27-28 Thomas gets a bad rap! Year after year, we go around calling him Doubting Thomas, like school children on the playground trying to get under his skin. I'm sure he didn’t expect that his one moment of grief would define him. The truth is, Thomas only asked for what the other disciple's received. After the Resurrection, Jesus came into the midst of ten of the disciples and he showed them his wounds, spoke peace over them and commissioned them to the work of the kingdom. When the ten disciples saw this, they were "glad." I think to myself, surely that is an understatement, but that is what the text says — "the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord." When Thomas returned from where he had been, the disciple’s excited

"After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, 'Certainly you are also one of them, for your accent betrays you." Then he began to curse, and he swore an oath, 'I do not know the man!' At that moment the cock crowed. Then Peter remembered what Jesus had said: "Before the cock crows, you will deny me three times.' And he went out and wept bitterly." —Matthew 26:73-75 Perhaps you've noticed it. In our times of worship over the last five weeks, a familiar word has been missing. Hallelujah is a transliteration of a Hebrew phrase meaning "Praise Yahweh." But more than just praise, it carries the connotation of being foolishly clamorous. Throughout the ages, the church has steered away from its use during the Lenten fast. But why? Surely God is worthy of our boisterous praise year round! God is certainly worthy! But those joyful praises can make it difficult to remember that we are not worthy, and Christ died for us any

"So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, 'Will you give me a drink?'" —John 4:5-7 Let anyone with eyes to see, see, and everyone with ears to hear, let them hear. This story has always fascinated me. As Brad mentioned on Sunday, there are a hundred ways to look at this passage. Even the title of this weekly article was derived from this passage. Jesus tells us that the Father is looking for worshipers who will worship “en pneumati kai aletheia,” in spirit and truth. As we seek to worship God, it is helpful to know how God wants to be worshiped. But that is a topic for another day. Today I want to look at something else. Brad mentioned that Jesus saw potential in the woman at the well and invested in her. This is

"Praise the LORD. Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints." —Psalm 149:1 This past Saturday evening we had the great privilege to host one of the best touring choirs in the United States. This 55 voice choir has traveled the world over the last 70 years, singing before presidents and heads of state. They have sung seven times at the White House for the previous two presidents. Even with all of these accomplishments, they sang for us, as if we were their most prestigious concert. They serve as inspiration and example for us. Only half of the choir is made up of music majors. The other half comes from every walk of life and area of study you can imagine. But they come together with common purpose, lifting their voices in song to bring honor to their God. We too serve this great and marvelous God. Each week we come together corporately to worship. We lift our voices in song, because we of all people have something worth singing about. We hav

"Suppose a brother or sister is without ... daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" —James 2:15-16 A traditional part of the Lenten devotion is almsgiving. By caring for those who have no other means, we participate in the providence of God. Almsgiving makes the statement to God that we know he provides for our needs. We give, even out of our want, to provide for others, knowing that God will provide also for our needs. This almsgiving is a gift beyond the tithe that provides for the needs of others. Homework this week: Consider making a gift to "Pastors Alms," a fund that helps cover the immediate needs of people in our community. Consider bringing an extra dish to the Pot-luck this Saturday as we feed almost 60 college students who will have no other source for dinner.

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.'" —Matthew 16:24 Self-denial isn't something we like to think about. Everything in our culture is directed toward the fulfillment of every desire. The very thought that we would purposefully suppress those desires is akin to failure in our minds. But Christ offers us a different picture. Deny yourself. Not only on a small scale of personal desires, but deny yourself unto death (take up your cross). We ask, "What possible good could come of me laying down my life, or what good could possibly come from denying my desires?" Jesus expounds on the call, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?" From the earliest days of the church, i

"Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white." —Matthew 17:1-2 Peter, James, and John were in the inner circle. Jesus would tell and show them things that he didn’t reveal even to the other disciples. They went everywhere with him. They saw the masses fed, the sick healed, and the dead raised. Jesus was doing things that only the prophets of God had ever done before. It was clear to them that Jesus belonged in the ranks of the holiest men known to history. But for all that they had seen, nothing could prepare them for that day on the mountain. They expected this was just another "small group meeting." They would pray for one another and for the Kingdom of God. Can you imagine their surprise when before their very eyes Jesus was transformed before them? He shown like the sun, and

"I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O Lord, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your wondrous deeds." —Psalm 26:6-7 The calendar moves on, and we are quickly closing in on my favorite time of the year—Lent. It may seem odd that a time of repentance and fasting would be anyone’s favorite time. What good can come from focusing on our faults for 40 days? No good can come from us simply looking for all of our faults. It can only bring depression and malaise. But Lent is not a time to focus on our shortcomings, rather it is a time to focus on Christ, and on his sacrifice for us. Then, with an attitude of grateful joy, we look to ourselves and see how we might become more like him. This should be a hopeful time, a time of overflowing gratitude for what Christ has done for us. I invite you to participate in all of our Lenten opportunities this year. With all of the emotional heaviness we experience in our culture, this season is a great

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things." —Philippians 4:4-8 Norman Vincent Peale once wrote about the Power of Positive Thinking. He believed that simply having a good attitude about things could improve your circumstances. It has never quite worked that well for me. Trying to drum up a positive attitude can prove to be difficult. I'm a "hope for the best, plan for the worst" kind of a guy, so it is fairly dif

"The living, the living—they praise you, as I am doing today; fathers tell their children about your faithfulness." —Isaiah 38:19 Life is busy. We all have places to go and people to see. It is easy to get caught up in the doldrums and monotony of life, but to do so we miss out on a hundred joys that each moment has to offer. There are any number of inspirational phrases that encourage us to live in the moment — "stop and smell the roses", "Carpe Deum." — Somehow we know that it is in these infinitesimal moments and not in the grandeur of our plans, that we will find joy. I have heard it said that the present is where time intersects with eternity. The past cannot be changed, and the future cannot be known. It is only in the present that we can make a difference. It is only right now that I can have the relationship with God that I desire. Yesterday cannot be changed, tomorrow cannot be known. It is only today that I can live for God. Only now, in thi

"O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it. Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast." —Psalm 139:1-10 Some days I feel like a refugee. I feel small and forgotten in an angry world. I feel far from home; nomadic in my spirit. When I find myself in these dry places, I reflect on the mystery of Emmanuel. What does it mean for me — for you — that

"I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies." —Psalm 18:1-3 Some days I feel like a refugee. Those days it feels like we live in a world torn apart by war. Perhaps it is in a tangible way as I watch the news and see the exploding bombs of the political landscape or the physical wars where our young men and women are actively engaged in combat. But sometimes that war torn life is a little more subtle. Sometimes we feel the war because of an unkind word, or a difficult circumstance. Sometimes we feel like political prisoners to someone else's opinion or whim. It happens all the time. One day you’re living your life, enjoying your community and family, and the next day the bomb has gone off, the company has been sold and you're out of a job. Eve