Reason for the Season

Good thing there are "12 days of Christmas" or this post would be really late for a Christmas post!

It's pretty amazing how the holidays can make us so busy AND exhausted!

Aside from the hustle and bustle of the season, I had a great time with family and I hope you did, too!

In this series, we first talked about getting the nerve up to ask hard questions.

Then, we talked about being open and willing to hear the answer, whether we like it or not.

Once we have the answer, what do we do with it?

We either take a step of faith and believe in it, or we do nothing with it. 

In "Letters from a Skeptic", Ed asked hard questions over a span of 3 years. 

Although his questions were full of doubt, he was still open to what his son had to say.

After 3 years of discourse, Ed's belief had changed.

From a belief of agnosticism (a god cannot be proven or disproved), Ed came to believe that there is an all-loving God who sent His son, Jesus Christ to be in relationship with us and to save us. 

From this belief, hope was born.

Just like Ed, Mary and Joseph, as well as the shepherds and Wise Men, had a similar experience.

Although they were presented something hard to imagine, they were willing and acted on it. Because of this, they were given hope in return. 

For Ed, his belief gave him the hope of eternal life and relationship with Jesus Christ.

For Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and Wise Men, (as well as others), they received the hope of God here on earth, aka Emmanuel (God with us). 

Belief is the reason for the season, not Santa, candy canes, or presents. We do things because we believe. We celebrate because we believe. When we believe that God came to earth as a baby boy born in a manger during a genocide, so that we would be made right with God and be in relationship with Him, we are given the ultimate joy and hope that no one else can offer.

This belief is the reason for the season.

So it's clear that asking hard questions, being open, and stepping out in faith to arrive at a belief is definitely worth it!

Later, we'll discuss a few specific questions from Letters From a Skeptic.

Are you open?

By asking questions, there must be a willingness to hear the answer and go from there.

While reading, "Letters from a Skeptic", it is clear that although Ed (the skeptic father) has many questions and doubts, at least he is willing to step outside of his head (and heart) and take a chance by listening to his son, Greg. Throughout the book, Ed continues to ask questions, one right after the other. 

The correspondence of letters lasted from March 10, 1989 to November 22, 1991. Clearly, there was a willingness and persistence from both Ed and Greg during this discourse. Either one of them could have easily at some point said, "Okay, I'm tired of this. I can't think or talk about this anymore." Not that this was an easy task for both of them, it actually was tiring, but they didn't let that get in the way of this time for questions and growth.

In chapter 2 of Luke, we learn about Jesus' birth. Luke 2:15 tells us about the shepherds reactions to the angels' good news, "When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us so straight into Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us."

The shepherds could have simply reacted out of fear and ignored the news, but instead, they wanted to go see for themselves. They could have even been skeptical and said, "That sure was some quack job...let's go make sure this really didn't happen." 

Instead, they were open and willing. They took a leap of faith by going and seeing the Son of God laying in a manger.

Just like the shepherds and Ed Boyd were open and willing, there comes a time for each and every one of us to have a willingness to believe. We can't reach a belief without being open to it. 

Asking questions can be hard, but being ready for the answers can even be harder. Sometimes we may have enough guts to ask the hard questions, but still find ourselves in a box that keeps us from being open to more possibilities.

Mary questioned how she could be the mother of Jesus while being a virgin.

The shepherds were willing to go see what the angels had told them. 

Although we weren't in the stable or out in the fields, we still have the opportunity to believe in the gift sent from God. 

Next post, we'll talk about what can be birthed from beliefs. 

Bible Reading Plan for this week: Ezekiel 31-48

It starts with a question

I had this idea to focus on the idea of belief and for some reason, I'm having difficulty putting it altogether. Come on brain, get it together! So hang in there with me! It makes sense in my mind, so I sure hope it will translate. 

If you read my last post, you know that I challenged you to write out some of your beliefs about life, faith, Christmas or whatever you wanted. How did that go? Was it easy? Difficult? Surprising?

For me, this time was a tad bit easier than last time. I don't know if it was because I had just graduated from college and felt brain-dead, not to mention, overwhelmed by an extremely busy time in my life but who knows. Whatever the reason, I think it's perfectly normal go to through times where questioning is better than answering. Maybe this time was easier because I had become aware that my beliefs weren't as concrete as I thought or maybe it was easier, because I've experienced and learned more since.

It makes me think of Dorey and Susan on Miracle on 34th Street. At first they didn't believe in the "magic" of Christmas, but as time went on, their disbelief turned into belief. It took time for their doubts to be erased about that old man with rosey cheeks, button nose, and a big, round belly. 

It also makes me think of Mary. In the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, we read about when Mary discovers that she is to be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

The angel, Gabriel, comes to her and tells her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” (v.28)

What a greeting! I think it would definitely catch someone's attention.

Gabriel continued to tell her the shocking news.  “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.  And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;  and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” (v.31-33)

Guess how Mary replied.

She didn't shout, "Great! I can't wait!"

She didn't hide or run away. [I think I might have!]

She didn't quietly say, "That's not possible." 

Instead, she asked, "How can this be since I am a virgin?" (v.34)

I'd say that's a pretty good question. 

While she could have brought the conversation to a screeching halt, she encouraged it. Instead of making a statement, she asked a question.

I think that's important. I think we can rest assured that asking questions is vital for growth.

I remember in school, I was always afraid to ask questions. I felt like questions were frowned upon, in many cases. When it comes to questions about life, faith, and all thing important things, I think questions are the seed of learning. 

When Mary asked that simple question, Gabriel didn't shut down and not answer her, but in return, He gave her an explanation for her question...

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God." (v. 35)

He gave her a legitimate answer, when he could have said, "Just believe what I say, Mary."

Not to mention, he didn't stop with an answer, he followed with an example.

"And behold, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month.  For nothing will be impossible with God.” (v. 36-37)

He gave her something she could relate to.  

What started out as a proclamation from an angel, continued all because of a question. When we are confused about something, we can't expect an explanation without speaking up. It's amazing how asking questions can bring about answers. However, there are many times when we may not be able to get an answer, but that is when trust and faith come in. It wouldn't hurt to try and ask anyway!

We are rational creatures, so it only makes sense that questions can often be at the forefront of our minds. Like Mary, sometimes we need more than a simple answer, but an explanation and example at times might be necessary for beliefs to be born. 

In the following posts, we'll explore some questions and dialogue from Greg Boyd and his father in their book, "Letters from a Skeptic". 

What are some of your beliefs? Were questions raised when you were doing the exercise? Was it easier to think of disbeliefs than beliefs?

The Reason for the Season

It's that time of year again where we find trees in living rooms, wreaths on doors, strings of lights on light posts, and continuous [cheesy-which I happen to love] Christmas movies on every single night [thanks to the Hallmark channel]. It's the time when people go from store to store, checking their lists and checking them twice. It's the time when you spend hours cooking an extravagant meal for your loved ones, when temptation of throwing in the towel is just beneath the horizon when you realize that the oven was never turned on in the first place. Through the chaos of it all, I think it's important that we stop in the silence of the Christmas music, hustle and bustle of shopping, and the aroma of the holiday meal so that we can focus on the reason for the season. 

When we turn our minds to the reason for the season, we come face to face with our beliefs. Maybe you resonate with many beliefs or maybe you aren't sure what you believe in. It makes me think of one of my favorite Christmas movies, "Miracle on 34th Street". The reoccurring theme of the movie is "believe". Dorey Walker and her daughter, Susan, are skeptics of the man who travels around the world in one night with a nice and naughty list in hand with every child's name listed. The movie follows the relationship they have with Kris Kringle, the Macy's Christmas Santa, and the controversy the city of New York faces when it comes to believing without seeing. 

Last Christmas, the series I wrote was the Cast of Christmas, but this year, I'm going to change it up a bit. Instead of going through only the Nativity Story, I want to write about the core of the holiday season...believing. No matter what religion we practice, our actions often stem from our beliefs. A couple years ago, I was asked to write out a list of my beliefs and honestly, I had a hard time with it. So I'd like to challenge you to sit down and write out a list of your beliefs. It can be about life in general. It can be about faith and religion. It can be about the holiday season specifically. Let's focus on believing this holiday season. It may be difficult and in fact, you may find that it's easier to write about what you don't believe in. 

My inspiration for this topic came from the book, "Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father's Questions about Christianity" by Gregory Boyd and Edward Boyd. Just like Dorey and Susan in Miracle on 34th Street, this father-son duo ask some difficult questions and explore the depths (or lack-thereof) of their beliefs. I'll be sharing bits and pieces of their challenging conversation in hopes to begin discussion and aid in the strengthening of beliefs. It's amazing what the end result can be when we question, explore, and believe. I would say that Dorey, Susan, Gregory and Edward would all agree that through the wrestling, joy and hope can be born. 

Bible Reading Plan: Ezekiel 16-30

"Life's messy. Clean it up!"

via

 

You know when you're cleaning the house and you just want to be done and relax, but there is this one stubborn spot of junk that just won't come off the counter or pan or whatever it is...

I hate that. Don't you?

 

You scrub and you scrub, and this piece of gunk just won't come up.

You soak it, you scrub up and down, side to side, and who knows, maybe you get so frustrated that you have to call out the big guy, Mr. Clean.

What looked like a small and menial task, became a seemingly unending and arduous effort.

How could something so small, grow to be something so challenging?

 

 Maybe it just had the right combination of crud to create a frustrating mess or maybe it's because we took too long to confront it.

I'm going to bet that it's most likely the latter or maybe a combination.

Instead of passing by and saying, "I'll do it later", it would make things easier to confront it quickly.

 

It reminds me of those moments in life where we know we should confront an issue, but we just put it off due to fear and uncertainty. Maybe we are facing difficulties in a relationship or maybe we are facing an issue within ourselves.

For me, I realize that my patience could use some working on, but to be honest, it's easier to push it aside rather than coming face to face with my issue.

The problem is, with every push, the gunk [issue] grows and hardens, making it even more difficult to get rid of.

 

Peter says in Acts 3:19, "Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;" Repent in Greek is "metanoeo" which means "to change one's mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one's past sins." In order to change one's mind, he/she has to confront the issue first. I think confronting is the hardest part. Sometimes we may have to confront it often, in order for us to change and turn away from the sin.

 

Looking at that clump of gunk and saying "I'm gonna get rid of you!" can prevent us from getting deeper and deeper into a mess of problems. Sometimes persistence may be necessary. Sometimes looking at it from a different angle may help. Sometimes seeking help from others might be a good idea. Don't forget though, calling on the big guy, (not Mr. Clean) but God, can be the best thing we can do.

It may not be fun to scrub up gunk, but it's not worth it to ignore.

 Like the famous vacuum company, Bissell, says, "Life's messy. Clean it up!"

 

 This week our Bible reading is:

Lamentations 1-Ezekiel 15

 

 

 

The roll of the wind & Typhoon Haiyan

I was sitting on the deck today, reading and I couldn't help but notice the wind.

I've said before that wind happens to be one of my favorite things. Most of the time it reminds me of a gust of refreshment and the powerful presence of God, but today the wind reminded me of something else.

 

Today the Los Angeles Times reported that more than 11 million people have been affected by Typhoon Haiyan, as well as 660,000 people are homeless. Some people have estimated that the death toll will be around 10,000 and others have guessed around 2,000. No doubt, the Philippines has experienced the most powerful storm yet.

 

Erik De Castro/Reuters

 

 

Noel Celis AFP/via Getty Images

 

 

We've experienced plenty of tropical storms here in the south, but nothing to the magnitude of Typhoon Haiyan. As I sat on the deck this morning, the wind spoke to me.

 I heard it in the distance.

I saw it through the trees.

Yet, I wasn't being affected by it.

 

I was in the calm, while others were in the storm. Just like we are in the calm over here in America, while the people of the Philippines are in the storm. Aside from actual storms, it's the same in life.

 

As I watched the leaves struggle to hang on, the branches sway to and fro, and the dirt be lifted off the ground, it made me think of the times in life when we struggle to hang on...when we sway to and fro...and when we are thrown off our feet.

 

Times of divorce, sickness, and death can feel like a storm. Either we are the ones experiencing the storm or we watching a person face that storm. Both places aren't fun places to be in. Although I didn't experience Typhoon Haiyan, it still makes my stomach hurt and heart ache to think about the emptiness, sadness and anger they must be feeling. It's not an easy place to be in.

 

Storms like these often make people question the character of God.

However, times like these are simply the reality of life.

Thankfully, these times don't last forever, even if it may feel like it.

They are followed by a time of stillness, quiet, clean up and rebirth.

 

In the still and the quiet, we are able to clean up the mess, while realizing that God did not send the wind to destroy us. He didn't send a typhoon to kill thousands of people (at least I don't think He did). You know why I think that?

God is love and I can't seem to bring myself to believe that love would kill and destroy.

 

The reality is, we are in a battle between good and evil.

Ephesians 6:10-20 says, " Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

 

Jesus conquered the grave already and He will bring victory once and for all, when He comes again. For right now, we are in the middle of this tug-of-war match. Sometimes the bad wins, but in the end, good conquers. Jesus is the one who is walking with us in the these storms and lends a hand to pick us up. He is in the business of rebirth and redemption. Just like Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, we must put on the armor of God and stand firm in His promises. Like the trunk of a tree and the ground that is holding it in place, God's promises can ground us through the wrestling of the wind.

 

Hard times will come. The roll of the winds will break and we'll be able to catch our breath and receive peace. Our thankfulness for the quiet times becomes magnified and if we never faced the roll of the wind, we would take the calming times for granted. The gusts of wind sometimes force us to cling to God our vine, look toward hope, and appreciate the quiet times even more.

 

Lets pray for those around us who are in the middle of a storm, as well as our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. Let us also pray that we have strength to stand firm and remember God's presence in our lives even when a storm rolls through.

 

Bible reading plan this week:

 Jeremiah 35-52

 

Hey, I see a...!

While I was riding in the car yesterday, I looked up at the sky and saw these beautiful, white fluffy clouds and it made me think of...

 

Charlie Brown - "I see a.."

Linus - "Gargoyle! Like they have at Notre Dame!"

Lucy - "The sack of Carthage!"

Snoopy - "And the Dodger's Yankee Game! Go team!"

Linus - "All twelve apostles,
Waving at me!"

All - "What do you see, Charlie Brown?"

 

That was a song from Snoopy the Musical. I was one of the chorus members when I was younger and I always loved this scene of the play

because I could really relate to it.

Just like Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Snoopy, I too, remember laying on the grass field at recess finding different shapes in the clouds with my friends.

 

 

Unlike the characters of Snoopy, I remember it going more like this...

Jessica - "I see a unicorn!"

Bobby - "No, that's not a unicorn, that's a race car!"

Me - "I don't see either of those, I see a puppy in a dog house! How do you see a race car or a unicorn?"

 

Sometimes instead of actually seeing what the other person saw, we would just focus on what we saw individually. Other times, we would take the time to really see what the other person was seeing. Sometimes that meant getting up and switching places with a friend. Other times, it meant simply looking at it longer to see the puppy's ears point up like a unicorn and a dog house somehow morph into a race car.

 

Living in relationship with others is a lot like finding similar shapes in the clouds on a bright, sunny day. There are times when we may not see eye to eye and that's okay, but there are other times when it takes work to reach common ground. It may be more work like actually getting up off the ground and moving to another place. Sometimes it might not be convenient, but at the same time it's necessary in order to understand what the other person is feeling.

 

That thing called empathy...putting ourselves in someone else's shoes is a huge and important aspect of life. It may be uncomfortable to turn your head the other way to see the unicorn in the cloud, but many times when you are willing to see from another perspective, beauty is born. However, there are other times when you may try your hardest to understand where the other person is coming from, but you still just don't get it and that's okay too. It's bound to happen, yet that isn't an excuse not to try.

 

Just like my previous post about different routes, we should understand that everyone has different ways of thinking, but we can really make a difference when we take the next step of understanding each other, rather than only respecting. When we don't take the time to listen, understand and support, we run the risk of hurting a friendship, ignoring a teachable moment and being closed off to a whole world of opportunities and beauty. Being respectful and willing goes along way.

 

Instead of insisting that the cloud is in the shape of a puppy, looking from another perspective can give you a puppy AND  a unicorn...what's better than that?! :)

There is beauty in differences and there is more beauty in seeing differences from another person's eyes. 

 

 

 Bible Reading Plan-
By the end of this week, we should have read through Jeremiah chapters 14-34.