Always Winter Never Christmas

I guess I have to admit that the snow is beautiful. Even for a "summer-lover/winter-hater" like me, it's undeniable. There's something amazing about fresh snowfall. The snow this morning reminds me of C.S. Lewis. One of his most powerful phrases from "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is "It's always winter, never Christmas". In the context of "The Chronicles of Narnia", Lewis refers to a cold dark time in a fictional land when the joy and hope of Christmas was missing. The implications for us today are sobering. Christmas is the proclamation that an incomparable marvelous Light entered darkness. For me, Christmas is the bright spot in my otherwise least favorite time of the year. Days are shorter and I prefer light. Days are colder and I prefer warm. Animals withdraw and I prefer activity. Foliage dies and I prefer the flowers of springtime. Yet, Christmas is a reminder that Hope wins. New life is imminent. Some time ago the band Relient K released a song based upon the words of C.S. Lewis. The lyrics are worth considering during the season of hope.

"In Like A Lion (Always Winter)"

It's always nice to look out the window
And see those very first few flakes of snow
And later on we can go outside
And create the impression of an angel that just fell from the sky

When February rolls around I'll roll my eyes
Turn a cold shoulder to these even colder skies
And by the fire my heart it heaves a sigh
For the green grass waiting on the other side

It's always winter but never Christmas
It seems this curse just can't be lifted
Yet in the midst of all this ice and snow
Our hearts stay warm cause they are filled with hope

It'd be so nice to look out the window
And see the leaves on the trees begin to show
The birds would congregate and sing
A song of birth a song of newer things

The wind would calm and the sun would shine
I'd go outside and I'd squint my eyes
But for now I will simply just withdraw
Sit here and wish for this world to thaw

And everything it changed overnight
This dying world you brought it back to life
And deep inside I felt things
Shifting everything was melting
Away oh away
And you gave us the most beautiful of days

Cause when it's always winter but never Christmas
Sometimes it feels like you're not with us
But deep inside our hearts we know
That you are here and we will not lose hope

Picking Up Butch

Here's a great video that was shown on ESPN's E:60. It's a great look at a sports program that features the great virtues of teamwork and tradition over the course of a 50 year demonstration of friendship to a very special man named Butch. The story begins right after the Gillette shaving commercial!

Listening to "Outsiders"

"The Outsider Interviews" is a book by Jim Henderson, Todd Hunter and Craig Spinks. It is a collective effort to listen to voices outside (and some inside) the church as they speak out about Christianity. The interviews were conducted in several locations. From Kansas City to Phoenix to Denver young people were asked to share their views about the Christian faith. Why should/would we care what these voices have to say? In fact, I believe there are many reasons. But, one of the primary reasons is to cultivate a skill that we seem to be losing: listening. One of the main observations of the "outsiders" is that Christians are poor listeners. A careful reading of the gospels indicates to me that compassion is very important. In my experience compassionate people are good listeners. Although there is much to share from the book, the authors lift up a thesis that rings true: "the church can no longer proclaim from a distance and do well with young outsiders...we must be with those around us. Our personal, even physical, presence matters." As I reflected on those words I remembered how God directed Philip to go down to a desert road so that he could encounter an Ethiopian who was struggling to understand the gospel. I cannot help but believe that God continues to direct us to individuals that God cares about.

Drawing near to God

Everything in our Christian life and service flows from our relationship with God. If we are not in vital fellowship with Him, everything else will be out of focus. But when our communion with Him is close and real, it is gloriously possible to experience a growing intimacy.J. Oswald Sanders

“Everything” is a strong word. Yet, it is not too strong for the truth that it conveys. Jesus taught that if a branch is not attached to a vine, it will die. In His words, “apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Everything in our Christian life and service flows from our relationship with God. God created us to enjoy relationship, fellowship and communion and He designed us so that ministry flows from Him - through us - to others. As we consider how to minister more effectively, we must begin with our relationship with God.

Mercy

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Hosea 6:6

Tempted to be unmerciful today? What’s the difference in this list of ways to relate to God? Why contrast mercy with sacrifice and the acknowledgment of God with burnt offerings? Obviously, burnt offerings and sacrifices are outward measurable acts, presumably done out of obedience to God’s command. Mercy and acknowledgment are a little more difficult to measure. It’s not as though we can check them off of our “to do” list every day. They are expressions of a heart that has been shaped by God. From a merciful heart flows activity that acknowledges the mercy of God we have received. The language of Hosea is piercing yet beautiful. The poetry of the prophet reveals how shallow, how fickle our love for God can be. God says, “Your love is like the morning mist, like the early dew that disappears.” (Hosea 6:4) When our love for God is fleeting and shallow, our offerings and sacrifices are meaningless. When we show mercy, we show love for God through our love for those God loves.

Understanding the Gospel

The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world's deep hunger meet
Frederick Buechner

Halloween is "celebrated" this Sunday night. Halloween has become a strange mixture. Our consumer culture now exploits anything that resembles a holiday by marketing goodies, gadgets and anything that can be bought and sold. Halloween is a perfect example. Stores begin early with costumes and candy. Not surprisingly, the darkside of Halloween has grown much much darker. Horror movies that were once extreme now appear comparatively mild with the latest releases. Now the paranormal extremes are the norm for "entertainment". I can't help but recognize a strange hunger. Our fixation with candy provides a good illustration. We hunger for pounds of sugar, even thought deep inside we know it's not healthy. I see much of what occurs on Halloween as a hunger for something spiritual. Spiritual hunger attracts many to the "candy" that the world offers. It is a poor substitute for a relationship with the supernatural holy God. This dilemna is a great place for the Gospel to shine. We are called to bring the Gospel to the dark places. We are light.

Suit Up

In Ephesians 6, Paul provides a descriptive outline of the facts of life for a follower of Christ. We face a battle (Ephesians 6:12). God has provided equipment for the battle (Ephesians 6:13-18). It is our responsibility to put on the equipment and serve God (Ephesians 6:11). Really, we don’t have a choice of whether or not there will be a battle. When we follow Christ, the enemy of our soul will bring schemes against us designed to distract us from our faithfulness to God. Our choice is how well we fight. Will we fight wisely? Writing about the lack of heart and accountability in American Culture, Connors, Smith and Hickman write,
“A nation of observers is not a nation of participants. If you sit on the sidelines watching the game of your life play out before your eyes, you relinquish your ability to affect the outcome…to remedy this darkening malaise, people must abandon the bleacher seats and take to the playing field.”

In order to enter the playing field in the game of life, we need to suit up with the equipment God has provided: Truth, Righteousness, the Gospel, Faith, Salvation, the Holy Spirit, the Word of God and the opportunity to have an audience with God all day through prayer.