Christmas & Incarnation

"When God's Son took on flesh, he truly and bodily took on, out of pure grace, our being, our nature, ourselves. This was the eternal counsel of the triune God. Now we are in him. Where he is, there we are too, in the incarnation, on the cross, and in his resurrection. We belong to him because we are in him. That is why the Scriptures call us the Body of Christ."

-- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

In light of this statement, remember that as Paul stated - truly God is the one IN whom we live, move, and have our being.

Merry Christmas! Christ has come to us. Christ will come again.

a step back this Christmas

“It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the kingdom lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. This is what we are about: We plant seeds that one day will grow. . We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide years that produces effects beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that. This enables us to do something, and to do it very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders, ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.”

Oscar Romero cited in Victor Hunter, Desert Hearts and Healing Fountains, Chalice Press, 2003.

Thanks to Dr. Ben Hartley from Palmer Theological Seminary for sharing this with me.

what child is this?

If this is the season in which we celebrate that God comes to us, then we must take some time to reflect upon the nature of such a revelation. Who is this one then that comes with the ultimate purpose to save? What was it like for him to become one of us in order to redeem us?

Philippians 2: 5 -8

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!

The omnipotent became fragile; the omniscient one didn’t even know the ‘day or the hour’; the omnipresent one became a temporal being in history, time, space, and in a human body. This is living and stepping into mystery.

Dietrich Bonheoffer says, “The child in the manger is none other than God himself. Nothing greater can be said: God became a child. In the Jesus child of Mary lives the almighty God. Wait a minute! Don’t speak; stop thinking! Stand still before this statement! God became a child! Here he is, poor like us, miserable and helpless like us, a person of flesh and blood like us, our brother. And yet he is God; he is might. Where is the divinity, where is the might of the child? In the divine love in which he became like us.”

Indeed, God knows what it is like to go through struggle, pain, separation, and hurt. He feels our joys and sorrows for He became one of us in order to save us. There is no greater story of hope for us than this. Live in this reality, that God decided to save us by entering our world. Tell God what you feel and what you are thinking, for He not only knows, He understands. This is the message of Christmas.

Only at Christmas Time

Here are some lyrics from one of my favorite musicians, Sufjan Stevens.

Only at Christmas time

Only a tree to climb

Only at Christmas time

If you can read the sign

Only at Christmas time

Everything lost will find

Only at Christmas time

We remember that, 'cursed is anyone who hangs on a tree'. There is no Calvary without Bethlehem. Merry Christmas.

Tis the Season

"It's the most wonderful time of the year."

Get ready folks for the absolute deluge of lawn ornaments and decorations to be put up. I know it is not even Thanksgiving yet, (only a few more days till Turkey Time) but it is still coming.

Obviously, as we poke fun at the festivities, they do speak to a greater reality of light entering the darkness. This Sunday we begin the season of Advent. This is a time in the church where we take some time to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. It is a way to indeed remember the reason for the season - sorry, I know that is full of cheesiness.

Join us during this season as we look at the Journey - walking the road to Bethlehem. Hear the familiar story in a new way and have your heart stirred during this beautiful season. Keep posted to the blog as I share a few other devotional thoughts to prepare our hearts for Christmas.

Not Equal Amount, but Equal Sacrifice

Often in the church we become confused whenever we speak of finances. It is often communicated in ways that seek to fulfill a need rather than meet the purpose.

The temptation is to focus upon the urgent rather than the important.

As many of you may know, we are looking to eliminate our only debt as a congregation. We want to enter 2012 debt free and we have asked our congregation to pray and discern how they can sacrifice and stretch in their giving. We have asked for equal sacrifice, not an equal amount. We could have divided it up and said, 'Ok each family take ____ amount and we can do it.' No. For me, this is not biblical.

Look at the Widow's Mite. This is not about amount, it is about sacrifice. So you need to know that whatever amount you give on November 20th - God will honor it if given with a cheerful heart and is a reflection of your values and heart. Let's put our treasure where our heart is.

I encourage you to continue to pray this week and know that when we come to church this coming Sunday, it will be day that will forever change our future. Get excited, the best days are yet to come.

owner/manager

A Prayer:

"Lord, am I honoring You as owner and CEO/CFO of the assets You've entrusted to my care? Or am I treating You as a mere financial consultant, to whom I pay a fee (2%, 10%, or...)? Have I been acting as if I own the store and You work for me, rather than recognizing that You own it and I work for You?

"The land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants." (Leviticus 25:23)

quote to ponder...

As God's managers of the resources entrusted to us... how do you respond to the following quote?

"We buy things we don't need, with money we don't have, to impress people we don't even like."

- Dave Ramsey

Is there anything on your shelf, in your house, or in your car that you can see as an example of this? Now that we have talked about some of the theological and biblical understandings of Stewardship (God owns it all, we are His managers), how do we adjust the way we handle God's resources?

Let's get practical here.

Step 1 - Act your wage. If you can't pay for it, you shouldn't buy it.

Step 2 - Need versus Want. Asking this question will help prioritize our purchases.

more to come...

Fast Food for the Soul

On our leadership retreat this past week, I was presented with this great image....

Fast Food for the Soul.

We have settled for:

French Fried Places: It is the building, location, or other structure that has taken our focus more than the ministry of Christ. While a place is essential - it is not central to the ministry.

Big Mac Personalities: Is your church focused on Christ or is it based around the personality of the preacher?

Supersized Programs: Often programs get the most of our attention and we have forgotten to move people further in their walk with God.

Apple Pie People: Often we are scared to move forward because it is unfamiliar and not the usual. We want people to know who we are and to know who everyone is...

Fast food is not good for you. Neither is fast food for the soul. Where have we fallen into these temptations as leaders of the church?

Al Davis - Steve Jobs

I was listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN radio as I was driving up to school today and he had a short commentary on Al Davis. For some reason, it really hit home with me and with some of my ideas and line of thinking. For those of you who know me, I am a NUT for organizational development books or ideas. I just can't get enough of them and continue to try and stretch myself to read, grow, and be a better leader. Check this out....

What is the difference between Al Davis and Steve Jobs? Both are iconic in their personalities and well-known and loved by many. Both men this week have passed away and left a legacy behind them. Though they both have a rebellious spirit like most true entrepreneurs have, they are different in the end.

Al Davis went from being not very relevant or cared for one day to another day being made an icon for his affect on the NFL. Forgotten, then immortalized in 24 hours. Steve Jobs had a continue affect and is being called the Einstein of our day. What is the difference? Both pushed past the boundaries of their perspective field into the future. The difference is...

Al Davis saw the future of the NFL, worked to get there, but STOPPED. Steve Jobs continually pushed and moved forward with each product and idea. He saw the future, got there, and then continued to dream. For those of you who still dream out there.... what will you do when you get to your preferred future? Will you stop or keep moving forward?

vince young

Dear Vince,

Next time you want to speak to something you know nothing about.... remain silent. How about your dream team now? I love the fact that he thought that if you just get a bunch of good players put them on a team, and then it would just work. They didn't even play a game and he called them a dream team. Reality hurts doesn't it.

Teamwork is so much more than that. Reference Patrick Lencioni's "5 Dysfuncations of a Team" to learn more about how to grow as a team...

Take a lesson from Vince - next time you want to speak to something you have no experience in; don't.

philadelphia...

There is nothing like driving through the streets of Philadelphia listening to Neil Young's 'Philadelphia'. This has to be in the top ten of most beautiful songs ever written.

As I was driving, I was contemplating how Jesus looked at the region in which he lived and how he viewed it in light of the history of the people of God. For me, certain places bring up certain emotions. Feelings of home, joy, warmth, and peace.

Jesus left heaven to make earth his home. This Sunday, we are going to look at how Jesus viewed the regions and peoples around him. Put on a favorite piece of music, look at Matthew's Gospel, and join us on Sunday to see where home really is.

3 kings?

For so long we have looked at the '3 kings' in Matthew 2. We have sang the songs, and even recreated them in our Christmas Pageants. But Matthew 2 is not just a Christmas story. In fact, what Matthew was trying to communicate had nothing to do with the '3 kings'. Rather, he uses this group as part of his larger story.... Matthew 2 is about 3 groups of people rather than the three kings.

Herod -

Magi -

chief priests and teachers of the law -

This Sunday, as part of our Great Suggestion sermon series, we will discover and go deeper into a familiar story of our faith. Join us.

the great suggestion

The Great Suggestion

How has the Great Commission ever become the 'great suggestion'? At Tabernacle, we take the words of Jesus very seriously when He asks us to, "Go and make disciples of all nations." In fact we base our lives, mission, and purpose around it. Some may believe that the Great Commission is just a tagline to the end of Jesus' ministry. However, if you look closely with us through the Gospel of Matthew, you will see it is something that defines who Jesus was. Join us in this journey together.

learning to fly

"life is a preparation for eternity." Rick Warren

This week at Tabernacle we are going to investigate what it means to "learn to fly".

Søren Kierkegaard the Danish religious philosopher and minister, wrote a multitude of works in the middle of the 19th-century. Among his papers, is a story he wrote entitled the Tame Geese. In this story he asks one to imagine that these geese could, like us, talk and think and do the kinds of things that we do.

The geese went to church every week. Each week they were inspired by a powerful, motivating sermon by the high goose. The sermon always went the same. The high goose would tell the assembled geese of their high destiny and about what a high goal the Creator had appointed geese for he had given them wings. As he said all this, the geese would honk and squawk their approval. The geese curtsied and the ganders bowed their heads in honor of the great words. With their wings, the high goose told them, they could fly anywhere they wanted around the world. They were most pleased to hear this. And each week after church, as they dispersed, the geese would ...waddle ... home.

I want to fly. Some glad morning when this life is o'er. I'll fly away.

patience

As we sit and wait for this storm to hit us, I want to encourage you to be in prayer. Many pray for different things during a time or natural disaster or crisis, but I wonder how often we pray for patience?

I don't know what will happen to our house or to our church. I don't even know when we will be allowed back into the county, so I must be in a mode of waiting. In this waiting, I need patience. In the rebuilding process we must be patient.

Tomorrow we will not be in church, but that does not mean that we cease to be the church. Love those around you. Care for those in need. No matter what happens, we will move forward together.

I want to encourage you to remember your church this week. Many churches are having to cancel their services which means that the offering which supports the ministry of the church will not be taken. We give to God through the ministry of the local church so lives could be changed. The ministry will continue and it needs your support. Please consider this in your giving.

the waiting...

"The waiting is the hardest part."

How are you at waiting? This Sunday at Tabernacle we will discuss what it truly means to wait and why we are called to do so. As we prepare to worship together, I want to draw your attention to a beautiful quote by Paul Tripp. Dwell upon these words...

“Waiting on God isn’t about the suspension of meaning and purpose. It’s part of the meaning and purpose that God has brought into my life. Waiting on God isn’t to be viewed as an obstruction in the way of the plan. Waiting is an essential part of the plan. For the child of God, waiting isn’t simply about what I’ll receive at the end of my wait. No, waiting is much more purposeful, efficient, and practical than that. Waiting is fundamentally about what I’ll become as I wait. God is using the wait to do in and through me exactly what He’s promised. Through the wait He’s changing me. By means of the wait He’s altering the fabric of my thoughts and desires. Through the wait He’s causing me to see and experience new things about Him and His kingdom. And all of this sharpens me, enabling me to be a more useful tool in His redemptive hands”

Isaiah 40: 28-31

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.”

Gospel & Tom Petty

A lot of people have been coming up to me and asking me, "What is the world does Tom Petty have to do with the church?" These are all people who haven't been able to make it out on Sunday, but I believe if you come you will discover for yourself. I want to encourage you to come on out and find out how the Gospel and Tom Petty are much closer than we would think.

This Sunday we are looking at the song, Refugee.

He says very simply - You don't have to live like a refugee.... Find out more this week at Tabernacle.

J.U.N.E. Project

It has been a great week up here in Pottsville and Reading, PA. Over 145 people have been serving these communities all week in different mission projects while having a lot of fun throughout. The theme was beautiful - "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news."

Check out more about the JUNE Project at www.juneproject.org

This Sunday at Tabernacle - Love is a Long Road.

I won't back down.

John Wesley said, ""Give me one hundred people who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergy or laity, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon the earth."

Jesus said that he will establish the church and even the gates of Hades will not overcome it. This Sunday at Tabernacle we are going to be encouraged by our Summer Pastoral Assistant (Joshua Friedeman), on how we can stand firm in our faith.

Tom Petty said,

I won't back down, no I won't back down

You can stand me up at the gates of Hell

but I won't back down.

wildflowers...

"You belong among the wildflowers,

you belong somewhere close to me.

Far away from your trouble and worries,

you belong somewhere you feel free."

Where are you? God asked this question to Adam and Eve in the Garden while they were hiding. I wish to ask you the same question. Tom Petty says we belong among the wildflowers. Are you there? Maybe we have to learn what the wildflowers are first.... come this Sunday to find out.

thoughts on vision

Andy Stanley says,

"When your memories exceed your dreams, the end is near. I don’t want to be an expert about the last 15 years of ministry. We can’t be satisfied with the status quo even when it is good. If the vision doesn’t drive it, then the past does. When the past drives your ministry, it will lead to irrelevance and will lead to an end. Success breeds complacency, Complacency breeds failure."

It is challenging to see past next weekend. When we get caught in the daily routine of life the temptation is to become too microscopic in our vision and we analyze every detail. This is not bad, but the temptation is there to lose the bigger picture. The opposite could happen when we see to telescopically. Our vision is too big that the details never get taken care of. Either way, in all of these things is the idea that it is thinking forward that allows for us to grow. We can not move in a healthy direction if we continually look backwards.

Have you thought beyond next weekend? Do you still dream? Allow for God to give you your 'life picture' and where you would desire to see yourself in the future.

independence...

On this wonderful holiday where we celebrate freedom and independence as a nation, often the church takes this theme and tries to run with it. For instance, a sign down the road says, "Jesus can give you spiritual independence." While I believe this is true, and I understand what they are trying to say, I want to say that the opposite is also true. Jesus gives us spiritual dependency.

Now when we speak of freedom it is true to say that Jesus sets one free. But does that freedom separate one from a relationship of depending upon God? Does Jesus set one free then all of a sudden we don't need Him anymore? Certainly this is not the case.

This sunday at Tabernacle we are continuing with our Gospel and Tom Petty series where we will address this issue of depending upon God. Petty says, "I aint never gonna let you down, all you got to do is trust me.... I'm depending upon You. Don't let me down, I'm depending upon You." Our freedom comes with the freedom to choose Him each day.

truth

"then you will know the truth, and the truth shall set you free..."

What truth is Jesus talking about? Further in the Gospel of John we see how truth is personified when Jesus himself says that He is the truth. But the readers wouldn't have known that as they read John 8 - where we get the above quote.

Is it possible for truth to be outside from our frame of reference? How do you react when you hear the phrase, "All truth is God's truth."

What does the truth set us free from or free to do?

These questions and many more tomorrow at Tabernacle UMC.

when God speaks

This Sunday at Tabernacle we are finishing our series entitled "When God Speaks". The premise of our study together has been a focus upon the response of people when God speaks to them. We have looked at the heroes of our faith who have responded by saying, "Here I am".

What happens when instead of this phrase being the response of the people of God, it is the very message that God says Himself. What do we do when Jesus says, "Here I am."? Find out this Sunday....

Contemporary 8:30 am

Traditional 11 am

Sunday school for all ages at 9:45 am

www.tumc-erma.org

peace child

There is a missionary story the talks about how some missionaries went to a culture where Judas was seen as the hero of the Gospel story because that culture celebrated cunning. Being shocked at the applause that Judas got, the missionaries didn't know how to communicate the Gospel and had to rethink their approach.

That is until one day two sides of the tribe were fighting when all of a sudden a mother gave up her child to the other side. The fighting stopped instantly. Puzzled at the event, the missionaries came to the realization that there is one thing stronger than division, a parent's love. This is known as offering a "peace child." The missionaries then had their story to tell.

congrats

Congratulations to all those who are graduating in the next week or two. Remember that we are a people that are called to love God with our heart, soul, MIND, and strength. Your academic achievements are an act of worship unto God.

We need Christians who are preparing and prepared for a life of service in this world. They need to be trained and equipped to do God's work in the world. Your graduation (particularly those from High School) is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning, growing, and developing. So as you listen to the typical graduation speech (oh the places you'll go ala Dr. Seuss, or the Road Less Traveled bit), remember that the world is waiting for you. Will you be ready to serve them? Will you be prepared and have your mind sharpened? This is just the beginning, get ready.

might be a while...

due to my broken arm typing is slow and frustrating...

so it might be a while for a blog update. be patient, i will be back & better than ever soon

speak, Your servant is listening.

let your ear be attentive to the voice of my supplications....

when was the last time our ears were attentive to what God desired to say? This Sunday at Tabernacle, we are going to investigate what it means to have a listening ear. With this comes a new perspective. As we prepare to worship together this week - I encourage you to read 1 Samuel 3 to prepare.

See you on Sunday.

we're still here.

Let me put my 'shocked face' on. I have to admit that when the clock struck 6 p.m. EST I turned on the evening news to see what the coverage would be. Was there a natural disaster somewhere? What would the news say?

We have been saturated with today's date, May 21st 2011. This was going to be the judgement day before a period of 5 months of trials and the end of the world. Right. Sadly, many are worried about the so called prophesy and it has led to fear for many. Though the second coming will be an actual event, I disagree with those who believe that this leads to an overall positive message about it.

As for me - I wish that guy would just shut up. The problem is that people believed him, even though an earlier prediction for the end of the world has already come and gone. I can't wait to hear his response to how this date didn't work out. Maybe it was wrong mathematical calculations again. So, with all of the theological and biblical answers that I could use to prove the absurdity of this guy's claim, let me close with these words from the group Public Enemy...

"Don't believe the hype."

hide and seek.

Does God play hide and seek? At times we may feel this way, but then we would be in good company with the Psalmist and even Jesus himself. Although at times it feels as if God cannot be found, the revelation of God shows us something much different.

God does not play hide and seek because He desires to make Himself known. Romans 1 reminds us of natural revelation - ²⁰ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Jesus himself in seen to be the special revelation of God. If you want to know who God is, or what God is like - look at Jesus. He reveals the Father, according to John.

So if God desires to make Himself known - what will be our response when He speaks to us?

Join us at Tabernacle UMC as we seek to discover such a reality.

roll away the stone

I honestly didn't hear of Mumford and Sons until I saw them with Dylan at the Grammys. I am sitting here about to go to bed after finishing my final paper of the semester celebrating with a little bit of folk rock. Nobody can jam on an acoustic guitar like them... well maybe the Avett Bros. Here are the lyrics to a striking and very seasonal song for us... Enjoy.

By the way - shout out to Jim Reilly from Tabernacle UMC for having a straight connection to the blog from his Ipod Touch!

Roll away your stone, I’ll roll away mine
Together we can see what we can find
Don’t leave me alone at this time,
For I am afraid of what I will discover inside
You told me that I would find a home,
Within the fragile substance of my soul
And I have filled this void with things unreal,
And all the while my character it steals

The darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
It seems as if all my bridges have been burned,
You say that’s exactly how this grace thing works
It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart,
But the welcome I receive at the restart

The darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
The darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek
The darkness is a harsh term don’t you think?
And yet it dominates the things I seek

Stars hide your fires,
And these here are my desires
And I will give them up to you this time around
And so, I’ll be found with my steak stuck in this ground
Marking its territory of this newly impassioned soul
But you, you’ve come too far this time
You have neither reason nor rhyme
With which to take this soul that is so rightfully mine

Summer Pastoral Assistant

Dear members and friends of TUMC,

It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you our summer pastoral assistant, Joshua Friedeman. I have known Josh for 10 years and he is a great young man of God. We are going to be truly blessed by his presence and ministry with us this summer. Some of his areas of responsibility will be leading worship at the 8:30 service, working with the children's, youth, and college-aged ministries, and other areas of technology and worship planning. You will get to meet him in person on Memorial Day Weekend and he will be with us through all of June and July. Please take advantage of getting to know this young man this summer. I do need your help: If you are able to providing housing or able to host Josh for the summer please contact Pastor Michael. This is going to be a great summer at Tabernacle.

ANNOUNCEMENTS and a few pieces of information for you to consider....

A Ladies Tea sponsored by United Methodist Women - Saturday, April 7th. contact church office for more information.

May 15th - Usher, Greeter, and Welcome Team Training - 12 noon. Guest Speakers are scheduled and lunch will be served.

'today was a good day'

Back in the 90's, Ice Cube released a mellowed out track where he walks one through a typical day in his life. The hook and tag was, "I gotta say, today was a good day."

As those who now journey beyond the cross of Christ and the empty tomb we are left with the reality of everyday life. The events which we just celebrated are real and true for daily living and for today's events just as they were last week in the midst of our Holy Week experiences.

What makes today a good day? Often we remember that 'today is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.' Certainly we believe this and understand that today is a day that we have not yet seen before. In this comes gladness and rejoicing because God's mercy is new every morning. Is that enough to make it good?

Or is goodness then defined by experiences or joys throughout the day? Does a nice lunch, or watching a funny TV show, or talking to a friend define a good day? Could we be able to walk someone through our typical day and as they see our decisions, choices, and impact on others they would be able to confidently say, 'today was a good day.'

Do good today.

Can you make it 3 days?

Matthew 27: 3-5
When Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned; he repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priest and the elders. He said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” But they said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” Throwing down the pieces of silver in the temple, he departed; and he went and hanged himself.”

It is difficult to wait. The psalmist said, “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He has heard my cry.” How are you in your waiting? I find that most of the time, patience is often hard to come by. Isaiah talks about those that “wait upon the Lord, shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings as eagles.” Adam Hamilton asks the question, “What is Judas waited three days before taking his life?” How would the world be different? Imagine the testimony and story he would have. He sold Jesus out to death for thirty pieces of silver. He had come under the power of the tempter and enemy of God, and did not resist. He had done the unthinkable. But grace would have abounded. God’s sufficiency of grace would have been available to even the betrayer. We learned how Jesus fed Judas before revealing that he was the betrayer. Would Jesus not love and forgive Judas? You and I know he would- because He has done so with us. What are you waiting for? Can you make it through the night? Could you wait for three days?

Servant of All

The Measure of Greatness

²⁴Also a dispute arose among them as to which of them was considered to be greatest. ²⁵Jesus said to them, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. ²⁶But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. (Luke 22: 24-26)

²The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. ³Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; ⁴so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. ⁵After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13: 2-5)

From an early age we discover how to distinguish between the popular and the unpopular, the normal and the different, the leaders and the followers. Just imagine the disciples as they are arguing about which of them was considered to be the greatest around the ‘Last Supper’ table. In the midst of the arguing like little middle school boys, Jesus – the Lord of all - gets up from the table and shows them what greatness truly is; Service. John shows us how he takes a towel and wraps it around his waist. Jesus pours water into a basin and washes the disciple’s feet. “The one who rules should be like the one who serves.” What are you doing with what influence you have in this world? Are you lording it over others or using it to serve others? Jesus gave us the example and said, ‘Now that you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.”

My God - why have you forsaken me?

If you look at Jesus throughout the Gospels, He is particular in how He refers to God. Jesus calls him, Father. This speaks to the relational character of God more than it does about God's gender. Don't get too caught up in whether God is male or female. The point of it all is that God is relational and God's being should be understood in such a way. So if Jesus is continually saying, 'my Father this and my Father that... if you've seen me-you've seen my Father, no one comes unto the Father but by me, my Father is the vinedresser, here is how you should pray - our Father, etc. Then what is the importance that now from the cross Jesus says, 'My God'?

This phrase from the cross is understood in context from when Jesus quoted Psalm 22. Certainly he wouldn't want to misquote David... but one of the helpful realities about the mystery of Christ being both fully God and fully man is that this phrase connects us to Christ. Jesus cries out in the same way we would. Psalm 22 says that God will not always chide and that God does not despise the afflictions of the afflicted. Jesus became our affliction. Have you ever felt forsaken? Jesus understands. He could have easily adjusted the psalm and say, Father, why have you forsaken me? But he wanted to point us to a deeper truth that our cries echo the same as Christ himself. In our psalms of lament, never forget that though suffering or pain, or even sorrow would last for the night, joy comes in the morning. A lament in only a lament because it ends with a feeling of trust and praise. Future generations will indeed speak of the one who draws us to Himself and calls us brother. Oh forsaken one - look to the cross and find your forsaken Savior.

Word From the Cross

"Father, forgive them for they don't know what they're doing."

Why didn't Jesus just simply say, "Father, forgive them." That would have done the trick don't you think? Here is Jesus who is barely able to breathe because of the strain of the cross and the asphyxiation it was causing... and he decides to say this whole thing.

What is sin? The reality is that we really don't know what we are doing. While this verse could certainly be interpreted within its context, what if we viewed the role of sin in our lives in such a way? If we really knew what sin did and what it caused, then I would hope that there would be a longing for repentance and renewal. So I guess that in essence we don't really know what we are doing do we? But thanks be to God that there is forgiveness there. The areas of my life where I simply do not know what I am doing is still in need of forgiveness.

Having a disconnect between the head understanding of sin and the walk of a believer living in sin is a classic example of not having a clue. We understand what sin is and what it does to the relationship with God, but we still hate our neighbor. We truly do not know what we're doing. Forgive us Lord even for those things.

Revival

Beginning this Sunday we are having a very special time in the life of our church. I don't know what comes to your mind when you think of the word 'revival', but I want to invite you to see for yourself at Tabernacle.

This is something we all need as part of our faith journey. Services begin on Sunday Morning, February 27th at 10:15 am.

Evening Services Sunday through Wednesday are at 7 p.m. A children's program is provided.

Join us.

Spring Training

Even though it is still Winter... Spring Training is upon us. For the past several years the Philadelphia Phillies have been at the top of the discussion board about their potential for another winning season. This year the expectations are high with the acquisition of Cliff Lee. It is again, 'World Series or Bust' time for the Phillies.

At Tabernacle, we have some similarities. Our expectations are high, and we are also winning. We are on the path to winning and this is an exciting trip to be on. I encourage you to join us as we discover the winning elements of our ministry.

District Day of Learning

I mailed off my final project for a class I took in January and it is such a relief to be finished!

One of the other areas of focus on my vacation is to prep for two seminar classes I am teaching at the District Day of Learning on February 13th in Ocean City, NJ.

One class is called - "An Administrative Council that WINS" and the other is, "Listening to Outsiders". One of the joys about the preparation process is team teaching with a friend, Sarah Lee. I have discovered that you need to find areas of your life where you gain energy while giving energy. Teaching is one of them for me. Teaching on these particular topics also brings me such joy that I feel strengthened after each class.

If you are interested in attending the District Day of Learning on February 13th, please contact Cheryl in the Church office. 884.3574

Hope all is well with you!

See you soon.

The King's Speech

There has been ALOT of buzz around the new movie, 'The King's Speech', starring Colin Firth. Being at the top of the Oscar nominations, I wanted to go see for myself.

Here is a little known fact about me: I am the BEST at picking the winners for the Oscars. Every year, challengers step up only to get beat down by my prediction prowess. So here is a little piece on insider information about the upcoming Oscars.

While the King's Speech is a GREAT movie and I highly recommend it, it will not win best picture. But, Colin Firth will win best actor. If for some reason he does not, then the Academy got it wrong.

One of the subtle but beautiful parts of the movie is the look at the character of leadership and the ability to lead through words. Words have tremendous power and they can either harm or heal. I don't want to spoil or ruin any parts for you, but I encourage you to check it out.

I am enjoying my vacation and hope all is well with you. See you soon.

Take care,

Vacation update

I went to see True Grit. Great movie! Here are some highlights...

The movie begins with Proverbs 28:1... The wicked flee when no man pursueth:

The movie also has a musical variation and theme from the hymn, "Leaning on the Everlasting Arms". It is throughout the entire movie, and you have to stay during the credits to hear the sung version. Enjoy!

forgiveness.

This week at Tabernacle: Forgiveness.

"If you think that I could be forgiven - I wish you would." Counting Crows.

Below is a quote from Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor of The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. He says,

“It is unfortunate that sometimes Christianity is associated with guilt. To many people, we’re known for preaching guilt – but a Christianity obsessed with guilt is no Christianity. We must understand and be clear about our sin. If we are not aware of our sin we go on hurting others, living self-absorbed little lives. But the purpose of preaching about sin is to bring healing. People don’t study medicine so they can tell people that they are sick! Doctors study medicine so that they can heal those who are sick. But they can’t offer healing until the patient understands they are sick.
So it is with Christianity – we speak about the human struggle with sin in an attempt to diagnose the spiritual malady that afflicts us all. But the goal is not to tell you that you are sick, but to offer you the medicine that makes you well. It is not to simply ask the question, but to lead you to the answer! Yes, we’re all sinners and this is a serious issue. But God is a God of grace and mercy!”