a matter of convenience?

Sometimes we have so much going on in our lives that we find our relationship with Christ something to be fit in with all our other activities and events. You know, we take the kids to soccer, we join the latest self-help group, we go to church...we find ways to wedge in our "religious commitment," although too often we forego that commitment if we find it inconvenient or interruptive to our schedule.

As I meditate on the account of Jesus' birth some more (this is obviously a good time to do so, I don't do it enough the rest of the year), I think again about this issue of convenience. It matters, it really does, because God is never a God of convenience. To follow him and his plan will almost always disrupt my schedule, my plans, my agenda. Look again at the story:

- It was an obvious "inconvenience" for Mary (and Joseph) to discover her pregnancy. It change everything in their hopes, their plans, their reputations;

- And how inconvenient for Joseph and Mary to have to leave Nazareth and travel to Bethlehem for the census (what was God thinking?);

- Nowhere to stay when they got to town? You've got to be kidding! The young couple had to ask around town to try to find a room, and she was soooo pregnant!

- The innkeeper may have been somewhat annoyed in trying to find somewhere for this late-arriving couple to stay. And they couldn't have been too thrilled about having to bed down in a barn just when she was due to give birth;

- Shepherds were minding their own business when angels interrupted their night with good news. Fine enough, but then these pastors had to leave their flocks and find a baby in a barn. Couldn't the angels have provided an easier assignment?

- At the same time, magi a thousand miles away realized that something had just shaken their world and they were determined to find it. But it wouldn't be easy. They would have to travel for many months, following a star night after night through the desert, hoping there would be something tangible at the end of the journey.

None of these were events of convenience. Probably because the most important things God brings to us are designed to stop us and make us choose between what's convenient and what really matters. If God interrupted our lives like he did all these peoples' what would we say? How would we respond? Would we excitedly follow what we believed we were being led to do? Would we roll our eyes and grudgingly obey? Would we check our pda's and calendars to make sure we could fit in whatever it was God was talking to us about?

As we celebrate Christ's birth today (and beyond), never forget that at the greatest plans God has for you will most likely be inconvenient...and that's by design. For it's when we clear our schedules to make room for him that we find him ready to change us in ways we could never imagine. So be open, be ready and look for God to change things up in your busy life.

Can you think of a better gift this time of year? Merry Christmas!

birthday greetings

David Letterman pointed out on his show last night:

You know, another celebrity's having a birthday this week.

Happy birthday, Jesus!

Well said, Dave. Well said. And thanks for reminding us.

Happy birthday, Jesus.

the bethlehem discovery

I spoke with a young man recently who was interested in Christianity. His greatest stumbling block was not being able to comprehend how God could love and forgive him. You see, he had done so much "bad" stuff in his life, had been involved in so much of which he was now ashamed, had let down and alienated so many people, had lived a life of debauchery that the idea of being forgiven of all that by the God's grace was inconceivable. He told me that it wasn't fair that he could have done all he had done and then tell God that he believed in him, was sorry for his actions and that he would give him his life...and that God would forgive him. It wasn't fair.

We talked a lot about these ideas and others. And I told him that he was right. It isn't fair. It absolutely isn't. But giving gifts isn't about being fair (or at least it shouldn't be). It's about love. It's about generosity. About grace. And it's about the motive and heart of the giver. When a gift is rightly given, it's based the heart and desire of the giver, not on the worth of the recipient. At Christmas we recognize that God displayed his grace, his generosity and love by sending his son as a gift to us. He would be our Savior, the one who would save us from our sins. He would be God with us, Emmanuel. It was never designed to be fair. It was all about grace.

The only catch with a gift is that it must be received to be of any value. A gift offered but refused, or taken but never opened is pointless. The whole process requires a connection, a relationship of sorts, some response on the part of the one on the receiving end. It's not enough to intellectually understand what God has done, or to agree with him in principle. A gift has been given. That gift must be received through a personal connection. And I saw that again as I read the Christmas story the other day, and thought about the response of the shepherds following their wondrous encounter with the baby Jesus:

The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Luke 2:20

Those men had been told about God's gift, but the change took place when they, by faith, chose to interact with the gift that had been given. Their experience (what they heard and saw) validated what they'd been told, and that made the life-changing difference in each of them.

Remember, God loved us so much that he did NOT send a treatise, a manual, or an organization. His offering was a person- a gift requiring interaction, connection, and relationship in order to be received. When we respond relationally to what we've understood intellectually, we discover the great joy and purpose of what God has for us. Because it's never been about fair.

And aren't you glad for that?

for the person who has everything

I like this time of the year. There's not much that takes place in this world that's recognized by nearly everyone everywhere. Christmas has that kind of impact. And as we scurry about making our plans, sending our cards, attending our parties, and fighting our crowds, we share a common practice- that of giving gifts to each other. Some of us make these gifts, others plan and purchase throughout the year for those we love, but most of us wait until this time to determine what those close to us might want, then figure out how to pay for it, and go out and deal with all the others who also just decided what they're going to buy. Does it get any better than this?

Giving gifts to those who matter to us. I imagine the idea comes from the magi, or "wise men," who traveled from the east (Iraq, perhaps) to find the newborn Messiah, following a star whose brilliance guided them to the home of Jesus (he wasn't in the manger by the time they got there!). When they found him, they worshiped him and offered him gifts of gold, incense and myrrh. Gifts fit for a king.

Have you ever had a tough time figuring out what to buy for the person who has everything? You know what I'm talking about. That relative, friend, co-worker whose coffer is already filled with whatever you might be able to think of or afford. When those dignitaries made their trek across the desert, anticipating their audience with the foretold Messiah, I wonder if they wondered about the gifts they had with them. Whether or not they were appropriate for the occasion. If those in Jesus' circle would gladly receive them. If they had as much value as they believed Jesus did. But they brought them because they were the best they had to offer. Gifts fit for a king.

Which brings me to my final thought. Christmas is a time for giving. But like those wise men, what would you give to Jesus in honor of his birth? What could you bring to him that would be your most valuable possession? I mean he has everything, doesn't he? What could you and I have that he would desire? Hard as it might be for some to comprehend, there is one item he's hoping for. One unique and extremely valuable possession you have that he would love to embrace, if you'd be willing to offer it to him.

This year, why not give Jesus the one gift that will mean everything to him? The gift that only you can give, different than anyone else's. The gift he is hoping for more than any other. This year, if you do nothing else, consider offering what will truly make Jesus happy. A gift fit for the King. Your life.

Merry Christmas to you all!

the great bailout

Unbelievable. That's the only way I know to describe the circus surrounding the recent bailouts in our country. It's been interesting (to say the least) to see companies posture for assistance in the face of mismanaged funds and poor business strategies. Just as interesting to see those sitting in seats of power wielding their authority and "social conscience" in the wake of economic greed and failure.

I'm intrigued with those coming to the table to request financial relief. Seems the bigger you are the greater your chance of help. Pity the "smaller" investment groups who get shut down and turned away, even as larger groups get the help they need, and then respond with lavish, self-serving celebrations. Pity the investors (the little guys) who have gotten hosed while corporate heads still somehow maintain enormous salaries, buy-outs and options. And the perception of the the Big 3 (auto makers) coming to Washington to ask for billions, and yet each one arriving in his private corporate jet! I know there are reasons, explanations and justifications, but didn't someone in Detroit think that was a bad idea?!

Even better has been the response. Of course, the smaller guys have lost out. No bailouts for those with less to offer in return. You see, the grace is offered according to value and worth. The greater the value of the company, the greater the likelihood of grace. But there was also a smugness, a kind of self-righteousness (at least to my ears) that some lawmakers displayed. The heads of the auto industry were reprimanded for their mismanagement. They were told that in the face of their inefficiency and waste they should be replaced. Good thing those same senators aren't held to equivalent standards. There's an awful lot of inefficiency and waste in our government, and I'm pretty sure they bear responsibility in all that.

All this has made me consider again the greatest bailout ever offered. It has to do with the debt we owed God. Scripture makes it clear that our actions, our waste, our inability and unwillingness to do the right thing separated us from God and set us up for huge disaster. Not only were we messed up in the futility of our own thinking, but a certain day of judgment loomed just over the horizon. A time to balance the books and repay all of us for what we've done...and it didn't look promising. Our separation made us God's enemy and our destruction was certain. But God did for us what we couldn't do for ourselves- He provided the mother of all bailout plans. He offered His son, who would be the payment and take the penalty we deserved for our screw-ups...and that penalty was death. Death in our place.

His action made it possible for God and us to reconnect. For those who accept that bailout and walk according to its terms, there's now no more condemnation, no more judgment, no more penalty. We are set free to make wise investments, investments that will stay with us beyond this life into eternity. And that's what Christmas is really about- someone who cared enough about our situation, who found worth and value in us regardless of who we were or what we did, and who moved on our behalf to make it possible for grace to be showered upon us.

I'm grateful for that kind of bailout. And for that kind of God.

no christmas joy in india

What an unholy mess. As I sit in my coffee shop "office" listening to Christmas carols extolling peace on earth and goodwill toward men, I'm reading, pondering and trying to wrap my head around the horrific Mumbai massacre. The more I read, the more disheartened I feel about the possibility of this elusive peace on earth thing. I realize I just how much I still don't understand about how people think and what lengths they will go to in order to accomplish what is of greatest importance to them.

I do, however, understand and believe a few things in relation to these troubling Indian events. First, I know that people like those who carried out such merciless attacks will never be won over through dialogue and reason. They do not function on what we would consider "reasonable" levels. Their agenda calls for the absolute overthrow of their adversaries by whatever means necessary. Violence is (obviously) no deterrent for them. And world leaders would be fools to think that conferencing, negotiation or mutual co-existence are viable options. The thinking is the same, whether it be in India, Somalia, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, the US or anywhere else these radicals choose to exert themselves. No negotiations. None. Ever.

Second, I again recognize that the actions of a minority within a system often have the power to influence the direction of the majority. While I believe that the majority of Muslims do not favor the actions of such terrorists, I also know that many, far too many, will allow the actions, directives and demands of these kinds of people to, at some point, determine what they themselves will do. History has demonstrated that violent socio-cultural leaders with agendas have (and will) bend the will of the majority of their people to those agendas. That concerns me greatly.

Third, the very magnitude of this situation (and those like it) is a sober reminder that our world is still in desperate need of One who can truly bring peace on earth...and that those of us who claim to know and follow him have the responsibility to represent his promises to these who need to know. That's the reality of the Christmas message- that humanity has the possibility reconnection with God, and reconciliation with each other through the coming of a Savior. But reality is also that if we who embrace that Savior fail to communicate that message, people will continue to live- and die- in futile adversity. With God, and with each other.

The message of Christmas has now become that much more urgent to me this year. Joy to the world? The world? Somehow, I think you and I have a part to play in that expression being realized.