When the mighty winds of change shake the foundation of life, He is there.

When the storms of life flood our souls, He is there.

When the grey slush days seem to never end, He is there.

When death steals a friend, loved one, or brother, He is there.

When it’s so dark we can’t see any way out, He is there.

When we are betrayed by our closest friends, He understands and He is there.

When we grow angry and shake our fist in the air, even in times of our rebellion, He is there.

When lying lips continue to destroy without care, we remember that He does. He is there.

When we deny Him in a lost world and fail to share His love, still, relentlessly, He is there.

In every cruel circumstance, He is there.

In every wasted moment, He is there.

In every crisis, every joy, every silent midnight, every new morning, every day, every hour, every moment, every breath, He is there.

This is what God says to His family, His children, His creation, His sculpted masterpiece: I paid the price for you so stop being consumed with fear and constant worrying about the future. I’m completely aware of your unique identity. I’m not a “broad stroke” kind of God. This God truly is in the details. I know everything about you. I am aware of every tiny nook of your life- every cell, every weakness, every moment of your past, present and future. And when you are up to your ears in the whitewater rapids of tough times, I’ll be right there. The rivers will not swallow you. That’s a promise. And what about fire? I’m way ahead of you on that one. Your eternal life in Me is untouchable. The flames may come but rest in the assurance that you are completely covered by my fireproof grace. I will be there!

Isaiah 43: 1-2 (Wordspring Scriptural Rendering)

It was a moment of utter shock. It was unexpected

The Oscar for Best Picture of 2017 envelope was opened. Millions of viewers experienced the shock, embarrassment and confusion of the presenter as the wrong winner was called out. The social media world exploded. It sent the accountants, actors, winners and losers scurrying.

In short, it was a circus complete with the high drama on the tightrope of fame, ego and ambiguity. And everybody knew. All because of what was inside the envelope.

So I have a question for you. What’s in your envelope?

Everything we do is an indication of our trust in God and our holy discontent with a dying world. How we serve the people we love and even the people who don’t love us, as Jesus commanded all Christians to do is an indication of our devotion to Jesus. The questions we must ask ourselves are so important.

• How do we connect and serve others?
• How do we share our faith?
• How do we minister to the least of these?

The answers are all in the envelope.

And there’s an envelope inside the envelope.

It’s really a test of our faith.

It’s a trust that says, God I believe that you are going to take care of me. And this act of giving is my message to you that I am all in. That’s what we do when we tithe. We are placing our faith in the envelope. We are announcing to the world, that Jesus is our greatest, indeed, our only true eternal hope…

One day there’ll be another awards ceremony, far more important than the Oscars, the Emmys, the Nobel Prize or the Miss America Pageant.

This ceremony will be a time for us to celebrate our journey of faith. The envelopes will be opened.

All of them.

Jesus promised the Church: “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.” (Revelation 22:12)

Paul challenges us to avoid the dispassionate, passive, selfish life and to be eager to do good.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. (Titus 2:11-14)

Our eagerness to do good should flood every day of our lives because we are reminded of the day when the envelopes will all be opened and the truth, our generosity, our faithfulness to provide for the poor, our willingness to share Christ– all of it will be revealed.

Wouldn’t it be a let down if our gifts to God never really reflected the majesty of His gifts to us?

So what’s in your envelope?

Dearly Beloved,

We are here to say good-bye to an old friend: a friend we have loved for years. We did not come to praise her; we came to bury her. What can you say about a church that weathered the riches of the 90s, the emergent movement of the 2000s, and the schisms of the 10s? In 2009 we knew she was sick, so we hooked her up to committees and brought in consultants.

Yes, we tried new-member transfusions, and we cloned new additions to her. We felt certain that a new recreation center, a change in music style, more variety of worship times would breathe new life into her veins.  We even blended our worship, but it caused more controversy among those hoping to save her.

What disease slowly squeezed the life out of her? Was it her inability to accept others because of their appearance, race, or social status? Or was it her constant obsession with the churches nearlby? She was always so busy, so conflicted. Yes, she had issues: the color of the carpet, the bitter taste in her mouth, her frequent bouts with fatigue, narcolepsy, and acute preoccupation. Yes, indeed, she was self-absorbed. But, no one can deny that she loved to have a good time. But, even good times and the good medicine of a merry heart couldn’t revive her.

We bury her today, but, alas, she died quite a long time ago. She just didn’t have the good grace to lie down until now. In truth, I believe it would be fair to say that her death can beattributed to her tragic flaws: an inability to love, to weep, to speak, to serve…

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God.
Revelation 3:1-2

This reading could be utilized as a solo reading, duet, or group reading.

Reader 1: “For we do not preach ourselves.”

Reader 2: We don’t strut our talents.

Reader 1: We don’t flaunt our riches.

Reader 2: We don’t tout our strategy.

Reader 1: We don’t sell our style.

Reader 2: We don’t rely on our wisdom.

Reader 1: We preach “Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves” as the 21st-century representatives of Christ.

Reader 2: Anything more is tainted;

Reader 1: anything less is obsolete,

Reader 2: We speak Jesus into the darkness of a lost, chaotic world.

Reader 1: “For God, who said,”

Reader 2: “‘Let light shine out of darkness.’”

Reader 1: That same God “made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.”

Reader 2: So who are we?

Reader 1: We are the containers:

Reader 2: we are the tank,

Reader 1: we are the glass,

Reader 2: we are the bowl.

Reader 1: We have our cracks;

Reader 2: we have our imperfections;

Reader 1: we have our nicks.

Reader 2: Where is our value?

Reader 1: Where is our worth?

Reader 2: Where is our glory?

Reader 1: Look inside our hearts?

Reader 2: If you see Christ at work,

Reader 1: if you hear the sound,

Reader 2: if you feel the beat,

Reader 1: if you see the shine of Christ,

Reader 2: you’ve seen our glory.

Reader 1: “We have this treasure in jars of clay”

Reader 2: “to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.”

Reader 1: We don’t boast in anything outside of Christ.

Reader 2: How foolish,

Reader 1: how unthinkable,

Reader 2: to claim that we are anything outside of Christ.

Reader 1: “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed.”

Reader 2: Who can crush the power of God?

Reader 1: We are perplexed from time to time:

Reader 2: we doubt,

Reader 1: we disappoint,

Reader 2: we fail,

Reader 1: we have skinned knees

Reader 2: and calloused hands.

Reader 1: We run into our share of walls, obstacles, and predicaments:

Reader 2: “perplexed, but not in despair”;

Reader 1: down, but not out;

Reader 2: “persecuted, but not abandoned”;

Reader 1: “struck down, but not destroyed.”

Reader 2: Because we are vessels of God’s glory.

Reader 1: So, it’s OK if I fail.

Reader 2: If we speak the truth, and no one accepts it.

Reader 1: If we run through the fire, and we are left without a friend.

Reader 2: If we are far from the applause of our peers and families.

Reader 1: If no one sees a thing we do for Christ,

Reader 2: it doesn’t matter.

Reader 1: We don’t have to obsess over how we look,

Reader 2: what we accomplish,

Reader 1: where we are sent.

Reader 2: The only thing that matters, at the end of the race, is what we carry, and into whose arms we fall when we gasp our last breath and cross the finish line.

Reader 1: As long as “we always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,”

Reader 2: “so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

Reader 1: We are infinitely more than what we could be on our own.

Reader 2: “For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.”

Reader 1: “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away.”

Reader 2: The sands of time keep pouring down.

Both: “Yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”

Reader 2: “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”

Reader 1: “So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.”

Reader 2: “For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Reader 1: The glory of Jesus Christ.

Reader 2: The passion of the call.

Reader 1: The freedom of His grace:

Reader 2: His time,

Reader 1: His plan,

Reader 2: His heart,

Reader 1: His home.

Reader 2: So what do you say, oh jars of clay?

Reader 1: Let’s pop off the lid and let His power flood every corner of our souls.

Reader 2: It’s not a cakewalk,

Reader 1: but it’s not a funeral dirge, either.

Reader 2: It is eternal.

Reader 1: It is thrilling.

Reader 2: It is the real thing.

Reader 1: It is beyond us.

Reader 2: It is through us.

Reader 1: It is for us.

Reader 2: It is before us.

Reader 1: So open wide every chapter of today;

Reader 2: open the windows

Reader 1: and fasten your seat belts.

Reader 2: You contain the heart,

Reader 1: the DNA,

Both: the mind of the everlasting Champion!

We are a savage tribe. Often hiding behind our rules to make us as a sort of spiritual hall pass. We live in a world where poverty is the dominant issue and we, the rich Christian nations, are more concerned about sports, tax breaks, and oil prices. In a larger sense our prayers are feeble attempt to affirm our existence rather than to exert the power of God in the world around us.

For instance, the key word throughout the book of Leviticus is not legalism. It’s not obeying the rules. Hands down, it’s holiness. Legalism is box-checking, and barely getting by. Holiness is a statement of relationship where we say, “Lord, I am so in love with you that I want to become like you! I want to run as fast as I can into your presence and I will remove all obstacles to get into relationship with You. I want to take what would seem absurd and obtuse to the world and hold it up to Your presence. We no longer burn the fat of animals. We don’t remove the kidneys and livers of goats in worship. (Thanks be to God!) But we are called to do things much more radical: To present our bodies, the very life we live, as living sacrifices. We are called to perform gratuitous acts of grace. It has been estimated that there are between 500 and 600 Levitical laws in the Torah. Jesus narrowed it down to two. Love God with everything you’ve got and love others as much as you love yourself. (Jesus laws are fewer but much more difficult to keep.)

For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have appointed it to you to make atonement on the altar for your lives, since it is the lifeblood that makes atonement.
Leviticus 17:11 HCSB

God from the very beginning has been about the business of redemption. Even in the complicated and labyrinthine book of Leviticus we see glimpses of the redeeming grace. We see instructions of sacrifice that ultimately down the path to the Sacrifice of Christ for our sins. All the instructions on sacrifice with elaborate details point to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Christ followers have to relentlessly ask if we are just checking off boxes, justifying our existence or truly falling in love with God. Is that what my life is about? Is that what the Church is about? Far too often it is not. Often the church doesn’t have time to deal with the pain of the world because we are too busy trading pain with each other. There is so much power playing in our religious organizations. It’s sick. We make rules about who can do what in the church. We (including me) are so easily distracted away from the great Commission and we forget that we are called to share Christ not America with the rest of the world.

This love of Christ and our walk to the cross is not complicated but it is hard. We need the wisdom of Forrest Gump: “I’m not a smart man but i know what love is.”

Amen, Forrest. Amen…

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to be awestruck by the grace of Christ. No, it only takes a believer.

It doesn’t take a physician to tell you that life is distinctly tied to the blood that flows through the body of a man.

And it doesn’t take a theologian to say, “Jesus loves me. This I know.”

It’s all there in Leviticus Life, grace, blood and forgiveness.

Lord Jesus, God’s only Son, I cease my self-congratulatory posture when I stop and think of all You are and evermore will be. I am amazed by Your power. I’m overwhelmed that I’m a part of this rich panorama of life. My soul craves to know how I fit into your story. I shutter to think of the times I denied your presence through my self-centered actions. I have often shuffled sideways to avoid You without realizing the absurdity of my actions. Hold me in your hands because it’s true. I am weak but You are strong.

So your boss sends you on a business trip and, somehow, you and your wingman decide to stay in a prostitute’s abode.

This does not look good.

It’s scandalous at the very least but it’s also straight out of the Holy Bible.

Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two men as spies from the Acacia Grove, saying, “Go and scout the land, especially Jericho.” So they left, and they came to the house of a woman, a prostitute named Rahab, and stayed there.

It’s found in Joshua 2. Most biographers and historians would have left out some of the more seedy details but I believe that, even beyond the Bible’s integrity, this aspect of the narrative speaks volumes about the mercy of God. Yes, it presents many dilemmas and questions but the exciting final mystery is that this pagan woman of the night gets connected to the story of the King of the Ages. She became a direct link into the lineage of Jesus. The gifts of imperfection manifest themselves in Holy Scripture. What an amazing God! He emphatically illustrates that He can use anybody He chooses to display His unstoppable providence.

And it all started with a woman who obviously had a lot of baggage. She realized that something incredible was on the rise and she had a chance to leap from the dredges of abuse, slavery, and disgust to epic eternal significance. What happened when she joined God in the overthrow of Status Quo Incorporated? Here are four things that happened to her.

1. Rahab lept from prostitution to passion.

The archetypical character of Rahab, reminds us of the call we all receive to move from the quid pro quo formulas of religion to the wild, radical rhythm of grace. We leave the mad-grabbing battlefield of survival to the adventure of passionate living- no longer prostituting ourselves in order to survive, but rather leaping into the great unknown of God’s plan.

God hates it when we give the best of ourselves away for a few coins or a little more security. It’s a theme throughout scripture:

You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree. Jeremiah 2:19

‘I am filled with fury against you, declares the Sovereign LORD, when you do all these things, acting like a brazen prostitute!

Ezekiel 16:30

God doesn’t want us to prostitute this life so that we can get what we need. He deeply wants us to take the leap into a life of passion and risk and trust that He will take care of everything. Are you fearful? Engage life with loose hands and firm resolve. Leap into the unknown territory of faith.

2. Rahab lept from many gods to one God.

Rahab cut her teeth on polytheistic theology, much like the people of Athens in Paul’s time. Remember his proclamation to the Athenians of Acts 17?

`You men of Athens, I see that you are very religious and worship many gods.” (Acts 17:22

We, like Rahab, have an invitation to worship the one true God who calls us to the adventure.

3. Rahab lept from safety to adventure.

Rahab’s life inside the wall wasn’t nearly as attractive to her as life outside the walls of addiction, prostitution and isolation. Danger presented itself and she found it pleasing. It’s nerve-racking to go on an adventure because you never know where it will take you. But a divine adventure of risk and abandon is a risk worth taking on Earth because the payoff is so much greater in the life to come.

4. Rahab lept from status quo genealogy to history-making adoption.

If she remained a citizen of Jericho, her story, her life, her bones- all of it would have faded in the fuzzy billions or hazy humans who have lived and died on earth. But look what happened: She was recorded in the lineage of Jesus.

Likewise those who connect their lives with Jesus receive the same designation and name.

For consider what he has done—before the foundation of the world he chose us to become, in Christ, his holy and blameless children living within his constant care. He planned, in his purpose of love, that we should be adopted as his own children through Jesus Christ—that we might learn to praise that glorious generosity of his which has made us welcome in the everlasting love he bears towards the Son.

Ephesians 4:4-6 (Phillips New Testament)

We all have two roads diverged in different worlds. We must choose between the humdrum life in a flophouse of Jericho, living inside the walls of slavery and nothingness or leap into the wild blue yonder of God’s promise.

This is a light sketch on prayer.
Kristi: Oh, dear friend. I love You! I love You! I love You! You have been so, so good to me. Love You! Love You! Love You! I’m alive! I’m alive! I’m alive! And I love, love, love You!

The Friend: Thanks, I love you, too, and I was…

Kristi: I’m so glad You’re my friend. You are such a sweet friend.

The Friend: OK, but I thought maybe we could…

Kristi: How do I love Thee? Let me count the ways!

The Friend: I just thought maybe we could have some time together to talk about…

Kristi: I lift my voice to honor You, O great and wonderful friend.

The Friend: How are you doing? I noticed you’ve been struggling in several different relationships and…

Kristi: You are above it all! (looks at her watch) Oops! I have to be going.

(Kristi exits. Erin enters, then notices the friend.)

Erin: Oh, Hi! Hey that reminds me. I had a couple of things I need to talk with You about ”like my finances. Do You think You could get me that raise they’ve been dangling over my head for the past two years? My sis- ter is freaked out over her marriage. Jim’s driving her nuts, and they might get divorced.

The Friend: I see, but I wanted to…

Erin: And I have a crick in my neck. Could You work on that for me? And the missionar- ies…I hear they need some help.

The Friend: Which ones?

Erin: All of them. Right? Oh, there’s my cell phone. (talking on the phone as she exits) Oh, Hi Joe, I’m glad you called back. I’m bored stiff with you out of town. Let me catch you up on what’s going on in my life.

(Erin exits. Carly enters.)

Carly: OK. Here it goes. I don’t have much to talk about. Just the same old same old. I only have a few seconds before I need to get back to work. It’s important stuff I’m dealing with today, so make it snappy. Anything? I’m wait- ing. Good. Hopefully we can meet again tomorrow.

(Carly exits. Jerry enters.) 

The Friend: (to audience) Now there was a girl with an agenda.

Jerry: Hi. It’s me. Here’s my list: new tires better job help Bob heal toe Aunt Tabitha and her spleen the weather our preacher good grades for Michael all the third world countries, and the stock market

The Friend: But I need to talk to you about something that’s…

Jerry: Hold on. Let me check my list. Did I mention heal toe?

The Friend: Yes. I heard that one.

Jerry: That’s the right big toe ”some kind of wart thingy.

The Friend: I’ll see what I can do. (Jerry exits. Pat enters.)

Pat: Oh, Thou my friend of all friends. Thee whose holiness and righteous bulwarks are thus numerous upon Thy earthen sod. Wilt Thou, as the great being of my life, giveth grace to all who need Thee. And causeth all sundry blessing to fall before Thy throne.

The Friend: Say what?

Pat: Amen and Amen.

The Friend: (to audience) That’s Greek for over and out. (to Pat) Is that all?

Pat: Yes, quite. (Pat exits.) 

The Friend: Good. Have a nice day. (Karie enters)

Karie: Good morning. It’s me again. I have so much I need to tell You! Can You come with me?

The Friend: (to audience) Finally. (to Karie) I thought you’d never ask. Let’s go.

(Based on Amos 5:18-24)

Woe and pity to the theological geniuses! The ones that gaze upon the charts of dispensational prophecy. The ones that spend their days arguing their religious apologetics on social media without lifting a finger to help strugglers.  Woe to you who parrot political arguments and lust for salacious scandals. Why do you crave His coming and yet fail Him with your heart?

For you it will be darkness. Is this really what you want? You’ll look as if you’ve seen a marauding bear or a hissing snake. What did you expect? Light? You feed the darkness.

I hate your worship. I find no truth in your frowns and fury. You bore me with your relevance and clever talk.  You infuriate me with your boredom and tradition. Likewise, to those who think the frenetic pounding worship with lights and fog will get my attention, it has. But not the kind of attention you would desire. Away with the electric guitars and drums!  And away with your organs and litanies! Away with your assumption that your performance will be counted as righteousness. Send all this madness away and come to Me with justice.

Regard the needs of hungry

Contend for the health of the poor.

When you run to them you are running to me.

Everything else is a pointless charade and a foolish liturgy.

Instead let justice roll like the currents of a mighty stream.

Seek the wanderers in darkness on the edge of town and bring them into Light.

I will meet you in Mercyland.

Let’s take a familiar journey to the foot of an ugly hill of slaughter outside the walls of Jerusalem. Your imagination has been there before, I’m sure. It was the auction block of the cosmos. Jesus Christ put everything on the table for us, willing to bear the brunt of a fallen world to rescue us.

I’d like you to listen to two very distinct voices.

The first voice reeks of sarcasm and mockery. The religious leaders who came to this showdown of power spewed forth words that will haunt them for eternity: “He saved others, but He cannot save Himself! He is the King of Israel! Let Him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in Him.” (Matthew 27:42 HCSB)

In other words, “Jesus, we knew you couldn’t defeat the power structure we’ve developed here. We’ve seen your miracles, we’ve witnessed your grace, we’ve heard Your teaching. Let’s see you be the King now that your body has been crushed. Now that you find that all you’re followers except three have fled. You threw yourself against us and you broke. We are still standing.”

Jesus Christ, grace and love incarnate, spent the last few painful beats of his earthly heart listening to the voice of men void of mercy. Taunting, mocking, laughing- yes, reveling in this horrifying moment. Just for a moment, observe a world without mercy.

Now turn your head slightly and view the death of a scoundrel. He’s spent his life in rebellion. The reason for his punishment isn’t political or philosophical. His punishment was meted out on the altar of justice. There was nothing becoming of his story- no real excuses as far as we know. It was too late to rationalize, remunerate, compensate, or even apologize. He would soon slip into eternity unsure if the punishment would be even harsher there than here. But as he approached the end of his life he calls out to Jesus, “Remember me when You come into Your kingdom!” The man surely didn’t have a resume’ to remember. He didn’t have anything. But the voice of mercy spoke the words that encourage all of the unworthy scoundrels of the world, (writer included) “I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43 HCSB)

While judgment, greed, fear, and hatred rule the year, the day, the hour. Mercy will rule for eternity. Mercy accepts the screwups and the misfits. It redeems the outlaws and miscreants.  The entire whole of the Gospel is mercy that saves.  We must reflect the grace of a God who gave His only son away to the rabble of the world in order to rescue us from our own tyranny and falleness. This opus declares the truth seasoned with love, hope, mercy and grace. It heals the heart and strengthens the soul. Mercy is the default of the Divine.

Cowards are cruel but the brave love mercy and delight to save.

I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.
Abraham Lincoln

When our country loses its love of the poor we have lost our identity.

When we have lost our radical defense of the refugee, we have lost our courage and our soul.