Christmas Presence Video

Click 4(above) to see video*

Click here to add your ideas for a more meaningful Christmas on the St. James website.

*video adapted from adventconspiracy.org

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Anticipating Christmas

I am finding myself deeply moved, challenged, and stirred by the baby of an unwed mother living in poverty in a rural, isolated, back-water town. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Isn’t that where and how the God of the universe showed up?

It may not be what you think. A couple weeks ago our family sponsored Theresia through Compassion International. Theresia lives with her mom and two siblings in an impoverished rural AIDS-infected area of Tanzania. She will be five in early January. She is precious and important beyond what she has any way of knowing. She is loved.

Predictions are picking up in the media about how dismal this Christmas season will be. The defining measurements are consumer spending and credit availability. Maybe especially because of this year’s economic challenges, Theresia’s influence on my heart helps to put it all in perspective.

The little town of Bethlehem was buzzing in a flurry of activity on that first Christmas. People were traveling great distances to be there. Inns were filling up. There were family reunions and festive parties. All of those pouring into that otherwise sleepy little town were there to fulfill the obligation to show up (Luke 2:1-3). It was all good. Other than hints in Biblical prophesy (e.g. Micah 5:2), they had no way of knowing why they were really there, what was really happening and the meaning of what they were missing. They were so close to it! In all the flurry of activity, in the least likely of places, God showed up.

That’s what hits me every time I walk past Theresia’s picture on our refrigerator. I want to pick her up and give her a hug. Her eyes, life, and new found place in our family provide ballast for my heart. God is using her to stir me to want to serve more and to care more. He is using her to help reorient my heart. I don’t want to miss why we are really here, what is really happening and the meaning of what we are really celebrating. I can be so close. Mother Teresa once said “It’s the greatest poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.” Her words are hard; but that is her point. Jesus said “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

Interestingly, Theresia’s full name means “little harvester.” God is using Compassion to reach her with His unfathomable love by showing up in the least likely of places, as the world measures things. Half way around the world, Jesus is showing up to harvest my heart through this baby of an unwed mother living in poverty in a rural, isolated, back-water town. Isn’t that what Christmas is all about? That’s where and how the God of the universe shows up.

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I've Never Noticed That Before

Ever had one of those “I’ve never noticed that before” moments? You drive down a street you have traveled hundreds of times and see a building decades old that seemed to appear overnight. You discover a new feature in something you own that was standard equipment when you bought it. You admire a painting on a wall that has tied the room together for years. A new freckle is discovered on your spouse they swear was there when they were born. I’ll stop the examples there. It frequently happens to me. I think I must miss a lot.

That moment of surprise and discovery happens often for me with the Bible. It did again this week when I was preparing for the privilege of issuing the ordination charge to Dr. Rick Hess, professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary. I was traveling through that familiar dramatic passage in 1 Samuel 3. Most of my attention usually goes to the powerful drama of Samuel hearing God’s voice and not recognizing it. I am inspired when Eli mentors him to respond: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Suspense heightens when God speaks to an attentive Samuel and gave him visions that changed his life and the world around him. It is all so inspiring and powerful. It is what every destiny-shaped heart longs for.

The dramatic and familiar can easily distract, or at least monopolize our attention. An exquisite black and white Ansel Adams image might be missed if hung next to the explosive color of a Picasso painting. Verse one became like an Ansel Adams hanging next to the Picasso-colored events of the passage.

“In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.”
1 Samuel 3:1

The call of God on an individual and community is always unique and contextual. It is always intensely personal and unapologetically Missional. Samuel’s call began with a powerful statement about the context of his call.

“In those days the word of the Lord was rare; there were not many visions.”

The implication is clear: where the word of the Lord is plentiful, visions abound. People see with new eyes and are compelled to respond in ways they would otherwise have never envisioned.

God’s Word was never meant to be a book of religious regulations or a record to preserve or imprison people in the past. The Word of God bears witness and calls people to the creative and redemptive nature, character and purposes of God. Genesis begins with creation out of God’s Word. Revelation ends with the new creation. In between is the unfolding, never-stagnant, always dynamic narrative of God’s call on His people to live the Kingdom vision for the sake of all nations. Even when they were uprooted and displaced in exile, God called His people to His Word-inspired vision:

This is what God the Lord says—
he who created the heavens and
stretched them out,
who spread out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
“I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of
your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the
people
and a light for the Gentiles,
to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who
sit in darkness.
“I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not yield my
glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have
taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.”
Isaiah 42:5-9

Jesus’ arrival, life, teaching, death, resurrection and ascension were all rooted in His preoccupation with the Kingdom of God. It is also what the Spirit’s arrival at Pentecost was all about - fulfilling the promise that old people will dream dreams and young people will see new visions of God’s unfolding redemption.

In these days, the word of the Lord is rare; and there are not many visions.

Inside the church, there is an all-to-common preoccupation with survival by trying to polish old visions. Outside the church, the word of the Lord is rare, leaving a vacuum filled by false idols, promises and forms of security. The breaking news stories and bold headlines of the last week announce the repercussions of their failure to deliver.

In these days, the word of the Lord is rare; and there are not many visions.

How are we rooting ourselves in God’s Word in a way that moves beyond information to transformation through Word-inspired visions? How are we engaging God’s Word in a way that compels our best dreams for when we are most fully awake? How attentive are we to God’s voice that His Word is frequent and His visions are plentiful?

God’s call on each of our lives, and all of us together is urgent, personal and unapologetically Missional. It is to live out His Word-inspired visions in such a way that a watching desperate world might sit up, take notice and say:

“I’ve never noticed that before.”

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OK Colorado (Rockies Theme Song)

Hi Everyone,

I am getting requests for Ryan and Kyle’s new Colorado Rockies song “OK Colorado.” It’s getting a lot of attention. The Rockies flagship radio station (KOA) got a hold of it last week and called Ryan and Kyle in to be interviewed for their Baseball This Week program. They received word this week that Coors Field will begin using it during home games! Its pretty catchy!

Click Play (4) above to listen. Enjoy!

Go Rockies!

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Greater Things

God in This City - Chris Tomlin

15I am the Lord, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.”

16This is what the Lord says—
he who made a way through
the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
17who drew out the chariots
and horses, the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:

18“Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.
19 See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness
and streams in the wasteland.
20The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the
wilderness and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my
praise.

Isaiah 43:15-21 (TNIV)

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Great Finishes

We love great finishes. Every starting line exists for a finish line.

The Olympics begin today. The opening ceremonies capture the collective attention, imagination and breath of the world. It is exponentially true for the athletes gathered to compete. The intensity and adrenaline they feel at the beginning of the Olympics are directly related to anticipating the finish lines they will face in the days ahead. Races are ultimately decided at the finish line, sometimes by thousandths of seconds. It is the moment they have prepared and sacrificed for.

Life too is ultimately defined at the finish line. Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He received a lot of attention in the months preceding his death last Friday for his “last lecture” (see below). With amazing poise and clarity, he laid out the core convictions of his life as he approached its earthly finish. Noel Tichy in his book The Leadership Engine calls personal core convictions Teachable Points of View (TPOV). We teach and communicate them through the content of our lives. There is something about an approaching finish line that gives heightened clarity to what matters.

The Apostle Paul was clear about his TPOVs and finish line. Near the finish of his life he wrote:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 1 Timothy 4:7-8

Jesus had the same kind of clarity and focus. “My food,” Jesus said when mentoring his friends and followers in his TPOVs, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work” (John 4:34). Approaching the finish line he prayed:

Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. ^I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began. John 17:1-5

Hours later, as he crossed the finish line for the sake of the world, “Jesus said, ‘It is finished.’ With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit (John 19:30).

What does the finish line look like for you? When you cross it, will you find yourself at the end of the race you meant to run? Jesus said it matters. The good news is this moment can be a new starting line in your life. The prize is far better than a wreath of leaves or even a gold plated medal. Jesus promises it is gift of looking the God of Creation in the eyes and hearing His voice say ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful … Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21 and 23).

Every starting line exists for a finish line. We love great finishes.

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The Great Outdoor Adventure

Summer is an amazing season in Colorado. The sky is breath-taking all day long, from the sunrise, to the crisp mid-day blue sky with spectacular white cloud formations, to the sunsets and vast starlit nights. The colors of trees and other plant life seem more vivid. The appearances and sounds of wildlife are everywhere. One of my colleagues on staff showed me a photo yesterday of two mountain lions drinking water out of a neighbor’s baby pool in their backyard. Blue heron, hawk and eagle regularly fly over our house. The nearby mountains beckon with all their beauty, majesty and grandeur. The air has a crisp freshness. The sun is warm and feels a mile closer than anywhere we have ever lived. All of it calls me outdoors. There are great adventures to experience and discover!

It is hard for me to be inside in the summer. Given the choice, I find someplace outside to study, read, prepare sermons and even to write a blog. (As I write this on my back patio, a hawk is circling overhead. Amazing!) When driving to an appointment, my windows are down. BBQs, afternoon hikes, bike rides, golf outings, camping and other excursions are on the rise. If I have to be inside, the outside door is often open. It is almost like all creation outside declares the glory of God and shouts “how can you stay inside at a moment like this?”

It is a question hard to argue with. I suppose one could try by saying it is safer inside. There are mountain lions out there! The intensity of the sun’s rays pose a constant threat. The altitude presents its hydration, respiratory and cardio challenges. You also never know who or what you might encounter “out there.” Maybe it’s better to stay inside and turn on the Nature or National Geographic channel. It’s amazing what you can discover in high definition from the comfort and safety of our own living rooms!

My cheek is beginning to hurt from the pressure of my tongue in it. Real threats need to be recognized and addressed. For most, however, they are no reason to stay inside. Two dimensional images even with high definition three-dimensional appearances are no match for the view, touch, smells and personal encounters of reality.

(There are obviously good and appropriate times to be inside. Privacy, access to necessary facilities and other reasons make times of being inside also important. For example, what can match the feeling of a family around the Thanksgiving dinner table or the romance of indoor intimacy with a spouse? There are wonderful times to be inside.)

There is something inside us made to be outside. We can get distracted by all the demands around us and miss the surrounding beauty that beckons us. I once met a guy who worked for the National Park Service who worked inside every day. It had the irony of a gas truck sputtering to a stop on the side of a road because its own gas tank ran out of fuel. God’s first command to Adam was to enjoy and take care of His creation (Genesis 2:15). All he knew was being outside.

Beyond the environmental implications, all of this makes me wonder what it means to be God’s people in the world. From the very beginning, God called Abram and his clan to have a special relationship with God.

The LORD had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. …All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:1-3

At the very heart of what it meant to be God’s special people was to be out-going (not to be confused with extroversion). Ironically, for Israel in the Old Testament and for God’s people today, there has been a preoccupation with being “inside.” For example, many “religious” people have gone to great lengths to define who is on the “inside” and who is not. Sabbath and dietary laws were an example in the Old Testament. They became visual determinants for who was in and who was not by whether or not the laws were observed. Jesus kept getting heat for breaking the insider rules by going outside to connect with people on the Sabbath. We have our own insider versions today.

Doctrinal and other clarifiers are important. However, the church’s preoccupation with inside language, definers and battles has kept us from our primary calling to get outside. This has been true for congregations and denominations. I wonder if we sometimes hide behind our insider issues as an excuse to keep us from the more difficult and important task of getting outside. Like a park service employee who spends all of his time inside, we miss the primacy of the very reason we exist. Meanwhile, the yearnings, languages and needs of the world around us have changed. The church’s previous maps and languages no longer relate. We stand inside trying to get others to come in. Their understandable question is: why? Two dimensional spirituality even with high definition three-dimensional appearances doesn’t compare with the view, touch, smells and personal encounters of reality.

It can be scary for insiders to go outside. That’s why we sometimes call our worship places sanctuaries, right? There are mountain lions outside (1 Peter 5:8-9)! The intensity of resistance can be a constant threat. You never know who or what you might encounter “out there.” Maybe it’s better to stay inside. Certainly we can control things more, even if what we control becomes irrelevant to the world Jesus died for. It’s amazing what we can experience in the comfort and safety of our own living rooms!

Again, my cheek is experiencing the pressure of my tongue. Real threats need to be recognized and addressed. For most, however, they are not only a reason not to stay inside – but the very reason God sends His people out. It is who we are and why we exist. Jesus relates to people where they live "out there." Jesus’ life relates to the deepest yearnings of the human heart! There is a marvelous inspirational challenge in the Presbyterian Church’s Book of Order that reminds us that:

The Church is called to undertake this mission even at the risk of losing its life, trusting in God alone as the author and giver of life, sharing the gospel, and doing those deeds in the world that point beyond themselves to the new reality in Christ.

Book of Order, 3.0400

There is something inside us made to be outside. It is where we discover our identity, our faith, our life, our purpose and the power of God. Most of what churches do inside need little help from above. As mentioned, there are obviously good and important times to be inside. The book of Acts however tells us that even the “inside” life of the church is to have a profound impact on those outside – Acts 2:42-47.

The death and resurrection of Jesus is the central event of human history. Through it, God not only redeemed the world from sin, but redeemed God’s people for their purpose. The resurrected Jesus reinstituted his defining call on God’s people when He said:

“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20.

It is almost like all creation declares the glory of God and shouts “how can you stay inside at a moment like this?” There are great outdoor adventures to discover and experience.

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