Jesus Carries His Cross

Martin Luther said, "Living, or rather dying and being damned make a theologian, not understanding, reading or speculating." God can't be found in the ascent of our intellect to places of speculation through reason. God can't be found in taking our minds to higher levels or arguing the logic of forms behind reality. Our minds might be able to conceive of a universe that exists because of the work of some ultimate creator, but ultimately God is found where we find divinity emptying itself and dying on a cross.

One truly begins to know God, not in reading or studying books and making proposals about the nature of God, but rather in suffering, because the kingdom of God has come for the suffering, the dying, the poor, and those who mourn. And who doesn't understand what it means to lose someone, or suffer, or be poor or hunger for justice?

Last night we talked about Jesus carrying his cross. Jesus said that if we want to follow him, we must take up our cross. Taking up our cross means being willing to suffer and even die for Christ, but perhaps there is another aspect. Perhaps taking up our cross also means allowing Jesus into our situations, into our suffering, to walk with us in it, and lead us out of it.

Jesus said, "My grace is sufficient for you, my power is made perfect in weakness."

Sometimes in our suffering we feel no more valuable than the rocks on the ground. Sometimes the world makes us feel like rocks that get trampled upon. But if people were kept from praising the Lord, even the rocks would cry out. And when Jesus was carrying his cross, the rocks were the willing vessels to catch his precious blood as it fell to the ground.

I would rather be a rock covered in the blood of Jesus than a diamond on the hand of a queen. (Both are rocks anyway, one just knows it). So as we jouney to the cross during this season, let us be like the rocks, covered in the blood of Jesus and bursting forth with praise.

God bless you all this week!
See you next week at the Gathering.
-Tim

Ash Wednesday

From dust you came, and to dust you shall return...until... Maranatha, Lord Jesus come quickly.

Last night we had the opportunity to express sorrow and repentance before God. We were reminded of our condition, our fallen nature under the judgment of God to return to the dust from which we came. Until.

Ash Wednesday marked the beginning of our journey to the cross together, a journey from despair to hope. Though we confess our sin on Ash Wednesday, we celebrate forgiveness and new life on Easter. Though the journey begins with sorrow, we travel ever closer to joy.

We invite you to consider this journey, and join us in the weeks to come as we make our way to the cross and the empty tomb.

The Lord be with you,

-Tim

Let God Love You

Use this space to sit in silence and...







Let...God...love...you
















.

Love Gone Wrong

We must understand that though our experiences of love on a daily basis prove love gone wrong, God's love never went wrong. With our sin and rebellion against God the paradise of the Garden of Eden has faded away, and with it went love. But not on God's part! God's love never went wrong, and God perseveres through the most difficult versions of love that we can muster up.

We see it in the story of Adam and Eve, and we see it in the story of our lives every day, where pride, shame, guilt, deception, and blame (to mention a few) work their way into human love, and human love is now love gone wrong.

However...even though true life and true love faded with the Garden of Eden and have become a distant memory for us, they are not gone. God's love never went wrong, and though the Tree of Life for Adam and Eve faded away, for us the Tree of Life is becoming ever clearer...it is the cross of Christ.

This world is looking for a love potion. We are looking for some sort of fix for the perverted versions of love we see and experience every day, but there is only one way to experience true love. True love can never be legislated, it can never be programmed, and it can never be forced...it must be experienced.

Though true life and true love faded in the Garden, they are not gone. Quiet...be still...and look at the cross of Christ. That is true love expressed to you, yesterday, today, and forever. We tap into that love through a relationship with Jesus Christ, and it is that love that has the power to transform us and transform the world.

Jesus said, "I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love. When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love. I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" (John 14:9-11 NLT)

Remain in his love, and our Joy will overflow.
Blessings on you all.
See you next week at the Gathering!
-Tim

Construction

If "liturgy" is the work of the people, and God is enthroned on the praises of his people (psalm 22:3), then when we show up to worship we literally show up to work, and our job is to construct a throne of praise for God. We are carpenters and construction workers!

The amazing thing about worship is that we don't do it out of duty or obligation. We worship God because of his love that endures forever. We worship God because he has made peace with us. He...has made peace with us! We are the ones who have offended God, who have caused tension and disconnection from God. Yet it is God who through Christ made peace with us. Therefore, worship is not about trying to make peace with God. That is already done! Worship is not about trying to get into heaven, for we are saved by grace through faith. Worship is our grateful response, our offering of a throne that is worthy of our King, a throne upon which our King is pleased to dwell.

For this reason, we experience the benefits and blessings of God's presence among us. That is why worship is beneficial for us. For although we humble ourselves in worship, and work to build God a throne of praise, God's presence spills over into our lives, and becomes the driving force behind all that we do.

We had a wonderful night of extended worship last night. I know God was blessed by the throne we built for him.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and I will see you next week at the construction site we call the Gathering.

In Him,
-Tim