Christmas is coming, somthing about a goose!

Christmas is coming, and apparently a goose is getting fat. I don’t know about a goose, but I sure have gained a few pounds. One of the greatest things about the holidays for me is the food. I love turkey, and I’m still trying to figure out why turkey is only served around this time of year. I think turkeys should be served for holidays like Easter, birthdays, Fourth of July, Groundhog Day. You know, all those important holidays. While I think it’s a great idea, I’m still trying to talk my wife into it.

Really, the food is great around the holidays, but there's something about all the food that hits me in the gut. I think about all my food and then I think about those that aren't celebrating holidays with turkey. Or food at all. I'm reminded again that the Lord invites the sheep into the kingdom of God because they (unknowingly) served him by serving the hungry, naked, imprisoned, have nothings.

I mention this because I want to encourage you to think of something this year. There are many around the world that will not celebrate Christmas this year with a turkey or a ham or even a potato. Many will celebrate it hungry and in need. This year lets support those in need. If you would like to give to someone in need, here’s a few ideas of who you can support:

Toys for Tots (at the local mall)

Compassion International (compassion.com/contribution)

Local food pantry/homeless shelter (call your local United Way)

May God remind you this year of the blessings you have!

Here's where it all goes down hill...

Every time I've tried blogging, it all goes down hill on the second blog. Yes, despite the clever title of my last blog, I've actually blogged before. Twice. First one was good. I had a lot of compliments. Then I got lazy. Or bored. Or I set the bar so high there was no way I could keep up with it. Let's go with that. The truth is, sometimes I felt like I was not too creative. Other times I worried I was going to write something that stunk and then what am I going to do. I mean, come on, how creative can one guy be (if Steven Spielberg is reading this right now, save it. We all know you're great.)? But really, I did kind of feel like, "Well, if I write a pathetic one, what will people say about me? If I deliver a couple of crappy blogs, people will get bored, and then they'll stop telling me how great I am." It became a little easier to just not write than it was to try and deliver the goods constantly.

Faith can be something like that. I was thinking about this story of a young man that spoke to Jesus in this light. This guy was rich in a society where there was either rich or abject poverty. Middle class was not invented yet. So here's this rich guy who comes to Jesus saying, "What must I do to inherit eternal life?" Jesus tells him stuff we would say, "Don't kill, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat." Pretty basic way to live life. And they guy says, "Done and done." So then Jesus stops. If I'm imagining this in a movie, I imagine its one of those times when the camera focuses on Jesus. Everything focuses on him, and Jesus gives this guy a look over. He grabs his beard all "HMMMMM" like. And he looks at this young guy. There's a great dramatic score underneath as Jesus looks at this young man. The young man is waiting to hear the Teacher's words. The drama builds. And then he hears, "...

I wonder what was going through this young man's mind. I wonder if he's trying to show off to his friends. He's trying to get this Rabbi to say, "You're all right by me." "Dang, dude. You're rockin' it out." Or maybe, when I look at him through my eyes, I see something different. I wonder if he's like me. I think when I ask what I must do to inherit eternal life, I'm asking Jesus, "Do you like me?" You know? It's like, Jesus, just tell me that you like me. Just tell me that you think I'm a pretty good guy. And then Jesus says something that shatters this guy's view: "Give all you have to the poor, then you'll have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me." WHAT? Sure sounds like a no to me. "Gotta earn my love, bud." And my spirit is crushed, because once again rejection comes from someone I so desperately need to love me. But there's something else going on here, I think.

You see, I think Jesus was saying more than just, "Nope. Not good enough." I think what Jesus was saying was, "It's hard. Dang hard. If you want to inherit eternal life, it's almost impossible. But I've got a secret: I believe in you. You can do it. I'm going to tell you what to do because I don't want you to sell out for anything less than eternal life. I want to tell you the whole truth because I love you enough not to lie to you. Give it all up. Follow me." Jesus won't let us settle for anything less than full-on following Him. Why? Because I believe Jesus believes in us. He doesn't just like us. He loves and believes in us. He believes we can follow him, as hard as it is. Giving up everything is not just kind of important, it's everything. And he believes in you and me. We can do it.

So I start thinking about this blogging thing. I can do it. I can have something of importance to say. But most of all, I don't have to worry about people liking me. The goal of writing this is not that you like me (I just hope for it to be a fringe benefit). My real goal of writing is to offer something of myself to Jesus. That if in my writing someone might decide Jesus is alright, worthy of following, worthy of giving up everything for. And being reminded that Jesus believes in me. As I embrace the light of that, I find peace, and love. So I guess I'll try and keep this up. Wouldn't mind hearing what you think, though.

Always a blog reader, never a blogger

So I just had this great blog that just vanished into space. That's like my life. Trust technology and it bites me in the butt. I hate you, technology. Well, not really. It's love and hate. Love you when you're good, hate you when you're bad. Kind of like Christians. Love you when you're doing things like Jesus, hate you when you're doing things like Christians.

I would love to say that I prefer non-Christians to Christians, but I have to be honest, I don't know many non-Christians. But I always have this dream that they're cool and loving and funny and hip and they like me. Why don't I think of Christians in this way? I'm a pastor for crying out loud, they have to like me, right? Well not really. I find Christians are pretty good at not liking anyone they find a reason not to like. Not all Christians. I don't mean to lump us all together, but yeah, a lot of us. I guess I would like us to, I don't know, love our neighbors like Jesus calls us to do. Neighbors like those with alternative lifestyles, those that are not quite like us. Rich, poor, nice, mean, etc. Let's start loving people, then let this whole issue of holiness work itself out in us in love.

I have to admit I fall into that bracket of Christians who at like Christians rather than Jesus sometimes. I'm still figuring out what that means, to be like Jesus. I thought I had it figured out a while ago, but I'm realizing I didn't have the first clue. I'm finding Jesus to be much more focused on the world around him and me than I used to be. I used to think Jesus was really concerned about me and certain characteristics about me. What I'm finding out Jesus is much more concerned about the world than just me. Praise God I'm a part of the world. But the truth is Jesus was not some narcisitic self-centered egoist who focused on his own piety. In a world obsessed with piety, Jesus touched the unclean, healed the lame, focused on the outcast, not Himself. Kind of shatters my wants to be angry at those that don't do it the way I want them to live their lives. I hope someday to find the joy of not giving a crap about how others act and loving them no matter what. Here's hoping that I end up being like Jesus, and we all end up being like Jesus, and the rest fades away.