Extra/Ordinary

Do you remember the first time you heard and understood the Christmas story? For me it was while watching “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” I don’t remember exactly how old I was, and I know it wasn’t the first time I had seen that cartoon, but this time when Linus recited from Luke Ch. 2, something resonated in me. I remember hearing and thinking how “real” this all sounded and a quiet calm shook my soul that night.
This past Sunday we looked at this chapter and how if we’re not careful we will overlook the miraculous hand of God and only see the mundane. Think about it. The only spectacular and extraordinary thing that takes place in these first verses is when the angels appear to the shepherds (not to Joseph or Mary) and when they do, they don’t say, “Look at us! We’re a sign from God!” Instead, they say “This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Hmmm, let’s read that again. “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Yep, that’s it, that’s your sign.

God seems to be pushing the story into the most raw and unimpressive places; shepherds in a field, a stable next to an inn, a baby wrapped in cloths lying in a feeding trough. Can you get more commonplace? God not only is pushing out every stereotype of what a King is thought to be, but He is also revealing them to the strangest of people. Like the shepherds, who were serious outcasts at the time (they smelled pretty bad), but who got a serious upgrade in status after this event. Let’s face it, if it were not for this story, I doubt we would ever put little figurines of shepherds all over our homes. Then there are the Magi, or sorcerers, men involved with astrology who are looking for the wrong god and who somehow find the true One. It’s as if God is in the glories of heaven and saying, “I need to make sure that those who are the lowest and farthest away from Me can see and understand what I am doing, because if I start there, then Christ can be known by everyone.
Now a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger is not a sign at all, unless it is a Savior being born for us, unless it is Christ, the Lord. Then that would be a sign indeed.

Merry Christmas

This is an actual photo of an "ordinary" snowflake
that fell on a hat. Pretty extraordinary, don't you think?
Photo taken by Sherri Youngward

Passion

Today is our first Christmas gathering at Genesis. After the service we will be wrapping gifts together and taking them out to a number of families in our community who could use a little help this season. It was neat how so many of you took the names of those families that were on the board so quickly that first Sunday enabling us to add more people the following week.

All this got me thinking about what we’re doing and have done in the short eight months that we’ve been together. Now if what I’m about to share seems a little like bragging, well, I guess it is, but I intend for it to be taken in the same spirit that Paul spoke about those at Colossi, Philippi or the other churches when he said, he was thankful for their love, faith and partnership in the work of the Gospel.

Since we have been meeting together, you from Genesis have been a part of three trips to Mexico and are continuing support down there every month. You have helped out with relief work in Mississippi and Texas. You have gone into the prisons, juvenile halls and are ministering there regularly as well. So many of you helped out over those weeks to renovate the apartment where we will be starting another study to reach that neighborhood next month. Of course not everyone has been able to go to Mexico, Texas or work at the apartment, but all of you who have given financially are a part of each of these works as well.

Many of you of also help out every week pulling the trailer, caring for the kids, setting up the sound & video, making coffee, flyers and all the details that make things happen every week after week, but the reason I mentioned the previous items is because they are all directed outside toward others and not toward ourselves. It is easy (natural really) to cater to our own interests and though there is nothing wrong with doing things to strengthen and encourage one another, all too often that becomes the majority of what we are about. We can have our gatherings, seminars and luncheons, but if we’re not careful we can become a community that just preserves itself and has little passion to reach those outside our walls, which is so unlike Jesus who was most passionate for the lost, the outsider. We see Jesus most angered (anger is a passion) in the Temple where he threw out the money changers. He quotes Isaiah 56 and says “My house shall be called a house of prayer for ALL nations…” (Mark 11:17). Those verses in Isaiah from 3-7 are all about the foreigner, those on the outside. Jesus was passionate when people were hindered from coming to God by those who were supposed to reach out for them and instead pursued their own gain.

When Genesis began, it was my desire that we would be postured towards others and I have to say, that standing here right now and looking back I am overwhelmed with emotion and inspired by all of you who have taken the words of Jesus and made them a living example so that people are able to see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. I am so grateful and humbled to be a part of all of this with you.

I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now

Philippians 1:3-5 ( NIV )

We are the Church

A week or so ago we had a house warming party at the apartment that we fixed up. We didn’t warm the house with gifts, but with worship and prayer. Over twenty people crowded into the apartment where together we dedicated those who live there as well as those in the neighborhood to the Lord. Among those who came were the landlord and a few friends who had heard about the work being done with the apartment and wanted to be a part of this “party”. The landlord at the beginning of this endeavor was not willing to help much at all, even just compensating with the materials needed was like pulling teeth, but as the project went on and he saw the work we did and how freely everyone gave of themselves to see the work done, well it overwhelmed him and he shared so at this gathering. Later after our time of worship I shared a few things from Isaiah 58, others also shared how the Lord worked in their hearts through this project and then we prayed. During that time of prayer a young girl who lives in the apartments there touched everyone’s heart as she prayed repeatedly. It not only touched our hearts, it also confirmed why we were there and what hope the gospel provides.
The apartment looked great and our time together that evening was nothing less than incredible. I was told that a neighbor across the way was continuously walking around just outside during our time there. He later spoke to his family and told them that they need to get to church.
Well good news, next month we will be starting a bible study there at the apartment, so they won’t have to go very far to get to church, since we are the church.