Make Your Home In Us

Sunday morning retuning: As we continue our journey through Advent, this season where we anticipate God’s appearing, we were challenged to consider if we have entered the narrow way.  Many have lately. Let’s keep asking for more. You can find some resources for this powerful journey here, including sermon-based questions to dig deeper.

"You choose to make Your home in us.”  We have been singing this line lately from the new Paul Baloche song This Is Love.  I really like the way that summarizes the true meaning of Christmas, the coming of the Glorious Impossible.  I also like the fact that it helps us to focus on the fact that God chose us.  He comes to us.  He initiates.

“Praise, O praise Him, praise the the glory of this lavished grace so full.  Lift your souls now to receive the Glorious Impossible.”  That was the key line to the message the choir and orchestra shared last Sunday.  To our knowledge there were at least 11 souls who decided to receive that lavish grace by lifting their souls to Christ for forgiveness and acceptance.  

But what about you?  Is the presence of Christ in your life making a difference in you? I had a situation occur recently that had me asking that very question.  I treated someone close to me in a manner unbecoming of a Christ follower.  I have had to ask their forgiveness.  Then I had to figure out how to make certain that does not happen again.

What will make the difference?  Christ in me, but not just in me, making Himself at home.  

BUt what does that mean exactly?  As I reflected on that I thought about a game my boys like to play.  It’s called Minecraft.  Ask anyone under 25 and they will know what you are talking about.  The premise is pretty simple, but came become complex, like the Christian life.  You mine or simply collect raw materials and then craft them into more complicated things.  An example would be chopping down trees to form the materials for a home, much like this one. 

My boys have shown me some amazingly complex things that others have built in the game.  They have even built some pretty cool underground structures themselves.  So I got to thinking, I wonder if anyone has tried to build a nativity, or represent Jesus.  Yep, they sure have.

So what’s the point in all this.  Simply this.  Jesus wants to come and make His home in us.  Which I think implies that He wants to take the raw material of our lives, and making something ever better of them.  I think He wants to show HIs glory in us.  We hold this treasure in jars of clay, showing God’s power in us.  2 Corinthians 4:7

Jesus wants to make His home in us.  Not leave us as we were when He moved in, but showing His presence in us.  Let Him have HIs way in you, and you might not find your furniture moved around, but He will likely encourage you to make some other changes which will be more difficult, but certainly well worth the effort they require, as you welcome Jesus to show Himself as not only your Savior, but also your Lord.

Jesus help me to welcome You everyday to make Your home in me.  Make the changes You need to make to build me into the person You want me to become for Your glory to be most wonderfully revealed.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy

Savoring

Sunday morning retuning: As we begin our journey through Advent, this season where we anticipate God’s appearing, we were challenged to ask the question, “Can His Kingdom power be seen in my life?”  Jesus appeared to apply Kingdom power to our lives, so welcome it!  You can find some resources for this powerful journey here, including sermon-based questions to dig deeper.

The season of Advent began in earnest this past Sunday, but the preparations at our house had begun a few days before that.  The Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, and sometime even while we are still digesting the turkey feast, we begin to adorn our home for the season.  I love many parts of this activity, but probably my least enjoyable is dealing with the Christmas lights, especially the ones that probably need replaced, but I try to stretch another season out of.

While struggling with a particularly difficult string  of blue icicle lights on Saturday, I caught myself asking if all the hassle was worth it.  I quickly caught myself, and attempted to bolster my waning enthusiasm with the reality that light is such an important part of this season because it reminds us that in the longest, darkest of nights, God sent His Light into the world.  I really do love this season.  Thank You, Lord, for all we have to celebrate.

Sharing those thoughts on Sunday morning heightened my awareness of how easy it is to lose sight of the real reason we celebrate.  How easy it is to get caught up in the trappings that are only meant to help us represent and symbolize what drives the celebration.  And this is not only true of Christmas.

I have a couple of pretty vivid images in my mind from Sunday, but they have nothing to due with your typical thoughts of Christmas celebrations.  No, instead they both center around another celebration, Communion.  And they both caught me off guard.

The first was when Pastor Myron asked us to lift in unison the small, acrylic cups we were holding containing the juice representing the blood of Christ shed for us.  It was a beautiful, humble and worshipful moment seeing those hands raised, honoring Jesus for His sacrifice.  Imagine little cups in each of the hands below and you can begin to get the idea, though I wish I could have snapped a quick picture.

The second, from only moments later, was more intimate and even more surprising.  After we drank together, I dutifully put my cup in the little holder in the pew and looked over to see my eight-year old sipping the juice, savoring each drop.  He was innocently, quietly and slowly enjoying it.  It was as if the Lord asked me, “When was the last time you enjoyed my sacrifice for you like this, this much?”  I wondered if I ever really have.  

I was 19 when I first took Communion, so way past the tender age of my son.  The years that have passed, and all the knowledge of Scripture I have acquired, have taken me to a very deep and serious appreciation for the cup.  But I hope I have not lost some of the simple wonder and pleasure of partaking along the way.

There is a great lyric I learned several years ago titled, “Where is the Child?”  Though the title might lead you to think it is some quest for some child out there, though it is centered around the Babe in the Manger, it really begs the question, “Where is He in me?”  One line asks, “Where is the joy of that tiny Boy, and where’s the laughter and glee?  I’ve wandered afar from that holy star of the Child of Galilee.”

What might we learn if we look closely at the Christmas child, and any other children He brings into our lives today.  Remember, the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.  Matthew 19:14  I leave you today with that question from above, and these thoughts…

Jesus help me to savor the gift of Your life.  I so easily become distracted, enjoying any number of lessor gifts.  This Advent season, and all year long, keep me from becoming callous to Your presence.

In Christ,

Pastor Timothy