arriving in Chicago [coffee, navy pier

Church is Harder for the Lonely

I moved to Springfield Missouri about a month ago to pursue a dream to help pastors across the US plant churches. Its been the adventure of a life time, and I have never been so sure that I am in the right place doing to right thing at the right time before. Its an amazing blessing.

Even though I am where I am supposed to be, it is hard. I left the love of my life back in California, we are still trying to figure out how to make all that work... I had never been to Missouri or even the Mid-West before I showed up to work, I had never met my boss or any of my coworkers, I didn't know a single person in the entire state. I have felt very lonely at times.

My initial thought to cure the loneliness was to get plugged in at a church... Easier said than done.

Church may be the most intimidating place for the lonely. I have never felt more out of place than sitting alone in the uncomfortable chair in the sanctuary of a church. I do not feel comfortable walking into the church building by myself.




It is more important to make connections with people outside of the church building than it is inside.

The thirsty are the ones that need a drink.

Springfield has no shortage of great, amazing, stunning, beautiful, excellent, and inspiring churches, and I have enjoyed visiting each. But I have been forcing myself to go sit in service every week.

How can we expect the broken, the lost, the lonely to visit our churches if we are not making meaningful connections outside of church.

One of the greatest things about church plants is that it usually means there is no building for the pastors to hide away in. It forces them to rub shoulders with the outside world.

There is a Pastor in Renton, Washington named Stephen Collins who has picked a Starbucks and claimed it as his office. Over the year I worked with Stephen we had many, many staff meatings, and drank many cups of coffee in that Starbucks. We started to see the people that worked at the Starbucks come to church, they started bringing friends, they started to interrupt our staff meetings to ask questions, and on occasion give us free food! The relationships built in that Starbucks allowed for them to feel comfortable coming to church.




Church is not a cure for loneliness.

True, authentic relationships are.

Relationships are built out of a caring, God centered, community. Unfortunately church does not always equal community.



The lost and lonely won't just magically show up inside of the church. A flyier or mailer won't be the connection needed to make them feel comfortable. A scripted phone call or email wont make them feel cared for.

"Faith is custom fit, not mass produced"

-Kyle Reynolds

I challenge you to put people ahead of church. To show people you truley care about them and not about filling seats.

Why did God create the world?

Photo by Aza Raskin

No, seriously. Why did God decide to do it? And in what sense did God create? Did God create out of nothing (ex nihilo) as we've so often thought in our modern age? Genesis 1 records an idea of God that presumes somethingness to have already existed. "And the earth was formless and empty." That hardly sounds like the ancient author understood matter the way we do. Or maybe God did create everything out of nothing. I certainly don't see any reason why God couldn't do that. But it doesn't answer the question, does it?

Why did God create the world?

It's a question that results in a lot of silence for a while. And then eventually someone ventures a tidbit of an old Sunday school lesson... "so God could be glorified?"

But that raises more questions. Does that make God a narcissistic egomaniac? At best, that scenario paints God as being  the opposite of the most recognized qualities which God embodied through the life of Jesus. For me, that answer is inadequate.

Why did God create the world?

Maybe you can psycho-analyze the question and conclude that when I ask this, I'm really trying to figure out why God created me. Sometimes that's correct. I really want to know why God created me, personally, individually, egotistically, and emblematically self. But jumping to that conclusion still doesn't answer the question. Have you ever felt like someone avoided your question because they thought you were really asking something else? According to the gospel writers, Jesus experienced that too. Sometimes it's a good thing when someone recognizes the question behind the question. But there are other times when it's not.

Undeniably, there are times when you mean exactly what you say and you want someone to answer it. Even if you recognize that some questions just can't be answered as conclusively as explaining why a dog wags its tail, there are times when you need someone to give you their honest and in-progress thoughts. This experience means that we as humans crave vulnerability: to be vulnerable and to share in someone else's vulnerability.

Why did God create the world?

It's almost a riddle isn't it. It's like a riddle that has become separated from its answer, so the ones asking it no longer know what the answer is. I wonder: out there somewhere, is there a person or a culture who has an answer but no riddle?

Why did God create the world?

It's fair to criticize the people who divert the question in order to answer another one. It's okay to feel disappointed or even angry when your question has been twisted and turned because someone would rather address their own conclusions about you--than you.

But in another sense, we know there are some questions without answers, as well as probably implications if there was a known answer. So the fact that we recognize one of these enigmatic quandaries in the wild and instinctively respond by jumping to one of the implicated issues that is close to our heart is natural. And in that respect it's not only telling of what we value, but also of our desire to form relationships.

Why did God create the world?

Relationships are everywhere. There are mathematical relationships between values (like your checking account) and there are non-mathematical relationships (like your marriage). There are geographical spaces and political camps. Time is a kind of relationship and so is the menu at your favorite restaurant. In Genesis 1 we read about a God who puts everything into an ordered relationship by creating, defining, developing, and organizing. And certainly when two people fall in love there are things that are created, defined, developed, and organized. Romance results in a restructuring of each individual life. Friendship results often in the restructuring of orders in life as new systems replace old systems.

Why did God create the world?

Honestly, I would argue that God created the world precisely because whether it was pre-existent somethingness or completely nothingness, God deemed its formlessness to be incompatible with God's nature. John reflects that the nature of God is love. My experience of the world confirms that. Thus, the way I form my story to answer the question incorporates that belief. And the answer I arrive at is that because love is generative and ultimately ordering, and because God is the essence and source of what we know as love, it follows that God created the world because God could not possibly resist it.

Like the gasses in a champagne following the cork out with a pop. Like light and heat emanating from a bonfire. Like sound erupting from a parade march--even if there were no other sound the very march itself can do nothing other than projecting its rhythm. God is like that unstoppable stampede or parading love that creates life and stomps order into it everywhere that it runs. Up and up it goes, ever climbing and ever expanding. Upward and bursting in its jubilant eternal procession.

That is why God created the world.

And it's in this flowing explosion of life and love that I hope to join completely as I can devote more and more of myself to God. Thank you for journeying with me.

If That's What You Are, Then What Am I?

Growing up with 2 older brothers, this was a constant saying in our house. Every time an insult was offered: "If that's what you are then what am I?" Despite the childish nature of such a comeback, I have found myself reverting to this idea an enumerable amount of times in the last few months. Let me begin by again sharing one of my favorite quotes:

"I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians, your Christians are so unlike your Christ."- Mahatma Gandhi.

Seem familiar? If you are a follower of Seeds, you have already seen this quote. These words alone are not only impactful, but so often seem to encompass the very subject of Seeds itself. Recently, more than ever, I have been left feeling that Gandhi had it right. So much so, that for a while, I refused to be known as a Christian. For me to make this statement, I must explain: It used to be that I turned on the news and only had to be known as a Christian when stories appeared on the news about Westboro Baptist or the string of church scandals that have unfolded in the past few years. Unfortunately, as of late, the more time I spend around Christians, the more I find myself repulsed by the Jesus they are selling. I am simply amazed at the judgment, discrimination, and hypocrisy that occurs, all while claiming to love the people that they crucify. So again I have to ask myself:

If that’s what you are, then what am I?

I was stuck in a paradigm…. I follow Christ, so I should be a Christian right?! But, if Christians crucify those they are supposed to love, I don’t want to be one. Can you see how I would want to disassociate myself from the title "Christian?"

Then it dawned on me, "Christian" was not what the disciples called themselves, but rather the title that was bestowed upon them by the society around them. The disciples simply called themselves followers, and the society labeled them as "little Christs" by the way that they lived, and the Savior that they preached.

Recognizing this, it makes me think what an honor it must have been to those who called themselves followers. What an honor it would be for my peers to recognize me as a Christian without me ever having to label myself as such. I am at the conclusion that "Christian" should not be something that one attributes to themself, but rather what one should hope to someday be attributed as.

I want to make this clear: I am not criticizing anyone who calls themself a Christian. I do however encourage you to ask of yourself, are the actions you partake in, the words that you speak, and the thoughts that you are thinking be associated with Christ? That is what the title of Christian means. That is what those who are viewing your life are interpreting it as. Are you treating it with the same weight?

So my prayer for us all: May we recognize the weight of the titles that we place among ourselves and the way that they affect the people around us. May we recognize that the way we compose ourselves is a direct reflection upon Jesus Christ when we associate our names with His. Finally, may we one day live a life worthy that those around us would deem us as Christians.
Faithfully,
Chris

Quotable: "Love is what differentiates a Father from a King"

What I Miss From Not Working In A Church

I took a break from full time vocational ministry after our church closed and spent some time working in a hotel and eventually in sales. Now that I'm back working in a church full time I've noticed there are some things I really miss.

1. Going to church and not being paid for it.
Waking up that first Sunday I was no longer being paid by a church was liberating.

I rolled over to Laura and asked, "Do you wanna go to church?"
"I don't know, do you?" she responded sleepily.
It was a great moment because we were no longer obligated to be there. We were free to choose. This forced us to ask ourselves, why do we go to church. Was it for more than a paycheck? Our motives had a chance to be purified. We decided the church could be a movement that we'd love to be a part of.

2. Ego Boost

After 12 years of full time vocational ministry under the belt a question began entering my mind and wouldn't leave like a scratch I was afraid to itch.

"Am I only doing this because it's the only thing I can make money at?"

I'm a bit embarrassed to share that but it's the truth. Was my worth and ability to provide an income limited to only the church? Working in sales gave me a chance to see that I was really good at other things. I could make great money for my family elsewhere. I didn't have to be a pastor. I no longer felt desperate and inadequate. I could choose to be a pastor again for much better reasons.

2. Better friendships

I've always had trouble making friends with Christians. I get lost in the language they use. Perhaps it's because I don't want to talk about God all of the time. Sometimes, I'd rather just talk about the latest Portlandia episode or the UFC.

I also hate the feeling of walking on egg shells. Honesty gets stunted the moment you're afraid of offending someone. Working at the hotel and in sales gave me a chance to meet some really great people. We laughed really hard and I was free to be me.

3. Quantifiable Efforts.

My favorite time of the day in sales was when I counted up everything I did. It was right there on the computer screen. I sold a certain amount of beds and made a certain amount of money. The sense of accomplishment was very rewarding. The difficulty with working in a church full time is people are not projects to be completed. Life is messier than that.

4. Praying for more than a message.
When I was working in sales, I'd often get to work an hour early and spend some time reading the Bible and praying at this Starbucks near work. Sunday was our busiest day so going to church usually wasn't possible. God would meet me there and we had the best conversations. I remember how goofy it seemed that the God of the Universe would spend time in this grocery store Starbucks somewhere in Bellevue but He did. I think our friendship developed quite a bit and I learned to trust him in ways I hadn't before. I think I realized how much I like him and he likes me. This happened because I was able to concentrate on much more than a message I was preparing. Ironically, I was free to experience him without the constraints of churchy things.

Accidentally Good

I won't speak for everyone because I know this can be an unsettling subject. If a self-analysis of your ethics makes you squeamish--fair warning--go back to Facebook, Reddit, or the refrigerator.

How I spend my time, the kind of friends I make, what experiences attract my attention, and how I relate to the world are all pretty good indicators of what kind of person I am. And since I happen to believe my mode of using my life is important, it is only logical that I would want to continually evaluate whether or not I am using this life well. Because of this and because of a recent contemplation of philosophical ethics, I am ready to make the bold claim that most of my altruism has been accidental.

When it comes to ethical philosophy--what you believe is right or wrong--there are two-and-a-half positions. First, there is ethical egoism, in which someone's moral compass tells them it's best to act in their own self-interest. Second, there is ethical altruism, in which someone's moral compass tells them it's best to act in the interests of others above their own. And second-and-a-halfly, there is ethical utilitarianism, which is the moral inclination toward the good of everyone by which someone treats others the same as themselves. This last position is really a balance of the first two, however it appears at first glance to be the ethical manifestation of the famous Golden Rule (do unto others...) that Christians are always harping on about.

But do we actually practice the Golden Rule? Or are we lying to ourselves. (Matthew 5-7)

I'm in seminary right now, preparing for full-time ministry. I have every reason to convince the people around me I'm a golden superstar who eats saltines while serving filet mignon to the homeless (or Gardenburgers if they're vegetarian). Is it weird that it's in my best interest for everyone to think I'm an altruist? Yep, I think so too. So here's a confession: I'm not a good altruist. I spend a little time volunteering and I've supported public broadcasting. I try to tip well and always be polite to everyone I meet. But I've spent much more time shopping online for wristwatches and iProducts than volunteering anywhere or supporting any causes--period. Simply put, my actions speak louder to my interest in saving money on an horological accessory than any significant altruistic commitment to people. In fact, most of the times I've wound up helping someone was the result of being somewhere by coincidence or repaying a favor to a friend. My charitable acts of kindness and altruism were accidental. (Mark 10)

In point of fact, I am an egoist. I don't spend my time thinking about other people nearly as much as a true altruist or utilitarian would. I'm not saying that in itself is a good or not, but to judge myself by my action it is clear that somewhere inside I am deeply swayed to the egoist opinion, and active interest for others is like the wind and the wave on the thin surface of the ocean. It's important to come to terms with this reality if I'd like to stand any chance of changing it. (James 1)

I'm tired of being accidentally good. Like diving into the ocean, I'm trying to figure out how deep I must go to bring the light of charity to the deepest places of my soul. And someday, maybe, I will open my depths to the Spirit of God who blows patiently across my surface. (Genesis 1)

Now let me get out of the way and Jesus will have the last word.

The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! (Matthew 6)

22 Old Testament Facts Not Taught in Sunday School

When I first became a Christian, I always thought it exciting to ask Christians what they found more interesting: Old or New Testament? Although some (mostly male) people answered the Old Testament for the amazing battles of David's mighty men, the vast majority answered New Testament. Despite the presence of Jesus being the anticipated answer as to why the New Testament was favored, I was shocked to hear most people answer "Because the Old Testament is too confusing and boring."

I admit, the Old Testament genealogies are perhaps drier than the bones found in Ezekiel’s vision, yet after taking an entire class that was focused on surveying the Hebrew Bible, I found that my own feelings of confusion and boredom had little to do with the content. Instead they stemmed from my inability to understand what I was reading. Despite my feeling of being well-versed in Biblical history going into the class, I found that my own Biblical education had been lacking in even some of the most basic areas. Anticipating this lack of knowledge about the basics, our professor weekly quizzed us on 22 basic facts that are helpful in understanding the Old Testament. This list was completely complied by him, and I am greatly appreciative for the tool that helped me to understand the Old Testament better, hopefully it will do the same for you!

1. Abraham is thought to have lived about 1700 BCE.
2. Moses is thought to have lived about 1200 BCE.
3. David and Solomon were kings of Israel between 1000-900 BCE.
4. 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel were destroyed when the Assyrians invaded the North in 722 BCE. These are the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Manasseh.
5. After Solomon's reign, the northern kingdom is known as Israel, southern kingdom is Judah.
6. The first Jewish Temple (Solomon's Temple) was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE.
7. Much of the Hebrew Bible was collected and edited in Babylon, during the Babylonian Captivity, about 550 BCE.
8. The Second Temple was Dedicated in 516 BCE.
9. The Tanakh is divided into three parts: 1) Torah ("Law" or "Instruction"); 2) Nevi'im ("Prophets") and 3) Ketuvim ("Writings").
10. The "Torah" refers to the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy- These books are also sometimes referred to as the Pentateuch.
11. The language of the Hebrew Bible is Hebrew, though some parts are written in a related language called Aramaic.
12. The Second Temple was Destroyed in 70 CE.
13. After the destruction of the Second Temple, Jews no longer had a place to sacrifice as their scriptures had instructed them to do.
14. Rabbinic Judaism began after the destruction of the Second Temple.
15. Modern Israel became a state in 1948, after World War II.
16. Jerusalem is situated with the Dead Sea to the east, the Mediterranean Ocean to the west, the Negev Desert to the south, and Samaria and Galilee to the north.
17. The River Jordan connects that Sea of Galilee (in the north) with the Dead Sea.
18. Jerusalem is about 10 miles west of Jericho and the Dead Sea. (10 is not a typo).
19. Jerusalem is located on a mountain range that runs north and south through the land, and is at about 2500 feet in elevation.
20. Every year, Jews commemorate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt with a festival called Passover.
21. Jews are instructed by God to keep his commandments, which are listed in the Torah, specifically in Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy.
22. Through Moses on Mt. Sinai, God made an eternal covenant with the Jewish people.

To You Is Born

Funeral Theology

To be fair, I'm writing this as a way of processing the past few days. I lost my friend Jeremy and I miss him. However, the past few days has also left me with one haunting question:

"Why don't I always treat people like this?"

I Answered My Phone

The past few days I've spent a lot of time over at Jeremy's home. I let Rebecca (Jeremy's wife) and her family know they could contact me at anytime and for any reason. I wanted to be completely accessible to them as they mourned. I answered my phone every time she called. I cleared my schedule. It was not a burden.

Did you ever notice how the majority of Jesus' miracles did not come about by strategic planning or appointment? Rather, his miracles often began out of interruptions, inconveniences, and even annoyances. He was never too busy. Jesus would stop the world to address a need and still stops all of heaven to hear your prayer.

Others Were More Important

When someone passes away there are countless details to attend to. Rebecca's phone was ringing off the hook. One day while I was visiting with the family, Rebecca's phone interrupted our conversation. She apologized and I made a decision. I told her and her family, that for the next few days they will never need to apologize to me for anything. They can get angry, answer the phone, ask me to leave, anything they want. They were more important. I was just honored to be there.

The apostle Paul writes about Jesus by saying, "but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant."(2) As I studied this scripture I discovered something startling. Jesus didn't just give lip service to the idea that other's were more important. He didn't just talk about it or act like it. Jesus actually thought others were better than him. When he saw another person walking by, Jesus saw their needs as more valuable.

In a world where we won't even let the truck merge into our lane, what a revolutionary idea! What if I thought this way all of the time?

Grace Got Liberal

During one of my last conversations with Jeremy, I asked if I could share who God is. See, Jeremy was a skeptic and had plenty of questions regarding faith. I always appreciated his honest doubt. As I sat next to his bed, I decided to share the story of the thief hanging on a cross next to Jesus as they both slowly died. I've always enjoyed the simple conversation Jesus and the thief had.

Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."(1)

I think most pastors and theologians, given the choice, would leave this conversation out of the Bible. It doesn't fit neatly into our boxes of belief regardless of how it's dissected. Read it however you like, but I see a man throwing a hail marry pass with his last breath. This conversation seems more like a bail-out plan than belief.

Near death conversations often end up this way. Grace gets wonderfully liberal. Hoops and hurdles are removed. Questions remain unanswered, evidence is still insufficient, uncertainty shadows faith, and yet Eternity approaches. In conversations like these, it is never about a belief in a statement, it is trusting in a person. As we prayed together, Jeremy decided to trust Jesus with his life and death and today he is with God in paradise. That's why we sing about grace being amazing.

So why don't I always communicate grace this way? Why do I have this constant need to restrain and control God's reckless love for others? Why not fling open the door and reveal a God that honors a dying man's request?

1. Luke 23:39-43

2. Philippians 2:3-7

Giving Presence

This is a sermon I spoke yesterday at Lifepoint Church in Renton, WA. If you want to listen to it podcast style it will be available here in the next day or 2. There has been light editing to make it more readable.

In 6 days I will be leaving Washington. I know, sad...

I will be leaving the cold and the rain, 2 things that I have been really beginning to loath.

Before moving up here I would have never referred to myself as a “Cali boy,” or a “California Kid”,  but after being up here, I can’t help but long for the sunshine and the 100 degree summers of Sac town.

A sunny Christmas with a high in the 60s sounds perfect to me right now. 

I can’t wait to be home.


However its not the weather that makes me most excited to be home, because in reality Seattle is ten times the city Sacramento is.

But there is one thing missing in Seattle.

Its my cousin, a 7 year old named jack, my really cool brother, my sweet mom, and my amazing dad. Its the people that I love that make me most excited about going home.

There is a reason why children, no matter their age, go home for Christmas every year. Its not because we love the free food, which we do, its not because we feel like we have to, its not so that we can get a gift from our parents, which, I’m not going to lie, is pretty awesome.

The real reason we go home is because we know that our presence is the best present of all to those we love.

Its because being with those who love us and we love is more meaningful than anything else in the world. 

To slow down life and just “be” with the important people in our lives.

I never really understood this importance of presence in my life until I was gone from my family for the first time, when I moved up here, to WA.

Now, when I go home and I get to see the smile on my parents faces, it almost makes being gone worth it. Or watching 7 year old Jack’s face light up when I walk into the room. It simply shows the importance that our presence makes in the life of others.

Presence may be the single most important gift anyone can give.

We can look at the patriarchs (Abraham, Issac, and Jacob) and see that God’s presence was with them, leading them.

We can look at Moses and the Sinai account to see God’s presence with the Israelites.

We can look at Israel’s tabernacle and later the temple as the defining physical object that showed God’s presence among Israel

You see, Israel was defined by one thing. The presence of the Lord.

God was with his people, His presence was made clearly known.

Israel’s identity depends entirely on the encounter between God and Man. The key word being “encounter." This was and is not simply a one sided relationship.

As a matter of fact we can look back to the time of Joshua and Judges to see the implications of this relationship between God and Israel.

Joshua 3:7-10

7 And the LORD said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to exalt you in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with Moses. 8 Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

9 Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. 10 This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites.

11 See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. 12 Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. 13 And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD—the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.”

14 So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant went ahead of them. 15 Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, 16 the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. 17 The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

Its clear in this passage that Joshua listened to the Lord, and the Lord was with the Israelites on that day. His presence was known.

In contrast we can look in Judges, after the death of Joshua how the people turned away from the Lord and the consequences because of the breakdown of this relationship.

Judges 2:11-14

11 Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals. 12 They forsook the LORD, the God of their ancestors, who had brought them out of Egypt. They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them. They aroused the LORD’s anger 13 because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths. 14 In his anger against Israel the LORD gave them into the hands of raiders who plundered them. He sold them into the hands of their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist.

Israel turned its back on God. He never left them, but they chose leave Him.

God created humans for relationship. God chose Israel as the means in which he could be known and have this relationship with the world.

Through out the entire Old Testament we see a picture of a God, that is desperate to be with His people. A God, that put up with unfaithfulness, and abandonment because He loves His creation and wanted to live and dwell among them. He wanted his presence to be known.

Thank God the story does now end there. God longed for a more intimate relationship with those he loved, us.

Enter Jesus.

Matthew 1:18-23

18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[d]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[e] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[f] because he will save his people from their sins.”

22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[g] (which means “God with us”).

God with us...

God’s presence is with us now.

We have received the ultimate gift of God’s presence.

Because of Jesus, the infinite God becomes more tangible, more approachable, and more comprehensible.

Jesus loved being with people.

He paid attention to the prostitute in Luke 7. While the pharisees were condemning Him, He forgave her of her sins.

He noticed little Zachariah, the chief tax collector, a man who stole from others, up in a tree in Luke 19.

Jesus paid attention, listened, and noticed. He did all the things that we don't do because we are in such a hurry that we forget.

Because we have God with us we have everything, and it changes everything.

Jesus came to be with the hurt, the lost, the sick.

We can see Jesus taking time to heal a man with Leprosy in

Matthew 8:1-3

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy

1 When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. 2 A man with leprosy[a] came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”

3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.

Jesus noticed those everyone else would have passed by. He was willing to be with the broken, and even heal the broken. He still is today.

Where is your leprosy, where is your hurt, where is your loss, where are you sick? Do you anticipate God’s presence to be there in those situations?

So, How should we celebrate His presence this Christmas?

This season is the celebration of the arrival of God’s presence in the person of Jesus.

Take a moment and think, what is the most memorable gift you have ever received? …

I bet for most of you the gift that comes to mind is a relational gift. A gift that celebrates the relationship between 2 people.

My most memorable gift was a baseball mitt. It wasn't the most expensive gift, or even the one I was most excited about at the time.

But its definitely the most memorable, because when I think about it I think about my dad, and the the times we played catch, and all the times he coached my teams, and how he taught me to be the man I am today. 

It’s not the mitt that is special, but the relationship it helped build.

In the same way the life of Jesus was God’s celebration of the relationship between man and God. He gave his presence, in his only son, He gave himself.


Here we read the account of the birth of Jesus:

Luke 2:7

New International Version (NIV)
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

I have been to Bethlehem, and let me tell you, Its not the pretty wooden manger with the cute baby animals that is depicted in movies, or the beautiful nativity scenes that we proudly display in our homes.

Where Jesus was born was quite the opposite. It was a dark, dirty, nasty cave. Now add in gross and dirty animals to the mix, and this is definitely not a place you would want to have a baby. Yet it was the place Jesus made his debut.

Jesus did not force his way into existence displaying the vast power of God, which he could have, rather he came humbly in a tiny dirty cave among animals in a small town called Bethlehem.

Could it be Jesus came humbly in a dirty cave, so that we could know that our sinful messed up hearts were not too lowly of a place for him to dwell?

Jeremiah 17:9

English Standard Version (ESV)
9The heart is deceitful above all things,
  and desperately sick;


Does that sound like a place for God to dwell? Probably not, but it does sound a lot like the little cave in Bethlehem.


Ultimately Jesus’ presence, his gift, cost him everything.

Lets not loose sight of why this season is so important. Its not a new video game, its not a new piece of Jewelry, its not the latest and greatest piece of technology.

This season is a celebration of important people in our lives

Its a celebration of our willingness to slow down and care for one another

Its a celebration of remembering, that Jesus came humbly to give his presence and be apart of our broken and messed up lives.