Month: December 2022

Faith Like A Child

/ John / Leave a comment

There are a lot of things that Laura and I are trying to teach our kids. What they don’t know is that there’s also a lot we’re learning from them. They’re experts in wonder, delight, anticipation, and play. They laugh easily and forgive quickly (most of the time!). Curiosity and exploration are their default modes. Their hearts are tender to the needs of our city and world.

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Matthew 19:12-14

The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who take risks, need help, trust, and long for adventure. The kingdom of heaven belongs to those who don’t care what they wear, who delight in snow, and get swept up in the moment. God is found by those who see no alternative to grace and are often confronted by their need for grace.

May the grace of Christmas help each of us rediscover a childlike faith.

(Dis)Contentment This Christmas

/ John / 1 Comment

As we head into Christmas, I have been thinking a lot about my relationship with contentment. If I’m honest, I see in myself a tendency to be what Jude called “a discontented grumbler” (Jude 1:16), although I prefer the term “recovering perfectionist.” So, I need to fight for contentment. At the same time, I realize I need to be careful not to settle for a false form of contentment that is nothing more than complacency in disguise.

I don’t say this out of need, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I find myself. I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need. I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:11-13 (CSB)

Clearly, God wants us to learn how to be content in the present moment, whether it is a time of plenty or scarcity, comfort or affliction. Ultimately, this means learning to satisfy the longings of our soul in ways that are independent of stuff and circumstances. We find this kind of contentment through communion with God and relationship with others. As our souls rest in God, we’re able to enjoy Christmas for what it is without asking gifts, meals, and moments to carry more weight than they are able to bear.

I’m asking God to fill my heart and home with that kind of contentment. Christmas is a gift and the miracle of God with us is all my soul truly needs. Contentment enables us to enjoy simple pleasures, to be present with others, and to not miss out on what God is doing in the moment. For me, contentment feels like savoring a simple cup of coffee, enjoying a walk in the woods, and reading a good book. It doesn’t need to be loud, flashy, epic, or perfect. It’s okay with a little mess and some disrupted plans. It’s able to forgive and discover empathy for others and the choices they make.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out.

1 Timothy 6:6-7 (CSB)

I want to know God in a way that leads to contentment.

Except that’s only half of the story.

I don’t want to be content with extreme poverty, spiritual apathy, broken marriages, a refugee crisis at the southern border, and war in Ukraine. I don’t want to make peace with the daily reminders that our world is broken and crying out for restoration. Contentment does not mean complacency. Contentment is able to walk into the gap between the world as God designed it and the world as it is today. Contentment doesn’t need to be protected from hard things. Contentment is able to bring light to darkness and hope to the hopeless.

As is so often the case, my heart tends to get it all wrong. I am discontent with what I have and content with what should trouble me. I’m praying for the grace to realign my heart with God’s heart this Christmas.

I’m good with what I have. I’m not good with the world as it is.

Photo by Marta Filipczyk on Unsplash

What Really Matters This Christmas

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I think we all come into Advent with the best of intentions. We’re going to get all the shopping done early, stay in budget, keep Jesus at the center, have meaningful conversations, give meaningful gifts, create margin, give generously, bake beautiful cookies, send cards, sing carols, stay healthy, get sleep, and allow ourselves numerous quiet moments in front of the tree to thank God for the grace of an Incarnate Son who comes to rescue and redeem the world.

And then reality hits.

We find ourselves overwhelmed, stressed, tense, and just trying to get through the whole thing all the while promising ourselves that NEXT year is going to be totally different.

But I would like to think this year can still be different. Yes, you might have to jettison some of your plans and you might not meet everyone else’s expectations but it is not too late to enjoy this Christmas. We just need to get clear about what really matters to us this Christmas. Before we make promises about next year, we need to figure out what we’re looking for this year.

For what it’s worth, here’s my list of what matters to me this Christmas.

  • Time for prayer. Probably no surprise (I hope!) that Jesus was going to be first on my list. But I wanted to be more specific so faith or spirituality doesn’t become a vague platitude. I want more time for prayer this Christmas, not less.
  • Meaningful connection with those closest to me. Rather than being spread thin, I want to go deep with those I love the most. I’m also really aware that in order to have anything to offer my family and friends, I need time with God in prayer (see point 1).
  • Give generously and joyfully. For me this is about participating in what God is doing in the world and about fighting greed and materialism in my heart. But what really matters to me on this one is my motivation and attitude in giving – fighting against fear, duty, or obligation and finding joy in opportunities to bless others.

That’s it. That’s what really matters to me this Christmas. Knowing that and being able to share it with others creates so much clarity for me as I navigate this season.

The point of a list like this is not to create some brutal gauntlet that all requests for my time, energy, and money need to pass through before I say yes. Nor is the point to be overly legalistic and rigid. My Christmas will not consist solely of time alone, deep conversations, and moments of spontaneous generosity (although that doesn’t sound bad!!). The point is knowing what matters so that we don’t just endure Christmas but enjoy it.

I’m praying the Lord will give each of us the grace and courage we need to treasure these days and find what our hearts are truly longing for this Christmas. May the grace of Christ guide us to the joy of Christmas.

Photo by Sarah Evans on Unsplash

Year End Giving

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Three years ago our church started to think differently about year end giving. We had always relied on increased generosity in December to make our operating budget work (and we still do!) but we wanted to do more than simply make ends meet in our own church. We wanted to bless others by working through our ministry partners to meet specific needs in the lives of the people they serve. One of my greatest joys as a pastor has been watching RCC respond to this vision each Christmas.

This year we sensed God leading us to three distinct focuses for our year end giving: alleviating poverty, building the church, and investing in long-term community development. As I told our church, we want to meet real and tangible needs that will make an immediate and specific difference in people’s lives by working to alleviate poverty in our city and around the world. At the same time, we absolutely believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest gift the church can ever give the world, which is why we want to plant and build churches. We also believe that real change occurs over time. This is true in our spiritual lives and in community development work, which is why we want to invest in long-term projects that have the ability to change the trajectory of entire communities.

I’m mentioning this because I would love for you to consider joining us in this year end giving initiative. You can get more info about our projects, partners, and vision by clicking here.

I say this knowing that you’re being asked to give to a number of wonderful causes this time of year. If this isn’t the right opportunity for you, I totally understand. But if one of these projects or partners grabs your heart, I would love for you join our church in giving generously.