I am a visual thinker. I see in pictures. As I’ve been writing about bridges the last few weeks, I am envisioning a structure coming together as we go along. We started with the foundation of respect, and then last week we talked about the building blocks of togetherness. This kingdom bridge will not have much strength without the staying power of God’s presence. 

God’s presence doesn’t materialize only when we gather, or because we are gathering. His presence is experienced in the collective of his people, because we bring it with us. I don’t believe that any Christian has more or less of God’s presence than any other. But, to the degree we interact with God in our lives is the degree that we are aware of him, and thus he is more present to us. Bringing this awareness with us to a gathering of Christians, God’s presence is exponentially manifest. 

So the question is, “How can we be with God?” There is a lot to this question, and the last thing I want to do is give a formula, method, or discipline that could very well end up keeping you from God. Rather, I would like to share a perspective with you.

God is a person and can be related to just as you would relate to any one else on this earth. Respect, love, and integrity are all in order. But beyond all that, how you see God is how you will respond to him. I wanted to list all the different ways to interact with God as Father, Son, and Spirit, but the thing that matters most is that we be with him as a person. 

So, how does this being with God act as a cement in holding our bridges together? The only way to extend the kingdom of God is to bring his presence with us. If we relate to God as a person before a watching world, then it will be apparent that we are not exhibiting religion, but experiencing the truest form of personhood, the one we were created to experience. This is a bridge worthy of crossing.

Grace and peace,

Brook

On this, the day we celebrate the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the man that helped to end racial segregation in America, I want to talk about another type of segregation, one that keeps us from engaging the mission work of Jesus and keeps other from entering his kingdom. I call it separation.

This will be the last post about “hell.” Here are links to part 1 and part 2. In these previous posts I contend that due to the fact that there is no place in the seen and unseen realms of creation in which God is not present there then cannot be a hell in which people are separated from his presence forever. Now we must look at what it means to be separated from God and what this belief in separation means in terms of our daily lives.

There are two types of separation, spatial and relational. Spatial separation is simply when two people do not share the same space or each other’s presence by proximity. Relational separation is when an offense, a breach, flat out animosity exists between two persons. In the case of the unbeliever and God, it is sin that separates. Colossians 1:21, “Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.” The Four Spiritual Laws describes sin as self-will, “characterized by an attitude of active rebellion or passive indifference.” If we die in this condition of relational separation, that same separation will continue in the after life. The reason I say that I don’t believe in “hell” is because Christianity has made it a location and developed a belief that the relational separation experienced in this life will be altered into a spatial one as well. My contention is that God’s presence is everywhere, even in the condition of the after life known as hell. * To me it is an inconsistency unbefitting our God.

Now for my concern even greater that the one above. What is the effect of such a doctrine on the life of the believer, a doctrine in which unbelievers are condemned to an existence devoid of God’s presence? It is just like the segregation that Dr. King fought in the 1960’s. Over the centuries, Christianity has developed a culture, like any other culture with its own set of practices, expectations, and boundaries that end up excluding those who need Jesus most of all. Every Christian club (church) has its in’s and out’s. They will differ between clubs, but there is still the us and the them. If there was one thing that Jesus did during his rabbinical career, it was to break down the barriers to the kingdom. Though our creeds deny it, our actions confirm that we don’t believe in hell on a practical basis, otherwise we too would lay down our cultural barriers to embrace the kingdom, allowing Jesus to build his church amongst us. If we believe that the life after this life matters today, we would look beyond our cultural concerns (individually and collectively) to a society that is with Jesus and those he is calling, regardless of their culture background. We are and will be forever one in Christ. Just as Martin Luther King, Jr. sought to end racial segregation, let us seek to end kingdom separation, so that as many people as possible would not detest God’s eternal glory but will rather enjoy his presence forever.

Grace and peace,

Brook

* See my previous posts in which I describe hell as a condition rather than a location. part 1, part 2

If respect is the foundation for building bridges, then togetherness is a means to spanning the gaps that divide us. It is in these times of togetherness that love is realized and testifies of the greatness of our God. (John 13:34-35) How the togetherness happens is not much of an issue. It can be any type of gathering. The main issue is that the gathering be founded on respect, which will hopefully flourish into love for one another.

I’m currently reading a book by Scot McKnight called One.Life. In the chapter called God.Is.Love.Life, he recounts the parable of the lost son, contrasting the perspectives of the two sons after the younger’s arrival home. The younger son was repentant, realizing his sin on many levels and willing to do what it takes to reconnect with his father and his God. The older son was indignant, not willing to even be in the same room as his brother. What this spoke to me was that the pathway to togetherness is an outward, other’s centered perspective. If all we can see is our own right-ness and the need for others to come to us on our terms, togetherness will always be held hostage to performance over love. 

We don’t know how the father would have responded if the son came back looking for more with the same disregard as he had previously attained it. We do know that the younger son did realize that everything was gone, except his father. He came to the realization that his father was enough, and from that position he was restored as a son. Another thing we do know, the father was waiting for his son to return.

So, if it is our desire to see bridges built with family, friends, and for the kingdom of God, may we, by God’s grace, be like the father in the parable, willing to embrace those who come our way with a heart of respect and with acts of love. The easiest way is to make sure there is “room at the table” when we are together.

Grace and peace,

Brook

I was reviewing last week’s article, and I noticed that in the correlation I made between “loving others” and “making Jesus accessible” I created a space for us to do two things, to love in word or love in deed. Reflecting on this, a caricature popped into my mind of a person dispensing a well intentioned “Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life!” into every casual encounter with the hope that by doing this Jesus will be made accessible. While I believe that people need to hear that message, I also believe that people need to see that message. This is where loving “in deed” and “respect” comes in. Before we can love anyone, we must be able to respect them as people created in God’s image. Jesus, who created us in his image, came to earth as a man, in our image. If we are to love others by making Jesus accessible, we need to be able to see the image of Jesus in them. I commented to my wife recently that honor is earned, but respect is granted. If we want to honor someone through loving them, we must first grant them the respect due to the image of God. (1 John 4:19-21, NIV)

Grace and peace,

Brook

This was supposed to be posted last weekend, but due to traveling, it got overlooked. My apologies.

With the turning of the calendar for a new year, there is the expectation of many things beginning afresh. It is a time of reflection and reorientation. I pray that the Lord would direct you as you ponder what the new year means for you.

The newsletter articles for 2011, for the most part, all focused on some aspect of the church. In 2012 I seek to write weekly on the theme of building bridges. This theme will primarily focus on the Gospel, but not always. Two aspects of building bridges are loving God and loving others. Pastor Stuart and I had discussed this late last year and coined the terms “making Jesus accessible” (loving others) and “being with God” (loving God). To personalize this for me, I put them together, “making Jesus accessible by being with God.” These two aspects are so integrally connected that you can’t fully do one without the other. So, as I write this year on building bridges, I will have all this in mind. 

Looking forward to 2012 my reflection for reorientation will be integrating these thoughts into the different aspects of my life and my family’s life. Again, I pray that the Lord leads your thoughts and prayers for reorientation in the new year.

Grace and peace,

Brook

Jesus' kingdom is a kingdom of light. Matthew recounts the beginning of Jesus' ministry by quoting a Messianic prophecy from Isaiah 9.

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali-to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

    “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
     the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
     Galilee of the Gentiles-
     the people living in darkness
     have seen a great light;
     on those living in the land of the shadow of death
     a light has dawned.”

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

Matthew 4:12-17

The last installment in the Advent tradition is to light the Jesus' candle. It can symbolize a lot of things, but most obviously it reminds us that he is the light of the world and that his kingdom is light. (Colossians 1:9-13, 1 Peter 2:9)  The hope this brings me is that by walking with him and following his ways I will become more like him. Without light, there is no life. Life in the kingdom is found by walking with him in the light. From there we can fulfill Jesus' words to his disciples in Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world." My prayer for us is that we continue to be a light for Jesus in our everyday lives, in our gatherings, and in our scatterings, so that we make Jesus accessible by walking with him.

Merry Christmas! 

Grace and peace,

Brook

Well, I have a confession to make. On trying a new motif for Advent, I got the order mixed up. It should be Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Last week I realized that I reversed Peace and Love. There’s always next year. We’ll finish up with Peace this week.  

Probably one of the most common Christmas sentiments is “Peace on Earth.” This phrase comes from the song the angels sang while announcing Messiah’s birth to the shepherds (Luke 2:14). Peace is closely associated with the expectation of Messiah. In Isaiah 9:6-7 the Messiah was referred to as Prince of Peace, whose reign will be of unending peace. The Jews of Jesus time expected Messiah to come and restore peace to Israel by overthrowing Rome. Jesus had a different view of kingdom peace.

In John 14:25-29 after promising that the Holy Spirit will follow him, he says, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” I don’t feel it is a stretch to say that the role of the Holy Spirit is to form God’s people into peace makers. It takes the grace of the Spirit to love God and love others. 

So this Christmas, as we remember all the gifts God gave us through the incarnation of his Son, let’s not forget the gift of the Holy Spirit, given that we might become a people of peace for the kingdom.

Grace and peace,

Brook

Last night was the SCCS Christmas production, and it was a joyous occasion. Months of hard work and waiting, increasing in anticipation for the event, which when it’s all said and done, brought much joy to all involved. There are (at least) two aspects to joy in the kingdom of God, culmination and community. It is easy to see joy as culmination in the Christmas story. The joy of community is a bit more challenging and nuanced, but equally as important. 

The communities surrounding Elizabeth and Mary saw that the unfolding events were ushering in the advent of Messiah. Needless to say, there was much joy in the arrival of John and Jesus. The community aspect of joy is seen in the relationship between Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth, pregnant in her age well beyond child-bearing years, was the perfect person to receive Mary, also pregnant by the miraculous Holy Spirit conception promised by the angel. Mary, misunderstood and most likely ostracized, needed someone to believe in her and her service to God. They were able to rejoice in each other’s situation, even in the face of their inherent difficulties.

Kingdom joy of community is found when people experience joy on behalf of someone else. Rejoicing with those who rejoice, and mourning with those who mourn. Even during grief, joy is inherent in the hope that through community, there will come a time when the memories that bring sadness will ultimately bring joy. 

Modern Christmas observances challenge this kingdom joy, because of the hope that receiving personal gifts will bring lasting joy. Everyone with children knows that the joy of getting the most desired gift wears off in about twenty minutes. When we look to find joy by focusing on ourselves, we discover it is deceptively fleeting. On the other hand, kingdom joy, the joy found in being part of the people of God, is as enduring as the fellowship we experience through the Holy Spirit as we give ourselves in proximity to one another.

Yes, Christmas is a time of giving. May we find opportunities to give of ourselves in ways that honor one another in the name of our Lord Jesus.

Grace and peace,

Brook