Scars Mean Healing

Paul Cowan is our guest blogger this week.

And another thing . . . scars

Dave Mullins spoke Sunday about scars.  Scars can be useful as reminders of situations we have faced in our past and pain we have been through.  Scars can disfigure us and scars can change us.  Scars take us back to instances we might not want  to relive.  Yet there is a certain hope we can find in scar tissue that simple wounds do not yet provide.  Something Dave said about scars and especially the scars that grace the body of Jesus struck me as incredibly profound.  Scars mean healing.  And healing means life.

The scars that I carry on my physical body are manifestations of injuries and wounds that have healed.  The only way these wounds could heal is by my continued life.  Cut flesh fuses back together and scabs slough off to reveal healed (if not perfectly restored) skin beneath.  The mark left behind is the reminder alluded to earlier, but the skin will function again as before.  In the instance of fractured bones, the very act of healing can leave the bone stronger than it was before the break; a powerful metaphor which can be applied to ourselves as we are refined by the inevitable fires of life.

In the case of our Savior Jesus Christ, scars He chose to leave on his body represent the same healing and even more importantly, life.  Without Jesus' scars it would just be too easy to dismiss (as many continue to do to this day) the resurrection as simply a reappearance of the Lord in spirit form, and not a literal resurrection of the body.  But what would this mean for us as Christians?  Without the physical resurrection, what hope do we have for ourselves?  What hope for salvation?  What hope for a future spent in the presence of the Living God?  For without physical resurrection, what Living God would there be?  (I don't mean to imply this is the only reason for the continued presence of scars on the resurrected body of Jesus, but simply that I believe this is at least one reason.)

We have faith and hope because we have heard testimony as to the scars on Jesus' body.  Spirits do not have scars.  For spirits do not require healing.  Only a body has scars and only a body which continues to live or is born again.  That makes me place a certain value on scars that is not only more than what I would ever have thought, but frankly is not something I had every thought about in the first place.

As we have discussed before, many of us have scars.  There are physical scars from accidents with bicycles, skateboards, cars, knives, asphalt, rocks, augers, and anything else we could think of that is even remotely sharp or abrasive.  There are also emotional scars from childhood and throughout life since.  For some of us they are too numerous to mention.  And while most of us don't have open physical wounds, many of us still have deep, open, gaping holes in our spirit that have yet to heal and form their own scars.  It is such a blessing to know that our Savior, who became flesh for us, can relate to our wounds in both physical and emotional form.  He experienced both and overcame them  both.  As well, if we remain in Him, He will be faithful to help us to do the same!  (John 16:33)

And that is all I have to say about that . . . for now.

Jesus the Intercessor

And Another Thing . . . Jesus the Intercessor

I have a confession to make. I sometimes drive too fast, which is an occupational hazard for a sales rep. For more than 20 years I put nearly 50,000 miles a year on my company car. That is a lot of windshield time. Since the average driver goes about 12,000 miles annually, that’s the equivalent of four years worth of driving in just one year’s time.. When you are behind the wheel as much as I was, chances of going too fast and getting caught in the act are greatly increased.  Do I sound defensive? Well it is a sensitive subject.

On one occasion, I asked an attorney friend to represent me concerning one of my tickets. He went before the judge and told him what a nice guy I was and how I deserved to be shown mercy for my traffic transgressions. That “nice guy” argument never would have worked if I’d said those words to the court. But his description somehow made a difference and resulted in a reduction in the amount of my penalty. Even though I was sternly warned to not “transgress” again, I felt I had received mercy.  Sometimes we need someone to speak on our behalf. We need someone to plead our case.

The book of Hebrews in the New Testament describes Jesus’ role as our high priest and intercessor. Hebrews 5:1-2 says, “Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.  He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.”

“Ignorant” and “going astray” are part of the human condition. No matter how much success we achieve, there are still areas where we find ourselves in the ignorant/astray category. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual matters. There is not a great deal of information available to us about the nature of nonphysical things. We all are mostly stumbling in the dark when it comes to God. This is why John says, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.” This light appeared and was resurrected, and, Hebrews 7:25 tells us that Jesus, our high priest, now “lives to intercede.”

God recognized that all of us ignorant-stumbling-astray people need help. He knows that even our best attempts are still a far cry from what his justice requires. This is why Jesus steps in and intercedes on our behalf. He does not argue that Sam is a nice guy. He doesn’t mention my mission trips or evangelistic exploits. He skips right over my extensive resume as a Bible teacher. Instead he tells the Father, “I’ve got him covered. He is with me.” Hebrews 9:28 says, “. . . Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” Jesus is the help I need. He represents me to God in a way that I could never represent myself.

Being nice is nowhere near enough to recommend us to God. Jesus’ sacrifice is more than enough, and through the mystery of our relationship to him, as described in Hebrews, we are not only granted access to God’s kingdom, but we are inspired toward “love and good deeds.” He gives us more than we can ask for . . . and then some.

And that’s all I have to say about that . . . for now.

Christ is the Invisible Image of the Visible God

We have a guest blogger this week.  Paul Cowan is the author of this week’s And Another Thing.  Enjoy

On Sunday, Sam talked to us about the oftentimes controversial subject of who Jesus is. We learned that "Christ is the visible image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Jesus himself said to Philip, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). We learned that Jesus was there before the Creation, and it was through Him that creation came to be (Colossians 1:15-17). Therefore Jesus is not simply one god among many, but He is the one and only God. We also learned that He sacrificed Himself to make us acceptable and reconcile us to Himself (Col. 1:19-20).

But so what?  I mean, that's important, yes, but we already know that, right? Jesus died for our sins and we are forgiven and there you go. As I began to think about this more, though, it occurred to me that those of us who have been Christians for years often don't realize just how revolutionary that last part was. The God of the Universe sent His only son, Jesus, to bridge the gap that had come between us. Upon Christ's death, the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple was torn in half. That meant we are no longer required to go through a priest to speak to God. We also no longer have to sacrifice an animal to atone for our own transgressions. Blood is still required, but Jesus' blood was--and continues to be--perfect and sufficient for us all through the end of time. We can now commune with God ourselves, with Jesus as our intermediary. It's all most of us have known for longer than not, but it hasn't always been this way; for humanity and for others who are new in the Faith.

Revolution is defined as "a forcible overthrow of a government or social order in favor of a new system.” This is exactly what happened. Jesus, with His sacrifice on the cross, began a revolution that continues to this day. He overthrew sin and death and created a new social order between us and God. We are no longer simply subjects of God, but His children and coheirs with Christ (Romans 8:14-17). Truly a game-changer. Colossians 1:13-14 says, "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

For His disciples and close followers, change happened soon after the day He arose from the dead. They believed on Him and were set free. For most of us, this happened many years ago; at a church of our youth, perhaps. But for many others around the world, it happens every day. Each day people who live under the Law and the consequences pursuant to it, choose to follow Jesus and trade the Law for Grace. Each day lives change and are redeemed by a perfect Man who was faithful unto death. Each day, the death and resurrection of Jesus pays our tab now and forever.

For anyone who doesn't understand what I am talking about, I invite you to allow another to pay your debt. Jesus already took care of it; you simply need to acknowledge it and follow Him. For those who never forget or become inured to Christ's sacrifice, please share your joy and perseverance with the rest of us. Help us all to follow your example and stay fresh in Christ's gift. For those, like myself, who oftentimes become complacent and comfortable in grace, join me in awakening to a revolution that calls us to leave the sidelines and avidly play a new game. A game of life and death. A game already played and won by a perfect man who shed His blood to change the rules and give us a chance.

John 1: The Word Became Flesh

And Another Thing . . . Jesus’ Incarnation

When I was in junior high I heard, for the first time, what I later learned was a fairly well-known faith-challenging question. “Can God make a rock so large that He himself cannot lift it?”  George Carlin worked that question into a comedy routine about growing up Irish Catholic. When I first heard this attempt at a theological parlor trick, it completely disoriented me. I spent days trying to come up with what I thought would be a reasonable solution. It is, of course, a trick of logic. God is all powerful. “All” is all encompassing, so as soon as you imagine a “more,” the “more” is encompassed by the “all.” We get stuck in a logical conundrum. If there is something more than “all” then “all” is no longer “all.”

The question is an attempt to find a limit to God’s power. What it in fact reveals, however, is the limitation of our logic and language (rationalism). There is no end to God, but we can very quickly reach the end of our human ability to comprehend. All of us are two or three (or if you are really gifted perhaps five or six) questions away from, “I don’t know.” This leads us to the uncomfortable and yet inherently necessary need for mystery. Any god that we could completely understand would not be much of a god. Even with all of the incredible strides in knowledge and science of the past few centuries, much of our finite world remains unknown. When we begin to consider the nature of an infinite god, we reach the limit of our ability to understand before we have even scratched the surface. This is why the story of Jesus’ incarnation is such a surprise. God chooses to reveal His unknowable nature through His Son.

John 1:14 says, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”

John1:4 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of men.”

The unknowable God reveals Himself to men by becoming a man. If this makes sense to you the first time you hear it, then you are not paying attention. The mystery of how God can become man and then go back to being God is not something that is easily understood by beings who are limited by five senses and three dimensions. We have no way to measure such mysterious spiritual interactions.

The intention of Scripture is not to make the infinite understandable by finite beings. The intention of Scripture is to reveal the motive of the infinite God towards His creation.

“For God so loved the world that gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17.

The important thing about the nature of the universe is that it was created by a God who loves. And the love of God motivates Him to action. And the action He takes is to sacrifice himself through the person of Jesus so that we, His creation, can have life, walk in light and be rescued from perishing.

Jesus is the rock created by God to justly reconcile people to Himself by His love. Jesus is the rock of our salvation, and He is greater than anything we could ask or imagine. God lifts up this rock and us and all of creation. Jesus is no parlor trick. Jesus is the infinite invading the finite and elevating all of it-- and us --to what the Bible calls glory.

And that is all I have to say about that . . . for now!

Teach Your Children Well

And Another Thing . . . The Next Generation

My daughter is getting married in April, so this blog entry may be a bit maudlin.  She is sitting in front of me right now addressing her wedding invitations. And somehow I keep hearing the voice of Tevye from “The Fiddler on the Roof” singing in my head, “Sunrise, Sunset, swiftly flow the days.”  The cliché of life passing quickly is a cliché because it is something all of us experience if we live long enough. The days of children at our feet seem eternal while we’re in the midst of them, but when they are gone it seems they lasted only a moment. I believe this is why the Bible is constantly telling us to teach our children. God knows the moments that feel like they will last forever are gone before we know it. God’s message for parents is (Deut 11),

¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. ¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. ²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, ²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the LORD swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

The lessons our children learn while they are with us, will be carried with them long after we have finished our days on earth. Proverbs 22:⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. The things we are told when we are little stick with us, shaping our decisions and choices. Perspectives absorbed with ease when we are young, are hard to shake when we are old. If we learn bad things, it takes time and therapy and whole lot of grace to exorcise those demons. If we learn the truths of God, they will be a magnet forever calling us home.

This is why we teach the stories of God to the children of The Gathering. Bible stories have been shaping people’s lives forever. And in every culture in which they have been translated and told, people change. When we tell them to our children, they change as well. The sad thing is that a lot of us don’t know the stories ourselves. So I want The Gathering to be a place where we tell these stories to our children and to one another. The stories of God are the software the Holy Spirit uses to speak to us in the day-to-day moments of our lives. This is why God instructs Moses to have people tie them on their foreheads.

After my daughter walks down the aisle and starts her marriage journey, at some point along the way, she and her husband may be blessed with children. If so, she will begin to pour into her kids the things Kim and I have poured into her. God is the Father: the parent of us all.  He loves each of his children in each generation. My dad told me that he believed the key verse of the Bible was Psalm 100:5 which says, “For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” I think he was exactly right.

And that is all I have to say about that . . . for now!

Going Viral: an Interaction between Strategy and Prayer

And Another Thing . . . Going Viral

This past Sunday, after our service in the awesome Carmel Middle School auditorium, we traveled to Soho Café to learn how to go viral.  Before I became a pastor and community builder at The Gathering, I spent 25 years as a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company.  At various times in my career I sold antiviral medicines to treat things as diverse as herpes and flu. The fear with all of these viral conditions though, was that a new strain would emerge that the medicines could not contain. If that were to happen, the whole population would become infected and perhaps die.  In my former life, virality was something to be avoided--so it feels strange that now it has become a goal.

Churches throughout history have periodically hit the viral wave. On the day of Pentecost the church began as a prayer group of about 120 and ended the day with more than 3,000 members. This early church exploded when God’s spirit came on the scene. Christ-followers inside a house were so overcome by the presence of the Holy Spirit that they spilled out into the streets where people passing by began to observe and encounter this move of God. These spectators were soon infected with God’s spirit and the whole thing went viral. God and men were joined together until this holy amalgamation snowballed into a revival. As a church word, revival means that a whole lot of people at almost the same time, choose to change their lives and live for God. When revivals happen, society changes.

Every new church is a prayer for revival. The Gathering is such a prayer.  We want our city to change into a place where people love each other and God.  We want to see hope and light flow into our shuttered neighborhoods and “access-controlled” apartments. We want the children growing up on our streets to fear less and play more.  We pray that resources will flow from our community into the whole world to improve the plight of our neighbors everywhere. We want marriages to be renewed and restored. We want there to be a turning of the hearts of the children to their parents, and the hearts of the parents to their young. We want the people in our community to turn from anger and move towards laughter and joy.  We want Carmel to look less like a city of man and more like a city of God. Most of all, we want the people of our city to find their life in the life of Jesus. The Gathering is a prayer for this kind of change.

We have been asking each of you to pray for the imminent launch of The Gathering into our community.  Each day we have suggested topics to be prayed for, and I know that many are faithfully praying for our emergence into Carmel.  Keep it up.  The secret of virality in the church is not so much strategy as it is prayer.  When God shows up, everything changes.  If God does not show up, what we build is ultimately a vanity. 

We want God to inhabit and multiply our various strategies, just as he did for Gideon and Joshua and all the other people of faith in the Bible. So pray for all of those you will be inviting to come to The Gathering on March 4^th.  Pray before you hit the “send” button.  Pray for your neighborhoods as you drive down the streets.  Pray for the homes and businesses all around you as you move in and out of your daily routines.  Prayer makes strategy look brilliant. 

And that is all I have to say about that . . . for now.