This article from Dallas Willard is life changing. (Thank you, Janet, for sending it to me.)

What, to you, is the Gospel? Is it wealth, absence of illness, inner peace, contentment, forgiveness, church membership?

Perhaps, we should go to the Scriptures (daily) to see if the Gospel preached in our churches and our walkabout lives lines up with the one Jesus preached. When Christ told us about the Good News, was he saying "convert" or "repent and believe"? Of course it was the latter. But what does it mean to turn from our ways and believe in Him?

Dr. Willard says it means trusting Christ will all of me, all I have, all I am, my being, my personhood, my philosophy, my will and driving mechanisms and systems. Philosophical mumbo jumbo? Hardly. Trust him with my work, my food, my sleep, my house, my money, kids, marriage, parents, career, school . . . all of it. I even have to trust him with his church (HIS church by the way).

That level of trust, my friends looks and feels weird and very unAmerican. Unless my observations are way off the mark, we tend to trust all our stuff to our best education, practices, manipulations and marketing savvy. We do NOT really tend to trust Jesus or his idea that "the kingdom of God is at hand;" i.e., the Gospel as Christ told it.

If the radically simple Gospel "trust Jesus with everything" finds its primary voice in word, action, and strategy of American Pastors, many (most?) Pastors will soon be looking for work. On the other hand, the power of the Holy Spirit will return to the churches bearing Christ's name. Hard decision, trading today's income for tomorrow's faith-based initiative, don't you agree?

Last night, our church welcomed Sandy. She kicked off our discussion by asking some questions about how church works (or doesn't work). She had picked up a copy of Frank Viola's book Pagan Christianity? and it got her thinking, which is something that books ought to do. I think God used Sandy's questions to get us going. Thank you, Sandy.

If you are not familiar with the book, I wrote a review on it: http://www.jacksbuzz.com/Jacks_Buzz/Blog/Entries/2008/12/20_Pagan_Christianity.html

The author's believes that much of what we know of church in the USA comes not from the Bible or early church practices but from the adoptions of Roman and Greek pagan practices (Pagans worship nature, by the way). He thinks that the current lack of growth in churches stems from wrongheaded practices. Why do we have buildings dedicated to meetings and Christian education when the first Christians decided to meet in homes? Why do we sit in rows like a classroom when the first Christians met in living rooms? Why do we have a clergy class when the first Christians shunned special titles and privileges? There are a lot of whys in Viola's book along with a rather angry tone. He has some good points, and some I cannot condone. All in all, you really should read it if only because he found sources you're not likely to see elsewhere.

You can make up your own mind about his hypotheses once you read his evidence. You will, I think, be glad Mr. Viola and his predecessors wrote some things down.

Your Great Thoughts

On another matter, one we were unable to get into last night - time is always so short - how will you gather your great thoughts this year? Jesus had an infallible mind that retained everything. You and I do not. Perhaps we should write things down. I've been writing things down on purpose for about 30 years. The practice got me up out of poverty, and through college, business success, graduate school, church leadership, tenured professorship, and right here with you. Many of my journals are long since lost, and I regret that. Others I have sacked safely away - hidden treasures for my children to read when I am gone.

Today, I received a treasure from a great champion of journal keeping, Jim Rohn. I wish I'd read this three decades ago. I might have been more disciplined about writing, and I surely would have kept more of my thoughts from which my fabulous children (and maybe grandchildren) could laugh, cry, and learn.

Here's a cheer to your 2010.
... and 100,000 blessings,
Jack

Keeping a Journal—One of the Three Treasures to Leave Behind by Jim Rohn
If you’re serious about becoming a wealthy, powerful, sophisticated, healthy, influential, cultured and unique individual, keep a journal. Don’t trust your memory. When you listen to something valuable, write it down. When you come across something important, write it down.

I used to take notes on pieces of paper and torn-off corners and backs of old envelopes. I wrote ideas on restaurant placemats. On long sheets, narrow sheets and little sheets and pieces of paper thrown in a drawer. Then I found out that the best way to organize those ideas is to keep a journal. I’ve been keeping these journals since the age of 25. The discipline makes up a valuable part of my learning, and the journals are a valuable part of my library.

I am a buyer of blank books. Kids find it interesting that I would buy a blank book. They say, “Twenty-six dollars for a blank book! Why would you pay that?” The reason I pay 26 dollars is to challenge myself to find something worth 26 dollars to put in there. All my journals are private, but if you ever got a hold of one of them, you wouldn’t have to look very far to discover it is worth more than 26 dollars.

I must admit, if you got a glimpse of my journals, you’d have to say that I am a serious student. I’m not just committed to my craft; I’m committed to life, committed to learning new concepts and skills. I want to see what I can do with seed, soil, sunshine and rain to turn them into the building blocks of a productive life.

Keeping a journal is so important. I call it one of the three treasures to leave behind for the next generation. In fact, future generations will find these three treasures far more valuable than your furniture.

The first treasure is your pictures. Take a lot of pictures. Don’t be lazy in capturing the event. How long does it take to capture the event? A fraction of a second. How long does it take to miss the event? A fraction of a second. So don’t miss the pictures. When you’re gone, they’ll keep the memories alive.

The second treasure is your library. This is the library that taught you, that instructed you, that helped you defend your ideals. It helped you develop a philosophy. It helped you become wealthy, powerful, healthy, sophisticated and unique. It may have helped you conquer some disease. It may have helped you conquer poverty. It may have caused you to walk away from the ghetto. Your library—the books that instructed you, fed your mind and fed your soul—is one of the greatest gifts you can leave behind.

The third treasure is your journals: the ideas that you picked up, the information that you meticulously gathered. But of the three, journal writing is one of the greatest indications that you’re a serious student. Taking pictures, that is pretty easy. Buying a book at a bookstore, that’s pretty easy. It is a little more challenging to be a student of your own life, your own future, your own destiny. Take the time to keep notes and to keep a journal. You’ll be so glad you did. What a treasure to leave behind when you go. What a treasure to enjoy today!

We enjoyed a great discussion last night. It always encourages me to hear how well our members' lives are going, and even when things are tough, how deep their faith runs. Our church is a blessing.

It's hard on us when we see the disconnect between the way most of the people who claim to know Christ treat others (badly) and the way that Christ wants us to treat people. We do so much better when we are kind, tolerant, and loving but without watering down God's standards. That was the model Jesus showed us, and wants to make evident through us. As we agreed last night, it seems that all God expects of us is to let Him live through us. As Jesus is the light, so are we lights to others in darkness.

I was surprised this morning when my reading took me to 1 Peter 2:1-9. Peter explains exactly what we talked about last night. Evidently, this is not a new problem.

Get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor. And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say,
“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,
chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
will never be disgraced.”
Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him. But for those who reject him,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.”

And,
“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
the rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

As we head into the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, let's remember to slow down from consuming and reflect on the greatness of Jesus. He set aside the riches of heaven and voluntarily game to be among us, one of us, God with us, and he took our sins with him. He did not think it was important to muscle and jockey his way to the front of the line. Nor did he cower or play the part of a doormat. The same Jesus who showed love and compassion to the weakest outcast (harlots, tax cheats, thieves, me) is also the one who turned over the tables of people trying to oppress and con others in God's name. God loves everybody, but he will not stand for any of us causing pain or using others.

He is a man worthy of following. He is God, worthy of praise and worship.

Work through us Lord.

Last night we discussed the favorite Jesus story of anyone who ever hosted a wedding (John 2). Jesus goes to a wedding in Cana. The wedding party runs out of wine, which would be embarrassing anywhere and a cultural disaster in that day.

Jesus’ mother tells the kitchen help to follow Jesus (not a bad instruction at any party, right?). Jesus seems to roll his eyes at his mom, then tells the servers to fill six jars with water. The Lord of all things then miraculously changed the water into wine. Problem solved, wedding reception back in business.

Wine symbolizes God'skindness

The jars were big - the typical wedding feast wine jar held around 25 gallons. We do not know why they needed so much wine, or why they ran out. Perhaps the guests drank too much; maybe wedding crashers drank too much; maybe the wedding planner did not plan well; perhaps the family was stingy, or they bought all they could afford and it was not enough. Don’t know the cause, just know they had a problem they could not fix. We do, however, know the result - they were caught short. They were feeling the pinch.

Is it not terribly odd that Jesus would jump into the wine distribution business? The story tells us not only did Jesus make wine, he made the best wine - what else would we expect? Not grape juice or lemon water, but 4-star vino.

If Jesus is the perfect representation of the Father, what is the picture of God that Jesus paints here? Gracious, I think. Jesus shows us a God who provides when we fail. Evidently, God is a great wedding guest; he gives lavishly. I like the picture, don’t you? (Glad I invited him to my wedding, too.)

Wine symbolizes Christ's blood, . . . which still symbolizes God's kindness

I wonder if wine at the wedding - Christ’s first miracle - was a purposeful hint at his last use of wine to represent his blood on the cross. God's kindness was to pour out Christ's blood for human sin. The symbol of wine for blood is self evident, but Jesus connected the dots at the Last Supper. I think he gave us water/wine at Cana to foreshadow wine/blood at Calvary. Jesus was the smartest man who ever lived. He knew what he was doing at Cana.

Second, Jesus often used the wedding as a metaphor for his union between himself and all believers. He gives us a joyful celebratory event to show what life with him is really like. Living in Christ’s presence is like a big, happy Jewish wedding with gallons of high quality wine. Wow, I do not remember that image in Sunday School or Seminary, but I like it.

Our members enjoyed the discussion of Cana and communion. Geoff wondered if Christ used the common elements (bread, wine) because they were always on the first century table. Jesus demonstrates that he is always with us by using something that’s always . . . with us.

Tori wondered if the elements were chosen because so that underground churches could meet underground. Church police cannot stop a group from meeting if their meetings center on normal stuff like bread and wine. Amazing how God wants the church to stay simple, isn't it?

From Cana, we get the picture of a God who cares about everything. He wants the party to continue. He provides a lavish gift to help it along.

In communion, we see a symbol of the same kind of lavish gift giving. We cannot keep life going. We cannot undo our terrible mistake (our sin) whatever its original cause. God provides his son’s blood. He will do anything to keep the party going. Wonder what he might do to help you out.