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MIKE: week two of advent: why are the shepherds in the nativity scene?

Monday, December 10th, 2007


when i was 12 years old i asked my grampa to help me built a nativity set. we set about collecting some old tree branches and some scraps of wood and started our project. i have set this scene up almost every year since. i went to woolworth’s and picked out the figures i would need. of course, i started with Jesus, mary and joseph. then i needed three kings, a camel and a donkey. and lastly i needed some shepherds. i had to have three, because it balanced out the 3 kings on the other side. i never knew why i needed shepherds. the kings brought gifts and Jesus, mary, and joseph surely needed to be there. but why shepherds? what was the reason for them? they didn’t do anything. or did they?

in the day of old, the shepherds were close to, if not at, the bottom of the social status, but they were the first to hear of the unique birth of Christ. these humble men who were faithful at their regular jobs–not the religious leaders or scholars–were the first humans to hear the good news. i believe there is a world of meaning in the fact that very ordinary people busy with very ordinary tasks were who God chose to first show his plan of redemption. it means that where God places us, no matter how humble or broken, is the place of our vision, the place where we will bloom. secondly, the ones whose lives are not cluttered with all the materials of life are most readily open to the mysteries of God and take the risk to step out in faith, because they have nothing to lose.

so, you might ask, what big risk did these guys take? . they overcame their fear. let’s face it, an angel coming out of nowhere or thousands of them singing praise to God would have scared the crap out of me. and what about going to tell others about a baby born in a stable who would be the son of God. there was the fear others would consider them crazy. but they went. they were somehow compelled to go. and God’s plan of redemption had another unveiling.

that’s a nice story, but does it have any application for us or was dr. luke trying to fill pages in a letter? we, like the shepherd have a story. that is all we really have to share with anyone. and ours, like theirs, comes from the messiness and brokenness of our lives. but like them we need to overcome our fear. for most of us, one of our biggest fears is the fear of being vulnerable. there is a lot of safety in keeping the brokenness and messiness of our lives to ourselves. we can take that story, share it and further the kingdom, like the shepherds did, or stay in our own pity party and let the suffering we’ve had go to waste.

this week God brought me in contact with two precious ladies who are in the midst of some major chapters in the story of their lives. one faced a life changing surgery in order to save her life from cancer. as i visited with her before surgery she shared the story of a neighbor, whose was very hard to connect with. the neighbor is old and needs help with a husband who has alzheimers. my friend recently found out this neighbor had the same surgery she was facing. my friend remarked: “God has now given me entry into my neighbor’s life, because we have both faced this same surgery. isn’t He good?”. the other lady is much younger and battling drugs and alcohol. though she still has a way to go in her fight for sobriety, she is looking forward to the day her struggles brings glory to God and healing to others. as i talked with her about her future she said something that so impressed me. she said if i never do anything with the story God has given to me it is just a story with no benefit. if i can beat this i want to be able to share with other teens so my story can make a difference in their lives. otherwise, she said it won’t count for anything.

i know many face a life that is just brutal. many times it seems hopeless. whether it be a broken relationship, no relationship, lack of money or a job, an addiction, a physical or mental condition, abuse, discrimination or anything that keeps us marginalized, God can use it to take his good news to a hurting world. this christmas season i would gently encourage all of us to take that step of faith that the shepherds did, to respond instead of be paralyzed with fear and see the glory of the Lord revealed.

Posted in advent, community, mike | 2 Comments »

KATHY - week one of advent….the magi: pagans who see God

Monday, December 3rd, 2007

it’s 4 weeks until christmas. hard to believe. i know it’s a really sucky time of year for a lot of people. the darkness sets in, depression about money, relationships, life stuff, and the reality of how hard it is to pull off this life somehow becomes more apparent. for me, the holidays usually just feel overwhelming. too many things to do, the days are shorter, the list of to-dos are longer, and next thing i know it’s new years eve and i missed the reason for the season completely. so i am glad the refuge is going to journey together through an advent guide (put together by our friends at urban skye) for the next 4 weeks leading up to christmas. i need the help. i need the focus. i need to turn my eyes and heart and mind toward Jesus and not kohl’s and target and all the things i didn’t do this year that i had meant to. for the first christmas in a long time i feel a tug in my heart, a deeper desire than usual to peel away all of the crap and distractions and help me remember Jesus.

one of the things i have always loved the most about Jesus is he always attracted the outcasts, the outsiders, the unlikelies. in week one of the urban skye advent guide, we meet the magi (aka the 3 wise men). i always forget that they were total pagans, magicians, astrologers, men as far away from jewish culture as you could possibly get. yet, they were drawn. they heard that the messiah was being born & they just picked up and started following a star. they were drawn toward bethlehem. mystically. magically. a powerful tug to “get to him.”

i think that is how Jesus always was for the outcasts. when i look at all of the people in the gospels who were drawn to him, it was always the ones on the outside of “religion” that couldn’t get to him fast enough. like moths to the flame, the losers, the shameful, the sick, the lame, the naughty moved toward Jesus while the religious were repelled by him. the outcasts dropped everything, made their ways through the crowd, climbed trees, were lowered through roofs, crashed parties, followed stars to get to him. they almost couldn’t help themselves. when i was new to my faith i was the same way. full of shame and self-hatred i would do almost anything i could to get to Jesus. i was desperately drawn.

and then the weirdest thing happened—over time i moved from being an outsider to an insider. i learned the rules, i integrated into the “system,” and over time i systematically lost some of the real passion and need for him that started me on my journey. i know this is typical for a lot of people, i am not unique, but i began to need “church” and structures and approval in systems instead of needing Jesus. the beauty and mystery and desperation dissipated into orderliness. “do these things and you will be a real christian.”

i don’t know what a real christian is anymore. the definitions i used to use definitely don’t make sense to me any longer. i am redefining everything i have learned. but i do know that it is easy to move from outsider to insider and miss the whole point. i also know that people these days are not drawn like a moth toward the blazing flame of the church. in fact, they are running in the opposite direction.

but i think people are still drawn in crazy ways toward Jesus. the christmas story, when i really take a step back and look at it, reminds me that what we think, what the system, the world thinks, is usually not what God thinks. through Jesus, God turned all of that upside down and shows us that it is in the most unlikely person we find our saviour.

so i find myself this december in awe of the magi, 3 men drawn to a messiah who was not born in a palace and swathed in royal robes. instead he was just a little simple baby boy born surrounded by stinky animals & hay. no pomp, no circumstance. no arrogance. just a humble birth under the stars that somehow changed the world forever. i’ll never fully get my head around all the ins and outs of Jesus’ virgin birth and the wild things that followed. sometimes when i tell the story out loud, i am like “yeah, it’s a wacky one, that’s for sure, pretty unreal and hard to get our head around.” i wish as christians we’d be more honest about how crazy the story really is!

but here’s what feels real to me. more real maybe than ever. when i look, listen, still my heart, i’m sort of like a moth to the flame, like the magi following the star…. i keep getting drawn his direction. in need of the hope he somehow offers. the beauty he points to despite the ugliness. the light he seems to bring in the midst of darkness.

Posted in advent, jesus, kathy | 1 Comment »

MIKE - Dignity

Monday, January 1st, 2007

Christmas Eve at The Refuge was a glorious occasion. Each person’s name was called and we received a wrapped gift, our fourth simple gift of our December series. It contained an ornament that simply said, “Dignity”.

As a middle aged, middle class white male, I suppose I had never really thought much about the concept of dignity. Webster’s says that dignity is “the quality or state of deserving esteem or respect.” Who shouldn’t have dignity? It’s a no brainer. God is no respecter of persons. That means He has no favorites. That we are all valuable, important, worthy. So what is the big deal?.

Society doesn’t tend to think like God. Through the ages many groups have been abused, oppressed and marginalized: The poor. Minorities. The uneducated. The mentally or physically challenged. Women. The list goes on and on. Members of these groups still struggle today for equality and dignity.

As Karl taught, the Word of God again and again hammers home the truth–that we are equal, that we all have dignity. The angels didn’t announce the birth of Jesus to the rich, the learned or the religious leaders. No, it was the lowly shepherds the angels talked to. When Jesus rose from the dead, the first person he spoke to was a woman, not one of the 12 apostles. The Pharisees were not picked to be in the inner circle of Jesus. The creator of our universe picked fishermen, tax collectors, prostitutes and adultresses’. Do you think, just maybe, he was trying to tell us something, to show us a better way?

Unfortunately, many at The Refuge know all too well how it feels to be marginalized because of race, gender, educational or financial status, or maybe a physical or mental disability. I am reminded that Jesus hung out with the marginalized of his day and showed them dignity and love. And he still does. How can we do any different?

Posted in advent, church stuff, community, healing, mike | 1 Comment »

SAMI - Love

Tuesday, December 19th, 2006

I love the idea of God totally accepting us, welcoming us into his arms, and even celebrating our return…no questions asked, just as the father in the passage of Luke 15:11-32 did with his youngest son, who squandered his money and lived with pigs. I love the idea of our Heavenly Father’s unconditional love, but do I really accept it, do I really understand it?

When I think of the story of the prodigal’s son, it brings to mind my young adulthood. I think of the car that my parents bought me when I was in high school. I felt so cool, driving around in my own black Subaru Loyal, the car that my parents trusted me enough to buy just for me!

Ok, so you are probably wondering. What does this has to do with God’s unconditional love? Well, I think I wrecked that car three times. It was stolen twice, and backed in to once. Each time something happened to that little car I had to go home and try to explain the story to my parents. I would recite what I was going to say before I was face to face with them. I was so embarrassed and ashamed to disappoint them again, but when I got home they would just put their arms around me and make sure that I was safe (however, there were some questions asked!). It was always hard for me to face them but each time I did I was reminded that they always accepted me back, no matter what mistake I had just made.

Our Father’s character is that of unconditional love, but what does that mean? I believe that when we are told not to do something, some people call it the “Law”, the Ten Commandments, or just the rules we are to live by, it is out of total love. Just like my parents told me, “Sami, don’t leave the keys in your car, it’s going to get stolen,” for my own benefit, our Heavenly Father only wants what is best for us. He does not put boundaries in our lives to send us straight to hell if we cross them. I am learning that He actually is trying to protect me from some potentially horrible consequences. Getting my head around this thought gives me a greater understanding of His unconditional love.

Luke 15:20 says, “So, he (the youngest son) got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” Our Father knows we are coming home before we arrive. Everytime I pull into the driveway after I get into yet another car crash He is waiting with open arms, full of love…it is a beautiful thing.

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KEVIN- Freedom

Tuesday, December 12th, 2006

When I think of freedom loads of images and thoughts come into my mind. Some good, some not so good, especially when thinking about things I thought were freeing but actually brought guilt and condemnation.

It seems to me that there is great freedom shown by the shepherd in the story Karl talked about on Sunday from Luke 15:1-7. In this story, the shepherd gives his sheep real freedom; he really loves and cares for his sheep. As I wonder why, the bigger picture shows me that he hungers for his sheep. An ancient letter written to the small church in Rome by the Apostle Paul tells me that he wants them to have a freedom, free from any guilt or condemnation. I get the picture that the shepherd’s desire is for his sheep to grow and develop in their individual gifts, skills and attributes. Not in comparison to others but as individual loved beings. He even gives the sheep freedom to get lost, if they want to, knowing that he will intentionally and continually hunt for them.

In another ancient letter written to a small church in Ephesus I am reminded that this is because his desire is for the sheep to journey and grow into the fullness of being like Jesus Christ. That just blows me away, that the shepherd wants us to become like Jesus. Just LIKE JESUS. And to do it he will give the sheep the tools they need by giving the gift of his wisdom and spirit for counsel.

As we taste true freedom, we can pass it on to others. As God’s people, we can then help, assist, love and tell others who are hurting and weighted down by the guilt and condemnation of false freedom that there’s something better, that true freedom is staying close to The Shepherd.

In the stories the shepherd is God and the sheep are a representation of us human beings. When I link it to this ancient festival of Christmas it kind of reinforces the whole point. That Jesus came naked and weak into our history. That He then traveled part of this planet illustrating that with the nurturing boundaries of God in our lives and as part of a gracious, loving, guilt free Kingdom community we can journey into expanding personal freedom.

The funny part is that this freedom can sometimes be the hardest thing for me to take hold of because it’s given with no strings attached and is unconditional. I often think I’ve got to do something for it. In the ancient mystical letter written by John–someone who walked alongside Jesus–he says, ‘when Jesus sets us free we are truly free’. This is so true. It’s only with this kind of freedom that I can with growing confidence walk the uncertain adventure of life.

Posted in advent, kevin | 2 Comments »

KATHY - Equality

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006

Christmas. Everyone responds to this time of year differently. For some, it’s a great season filled with food and family and happy memory-making. For others, it’s a time of dread. Money’s tight or nonexistent. The reminder of losses—of loved ones, jobs, relationships, faith– sets in. In the season where we’re supposed to feel joyful we sometimes feel loneliness, anxiety and fear instead. The “reason for the season” gets lost in the reality of life and we just try to bear down and make it to the new year where our resolutions await and we might get a fresh start.

Christmas is a time, honestly, where things don’t feel too equal. Those who have money and jobs get presents. Those who don’t, can’t. Those who have intact families—or some semblance of one—get to be together. Those who have broken families, no family, exes who make things hard, or weird inlaws get to manage through that mess instead and often end up alone or angry. Some people have tried all year to get a job, keep a job, enjoy a job, to no avail while others are soaring up the corporate ladder getting one raise after another. Others are worried about gaining some extra pounds over the holidays while others are fighting for their lives battling cancer or trying to stop using drugs. Some people are happily married while others are still reeling from a painful divorce. Sometimes it just doesn’t seem fair.

In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s not fair. I don’t know where I got this crazy idea that life was going to be fair. And even though I know life isn’t, I still desperately want it to be. And fairness in my little pea brain usually means equal. Equal means we all get the same—the same blessing, the same help, the same hope, the same attention, the same _______. You fill in the blank. But of course I only want equality when it comes to the good things—money, possessions, jobs, influence, God’s “blessings.” I can do without equality the other direction…I mean who wants health issues or job losses or bankruptcy or more pain? I am learning, the hard way, that life isn’t fair. And life isn’t equal, either. Some of us have harder roads, others have easier. Some have deeper pain and loss, others just haven’t experienced some of the more life-defining struggles. One isn’t right and the other’s wrong. One’s not better, more important or more valuable. It’s just different. And to somehow try to explain why in the world God has made it so complicated is utterly impossible.

But this Christmas here’s what I keep clinging to—His ways are higher than mine and what’s unfair here on earth somehow gets made right in heaven. Jesus loves me as much as he loves the next person. And that’s not dependent on anything I do or don’t do or they do or don’t do. He doesn’t place greater value on any of us because of our looks or power or money or Bible knowledge or status or lack thereof. That’s a man-made thing. But God says to all of us that we are His treasured possessions and that when we get lost, He’ll go searching for us.

On Sunday we looked at the Story of the Lost Coin in Luke 15. It really was a simple gift from Jesus, a reminder that we are equally valuable in His eyes. Worth searching for. Fighting for. Celebrating for. Do you believe that? Most days, if I’m honest, the answer is “yes, if….”. I feel valuable when I’m doing the right things and I am staying “on top” of my life (doesn’t happen too often). When I’m lost–struggling to gain back some of my past fervor for God, controlling my life instead of trusting God, feeling sad and alone or full of shame for some stupid mistake I made–I’m not feeling too valuable.

But Jesus reminds me in this passage that my lostness has nothing to do with His value for me. In fact, it is just the opposite. He’ll turn the tables to find me not because of anything I can do, prove, muster, or mess up. It has nothing to do with my circumstances, how hard or easy my life is going at the moment. I don’t always understand His “finding”. Sometimes I’m like “hey, God, are you sure you are looking hard enough?” but then, when I take a closer look, I notice that usually it’s me that misses His looking. I am distracted by all of the things that are wrong and easily miss the things that are right—the small things to be thankful for, the simple and subtle ways God is saying “See, here I am. I’ve been looking for you.”

Posted in advent, equality, kathy | 2 Comments »

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