From the pastor

This past year has gone by with a blink of an eye and it's hard to believe we've entered a new decade. As I read through many articles that try to summarize the past decade, I have seen this phrase more than once: "the decade from hell". Without doubt this past decade has brought unexpected calamity, destruction and disaster from Y2K to 9/11 to ponzi schemes and financial meltdown. The list goes depressingly long... Yet, I say "unexpected" with much hesitation.

Every year I ask the seniors in small group, "What should we expect from life? Is life relative hardship with sprinkles of ease or relative ease with sprinkles of hardship?" Most years the answer is about 50/50 and many are surprised to find out that the Scriptures paint a picture that life is hard and difficult because our world is broken and fallen. Yet, we often forget this fundamental Biblical truth, and we live under the delusion that life ought to be what we think and feel it should be. Sadly, this is not the case, and yet there is good news in the midst of what is sounding like a depressing start of a new decade.

Paul writes in 2 Corinthians:

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

I need to hear these words often because it reminds me that death and pain are no longer a meaningless end to themselves. Rather, because of Christ, His death is the death of death (to rephrase Owen). This truth has resounding important implications which Paul understood well. Paul chose to enter into suffering so that through his suffering the life giving power of Christ would be made more tangibly evident to those around him. Paul, more than most understood how fallen this world is including himself. Yet, instead of wallowing in this brokenness, Paul saw the blinding light and concluded that he will suffer one way or the other--meaninglessly or for the sake of Christ. Because of Christ, Paul can now suffer in a way that brings overflowing blessings--so much that he says, "death is at work in us, but life is at work in you!". Paul toiled and labored hard for others. He did not live a life centered around himself, but gave himself up in a way that liberated himself and those around him.

Despite the promises of technology and business, the next decade will be filled with even more "unexpected" trauma. our self-centeredness and its effects in the world will not evaporate away. We pray against these things but when we see the evidence of our sins around us let us be resolved as followers of Christ, not to be crushed by them but to enter into the pain of this world so that we too can experience how suffering produces hope. We too have a choice. We can either have suffering come upon us unwillingly or we can courageously enter into the suffering of the world knowing in love and faith. Only in Christ do we have the power and vision to joyfully do the latter.

As we start this year, I hope this reflection will help us to think twice about the choices we make. What choices lie before you and how will the truth of the gospel--the death, resurrection and glory of Christ impact the way you see yourself, your call, and the Kingdom that is coming.

To that end, let me close this rather long email with some resources to help you stay close to Christ this year.

1) Bible Reading schedules. I can't get enough of these. This year I want to highlight three different reading schedules from NavPress.

a) Read through the whole Bible in a year.
b) Read through the New Testament in a year. (For those who realistically only have about 5 minutes a day).
c) Read through the Bible book by book in a year.

2) Jonathan Edwards' Resolutions. Another annual ritual that makes me realize how far I have to go and where to fix my eyes to get there. Click here to read them.

3) Resolutions. Sit down and make 5 resolutions that will strengthen your walk with Christ. Faith without works is dead.