God is with us

Christmas time used to be my favorite season when I was a kid. I mean, not a lot of kids have to wait 362 days between opening presents. But when it finally hit, I had my birthday, then three days later Christmas. It was one of my favorite weeks as a kid. But then getting presents wasn't as big of a deal to me. So for a long time, I didn't really like the holiday season. I had to deal with family for extended periods, some of whom I didn't care much for, and I had to miss out on time with my friends. So for a good amount of time I didn't love the holidays.

But for the past few years I have started to really think about what Christmas means. I've started to appreciate all the cliches about the "reason for the season," and all that. Just the other day on my way home from work I was listening to the song "O Come O Come Emmanuel" and thinking about what it really means that God came and made his dwelling with us. Eugene Peterson translates part of John 1 as "the word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood."

So back to the cliche. For the longest time people lived in our world with little or no hope. If there was a God, he wasn't much involved in their lives, or so they thought. For the Israelites, they had lived in disobedience for so long, God had good reason to abandon them. Then in a tiny town in a corner of a Roman province, God was born in the flesh. For me, I believe that this event signaled an actual change in the nature of God. God became something he wasn't before. God was so heartbroken over the condition of humanity that he was willing to become flesh, to learn to talk and walk, to love and to be hurt, to live among the people he so cared for. God knew the only way to reach his prodigal sons and daughters was to journey far from home and live among them. This is the reason for the season.

I was thinking about all of this the other day at work. I work with former drug addicts, alcoholics and homeless men. Sometimes they are a hard group to love. But not so hard when I think about the life of our savior. When I take the time to think about the fact that these are Jesus' precious children and they are the ones he is so passionate about saving.

One of the passages I have been trying to keep in mind as we moved is that short phrase about the word moving into the neighborhood. In the same way that God moved in with us, he is calling us to move in with those in Denver that are hurting. The incarnation is the chief model for ministry and I encourage each of you to ponder that as you begin making plans to move. I believe very strongly that we can make a difference here. I think we can make a difference at Denver Rescue Mission, and in whatever places you all end up working. I am excited to see what happens, and I want to encourage you that God will reward your faithfulness. Its normal and ok to be worried, to be scared and to think it won't be easy. It won't. It hasn't been for us. But, as Dumbledore tells Harry on many occasions "there is a difference between what is easy and what is right."

We are praying that the Kinsers will have enough money while Desiree is finishing her masters. We are praying that God would help provide for Bethany so she can save some for a little pad when she gets here, what else do you guys need? Pray for us, we are hoping Robin can get back into hospice sometime soon. Pray for me, I am thinking I will be a chaplain for the Air National Guard, its a good deal, part time and good ministry opportunities, but I will need to lose 10 to 15 pounds and hope my physical goes well. Pray that God will provide us with a place. I loved what we were able to do with our place at Nexus, and hope we can do something like that here in Denver. Pray that God would provide a musician. Anything else?

The weather outside is frightful

It is currently 4 degrees here in Denver. So, for those of you moving before long, buy coats and scarves and sweaters. I'm sure you can get some great deals early summer right before moving. I love the cold, so I enjoy it, but Robin, not so much. For those of you who don't keep up with college football, Boomer Sooner, my Sooners are going to the National Championship game and the QB just won the Heisman.

Anyway, I just finished my first few days of work, and I really hated it the first two days, but I really like it Friday. I basically drive a truck around town for Denver Rescue Mission. The best thing about it is one of the guys who is in recovery goes with me. We had a great time talking and getting to know one another. I think the best thing for all this is that hopefully some of these guys from the Rescue Mission will come to our church. I would really love us to be in close contact with this group. The guys are of course pretty rough, but I would bet Peter was too.

The other great thing is Robin is meeting a ton of people that could be part of our church. There are a lot of people here that are hungry for a different kind of church. They want a place where they can be themselves and not feel like they are judged. So, I can only imagine how many people we will touch when you all get here and we are all working at different places.

Thanks for sharing those prayer requests, we will keep you guys in our prayers. For us this week, pray that I will learn my route quickly, that I will get in shape quickly (I have to make weight for the Air Guard gig), that I will get all my stuff in soon and that Robin will find a job that she likes better. I am praying that you guys will all get here soon, I can't wait to get started! I am looking around everywhere for ideas about where we can meet, so pray for that too.

Also, I was thinking about doing up a little covenant for the core of our church. Just something we can all agree that we will do certain things and support one another in certain ways. What do you guys think about that? What would you put in it if you could?

Thanksgiving

Sorry for the long delay in posts, the truth is I have been a bit beat down by not having a job. I just didn't want to constantly blog about being beat down. So all that to say, I finally got a job! I will be working for Denver Rescue Mission. It is anything but glamorous, but I will be helping people and working full time. We will have enough to pay our bills and to live well, and that is all I can really ask for. In addition, I think I will try to serve as chaplain for the local Air National Guard. This would be part time, and I can do it in conjunction to the church. It will be a great place to meet and minister and I'm pretty excited about it. So, really, thank you for your prayers, it was a tough couple months, but no one said it would be easy.

Also, we had our first Thanksgiving here. Our friends Chad and Mary came, and some family and friends of theirs, and Robin's sister. It was laid back and we had a really great time. We are so excited about celebrating with all of you next year. We want to also start a tradition of helping at a local shelter or something like that for lunch or breakfast and then getting together to eat dinner together. You are all invited. I don't have much more to say, but one of the things I was really grateful for (and still am) is all of you. Its a big deal to say that you are going to spend your life doing things of eternal significance instead of things that will make your rich or comfortable.

So, please just pray that the Air Guard thing will work out, pray that there will be no scheduling conflicts and that all the little things with it work out well. What can we pray for you for?