Waiting is a major theme of Advent. We remember that God's people waited for the promise of Messiah. They prayed and waited and waited and prayed until Christ came into the world. Jesus' birth was the fulfillment of God's promise and the waiting came to an end. But after Jesus resurrected and ascended into heaven, a new waiting began.

Now, God's people wait for the return of Christ. Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. Have you ever been so saddened and burdened by what's happening in the world that you've prayed for Christ to come back soon? If so, you've had a taste of how God's people waited and prayed before.

That's our faith's big-picture waiting. But we also have everyday life prayers we wait for. And learning to wait for Christ's return teaches us how to wait for those more personal promises.

There's a particular detail about Isaac you might miss in Genesis 25. The text says Isaac married Rebekah when he was forty years old. You don't read any details about their marriage or family except for one thing. The text says, "Isaac prayed to the Lord on behalf of his wife, because she was childless" (25:21). Barrenness had multiple interpretations, none of them positive. So, Isaac prayed and God heard.

Rebekah became pregnant and we get a first glimpse at the struggle her children will have later in life. But, notice, after we're told Isaac prayed, after Rebekah questioned her pregnancy and God answered her, the text tells us something else about Isaac. It's the detail we should pay attention to. "Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them" (25:26).

Potentially, then, Isaac prayed and waited and waited and prayed for twenty years for the answer to his prayer.

Is that something you've had to do? Is that something you think you could do? You may have to. So, whatever you're praying for, waiting to hear from God on, learn to pray and wait with faith and patience.

Stay blessed...john

I've been thinking a lot about what church would be without church. That is to say, most of us can't imagine being a part of a church without a building to house us.

It almost seems impossible to have a church without a church facility.

And yet many Christians pull it off. Christians have long, long fulfilled the commission to make disciples without buildings. Many still do today. In my recent meandering, I've recognized I'm grateful every congregation I've served had an address. There were many meaningful and holy moments there. At the same time, there was always a struggle to extend our mission away from church. It's as if real ministry can only happen a that holy address.

When I visited other congregations, I began to notice something. A lot of churches love their church buildings. Guess what many of us put on the cover of our weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters and letterhead. Buildings. We even put them on our website and t-shirts. Oh, and don't forget all the pictures we hang in our hallways.

Not that a physical location can't be a blessing. It certainly can be and often is. But it can also be a hindrance. An escape, even. I used to think that constructing a new church building was the apex of ministry. No one ever told me that. It was just too hard to ignore how much we overvalued the effort.

I want to imagine more ministry away from the church so the church can be the church. So we can experience more incarnational ministry in the places where people are. Hebrews reminds its readers others once aligned them with insulted and afflicted people. The Hebrews community once were "partners" with those people. Theirs was a bold ministry because of it.

I suppose what I've been reflecting on is this question. How much do our buildings take us away from that kind of bold ministry?

The incarnation started in a manger. Whether it was at the inn like our Christmas plays illustrate or, more likely, in a room in someone's house, there was an address of some sort. But the incarnation didn't stay there. Does God want us to stay at our holy address?

Stay blessed...john

From time to time, a conversation I had with a 90-year-old saint comes to mind. We had been at a church event one morning. It was one of those kind where everyone shows up. In the midst of the hurry of the event, I sat down to visit for a moment with my friend. We said how good is was to see everyone and that things were looking well. Then he said something I wasn't expecting. He said, "I hope we're actually teaching them about Jesus."

There's a difference between child-like faith and childish faith. Child-like faith is Jesus centered. This faith forms out of humility, wonder and trust. Childish faith is self centered. It's the image of a child pouting for what they want or because of what they didn't get. No matter our age, either faith is a choice we make. The years you accumulate in church do not automatically equate to holiness and discipleship. You decide what faith you will pursue and nurture.

Jesus once addressed a crowd about the message they heard from John the Baptist. Parenthetically, Luke tells us even tax collectors "acknowledged the justice of God" (7:29). But the Pharisees and other religious teachers "rejected God's purpose for themselves"(7:30). Jesus responded by offering an illustration. What were the "people of this generation" like? They were like children playing in the marketplace. Now, they weren't having fun. Instead, they complained because they couldn't make people play by their rules.

Reflection is looking back to live forward. You learn to look back on life experiences, good or bad, to appreciate what they meant to you. To understand their impact on who you were then and who you are now. But you don't have to only think of big experiences. John Wesley's Holy Club had a list of 22 questions they reflected on at the end of each day.

We also reflect on what we hear and read in scripture or about God's word. You could spend money on Bible study curriculum. But what if people in our churches took more time to reflect on each week's sermon instead? Looking back, reflecting, on scripture teaches us to notice more of the Spirit's voice. The more we reflect, the more Bible reading becomes more than Bible reading.

In the final chapter of Acts, the apostle Paul met with a group of Jewish leaders. He wanted to see and speak with them and they wanted to hear from him. After sharing with the leaders "from morning until evening," the inevitable happened. "Some were convinced by what he said, while others refused to believe." That's the reality of sharing the gospel. Some people receive it and others do not.

Paul had one final thing to say to the leaders as they were leaving. He quoted the prophet Isaiah, but notice how he introduced the passage. He said, "The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors."

The apostle offered his hearers a chance to reflect on a word they knew. A word spoken to their ancestors. Isaiah spoke to a previous generation, but, through the Holy Spirit, those words were speaking to Paul's audience that day. And through the same Holy Spirit, as we learn to reflect on what we read, those words can speak to us today.

Stay blessed...john

Discipleship is central to everything we are and all we do as God's church. With as much as there can be to say about discipleship, the idea is pretty simple.

I'm grateful people have asked me, What is a disciple? For a while, I've gone with what I consider an easy definition of discipleship. A disciple is anyone who is learning about Jesus, in order to live like Jesus because they love Jesus. Again, we can explore much more about each of the three parts to that definition. But I also appreciate an even more concise answer. Simply said, discipleship is imitation.

Those three words also allow us to clarify at least two important things. First, you can be anyone's disciple. We might have a hard time answering what Jesus would do or say. But we can easily answer what our go-to political pundits think. We may even repeat what we hear from them. In a sense, that's imitation.

Parents often worry about the kinds of friends their children have. Why? Imitation.

The other important lesson centers on what we are becoming. Discipleship includes spiritual disciplines. That is, a disciple prays, studies scripture, worships and serves. The reality is anyone can go to church and even bow their head to pray. A disciple, though, understands those practices are a part of God's transformation. They are not the end all themselves. Who you are becoming is what makes you a disciple. If you're imitating Jesus, you're becoming more Christ-like. That's what makes you a disciple of Jesus.

And as we're learning more about Jesus, God has given us other examples to follow. You may recall the great faith chapter in Hebrews. It was important for the writer to look back on ancient examples of faith. But she also turns our attention to the present. Hebrews 13 says, "Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." So, we can also say discipleship is imitating others imitating Jesus.

The question is not if we're imitating someone. It's who we're imitating. As God's people, our highest priority is discipleship, imitating Jesus. If not, who are we becoming?

Stay blessed...john

Some of us have the spiritual gift of generosity. Giving is easy for those people. And it's not only about having the finances to be generous. It's an attitude that looks first to the love of God and the sacrifice of Jesus. The gift of generosity compels those people to give in ways that might make the rest of us uncomfortable or reluctant.

I'm grateful we recognize generosity as a gift of God's spirit. It gives us a chance to reflect on how meaningful giving is to our faith. There are, at least, three ways generosity builds the church.

First, generosity is a blessing. When generosity meets a need, we help take care of a part of someone's life. This weekend, our church gave an impromptu gift to a neighbor who lost his home in a fire Sunday morning. The neighbor's tears showed me they knew it was a blessing.

Second, ministry happens because of generosity. I need to remind you kingdom ministry comes in many forms. But generosity also takes on many forms. And, often, it doesn't cost anything. Still, there are financial ministry needs generosity supports. Even Jesus had people who gave money to maintain his public ministry (Luke 8:3). Generosity can help establish, maintain and even strengthen ministry.

Finally, generosity is contagious. Around Christmas time I remember a saint who is no longer with us. She used to provide tamales for our last food pantry opening before Christmas. She was an older widow who provided tamales for over 100 people. And everyone loved it--it was a treat. The year she passed away, someone else found out about her tamale tradition and decided to keep it going. Plus, the person who made the tamales made breakfast for another month. That's how generosity works. It inspires. It helps us see what we can be a part of that can make a difference in the world.

So, if generosity is your gift, thank you for using it for God's glory. If it isn't, thank you for being generous even when you didn't' feel like it. And look to others to show you how fun generosity can be.

Stay blessed...john

In Luke's gospel, other than Jesus' baptism, there is no direct interaction between John and Jesus. Now, we know John baptized Jesus. For one, that's what John was doing. Secondly, there are other gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism that tell us so. Notice, though, Luke's text doesn't say specifically John baptized the Lord. Again, there's no direct interaction between the two cousins.

Maybe that helps account for John's worry. John was in jail and sent his disciples to ask Jesus a question. "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to expect someone else" (Luke 7:21)? In other words, have I wasted my time with you? Am I in jail for someone who isn't who I thought he was?

Have you ever wondered the same or struggled with a similar question?

Jesus inaugurated his ministry by quoting from the prophet Isaiah. One of the signs of the Spirit's anointing Isaiah saw was that Messiah would "proclaim release to the captives" (Luke 3:18). Well, John is a captive. Where's his proclamation?

Jesus answers John by asking John's disciples to share what they have seen and heard. What Isaiah once saw is now happening, and then some! Even though it wouldn't happen for John, it was happening. That is was happening was a sign to the people of God's justice. The forgotten, the marginalized and the nobodies were experiencing God's grace in a way they didn't now was possible. That was John's answer.

Much of ministry success today looks for different answers. Have we met the budget? Have we filled a few more pews? Is everyone happy with what we're doing? We're convinced God is moving if we can answer yes. But isn't the Spirit's anointing meant for so much more? Don't you want to see the nobodies know Jesus? Don't you want people to know the freedom and power of God's grace?

If you believe Jesus is Messiah, look for how it's already happening and pray you can share in his  kingdom ministry. You may have to learn something new, do something new or even become something new. But you'll see the Spirit's work in a more profound way.

Stay blessed...john

Especially around the Christmas season, people will say, "Don't be a Scrooge," or "Don't be a Grinch." Of course, I know what we mean when we say that. Don't be greedy or cold-heart like Ebenezer Scrooge was. The world doesn't need another Who-hating person. So, don't be mean to others. Yes, those are all worthy encouragements. But we'd actually do better by being more Scrooge and Grinch like.

When we tell each other to not be Scrooge or Grinch, we're remembering one part of each character's story. How would you like it if everyone only remembered you for your shortcomings? Both Scrooge and Grinch are different people by the time we finish their stories. Didn't Tiny Tim want people to remember the change God brought to people? That people would see him, sickly as he was, and on Christmas remember the one "who made lame beggars walk, and blind men see."

Both Scrooge and Grinch had their heart's eyes awakened by love's pull. Both became something new afterwards. We find out Scrooge can compliment people. And he can smile as he shares a Christmas Day meal with his nephew and family. The Grinch's heart grew three sizes, which should be a medical emergency, but was a sign of his change. He brought all the toys and food back and even carved the roast beast.

The prophet Isaiah told of a day when Egypt would know the Lord. Remember Israel's experience with Egypt to appreciate the power of that vision. Scripture envisions Egypt as the oppressor. But God can make us all new.

Just because the first part of your story isn't everything you'd hope it would be, there's time for more.

So, I say, "Be a Scrooge." "Be a Grinch." Be someone willing to change. Be open to the power of God's love in a new way that refreshes your soul and makes you a new person. What in your life do you struggle the most to acknowledge about yourself? Start there. Ask God to put a new song in your heart that gives God praise (Psalm 40:3).

Stay blessed...john

I'd be the world's biggest cynic if it had not been for Jesus. A cynic can't imagine anyone doing good without it benefiting themselves. And that was something I assumed about people for a long time. Thankfully, Jesus convinced me to want to be something different.

I can't tell you for sure if Psalm 126 was a part of that decision. But I'm sure the feeling of Psalm 126:1 was. "We were like those who dream" speaks to my cynical heart. It tells me there are those who can dream of what could be even in the bleakness of what is. Those who dream might seem out of touch with reality. Their dreaming ability may be seen as a weakness to others who struggle to dream.

But I wanted to be a dreamer. And I'm convinced God made it so.

There are two things we dreamers know about dreaming. Even us wannabes drafted into the dreaming academy understand this. First, dreaming is more than rose-colored vision. It's a trust and confidence in who God is and what we know God can do. Through the prophet Joel, God once promised an outpouring of the Spirit. One of the signs of that power would be that "your old men will dream dreams" (Joel 2:28).

So, why wouldn't we want to dream?

As much as I didn't like it, I tried running. I even looked up strategies to build running stamina and endurance. One idea, though, I really tried. I'll call it target running. Finding some point of reference, a target in the distance to keep my eyes on. 

In running, that point is a guide keeping us on track. 

In faith, that point is Jesus. He is our aim.

Hebrews uses a running reference, and guess what its encouragement is. "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith" (Hebrews 12:2). Fixing our eyes on Jesus, target running, has always been the answer.

Unfortunately, we tend to fix our eyes elsewhere. Often on other people. Yes, we can learn from others. Someone else's victory, strength and good ways can motivate us to do better. But, as it is often said, comparison is the thief of joy. Too often, comparing ourselves to other people keeps us from making the most of our lives and enjoying what we already have. Theirs is a target we cannot achieve. A perfect target that only shows how lowly we are, apparently.

Social Comparison Theory, originating in the 1950s, helps unpack these ideas. But you can imagine how we've lived it out since the beginning of time. Even some stories in scripture demonstrate this danger of comparison.

For example, exile did not fix Israel's heart. People still turned from God. Even after returning to Jerusalem, they grumbled. In God's eyes, according to the prophet Malachi, they spoke against God saying, "It is vain to serve God" (3:14). Why was it vain? Because, they said, the arrogant people are happy and evildoers prosper.

God was no longer their target. They compared their life to that of others and it squashed their trust in who God was.

But there were others who still trusted. Malachi said "those who revered the Lord spoke with one another" (3:16). What did they speak about? Probably a lot. I imagine, though, there was a lot of encouragement happening. A lot of target running together.

Friend of God, keep that kind of talk going. Our target is Jesus, and we need each other's help to keep running toward him.

Stay blessed...john

I've learned to complain less about the entertainment approach of modern ministry. A local Jewish rabbi taught me that lesson. We were at a meeting and the subject came up because a well-known ministry in our area was in the middle of one of those kinds of campaigns. The rabbi commented, "God bless them. They're more focused on entertainment and they just don't know it."

Maybe they didn't know it. Maybe they did.

Either way, he was more gracious than me.

In speaking of Jesus' disciples, Dallas Willard once said Jesus sent them "to establish beachheads of his person, word, and power in the midst of a failing and futile humanity."

Beachhead is a military term. It refers to an army occupying a stretch of land close to water in hostile territory. This foothold allows for other soldiers to come as reinforcements before the next advancement. Think of it as winning the battle piece by piece. How do you eat an elephant? One small bite at a time.

In Willard's estimation, the disciples weren't commissioned to construct buildings or establish ministries. Their primary mission was to teach people what it meant to be followers of Jesus. And they accomplished that. So much so, their message has reached our modern ears.

Today, disciples of Jesus build in different ways than those first followers. We do have buildings and programs they would never have dreamed of . Now, we'd like to think we haven't disregarded their first mission. That discipleship means as much to us as it did to them.

Maybe it does. Maybe we get distracted.

Either way, God still uses all ministry.

I often go back to that lesson the rabbi taught me. It has helped me understand something better I always said I knew. Churches are not in competition with each other. Instead, we are all beachhead congregations. We're all advancing God's kingdom as God leads us. We're making way for God's Spirit to transform us all into new creations, true followers of Jesus.

Stay blessed...john

Whales pop into our imagination when we first think of Jonah. The biblical text doesn't say it was a whale that swallowed the prophet, but a big or great fish. Our collective big fish knowledge limits us, perhaps. So, a whale it must've been.

Of course, a man consumed by a sea creature is an interesting plot. But it is not the highlight of Jonah's story. It's a part of the absurdity of how far he was willing to go away from God's direction. The real intriguing part happens later.

After Jonah washes up on the shore, he heads to Nineveh. That's where God told him to go in the first place. When he arrived, he offered an eight-word proclamation: Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown (Jonah 3:4)! After that, the most illogical thing happened. Every Ninevite repented, from the least to the greatest.

Now, what God did wouldn't have surprised Jonah. His anger got the best of him when God acted like God and forgave the repentant people. But he knew that would happen. I wonder if he thought God would have had a chance to forgive Nineveh. To say the absolute least about the matter, Jonah was no fan of the great city. Wickedness filled Nineveh and the people, Jonah thought. So, how could they respond to God faithfully?

But they did. That's the part to remember about Jonah. And Jesus drew his listeners back to that highlight of Jonah's story. Not the whale. But the repentance of Nineveh.

When the people wanted a sign of what was important to his ministry, Jesus turned their attention to repentance. Doesn't that sound so basic? Couldn't he have talked about something more interesting to pique their interest? With Jesus, there were no whales to look for. There was simple repentance.

But that was the intriguing and greater part of his story. Without it, how can we experience the transformation of God? Repentance is a changing of our minds and how we think. This change leads to new actions and, consequentially, to new life. Our repentance, then, not our swallowed-by-a-whale moments, is the most exciting part of our story with God.

Stay blessed...john

Our family lived in Mercedes, TX for a few years. It was a regular joke for us to point to the billboard coming into town. It had the city name and the tagline "Where shopping is fun." What shopping? At the time, there wasn't much shopping available in that small town. Going to HEB wasn't fun enough to make a billboard out of it.

We kept hearing shopping would be fun. Some day. Some people even knew what the fun would look like. Maybe they were waiting for us to leave because a few years after we moved, it happened. The city brought in an outlet mall and other shopping experiences quickly followed. If you're the shopping type, Mercedes is probably, finally, a fun place for you.

While we lived there, we would hear things like "it's coming soon," or "we're just waiting for it."

Coming soon means something different in marketing than it does to faith. If you watch the previews at the movies, you know when soon is. The latest car model is coming soon and we have a pretty good idea when. But when we hear words related to Jesus like "See, I am coming soon," what does that really mean? Soon seems like a long time after 80-100 generations have passed since Jesus.

If you've ever struggled to understand Jesus' idea of soon, you can appreciate Revelation. The apocalyptic letter wants to encourage and embolden a battered community. They had endured much persecution. Soon couldn't come soon enough. But soon doesn't follow our timetables. Even when we're suffering.

So, Revelation's message is to hold onto our faith because one day Christ will come with his reward. It will finally happen. The wait will be worth the struggle. And our blessing will be eternal.

Stay blessed...john

Being a diehard Philadelphia Eagles fan in South Texas has its fun moments. Let's just say some of us take our sports affiliation a little too seriously.

Recently, someone told me they had never met an Eagles fan before me. It was like I was extraterrestrial. They asked me what I was doing during the last game. It had been a blowout win for my team. How would someone like me respond? Turns out, like any other fan.

Speaking of choosing the wrong team. When the apostle Paul traveled to Thessalonica, people believed his Jesus message and a church was born. Following Jesus as Lord, though, to the rest of the community, was a treasonous act. So, Thessalonian Christians faced persecution. Paul wrote 1 Thessalonians to encourage and strengthen their faith through this time. He was happy to hear a good report that they were holding strong (1 Thessalonians 3:6). But he also wanted to challenge them to keep maturing as Christ followers.

Towards the end of the epistle, he includes a reminder. The church was to "admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak" (5:14). Notice the tolerant attitude.

We Christians can forget that we are all on a walk with God. But we're at different points in our walk. Just because you aren't idle, doesn't mean someone else hasn't come to a point where they are. What do they need? Perhaps a loving urge from someone who cares for them. You may be strong, but others may have not learned how strong they can be yet. They don't need belittling. They need encouragement and help.

We have to be willing to see others for who they are. People.

People are different. But people are also a lot a like. We share many experiences, even if we share them differently. Turns out, Christ has put us on the same team, so to speak.

So, criticize less and encourage more those in your church community.

Stay blessed...john