One

Unity - what an elusive word. I've been part of teams with great potential, that were never unified but a group of individual stars. All star teams rarely win world championships. Unity means being one, despite differences. Not that we don't have a whole lot of individual differences, but that we are one, united, and our differences showcase the whole, not the individual.

There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of
your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is
over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given
according to the measure of Christ's gift. Ephesians 4:4-7

Diversity in Unity. Each of us is different: abilities, talents, dreams, but the same destiny in Christ. Christ is One, unified with the Father and Spirit, and His body is one... hmmm... does it look that way? Is His body one? What do we do that communicates "one"?

Unity in calling. Ephesians 4 is about walking - walking - in the calling. The call should be anchored in our minds, like the minor league played called up to the big show. That call is anchored. In Christ it is a call to God, to change our minds and actions, and a call to belong. The call means we belong with Christ - not my lifestyle, not my good deeds, but the call to me from Christ. It is again, all founded, based, laid on Christ.

the walk of the call(ed)

o.k. this has been a tremendous week. We welcomed our 2nd child, and 1st girl into our family. How exciting! Mia arrived with joy last week and everything's kind of crazy at home. Both kids need attention and when the whining starts, the patience stops. But, not always.

therefore i, the prisioner of the Lord, implore you to
walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you were called - with all
humility and gentleness, and patience, showing tolerance for one another in love
(ephesians 4:1-2).

Wow! Talk about a wake up call. The call to follow is not a call to think selfishly - it is a call to think of others. How do you follow without thinking of someone else? But a bigger question, and what I am still grappling with is this: I have a great call, from the great, awesome God. What walk is worthy of Him? What walk is worshipful and glorious and awesome and humble and patient and tolerant all at the same time? It's not the walk of the snubbed nosed, "I'm better than you" elitist, nor is it the walk of the foolish. It is a walk sold out to Christ. Willing to love the un-lovable, do the impossible, and care for the careless. It is powered by a new heart that, though different, is not exclusive, but rather beats in love for others to join the walk - a kind of follow the leader. THE leader.

every generation

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen. [Ephesians 3:20-21]

To every generation? Being Christian is being part of a river of history, flowing through every generation. It is a river of people who love God - not an idea of God or something about God or a religion; but God. The God. Being in the river means going with the flow and spreading love for God everywhere we splash - and all for Him. The river is His, not mine. He determines its course, not me. He determines its flow, the obstacles, the falls, and the quite pools, not me. My job is to flow - to follow. Why? to Him be glory.

Finishing last

My freshman year of high school I ran cross country. It was the perfect sport - you couldn't get cut from the team. To say that I "ran" might be a misnomer. No one ever accused me of being fast. Some encouraged me to "run" - meaning I must not have been. It sure felt like I was running inside.

Going into the last race of the season, I had never placed to win a medal (the top 10 spots). There were 11 runners in this final race. I knew it was my moment. I didn't have to win, I just needed to pick one person and stick to them like peanut butter and then slide by at the end. It ended up not being close - 10 of us finished as a group (I was proudly 10th) and I'm not sure if the 11th finished or not. So, in other words, I was nearly last. Is being last horrible? It defies success to finish last. It's not how I was brought up or ever taught in school (just to clarify, by my senior year I did do well in track - but never cross country). But is it bad to be last?

Just think! Though I did nothing to deserve it, and though I am the least deserving Christian there is, I was chosen for this special joy of telling [others] about the endless treasures available to them in Christ. Ephesians 3:8 (NLT)

That's what the Apostle Paul, an early advocate of Christianity, said about himself. God likes the least and last. He uses them for great purposes. My success means nothing ultimately, but God's work in me and through me means everything. Life is not about finishing first, it's about running the right race with the right power. Paul changed races in his life - he used to hate Christians; but then he became one. He never made much money, never wrote a book (though he did write a lot of letters), never was a celebrity. He was usually hated, and often a prisoner. Not a real successful life. But God chose Him to bring light to millions.

Purpose anyone?

I'm tired of running in hamster wheels. All kinds of crazy motion going no where. The best thing that is happening is that I'm getting a good workout. You gotta love that benefit - running on a treadmill is probably the most boring kind of running, so if I'm going to run I want to run somewhere. The more I run, the thirstier I get, so the more I run to find satisfaction - but it's not there.

Here's the good news, I know I'm here for and with purpose. Life isn't meaningless, it's meaningful as I fulfill my purpose. It's not without difficulty; there's all kinds of difficulty, but I have the opportunity to be courageous in difficulties. Because I can have strength of purpose to overcome, face, and withstand difficult times. What is my purpose?

To shine the Light of the World to everyone I meet, in action and word. On campus, in church, in community, in family: live for Christ. What's that mean? It means I put myself behind the rest. When I got off the hamster wheel to nowhere, I only began to get anywhere as I put myself aside and served Christ and others. It's not about me - that's good news. And it is satisfying. My life is now hidden with Christ in God. I don't have to live a life of self-denial, I live a life of joy and satisfaction because God is my satisfaction. More than denying myself, I want more of Him. He's better than anything I chased hard after on the hamster wheel, because no matter how much I got, I still had to run and got nowhere.

Purpose? I like purpose, and I like satisfaction. I like to live purposefully, courageously, so that I will be more satisfied.

Clutz meets Grace

Grace, what a concept. I don't encounter it much in life. This morning I was driving, and stopped to make a right-hand turn. The (rather expensive) car behind me wasn't all that excited about me stopping to make the turn - at a stop sign none the less. I was honked at, and promptly passed in a rather dangerous maneuver, in city traffic. Maybe they were on their way to the hospital! Or maybe they were an undercover police car chasing Osama bin Laden or someone else who we want to catch. Or maybe they just need a little grace to give a little.

We all need it. I need grace everyday. Not that I'm a clutz, but because I'm a clutz. As hard as I try, life doesn't come out right. I have desires that turn me in the wrong direction. I go the wrong way and need grace to see the light and go the right way. The good thing about Grace is that I, or you, can't ruin it. It is always good, never worn out, and when pure, always given. It does have its requirements though. It doesn't come cheap.

Grace requires faith. Faith in the One who gives grace. Otherwise, we reject the grace. What does that faith look like. It means accepting the grace-giver. It looks like Christ in real life. Check out Ephesians 2, it's all about grace, and forgiveness, and wholeness - even unity. Pretty amazing grace.

Thick Clouds

Ever feel like you want something but can't quite get it? Like the sun on days with thick clouds. You know it's there but... it can't be reached. The sky is gray, the day seems murky, attitudes get sullen. Rain would replenish, sun would refresh, but there's neither. Or, like my son at the grocery store. He wants to play with everything in the cart, but he's strapped in a seat. Twist and strain and cry and mope; it's all useless until he's set free. Cravings, desires, hope gone hopeless.

It's not uncommon. Our souls cry out to open spaces, with no return. Distant, separated, lost. Jeremiah, a prophet of God, knew what it was like. Don't get me wrong, he knew God, but he also knew separation. He spoke about God, "You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through." Looking for sun and finding clouds. Jeremiah's experience didn't end there, because later he wrote, "You drew near when I called on You... You have redeemed my life."

Harbor of Grace is meant to be a place where you can look for satisfaction and find it. It is a safe place: express your hunger, your thirst, your journey, your hurt, your confusion, your cloud, and your desire. Pierce the clouds to light.