Open Arms

“Love the Lord your God.” Matt 22:37        

There is a grand old stately country church south of Kearney that has a very large painting behind the altar. Entering the sanctuary one is drawn toward the artist’s depiction of Christ, arms wide open, staring directly toward the viewer. It is arresting in its sheer size but most of all by the welcoming gesture embodied by the painted image. You cannot help but get the impression that Christ’s love is depicted as expansive and magnetic.

As we near Holy Week and the Easter celebrations we are reminded of the great love of God. His arms stretched wide on the cross, His mercy extended to all people. This is a pretty familiar theme but many of us are not as familiar with the rebounding implications of this love. Put simply the double concept of love is: Christ for all, and all for Christ. God loved everything into existence and He also seeks to love everything into perfection by being the universal Beloved.

In the country church painting, which is a copy of the nineteenth century Scandinavian artist, Carl Bloch’s, “Christ the Consolator”, Christ is not alone but rather He is surrounded by adoring followers of all walks of life. This captures the sentiment of Creation’s purpose. We were created with the supreme purpose of being perfected in love and it is Jesus who is the author and perfector of our faith journey. Through Him we find that love we have always sought for. Surely, this is what it means to be a disciple and to glorify God. Let’s open our hearts wide to receive the extravagant generosity of our God’s love and pray that we become more perfected in this life of love we were created to enjoy.

The Journey

“I will heal their waywardness and love them freely.” Hosea 14:4

How is your sacred journey to Easter progressing? We are journeying up to Jerusalem to see Jesus. We want to see again, and with new eyes, the most astounding depiction of God’s mercy as we gaze upon our Savior lifted high on a bloody Roman crucifixion cross.

More than seven centuries before the time of Christ the northern kingdom of Israel struggled against the Assyrian empire’s ambition to overthrow them. Israel knew the God of the universe who protected His people but in their battle strategy and political maneuvering they turned to others for help and even trusted in false gods. Their unfaithfulness came at a price but God never abandoned them but kept longing for them to return. Hosea was the prophet who was used by God to call them home and awaken them to their true rebellious predicament. His message called for repentance and his life and marriage to Gomer acted as an audio visual of the unfaithfulness of Israel and God’s longsuffering. Gomer strayed into unfaithfulness but Hosea did not divorce her but rather wooed her back. By word and deed the prophet proclaimed God’s mercy.

Just as God promised to heal Israel’s faithlessness (Hosea 14:4), He is willing to restore our relationship when we have broken it with our sin. During this season of self-denial and fasting, of more intense prayer and more intentional acts of mercy, we strive to be transformed. Firstly, we desire to see if there is any sin that might hinder our relationship with God. Like Hosea’s wife, we may feel we have committed sins that are unforgiveable. Yet no one is beyond the power of God’s healing hope: nothing can stop God loving us. You know, our salvation stories are more like that of the Good Samaritan (God) who sees us fallen by the wayside bleeding to death and rushes to our rescue cry. God is not repulsed by sin. He has the power to overcome sin. Let’s pray for a new understanding and appreciation of God’s mercy this Easter.

Arms for Alms

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on to love and good deeds.” Heb 10:24

Purple crocuses popping out of a dreary garden bed. I have seen the first signs that Spring renewal is on its way. Renewal or revival is the promise of new life where once all seemed dead. The purple crocuses are a reminder that God’s renewing power is at work around us. It is a season of extraordinary grace and renewal. It is God’s gracious offer of Springtime for our souls.

In what aspect of your life would you like to experience renewal? It may be for your own inward personal relationship with the Lord. It may be in implementing some outward community action.  Lent challenges us to perform gracious acts of giving; what has traditionally been called almsgiving or giving to the needy. Adopting an outward focus is an opportunity to express our gratitude and seek renewal as we hear the cry of the needy and seek to enter their world to help. In Matthew 8, Jesus modeled Kingdom compassion to the marginalized of his day by listening, touching and healing a leper. In our acts of compassion we are stirring up our faith in Christ and asking Him to enter with us to minister.

“Go to those who need you, go to those who need you most” was John Wesley’s advice. Yet, who are the poor? Who are the most in need? Who are the most pushed to the margins and most vulnerable? In our community of Kearney it might mean supporting, 1) Crossroads, a new homeless shelter, 2) Compass, providing care for modern day orphans, 3) Collage, defending the unborn. It does not take a lot of research to find the poor but it does require developing an ear to the local news and street information. If we spend time responding to the poor we will begin to pray differently. We will realize their absolute dependence on God’s mercy and find ourselves turning to God with increased faith and less self dependence. This kind of prayer acts like a Springtime renewal – a refreshing re-prioritizing. Purple is a fitting color for these spring flowers that are popping up now as it is a royal color – hosanna to our King!

Cow Gate

“Enter through the narrow gate.” Matt 7:13

 

Here, in rural Nebraska, we are all familiar with pasture gates. Some may be made of pipe steel, others just out of barbed wire, and in former times, many were wooden. But their purpose is to allow entry from one pasture or field to another and to regulate who comes in and who goes out.

Along a narrow country lane in a small English village hangs an old wooden gate that adjoins a cow pasture. For my wife and I this gate is no insignificant gate but marks the spot where our lives were forever changed. It was at this gate, 30 years ago this year, that I proposed to her and we entered into a commitment before God that led to us being married five months later in Wheaton, Illinois. The cow gate on Church Lane will forever signify the joy of entering a marvelous new life experience and a relationship that has brought such blessing.

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus speaks of the new law of the Gospel as involving a choice between two ways to live. It reminds us of Moses beckoning the Israelites to choose between life/good and death/evil.  In summary, the secret of life is seen as following one of two paths. It is as simple as that! God uses the picture image of a road and a gate to illustrate this truth. There is a wide road and a wide gate and a narrow road and a narrow gate. One is comfortable and easy but leads to death, the other involves suffering and sacrifice and is hard but leads to life. Evidence that we are on this good road will be marked by a life of love – for God and for people – paved in holiness.

In Lent we prayerfully reflect on the brevity of life and the choices we make every day either to signify our allegiance to the Kingdom of God or the kingdom of this world. Ask God to search your priorities and re-orient your steps if necessary. Remember that just one degree off course may not seem significant but if pursued for long enough will lead us a long way from our desired destination. Life is a love story of epic proportions. Know the right gate to enter and proceed on the “highway of holiness” (Is 35.8).