I don’t think I’ve posted anything in close to six months but am excited to break the blog silence with something so near to my heart: Advent.

Advent comes from a Latin word meaning “coming.” Each year, for 4 weeks leading up to Christmas Eve-though some traditions go for 6 weeks-many churches throughout the centuries have joyously celebrated Jesus’ first coming (his birth) while also leaving space to long for and remember His promise to return to Earth and finish what he started.

Advent helps us balance the joy and celebration of all that Jesus has done for us and in our world, but also reminds us of what He has yet to do. Let us not forget the penultimate verse in the bible:  “Come, Lord Jesus.”

Advent helps us to live in the healthy tension of honesty and hope, thanksgiving and longing, weeping with those who weep and rejoicing with those who rejoice. This intentional time helps us keep our eyes on Jesus when everything around us screams, “Look at me,” and vies for our time and affections.

At Harbor we’ll be celebrating Advent this season through a variety of means.

1.) Devotionals: I’ve written some short daily devotionals designed for singles or couples to get you into God’s Word for about 10 minutes each day. Each week of devotions centers around a corresponding sermon/candle theme of hope, faithfulness, peace, joy. Even if you rarely ever read the bible, would you commit to read and reflect from Dec 3rd-25th? We also have short devotionals which parents can do with their children. Kristy has done a great job picking some solid ones out for us. I can’t wait to start.

2.) Sermon series called “Close Encounters” in which we’ll see 4 Old Testament personal “God encounters” with Abraham/Sarah, Jacob, Moses, and Joshua, and how we can encounter Jesus in a fresh way this season.

3.) Decor: We’ll be adding some more visuals to worship each successive Sunday as an anticipatory buildup to Christmas Eve. We have four different Harbor artists contributing pieces to help stimulate our imaginations.

4.) Candle readings: Each week we’ll be getting folks fairly new to Harbor up front with a responsive reading from the prophecies about Jesus in Isaiah. Each week we’ll see a new promise unfold, while lighting the candles of Hope, Faithfulness, Peace, and then Joy.

Please take advantage of these means to help you celebrate and anticipate each Sunday, and each day of Advent.

Just last week, Amy and I re-watched the latter part of The Office Season 7. If you’re not familiar with the show, the boss and main character Michael Scott, bids farewell to his work “family” to start a new life in Colorado with his fiancee. It’s really kind of a sad episode, mainly because in all his quirkiness, immaturity, insensitivity, and insecurity, he really was a good boss who loved his employees and got the most out of them. I felt the same way! Because he wanted to avoid the difficulty of goodbyes, he penned Friday as his last day while Thursday afternoon plane tickets remained hidden in his pockets.

I didn’t lose a Michael Scott per se, but an influential mentor in my life and at Harbor just moved away from us. And, that rascal pulled a Michael Scott-esque type exit. Jeanne was sick and so their supposed penultimate Sunday proved to be their last. Though it wasn’t planned this way, I would be surprised if Larry would have written the script any differently!

Church folks move away, and that has always been quite sad for me. Yet I know, it will bring a great deal of happiness to others (in their case family) as well as their new church family. Strangely enough, or perhaps more appropriately, Larry will continue to run Pro Presenter for a church plant which meets in a YMCA. Sound familiar? That church prayed for such a person. So our loss is their gain, and another church gets a good one. Or rather a good two.

Making some people happy will always make others sad. That’s the deal with love: you will always have to love some people less, and some people more. I get it. The same thing was true for us when we left great friends and a great church in West Virginia.

And of course I’ll miss Jeanne, who proved to be a great mentor to my wife Amy, among the many things she did for our family/church in the course of their time at Harbor. It was really her first mentor since college, so for her I’m incredibly grateful.

One last little anecdote. Larry and Jeanne came to Harbor’s final core group training, the one where we read names of people we had been praying for  (many of whom eventually did come to Harbor and stay). Each person read about five, and Larry actually read his own name (we didn’t use last names). Too funny. Sometimes, in the strange providence of God, we  we can become answers to our own prayers without realizing it.

Fortunately for me, he ALWAYS checks email. I can still send questions his way.

In the mean time, I’ll continue to pray for more visitors, more members, more people plugged in, and more volunteers. Without volunteers, we simply can’t get this  job done. I’m thankful for all of you who give of your time, talent, treasure to labor alongside each other in order to see this work grow, bless, serve, and one day, multiply.

Lord, please send us more workers, for the harvest is plentiful.

I’m never able to preach everything that I’d like to preach on a Sunday morning. I know that some folks might not believe me, but I actually edit out a ton of stuff on Saturdays. I promise. And not only that, I just can’t mention everything which I’d like to when covering large portions of scripture as we’ve been doing on Sunday mornings through our “Footloosed” series in Acts.

A few weeks ago, I was unable to get to properly cover this verse in Acts 13:48.

 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

The NIV, New King James, and ESV all translate the word “appointed.”

What this teaches us is that many heard the gospel message, but only some believed. Why? I can’t see any other way to interpret this than God had already chosen them to believe.

But what about those who didn’t believe? Did they simply not believe, because God had not chosen them? No.

“When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.”  Acts 13:45-46

We are told that they rejected the message not because they weren’t appointed for life but because “they did not consider themselves worthy of eternal life.” Left to our own devices we will not choose Jesus. In C.S. Lewis The Great Divorce he imagines an after-life conversation betwixt a Christian in heaven and one who has recently passed on. Just as the Jews did in Acts 13, the liberal priest still chooses to reject Jesus as THE answer.

These great mysteries cannot be approached in that way. If there were such a thing (there is no need to interrupt, my dear boy) quite frankly, I should not be interested in it. It would be of no religious significance. God, for me, is something purely spiritual. The spirit of sweetness and light and tolerance— and, er, service, Dick, service. We mustn’t forget that, you know.’

C.S. Lewis, who as far as I know does not believe in Predestination, actually draws out the logical conclusion of Reformed thought. Unless the heart is changed, it will never choose life but remain hardened. Even when proven otherwise. Something must happen for him to believe.

Now you might think that would make one arrogant, to believe in such a doctrine. And honestly, for many, it has. So I get why many people do reject the doctrine up front. I don’t blame you.

But would you be open to considering that the opposite doctrine could also have the same result?

In the show The Blacklist, there is a very elusive character who seems to fly under the radar of any place he goes. Finally the FBI (I believe) catches him. The unit director then begins to boast in his own abilities. We found him. The main character on the show quickly retorts, “If you found him, it is because he wanted to be found by you.”

This “being found because he wanted to be found” belief was intended to humble them, not make them feel prouder of what they had accomplished. This concept, the humility it can produce and the glory which can then be given to God, is the main reason why I would commend folks to not simply thrust aside this doctrine.

Everyone does have to make a choice whether to put faith or not put faith in Jesus. But consider that there might be a reason that you “chose” Him and someone else hasn’t. Can you chalk that up to your spirituality, your foresight, long range planning, wisdom? Or perhaps you found him because He wanted you to find him….?

Regardless whether or not you hold to this doctrine, the fruit of what we believe must lead us to love. If Reformed Theology doesn’t make you more humble, than you are definitely living inconsistently with it’s purpose (bring all Glory to God), and drawing illogical conclusions. In the end, we are ultimately not to be known by our doctrine but by our love for one another (John 13:35). And our motivation to love is because he first loved us, even while we were yet enemies (Romans 5:8).

In the end, where ever we land on this controversial doctrine, let us love well, and be very charitable to others with theological differences. If we look to the Son, we are all on the same team (John 6:40).

A number of years ago, after The Shack first came out, I wrote a review of the positives/negatives as I see them. Since the movie is coming out soon, I thought I would at least share my old book review and put in a few quick thoughts.

1.) I’m not excited about the movie, but am not worried about it either. Remember The Davinci Code? Christians tend to make mountains out of mole hills. If you read my review, you’ll see my concerns and as well as what I found helpful in the book. Movies come and movies go. Good and bad. And God’s Word remains, and so does his Church.

2.) If you see the movie, or read the book and it really seemed to minister to you, make sure that you recognize WHY it did so. Creativity is good; I love it! But so is orthodoxy. The faith that has been handed down to us has stood the test of time. So if new images or metaphors or story help you understand suffering, grace, justice, evil, great. Just remember that heresy always includes some truth, yet tries to flatten theological/emotional tension. Do you like something about the God who is, or simply the picture of the God you want Him to be? We all have this tendency; I know I do! But if the book/movie helps encourage you to love, rest, and praise God as He is presented in the scriptures, then I’d say it really did help you.

3.) Most writers today that I benefit from are not doing “new material.” The more I read dead guys, the more I see folks like Tim Keller and John Piper just making what dead dudes wrote more understandable and applicable for today.

If you read the book, or have read the book, and/or plan on seeing the movie, please check out my review. At the very least, you will have another perspective than a simple endorsement or warning. In the end, even when we disagree on The Shack’s helpfulness or hurtfulness, or anything in between, let us allow God’s Word be our guide and standard for discernment. And let us show grace to one another in disagreement, particularly when we arrive at different conclusions after examining the scriptures.

Feel free to let me know what you found helpful/hurtful. I’d love to hear from you.

I got a text the other day about our first “unofficial” baseball practice occurring on a Sunday morning at 10 am. My family and I are always one place on Sundays at 10 am: at the YMCA gathering with our Harbor Community Church family to worship Jesus. So I sadly texted back that Sunday mornings would never work for us.

While feeling pretty bummed and wondering what the future held for us, I got another text from a parent on the same team who attends Harbor. He asked him to change it too. I no longer felt alone in this, and can’t even begin to describe how much fellowship I experienced when getting that text.

Not long afterwards, the practice was moved to 12 pm, allowing Connar to make it on time. Apparently the time didn’t work for more than just a few. It just took parents responding, instead of caving.

Sadly, I have come across many other kids and parents who have baseball practice on Sunday mornings. One parent emailed her coach asking if this would be a regular occurrence, because if so, it wouldn’t be fair to him or the other kids: he wasn’t going to miss worship for baseball practice.

I’m grateful that these two families (one from Harbor) stood up and said, “Sunday morning does not work for us.” That’s all that it took. But how many more will be willing to prioritize worship over sports? I don’t begrudge non Christian coaches seeking to have practice on Sunday morning. Why wouldn’t I expect that to happen? Sunday morning isn’t any different than any other day (or Sat night for some)?

But isn’t it different than any other day? Even sacred and something we should protect? I’m not arguing for not playing or practicing on that day, just that we wouldn’t allow the worship (valuing) of something less important not take the place of gathering to worshiping someone actually worthy.

Cecil Shorts III, an injured Buccaneers receiver claims, “We love this game, but the game don’t love us back.” Consider valuing the One who actually did love you back and protecting that time with His family.

I have given up much hope in the power of persuasion through blog posts (and facebook posts). That best takes place in relationships. If you agree with me, just remember that you are not alone. You don’t have to say yes. Not everyone is doing it.

But if you disagree, or if you get tired of saying no to activities or events which keep you from worship on a regular basis, consider that eventually your kids will actually grow up (funny how that happens). When they are out of your house, what do you want them to value? Obviously this goes way beyond attending a worship service-that was just a starting point.

What/Whom do you want them to value? Whatever it is, that involves placing boundaries at some level, and saying, “no” to things to which others may say, “yes” or “yes” to things others may say “no.” So at the very least, it might be wise to have this some end in mind and work backwards from there.

When kids grow up, they will be influenced not so much by what you told them was important, but what you showed them was important: through your time, checkbook, energy, enthusiasm, and actions.

And if you disagree, and don’t think a few practices on Sundays will change all that much in your child’s relationship with Jesus, we can still be friends. And we still welcome you to worship with us, or continue to worship with us, when you can, at the Bradenton Branch YMCA at 10 am.

During worship at Harbor, we are plowing our way through the book of Acts in the series called “Footloosed: Gathering, Giving, Growing, Going.” The idea is that we are being set free SO THAT we may gather, give, grow, and go.

I never get to include all I want in sermons, primarily because of time, but also because I don’t look very closely at my I-Pad. In other cases, ideas are captured in Evernote, but not plugged in. One such thought came to me while attending Care Net Gala on Friday night that never made it to the “script.”

As I looked at Saul’s conversion in Acts 10, I was actually more astounded with his “conversion” or reconciliation to God’s family, than I was simply at his conversion to Jesus. I mean, can you imagine a community welcoming someone who had separated families and approved of behind-the-woodshed executions? How hard would hit have for Ananias to call him “Brother Saul?” I might have said, “Jesus loves you but everyone else thinks you’re an a##%$^&,” as I’ve seen on a bumper sticker.

Isn’t that nuts? I can’t imagine how much grace it would take to do that! Of course, we have had some picture of that even in America with the A.M.E. church in Charleston extending the offer of forgiveness to Dylan Roof.

But one thought I didn’t explore during the sermon was to consider the question: “How hard it would reconciliation be for Paul?” How awkward would it have been for the guy who caused so much grief to the church, to all the sudden find himself in it, laboring alongside it, intricately involved in it? Teaching about love and forgiveness? How apologetic must he be? At what point in life could he stop and just say, “I’m Paul?” without thinking, “Don’t believe all that you’ve heard about me…I’ve changed….?”

Sometimes a community can be gracious and welcoming, but if the individual/s don’t believe the gospel at a very deep level (my stains are washed away, but so is my stink/shame) then it will be very difficult. Should you ever find yourself on the outside looking in, remember how hard it must have been for Paul. But then remember how much the gospel can change both you AND them.

Shame has kept many a wary traveler on the outside when warm fellowship is offered inside. Remember, your shame is covered up as well as your sins (Romans 8:1). Knowing it is one thing, but believing it deeper each day is necessary for it to make any difference in your life.

I don’t do passive/aggressive blogs or preaching, meaning I have no person in mind writing this. These are just some reflections that I had intended to include in the sermon, but didn’t make the final cut! If nothing else, hopefully it will spur us on to compassion and grace.

It does seem like a number of folks have shared their top books of 2016. So, here is my list of top 6, in case you are looking for a recommendation for 2017.

Fiction:

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. As always, I’m late to the party. Most pastors I know had already read this gem. This book beautifully and amazingly accurately comprises one long fictional memoir of an elderly pastor hoping to pass on his story to very young son. I cried and cried during the book, because, well, I have a son (two of them if you’re keeping score at home), and am a pastor. Robinson weaves a story of grace, love, loss, having little, yet having much, redemption and reconciliation. You don’t have to be a pastor to enjoy this one. You just might cry more. This was hands down the most spiritually beneficial fictional reading I’ve ever come across. I can’t overstate how devotional this book became to me.

The Awakening of Miss Prim: I already did a review of this book here. I really enjoyed it.

Devotional:

Gospel Wakefulness by Jared Wilson. If you want a book which challenges you (and encourages!) you to look more deeply into the gospel message and see it for the treasure it surely is, this is it.

Sensing Jesus by Zach Eswine. This is one I had to read slowly. Really slowly. But well worth it. Eswine cautions leaders to slow down, examine who/what has been actually mentoring them. I hadn’t thought that we all have mentoring experiences and people in our lives who have truly mentored us (taught us how to think, respond, feel) in some way. Often that mentoring can be quite harmful and we need to slowly relearn knew habits and ways of dealing with people. I also benefited from hearing hard pastoring stories, as it prepares me for what might lay ahead. Unfortunately this one is no longer in print and a bit pricey. However, I’m happy to lend it to a local.

Nonfiction:

Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larsen. I read two Larsen books this year, the other being The Devil in the White City, but this was by far more fascinating. Of course, if you know what happens with the Lusitania, it does end on a bit of a downer. However, Larsen does a great job weaving the individual story of the ships final voyage (strangely enough some Titanic survivors were among those traveling on this ship!) and what was happening with Woodrow Wilson and the events of WWI.

Island of the Lost: Shipwrecked at the Edge of the World by Joan Druett. This is the 2nd Druett book I’ve read as I’m a sucker for shipwreck/survival stories. Love them. There are actually two stories in one book. A remote, cold, and desolate, and uninhabitable island hosted two separate parties of shipwreck survivors literally on different sides of the island at roughly the same time. One party of 5 or 6 completely survived. The other, a larger party in the 20’s, only boasted a few survivors. Why? Leadership. One side had good leadership, vision, team chemistry. The other party did not, and most perished. A fascinating read in its own right, but a good one on leadership too.

Even before the Henderson’s moved to our wonderful neighborhood of Pine Lakes in Bradenton, there were already re-occuring neighborhood Christmas parties. How often did they occur? That I don’t know. But since we’ve been here, we’ve taken the initiative to make sure they occur every year: hosting our first year, and then rotating it. However, this year no one seemed thrilled to host it INSIDE his/her house. Including us. It’s hard to have a ton of folks in your house this time of year, particularly when you are talking about folks from all different ages, as well as crazy little ones. And many of us have pools.

So this year we decided to host one OUTSIDE, in our front yard. We actually do something similar once a year for a “neighborhood watch” in August. Yep August, when the mosquitoes and no-see-um’s either devour you or slip-N-slide down your sweaty extremities if they can’t latch on. It’s brutal. And yet folks come.

We decided to try a Christmas party in this type venue, only a few doors down, and with a fewer bugs, and lower temperatures. And it worked.

First of all, I moved the cars to the street corner so we could set up chairs in our driveway. Then we set up some buffet tables on the sidewalk. Some people did bring their own chairs-as requested in the flier-while others used our extras, or even sat on the driveway or yard. The kids played in the back yard before it got dark, and simply scampered around the front between food runs.

Most people brought a dish, and we had a decent variety of delicious desserts as well. An online meal sign up would have been helpful to coordinate, but it actually wasn’t necessary this time.

We started at 5 pm with just a few folks, but by 6 pm we had about 25 or so. And folks stayed until a little after 7 pm. Everyone thanked us for organizing this simple event. People are so busy these days, and often too busy just to stop and connect with people who live so close. Yet when there’s a party involved, it seems to transform that dynamic.

A few folks even came to our Christmas play the next day. And since we have neighbors who attend Harbor, and some others who acted and sang in the play, everyone seemed to feel right at home.

After the party I thought to myself how easy it would be to repeat this process again during the winter. It took no time to plan, prepare, or clean up. No need to have the house looking perfect on the inside or fear of little ones destroying the place.

If you have never thrown a neighborhood party or a neighborhood Christmas party, may I suggest this as an option if no one wants to host one inside? I’ve been inspired by John Piper’s Don’t waste your (life, suffering, etc..)______ expressions. But I think I beat him to this one:  “Don’t waste your driveway.”

For the third time since I’ve been an ordained minister, Christmas has fallen on a Sunday. I can still remember the very first time it did, and the concomitant delightful dialog with the elders. According to them, it was a no-brainer. Business as usual. The 2nd time occurred while an Assistant Pastor in West Virginia, and the answer was an obvious to them as well.

Since this would be my first time as lead pastor, I figured I would actually pray, reflect, and get counsel on what to do with Harbor. After interacting with a number of folks, including the “its-a-no-brainer” type, those who tweaked their services, and those who didn’t have an opinion (or at least didn’t mind me asking the question), I came to the same conclusion as my previous lead pastors had. Well sort of.

In addition to our Christmas Eve service, Harbor will have our normally scheduled worship service at 10 am, but it will be an “away” game or a “road show.” You can choose the metaphor. We are going to meet at an Assisted Living Facility called Brookdale. Their chaplain is thrilled to have us lead, as are the residents.

So why have one in addition to a Christmas Eve service?

Well, Pastor Kevin DeYoung wrote a good blog post on the number of reasons not to cancel your normal worship service. So I won’t go through the same list. Let me just mention one reason that I kept coming back. And it’s the same reason why many oppose worshiping together as a church family that Sunday: “family time.”

While we were waiting for our kids to get out of school, a friend of mine asked me, “Why are you having a worship service then? Doesn’t your family need a break too?”

But let’s consider asking ourselves another more pertinent question, which probably sounds too crass to say out loud? Doesn’t Jesus want you to be at home with your family opening Christmas presents instead of worshiping Him on Christmas morning? Isn’t that what Christmas is about?

I’m not sure I can go there. He didn’t go there either. But there is something in my own heart that I’d like to explore along with you. Why was my immediate reaction when finding out Christmas would fall on a Sunday one of, “Well that’s a bit inconvenient?”

The conversation was quite civil and I simply pointed him to the fact that I love my family. I’m beyond blessed to have them. But I can very soon turn a good thing, into an ultimate thing, which if you read Tim Keller or listen to me preach, you know is a bad thing. And you can too. We all can. Jesus is very clear that if we don’t love him more than our families, we cannot be his disciples (Luke 14:26). I’m not sure that many Christians in suburbia think about that one too much. But honestly, if we don’t love Him and seek to follow Him-yes even before our families-then we really won’t be loving our families all that well. If we can’t ever say “no” to family, or friends, or anyone for that matter, then there’s probably an idol in there somewhere to which we’re bowing down. And we are actually loving their approval more than loving them and truly seeking their good. I’m certainly guilty of that one!

I didn’t go that deep, but that’s the gist of what I told him. But I also shared with him some practical stuff. There’s not much set up or break down at Brookdale, so my family won’t be tasked with that if no one else shows up (as they potentially would have at the YMCA).  My kids don’t sleep in either, and on Christmas Day, they really don’t sleep in! So after having breakfast, opening some presents, and before heading over to Pop and Gram’s house, we’ll meet with some of our church family and worship Jesus with some elderly folks who may not have any family to visit with them at all.

So my family really won’t be too inconvenienced. But isn’t Christmas about God inconveniencing Himself for us? And I really do think that I need worship every bit as much as my kids do.

On a day traditionally all about presents and family, would it hurt the kids to take a little break and share an hour with their church family and minister to many widowed and lonely on Jesus’ special day (I mean Sunday)? I know that for those who have kids, and multiple houses to visit, this may not even be a possibility. And it may just be too late to tweak plans. And if you choose not to worship with your church family, I want you to know I make no judgment of you.

I’m not insinuating that you have bowed to an idol. That is not what this blog post is about. I just wanted to explore the standard “It’s family” time response a bit more in depth because over time it can become the Christian trump card and possibly reveal an idol. I just ask that you consider the possibility that a Christmas which falls on a Sunday (even if it’s the next several years), while interrupting and inconveniencing our family plans, may be exactly what our family needs.

I know the tired and weary eyes at Brookdale would love to see some little Harbor kids spreading the Christmas cheer through smiles and songs which celebrate our Savior’s birth.

Regardless, of what you decide, just be prayerfully reflective and thoughtful.  I’m thankful for all those who will worship with us on Sat night or Sunday morning, or both. May all our hearts be filled with anticipation, longing, joy, and peace this Advent season. For it is a time when Jesus inconvenienced himself for us.