The Lion and The Lamb

 

Today during our student-led worship service an idea was shoved into my head. Our campus minster was preaching and she brought up the Lion and the Lamb talked about in the Bible. This idea has always sparked excitement and awe in my mind. This story represents a critical idea about the Gospel and about Jesus. When we look at the life of Jesus and the life we are now called to live we find that it is quite radical! Just like the representation of the lion and the lamb is quite radical. 

When we analyze the story of the lion and the lamb we uncover that this represents a radical way of being. The top of the food chain lies with the lowest of the chain, a helpless lamb. The most high lies with the meek. This life that Jesus is portraying in the lion in the lamb calls us to be different. It calls us to live a totally different life than that of the world around us. 

I couldn't help but recall a moment I experienced Saturday while watching the New Orleans vs. Seattle game. Before the game, in the huddle one of the cameras was inside the huddle and you could hear the voices calling out, pumping up the team. On National Television we heard these words, "..remember that we give God the glory ALL THE TIME." Wow, this shocked me. This, to me, is a radical way of living in the NFL. How many of these muscle men who may have dealt with drugs, liquor, abuse, money, gambling, etc. proclaim the Gospel and give praise to God very audibly in front of the whole team. Also, while watching the National Championship Game last night the Auburn head coach, after winning the BCS title, gave God glory for the team, the fans, and the Auburn Nation. You could see the stunned and awe look on the face of the reporter when he was interviewing in the coach. He was shocked and quite honestly it looked like he didn't know what to say back when the coach mentioned God's Holy Name several times in the interview.

Looking back on the moments in sports history, I find that the lion definitely does lie with the lamb. This radical life, this radical Gospel of our Radical Savior Jesus Christ has spilled over into an industry where the Bible and the Christian Faith seems to not be so prevalent. Praise God for these faithful few!

Asbury

This is our new logo at Asbury Church! We also have a new Website! Please check it out at asburybossier.org

We are a growing church with a growing vision! We would love for you to be a part of the history that is happening at Asbury United Methodist Church in Bossier City!

Finding Light in The Darkness

Psalm 18:28
 "You, LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."


This morning was my first week back at Asbury United Methodist Church in Bossier City, La since the start of Christmas Break! I couldn't wait to open the doors of our beautiful sanctuary and pour my heart out to God! 


Only one problem....


As Sunday morning approached, so did a winter storm. 


I awoke this morning to sleet, rain, and snow and the possibility of church cancellation. After reading my twitter and facebook updates it was apparent that this was a pressing possibility.


Much to my hearts gladness, Asbury Church was open for worship this morning! 


As I turned into the parking lot I knew church was going to be slim this morning. Oh well, God was still there with us in that place! We gathered in the sanctuary to images of our new logo, sounds of Casting Crowns, voices of the people, and a stir of the Spirit of God. I sat down in my usual seat near the Youth, and prepared for worship. As the time drew near the worship team walked on stage and grabbed their instruments. Just before the first cord could be struck, though, all went dark. No more power. 


Would this stop us from worshiping our King? Praising our Redeemer? Welcoming the coming Christ? NO, NEVER!


We all squeezed together into one or two sections of the church around 6 or 7 candles and we had church! Praise God! 


It was one of the most beautiful church services I have ever been to in my entire life. I was touched by the beautifulness in the whole thing. Amongst the chaos, the black, the stillness, God was there! 


We sang a few worship songs, celebrated the sacrament of Baptism, heard the word proclaimed, prayed earnestly to our God, and gathered as a community of believers in circumstances unexpected. 


As I left that place we call Asbury Church in the sleet and snow my heart was filled with gladness and the love of Christ! Thank you God for this day and that church! Praise be to God in every circumstance! 


John 1:5
"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Doubting?

I was asked the other day by a close family member if I have ever had doubts about my faith, church, calling, religion, etc.

My answer was very simple! Of course I do! I have doubts every single day!

Its my deepest conviction that if you are striving to be a disciple for Christ that you asked questions. I believe when these questions are asked, doubts will arise. I strongly believe that every Christian should doubt! I mean we believe in a "Spirit" that no one has seen that was sent by a guy who rose from the dead to meet his heavenly "father" in "heaven." Oh and by the way we have never seen him, AND we read a book with writing on some pages written by some interesting people, and they tell us to believe. WOW, how could you not have doubts?

I remember a conversation I had with a pastor a few years back in the beginning years of my ministry. We were sitting in a Starbucks just talking, and I made the comment, "well everyone can't 100% totally believe in their denomination or church and what it is saying and doing!" He strongly disagreed and assured me that he did just that. This hit me wrong.

I couldn't help but recall a "talk" I once gave stressing that we don't put Christ on the back-burner  in our lives. I cant help but see a correlation in lack of doubts and stagnation in your faith, just going along with the motions. "Do you believe it because you figured it out for yourself, or do you believe it because thats what the pastor said?" This is a defining question in my walk with Christ, and I believe it should be a pretty important question in every faithful persons life. If we don't learn to question, doubt, discern, and answer some of the questions of faith for ourselves, then we will fall into the category of the stagnant Christians.

Will you keep going to church because you have always done it, continue to believe everything the pastor says, read the words on the pages because the bulletin says so, pray the prayers on the screen, and believe not because you discerned for yourself, but because its the way we have always done it? Or will you question, doubt, and figure some things out for yourself and become a better Christian?

Now, I should have to warn you...you won't find all the answers to some of the questions. This is where my always faithful campus minister's words fall into place, "be complacent just to live in  the grey." Sometimes we wont find the answers. Then the question becomes, can you live in the grey without a definite answer?

This has been on my mind a lot lately, just wondering if anyone else struggles with this as well?