brentsummerhill

It is Thursday.  Preparations are underway for the Passover.  The instructions to the disciples sent ahead are mysterious:

“Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ And he will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.”

And yet when the disciples came to the city, “they found it just as he had told them…”

Isn’t that the way it always is?  Obedience requires faith in what Jesus is telling us.  And when we believe and do as He asks, it is always as He said it would be.

By Sunday they will know that everything is exactly as He told them it would be.

…he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”

‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
and to take him at his word;
just to rest upon his promise,
and to know, “Thus saith the Lord.”
-Louisa M. R. Stead (1850-1917)

(Scripture quotes are from Mark 14:13-15, 16 and Mark 9:31 ESV)

It is Wednesday. The Scriptures are silent on the events of the day.

Can you imagine a day with just God, you and the people you love? No phone, no internet, no television, no Facebook, no twitter. Just a day of quiet reflection on the grace, love and closeness of God.

The strength for trials ahead is gained in quiet moments with God.

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:34-40)

It is Tuesday. It is a contentious morning as Jesus is challenged and questioned by the religious establishment.

In the midst of these exchanges, Jesus distills all the Law and the Prophets to two commandments: love God and love your neighbor.

Jesus taught it. Jesus lived it. Friday will prove it.

How shall we love today?

Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

But Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves
Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor. Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.”

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”

Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake.” (John 12:20-30)

It is Monday and Friday is looming ever larger. And Jesus knows it. “My soul is troubled,” He says. The death He shall die on Friday is more than physical. On the cross He will suffer the wrath of God for our sake.

Jesus understands His purpose in this moment. He knows why He has come to this hour. And knowing, His prayer is not one of self preservation, but Father glorification. He came to die. Die He must. Die He will.

“And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself.” (John 12:32)

As he was drawing near–already on the way down the Mount of Olives–the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:37-40 ESV)

It is Sunday, Palm Sunday. And Jesus must be praised.

He must be praised for who he is. He is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

He must be praised for his mighty works. No one has ever done such things.

And when the critics demand the enforcement of a noise ordinance, Jesus explains that if his disciples were silent the stones would cry out.

It is Sunday. And Jesus must be praised.

Let the critics be silenced.

Let us praise him!

Lauren, our firstborn, didn’t arrive as expected. About 4 weeks before her due date I heard the office phone ringing after Sunday evening worship. Cindy had stayed home not feeling quite right and was calling to say something was quite wrong. We would learn later that evening that she had suffered Placenta Previa which had kicked her into labor. A long labor lasting almost 24 hours. When the doc stopped in Monday evening to check her progress again, he looked at me and said it’s time…now! He took the foot of the bed, told me to take the head of the bed, and we rolled Cindy into the delivery room. In a matter of moments our daughter was crying and we were smiling. (Or at least I was. Cindy was rather exhausted for some reason.)

From a human standpoint, Jesus’ birth could have gone better. A late-term trip for Mary by foot and donkey. No room in the Inn. A feed trough for a crib. Shepherds from “out in the fields” busting up into the scene (you know they looked and smelled good). Not exactly the sterile and secure birthing suites we’ve become accustomed to.

Yet from a Divine perspective, it was perfect. The right time. The right place. The right way.

God orchestrated everything from world powers to a “No Vacancy” sign to an angelic chorus to a star for this particular moment. Down to the century, decade, year, month, week, day, hour, minute and second, the fullness of time was kept.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son.” (Galatians 4:4)

God was not befuddled by the rise and fall of world empires. He reigned over it all – Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome – to accomplish His redemptive purpose in Christ.

The feed trough turned baby bed was not an avoidable mistake; it was a message. Paul tells us that the eternal Christ “made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men…” (Philippians 2:7) At His birth, the Christ is identified with those who have no home in this world: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted.

The very imagery of the Christmas narrative declares God’s love for the hurting, longing, empty soul.

The angel comforted the shepherds with good news: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)

For the distraught and despairing soul trapped under the weight of sin, mired in unrighteousness, miserably failing and miles apart from God, this is still good news. The Child born that night would give Himself a sacrifice on the cross so that you might become God’s child. Will you believe in Jesus, confessing that He is the Lord and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead?

For the frightened believer whose faith seems weak against unexpected and overwhelming circumstances, this is still good news. In Jesus you are a child of God and the Father who ordered the universe for that night so long ago holds your days in His hands. He will never leave you nor forsake you and in the fullness of time He will send your Savior for you.

If you know me you know that I’m not a “legalist” and that I love Christmas. This year Christmas is on a Sunday (December 25^th by the way). It occurs this way at various intervals and won’t happen again until December 25, 2022. That means this Christmas is a rare opportunity to gather on the Lord’s Day in worship with the church.

Yes, I know that Christmas Day is a busy day packed with various and sundry family traditions. There are gifts to exchange, food to eat, movies to watch, and more food to eat. And all that’s great. I can’t wait for our kids to be together with us.

Still, at FBC Magnolia we are gathering for worship on Christmas morning and I hope our non-traveling able-bodied church members will be there. In fact, I think they should be. Here’s why.

If we’re not careful, celebrating our Christmas traditions becomes more important than celebrating Christmas. It’s not that there is necessarily anything wrong with our traditions. It’s just that there’s everything right about gathering with the church on the Lord’s Day to sing, pray, and preach in celebration of the good news heralded centuries ago by the angels to shepherds abiding in their fields.

It is the Lord’s Day. Are we going to say that gathering in worship on Sunday is important except when the day we celebrate the Lord’s Advent falls on Sunday?

And what will our children and grandchildren learn if we abandon the worship of Jesus on the Lord’s Day in favor of Santa Claus and brunch?

At this point some are labeling me a meddling hyper-legalist while a few are offended that I celebrate Christmas at all. It’s not easy making anybody happy and impossible making everybody happy.

I celebrate Christmas because Christ “did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking on the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” (Philippians 2:6-8)

And that’s why this Christmas, on the Lord’s Day, I plan to be with our church family singing, praying, and preaching Christ.

Fifty years ago today I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I remember it like it was yesterday.

Well, not quite.

I do remember South 9^th Street and the first house I called home. The front yard mimosa trees were just the right size for a boy to climb and the backyard seemed to run forever allowing a boy’s imagination to run wild chasing bad guys or riding the range.

And I remember 1101 Cavanaugh Road and the first church I called home. If I close my eyes I can still hear “Softly and Tenderly” and feel the warmth of the sun pouring through the stained glass.

But the memories do not linger long on addresses before turning to faces. For my life was shaped not by places, but by people. The house on South 9^th would not have been a home without my mom and dad and eight years later my brother. And the church didn’t “stand” at 1101 Cavanaugh Road, it met there: Seamans and Presleys and Watkins and Pickles and Shofners and Hearns and so many more, including much of my mother’s family.

I was born in a place. But I am from a people. A people themselves sinners saved by grace, yet gloriously and graciously used by God to teach me, shape me and send me on my way with Jesus. For them I am today at 50 and every day profoundly grateful.

I wrote the following in February 1996. My son was three at the time. Today is his 24th birthday. He earned a degree in Industrial Engineering, then graduated from the Cross Church School of Ministry, and is now on staff at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary while pursuing a master’s degree. He is happily married to my favorite daughter-in-law and they have provided us a wonderful granddog, Ronald. (Yes, granddog, not grandchild.) He has done and is doing well. I love him and am proud of him. And my prayer for him as not changed.

“Daddy, what do you want to be when you get big?”

I responded, “I am big. And I am what I want to be.”

He wants to be a fireman, for now. Tomorrow it may be something else. Every day is a new day for a three-year old. Being big is a far off prospect for him. There are some thirty year olds for whom it is a far off prospect.

How many “big” people are happy with what they have become? How happy are you? Are you what you want to be?

We have tragically bought into the big lie that if we could just get the right job with the right pay check then we would be happy. We have believed that our lives stink because we just cannot get that promotion or new position we need.

What is happiness in life really about? Read these next words carefully.

“How blessed is the man who finds wisdom. And the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways; and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold fast to her.” (Proverbs 3:13-18 NAS)

Did you see it? Who is blessed? The man who finds wisdom and gains understanding. Not the man who finds the new job or gets the big promotion. Who is happy? The man who holds fast to wisdom.

I hope that my son will be able to pursue the dreams of his heart. I hope that he will be good at whatever he does and be duly recognized and recompensed for it. But whether he puts out fires or sweeps streets, I pray he finds wisdom. And in so doing finds happiness. May you do the same.

I’ve been sad since 6/26 9am cst. I hope that some of the sorrow is from a heart burdened for people promised a liberty that will prove to be anything but freeing. But I fear much of it is from a sense of loss. A loss of that which was never truly mine.

I’m old enough to remember the good ole’ days. Or at least to remember those days as such. Days of safety and comfort, stained glass and Just as I Am. America was Christian, Graham crusades were on television and a President declared the “Year of the Bible”.

All was peace for evermore on this happy golden shore. Or so it seemed looking through John Conlee’s Rose Colored Glasses.

6/26 9am cst shattered that vision. Oh, I knew, you knew, we all knew it was coming. I knew it practically, experientially and theologically. It’s all been a mirage. And yet I couldn’t believe it.

Which says a lot about me. And probably something about some of you, as well. My flesh craves comfort. But Christ is calling me to sacrifice. And not just me. Each of us is faced with this paradox and choice from Jesus, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:24)

It’s choosing time. And the choice has little, if anything, to do with the culture, the Supreme Court, the Presidency, or any of the other things people are ranting about on social media. The choice is whether or not I, you, we, will take up the cross and follow Jesus.

Cultural Christianity won’t cut it anymore. It never did. The salvation it offered ended up being loss. Actual Christianity is about dying to self and living to Jesus – going where Jesus went, living as Jesus lived, teaching what Jesus taught, suffering as Jesus suffered. Such a life looks like a lost cause, but an empty tomb says otherwise.