The Blog
Advent: The Mothers of Jesus
In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mt. 1:1-17), he does something absolutely revolutionary, he includes four women: Bathsheba, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (plus Mary, of course). A King’s genealogy isn’t just a record of who He happens to be related to (a la today’s explosion of interest in exploring family genealogies), it is the royal lineage from which his authority and legitimacy is derived. For Matthew to include women in time and culture that doesn’t allow women to have any authority was not only unheard of, it would have unsettled, disturbed, and potentially alienated his original audience…
In Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mt. 1:1-17), he does something absolutely revolutionary, he includes four women: Bathsheba, Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (plus Mary, of course). A King’s genealogy isn’t just a record of who He happens to be related to (a la today’s explosion of interest in exploring family genealogies), it is the royal lineage from which his authority and legitimacy is derived. For Matthew to include women in time and culture that doesn’t allow women to have any authority was not only unheard of, it would have unsettled, disturbed, and potentially alienated his original audience.
So… why did he do it then?
Besides dramatically grabbing the reader’s attention, Matthew was, at the very beginning of his Gospel, subverting our expectations of what kind of King this Jesus is going to be: His throne is a cradle, His heralds are shepherds, His palace is a manger, His parents are homeless and poor, His court is a menagerie of livestock… and His royal lineage includes a rape victim (Bathsheba), an abandoned widow (Tamar), a prostitute (Rahab), a widowed immigrant (Ruth), and a virgin (Mary). Each of these women have a powerful story that represents our longings for this very different kind of King and shapes our anticipation of how His Kingship will satisfy those longings.
In other words, Advent is anticipation of the Gospel…
… and the Gospel isn’t for those who’ve got their crap together this holiday season. It is for the frantic, the lonely, the discouraged and depressed. It is for those who can’t have children, and for those whose children still don’t fill the void in their hearts. It is for those who are longing, waiting, and anticipating the fulfillment we are all made for in Jesus.
Join us, Sundays at 10:00 AM, and on Christmas Eve at 4:00 PM for our Lessons & Carols service!
Click here for further Advent-related reading.
Readings for Advent
Let's face it, the holidays can be anything but restful. To keep yourself (a little more) grounded this year, we've put together a list of daily readings... (Click to Download)
Let's face it, the holidays can be anything but restful. To keep yourself (a little more) grounded this year, we've put together a list of daily readings. You can either pick one up at the Welcome Table on Sunday morning, and/or (since we're about a week behind the curve this year) download the PDF here so you can get started on-time (December 1st)!
Also check out a couple of the things Brad wrote up for Advent last year:
“The celebration of Advent is possible only to those who are troubled in soul, who know themselves to be poor and imperfect, and who look forward to something greater to come.”
Made to Flourish: Uncommon Grace for the Common Good
As a church plant, we've come a very long way in our first year. Seemingly overnight, we've gone from a fledgling community of 20 families to a church of over 150 people who consider this community their home. Through countless conversations and opportunities to live out our vision to "savor and share the Life of Jesus in every person, place, and thing," we've realized that this vision is... lacking. Sure, it sounds decent and accurately describes much of what we're about, but it isn't quite connecting to the ethos or heart of the passion we have for our broader community (or our church community, specifically).
As a church plant, we've come a very long way in our first year. By God's grace, and seemingly overnight, we've gone from a fledgling community of 20 families to a church of over 150 people who consider The Table their home. Through countless conversations and opportunities to live out our vision to "savor and share the Life of Jesus in every person, place, and thing," we've realized that this vision is... well... lacking. Sure, it sounds decent and accurately describes much of what we're about, but it isn't quite connecting to the ethos or heart of the passion we have for our broader community (also, nobody could remember it anyway, so that was a problem too). Thus, you'll notice that our current vision now reads:
“We exist to be the flourishing presence of Jesus in every sphere of life.”
The two expressions are definitely similar, but now there is a comprehensive totality, a God-sized fulness, scope, and focus that has been lacking. This Fall, we'll be spending 8 weeks in a sermon series called "Made to Flourish: Uncommon Grace for the Common Good," where we will unpack all the beauty, glory, and mess of what we are convinced God is calling us to - both individually and communally. We'll spend the vast majority of that time filling out all the concrete, collective, and personal implications of this vision, and this post will lay a foundation for it all.
To start, you'll notice there are two halves of this vision statement - one answers the "what," and the other answers the "where."
What are we called to?
"... the flourishing presence of Jesus... "
The church does not exist for it's own sake. A "selfish church" is as oxymoronic and nonsensical as a "football bat" (yup, exactly). Yet, much of the American evangelical church has uncritically embraced consumerism (the idea that the "good life" is an ever-increasing consumption of goods & services) as way of doing life and ministry, implying that the church is both the provider of spiritual goods and services, and primarily and ultimately for Christians. This has led to Christians using language like "getting fed" by church's worship service, or "church shopping" when they first move to a new area. But don't hear what I'm not saying! Being spiritually nourished with the Gospel and prayerfully discerning where God is calling you to serve in a local body are good and important things!
... but can you hear the very different and powerful assumptions embedded within those two ways of describing it?
God blesses (another word for "flourish") His people. The purpose of any and all flourishing is for the good of those around us - especially and primarily our broader community. Period. No qualifier. The Church is not for Christians. The Church is a community of Christians whose fundamental orientation is toward both our God and our neighbor. Those two are so explicitly and intrinsically linked by Jesus' teachings that they are inseparable: you can't "love God" and not love your neighbor. Loving your neighbor is itself an essential and non-negotiable act of Christian worship.
God has already blessed us in full. He has flourished us already (and yes, that's a real word). We are made to flourish - made both to receive His flourishing and to flourish others. If we only do one of those, we're not living into our full humanity, and we're not living in light of Jesus' Gospel love... and we also aren't acting like a church as described in scripture.
Where are we called to be this presence?
"... in every sphere of life."
The American evangelical church is often (and rightly, for the most part) criticized for being all about spiritual brokenness (hyper focused on evangelism & the Great Commission), while severely neglecting or outright ignoring the physical & social brokenness of the world (e.g. poverty or racism). While we of course agree that the Great Commission is vital to what it means to be a Christian, it is not even close to the full picture. Let me explain...
A woman at The Table recently described to me how, when she was growing up, it was always the international missionaries who were really doing God's work. This view sees our careers, our families, and every other “ordinary” aspect of life as merely the necessary means to the end of "real" spiritual work (evangelism). This is as tragic as it is ineffective because it is driven by an urgency and fear of “not doing enough for God” that our non-Christian friends, family, and neighbors can absolutely sense and feel (and are thus alienated from Jesus). Even more importantly, it ignores the original and holistic definition of what it means to be human in the first place.
“Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...’ And God blessed them. And God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”
God is as concerned with (and burdened for) the physical as much as He is the spiritual. Thus, He does not ONLY call us to leverage our spiritual flourishing for the good of others, but all of our flourishing - vocational, social, financial, circumstantial, political, educational, or otherwise. It is not just the good news of the Gospel we are called to invite our neighbors into, but the goodness of friendship, economic opportunity, hospitality, emotional health, etc. Christians serving as pastors, plumbers, teachers, stock brokers, mothers & fathers, PhD's and high school dropouts all have an equally-valuable contribution to flourishing in ways unique to how God has called them.
This is the difference between a church functioning like a weed (which kills and crowds out other growth and exists only to multiply itself) and a church that flourishes as a fruit tree (whose fruit both sows new life and nourishes surrounding life).
Putting it all together: Uncommon Grace for the Common Good
And if after all this you're still not convinced, God, in His genius, has designed us in such a way that our greatest good, our holistic flourishing, our spiritual health, is all found in living toward the common good:
“But seek the welfare (flourishing) of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare (flourishing) you will find your welfare (flourishing).”
Above, I stated rather bluntly that" the church is not for Christians." This is true insofar as it is not our primary activity or purpose, but serving others is the most self-serving thing we can do! You see, in God's upside-down creation the only way to be fully satisfied is not through unrestrained selfishness, but in giving ourselves away (which is what Jesus Himself did and modeled for us).
In other words, God has made human beings in such a way (in His Image) that we will really, truly, and fully flourish only when we flourish others. When we are (even imperfectly) "the flourishing presence of Jesus in every sphere of life," things change. Both we and our neighbors flourish. The Church grows and our neighbors are grateful for our presence - whether they believe or not!
God's church has unique and incredible contributions to make in this world that ONLY we can offer. Not because we are particularly gifted, but because we are especially gifted - and that gift is Jesus Himself. That gift of grace transcends and is magnified by our every blemish, it is the impetus of our every love. In Jesus, we risk nothing, want nothing, and lack nothing. What do you have to lose? Nothing. It is He that the church offers in/underneath/through/above all that we do.
“We know it is good to receive... Yet Jesus taught that it is more blessed to give than to receive... If we fail to learn this art, we will live unfulfilled lives, and in the end, chains of bondage will replace the bonds that keep our communities together. If we just keep taking or even trading, we will squander ourselves. If we give, we will regain ourselves as fulfilled individuals and flourishing communities.”
Resources for Deeper Engagement
Much of this Fall's sermon series (as well as the "flourishing" language embedded in our new vision statement) was inspired by several pastors, leaders, and authors. Many of those are listed below, but one we want to especially recommend to you is a short DVD curriculum called For the Life of the World. I could write another blog post just to sing the praises of this work and it's contribution to the local church, but I won't. Instead, just know that it is easily the most beautiful, full, and accessible expression (watch this with your kids!) of our vision that we have found. Here's the trailer:
You can either purchase it via their website here (with the optional but fantastic "Field Guide" here), or if you have Amazon Prime, they are FREE to watch online. If you have any questions, let us know!
Other Resources
(For parents) Sticky Faith: Everyday Ideas to Build Lasting Faith in Your Kids, by Kara Powell and Chap Clark. Note: We're encouraging all parents to read this book early this Fall, and then we'll host an open discussion about it in NOV/DEC (date still TBD) to explain how it informs The Table's approach to children's ministry.
What's So Great About "The Common Good" (Article) and Culture Making (Book) by Andy Crouch
The Six Practices of the Church (6-Episode Podcast - Short trailer here) and The Burning Church (Talk) by Greg Thompson
Common Grace: From the Ivory Tower to the Tractor Company (Article) by Richard Mouw
Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good (Book) by Steven Garber (who also stars in the For the Life of the World)
Summer Sermon Series
One of my fondest memories from when I was little is going with my Grandma to her favorite restaurant: The Old Country Buffet. If you've never heard of it, there's a good reason for that (it makes The Golden Corral look like fine dining). I lacked the refined palette I've since developed, so I loved it. The idea that I could go up as many times as I want, and pick out all/only the food I wanted was unfathomable to my 6-year-old brain. My grandma...
"Every Inch..."
One of my fondest memories from when I was little is going with my Grandma to her favorite restaurant: The Old Country Buffet. If you've never heard of it, there's a good reason for that (it makes The Golden Corral look like fine dining). I lacked the refined palette I've since developed, so I loved it. The idea that I could go up as many times as I want, and pick out all/only the food I wanted was unfathomable to my 6-year-old brain. My grandma even let me get seconds for dessert. Now, of course, I'm a total foodie and use terms like "slow food," and can tell you the difference between merely "natural" and full "organic." But back then, I remember thinking, "If only the rest of my life were this way..."
“There is not a square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is Sovereign over all, does not cry, ‘Mine!’”
The modern American approach to spirituality, however, is awfully close. For most of us, religious beliefs are acquired on a buffet where you pick and choose from among the options that suit your taste. We (much like the segmented trays at the beginning of a buffet line) effectively compartmentalize God into only those specific areas of our lives where it feels most needed and/or safe to do so. Fortunately, the God described in the Christian Bible isn't just another appetizer, or even just an entree! God IS the tray, upon which all of life is organized and placed upon. He is not segmented, compartmentalized, or finite in any way. He has a vested interest and desire to be present in every aspect of our lives... especially those areas where we hesitate or avoid inviting Him into.
"Ever Present..."
“(M)any Christians remain functional deists. They don’t deny that God exists or that there is a spiritual realm... They simply live as if neither God nor spiritual beings of either sort have any genuine, influential, interaction with them. God isn’t dead, but He might as well be. Angels and demons might exist, but what does that have to do with my life?”
Too often we (Christians or otherwise) treat spiritual belief as a mere worldview or list of convictions. Christianity is not a program, a plan, a philosophical position, or even a set of theological propositions. Ultimately, Christianity revolves around a person (Jesus). As such, there is a very personal activity in our experience of faith that is wholly beyond our control or comprehension. The Eternal Creator of the Universe is personally and intimately concerned with our specific, individual, communal and personal well-being. Combine this with His non-compartmentalized involvement in "every inch," and you have a God who is in the midst of our anger, pain, joy, confusion, fear, brokenness, longing, pride, jealousy, ordinary, waiting, vengeance (yup, that too), and praise.
Consequently, each of these facets are the topics we will be tackling each week over the summer.
"With"
Nothing so personally and powerfully illustrates this reality quite like the Psalms. The Psalms are are the divinely-inspired hymnbook for God's people. Old Testament Israel didn't read or preach those hymns, she sang them. The Psalms are a rich storehouse of 150 singable truths that give voice to every dimension of human experience: the mountain-top highs, the deepest of valley lows, and everywhere in between. Yet, in the midst of that beautiful diversity, there is a unifying theme woven into a rich tapestry from beginning to end...
God with us.
He is not merely aware, not merely available, He is THERE. With you. His sheer presence transforms our affections and upends our perspective. There is nothing, no inch of life, that is not altered for the better, no aspect of our reality that is not moved progressively closer to the way it ought to be. This summer (starting 6/4), we will take a journey through those facets of life where God's presence is most unexamined, unexpected, and (sometimes) unwelcome. Because God is with us, we can undertake that journey through the psalms eagerly and hopefully, and company is always welcome! Join us.
Spring Sermon Series
While I don't remember the first fantasy novel my dad handed to me, that's mostly due to how many dozens (if not hundreds) I devoured growing up. I vividly remember (in 4th or 5th grade) standing up the textbook we were supposed to be reading on my desk, and stealthily opening my new copy of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis behind it's protective screen. I remember it so well because, as it turns out, I was not half as ninja-like as I imagined and it was confiscated by my teacher just a few minutes later.
“Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”
Story Explains & Inspires
While I don't remember the first fantasy novel my dad handed to me, that's mostly due to how many dozens (if not hundreds) I devoured growing up. I vividly remember (in 4th or 5th grade) standing up the textbook we were supposed to be reading on my desk, and stealthily opening my new copy of The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis behind it's protective screen. I remember it so well because, as it turns out, I was not half as ninja-like as I imagined and it was confiscated by my teacher just a few minutes later.
These stories resonated with my reality and infused my life with meaning: I wasn't just going to school, I was training for a life of honor, righting wrongs and protecting the weak. They had powerful implications on my life. They shaped and directed my hopes, dreams and plans for the future. Thus, it wouldn't be surprising to anyone who knows me that prior to becoming a pastor, my career path was exclusively and passionately directed toward becoming a Special Agent in one of several federal law enforcement agencies (as close to a real life modern knight as I could get). It is fact and not pride (ok, maybe a little), that I likely had the single most impressive resume of anyone graduating college and starting a career in that field.
Human beings are not computers. We do not fundamentally understand life and the world around us in terms of data, but in, as and through story. We cannot help but resonate with stories that both explain our reality and inspire our hopes. One reason why I so easily dismissed Christianity for most of my life was because almost every Christian I had met reduced the incredible true story of Jesus to a bullet-pointed list of mere doctrines that you had to believe in order to be "in" with God (never mind that God is the one who pursues us!). What I hadn't heard or experienced until after becoming a Christian, is how powerfully the true story of Jesus both explains my experience of reality and inspires my hopes.. far more even, than Arthur and his knights or Bilbo and his Fellowship.
Story Resonates & Transforms
On Easter, we'll wrap up our Cross & Crown sermon series with the climax of Jesus' resurrection. Although the Gospel of Mark ends almost immediately on that point, there is so much of that story left to tell. After His resurrection, Jesus shows his disciples that this is not the end of the story, but the re-beginning of the same true story God has been authoring since before time and cosmos began. It's not a man-made myth that resonates with our experience (though it does!), it's the redemptive history of humanity that transforms how we experience God, reality, and our part of the unwritten story to which we've been invited.
In other words, this epilogue to the resurrection story is the introduction to our life's story.
Over the 6 weeks between Easter and Memorial Day, we will dive into these stories and explore how they explain, resonate, inspire and transform our story. If, like me, you grew up more accustomed to Christianity being explained as a doctrinal checklist, you'll find this to be a hopeful and refreshing experience (or at least I hope so!). If your story has already been fundamentally transformed by the story of Jesus, we hope you'll find new depth and meaning in the true post-resurrection story of "Epilogue | Intro."