Masks...

Do you ever feel like you're stuck in an odd B-movie remake of the body snatchers? It happens to me occasionally, as I'll see myself do something stupid and not stop myself from doing it winding up looking at myself like, "What the heck was that all about?" Better yet, I find myself acting the part when I should really just be me. A pastor used to say it was "Shifting into 'Rev'" and was just part of the job for us as ministers because we couldn't always be the man for the job and sometimes needed to be that man when we couldn't otherwise. However, Casting Crowns hits the nail on the head in their song about churches: we're all too often just perfect plastic people with our perfect plastic steeples when people are hurting and dying without Jesus outside the doors. How can we justify our hypocrisy when we try to hide our brokenness? Why can't we be who Jesus called us to be? Can we effectively minister without our broken, sinful, piece of crap nature? I think not!

Trying to act/be perfect destroys the point of the cross! Jesus dies because we are screw ups not so we could screw up others by acting like we weren't screw ups. The cross shows us our failure and tells us to go be failures who are healed so others can be healed. Doing anything else is being what Jesus condemned and fought against. I mean, would you really like to be the guy who betrayed Jesus with a kiss and He still called "friend" even as you did it? I couldn't take it, yet by trying to look good we've overemphasized the holiness over the grace! Grace is what saves us, meaning we cannot do anything to be worthy of it. Yes, we are called to try and be holy, but the cross tells us we cannot be perfect except in the blood of Jesus Christ! SO embrace the cross and be soaked in the blood because it's not about you and your efforts, but about Jesus having done it all for you already. Forget perfection, revel in the freedom that comes of being forgiven and show people Christ in your life. The glory of God is YOU fully alive, meaning you with Jesus shining in and through you. Go and show the world Jesus in good, bad, and ugly...

Comments

  1. Brett DoomNovember 9, 2008 at 8:14 PM

    'Piece of crap nature'.... poetic awesomeness lol

    ReplyDelete
  2. DrivensaneFebruary 11, 2009 at 3:37 PM

    Dear Matt,
    My name is Talia. I came across your blog and I just wanted to thank you for the work that you do with youth. You seem like a really cool youth pastor who is really devoted to the youth and his persute of the lord. I know that my youth pastor has been huge part in my walk with Christ. So many times I take him for granted and don’t tell them how much they have influenced my life. I would imagine many of your students feel the same way…thanks for investing in their lives!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Beyond the Pale (Part 1)

Most of the time we can clearly identify what is one side of a line and the other. If you watch any football game, the different colored jerseys easily identify which team someone plays for and the line of scrimmage clearly separates the offense from the defense.  When driving, it's essential we stay on our side of the dashed (or solid!) line to avoid maiming or killing ourselves and others. In politics, the letter we associate with clearly defines who we follow and who we shun. Throughout the ages, the Church has defined orthodoxy with a clear line parsing out what we believe and delineating things outside the pale of those beliefs. The growth in creeds is clear from the Apostle's to the Nicene in the simple opening phrases: I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of Heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord...     becomes We believe in in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lo
Read more

He Will Be Called: Mighty God (Part 1)

___________________________________________________________ "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:          Wonderful Counselor                     Mighty God,                              Everlasting Father,                                     Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9.6 (NLT) ___________________________________________________________ As we started last week with Wonderful Counselor, we continue today with Mighty God. Now first, where do you hear the word, "might" (and not as in "I 'might' go to the movies" but as in strength or power)? If you're anything like me the answer comes from two places: church and when talking about the military! We hear things about "military might" and sing about how our God is "mighty to save" but what does it really mean? We don't actually know! When asked, most students stare at me and then som
Read more

He Will Be Called: Wonderful Counselor

___________________________________________________________ "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called:        Wonderful Counselor                      Mighty God,                              Everlasting Father,                                          Prince of Peace ."  Isaiah 9.6 (NLT) ___________________________________________________________ This is the so familiar Advent refrain. But in its familiarity we forget what it really means! Think back to Moses or Jacob in their encounters with God: they made a singular request that related to the belief structure of the day. Both asked, "What is your name?" Perhaps because they wanted power over this God they were meeting, perhaps because they actually wanted to know; I'm not going to make that call. Regardless, God gave them a name: Y-W-H (I know, I'm not writing this as a Jew but still think it's better that way!)
Read more