Sitting on my front porch this morning reading on of my favorite authors (Anne Lamont), I was praying. I closed my eyes, listening to the birds sing as they feasted on the seeds in our lawn, and listening to what I thought was the palm trees blowing in the wind. The sun warmed me, and I thought about the people who we have met who have lived in Oakland since the forties and fifties.

It is hard for me to imagine what it must be like for them, being as young as I am. The world must seem like a strange planet compared to what they have experienced in their life. Seeing the gospel change Oakland is a dream for them.

As Karin and I pray about making Oakland our home, we often feel like it is Mars. God has great things in store, but how He is going to accomplish them is a mystery to me. I can only hope that we are a part of seeing the gospel change this city.

Looking up at the palm trees I realize that the wind is not blowing and the sound I heard was not for them. After a few minutes of confusing, the street sweeper went by. The birds were unfazed and our front lawn is full of weeds. In the back of our house we have a beautiful yard and garden, yet very few people ever get to see that. I went back inside with confidence that God is at work.

Religious people are always praying before meals in public.
But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray…

The first time my father-in-law met me he said, “I’m not into all the hocus pocus of religion.” This could have easily been an offensive statement since I was preparing to become a minister. Yet I agreed with him, though I was not exactly sure what he meant at the time. My understanding on his statement was that people have a tendency to take a spiritual act and turn in into a spectical.

Of course praying is a very important element of the spiritual life, no one would deny that. Yet when prayer becomes a public spectical it is perverted. The focus is no longer on the spiritual element, but on the person or persons doing the spiritual act.

Jesus dealt with a group of very religious leaders during his day. He would repremand them for their self serving actions that took the focus off of God and placed it upon them. Whether it was standing on the street corner and praying or making sure they had lots of money to drop in the offering in front of everyone, Jesus never gave them the satisfaction of his attention but always put the focus on God.

Every religion or spiritual group has the same tendency. We think that because we have been loved by God we are better than others. What we fail to recognize is Jesus reminds us that the one who serves others is the greatest, the last shall be first when it comes to God. Therefore he went away in private to pray to the Father, we are encouraged to go into our closets and pray. The goal is to let God be God, and for us to learn to love our neighbor as ourself.

Interested in the substance of faith rather than the show, want to do what needs to be done in the closet so that when you come out you can love others, click here.

Text: John 19:30
When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

One simple word, tetelestai, it is finished. The servant would say this when he reported to his master, all that you have asked me is complete, when an artist or writer completed a work the end, or as the priest after examining an animal for sacrifice that had to be without spot or blemish upon finding it he would exclaim tetelestai. As Jesus the perfect sacrifice, a one time sacrifice that never has to be repeated, completes his work this is his call, tetelestai. So what is the it, that he completes.

Most of us probably know the line from the song that says, “every new beginning comes from some other beginnings end.” So what ended? A time where you had to sacrifice continuously so the blood of animals reminded you of your sin and brokenness before a holy God. The time where God’s anger burned against you, so strong that only his promise could remind him not to smite you. The time when our insecurities and guilt were a greater weight than our glory as Sons and Daughters of the King.
It takes a great tragedy, like the death of the Son of God to bring about an end to sins reign and freedom in the Gospel. Just as in The Lord of the Rings, it is a great victory as Frodo destroys the ring, yet the cost was tragic. No longer is Middle Earth in the age of elves and dwarves, but now enters the age of hobbits and man.
There was once a rather eccentric evangelist named Alexander Wooten, who was approached by a flippant young man who asked, “What must I do to be saved?”“It’s too late!” Wooten replied, and went about his work. The young man became alarmed. “Do you mean that it’s too late for me to be saved?” he asked. “Is there nothing I can do?” “Too late!” said Wooten. “It’s already been done! The only thing you can do is believed.”
All of this has been accomplished for your behalf, now your responsibility is to respond in love. We come to this table as a response. A response of what God has done on our behalf, that when he said it is finished that was all we need in order for us to lives as children of God, holy, blameless in his sight. Every wrong thing we have done has been taken care of by Christ and we now are only seen with Christ’s perfection by God. If this is what you believe, you must come forward to reflect upon the tragedy of what Jesus went through on your behalf and to joyfully anticipate the day we will be made complete in him. If you are not there yet, it is okay. I would not want you to profess something that you do not believe. Take this time to sit and reflect upon Christ, if you desire to be prayed for come through the line and Lewis or myself will pray with you. But do not feel any pressure to take part in this meal, we would not want to insult your integrity by asking you to profess something you don’t believe. How do we do this here at All Nations?

Text: Matthew 27:46, Mark 15:34
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

About three in the afternoon the entire sky went dark. This time of darkness was a symbol of the judgment that Jesus endured when He was “made a cursed” for us. It has been dark and silent for three hours before Jesus lets out this horrific statement. It was testimony to the spiritual anguish that Jesus was going through. You see it is not merely that God turned his back on his only son, but God actually unleashed all of the wrath stored up for sin. Jesus in these moments suffered, he suffered the penalty of you lying, your self righteousness. He suffered the penalty for the adulterer, murderer, homosexual, pedophile. Christ was forsaken by God for those he loves.

Have you ever been lost? Just last summer I was lost for the first time in my life, deep in the woods of Northern California. Harbor House asked me to speak at their Youth Retreat. And on the second to last night, about six guys ran off before our campfire time into the woods by themselves. As I came down to the campfire I was elected by some of the counselors to go after these young men. Being somewhat naive, and very foolish, I immediately ran off into the woods by myself. I went with all I had in hand, a fleece jacket, my flashlight, and even my Bible. It was approximate 7:00 when I left, if felt like I was in the woods only a few minutes and it was nearly 8:00 and no sign of the kids. As I turned around to return back to camp, it seemed like it took moments before it was pitch black. After following one part of a stream, I realized I was not going back the way I had come. I began to worry, so I darted up a hill, nothing looking familiar, I went up another hill, by the third hill I was hyperventilating (which I had never done before in my life), I stopped and prayed. IT was at that moment I thought about ditching my Bible and then I thought that if I am still lost tomorrow I would need something to read. Hoping that God would show me a path, or that some fireflies would bunch up and let me follow them back. Instead God allowed me to think clearly. I knew our camp was next to a lake. I knew that streams will run into that lake and I knew that if I wanted to get back to camp I would have to follow the stream. These woods were thick and there was no way that I simply walk beside it. So I had to throw myself into the stream. And I walked turning both my ankles on wet rocks, falling face first at times once breaking my flashlight, having to wade through waist deep water, and climb up and down waterfalls. I eventually made it back to the camp. I was lost for at least three hours. Having heard that utter chaos had broken out at the camp I walked to the shower unsure what to do as just about everyone was around the campfire. After all I had been through the part of my Bible that I was speaking from was not wet. I walked down to the campfire and asked that all the guys who had run away to raise their hand. I walk around and pulled from my pocket absolutely soak camp money. This was funny money that we let kids by snacks with during the afternoon. I walk around giving out large sums of this money, after giving out all that money. I said for you guys who didn’t get any money I will take you to the store and buy you whatever it is you want. And by this point people are screaming about how unfair this is, people are lying saying they had run away. And I asked the question, What do you call this? Some kids called it stupid, one said generosity, I said that was close, and finally I heard on of the kids who ran away say quietly, that is grace. I went on to talk about the return of the lost son to the camp. Christ was forsaken, he was lost, punished, and cursed by God so that we might experience His grace.

Text: Luke 23:43
And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”

Already after enduring unimaginable pain, Jesus’ mind is still on others. Father, forgive them…but it doesn’t end there. We are told He hung between to thieves. The word used to describe these men is not merely pickpockets, but they were violent muggers. Violent muggers who have an intimate audience with Jesus.

No affirmative action with these two, both have equal access to Jesus. Both are free to speak, shout, and even ask questions as we see. One chooses to use his audience with Jesus for doubt and cynicism; “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” Merely exposing his foolish heart, he has underestimated the power of God to overcome death even as he hung on the cross and he is ignorant to the path in which the Christ must walk in order that he may save those he loves.

Just as ignorance of the law does not make you above the law, ignorance of Jesus’ plan does not make you above His plan. For everyman can understand his own heart. The second thief, understood that he was guilty, He expresses as he responds to the other thief’s question, “Do you not fear God since you are under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” Christ’s innocence was blinding, Jesus did not have to plead for himself, but even a thief on the cross bears witness to it, and without any argument from the other thief. Then this same guilty mugger, hopes against hope. Hopes despite of the circumstances he is in, despite of where Jesus is, he hopes that Jesus is who he has said that he is. “Jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
And Jesus demonstrating that his love is not merely a generally perverted love, extends his grace to this individual. If something is everything than it is nothing. If God loves everyone, this love means nothing unless it is specific. I’ve said it before that the person who loves everyone does violence to love. For those of you who have seen At Home at the End of the World, know what I am talking about. A man who loves all women equally, will end up with loads of illegitimate children or breaking the hearts of tons of women. Love is most clearly evidence in specific a relationship, such as marriage. My love for Karin is more precious than my love for the rest of you. May you hope against hope, that God can do the impossible. And forgive you your guilt just as he forgave the thief on the cross.