Beyond Belief

Integrity Crisis in Contemporary Ministry

Performance Mentality

Keeping the Unity of the Spirit

Active Listening

Divine Interruptions

The Significance of Christmas

             Integrity is the quality of being undivided.  Primarily, "integrity evidences itself in ethical soundness, intellectual veracity, and moral excellence" (Swindoll 165).  When one has integrity, they are not afraid to be examined by others in regards to the daily affairs of life.  It is honesty at all cost.  However, the value of integrity is a waning attribute in the Ministry.  There is indeed a crisis of integrity.  This paper will examine a number of reasons why pastors succumb to this problem, the direct consequences of these decisions, and the remedies to counter-attack this crisis of character in contemporary ministry.

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Some time ago, my wife and I had the privilege of attending the much-acclaimed theatrical presentation, The Lion King, at the Princess of Wales Theatre in downtown Toronto.  It was an event that we both eagerly anticipated, and one that would be immensely entertaining.   

After locating a suitable parking place underneath the theatre, we made our way via the elevator to the main lobby.  As the elevator doors opened, we soon realized that we would not be watching the musical alone.  Hundreds of people filled the entire lobby.  Some were purchasing Lion King paraphernalia, while others engaged in conversation with family and friends.  You could sense the excitement in the air.  The atmosphere was now set for the night that many had been waiting for.

Shortly after finding our seats, we began to peruse the evening program, reading interesting articles about the show, its actors, and other pertinent information.  And then the show began.  The voices, costumes, and stage props were absolutely amazing.  We were certainly witnessing the very best in Broadway musical presentations, and the audience knew it.  The show elicited a plethora of emotions, from happiness, to fear, to anger, sadness, and hope.  You immediately fell in love with particular characters and became captivated by the show itself.  It was simply fantastic!

As the show came to its conclusion, the audience stood to its feet, as a collective applause erupted for those who had participated in the production.  Some were shouting “Encore!” while others whistled and clapped profusely.  I think it would be safe to say that we were entertained, and then some.  It was an evening that we will never forget.  What a show!

As the days and weeks progressed, I began to think about the contemporary church, particularly in North America, and how certain aspects of my experience of it seemed to mirror my experience at The Lion King presentation.

Not unlike the musical, I would assume that the vast majority of Christians positively anticipates the Sunday morning worship service.  It is a time when those of similar interests come together at a pre-determined location to experience a corporate, religious presentation.  As we enter the foyer, we are usually confronted with numerous individuals with whom we discuss the events of the past week, and then proceed to pick up the latest Christian paraphernalia from an usher.  The anticipation builds as we enter the sanctuary, find our seat, and spend the last remaining moments perusing the order of service and the various scheduled events of the days to come.  And then the show begins.

As the service continues, we are often awestruck by the display of musical and vocal performances.  Even the announcements are interesting as they are displayed on the projector screen using the latest computer software and related technology.  Then comes the main act, the speaker, who demonstrates an unusual and uncanny ability to connect with the audience.  And if we deem the performance worthy, we applaud at various intervals to display our sense of mutual satisfaction.  After all, we’ve been entertained, and so respond at the conclusion by shouting a collective “Amen,” and by clapping our hands in delight as we comment, “What a sermon!”

            I realize that I run the risk of being regarded as a cynic for describing the common religious experience of Christians in such a way as to make it seem to be nothing more than just another theatrical presentation, but I do so on formidable grounds.  After all, any logical person can quite easily detect the obvious similarities between the two.  “Why bother?” you ask.  Simply because of the perceived need too not only isolate the similarities and differences, but also, and more importantly, to come to a better and more informed understanding of the Body of Christ and its ultimate responsibilities.

The building we enter as a community of faith is so much more than a place of entertainment.  It is a holy place, set aside by God’s people as a location of worship, a visible means of divine identification with Christ.  While the context certainly permits varied Christian activities, from funeral ceremonies to the Saturday night alternative service with its contemporary worship style, its importance and purpose as a place of worship should always dictate its activities. 

            Furthermore, the Body of Christ is a congregation of called ones, and were never intended to be an audience.  Christians are not to sit back and simply watch the show as it unfolds, and then applaud as if they were entertained.  Church services, in whatever form they take, are not to be a spectator sport, where comments such as “it was good,” or “it was bad” are even applicable.  We can only make such judgements when we view ourselves as an audience, and not as a congregation of faith.  In actuality, no church service should ever be classified as either “good” or “bad”.  Such terminology can only be applied to and in response of a form of entertainment.  Describing the speaker as “anointed” or “not anointed,” based solely on their ability or lack thereof to entertain you, is completely unacceptable.  Not only is it unacceptable, it also reveals an obvious misunderstanding of what the community of faith is to be and how it should act. 

A congregation of believers have been elected to actively participate in the process of mutual edification, slowly progressing towards the goals of unity, knowledge, maturity, and Christlikeness (Eph. 4:12-13).  Each person, as a member of a specific congregation, is to participate in the building up of the Body of Christ.  All saints, and not just a few leaders, are gifted to serve others spiritually.  In the final analysis, descriptions such as “good” or “bad” are not important.  What is important is to understand that the community of faith of which you are a part requires that you exercise your spiritual gift on a consistent basis.  When this occurs, the former statements as to the validity or non-validity of a Christian speaker, worship team, or drama club, are nullified, and true edification has an arena to take its natural course.  As Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus, “from him (that is Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work” (4:16).  (Brackets mine)

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            In many of Paul’s letters, the early stages of his writing usually dealt with matters of doctrine, that is, what one ought to believe about God and Christ and their relationship to the world.  He instructs us on issues of truth, gleaned from his understanding of the old covenant, and also through revelation by the Spirit.  His primary purpose in writing this way was to first lay a foundation of truth that would under gird, inform and direct the remainder of his letter, relating to issues of practice.  Paul never told people how to live without first giving them the truth of God upon which to base their living.  To go in any other direction, to place practice before truth, would be futile.  How can I possibly know how to respond in life’s situations when I have no idea what the standard of truth is?  Paul was very wise in this regard.

            With this in mind, Paul designates the first 3 chapters of Ephesians to matters of doctrine – highlighting the new position now enjoyed by believers in Ephesus through their encounter with God in Christ.  After chapter 3 Paul shifts his focus to the practical implications of their status before the Lord – how their lives ought to look as they contemplate the truth and relate it to their living.

Exposition:

            At the beginning of chapter 4, Paul began his practical section by admonishing them to “live a live worthy of the calling you have received” (4:1).  His emphasis is centered immediately on the crucial topic of unity.  In fact, he writes that the unity evident within the church, which has been established and appropriated by the Spirit, is now given over to believers “Keep the unity of the Spirit” (v. 3).  They are called to maintain this unity through their collective understanding and experience of Christ’s reconciling work in bridging the gap between God and humanity – what Paul called peace with God (“bond of peace” – v. 3).  Though differences do exist within the body of Christ, the primary work of maintaining the unity built by the Spirit is to center on Jesus Christ and the work of reconciliation completed by him in his life, death and resurrection. 

            Unity comes up again in verse 13.  On this occasion, Paul has written about the importance of leadership within the church and that their primary work is to focus on the equipping of saints for “works of service” (v. 12).  Why? “So that the body of Christ may be built up” (v. 12).  Paul continues by writing that the saints are to continue in this ministry of edification until “we all reach unity in the faith,” made possible through the collective truth and knowledge of the Son of God (v. 13).  When this is completed, we will all “attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” (v. 13), that is, we will finally and completely attain the character of Christ. 

            Then and only then will we grow into spiritual adulthood, where doctrinal stability becomes the foundation for a life of love – evidenced both in our walk and talk – “speaking the truth in love” (v. 15).  In fact, we are to grow and build ourselves up in love, “as each part does its work” (v. 16).  We see here that unity is in large part a mandate given over to the church.  As we learn to “speak the truth in love,” we will as a result, “grow up into him who is the Head” (v. 15). 

            Verse 15 is the first occasion where we see how unity is directly related to speech (speaking the truth in love).  As those who have come into a relationship with God through Christ, whose minds and attitudes have undergone a complete transformation (cf. Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23), are then admonished to “put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness” (v. 24).  As we clothe ourselves with this new identity and awareness, wrapped up in a personal relationship with God, appropriated by the Spirit, we will as a result “no longer live” (v. 17) in a manner representative of our former ways of thinking and living.  Our new position should align itself with our practice.  Our understanding of the truth about Jesus (v. 21), will inform and direct our lives in ways that will honor Him.  And, because this is the case, we are then called upon to “speak truthfully” to one another, “for we are all members of one body” (v. 25). 

            Here we begin to see how a transformed life (v. 20-24) ought now to evidence itself in transformed speech (v. 15, 25), subsequently fostering unity and spiritual growth.  The relationship is absolutely essential and must be consistently sought at all costs if genuine unity within the church is ever to be realized, locally and globally.  A new life should be seen in new speech – speech that has as it primary focus the building up of the body of Christ. 

Because of the vital importance of speech as it relates to unity, Paul then admonished believers to “not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths” (v. 29).  The emphasis on the work of unity first established by the Spirit (v. 3), given now in large part to the saints, is retained here.  The imperative is clear to everyone reading and listening – “do not let.”  The onus of responsibility is placed before each and every believer as they make a conscious decision to allow their transformed life to transform their conversation. 

Paul warns the believers to not permit “any unwholesome talk to come out of your mouths.”  Unwholesome carries with it the idea of that which is foul, disgusting, rotten, and subsequently worthless.  It speaks of fruit that is rotten, gone bad, and has affected even the good fruit around it.  Unwholesome talk doesn’t exclusively pertain to swearing or cursing in the traditional sense of the word, but to anything which tears down and degrades, such as malicious gossip and slander.  Anything that injures others and sparks dissension is covered by the expression.      

 We remember Paul’s concept of speaking truth in love (v. 15), and his admonition to speak truthfully (v. 25), and how this is in complete and utter contradiction to the idea of rottenness.  Love talk is beneficial – it builds people up and strengthens the cause of Christ in the world.  Unwholesome talk, on the other hand, has the opposite affect – it breeds divisiveness and disrespect – it is worthless talk, destroying any efforts of unity and mirrors aspects of life represented in our former way of living and in no way reflects the concept of the new life brought about through Christ and the Spirit.  In the end, it reveals a serious lack of understanding of the new life itself and how it is to be seen in a changed lifestyle.   The more we misunderstand our new life (position) and what it entails, the more this misunderstanding will be reflected in our practice.  Paul wanted to help them see this and to change them as a result.

            Having established this thought, Paul turns to the positive, and informs them as to what appropriate speech is for a person who has experienced a new life.  That is, believer’s speech should consist of that which is “helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (v. 29).  Paul contrasts in one sentence the difference between unwholesome talk and helpful talk.  Unwholesome talk divides and causes harm; helpful talk builds and strengthens.  The Christian not only stops saying things that are unwholesome in nature, but begins to say things that will help others.  Thus, the primary question we ought to ask ourselves is not only is it true and pure?, but is it helpful and encouraging?  Such a mindset would certainly maintain unity within the church and in every other relationship we know of.  If my number one priority is to speak words that are encouraging and helpful, aimed at building others up in the faith, I am promoting unity within the ranks and obeying the admonition of the Spirit in 4:3, to “keep the unity” established by him through Christ.  Good words “benefit” others (v. 29).  It speaks of conferring a blessing, giving grace.  As the proverb states: “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing” (Prov. 12:18).  It benefits those who listen where and when they need it most.  It’s a word spoken in season . . . positively impacting those who hear and heed its message.

            Paul then immediately turned his attention to the most important reason as to why speech control is crucial to the body of Christ.  “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (v. 30).  The word and at the beginning of the sentence automatically links it with what came before.  In this context, it is intimately related to Paul’s thoughts about unwholesome and helpful speech within the church.  With this in mind, we see that unwholesome talk, in every form and to every degree, grieves the Holy Spirit.  It brings sorrow to Him.  As a result, there are a number of things we can say about this happening.

1.)    The Holy Spirit has a personality.  While metaphors such as fire, wind, smoke, and other descriptions such as a spiritual force or influence do highlight aspects of the Spirits nature and function, we must never forget that the Spirit is a person and therefore has a personality.  The fact that Spirit can be wounded and grieved indicates this with clarity.

2.)    The Spirit as the one who has established unity through Christ’s finished work is grieved when that unity is treated indifferently and thereby seriously jeopardized (4:3).  When any one of us decides to either initiate and/or participate in any discussion that can be described as unwholesome, rotten and therefore worthless, we run the risk of demolishing the unity established by the Spirit.  And when this occurs, the consequences are varied, but are epitomized in the grieving of the precious Holy Spirit.  It tears down everything He represents and everything He has worked to achieve.  It is unlike His nature as the bond of love within the fellowship of the Trinity and also within the fellowship of the church.

3.)    Any kind of careless, unbecoming talk pains the Spirit, since it is incompatible with the holiness he conveys to those who belong to Christ.  Having put on the new self through an understanding of Christ’s work of redemption, a nature “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness,” (v. 24) we are then called upon to reflect that transformation in a lifestyle characteristic of that nature, and “no longer live” (v. 17) in a way reminiscent of our former way of life.  As Paul would write later in 5:1, we are to be “imitators of God . . . and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us.”  As Christ demonstrated love in His life, death and resurrection, so we are called upon to walk in that love and display it to others, in conduct and speech.

4.)    Lastly, the Spirit is grieved when careless words are spoken because He is within each and every one who has surrendered their lives to Christ and accepted Him as Lord.  “With whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (v. 30).  His being given to us guarantees that our inheritance is secure and that we can have assurance in knowing that he is with us to the end when our salvation will become sight.  Yet, even in the midst of such assurance, a serious command is given to reflect the changed life in changed behavior – in this context, speech patterns.

Paul concludes this section by reminding us that even when we have participated in talk that is rotten and worthless, affecting profound damage to the integrity and unity of the church, grace and forgiveness should be the actions of the day.  In fact, we are to be “kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (v. 32).  The ground for all forgiveness lies in God’s gracious activity epitomized in the giving of His Son to come and die in our place.  Salvation by grace means relationship with God through favor given by and through him and in no way is realized through any form of human effort.  Therefore, as God has graciously forgiven us through Christ, so we must forgive those who have demonstrated their lack of understanding what the Christian life entails through unwholesome talk; talk that divides the church and in the process wounds the Spirit, the bond of life and fellowship.  Grace is always a very good way to conclude any discussion, especially one where human faults and propensities are highlighted.

Life Lessons:

1.)    Good doctrine must always be the foundation for good living.  We are called upon to live a life worthy of the calling we have received.  This becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, if we have no way of knowing what basis to build our lives upon as it relates to a system of truth.

2.)    As those who have been made new through the regenerating power of Christ, our lives must reflect this changed status and transformation wrought by the Spirit.  In fact, it is the collective understanding and experience of this work of Christ which Paul called the bond of peace – where a relationship with God becomes a possibility and peace with God becomes a reality.  This we share in common and far exceeds any difference which may attempt to distract and divide us from the unity established by the Spirit (4: 3).

3.)    One significant way to keep this unity a reality is through speaking helpful words rather than words that are unwholesome and worthless.  Unwholesome comments and participation in them have a profound effect on one another and particularly on the Holy Spirit, by whom we have been sealed.  In fact, such talk wounds Him immensely, beyond what we can fathom.  When the unity he worked so hard to establish and appropriate through Christ is in any way jeopardized, he is saddened to know end.  After all, such behavior damages one another and in the process dramatically affects our witness to Christ and his saving work upon the cross.  It removes any sense of credibility associated with Christ and the Church, and thereby damages our witness to the world.

4.)    This is why Paul admonished all of us, regardless of age or maturity, to initiate and participate in conversation that is helpful; conversation that builds and encourages people; conversation that promotes unity within the church and verifies our message of forgiveness to the world.

5.)    Lastly, for those of us who have participated in such activity and for those who have not, the best way to overcome such a predicament is to apply grace, compassion and forgiveness to each and every person involved.  Conviction, not condemnation, is the word for the day, and must be applied to the church as we look to the cross as our source of love and grace in a needy world and church.

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            In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus concluded what has traditionally been called His Sermon on the Mount.  It basically is a series of teachings dealing with a number of topics, concluding on a practical note. He chose to wrap up His sermon through the use of a parable that in many ways summarized His thoughts and encouraged active listening. 

            Active listening is somewhat of a contemporary term, but its focus is not.  Active listening encourages everyone to actively participate in a conversation or some other arena where listening is paramount.  It takes place during anytime when someone is speaking and demands that we take the time not only to hear what is being said, but to appropriately respond as well.  We actively participate by asking questions, repeating others viewpoints and aspects of what they’ve said.  We take seriously what has been taught and look for ways to better understand and implement its lessons to life.  At the end of His sermon, Jesus encouraged active listening.

            If we believe the primary purpose of truth is practical in nature, that it’s meant to be put into practice, then Jesus’ use of this parable is very appropriate and timely.  His intention was not simply to teach them something new; to provide yet more religious information.  Rather, the focus after His sermon was to help them better understand that His teachings were meant to be applied to life’s various situations, and hence better one’s life.  They were meant to be acted upon, to be obeyed.  And in obeying, their lives would reflect God’s will more accurately.  Jesus was looking for a response.  How important it is for an opportunity be given for people to respond to Jesus’ teaching.  Hearing was not enough for Jesus, for if His teachings were to have any lasting impact, they would have to be obeyed.

            In this parable, Jesus spoke about two men who, for the most part, had very much in common.  Primarily, both had desires to build a home.  They built houses that were probably quite similar; that looked good and sturdy.  Yet, when the storm came, one of the houses collapsed.  What was the difference?  Surely not the external characteristics.  The difference was in the foundation: the successful builder “dug deep” (Lk. 6:48) and set his house on a solid foundation, whereas the other did not.

            Through the use of this parable, Jesus illustrates a very important truth.  Both men represent those who hear these words of mine; the difference lies in doing them.  The essence of Jesus’ teaching is that we are to not only hear His words, but to act on them, to obey them.  That is, our hearing must result in doing.  James stated a very similar idea in 1:22-25.  “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.  Do what it says” (v. 22).  What is he teaching here?  If we merely listen to God’s word, we deceive ourselves into believing that it doesn’t apply to us, and walk away.  Such a situation would be most tragic.  James admonished us to go one step further and “do what it says.”  This is what it means to build on the rock foundation.  The foundation in this parable is simply obedience to God’s word.  Even further, obedience is an evidence of true faith.  James once again speaks to this effect in 2:14, “what good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save him?”  He would go on to teach that “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” (v. 17).  Hearing and obeying go hand in hand and obeying is the evidence of a genuine faith commitment.

            Jesus goes on to teach that the only way to know on what foundation one has chosen to build is by means of a storm.  Both men in the parable encountered storms of equal significance and strength, but only the one who built upon the rock foundation endured the storm.  The other home was swept away by the force of the rainstorm because its foundation was sand.

            Likewise, nothing like a good storm will be as effective to test the depth of one’s profession of faith in Jesus Christ.  All people, even genuine believers, will encounter storms, for all are subject to them, regardless of one’s commitment.  It goes with the territory and living in this broken world.  Yet, only those who hear Jesus’ teachings and obey them will stand the test.

            James asked the question, what good is it if a person claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such a faith save them?  Many people in our day claim to have faith in God, but their deeds speak otherwise.  They claim to have heard Jesus’ words, but their lives reveal an obvious lack of obedience to His words.  The depth of their commitment is revealed when a storm of life hits them.  When the rains fall, and the wind blows and the flood beats against their lives, the claimers are quickly swallowed by the storm and they fall.  Like the person who received the seed of God’s word into a shallow heart (Matt. 13:4-9), the commitment fails when the testing comes.  Many people have professed faith in Christ, only to deny their faith when life becomes spiritually costly and difficult.

            Strength and stability can only come when one deliberately chooses to hear and obey the words of Jesus Christ.  Obedience becomes the solid foundation that enables us to endure the various storms of life.  It equips us to persevere, even under tremendous pressure.  We will never fall, if we hear and obey the voice of our Lord.  We may be battered and bruised, but we will not bow.

            But there’s more.  If we look at the context, we quickly realize that what is ultimately in view here is God’s final judgment – the final storm.  For instance, verses 21-23 point to this end quite clearly.  The statement speaks of those who made professions to Christ and even worked in His name, but in the end, Jesus never knew them – no level of personal relationship existed.  Their shallow profession and commitment fell underneath God’s final test.  They looked the part, they seemingly did the right things, but their profession was only superficial and failed to go deep within their heart and mind.  Saying Lord, Lord will never be sufficient, for only those who do the Father’s will, will enter the kingdom of heaven (v. 21).  As before, hearing and obeying go hand in hand.

            But thankfully, those who have trusted Christ and have proved their faith by their obedience will have nothing to fear.  Their house is founded on the Rock, and it will stand the test of time and eternity. 

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.”

 All Scripture NIV

Trust and Obey – John H. Sammis & Daniel B. Towner

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            It has often been said that our contemporary culture can be characterized as the Ipaq generation.  Every minute of every day has been neatly and succinctly inputted into these tiny electronic organizers, often leaving little room for anything outside its digital parameters.  Ironically enough, the devices that were originally intended to make our lives easier and more relaxed, has turned out to be the same ones that have made our days amount to nothing more than pre-determined, tightly packaged itineraries that drives the average person into an paradoxical, ordered frenzy. 

            In a society where multi-tasking is viewed as an admired skill, and where deadlines constantly loom over us, suffocating the human mind and spirit, trying to leave room for anything that falls outside the boundaries of those timetables is deemed an exercise in futility.  

            The unfortunate feature of these highly rigid and overbooked schedules is that a lack of time is permitted for the spontaneous moments in life.  Those unique, unexpected surprises that, if entertained, can prove to be significant and sometimes life-changing.

            A brief overview of the Gospel accounts, particularly Luke’s record, presents us with an emerging pattern in Jesus’ life and ministry.  His days were certainly filled with many scheduled events, traditions and a general list of ­things-to-do.  However, what becomes abundantly clear as you read through the story is that in the midst of his daily agenda were spontaneous moments that came to largely define His ministry.  Allow me to illustrate.          

Jesus – A Ministry En Route…

           Luke 4:16, “He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom.”

           Luke 5:17-19 – “One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick.  Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus.”

            Luke 7:11-15 – “Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out--the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, "Don't cry."  Then he went up and touched the coffin, and those carrying it stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.”

            Luke 8:40-48 – “Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him. Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus' feet, pleading with him to come to his house because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying.  As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped.  "Who touched me?" Jesus asked.  When they all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the people are crowding and pressing against you."  But Jesus said, "Someone touched me; I know that power has gone out from me."  Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

             Talk about being interrupted!  In each circumstance Jesus was making His way to a planned event of some kind; whether to the synagogue on the Sabbath, preaching the Good News of the Kingdom, entering a city gate, or traveling to a sick girl’s home, yet in each and every occasion He was met with an interruption.

           I think it would be safe to say that Jesus’ earthly ministry could be characterized as a series of interruptions.  In a recent interview on the 700 Club, Gloria Gaither said this about Jesus ministry:  “If you read the New Testament and the life of Christ, I think you will find that everything that made the book was an interruption.”  I’m convinced that Jesus certainly had a game plan, a schedule of sorts that enabled him to go to certain places and do certain things (cf. Luke 4:42-44).  Yet, in the midst of his latest thing to do, he made time for those so-called interruptions, so that much of what we read in the Gospel accounts is an overview of these seemingly haphazard events. 

           It makes me entertain the possibility that maybe those moments were not that haphazard after all!  Rather than being labeled as inconveniences, they were more in line with what some have called divine appointments.  Those moments when the unpredictable takes center stage; upsets the equilibrium and poses a threat to our time-sensitive schedules.  In the end, those unscheduled events in our day could often prove to make up the special moments of life.

           Our days may be full of scheduled dealings, but the most meaningful occasions in our lives are most likely not in our appointment books.  Who can schedule the hour when you fall in love? Who can schedule a child’s first word? Or consider the more solemn interruptions: Who would think to schedule a life-threatening illness? Who could begin to expect a stroke? Who has any way of knowing how an accident can transform a life? To be sure, these interruptions tear away some of what we believed we knew about ourselves and our world; they also invite us into some of the most profound opportunities of our lives.

Question Period…

           Later in the interview on the 700 Club, Gloria Gaither remarked, “In our lives as long as we feel exasperated by the interruptions, God can’t do what He wants to do in our lives.”  How true is this for you and me?  In a society and culture that is driven by time, do we even allow for those special moments in the day that could potentially change the course of our lives and those around us?  Do we perhaps unknowingly and unintentionally miss those opportunities God sends our way because they were not included in our daily agendas?  Do such occasions aggravate us because they set us off track a little and consume too much of our precious time?  Or, should we consider that in those moments God is pushing us in directions that, though they may not be a part of our daily itinerary, are part of His plan and therefore are not interruptions at all?  Have you ever thought to consider the possibility that they may not be as random as first thought?  Rather than being viewed as mere coincidences, maybe they are divine appointments, and part of a much larger picture.

           Sometimes we want God to work only within our structures and neatly defined timetables.  Organization is a positive thing, but we should never allow ourselves to be so consumed by time that we deny space for the spontaneous.  It could very well be that those seemingly random, unscheduled moments of the day could actually change a person’s life for good, including our own.  Remember, not everything happens by chance.

            Maybe you have a story to share that could illustrate the reality that not everything in life can be fit into our neatly organized timetables.  Much of Jesus’ life and ministry was in large part defined by things that happened en route.  Moments that were certainly not penciled in His daily itinerary!  Yet, they proved to be so special that the various Gospel writers made a point to include those so-called interruptions into their accounts.  Why?  Because they weren’t so random after all!  Oddly enough it was during those moments where the grace and glory of God shone most brightly!

            Who knows, our next interruption could make a world of difference in our life and in the lives we touch!  In our daily schedules, let us leave a few spaces open for those opportunities God might send our way!  That next interruption could prove to be a divine moment!  Make room for God’s interruptions!

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“The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel – which means, ‘God with us.’”

– Matthew 1:23

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

– John 1:14

            Christmas is a very important date in the Church’s liturgical calendar.  Celebrated by millions of Christians worldwide, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the most recognized events in human history.  Though obviously holding tremendous significance, the contemporary understanding of this occasion has often hidden the most important and compelling point of the event.  Modern human experience and explanation has seemed to guide our collective understanding of the narrative, thereby giving us only a partial, one-sided perspective. 

            Emphasis has long been given to the ‘baby’ Jesus, “wrapped in clothes and lying in a manger,” cute and innocent (Lk. 2:12).  We automatically gravitate to such an image, identifying with it easily enough, as it partially reflects and personifies the universal human experience of childbirth.  While it is by no means incorrect to think in such terms, for Jesus was certainly born in the context described in Luke’s account, allowing these baby images to dominate ones thinking, at the expense of a more developed understanding, can have a blurring effect on one’s awareness of the primary significance of the Christmas story. 

            Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth in chapter two provides us with a window through which we can witness the beginning of the “good news of great joy that will be for all people.” (2:10). This “good news” is illustrated clearly in the first passage listed at the beginning.  Here, Matthew records Joseph’s dream, highlighting the angelic announcement that the child soon to be born of Mary’s womb would ultimately fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy in 7:14, revealing that the infant would in fact be “God with us.” This obviously propels us beyond the traditional understanding of Jesus as a mere ‘baby’, and demands us to see this event for what it truly is – an incarnation.

            Incarnational theology has as its dominant premise what it calls the hypostatic or personal union of Jesus’ divine and human natures.  This term refers to the point in time when the eternal Son of God took upon Himself a complete human nature and became man.  Existing from all eternity as the Word of God, John’s gospel reveals that “the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (John 1:1, 14).  His birth, therefore, in light of this expanded understanding as to its meaning, clearly reveals that the traditional Christmas emphasis of Jesus as ‘baby’ must be transcended to see this particular event for what it really is.  

            God the Son entered the human situation as a complete human being, uniting the fullness of divinity with the fullness of humanity in one person.  The divinity in no way merely possessing humanity and humanity in no way merely indwelt by deity, but two natures in one person – one eternal and divine, the other human and generated in time.    

            In order to truly grasp the meaning of Christmas, one must move beyond the category of Jesus as the cute and cuddly baby in a manger and begin to more fully comprehend the significance of the event as it was meant to be understood.  That is, as a divine-human event where God the Son entered the world as a complete human being, taking upon Himself everything that it means to be human, while maintaining the fullness of His deity.  Then and only then will we begin to appreciate Jesus as Immanuel – God with us and discover the significance of Christmas.

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