Christ – Waite for it…

Catching a glimpse of Jesus

Posted on December 23, 2024 by William Douthwaite

I always smile when I hear the sound of a baby in church. Whether it’s happy noises or demanding cries, I love the sound of infants in worship. When I was preaching, I knew I’d have to turn up the volume. Sitting behind a little one meant I would have a hard time concentrating on the pastor’s message. Vibrations from down below let me know I better speed up the baptism and hand that one back to mom. A loud burp from the back row announced a good meal was finished and a nap would soon follow.

Simeon was in the temple when Joseph and Mary brought the one-month old Jesus for presentation. The Holy Spirit promised Simeon he would not die until he saw the Christ (Luke 2:26). Where would he see the Messiah? Would he see a baby or a grown-up?

He had no idea until Jesus’s parents brought him into the temple that day. And then knew. Simeon took the baby in his arms, blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation” (Luke 2:29,30).

It’s a powerful moment. Suddenly, Simeon is no longer immortal. He has seen the Christ, and one day would see death. On the other hand, having seen the one who defeated death, Simeon would not perish but have everlasting life.

The baby Jesus was fully human, and he would one day die. He was also fully divine, and he would be raised to life on the third day. Because of all he came to be and do, believers embrace both mortality and resurrection, too.

We are reminded of that truth whenever we catch a sight of Jesus. Sometimes our Lord looks like someone we can help with food or shelter. Other times, he looks like one who brings healing to our lives. His glory might peek out from behind the clouds. Sometimes it fills a dark starry night. It might be a bite of bread and sip of wine. Or a friend who wipes away a tear on his behalf.

Simeon gets an ornament on the Jesse Tree. He faithfully waited for, saw the light, and boldly proclaimed Christ’s arrival.

Advent devotions

When the world becomes a rage room

Posted on December 2, 2024December 2, 2024 by William Douthwaite

One of the most asked questions is, “Why doesn’t God do something about the evil in the world?”

It’s a great question. God is all powerful. He’s holy and cannot tolerate anything less.

And yet evil exists. It exists because his own created people decided to listen to someone other than him. Evil exists because the very people he created decided to disobey the one command he gave.

Isn’t it interesting that we will pray, “God, please fix this,” when we have made a big mess?

Well, God does something. Here’s what he says:

And I will put enmity
    between you and the woman,
    and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
    and you will strike his heel.”(Genesis 3:15 NIV)

The first gospel promise in scripture comes on the heel of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the garden of Eden. God speaks these words to the serpent who deceived Eve to eat from the tree of good and evil, the only tree in the garden that was off limits.

God could have been angry. God could have been furious. God could have been beside himself.

But God was slow to anger. God was rich in mercy. God abounded in steadfast love.

Enmity: they will know that you are an adversary. You are not looking out for their best interests. You are an enemy. Your are a liar. You are looking for someone to devour.

God doesn’t fool around. Even though the devil prowls around like a lion, the Lord is much more than a lion tamer. The devil might seem strong, but the Lord is going to more than tie him up and plunder his house. (Although he will do just that.) Jesus isn’t going to put the devil in his place with a commanding “Get behind me, Satan!”

Christ comes to crush the enemy. By the time Jesus is done, the adversary is going to look like the car crushed into a small cube of metal before being hauled off for scrap. The one who put enough pressure on carbon to make diamonds is going to put the squeeze on the devil. The pressure at the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean? That’s nothing compared to the weight of God’s boot on the neck of Satan. Messiah comes to crush the enemy.

We’ve got a few “rage rooms” in the area. A rage room is “a place for individuals and families to release stress and tension by breaking various items, from dishes and knickknacks to TVs and furniture.” Sweet. They provide you with bats, axes, and sledges so you can smash and scream to your heart’s delight accompanied by blaring music.

For a moment, the temple was Jesus’s rage room, when he cleared out the money changers. But that was just the coming attraction. Just wait till the Christ goes to town on the forces of evil!

Through the Bible Devotions

Something smells good

Posted on August 24, 2024August 24, 2024 by William Douthwaite

A “through the bible” devotion from Leviticus 1.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly. Leviticus. Supportive friends have thanked me for these “through the bible” devotions. Back in Genesis, I told them, “We’ll see how it goes when we get to Leviticus.” Many “I’m going to read the bible” endeavors get out of the blocks fast in Genesis, plod through Exodus, and stall out in Leviticus.

However, the last few times through the bible, I’ve found the guidelines for sacrifices, ordination of priests, foods, festivals, and holiness to be fascinating. So I’m going to share my thoughts with you. I dare you to hang in there with me.

So much changed when the Covid pandemic hit in 2020. There was so much we didn’t know. There was a lot of misinformation, too. I never knew there were so many epidemiologists in my congregation! Everyone had expert opinions on communicable diseases, masks, and immunizations.

To the relief of some, the dismay of others, and the anger of a few, we shut the doors of the church and learned how to stream worship into our homes. As I preached to an iPhone camera on a tripod in an empty sanctuary, I wondered if anyone was watching or listening.

Suddenly, we didn’t have to get up, shower, dress, and drive to church on Sunday morning. We could worship virtually via a streaming device in pajamas as we ate breakfast at the dining room table.

It was convenient. But it wasn’t the same. We didn’t have the chance to catch up with friends we hadn’t seen for a week. For better or worse, our singing voices stood out rather than blending in with others. We missed the flock!

God lays out instructions for worship in Leviticus. “When anyone of you brings an offering to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:2), it was to be done in a certain place (not your tent or home) and a specific way. With humility and obedience, worshipers focused on God without creativity or personal preference. In other words, it wasn’t about you, but about about the Lord. The whole community did this together.

Worship cost you something. Worship cost you a bull, a sheep or a goat, or if you were poor, a couple of birds. As you laid your hands on the offering, you identified with that gift, giving yourself to the Lord. After all, God doesn’t want some thing from you. He wants you. He desires a relationship with you. He loves you.

Worship in the Old Testament points to Christ, who will be the ultimate sacrifice. The blood of beasts foreshadowed the blood of Christ shed on the cross which truly covers all our sin. “Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma” (Ephesians 5:2).

It smells amazing when I’m walking around the block and catch a whiff of someone grilling meat on the back porch. In the same way, these burnt offerings were a “soothing aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 1:9,13,17). Something smells good because Jesus gave his life for us!

faith

A deeper trust in God

Posted on February 24, 2024 by William Douthwaite

A few weeks ago at a men’s bible study, the guys around my table were sharing prayer requests. One of the guys at my table, I’ll call him Tom, said, “I just want to be in deeper communion with Christ.” He had been paying attention to Sunday morning preaching, in which the pastor had encouraged everyone, no matter where we were in our walk with Christ, to take a step deeper. Tom has been a believer for a long time, teaches our men’s group, and has a daily devotional discipline.

So I asked, “What do you mean by that?” (BTW, that’s always a good first response. Get them to tell more of the story.)

Tom replied, “I want a deeper connection. I want a conscious connection with the Lord all day long. I read and pray in the morning, and then I get to work, not really thinking much about him. I want to do better.”

That’s a noble goal. But is it possible? Is it possible to consciously have God on the front burner of your heart, mind and soul twenty-four seven? Isn’t what monks attempted to do? Didn’t they removed themselves from all worldly distractions so that they could pray throughout their waking hours?

Well, I’ll tell you right now, I can’t do it. And neither can you. And that’s okay. Really it is. Let me explain why.

Let’s use the model of sheep and a shepherd. The sheep know the voice of the shepherd and follow him. They follow him to pasture, to water, and back to the sheep pen before evening. In the meantime, they eat. They bleat. They wander around the pasture. They make lambs. And through it all, I’ll bet they don’t think much about the shepherd.

But the shepherd thinks about them. The shepherd leads them, watches them, and protects them. He’s the shepherd. That’s his job. And if he’s doing his job, then the sheep can be…sheep.

Get it? If God is on duty twenty-four seven, if God never slumbers nor sleeps, if the Lord is our shepherd, then we can be his sheep. We can trust him so deeply that we can eat, drink, and enjoy our work without a care in the world. (Ecclesiastes 5:18).

You know what? That’s deep.

Lent devotions

King of the hill

Posted on March 13, 2021March 11, 2021 by William Douthwaite

“Scenes from the passion” Lent devotions for Saturday, March 13, 2021. Photo by Alfred Aloushy on Unsplash.

And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. Now the chief priests and the whole council were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. For many bore false witness against him, but their testimony did not agree. And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’” Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. And some began to spit on him and to cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him with blows. (Mark 14:53-65)

Someone didn’t do their job. After all the plotting and planning to get their hands on Jesus, they can’t find anyone to testify against Jesus. Without two witnesses, the law of Moses says they can’t do anything. They can’t even find anyone who knows how to lie. What a joke.

Jesus just stands there. He doesn’t say a word while these guys make fools of themselves. Finally the high priest just asks him, “Are you the Christ?” Jesus simply says, “I am.” Then he adds, “Oh, and by the way, you haven’t seen anything yet.”

Continue reading →

Grace, Ministry, worship

“What will the church do?” (in the aftermath of Charlottesville, VA)

Posted on August 14, 2017August 14, 2017 by William Douthwaite

In the past few days we have witnessed just how much hatred and anger have been simmering below the surface of America as the still present reality of racism came to a head in Charlottesville, Virginia. It did not take long before questions began to fly. “What will the president (or the governor or the congress) do?” “What will the police do?” And even “What will the church do?”

I find it fascinating that though the church has been marginalized in our culture, it is now called upon to do it’s thing, to do something about what is going on, to appeal to a high authority for reconciliation, justice and peace. Relegated to the margins of community life, we are suddenly needed. A majority of Americans may identify as Christian, yet fewer than a quarter of us actually engage in any kind of worship or other Christian activity in a typical week. Now we are suddenly spoken of as a necessary voice, one that must speak, and one that people ought to listen to.

It’s a good question. What will the church do? Since we are the church, the question easily translates to, “What will we do?” Continue reading ““What will the church do?” (in the aftermath of Charlottesville, VA)” →

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