Living Water

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook, NJ and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way (2011); and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 7 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.” N.T. Wright

Even With My Dark Side

Posted in Living Water, tagged Bible, Christianity, Christopher B. Wolf, church, faith, forgiveness, friends, Grace, heart, hope, life, love, marriage, ministry, parenting, personal, relationships, religion, spirituality, theology on November 22, 2012| Leave a Comment »

It’s a question that comes up a lot.

It’s a question that many people are asking.

It’s a question that is very often a prayer.

It’s a question that keeps people home from church on Sunday mornings.

It’s a question that keeps people hiding from God and from others.

It’s also a question that some church going people deny and hide from.

This question?

Well, I have heard it in many forms. And then I was driving the other day and listening to the radio and I start hearing this question in song form. It was articulated so beautifully, I was taken back. So when I got back home, I typed in a phrase I heard from the song that I heard, “Will you love me, even with my dark side?” It turns out it is a song by Kelly Clarkson, the first American Idol winner.

I do celebrate the message of this of this song. It asks “the” question I was hinting at above, “Will you love me, even with my dark side?” but also expresses related ideas such as our worth, that nobody’s perfect, fear, never giving up, and staying and or running away in relationships. Then, even better, I watched the video for the song, it does a wonderful job of illustrating many issues of worth that so many of us struggle with – losing jobs, weight/body image, drugs and alcohol, loss and grief, the past, relationships, faith and others; and it offers hope. Here is a link to the video http://www.vevo.com/watch/kelly-clarkson/dark-side/GBE431200044.

I don’t know about Kelly’s faith – but she has written a wonderful prayer. She may not have addressed it to God, but I encourage you to read the lyrics as if it were a prayer to God. It’s there.

And guess what? As the song does a good job of answering that “we’re worth it,” the Bible offers several, wonderful, faithful, answers.

Answers such as, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).” Meaning that God is and was not waiting for us to be perfect and then loving us; He loves us right now, dark sides and all. And it’s through that love that we are enabled to leave or dark sides behind.

Answers such as, “God told them, “I’ve never quit loving you and never will. Expect love, love, and more love (Jeremiah 31:3 MSG).” Meaning, God loves us based on His character; not based on us. Therefore there is nothing we can do to add or subtact from it.

Answers such as, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).”

And answers such as, “My son, the father said, you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found (Luke 15:31-32).” Meaning no matter how lost, or far away, we can always come back to God.

And there are many more answers, but I think these are some good examples.

For many years, I have been haunted by this question, “Will you love me, even with my dark side?” because I know it has been the source of confusion, hurt, distance for so many – it breaks my heart. I find that many people ask it and often don’t believe God’s answer. I find that many people get stuck living in their dark side; stuck in guilt, the past, mistakes, hurts, addictions and more – from which there is freedom in Christ. I also find that lots of people pretend that they don’t have dark sides; in which they lose out on the grace and joy of God; to deny that we’re sinners is to miss the whole point of Jesus.

But for today, if you are asking, or if you have ever asked, or if you avoid asking because you’re afraid of the answer, or if you stopped asking at some point – yes, absolutely, yes, God loves you with your dark side. And, for what it’s worth, so do I.

My prayer is that more and more, you find your worth, your sense of being loved and loving, your hope, and your heart in the One who is loves us more than we can ever know.

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

Something Sacred

Posted in Living Water, tagged Bible, children, Christ, Christianity, Christians, Christopher B. Wolf, church, corruption, faith, family, God, holy, life, marriage, ministry, parenting, parents, precious, purity, relationships, religion, sacred, September 11, spirituality, television, theology on September 18, 2011| 1 Comment »

I think a lot about the purity of things…

Not to sound like an old fuddy-duddy, but I often think back to when I was 6 or 7 years old and when I be the first one awake in our home and I would turn on the television and there was only static. And then the national anthem would be played and then the “programming day” would start. And I think about how it wasn’t 24/7 – there was a time of night when it turned off. There was some time set apart…

I think of the purity of children and youth, the purity of faith, the purity of faith and more. I grieve the absence of purity in much of life. It really does seem like the effect or the motion of life and the world is of corruption or in the least, deterioration. I so desire for things to be more…sacred. And not just in the religious sense. I mean sacred in the sense of valued, appreciated, cherish and yes holy even.

But I was running this morning and I reached the part of the path where there are these very tall trees. I always look up when I am running under them and the sun happened to be shining through and as if everything were in slow motion, something dawned on me about purity and sacred things. Yes, we can watch this world corrupt and spoil most things we think of as cherished and pure. But we are not completely powerless on this…

The Biblical definitions of holy include: associated with God; revered; living according to a strict moral standard; solemnly undertaken; set apart for a Godly purpose.

Did you catch the last one? “Set apart for a Godly purpose.”

Not to diminish the first three parts, but these are what I caught a glimpse of this morning on my run. One of the key principles of holiness in the Bible as demonstrated by God is “setting apart.” God sets apart the Israelites as His people, sets apart the Sabbath, sets apart places and more. The New Testament theological term is Sanctification – the process by which the Holy Spirit works in our lives to make us more like Christ – diminishing sin and magnifying Christ’s qualities in us.

And I remember this morning that just as God sets apart, so should we to make things more sacred. Looking around today, if you really think about it, there is very little that is set apart or sacred anymore. When is there a time that is set apart? Very few things seem to be consciously set apart for a Godly purpose?

But I think that, relying on God’s Word and the Holy Spirit we can work to make our lives, and life, more set apart and more sacred.

Part of it also is remembering and re-facing the horror and grief of September 11 last week, while fortifying in some ways, reminded me more than anything of how precious life is. Any blue-skied Tuesday morning, any morning really, could be the last one.

Setting apart time for and with God. Setting apart time for serving and loving others. Setting apart time for building family and relationships. Each of these and more aren’t going to just magically appear or happen on their own.

Like I said above, sanctification is a dual process – diminishing sins and magnifying Christ’s qualities. Likewise in real-time, to make our lives and life in general more sacred there has to be a removal of or a refraining from things that are destructive as well as an amplification of the things of God.

Running this morning I thought about how I want to take the sacredness and sanctification in me and share it and carry it and bring it wherever I go.

“Progress in holiness can be best measured not by the length of time we spend in prayer, not by the number of times we go to church, not by the amount, of money we contribute to God’s work, not by the range and depth of our knowledge of the Bible, but rather by the quality of our personal relationships,” writes Christian author Stephen Winward. And what he means is that the Bible, church, giving and prayer are important but what really counts, what really matters, is the fruit of all of that – that is most physically visibly found in the way, relying on God, we “love our neighbors” – that is where we find the fruit of sanctification and of what we call sacred.

I don’t expect to wake up one morning and find static on the television because the programming day hasn’t started yet. That’s naïve and foolish. Sulking about it won’t help either. True, purity, sacred things may seem less and less. But can I train myself more and more (with Help) to view and treat days, people, conversations, encounters – each and every breath – as precious and sacred – set apart for a Godly purpose? I don’t know how much of a dent it can make…but I want to try…and I want you to join me…

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

Christopher B. Wolf is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and the forthcoming, With You: Every Step of the Way (September, 2011).

Something’s Missing

Posted in Living Water, tagged alive, Bible, chosen, Christ, Christianity, Christians, Christopher B. Wolf, church, church renewal, church revitalization, cross, forgiveness, God, Grace, heaven, Holy Spirit, hope, Jesus, liberation, life, Luke 7, new creations, new life, new start, parenting, personal, Pharisees, pride, prisoners, religion, resurrection, salvation, sin, spiritual renewal, spirituality, The Shawshank Redemption, theology on August 4, 2011| 1 Comment »

I thought about it when I caught the final hour or so of the film, The Shawshank Redemption last week.

Red is in prison and meets Andy, who functions as a Christ figure. Red’s encounter with Andy is life-changing, life-saving really. Andy, who was wrongly convicted, escapes prison and tells Red that if and when he ever gets out, Andy will be waiting for him in Mexico – tells him where and also tells him where “treasure” will be buried (a play on Matthew 13:44, “the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field…”) in a field to get to Mexico. Like many prisoners, once released Red is in a fog. He talks about longing to be back in prison where he knew the routine, where he was comfortable, as strange as that sounds. He contemplates the choice of suicide like a fellow released inmate chose while living in the same apartment. But because of Red’s encounter with Andy, that idea of Mexico, the idea of a new life, wins in the end. Red chooses to risk and live – he breaks his parole, finds the “treasure” and gets on the bus for Mexico. The film closes with Red trudging, in his suit with pants rolled up, along the beach, toward a man restoring a boat. It’s Andy of course and even though it’s a wide angle shot, their joy and embrace is moving and visible – like that of a heavenly reunion. Visible, in the sense that you can see and know the joy, the relief, the liberation and the life in Red’s face and body. He is truly alive for the first time in his life.

Brothers and sisters, we are all prisoners. We are born imprisoned because our sinful natures. And throughout life, often we add layers to the walls of our prisons with our choices. Our only hope is that through an encounter or encounters with Christ – and when we respond and He saves us and liberates and we choose to make Him the Lord of our lives – the prison doors are open – we are forgiven and we are new creations. Sounds awesome, right?

So that anyone who is in Christ, knowing that he or she has been saved and rescued from eternal separation from God in hell as well as rescued from a life of emptiness, hopelessness and overwhelming misery, knowing all this – you would think the response would be an unceasing joyful party. But unfortunately, it’s not like that for many believers and many churches. Many believers and churches are spiritually asleep or falling asleep. Many believers and churches are hiding – afraid to live and afraid to die. And, many believers and churches have become so self-sufficient and self-righteous to remember that they are a saved, rescued people.

Something’s missing…

It’s as if, even though liberated and in Christ, many chose to just stay in their prison cell with the door wide open. Going back to The Shawshank Redemption – it would be like Red after getting out of prison, just stays in the apartment and while he never takes his life, never really lives his life either – never takes that risk and heads to Mexico.

Perhaps the only thing worse than people avoiding or choosing not to believe in Jesus, is all the people who believe and choose not to live in Him…

There’s this powerful story in the Bible that illustrates this. It’s found in Luke 7:36-50 and it’s the story of a woman who crashes a gathering of Jesus and religious people. Jesus is invited to dinner with some people who believe they don’t need Jesus and what he has to offer – they’ve “made” it on their own spiritually or so they think. This woman known as a “notorious” sinner comes in and makes a scene. While weeping, she washes Jesus’s feet with her tears, wiped his feet with her hair, kissed them and anointed them with perfume. Awkwardness aside, this is pure worship and adoration! But, as you might imagine, the Pharisees are offended – and question Jesus’s credibility as a prophet because he allows this “kind” of woman to touch him. Jesus then takes the opportunity to talk about forgiveness and how when people’s debts are cancelled they are thankful according to how much they are forgiven (or mindful of how forgiven they are). He explains that this woman is highly aware of how much she is forgiven and has responded accordingly; whereas the Pharisees offer Jesus no such response.

Something’s missing…

The Pharisee response to Jesus of “so what; we’re good on our own” is unfortunately typical of a lot of believers today. Further and unfortunately, the Pharisee response to the woman of “what is she doing here” is a lot like the response of some believers when visitors dare to show up on a Sunday morning. And here’s why…

Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann talks about an overemphasis on “chosenness” – a kind of self-righteousness, self-sufficiency and pride that develops within God’s people that numbs and causes them to forget and neglect the power, sacrifice, grace and love of Christ that drew them into “chosenness” – salvation – via the cross and resurrection. Instead, with “chosenness” there is more of a focus on the exclusive social, religious and appearance aspects of spirituality and church rather than on salvation and missional characteristics; in other words more religion than Holy Spirit. With “chosenness” there is very little faith, little to no risk, and little passion; maintaining chosen status via pleasing people is the center rather than following and serving Jesus. “Chosenness” is like singing “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…” and leaving off or ignoring, “that saved a wretch like me.” And this is exactly what is stifling the spiritual lives of many believers today and consequently causing churches to die. It is the arteriosclerosis, so to speak, of the Spirit in souls and churches.

Something’s missing…

In fact, a key path to personal spiritual renewal as well as church revitalization is a purposeful, sustained remembrance of how God has personally and uniquely sought us out, led us to confess and repent of our sins, and brought us to Himself through Christ. Remembering and valuing this over and above anything else – committees, traditions, activities, number of years at a church – all of which are good things – but these will ultimately not be the difference between living and dying, will not be the difference between faithfulness (what God desires) and being “good people” – but what will be the difference is remembering and utterly depending on God and His transforming grace thus naturally enabling a more alive relationship with God as individuals and as a people.

Like Red, like the woman in this passage, when we seek and work to grasp – how forgiven we are, how we don’t deserve God’s grace (but have it anyway), how broken and hopeless we are without Him, how we can be freed of the past and from our sins, what it cost to save us (Jesus bearing our sins at the cross), and from what we are saved; our responses over time will be increasing – joy, passion, gratitude, devotion, service, hope, strength and more. Oh what is possible when a group of people who are acutely mindful of their “savedness” (over their “chosenness”) and therefore alive and new in Christ, get together and praise God, love one another and go out and seek to share that love with everyone around them in their community and the world! And when their worship and fellowship and mission and serving and giving and their living throughout the week is more and more influenced and impacted first and foremost by their joy and gratitude from being saved by God – watch out!

Is something missing in our spiritual lives or in our churches?

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

Christopher B. Wolf is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and the forthcoming, With You: Every Step of the Way (September, 2011).

Whispers

Posted in Living Water, tagged Christianity, Christians, Christopher B. Wolf, church, comfort, cross, faith, family, forgiveness, God, Grace, Jesus, life, love, ministry, parenting, personal, religion, spirituality, theology, trust on June 17, 2011| 2 Comments »

Once upon a time, I sat next to a girl in a class in which the desks were two-person desks. Often the teacher would go around the room and randomly ask quiz-type questions of students. And often when the girl I sat next to would hesitate or seem to be stuck, I would lean closer and discreetly whisper the answers. I loved that. I felt helpful and it seemed to work without the teacher noticing – so it felt like an accomplishment. Years later I would whisper words of care and encouragement to a young mother who just lost her child. I often whisper to my children as they are falling asleep, “God loves you and I love you.” There are those times when church members have embraced me after a worship service and have whispered to me “I love you brother – thank you.” And then there are those whispers from God himself over the years – coming just at the right time and always what I needed to hear.

I never thought about too much before but I love whispering. It’s different than regular talking. It suggests closeness and usually what is being said when whispering is more meaningful than conversational stuff.

I think of these Living Waters as a kind of whispering. In some ways, in the present I am still trying whisper answers to the girl from that class as well as other people. But today the answers are much more complex than that teacher’s questions posed. There are a lot of questions that are unspoken. Questions of faith, worth, grace, overcoming the past, and many others – are just not the things that come up in regular conversation. Maybe it’s not so much about literal answers as it is about caring and trying to answer or encourage. So, I hope that these “whispers” offer some answers for you or someone you know and care about….

“I am not good enough; I am not worthy and not worth the effort.”

Dear one, none of us are. If you think I am “good” – I am not good enough either! That is where grace comes in. It takes away the performance part or the “good enough” in relating to God. Grace is the great equalizer. There is nothing we (or anyone else) can do to add to or subtract from it. It just is. It’s not ours because of our family name, nor how many good things we have done, nor wealth or status – there is no amount of sins that can diminish it. And, God decided that we all were worth the effort when He sent Jesus to the cross. Imagine that. He went to the cross for you and for me so that we could access the grace by believing in Him. God’s choice to love us is not based on anything we have done or will do – it’s a choice based on His heart. It’s not about how good we are. It’s not about worthiness in society’s terms. I am also reminded of the story of the lost sheep in Luke 15 – where Jesus talks about a shepherd that leaves the 99 sheep to find the lost one. In this world, so often we are just numbers. In God’s eyes we are treasures – worth risking for, worthy dying for.

If I show up at church, you and people at the church are going to know that I am struggling with something or that I stand out and – probably judge me for stuff like my appearance.

My dear friend, that’s true – some people may see and know. But if it is an authentic, gracious group of believers – you will be able to see and hear that we are all struggling with something – fighting some kind of battle. We are all struggling with sin and always will – it’s a battle. And I agree that when churches are judgmental, it offends God and is the opposite of what they are supposed to be about. But you are right, sometimes it’s more obvious – addictions, guilt, and other things can be more visible. An authentic, gracious group of believers will not judge you and will be able to welcome and love you in Jesus’ name and that can be so healing. Also, you will probably find others who can walk alongside you and may be further down the same road and can help you. I’m just saying that staying away or staying home may feel safer; but I ask you to consider that you may be losing out on the encouragement and community you need to survive and even overcome what you are wrestling with.

It’s so hard for me to trust and be open. I am afraid that if I trust God more and lean on Him more, I will only get more hurt and disappointed. Likewise with Christians too. In my life, I trust others and they just let me down – so I am done trying.

My cherished one, I hear you that trusting hasn’t worked. I hear you that it is scary and scarring. It sounds like you have put your trust in God before and it didn’t work out the way you hoped. Maybe you felt abandoned by Him. Many people feel like that. As well, it sounds like people you trusted have betrayed you – leaving you wanting to turn away. Understandably, that could be a valid choice given your experience. It’s a choice between not getting hurt anymore – which will seem to require some degree of isolation and not risking anything – safety. I don’t want to take away from your experience – it’s real. But just hear me because there is another choice. It’s the choice of risking and trusting and being vulnerable. Because, yes, turning away and hiding will be safer and will probably keep you from getting hurt. But it will also close you off from a lot of other things too. Things like encountering the peace and grace of God that He so wants you to know and experience. Things like the joy and love of authentic, real relationships with others. Things like these require trust, risk and yes, sometimes won’t work. I know firsthand, that trusting God can be terrifying – but I found on the other side that it is worth it – God actually knows what He is doing 😉 and it’s always for our best. I know firsthand that Christian community can be ugly and terrible. But I also have seen and experienced it at its best and I have listened to the testimony of many people who have said that their church friends have “saved their lives” and kept them going when there was no hope. I just want to encourage you by saying that risking and trusting and letting God and others in – and the strength and fellowship that will flow from it – will far outweigh the disappointment and hurt.

If you and others really knew me, knew what I have done or been through, you wouldn’t love me or care for me anymore.

Beloved, I understand that it is easy to think that and that may be what you have experienced before. But I would say this…my experience is the more I know people, the deeper I know people, the more I am moved to love and care for them – no matter what they have done or been through. When you look at people and the world through Christ’s eyes, you see things very differently. When I see brokenness – I see beauty. When I see hurting – I see ways to heal and restore. When I see people battling guilt or addictions or the past – I see strength and resolve – not a failure. And I know this – God’s grace and strength works through – not around – through our brokenness. Nothing in God’s economy is wasted – now He is holy and doesn’t look the other way or excuse stuff – we still have to ask for mercy and grace. But He will use everything to draw us closer to Him. How can I do any less by judging or thinking that I am better or above anyone? No way. Just like with God, the more I share with Him, the more I know His grace. Same thing with me. That’s what I am trying to do. One more thing – why I love you and care for you is not based on what you do or don’t do – it’s based on God leading me and my heart. You are loveable because God created you – Psalm 139:13-14. Like it says in the Bible, “perfect love casts out fear.” I want you to “give to the winds your fear.”

I hope these whispers are helpful. But I know they are just words. But more than words, look at my life, and see Christ working in and through me and trust in that above anything I can say or do. See and hear Him through me – that is what I want for you…

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

Christopher B. Wolf is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and the forthcoming, With You: Every Step of the Way (2011).

Still

Posted in Living Water, tagged Bible, Christianity, Christians, Christopher B. Wolf, church, cross, forgiveness, God, Grace, heart, Jesus, Jesus Christ, life, love, ministry, parenting, relationships, religion, salvation, sin, spirituality, theology on February 11, 2011| 1 Comment »

A lot of people think that only “good” people go to church.

A lot of people think that they are no longer worthy to be near God or be involved with God’s people.

A lot of people think that their sins and pasts disqualify them from having a God-given purpose.

But, see, there’s this thing called grace.

And while a dictionary definition of grace would say something like, “God’s unmerited favor,” it goes way beyond that in real life. It’s part unmerited favor yes, but it’s also part love, part forgiveness, part healing, part liberation, part surprise, part restoration and of course saving.

We see it over and over in the Bible. So many people in the stories of the Bible are essays of grace. Three in particular that I would encourage you to look at would be the woman at the well (John 4), Zacchaeus (Luke 19), and Paul (Acts 9). Just looking at these three we see a clear pattern emerge about how God’s grace works. Let me show you…

God’s grace is His alone to give – If a lot of people think that only “good” people are at church or that they are somehow disqualified or unworthy. Think again. God’s grace is not distributed by the “holier” people. It comes only from God. “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith (in Christ) – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).” But this verse, the stories of the woman at the well, Zacchaeus and Paul all reveal that God’s grace is unearned, undeserved and unwarranted – for all of us!!

Not one of us is worthy. And yet, it comes anyway!! As the old hymn says, “O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood; To every believer, the promise of God; The vilest offender who truly believes; That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.” The grand total of sin will never be more than God’s grace. After the cross it went from sin>grace to sin<grace. And once it is yours, no one and nothing in all creation, life or death can take it away because after all it came from God.

God’s grace is transforming – For the woman at the well, Zacchaeus and Paul and others, once they encountered Jesus, there was no going back; they were changed forever. And if you think about it, it has to be that way. Once we have comprehended that God has chosen to give us His grace, once we are in Christ – we have gone from dead to alive spiritually and eternally. Jesus said, “Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father…is no longer condemned to be an outsider…and has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living (John 5:24 The Message).”

An encounter with Jesus and God’s grace is life-changing – sometimes like a lightning bolt, sometimes gradual, but always transforming. And the encounter for these three was not demeaning or condemning – yes it was convicting; but it was loving too. Jesus didn’t tell them how awful they were in the hopes of forcing them to change. That is what some Christians think; but Jesus didn’t operate that way and neither should we! Instead as Paul (after his transformation) said, “In kindness he (God) takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into radical life-change (Romans 2:4 The Message).” It’s how people are able to go from lost to found, hurt to healed, weak to strong, broken to whole, from isolated to community.

And for my dear friends who stay away from church, for even the most valid reasons, they are missing out on encounters with Christ. Yes, prayer and reading the Bible can be transformative and nature is serene; but it is only within the context of the body of Christ (church) where the Word of God is proclaimed, the Holy Spirit at work in and with the fellowship of believers – this is where full, transforming encounters with Christ most often occur today – because it is in the “flesh.”

God’s grace gives purpose – After their encounters with Christ in the flesh, the woman at the well became like an apostle – telling others the good news; Zaccahaeus returned the money he stole; and Paul became an apostle. In other words, this grace that God gives though transforming encounters with Jesus offers purpose – purpose for life. By the “holier than thou” lens – none of these “unlikely” people would be “worthy” for a God-given purpose. Yet clearly God chose them to serve as revelations of His grace and we are still learning from them thousands of years later!!

We spend a lot of time trying to figure out our purposes in life. It may be elusive because true, eternal purpose is sealed in an envelope of God’s grace. When we try to figure out purpose apart from God’s grace – we may stumble upon “good” things, but it’s nothing compared to the specifically, uniquely designed purpose that comes from God for us. This is because God’s grace comes through our lives – woven into the fabric, not a plastic cover. Even through all the wrong turns, mistakes and brokenness – the grace is at work making us new. To me, the most authentic testimonies of God’s grace are from people who seemed the most “lost” and yet God worked amazing purposes in their lives despite it all.

My dear one, I want you to know today, that God still loves you; you can’t stop Him. I want you to know that God is still pouring out His grace upon you – no matter how unworthy or undeserving you may feel. I want to convince you that you still can be transformed by knowing Jesus more and more. I want to assure you that still enclosed in all this grace is the purpose for which you have been searching. I want you to believe that there is still a group of God’s people who will embrace and love you. And I want you to see that your story, however unlikely it may at the moment appear to fit into God’s story, makes it all the more likely to be filled with grace – because God specializes in blessing and “gracing” the unlikely ones – still.

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook, New Jersey. He is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and the forthcoming, With You: Every Step of the Way (2011).

(You Are) Wonderfully Made

Posted in Living Water, tagged abundant life, anti-abortion, birth, children, Christianity, Christians, church, creation, death, eternal life, God, Grace, health, Jesus, kids, life, love, parenting, parents, pro-life, Psalm 139, religion, spirituality, theology, value, womb on September 19, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Psalm 139:13-14

Wonderfully Made (Classic)

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Psalm 139:13-14

I don’t know much about knitting…

But I do know that knitting is a craft that requires patience, precision, focused effort and knowledge of what “it” will look like at the end.

That’s why these verses have always fascinated me. It is awesome to think that God through the Psalmist used the idea and word “knitting” to describe how we are “assembled” in our mothers’ wombs – long before we would ever be able to see the process via technology like ultrasounds. Patiently, purposefully, and with the full knowledge of our life, we are woven together in that sacred place. It’s wonderful, you might say 😉

Many times recently I have reflected on the value of life. Events like these have the impact of reminding us how precious each life is. Each day, we wake up, we get going to whatever we need to do, and rarely do we stop and think, “I am breathing – I am alive.”

Life moves so fast and gets so complicated; we take life – just being alive, for granted. And we live in a culture that seems bent on celebrating things that mostly take away from life. We also live in a time with such an emphasis on superficial appearance over character and other things of substance. It leaves a lot of people feeling ugly and unworthy and valueless.

But then we hear these words, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well,” it should stop us and awaken us to the value God places on life and our lives.

A friend named Erin is a teacher and professional make-up artist and named her business Wonderfully-Made based on this verse. She explained to me that she loves to use her gifts to bring out the “inner radiance” of women for weddings and special events, and that it is also an opportunity to talk about her love for the Lord and share the meaning of these verses.

We are created by God with an outer and inner radiance – no matter if others see it or not. And this sovereign, purposeful God doesn’t make mistakes. Every single one of us, no matter how brief or long our lives are – are wonderfully made by God for a purpose. And because He has made us “wonderfully” we have value, a value that no one and nothing in this world can add or take away from.

“You make everything glorious…what does that make me?” is a verse from the song “Glorious” by the David Crowder Band. What does that make us? It makes us able to reflect God’s glory through our words, actions, relationships and more.

Jesus, who was the fullness of God’s glory while he was on earth, added to the idea that we are “wonderfully” made when he said that he came to give us “life abundant (John 10:10).” The idea that we are not merely created to exist, but that our lives, when seeking to follow in His footsteps, will be richer, truer, more vital and more flourishing than we can imagine – wonder-full.

We are wonderful works of God. We were knitted together by Almighty God. We are invited to more than an existence, rather, to be fully alive in Jesus, and we are given the power to do so through the Holy Spirit – who is the very breath of God living inside us.

Maybe you just feel blah these days. Perhaps you have experienced the loss of a loved one recently. Possibly, you came very close to losing your life. Maybe, you are having trouble seeing any value for your life. Maybe something or someone in your life is causing you to feel worthless.

Please know this – everything about God is pointed toward life – from creation to salvation, from the cross to the resurrection, from life to eternal life, from Genesis to Revelation, from our first heartbeat until our last.

Let’s start living and praising God daily – ever more mindful of how precious this life we have been given truly is.

Amen.

Discussion Questions

Would you say you are mindful of being “wonderfully made” by God?
Have you had experiences where you were strongly reminded about the value of life?
What parts of your life are about “living” and which parts are taking away life?
Do you ever think there is more to life that what you see? Say more…

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@sbcglobal.net

Passing Through

Posted in Living Water, tagged ALS, appreciation, Bible, Carrie Underwood, children, church, citizenship, exile, Fair Lawn, faith, family, friends, God, gratitude, heaven, home, hope, kids, Kingdom, life, Michigan, mission, New Jersey, parenting, parents, personal, Philippians 3, Radburn, religion, restoration, spirituality, TCNJ, Temporary Home, Thanksgiving, The College of New Jersey, The Wizard of Oz, theology, thoughts, treasure, TSC on August 7, 2010| 1 Comment »

I never thought I was that kind of person…

The kind of person that needed to learn how to appreciate things. I’ve always tried to be purposefully thankful for everything. Or so I thought.

But the last week has reminded me of what is truly treasured.

It started with being in my hometown, a place I have only visited for the last 16 years. Yet with each visit, the yearning to be near it increases. Last week I was able to live there for a week and go for several bicycle rides around town – something I used to do all the time when I was growing up. One of the great things about Fair Lawn is that you can get to different parts of it quickly and easily on a bike. And so I did. I rode from over by St. Anne’s to Memorial Pool, where I spent nearly every summer day growing up. And I was able to watch my own children play in the pool where we used to play as kids. I rode over to my prayer hill in Radburn (the slope in “B” park between Tot Lot and the school) where I have heard God so many times and where I asked Jenny to marry me. I rode over to my childhood friend Scott’s house and talked about books and his trip to Costa Rica. And I rode by dozens of other people’s homes and other landmarks. And I also got to have a burger on the Dutch House deck, my favorite cookie from the bakery, a couple of Entenmann’s crumb cakes, dinner at Davia, a visit to The College of New Jersey/Trenton State College, and wonderful visits with family and friends.

All the while thinking about how grateful I was for those people, places and moments and the opportunity to visit them again. And how I have missed it all – a lot.

And then there was Dave’s funeral service. Which among other things, reminded me of how as we go on in life, some of the best people we have known and loved are already at our real home – heaven. That place where all tears will be wiped away, where there is no more pain, death or suffering, no more diseases like ALS. That place that can only be reached by faith.

All of it has stirred an aching and a yearning to be home. Home is and could be again Fair Lawn, but ultimately is heaven.

As Paul wrote to the believers in Philippi, who were struggling with oppression and persecution, and needed hope, “But our citizenship is in heaven, Philippians 3:20.” He was reminding them that despite their present circumstances, their true citizenship was not under Roman control but of Christ’s eternal and forever kingdom. And that being mindful of that could help them look beyond the troubled present. Given our circumstances now of the economy and all the stress and pressures, it speaks comfort and hope to us too.

As you know, we can get so focused on this world as if it is permanent. The people, things – we have and want to have, it is very easy to get so attached to it all. And yet, it is only temporary. If you think about it, most of our misery comes from being overly attached to this world and its things – when it and they don’t belong to us.

As Carrie Underwood has poetically expressed in her song Temporary Home, “This is my temporary home, It’s not where I belong. Windows and rooms that I’m passin’ through. This is just a stop, on the way to where I’m going…because I know this is my temporary home.” How much would our perspectives and lives be different if we had a “temporary” yet faith-based outlook on our lives.

And speaking of passing through, nearly five years ago, God whispered to me at the prayer hill, “You’re going to Michigan.” I never imagined leaving New Jersey but we were faithful and went. And I think there were many times when I was so focused on the “mission” that I didn’t remember who I was and from where I come. And now with that mission nearly complete, and God having whispered a few months ago, “You’re going home,” we are quite curious as to how God will make it happen and what it means.

Because in the end, home – on earth or in heaven is about belonging. And whether it is Fair Lawn or TCNJ/TSC or old, dear family and friends or thinking of heaven, I know now very well what it is like to treasure and yearn for those places and people to whom and where we belong.

Because for better or worse, as humans, we often have to lose or be separated from those things which we love in order to truly desire and treasure them. From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible is essentially about exile and restoration with God on cosmic and personal levels.

It’s also a little bit like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz who talks about cherishing what she has and explains to Auntie Em, “But it was a real place (Oz) and some of it wasn’t very nice, but most of it was beautiful. All the while I kept telling people that I wanted to go home. And they sent me home.” Whether it is Oz or earth, we are just passing through.

I never thought I was one of those people that needed to learn this – but I was, and I have; and I will probably have to learn it again sometime…

Amen.

Making It

Posted in Living Water, tagged belong, Bible, Christianity, Christians, church, faith, God, idols, Jesus, life, Paul, personal, Philippians 4, random, religion, spirituality, Switchfoot, theology, thoughts, vacation on April 28, 2010| Leave a Comment »

How are you going to make it through today?

Really?

Is it the cup of coffee or glass of wine? Is it by judging and blaming others? Is it watching television? Is it escaping situations and people? How about escaping through drugs or the internet? Is it the dream vacation?

Growing up, we didn’t have a lot of money. There were many years that we didn’t go on a vacation. And then when we could afford it – we rented a house at the Jersey shore (long before the Situation was there) with another family. Around January we would find out the week we were going, according to our Uncle Chuck – the second week in August was always the best. And for the next seven months we would dream of and talk about that one week. And it lived up to the expectations – it remains among our fondest memories of growing up. But I remember thinking that that Saturday to Saturday at the shore was the “one” thing we had.

It was how we got through. But we may have been missing something or at least maybe not appreciating something. We didn’t have much, but we had each other and whether or not we always noticed, we had Him.

It is easy in this time and in this world to equate happiness with stuff and comfort. But you know by now, that this is a trap. Because once we start to rely on stuff and things to get through – they become more than just stuff and things – they can become gods. And they are the kind of gods that don’t let go easily once we start worshipping them.

The Apostle Paul learned this lesson ago and shared it like this, “I’m just as happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am (Philippians 4:12-13).” Now it’s true that he didn’t have a lot of the distractions and materialism in his time. But in many ways this is about our hearts – to what or whom we give them.

And often, we don’t appreciate what we “truly” have until all the other stuff is stripped away. That is what Paul had learned too. Whether he had a lot or had a little, he had God and that was what mattered most.

I love this new song by Switchfoot called “Always”. It has a part that goes, “Hallelujah! I’m caving in. Hallelujah! I’m in love again! Hallelujah! I am wretched man! Hallelujah! Every breath is a second chance. And it is always yours. And I am always yours.” The voice of the song has joyfully rediscovered who he is and what he has.

Sometimes we forget who made us. Sometimes we forget to whom we belong. Sometimes we get stuck relying on things that don’t help us after all. Sometimes we forget the One through whom we can do, endure and thrive through in all things. Sometimes we have to lose a lot or even everything before we realize what we actually have.

But it’s okay…”Hallelujah! Every breath is a second chance.” And it is always God’s and we are always God’s.

So, how are you going to make it through today?

Discussion Questions

How will you make it through today? What are some “worldly” things you rely on to get through? Is it working?
What does it look like to belong to God?
Can you tell the difference between relying on yourself and relying on God?
Do you need a second chance today?

Best of Living Water 2009

Posted in Living Water, tagged Bible, Christianity, Christians, death, faith, forgiveness, God, Grace, hope, Jesus, life, love, pastor, peace, religion, resurrection, spirituality, theology, trials on December 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »

Here they are – The best of Living Waters from 2009. Thank you for your support and prayers.

February – Peace in the Storm

But I also know that Jesus is in the boat. And he is peace personified and he is saying, “I’ve got this” to whatever storms you or others are facing. And he wants you to know and receive the peace he has to offer you. And, I know it is hard to see it right now. Remember, “Faith is to believe what you do not see; the reward of this faith is to see what you believe,” said Augustine.

March – No Going Back

We have seen it when Christianity and Churches are at their best – a people on fire for the Lord and His Word, boldly loving, forgiving, growing, welcoming others and sharing their lives together. We have seen it when Christians and Churches have broken through routines and pretenses and put their focus back on being a living body of Christ.

April – Completely

My prayer for you today, perhaps for the first time or in a renewed way – is that you awaken to, and more fully receive the peace and grace you have been searching for, been thirsting for in this complete forgiveness.

Because it’s for you. It was purchased on the cross for you to own – not to borrow or rent. It’s not some theory; it’s not just for holy people. It’s not based on what others think. It’s not something that anyone else can add to or take away from. It’s for you to completely grab hold of as you let go of all the past and sins and guilt.

April – All Things New

But I do know this, we just celebrated the day that makes it possible for any or all of those to be reversed by a new start through the risen Jesus. And just the fact that it is possible makes all the difference. That it is possible to enjoy a personal and eternal relationship with God through Jesus; possible to see loved ones again in Heaven; possible to have our tears wiped away; possible to be forgiven and forgive others; possible to reconcile; possible to live – abundantly, without the fear of death.

So much so that it has to change the way we live – because the resurrection shattered all the things that hold us down in this life – that trick us into believing that all is lost.

Writer Louis L’Amour captures what happened on Easter and what is possible for our lives because of it, in two sentences, “There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That is the beginning.”

May – The Best Way

We are asked to love one another like this – at the cost of ourselves, putting our lives on the line; to love without any condition or pretext; to love boldly and foolishly – when it doesn’t make sense.

I can’t tell you how many times I have loved others boldly and foolishly. And sometimes it has worked and sometimes it hasn’t. These Living Waters are mostly inspired by trying to love some people in my life boldly and foolishly – trying to write “letters” to some people to show them that they are loved for who they are. And I keep doing it because of this verse and in part because I know that I have been loved boldly and foolishly by God and by others.

June – Life and Death

In this above passage, Jesus was saying that something momentous happens when someone believes what he said about himself being the Son of God and the Savior and thereby enters into a relationship with Him through faith.

At the moment of belief – calling on the name of Jesus as Lord and Savior – “has at this very moment (accessed) the real, lasting life (eternal life) and is no longer condemned to be an outsider (of the Kingdom of God).”

July – The Heart of a Pastor, Part I

When you need wisdom, I will find it for you in the Word.

When you are lost, I will not stop until I find you.

When you are trapped, I will lead the rescue effort.

When you are hiding, I will keep trying to find you.

When you are facing terrible enemies, I will be right next to you.

When you are dying, I will sit with you until the end, and after.

July – The Reach

Because when we are reaching and risking for Jesus’ sake, our faith is real and alive. From the inside out, from behind the wall, out of the silence, out from the pew, beyond the doors, beyond our fears – that is where the healing is, that is where the miracles are, it is where we live – blessed – on the other side of the reach – in the handful of His cloak, in the humbled “ask” for help.

How much risk is in your faith today? In which parts of your life are you reaching out to Jesus? What needs to be left behind as you reach? In which parts of your life are you risking something, if not everything, in faith? If you belong to a church – where is your church risking and reaching?

September – What If?

What if…we were more concerned with faithfulness than success?

What if…we gave of our time, talent and money sacrificially and with the cross in mind?

What if…we took our faith from private to public?

What if…we called out to God and to brothers and sisters when we needed help?

What if…we were as devoted to God as we are to our favorite sports team or hobby?

What if…we asked for and granted real forgiveness?

What if…we reached out to people that no one else remembered or cared about?

November – Postcards from Exile

So the question is, how much longer are we willing to live with the peculiar comfort of the emptiness as well as the episodic pangs of despair?

November – Opening

If you are alive and you are reading this, it’s not too late. It’s not too late to unfold your arms and open them. It’s not too late to risk loving others with abandon, maybe getting hurt and risking trust. It’s not too late to let go of the expectations and demands that keep you imprisoned. It’s not too late for bitterness to evaporate and for wounds to heal. It’s not too late to start to tear down the walls around your heart and let the love of God in Jesus and others to enter in…to let us love you… It’s not too late…

December – What Is This Really About?

Is this more about seeking real healing or avoiding and numbing pain?

Is this more about belonging to a group or belonging to Jesus?

Is this more about being satisfied or longing?

Is this more about the status quo or about transformation?

Is this more about building a fortress or risking it all on a mission?

December – Heavenly Peace

For example, when we are stressed and overwhelmed by all this turmoil in our lives and we want to find some peace, some might think, “I need a drink” or “I need another prescription or pill” or “I need to go on the Internet to look at some pictures” or “I need to use (drugs or people)” or “I need to go shopping” or “I just need to control others or situations” or many other things that “take the edge off.”

You see, the things of this world cannot produce the peace we actually desire. Seeking peace with anything that begins with “I” won’t work. But there is one thing that can…