How interesting it is that I am on staff at a church in my hometown with a heart lined up so dearly to my own! I get to do missions work in the comfort of my own neighborhood. If you don't know, our church targets the unchurched and those who have been hurt by the church, which sometimes means we have to start with the very basics and teach WHY we worship and WHY we pray and WHY we attend services and small groups regularly. But o, the joy when a family or individual begins to "get it!" They start to see that God isn't quite the ogre that so many churches make Him out to be. We sing a song at our church that says, "Our God is Love..." (scripture says that too by the way). But I really believe that's become the banner over my heart, the love and not the law, THAT is who God is. There's a scripture too that says it His kindness that leads to repentance.
Of course all of this I did know before, but how pleasant that during the Christmas Eve service where I was stressing over lighting and sound and cuing actors, God just tugged a little at my heart to say that He loved me. I'm nothing special and I certainly don't feel that, considering my "story," I deserve a place in ministry or even church leadership. But God's justice often works backwards to what we feel. Because His justice is rooted in love, He sees us as we can be. He dreams for us grander than what we could ever expect for ourselves.
God justifies us- meaning he fills in the gaps where we can never measure up!- and covers us with His love in order for us to flourish in our various roles and tasks in life. We could do nothing right, literally nothing, without this Redeeming King that came so long ago as a tiny cradled baby. He is our only hope of salvation, but not only that. He's our only hope for fulfillment and a full heart! The God who knew us before we were even formed, knows the dreams we have and crafted the most inward desires of our hearts, and He, God of the Angel-armies, is working on our behalf to see to it that we are met with the most ideal circumstances to have those dreams and desires realized. Our God IS love.
Merry Christmas. May you find fulfillment in the new and daily opportunities that God is offering you to live and to live well.
P.S.
Here's a new find that I adore: www.pictable.org This guy, Todd Damotte, is an amazing artist and speaker! We used a sick-awesome video of his tonight in our Christmas Eve service at Genesis Church. It was perfection. Here's a link to the video that got me hooked! See his website for more info, resources and booking info! What a artist!
