Long Way Here

distress:

1. great pain, anxiety, or sorrow; acute physical or mental suffering, or trouble. 2. a state of extreme necessity or misfortune.

The word “distress” has taken on a new meaning for me. I’ve never given much attention to the weight of this word. Until now. “Great pain…sorrow… acute mental or emotional suffering.” It feels as if this word is moving into my heart and taking root. For now that is okay. Because there are many who feel, or will feel, the weight of this word in very tangible ways. They will feel the aloneness, the hopelessness, the fearsomeness of this word. Now I no longer read this Scripture the same way:

“Pure & undefiled religion before our God & Father is this:to look after orphans and widows in their distress…” James 1:27

Though adoption is a beautiful journey, I have found that, at least at this stage for us, it is an uncomfortable journey. As many of you know domestic infant adoption is an expensive journey. But despite the $22,500 price tag, we press on.

$22,500. That is a lot of money for many of us. It made me feel uncomfortable because I knew that we could not do this on our own and we need help. We have prayed and asked God for help. So we are spading through every detail of our finances. We are seeking any and every fundraiser possible. When we reach $9,500 we will be able to apply for grants, and we will. And as we do all of this I still believe that God also works through the hands and feet of others, so we have begun the process of asking everyone we know for help. This is uncomfortable, or at least it was. Until it hit us.

Only $22,500 stands in the way of us bringing our child home. This means there are at least 22,500 obstacles in the way of meeting, holding, knowing, and loving our son or daughter for as long as we have breath; 22,500 “obstacles” in the way of him or her never having to live with the word “distress.” What parent wouldn’t do whatever it takes to remove however many obstacles that stand in the way of them and their child? We would do it for Ian, no matter the cost because he is our son. We must do it for his brother or sister because he or she is our child.

Is. Not will be. Is. See, “is” has become another word that has moved into our hearts. But this one I cannot adequately explain. All I can say is that adoption feels very close to what it felt when Alison was pregnant with Ian. It just is because we know that somewhere a child will be waiting for us to bring him or her home. Somewhere a birth-mom/dad realizes they are not able to take care of this child and will demonstrate a love so deep that they will make a plan for this child to have what he or she deserves: to have life and to know and experience the love of a family.

We have met birth-moms who have done this. We learned that these moms did not make this decision lightly. They made a choice in love to make a way for love. Somewhere we know there is a birth-mom who will choose us. So we will tear away at all 22,500 obstacles until nothing but time stands in the way of us and our child. We have to. And we believe with all our hearts that God is a “father to the fatherless” (Ps. 68:5), and He has asked us to join Him in making sure that in at least this one child, “distress” will not become a word that he or she will live with.

What we have found is that many of you have become (and are becoming) an answer to this prayer. For all who have, thank you. For all who will, thank you. For all who are reading, please consider helping us. For simply considering, I say thank you.

Now I would like to outline the story of adoption in a different way. It goes something like this:

• In 1 year 145 million children are living without families worldwide
• In 1 month 3,858 children enter foster care in the US
• In 1 week 33 children are adopted by a family
• In 1 day 3,287 children are aborted in the US
• If 1 family in every church in America adopted 1 child there would be no more children in foster care. (statistics published by Bethany Christian Services)

There are at least five ways we can all make a difference in this story:

1. Don’t let the story of these children be lost on you.
2. Pray for these orphans and that families will be found by them.
3. Sponsor an orphan anywhere in the world (see www.christianrelieffund.org).
4. Help a family–any family–make their adoption journey a reality by financial gifts, helping in fundraising, grant writing, etc.
5. Prayerfully consider becoming an adoptive family (see www.bethany.org)

“Pure & undefiled religion before our God & Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” James 1:27

A broken world filled with sickness and suffering reminds me that I do not have sufficient answers to offer a broken heart. I’m not sure anyone does. But in my own way I know the pain of a broken heart. Not only have I shared in the suffering and heartbreak of others as a pastor, I have personally felt the pain of a broken heart. We all have. In all this brokenness I have discovered this heart-healing truth: Jesus never walks away from a broken heart.

In my personal brokenness I didn’t need answers. I needed some peace. Yet, confusion and doubt made peace an elusive chase until Jesus showed up. I wish I could say it was a rush of warm and fuzzy feelings, but it just wasn’t. It was sitting alone in my living room chair when I realized I wasn’t alone. I was holding my bible in my lap desperately trying to open it. I knew it was the right thing to do. I was sobbing. And I didn’t not want to open that bible. Not at all. I’m not even sure I could have if I wanted. But I kept hearing this small voice whisper in my head “count it all joy…count it all joy…count it all joy.” All I could think is how I felt everything but joy. I knew the scripture. So I picked up the bible and turned to James:

Count it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. (1:2-4)

I confess that this verse did not bring comfort. Not one bit. What did bring comfort was that I knew at that moment that the relentless Voice pointed to the very presence of Jesus Himself and that Book was there to remind me. I wasn’t alone in my brokenness. Jesus didn’t walk away from my broken heart. He never does. At that moment when my heart found a small portion of rest I knew that it was Jesus all along. He was leading me to that ever-elusive peace. This became my joy.

It took more time spent with Jesus before the roots of peace grew deep into my soul. So I began crying with Him, shouting at Him, looking to Him and many times, sitting quietly listening for Him. He was always there.

As a pastor I am reminded that I do not have sufficient answers to offer in times of deep sorrow and suffering, but I do have this: Jesus never walks away from a broken heart. And He will not walk away from you. He is there. Do anything you can to listen for Him—to Him. If you can’t hear him in the midst of the noisy confusion, don’t worry. He hears you and He won’t leave you. This is His promise. Trust Him. And when the noise scatters, His voice will remain. When you finally hear Him, keep listening and don’t forget to open your bible. He will let you know what to do when the time is right.

Jesus never walks away from a broken heart and He will not walk away from you.

(Read Psalm 34:18, 55:22, 56:8, 73:26, 147:3, Isaiah 41:10, John 10:1-15, 14:18, 21, 23, Matthew 10:26-31, 11:28-30 Hebrews 13:5-6, 1 Peter 5:6-7, 8-11)

Luke 22:14-23 “When the hour came, He reclined at the table,
and the apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “I have fervently desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks, He said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. For I tell you, from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is My body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant established by My blood; it is shed for you. But look, the hand of the one betraying Me is at the table with Me!

In Jesus’ last meal He instituted what some call “Communion,” some “Eucharist” and some “Lord’s Supper.” Whatever one calls it, its important to remember not only why He did this, but also with whom He shared this table meal. But first, a very brief background sketch is probably necessary (if you know it already, skip to next paragraph):

This New Covenant meal was instituted during an Old Covenant meal called Passover. Passover was a meal practiced by the Jews that reminded them of their deliverance from Egyptian slavery. This was a meal designed by the LORD to engage all five senses as well as heart, mind and soul. In their deliverance the LORD saved them by requiring each Hebrew family to cover the doorposts and lintels of their houses with the blood of a pure, innocent, sacrificial lamb, which they are to eat as a special dinner before the Lord. In a terrible moment of judgement under the cover of darkness, the LORD would send a deadly plague throughout the land of Egypt in judgment of their oppression, idolatry and disobedience. This plague would kill the firstborn male of every Egyptian family, as well as the firstborn of all livestock. The only way for a Hebrew to escape the judgment aimed at Egypt was to do as the LORD commanded through Moses: cover the doorpost and lintels with the blood of the lamb. The LORD would see the blood and “pass-over” them, resulting in their salvation. It was this terrible yet redemptive act of God that convinced the Egyptian Pharaoh to set His people free to live and worship Him.

So this New Covenant meal points both backward and forward to redemption. Jesus even says in Luke that He will eat this meal with His disciples again once His Kingdom comes, or is inaugurated, which happened in His resurrection. And though we understand that His Kingdom will not come in its fullness until His second coming, His Kingdom is what many call an “already/not yet” reality (see here, here, here, and here). This gives the New Covenant meal deep significance and mystery.

When we share in this meal together we proclaim God’s reign now made available to us through Jesus, for His Kingdom is among us. God’s sacrificial Lamb is Jesus our redeeming King. So in this meal we see backward into our moment of redemption.

Yet as we share in this meal together we proclaim that King Jesus is coming again and will usher in the fullness of His Kingdom. The resurrected Lord who has conquered death will remove the disgrace of His people forever in the new heaven and new earth at His return. It is then that the sin, death and brokenness of this world will finally be judged once and for all–rebellious hearts, sickness, pain, grief, tears, oppression of all kinds, hunger, death–all that sin has made wrong will be made right. Forever. So in this meal we see forward into our restorative future, which is our certain hope.

Yet as we eat and drink in light of these beautiful truths we are reminded of who we are and the life we are invited to experience now–a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. We have been re-created for this life because Jesus has sent His power-giving Spirit to live within us. And as if that isn’t enough, He invites us to eat this meal “with” Him as His Kingdom people. So in this meal we see that all things are being made new, including our lives. This changes our present.

This meal must become more than merely symbolic for us. It is a moment of faith-forming, soul-shaping, life-giving, mystery.

It is mystery because in this meal though the bread may not become the actual physical substance of the body of Christ (what some call transubstantiation), it does genuinely communicate the spiritual reality of Christ’s presence and saving work. And although the wine may not become the actual physical blood of Christ, it too genuinely communicates the spiritual reality of Christ’s presence and saving work. It is “Communion” because we take this in and by faith, with Christ.

It is mystery because in this meal Jesus is not only present at the table He serves the table just as He served the apostles. It is the “Lord’s Supper” because He serves us and is our gracious Host.

It is mystery because in this meal we remember death so we may celebrate life. We remember the Father’s gracious and faithful love for us as He gave His only begotten Son. And we celebrate with great humility the life He gave so we may experience a life lived with God now and forever. So we call this meal the “Eucharist” because we offer thanksgiving.

Yes, this meal is more than symbol. It is symbol and mystery because Christ is with us, serving and participating with us. In this New Covenant meal, we eat the bread and drink the wine with Christ by faith, trusting what He said is true, and rest securely in the reality that He is our gracious Host and welcomes us to His table. Only a Messiah Who is both King and Lord of the universe could make such a heavenly holy meal earthly possible.

Let us call it Communion because in this moment we commune with Jesus as King and Lord.

Let us call it the Lord’s Supper because He is our gracious Host.

Let us call it Eucharist because we offer “Thanksgiving.”

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But you,” He asked them, “who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:13-15, HCSB)

Looking for a Messiah was a way of life for the Jews.

Though Jesus was among them and His birth (and life) events fulfilled the prophetic Scriptures that spoke of a Messiah, many missed Him. Perhaps it was because He wasn’t the kind of Messiah-King people expected or wanted. I can hear them saying, “Why should we believe Him, a lowly carpenter and son of plain ole’ Joseph and Mary of Nazareth? Come on! He isn’t cut from a Messianic fabric. It is just too hard to believe that Yahweh’s Messiah would be, well, Him!”

Despite His ministry of love and compassion, miraculous works, and authoritative teaching, it was just easier to keep looking for a Messiah than to trust that Jesus was Who He claimed to be. I think it was easier to keep looking for a Messiah than to finally have one. Sadly, it still is.

To have a Messiah means I must trust Him. It means I am no longer king of my own castle ruling all my affairs based upon what I deem worthy and right. It means relinquishing control and confessing my inability to do life well on my own. It means realizing that I am powerless when my son gets terribly sick and struggles to breathe.     It means trusting that Jesus knows me best and loves me most, even when I feel unloved or forgotten. It means I must take steps toward my loud, not-like-me, doesn’t-share-my-values neighbor, rather than take steps away from him. It means biting my tongue. It means trusting that since God created life He knows best how to live it. It means that anything that doesn’t have Jesus as Lord of it or in it, is ultimately nothing. But Jesus Christ without anything added to Him, is everything. Jesus is the Messiah and that makes Him King of the universe.

Ultimately, having a Messiah means much more than believing in Jesus and worshipping Him weekly. It means believing Him and learning to worship Him daily.

So I wonder if we need to be reminded to stop looking for a Messiah. I wonder if we have stopped seeing the Messiah for who He is and started looking for another.

I wonder if we need to be reminded to stop looking for a Messiah. He has come. He’s not Oprah, the President of the United States, John Calvin, or Charles Spurgeon. He is Jesus. He has come.

I wonder if we need to be reminded to stop looking for a Messiah. He’s not a better job, better spouse, or better friend. He is Jesus. He has come.

I wonder if we need to be reminded to stop looking for the Messiah. He’s not “good” worship music or “good” preaching. He is Jesus. He has come.

I wonder if we need to be reminded to stop looking for a Messiah. Some of us are so focused on His second coming that we are growing dull to His first.

I wonder if we need to be reminded to stop looking for the Messiah. He’s present, redeeming, restoring & holding all things together, even while we wander, wonder and waver.

What is it going to take for us to trust Him? What else does He need to do that He hasn’t done already for us to move from merely believing in Him to believing Him?

May God give us the grace to rest our hearts, slow our minds, listen intently, trust fully, obey wholly, love freely and pay closer attention. He is Jesus. He. Is.

Lately I find that it is God’s holiness that comforts me. This is odd because for so long it was His holiness that scared me. After all I couldn’t be farther from holy, much less ever come close to a holy God. Until I began to understand the Gospel of God’s Kingdom in Jesus, and that it is God’s holiness that stands at the center of every Divine move He makes for His glory and our good.

Now the deep and beautiful reality that God is so completely “other” than any created (or imaginable) thing in heaven or on earth both astonishes and humbles me. You could say it settles me.

When I am filled with fear, His holiness comforts me. There is no fear-mongering found in Him (1 John 4:16). I am loved. He is holy.

When I doubt, His holiness comforts me. There is no deceit in Him, for His promises are sure (Hebrews 6:18). I am secure. He is holy.

When I am restless, His holiness comforts me. There is a firm foundation established in Jesus Christ, upon which I have been placed (1 Corinthians 3:11). I am safe. He is holy.

When I am in distress, His holiness comforts me. There is justice and it serves as His throne’s foundation (Psalm 89:14). I am heard. He is holy.

When I sin, yes, even then His holiness comforts me. There is mercy and grace promised to me in Jesus Christ (1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 4:14-16). In Him and Him alone is my righteousness and salvation (2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 3:20-26). On the cross Jesus said it was finished (John 19:30). His performance is my perfection (Ephesians 1:3-8). I trust Him. I am God’s child. He is holy.

Holy–when there is fear, doubt, restlessness, distress, sin–I cry holy, holy, holy!

I praise and thank God in Jesus Christ that He is holy. And I praise and thank God that in Jesus Christ there is tender mercy, abounding grace, and faithful love for a wretch like me.

So I sing with all the saints, “Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty. God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!” Thank you, my Lord and my King. Thank you.

“Lord, your testimonies are completely reliable; holiness is the beauty of Your house for all the days to cme.” (Psalm 93:5 HCSB)

Question (feel free to respond in the comments section): How does God’s holiness comfort you? How could His holiness comfort you?