Alive Worship

My oldest son, Hudson, had a “grandparents luncheon” at his school last week. Sarah and I took our youngest son Silas and decided to go and have lunch with Hudson for this special occasion. It was fun watching all the families gather under popup canopies and cram into the elementary cafeteria to spend an hour with their kids and grandkids.  Amongst all the activity taking place at the school, one of the teacher’s shirts caught my eye. It was a Ben Bells Project “Be Kind” shirt, which I have seen dozens, if not hundreds of times. But it was the back of the shirt that caught my eye; “At this school we are learning to be kind.” What struck me about this statement is how much it echoes our walk with Christ. Kindness isn’t niceness or politeness. The kindness we are called to as imitators of Jesus is sacrificial and costly. In Luke’s account of the Beatitudes, Jesus said: “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love the...

There’s a promise that Jesus stated that can be found in the Bible in the books of Mark and Luke that says: “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.”  Luke 8:17 (NLT)  For most of us, that promise provokes an incredible sense of fear and panic. I can’t imagine an accumulation of my immoral thoughts broadcast for the world to see. Yet, here is the Prince of Peace promising that all that is in secret will eventually be brought out into the open. That doesn’t feel like good news…unless you pair it with another truth from the Bible: God already fully knows you. This dynamic with God is written about in the Book of Psalms. “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You kno...

I love my boys for so many reasons. One of my favorite thing specifically about my oldest son, Hudson, is his amazing imagination. Our two bedroom apartment is constantly being transformed into a pirate infested ocean, a superhero battle ground, or the outskirts of deep space where aliens are being kept at bay by valiant heroes.  Hudson not only has a beautiful imagination, he also has a heart that is full of wonder and awe about Who God is and all that He has done. Not a single day goes by without Hudson asking, “Did God make this dad?” or state, “Well, if you don’t know, I know God does… He knows everything.” Hudson is aware that God loves us, that God is always with us in our everyday activities, and that we are created for Him and by Him. In short, when Hudson thinks of God, his heart is filled with joy, wonder and awe.  I’m not this way nearly as much as I used to be. I remember as a child looking into the vast blackness of the sky at night and as the stars dance...

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion— to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations." - Isaiah 61:1-4 (ESV) The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of paradox. We are called to die to ourselves in order to find our lives. We are called to give all that...