Beautiful Feet that Win Races

Recently Sonja ran a 5k. Also recently, I've been trying to get in shape to run a 5k. Its been difficult, and I've been asking myself a lot of questions about why. Running, apart from the blessing of an i-pod is the most boring thing on earth. "Whats the point?", my body always seems to be asking?
I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, asking what the "point" of the church is. I feel like there are times when we think our purpose is to simply exist. Simply survive. And sometimes, when things get difficult that may be all we can do.
However, as I've studied the Word lately, its become clear that from the beginning to end of Redemptive History, God has greater purposes for his church than simply to exist. Abraham is told very clearly that not only will he be blessed, but that in being blessed he will be made a blessing. Through Abraham in fact, all the families of the earth shall be blessed. That's quite a big calling and blessing. Blessed in order to be a blessing to others.
A couple months ago, a pastor named Robert Briggs came and preached from Isaiah 49, and in doing so, he shed some light on this issue for me. In this passage, God describes the coming of his future Messiah in terms which seem to fulfill the calling of Abraham:

49:6- "[YHWH] says, 'It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth."

In this verse (and its context only makes this more explicit) its pretty clear that God's purpose for the coming Messiah is to redeem Israel. However, he repeatedly hints that his purpose is far greater than just the redemption of that nation. God's purpose for his Messiah is to gather in all nations, under the name and work of the Messiah. I don't think anyone would argue that that is Jesus' purpose and work. He has been sent by a God who loves the world, and desires to see the nation brought in to worship him. He's seeking worshipers, through the person and work of Christ. That's probably not much of a surprise to many of us.
What has been surprising to me is how Paul quotes this same passage in Acts 13. In the passage, Paul has proclaimed Jesus as God's Messiah to the Jews in Psidian Antioch. Though some believe the gospel, many reject it, and when they began to contradict Paul & Barnabus' claims regarding Jesus, the two respond by telling the men,

(46) "It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. (47) For so the Lord has commanded us saying, 'I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'"

What Pastor Briggs pointed out was that Paul and Barnabus don't simply see the quoted passage as applying to Jesus- of course he's a light for the Gentiles. Whats amazing is that they see the passage as applying to themselves- because Jesus is a light for the Gentiles, so they are to be a light for the Gentiles. They are a light to the nation and bringers of salvation. It isn't just spreading by happen-chance. They are to be a light and to bring salvation.
Though I could go on and on what it tells us about how to properly interpret Scripture (a whole different big blog post in itself), one thing that keeps striking me over and over is that the church, in that it is Christ's bride, alive by its union with him, is to be a light for the Gentiles. We have a clear purpose. We are to be making disciples of all nations, not simply our own kids (though that is clearly important). This makes us by nature and purpose outwardly focused. For us to respond in obedience to God's purpose in blessing Abraham, and ultimately in sending Christ, we have to feel the glorious weight of Christ' responsibility and calling as our own.
We who make up the church, though we have different gifts, all serve the same purpose, and it is not simply to plan to survive as a church. We are to be a light for the nations. Our neighbors (both nationally and locally) are to be recipients of the Light which is Christ. Jesus doesn't say, "Go try and make disciples if you can." Rather, he says, "Go make disciples." As Yoda famously put it, "Do or do not, there is no try." If this is our purpose, because it is Christ's purpose, then we've got to figure out how to do this by faith. God in his sovereignty planned for this not to happen apart from the worship-fueled work of his redeemed people.
This has also been helpful to me in just thinking through why I'm doing what I'm doing. I've realized I'm really not in this for the money or for the glory (two big temptations with which I struggle). I'm in this because Jesus Christ came for me with a purpose, to save people (me) from themselves to worship God and delight and be satisfied with his glory, and to make this glory visible to the darkness which surrounds us. As I preached about Baptism last week (in light of our church baptizing three people), I was reminded that our union with Christ isn't simply sharing in his death, burial, and resurrection, but also in his Father's mission and purpose for him.

Sonja and I recently spent some time talking about why it is that God didn't just "rapture" us all up as soon as we converted. We believe that Christ came to save, and that it is fully him who saves. However, we also believe that Christ works through means, and that as members of his bride, we have a wonderfully exciting role to play. Though jars of clay, we bear in ourselves inexpressible glory. Is it any wonder that Paul says, "To the weak, I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings." He then goes on, "Do you not know that in a race, all the runners run, but only one receives the prize. So run that you may obtain it" (1 Cor. 9). Paul wants us to run so as to win- not just to finish, not to make the top ten, but to win. How fitting then that Isaiah says, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns'". To win. To achieve victory. That is the point.

There Is Something About A Wedding Dress

My sister Sarah and Will married in July and then moved to Italy for three years. Will is a doctor in the Air Force and needed to come back to Philadelphia to take his last Pediatric Boards. They both flew in to the states last week and so I hitched a ride with my grandparents, who were driving up from Florida, to PA to visit the whole family.

Sunday afternoon I was taking a nap when Sarah walked into my room with a big smile and her wedding dress on. "You should put yours on Sonja" she said excitedly. Right away I was out of bed and joining in the fun. Sadly, the gown must have shrunk since my wedding three years ago because it didn't zipper all the way. But I still got in it! There is something about a wedding dress that just puts a smile on my face. Sarah and I were having so much fun prancing around the house in our gowns. Then I suggested that Sarah try my dress on. Just then mom got out her wedding dress and suggested I try it on. Mom had never taken her wedding dress out and Sarah and I had never seen it accept for in pictures. It was beautiful and it fit! At this point the entire family was in on the fun. Will and Grandpa got their camera's out and we convinced mom to wear Sarah's dress and veil (holding up the dress, that is!). Hope you enjoy the pictures.