THE INVENTION OF LYING

This movie has caused me to think.  If you are going to see it, stop reading now, because I’m going to give away a little bit of the movie.

Mark (Ricky Gervais) and Anna (Jennifer Garner) live in a world where everyone speaks the truth all the time.  No one doubts anything that anyone else says.  No one holds anything back.

This becomes an issue for Mark when he, a “short, snub-nosed guy,” wants to date and marry his long-time crush, the very successful and attractive Anna.  Anna is more interested in another guy who is successful and attractive like her.

When Mark learns how to lie in the movie, he lies to Anna about how great he is.  But he knows that this won’t really develop the relationship he wants, and besides, it’s obvious that Anna is better matched with the successful and attractive guy.  Mark tells Anna to look beyond just outside appearances and see people’s inner beauty.

I think we all connect with Mark.  We want someone to see us for who we really are - more than just a career, a body, or a social status.  We also want to get past our own bigotry and value others at a level deeper than appearances.

What doesn’t make sense to me is that the movie also says Christianity (and every other religion) is a lie.  Life after death, the existence of a “guy in the sky,” and the idea that a god would speak to humans are all lies that Mark concocts.  The idea of the movie is that getting away from these lies will help us to really love.

I, too, want to be a guy who loves and values people at a deeper level.  People who don’t look like me, don’t consume the same brands I do, don’t live according to my values, and don’t see the world as I see it.  I want to value people for something more intrinsic, more real, and more thoughtful than their genetics.  But if we are all evolved things, as the movie suggests, with no soul and no future - if we are simply lucky atoms - than why should I see past the physical, surface level?  Wouldn't our lives consist only of the sum of our accomplishments, impressive or not?

There are hard things to believe about Christianity - the movie points many of them out - but Jesus gives me a logical basis to see people as intrinsically beautiful.  Jesus loves me.  Jesus loves you.  Jesus constantly challenged the common prejudices of his day.  He taught that the real, existing God loves people the world calls worthless.  He died for people who are successful and for those who are not.  Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

I don’t need less faith, but more faith to see people for who they really are.

- Pastor Luke



CONTENTMENT & JESUS

Emptiness.  Longing.  The desire to have more.

It’s interesting that the New Testament author Paul used words like these to describe sin.  We usually say we sin because of our evil desires.  Paul said that because we sin, we are left empty and full of desires - that these desires are a what happens when we chase after worldly things - we end up unsatisfied, discontent, longing for more.

That hedonism disappoints is fairly obvious to us who have indulged our desires.  Many religions and philosophies have come up with ways to avoid these evils in our lives.  They promise delayed gratification - we will be better if we learn to live with less now.  Paul said that this is wise, but will not “satisfy the body” (Colossians 2:21-23).  We need something more.

For Paul, that something was Jesus.  We have instant gratification in Jesus.  We are forgiven, reconciled to God, and free from accusation (Col. 1:14, 22).  The completeness, contentment, and fullness that Jesus gives us results more and more in gentleness, patience, peace, and love.  You can’t live like that unless you are satisfied.

This is quite different.  I’m not sure exactly how to find contentment for all my longings in Jesus, but I know I want to, and at least I know where to look.

- Pastor Luke



COMFORT

Comfort. A state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety. Comfort is one of my favorite words and concepts; I spend a considerable amount of my time devoted to my comfort. That is one of the great things about taking a trip to India, at least for me. By traveling to a culture I have never experienced, into a land I have never visited, to do something that I don’t really understand my state of ease is going to be upset. In fact I can feel that happening right now as I sit outside drinking a cup of decaf coffee made just the way I like, I am not as free from anxiety as I was before my flight was booked. While I admit that I enjoy my relatively soft Anthem life, I do find myself sometimes disappointed that I have let my view of my life get so small and comfortable. As I read in Matthew 10 how Jesus sends out His 12 disciples to go into towns, places and situations that would not be comfortable for them and how He tells them not to take anything with them, I have to wonder how they felt. Now I am not saying that I am on a par with the disciples and please don’t think I think my risk in India is anything like theirs, but I find myself wondering if Jesus is putting me in a similar spot as He did the 12. Is this what being a follower of Jesus looks and feels like; being uncomfortable and dependent on Him? I don’t want you to get carried away or anything, but would you pray that Jesus gets me out of my comfort zone in India so that my time there becomes less about me and more about Indian children and about a Savior who loves both them and me.

- Pastor Kevin

Victory

March Madness may be my favorite time of the year, sports-wise.  I love watching the effort as young men give everything they have to gain the victory; seeing the joy as teammates jump around the floor celebrating another win.  But reality dictates that in the end only one team will be able to jump in celebration.  But I guess that is what makes the victory so special, the possibility of losing.  But there are some losses that are worse than others.
In Psalm 21 King David wrote these powerful words about victory.

“O Lord, the king rejoices in your strength.  How great is his joy in the victories that you give!”

In the coming days I will be celebrating the greatest victory that I will ever be a part of.  Jesus conquers death and brings victory to the very place where losing would be most painful, my own grave.  But there are other victories to celebrate as well; like the victory that comes from living a day without an addiction that has plagued me, whether that addiction is chemical or an addiction to negative and judgmental attitudes; like the victory that comes from fighting with my spouse and getting through that fight to forgive each other; like the victory that comes from hearing the whispers about how bad I am and instead believing the voice of Jesus who calls me forgiven; like making the time in a busy schedule to care about someone in need just because it is the right thing to do.  How great is my joy over the victories that God gives.  And make no mistake about it; these are victories that God gives in my life.  There are victories out there in front of me, victories yet to be won, victories that are mine in the great strength of the One who is victory personified, Jesus.  Here’s to victory in my life and in yours.

OUT Day

We want to thank the over 200 of you who helped with our OUT Day emphasis this past Sunday.  You made a difference in our community through events such as a blood drive, cards for veterans, lunches for people who are struggling, work with Habitat for Humanity, the Crisis Nursery and Packages from Home.  You brightened the day for people living in nursing homes, picked up trash in Anthem and repaired bicycles through Shifting Gears Ministry.  A special thanks to Dan Pitts and Danny Cox for riding their unicycles to raise money for the Shifting Gears Ministry.   Thank you again to all of you for living your faith OUT.  For those of you who missed the chance to go OUT this past Sunday we hope and pray that you will make every effort to be involved in future OUT Days.

- COC Staff