Go ye into all the urinals...

This weekend was one of the most interesting weekends I have faced in a while. My office gave us our bonuses on Friday which meant I had to brave the Christmas crowds to finish some shopping for my boys. On top of that I felt absolutely horrible, because I was sick and when I mean sick it was bad. So it is late now, I have to use the restroom and look on the urinal and what do I see??? A Tract. I blurred out the name, address, and Pastor because that is not relevant but in my half asleep, medicated, and frustrated state mind I begin to laugh as I am using the restroom. I started thinking of my Christian life and said to myself, “Man if I had a dollar for every time I heard of a guy who got saved because of a tract left on the urinal!” Okay if you can’t sense the sarcasm in that statement let me just say it was there.

Being a Baptist and especially growing up in the Circles that I grew up in, Soul-winning is a huge thing. Soul-winning—that term just—never mind that is another blog. When I think of Evangelizing the World, as Christ told us to do, I wonder is this what he really meant? Go ye into all the restrooms and leave a piece of paper that has the scripture on it. In reality I have heard certain Pastors saying that any time you put a tract on the dinner table at a restaurant, front door of a house, or even a urinal, you are leaving the “Gospel” and fulfilling the great commission. Wow! Here’s the pitch, swung on and a miss!

In my mind there are two major issues with the tract on the urinal. First, the person that left that tract most likely felt as if they were placing the check mark by the box that says, “Did you do any evangelizing today?” This is such a dilemma in our Church today is the infamous Check Box. What do I mean? The reality of a person going through the motions of Christianity, instead of experiencing a genuine relationship with Christ and then through that relationship having the overwhelming desire to do the things Christ has commanded. Secondly, why would you leave a tract on a urinal? Where is our Church falling to when we think that genuine evangelizing is leaving a tract on a urinal? I am all about showing a lost and dying world the Gospel, but leaving a tract on a urinal is not going to cut it.

We as a Church need to get back to the very thing that seems to missing in the modern Church. Commitment, Community, Communication. We need to be committed to our relationship to Christ, learn to build our community with Family, Church, and with the lost world to see them come to Christ, and then please, please, please, learn to communicate.

So this is Christmas…

…and what have you done? First line to the John Lennon “Happy Christmas” song, but man how much that thought is running through my mind this morning. Christmas time means so much to so many people, but normally it is so little to do with the real reason for Christmas which is Christ. As I sit here and I think of all the things that come to mind when I think of Christmas…Family (Well immediate since most of ours is in El Paso, TX), Christmas Dinner, Christmas Trees, Christmas Lights, Carols, Decorations, Charlie Brown Christmas, Fruit Cake (Yeah, I know I am weird, but like them), Christmas Cookies, Making Cookies, Christmas songs on WCIC until Jan 2^nd, and so much more. With all of that you would think that the Christmas spirit would just be pouring out of people including myself, then why isn't it?

I think a lot of that is based on the fact that we forget the reason for Christmas, which is Jesus Christ. All of the things above are a reality of Christmas and some wonderful things, but I realize this morning that Christmas is so much more. To stop and think that the creator of the universe loved you and me so much that he would allow himself to be born as a baby, subjecting himself to all the feelings that you and I have to face, so that you and I might be redeemed. I sit and think what it would be like for the God who knew no hunger, no pain, not knowing the physical understanding of Cold to now be in this world and experience hunger, experience pain, experience the physical things you and I face every day. It is amazing to think what love he has for us.

Going back on that John Lennon song, which is really kind of depressing when you read the lyrics, there is a line that says, “A very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear.” You know what John, I think I will have a Good one. I have a life not lived in fear for I fear not the eternity I face, for I face an eternity with the Father. It is going to be a Great Christmas and a Great Year…Merry Christmas!!!

Side Note:
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You might live in Illinois if...

…any time you worry about having to drive in snow or ice people make fun, speak condescending, or make you feel like less of a person because you don’t feel comfortable going out in it. Ok, not a great joke, but a reality living in Illinois. The past couple of days we had another ice storm go through our surrounding areas, and while where the town I work in didn’t get hit very hard, we got hit pretty good. As you can see from the pictures we not only had ice on the trees but slush on the streets. Growing up in El Paso we hardly ever had snow and with that in mind, my comfort levels of driving in it are very low. On top of that my wife had an accident several years ago that left us in a sobering reality, if I have to err on the side of caution, I will do so. So what’s my point?

Over the past few days I have been the bearer of teasing because I really don’t feel comfortable driving in the mess seen in the pictures and wonder why people make you feel so horrible just because you don’t feel safe in that type of weather. Then a bigger thought hit me, is this the way the body of Christ is teaching others? Oh stupid Christian, you shouldn’t be scared of the weather, just go out in it like we do. Yep, unfortunately we are. We take a believer and never equip them or teach them how to “drive” in the “bad weather” and instead of helping we just make fun of them. Guess I figured out two things: One, I want to help believers grow in their faith and help them be equipped to drive in the “bad weather” of life. Two, I don’t care how much people make you feel like garbage with their teasing or ridicule, if the weather is bad outside, I have days off, and just don’t feel comfortable in it I am staying at home. At least my wife and children will be glad I did.