This Advent season our thoughts are focused on the coming of Christ Jesus. Often, we think about the images of Bethlehem, the newborn baby, and the assorted animals and people gathered around Jesus in awe. Jesus is so much more. I came across a list of reactions to Jesus in the Scriptures that I consider personally riveting. As you read this, let me gently ask you the same question I asked myself, “What do you think of Jesus?

Just ask the angels about Jesus, and they will tell you,
“A Savior has been born unto you, He is Christ the Lord.”

Ask John the Baptist and he will tell you,
“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”

Ask the demons what they think of Jesus, they will tell you.
“What do you want with us, Son of the most high God?”

Ask Judas what he thinks about Jesus, he will tell you,
“I have betrayed innocent blood.”

Ask the apostle Paul, what do you think about Jesus? He will tell you,
“that nothing compares to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Ask Pilate what he thinks, he will tell you, “I find no fault in this just man.”

Ask the Roman centurion what he thinks of Jesus, he will tell you.
“Surely this is the Son of God.”

Ask Thomas what he thinks about Jesus, he’ll fall down prostrate before him and cry out,
“My Lord and my God.”

Ask Peter, what do you think about Jesus and he will tell you. “God has made this same Jesus,
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Just what do you think of Jesus? This Advent focus on the heart of faith, and invite Jesus to be your Lord, God, Savior, your everything.

Irene was supposed to come to church Sunday, but she didn’t show up. Reminds me of some other people I know, but I’ll not embarrass anyone and say more about that today.

While I don’t discount the terrible impact Irene did have, I confess, I was disappointed with it by the time it reached Arlington. I have loved hurricanes for a long time. Two weeks after I settled in to attend New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, Hurricane Betsy aimed for the city. As a newcomer to New Orleans, I did what everybody else did when we found out Betsy was coming -- we all prepared for a hurricane party. In the hours before she hit, the standard cheery greeting among the old timers: “Have a Happy Hurricane”!

Christians are experts at having happy hurricanes. The scriptures in Mark 4 tell the story of one hurricane party Jesus and his friends experienced. They were sailing a boat across Galilee when an intense storm hit. Read the passage for yourself -- you’ll enjoy it.

Mark has some good ideas for helping us get through our own storms. First, make sure you are in the right boat. There are lots of boats floating around today wanting to take us for a ride -- and it’s pretty easy to get in the wrong boat. The right one has Jesus as captain!

Hurricanes themselves come to us in many ways. Christians are not exempt from being caught in the downpours of life. Family, health, and economics can all kick up squalls without warning. The Bible plainly says that the rain will fall on the just and the unjust alike.

One of the storms that our generation is confronted with is the problem of speed and saturation.
We live in a Twitter communication cycle where we are reminded repeatedly of what Bill Belichek thinks about the Lions game or what Lady Gaga looks like in drag at the MTV Video Awards. And the speed we get all this information is approaching the ridiculous. There is no time for reflection, for truth-checking, for thinking about the results this constant jabber will provoke. Instead, many of us succumb and join the storm, tweeting about the cold pancake we ate at breakfast. We can’t hear God speak if we are in a constant frenzy of hurried shallowness.

Want to have a happy hurricane? Be sure you get in the right boat -- the one with Jesus as your captain. And then, be sure you push off from the dock.

Setting sail -- that’s the only way to get where you want to go. Some people get into the boat with Jesus, but then never leave the dock. No shove off, no sailing. No involvement, no Christian growth. Too many church folk want their churches to be quiet little dockside cafes where they can sip lattes and never have to put energy into sailing the rough seas of a sinful world that needs the sunlight of God’s grace.

Real Christians are not afraid of being caught in the storms of life. They trust their captain. So push off -- there is a boat to sail, Irene or not. And don’t forget -- have a happy hurricane.

Pastor Jon

Sunday Service Update --

Irene will be coming to First Baptist Arlington. Everybody else please stay home!

There is no way any event can close the church -- hurricane, earthquake, Patriots Super bowl victory -- but sometimes it is wise for the church not to gather together. Tomorrow is such a time. Make no mistake, Christians are the church, and tomorrow the church will be found in our homes. Please worship God, pray for those in harm’s way, and read the Bible (Mark 4:35-41 would be appropriate) -- at home!

Irene is to focus her fury on Arlington about the time we would be in worship together. I have lived through a major hurricane in New Orleans and urge you to make safe choices. We will come together next Sunday as the church gathered -- meanwhile, there probably will be folks needing care once the storm quiets down. Have a happy hurricane!

Blessings
Pastor Jon

I have come away from our Easter service at First Baptist Arlington thinking it was just about the best Easter service I’ve ever experienced. The church was full, the hymns were sung with gusto, the musicians praised God, reflecting the glory and grandeur of the day, and the mighty Frazee pipe organ was pushed to its limits by Greg Lowther, our most capable Director of Music Ministries. Even the multitude of tulips and lilies joined in praising our risen Savior!

I was feeling pretty self-satisfied. Then it hit me: Was God pleased with our worship?

There is a long history of worship contained in the Scriptures. The Old Testament, especially, has whole lists of how to do worship right. You think people today get upset when they face new styles of worship? Our worship wars over traditional vs. contemporary worships styles are nothing. Choosing whether to sing all five verses of an old hymn or the seven words of a new chorus umpteen times is easy compared to the rules and regulations that consumed God’s people back then. The Old Testament way of worship was designed to help people really worship God, but it didn’t always work out that way. In fact, it got so bad that God complained about the worship services. Listen to God speak in the fifth chapter of Amos from The Message:

I can't stand your religious meetings.
I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions.
I want nothing to do with your religion projects,
your pretentious slogans and goals.
I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,
your public relations and image making.
I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.
When was the last time you sang to me?

It’s the last line that breaks my heart. “When was the last time you sang to ME?” Our worship is to be directed to God. Worship is for God’s pleasure -- not for us.

I hear people gripe about the church service: “I just didn’t get anything out of church today.”

The really bigger question is “What did you give to God?” It’s simple what God wants. God wants to be the focus and recipient of our worship, and that involves not only what happens in church, but allowing our lives to be changed. The passage in Amos sums up what our worship is to look like -- not only Sunday morning, but in our lives throughout the week:

Do you know what I want?
I want justice—oceans of it.
I want fairness—rivers of it.
That's what I want. That's all I want.

Blessings,
Pastor Jon