How big did you go today?

Hansen Wednlandt writes, “I wish I could join the people, who are two spiny, massive ridgelines away, speeding in snowshoes and crampons to beat a June snowstorm on 14,235 foot Longs Peak. Driving up the mountain this morning, I passed the signs of so many other Saturday warriors: the dirt-faced smiles of casual mountain bikers, an oversized crash pad lying beneath a popular overhung boulder, empty whitewater kayak racks atop green Subarus. Somewhere down the canyon in Boulder, they are training some of the world’s fastest road and mountain bike racers, marathoners and 100 mile runners, adventure racers and Everest climbers. This is where I live, a land where “extreme” is not a yes or a no question, but a matter of How big did you go?"

How big did you go today? Did you risk it all, everything? What were the consequences of failure? What were the consequences of not even trying?

Jesus stuck his neck out for a woman caught in the very act of adultery. An awkward situation to say the least. There was no doubt that a transgression had been committed. After all, she had been caught in the very act. There was no getting around it. Jesus’ grace went big for her!

Jesus’ hypocrisy meter probably also hit a new all-time high for those that brought her to him. They knew he had preached about this forgiveness. They may have even heard that him talk about how the tax collectors and the prostitutes would enter the kingdom of God before some “good, honest, God-fearin’” folks. Well, what would he do when his grace ran contrary to what the law of Moses commanded as the punishment for this sin?! Just how big would this Jesus go?

His compassion went further, bigger than anyone else’s had ever gone before! His condemnation was close behind!

He might as well have said, You self-righteous, hateful, people. You love to put the requirements of the law on everyone else. Let’s see if any of you have kept the law. The one of you who is perfect will be allowed to throw the first stone at her!

Jesus, himself, was the only one there who met the criteria. Even today, he would rather throw God’s grace at you instead of rocks. How about you? Which are you throwing?

Pastor Craig

Busy! Busy! Busy!

How do we get so busy? Well, for most of us it is not taking care of the task at hand. We would rather be on MySpace or Facebook or anything else as opposed to the responsibility before us. We put it off and the stack of "to do's" just gets deeper.

We get 24 hours in each day. We need 6-8 to recharge from one day and rest up for the next. We spend another 8 or more at work. We spend an hour or more eating each day and an hour or more getting ready for work. That brings us up to at least 18 hours. We haven't included commute times, times spent in social or religious activities, times spent doing homework with you children, times spent playing with them in the yard, times spent doing household chores like washing and putting away the dishes. . . We haven't mowed the lawn, raked the leaves, vacuumed the carpets, scrubbed the toilets, shopped for groceries and other household needs. How could we get it all done? Is there a way out?

We do indeed need to learn to slow down. The example we are setting means our kids will quite possibly be just as hurried and frustrated with life as we are. We make rude gestures to the driver next to us who cut us off in traffic because that person is stressed for time as well. In the process, both of us are more frustrated than we were before.

God knows we need rest. He worked hard throughout the history of creation, but in the end, the thing that he did best was set the example for us by creating rest. God did not need rest for His own person. I mean, really, He is omnipotent. No, He made rest for us because He knew we needed it.

God asks us to consider the lilies (Matthew 6:28), how they don't stress about their existence and yet are so beautiful and well cared for. Well, I'm not much of a flower person. Oh, I love to look at them, but they need far too much tending for my tastes. Don't get me wrong. I am so glad that God tends to them for my enjoyment, but for all the outdoor things I love to do, gardening is not one of them.

So, I want to paraphrase this section of Scripture. Consider your dog. See how chilled he is. He neither sows or reaps. He enjoys his food! He spends his time off the leash with enthusiasm. He knows how to love and appreciate life. He knows how to love unconditionally. When he gets tired, he rests. When he needs a nap, he takes one. He knows the value of lying on his back on the grass in the warm sun and having a really good wiggle. Oh, that we could have the appreciation of life our pets do! Oh, that we could love every moment of life instead of trudge on through, just waiting for the end!

Pastor Craig