Giving Your Google Calendar to God

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

Google Calendar is one of my favorite inventions. Anytime I’m at a computer or have my phone with me (so, pretty much always) I can see my schedule for days, weeks, and months ahead and in the past. Thanks my calendar, I can tell you that on December 27, 2014, I saw the movie Into the Woods at 2 p.m., and that I have a gathering with my book club on January 3, 2017. It’s all in my control, and I can plan and schedule my days down to the minute. Yet I have friends who rarely use a formal system of keeping track of what they’re going to do, preferring to remember it in their head or to simply take days as they come, instead of scheduling out trips to the gym like I often do.

Photo Credit: Eric Rothermel

Obviously Google Calendars didn’t exist around the time of Jesus’ birth, yet the characters in the story are excellent examples of people who approached control of their lives in very different ways. In Matthew 2 we read the the story of King Herod, a man who was determined to do anything he had to in order to keep his throne. He controlled his people and his country and wouldn’t let anything change that. So when some wise men came along and started asking about a supposed “king of the Jews,” King Herod did not welcome this news with open arms. Instead, he ordered all baby boys in and near Bethlehem to be murdered, in hopes that this decree would eradicate the new king he had learned of. King Herod lived with a clenched fist, everything held so tightly in his grasp that he was concerned only with his own life and plan and never considered another way.

In contrast, the wise men, who were likely astrologers, were living in a far off land. When they saw the unusual star that eventually led them to Jesus, they set aside their entire lives to listen to the promptings in their hearts telling them to follow the star. They weren’t so set on their plans for the next week or next month that they were unwilling to deviate from their set schedule. Instead, they willingly tossed their plan aside to follow a new one. There was no guarantee of what they’d find on their trek, but they were eager to see if this star they had seen was of the importance they thought it was. Upon finding Jesus, they worshiped him and gladly offered their gifts.

Though we may not like to admit it, it’s easy to become like evil King Herod. I get so caught up in my planning and scheduling that I forget to see where God is breaking into my life and asking me to follow what he has for me instead of what I have for myself. Our culture feeds into this mentality, telling us to be true to ourselves, to do what feels right, and to do whatever it takes to be happy. The call of God is the opposite though. To follow Jesus is to hand over control of our lives because we acknowledge that God’s way is better, even in the times we may not understand his ways.

As we begin a new year, what would it look like to truly give God control of our lives? This idea is often difficult for me, because it sounds good as words we say and even pray, but what it looks like in my actual everyday life can be elusive. Instead of getting caught up in the big picture of what it means to “Give God control of our lives” though, what if we focused on the small, simple acts that make up our lives? How would the way we approach our jobs be different if we sought God’s will for what he wants for us in that place? How would our interactions with our family members, those we see every day and those we see less frequently, change if we committed to seeing them the way God sees them, as people who are deeply loved and valued? How would the way we talk, or the way we schedule our Google Calendar, or the way we shop, be changed if we truly looked for the ways God is present even in those seemingly mundane actions? If we live our lives with hands open to what God has in store, we may be surprised at what we find.


[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

The Light

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://encounterchurch.org/messages] 

It’s me and my husband’s first Christmas with a baby—and let’s just say, things are a lot more complicated than they were last year. Seriously—last weekend our Honda was loaded with a Pack ‘n Play, Jumperoo, diaper bag, portable infant seat, spare clothes, blankets… you get the picture. We are blessed to have most of our family living in West Michigan, but that means that we are expected to see all of them on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. When all is said and done, we will have attended four separate celebrations in 48 hours. With an almost-6-month-old baby. Talk about logistical chaos.

But we do consider ourselves blessed this Christmas season, as neither of us have experienced great fear or darkness in our lives. I can only imagine that along with all of the joy that this season brings, there is also pain that is unearthed at Christmas for those who have lost loved ones in recent years. For many others, the holidays in Michigan signify colder weather and homeless shelters that cannot accommodate their needs. Still others are dealing with the pain of broken relationships, and Christmas is a reminder of the lingering wounds that just won’t heal.

Many are not convinced that this is the most wonderful time of the year due to their circumstances, but Gospel writer John disagrees. It is the most wonderful time of the year, not because of family celebrations or twinkle lights or gifts, but because God broke into our world of darkness and sent His Light. John 1:4-5 says, “In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

These are some of the first words in John’s Gospel. In order to more fully understand their meaning, Pastor Dirk told us a little bit more about who John was and what he had experienced in his lifetime. John was the last living disciple of Jesus, mostly because Jesus had asked him to watch over his mother Mary after he died. As Mary’s caretaker, John had a front-row seat for all of the stories about Jesus; he probably spent the majority of his later life recounting Jesus’s days with Mary. John likely had a very thorough understanding of Jesus’s life, and because of this was able to perfect his “elevator pitch” about Jesus and Christianity.

In addition to his comprehensive knowledge of Jesus, John lived through the persecution of Christians—many of whom were his friends and family. He experienced persecution himself, at one time being boiled alive in hot oil, and eventually exiled to the Island of Patmos. John lived in a time of darkness and fear, but he knew that Jesus came to earth as the Light to shine in the darkness, and that nothing could overcome that light.

John continues in verses 9-12, “The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”

Christ came to earth for everyone—not just for the Jews, but for the Gentiles and for the Romans, too. Those who received Christ and fully believed in Him, not just believed that He was the Son of God, were welcomed into His family. And the same goes for us today; If you believe in His name and the power of His light over darkness, then you are welcomed into God’s family as His child. That is the true gift of Christmas—that God sent His Son, the Light of the World, into a broken earth and invites us into that light to become His beloved children.

So this Christmas season, when you find yourself busy amidst logistical chaos, or burdened with broken relationships and loss, remember that the darkness will never overcome the Light. Christ came to earth to save us from ourselves, from our sin and shame—and that even though our circumstances might seem bleak, we have hope in an eternal God who shines His Light into the darkness. And that darkness will not overcome the light. Not then, not now, not ever. 

[Megan Stephenson is a proud new mom to her five-month-old son August and spends her days trying to figure out how to take care of her tiny human. She also works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. Megan loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]

Doubt at Christmastime

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media] 

While fairy tales are often thought of as being primarily for children, some of us adults love them too. There’s something about the magic, the dramatic stories, the happily ever afters that resonate with us long past our childhood years. Real life is so rarely like a fairy tale that it’s nice to escape to a land where we can believe good will overcome evil and the endings will get tied up with a pretty red bow.

Photo Credit: Haitao Zeng

The Christmas story has little in common with fairy tales. As we read the story recorded in Luke 1, it’s easy to let our familiarity with it overshadow the extraordinary nature of what’s actually taking place. Our main characters didn’t grow up in castles or own diamond-studded tiaras. Instead, Mary was a normal teenager who was engaged to a normal man named Joseph, and then the angel Gabriel appeared to Mary and turned her future into a shape she never would have expected. 

First Gabriel told Mary she was "highly favored," and "Mary was greatly troubled and wondered what kind of greeting this must be" (Luke 1:29). Gabriel went on to tell her she had found favor with God and would give birth to a son. Not only was she going to have a baby, but that baby would be God-made-man, come to save the world. Having grown up in a Jewish household, Mary likely would have heard the prophecies foretelling the coming Messiah. As the enormity of what the angel was telling her sank in, Mary may have felt confused, ill-equipped, and scared. Her first response was a practical question about how this would happen considering she was a virgin, which at first glance seems very similar to Zechariah’s question earlier in the chapter.

When Gabriel appeared to Zechariah and announced that Zechariah’s wife would have a baby, Zechariah had some questions just as Mary did. The way he presented his question was different though. “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well in years” (Luke 1: 18). Zechariah went to practicality with a doubt that this could actually come to be, whereas Mary’s question was a simple “How?” She didn’t stay in her doubt, either. Instead of wallowing in it, she allowed it to push her to ask questions, while also accepting she was unlikely to come to a complete understanding of what was truly happening. Even as she questioned, she stayed open to the possibilities of what God was going to do. 

After the angel explained a bit more, Mary replied with acceptance. “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Next Mary went to visit her cousin Elizabeth, and as she traveled, perhaps the reality of what was happening began to take hold. It would have been easy for Mary to arrive at Elizabeth’s house and begin explaining all about how afraid she was and how none of this was according to the plan she had for her life. Instead, Mary worshiped, singing a beautiful song praising God for who he is and how he had seen fit to use her according to his plan. 

When our own stories become full of unexpected, confusing, and even painful experiences, we often begin to question God. From Mary we learn that questioning God isn’t necessarily bad, if our intention is to continue to seek him and truly discover what he has for us. The Christmas season is supposed to be filled with joy and delight, but it doesn’t always turn out like we want it to. In these difficult seasons, we have the choice to sit in our doubt and turn away from God with it, or to take our doubt back to God. In our least fairy tale-like times, we can respond like Mary and ask God to remind us who he is, and that because of the gift of Jesus all eventually shall be made well.

[Brianna DeWitt is a Christmas enthusiast. She believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

Christmas According to the Gospel of Mark: Repentance

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://encounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

Social media is bursting with quotes, images, and articles all promoting the mantra to “be yourself,” and that doing so will bring you true fulfillment and joy. Just to confirm my preconceived notions, I decided to search “be yourself” on Pinterest, and discovered a number of quotes encouraging Pinners to own their unique identity without regard for others:

“Just be yourself. Let people see the real, imperfect, flawed, quirky, weird, beautiful, magical person that you are.”

“Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love you.”

“Let go of who you think you need to be and just be who you actually are.”

And my personal favorite…

“Be yourself. People don’t have to like you, and you don’t have to care.”

If we’re being honest, I used to (okay, maybe I still do) love these quotes and use them to affirm certain behaviors in my life. For example, I was just “being myself” when I was overly flirtatious, even while in a committed relationship. I used to tell myself “I’m just a flirty person.” Or, when I struggled with binge drinking and smoking I would say, “I just have an addictive personality.” Or, my husband’s favorite when I come home from Target: “I’m just a shopper; I can’t help it!”

It’s easy to dismiss our mistakes and chalk them up to our personalities; we have an inherent belief that we were simply created to be one way, and that it’s nearly impossible to change. Mark’s hidden Christmas gift, however, shows us that Christ came to help us change, to help us repent, and become who He created us to be.

Mark 1:1-4 says:

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—“a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Photo credit: mac9416, Flickr Creative Commons

Mark does not begin his gospel with Christ’s birth; instead, he jumps right to the punch line and shares the good news about Jesus coming to earth: repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Wait, what? I thought that the good news was our salvation, the fact that Jesus loves me no matter what, even when I’m “just being myself.” While all of that is true, Jesus does love us just as we are, the good news about Christmas is that we don’t have to stay just as we are. Christ’s birth invites us into the process of repentance and change through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Mark continues in verses 14-15:

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

When Jesus was born, the kingdom of God came near; He closed the gap between heaven and earth. Salvation was born, and along with it the opportunity to repent of our sins and believe in the power of change through the Holy Spirit. Through repentance we become more like Christ and are able to advance His kingdom.

As 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 says, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

The power of Mark’s Christmas story is that we can repent and give ourselves up to God, who continually is transforming us to reflect His glory and to become our true selves. That truly is the gift of Christmas.

Let’s end with a quote from C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity, “Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self.”

[Megan Stephenson is a proud new mom to her five-month-old son August and spends her days trying to figure out how to take care of her tiny human. She also works for a private education group in Grand Rapids as an Assistant Registrar. Megan loves spending time with her husband, Ben, trying out new breweries, restaurants, and local attractions. She also self-identifies as a crazy cat lady, despite owning no cats of her own, thanks to her loving and allergic husband.]

P.S.

Ladies—if you are interested in reading more about becoming who God created you to be, I would suggest the book Becoming Myself: Embracing God’s Dream of You by Stasi Eldredge.