During my childhood, some of my greatest memories occurred in and around church. I remember learning invaluable theology in Vacation Bible School. I learned of having a personal and dynamic relationship with Jesus during our annual Student Ministry summer camp. I remember learning how to disciple others through the process of mentoring and pouring your life into others. Each of these lessons permanently indented my life and influenced my future.

My spiritual education, perhaps like yours, was a process of discovery as I watched the faith of my parents, asked questions, read the Bible, prayed and tried to emulate others around me. You may recall those days when the table at the front of the sanctuary was draped with a white cloth…you know that table that usually held the massive church Bible. Periodically that table would be transformed to hold what was to most kids crackers and grape juice. The pastor would talk about it and then pass the crackers and the juice. It was a pretty solemn deal. The service usually consisted of quiet music, lots of praying and then a celebration at the end where the people kind of looked like they were relieved the service was over…But what was this service all about?

This service, I learned, is called the Lord’s Supper and is one of two ordinances of the church. Just as baptism visually represents the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, the Lord’s Supper is an observance that symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus at the crucifixion. The passing of the elements (bread and juice) symbolizes the fact that Jesus’ body was broken and His blood was shed for the remission of my sins and yours. Wow! Now that is worth celebrating. This Sunday, our church will celebrate the Lord’s Supper at all of our services. When we begin to observe this symbolic moment, consider what Christ did for you on that cross. It truly should be a solemn moment when believers recall the excruciating sacrifice of our Savior. While it is solemn to consider the gravity of the sacrifice, the service always ends in celebration because of the reminder that the sins of every believer have been wiped away.

Pastor will also be preaching in conjunction with this service and there truly is no greater example of generosity ever given. May this week serve as an incredible reminder of Christ’s benevolent nature towards us. I can’t wait to see what God will do in my life through this time of remembrance and the sermon Pastor will preach. I am fired up about Sunday.

Hope to see you there.

A world renowned leader has said for years, “I’ll see you at the top!” Should this be our mantra as believers? Should we strive to reach the top? How does one get there anyway? Hard work? Intellect? Connections? Money? Charisma? How does one ascend to the top? Jesus provided a glimpse of a path to greatness desired by few. His path involved: Pain, Ridicule, Lonliness, Poverty, Hatred and Death.

Paul in the second chapter of Philippians writes what is known as the earliest Christological hymn ever recorded. Paul’s verbiage is written in a style that could easily be sung and was often repeated by the early church. This scripture is known as the Kenotic Passage because of its use of the unique and rarely used word “Kenosis”. This Greek term means “self-emptying” and is used to describe the Incarnation of Jesus. This act of self-abnegation in which Jesus shed the glory He had enjoyed for all eternity was the single greatest act of humility the world has ever known. Jesus Descended Into Greatness! Wow! What a thought in our current culture where it is all about me. Jesus was not trying to find the right ladder for success. He was not trying to connect with the right individual to take Him to the top or bribe His way into a position of authority. He humbled Himself to the point of obedience and renounced His privileges of having heavenly glory, independent authority, Divine prerogatives and eternal riches for the purpose of Descending Into Greatness.

Consider the following steps that Christ undertook during the kenosis (self-emptying) and exaltation as seen in Philippians 2:

• Christ Jesus is God (2:5-6a)
• He descended to earth and because subservient to humanity (2:6b-7)
• He died a horrible death (2:8)
• He ascended to heaven and became a superior to humanity (2:9)
• Jesus Christ is acknowledged as God (2:10-11)

Questions remain as we stand at the precipice overlooking 2010:

• Are we willing to Descend into Greatness by humbly serving others?
• Are we willing to Descend into Greatness by humbly sharing Jesus with others.
• Are we willing to Descend into Greatness by humbly worshipping God in all  and for all of His glory?
• Are we willing to Descend into Greatness by humbly setting aside our privileges for the sake of the Great Commission?

True greatness always begins with humility, always involves sacrifice and always ends with Jesus. While the saying, “I will see you at the top” resonates with our fleshly desires, the typical pathway fails to follow that of Christ. I pray that 2010 will see Christ followers pursue Jesus’ example and Descend into Greatness!

You have my prayers and my thoughts as we press toward Christlikeness in 2010. May we descend together!

Happy New Year!