Pure Joy

I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

John 10:10

The 2010 Winter Olympics ended last night.  I'm going to miss them.  It's not that I want to tune into more curling or ice dancing, I just really enjoyed the nightly displays of human triumph.  Event after event, the winners lifted up their arms in victory, shouted or cried for joy--some of them even danced.  It was an awesome thing to watch.  Seeing the athletes reach their goals made me smile. When my team won, I may have even jumped off the couch, but I'm sure that my excitement was only a small fraction of what they felt at that moment.  Sitting in front of my TV, there was no way I could understand the amount of training and sacrifice each Olympian went through in their long journey to Vancouver.  To have finally done what they could only dream about before must have been overwhelming.  The only thing that could describe it would be pure joy.

It got me thinking about joy and this full life that Jesus talked about.  I think a reason we don't experience it more is that we're not fully engaged in the daily pursuit of becoming more like Him.  Something has got us sitting on the sidelines.  Yeah, we smile when we hear about the good that Jesus is doing around us, but it's forgotten shortly after.  We're missing out on that joy that gives us strength.  The only way to experience that is to get in the game.  Thankfully, there are a bunch of ways to do just that.  Experiementing with the spiritual exercises (prayer, study, mediation, worship, confession, etc), plugging into community, and finding a way to bless others with your gifts are all great ways of getting invovled.  Give it a shot this week and see what it's like to be in the middle of the action.  It may even make you want to dance.

There are a bunch of Chi Alphans who will be doing just that really soon.  Almost 30 of us will be heading out on spring break missions trips to New York City and Granada, Spain.  Even if your not a member of one of the teams, this Thursday night you'll have an opportunity to be a part of what God is going to do through praying and investing; either financially or by donating travel-sized toiletries that the NYC team will be distributing to the homeless.  Our very own, Kera Package will be speaking and our student worship team will be rocking the house for Jesus.  I hope you'll join us--it's going to be a joy filled night!

Going for the Gold

But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14

I was watching the Olympics last night.  I took in a little of the men's mogul finals, some speed skating and, although it's one of my least favorites, figure skating.  While they're are vastly different sports, one thing is really clear.  Every athlete was completely devoted to his or her sport. When we watch the competition we see an amazing, but very brief display of athleticism (the fastest mogul run was under 23 seconds).  The athletes, coaches, and their families know the full story.  Years of hard work, training, and sacrifice had to be put in before they could even reach the starting gate and even then there was only a small chance of winning.

Paul was familiar with this kind of athletic training.  Many of the cities he visited held very popular competitions and the Ancient Olympics were still being held during Paul's lifetime. It's quite possible that he had this in mind when he was writing his letter to the Philippians. Paul is using the metaphor of the race to remind the Philippians of his singular focus on Jesus and through that encourage them to follow his example.  It leads me to ask the question, am I running to win the prize?

This Wednesday we enter into the season of Lent.  I grew up thinking that Lent was a few weeks when you couldn't have desserts or eat meat on Fridays, but now I realize it's far more than that.  Lent is a time of focus, or to keep with the athletic theme, a time of training.  40 days are set aside (it technically extends 46 days, but you get Sundays off!) to remove distractions, or fast, so you can place your efforts more fully on allowing the Holy Spirit to form you in the image of Christ. Sounds like a good idea to me! 

So how are you doing?  Could you use a little help as you pursue Christ?  Give Lent a try.  Removing something from your schedule or better yet, adding in a regular time of prayer or Bible study could be exactly what you need help you to run...and run to win!