This morning I had the privilege of leading the devotional for a group of senior adults at my church.

I have to be honest. I was incredibly intimidated.

Not because it was a big group. It wasn’t. But because the collected wisdom of those gathered in front of me vastly outweighed my own.

I’m currently working on my third theology/religion degree, this one from an Ivy League school, but all that learning has taught me one thing – There is still have so much I have to learn and so much I will never know.

As we begin a new year, the temptation is, as it so often seems to be, to toss aside the old in favor of the new.

We’ve been doing this a lot in the beginning of the 21st century, particularly in the church where we are told ad nauseum that everything needs to be changed, reinvented, or reimagined if the church is to survive the 21st century, globalization, postmodernism, or a whole host of other boogiemen which, supposedly, will bring the church to her knees the moment she turns her back or pauses to take a breath.

I agree whole heartedly that change and innovation are important, especially in the life of the church. It’s easy to get stuck in the stagnant pool of doing things the way we’ve always done them simply because that’s how we’ve always done them.

However, I’m just as convinced that learning from our past, our elders, our traditions, and our stories of faith is just as important, if not more so.

This morning I shared a brief passage from the book of Deuteronomy chapter 6. The people of Israel were, after 40 years of wandering in the desert, on the brink of finally entering the Promise Land. It had been a long journey and few were left who could still remember the feel of the dirt between their toes when they crossed through the Red Sea on dry ground.

So, at the end of Deuteronomy 6 we witness Moses taking steps to ensure that the story of faith isn’t lost and with it Israel’s very identity as the people of God. He says,

When your children ask you in time to come, “What is the meaning of the decrees and the statutes and the ordinances that the Lord our God has commanded you?” then you shall say to your children, “We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lordbrought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. The Lorddisplayed before our eyes great and awesome signs and wonders against Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his household. He brought us out from there in order to bring us in, to give us the land that he promised on oath to our ancestors. Then the Lordcommanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our lasting good, so as to keep us alive, as is now the case. If we diligently observe this entire commandment before the Lord our God, as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.”

Moses understood the importance of both the past and the accumulated wisdom of elders. He knew that in settling a land filled with different cultures, strange foods, unknown languages, and exotic traditions, the story of Israel’s faith and their particular identity as the people of God would be lost if they did not take intentional steps to preserve it.

Likewise, Moses understood, as did the writer of Ecclesiastes, that despite appearances there really is nothing new under the sun.

Sure, technology changes, problems get new contexts, and questions get reworded, but the core of human experience is the same yesterday, today, and until the end of time.

If someone tells you otherwise it’s because they haven’t lived long enough or they’re just ignorant of history.

Because of the steadfastness of human experience, the lessons of our past are critically important for our decisions in the present and our plans for the future.

In other words, despite the hype, the future of the church doesn’t rest on innovative media presentations, hip worship services, slick marketing campaigns, or reinventing Christianity to conform to modern tastes.

The future of the church lies in her past, in the future generations of the church having the humility to learn from the past generations of the church. If Christianity is to continue to thrive and maintain relevance in the new year and throughout a new millennium, it won’t be because we learned how to make better iPhone apps or because we found just the right font, video, and music combination for our worship services.

It will be because we were willing to listen to those who have come before us, who have been through the storms of life and come out the other side, who have learned how to deal with conflict and change in healthy and productive ways, and who, above all, understand what it really takes to live a lifetime as a disciple of Jesus.

So this year, I say out with the new and in with the old.

Not completely, of course, because there are some good new things out there. But if I could offer you any unsolicited advice this year it would be this – Seek out old people and listen to what they have to say. Find old books that have stood the test of time and mine the depths of their wisdom. Take part in old traditions and experience why the people of God have felt they were worth keeping around.

Do these things and (as I’ve said here before) you will come to discover that what has allowed the church to survive for 2,000 years is not her willingness to change with the cultural winds, but her ability to continually change us.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt

If you’re looking for a new doctor, I have a few suggestions.

However, I can’t confirm whether or not he has been to medical school.

He prefers a more, um, holistic approach to medicine.

His name is Jesus and can be whatever sort of medical professional you need him to be.

He can be a nurse.

Or a surgery assistant

Or a consultant.

Or in an emergency situation, he can just take things into his own hands.

Whatever you medical needs may be, Jesus has you covered.

We’ve all heard sermons about living one way during the week and acting a different (better) way on Sunday.

The common theme in those sermons is that that sort of inconsistent lifestyle isn’t a good thing, if not altogether antithetical to Christianity.

The WE Network apparently didn’t get that memo.

Instead, they’ve created a series called “Divas For Jesus” that celebrates a living like a heathen during the week, but a saint on Sundays.

The sad thing is this the only thing separating this show (or at least it’s premise) from actual reality is that they celebrate this sort of inconsistent hypocrisy while the rest of us live in denial and pretend like we’re not doing the exact same thing.

‘Divas for Jesus’ Reality Show to Feature Upscale Women Who Love ‘God, Guns, Gossip and Win’

ChristianNews.Net – A new reality television show is in the works that features the lives of upscale Southern women that live naughty during the week and act nice on Sunday.

The broadcast, tenatively entitled Divas for Jesus, will be carried by WE, which stands for Women’s Entertainment. According to a summary of the show that was released by the network, the women in the series are interested in more than just spirituality.

“[Divas for Jesus] follows a group of fabulous Christian women whose faith consists of guns, God, gossip and great wine,” the outline explains. “Monday through Saturday, our ensemble cast of glamorous Nashville ladies live upper class lifestyles working and playing hard. Tossing Book Club for Bible Study, these ladies get together every week, and on Sunday they ask for forgiveness and cleanse their fabulous little souls.”

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A few weeks ago we “learned” from William Tapley, aka The Third Eagle of the Apocalypse, that the songs Gangnam Style and Call Me Maybe are secret announcements of the Antichrist’s arrival.

Well, it seems Tapley has discovered even more prophetic meaning in Gangnam Style.

According to the Third Eagle, God Himself co-wrote Gangnam Style in order to inform the world that the Antichrist is gay.

How does Tapley know this?

Because obviously Psy is portraying the Antichrist in his video. And, despite the scantly clad women, Psy’s antichrist is obviously gay in the viral video. So, obviously, the Antichrist will be gay.

Not so obvious to you?

Well, that’s because you’re not a self-ordained YouTube prophet.

If you were, then you would recognize the hidden meanings in the beach blanket Psy sits on for a second in one scene of the video.

Seriously, I’m not making that up. Well, at least I’m making it up that Tapley is making it up.

Watch and be amazed….

(via)

If you’re stuck at work today, I’m sorry.

If you’re stuck visiting family you’d rather not visit, but don’t want to admit it, you also have my condolences.

By way of a distraction today, I thought I would offer those that needed it something of massive significance to debate about….

The list of the greatest Christmas hymns of all time.

Christmas songs like Jingle Bells or White Christmas are fine, but you know me, I’m a theology nerd. I need some theology in my Christmas music. Which means my list is heavily weighted to songs with substance.

Of course, like anybody else, I’m also a sucker for a big musical buildup. So, that plays into my list as well.

Finally, I kept my list short because, well, it’s just easier to debate a short list.

Anyway, without further ado, here are the unquestioned 5 greatest Christmas hymns of all time in precise order of greatest [insert sarcasm font].

The Top 5 Christmas Hymns of All Time

5. Silent Night

Silent Night may be number five on my list of 5, but there’s no doubt in my mind that this is, without question, one of the most beautiful Christmas songs of all time. Sung by the right person, in the right setting, this one’s a guaranteed tear jerker…in a good way.

 

4. O Come All Ye Faithful

Full disclosure, I’m pretty biased towards this song. As I mentioned last week, I heard people from across the world spontaneously sing this song in their own language at the Vatican during the Midnight Mass last Christmas Eve and it was nothing short of amazing.

 

3. O Holy Night

The lyrics to this one are great, but let’s be honest. The best part of this gem comes towards the end with that amazing build up to “Oh night…divine!” Goosebumps. Every. Single. Time. (At least when it’s sung by someone with a serious set of pipes.)

 

2. Joy To The World

For sheer joy, it’s hard to beat Joy to the World at Christmas time. Whether it’s being sung by a choir with a full orchestra or updated with a dose of rock ‘n roll, this song brings the excitement of the Christmas season like few others. “The Lord is come” and this song doesn’t let you forget it.

 

1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

For my money, you don’t get better than Hark! Herald Angels Sing. Why? Because it manages to pack some serious theology into a song everybody can sing, but, more importantly, everybody also loves (or at least they should). That is no easy task, but it’s one Charles Wesley was incredibly gifted at. So, with lyrics like “veiled in flesh the godhead see, hail the incarnate deity; pleased as man with men to dwell, Jesus our Emmanuel” and “born that men no more may die; born to raise the sons of earth; born to give them second birth,” Hark! The Herald Angels Sing is the greatest Christmas hymn of all time.

Well, that’s my list.

While I have no idea how you could possibly disagree with my choices or their order since these sorts of things are clearly objective, I want to hear from you.

What order would you put these songs in?

Did I miss a great song that belongs on the list?

What songs would make your list of the top five?

Let me know in the comments, and if you want to get really creative, let me know who you prefer hearing singing the songs on my list or yours.

Merry Christmas!

This time last year I was getting ready to meet the Pope.

Ok, not technically “meet,” more like “watch him walk by.”

After several months of waiting and string pulling (by my father-in-law who is a Benedictine monk), my wife and I found out we had tickets to the Midnight Mass at the Vatican on Christmas Eve.

We were excited about going to Italy, regardless. It had been a lifelong dream. But spending Christmas Eve in the Vatican was icing on the cake.

As it turns out, you’ve got to wait several hours, on your feet standing, sometimes in the rain, to enjoy that cake.

If you ever have the chance to attend the Midnight, or Christmas Eve, Mass at the Vatican, know this – you need to get there at least 4 hours early if you want to get a good seat, meaning a seat where you can see the Pope and be close to all the action. After those 4 hours of waiting outside, you’ve got 2 more hours of waiting inside before the service begins.

But it’s worth it.

Seriously.

It was a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. And not just because I got to see this guy.

What really made the night memorable was a song.

It was sung in Italian by a boy’s choir.

The tune sounded really familiar, but not speaking much Italian it took me a minute or so to figure out what song it was.

I think just about everybody else in St. Peter’s, who didn’t speak Italian, was having the same experience because at right about the same moment something incredible happened, something I will never forget for as long as I live.

You see, Midnight Mass is a very structured event. Everyone has a part to play. The Pope leads the mass. The priests, archbishops, cardinals, etc. assist him. The choir sings the selected music. And, except for a handful of moments, the congregation sits back and watches the drama unfold.

In other words, when the congregation wasn’t specifically asked to read a response aloud, they were expected to be quite.

This wasn’t a big deal for most of in the congregation, as an untold number of the world’s nations were represented in St. Peter’s that night. Which meant few of us knew Italian or Latin well enough to participate anyway.

Such was the case when the boy’s choir began to sing.

But something was different this time.

The tune was familiar to almost everyone in the basilica and, for whatever reason, call it the Christmas spirit or the moving of the Spirit, a slow, melodic murmur began to build as people began to recognize the song.

As the boy’s choir sang in Italian, they were joined by a chorus of voices from the congregation who broke the bonds of propriety and began singing, each in their own language…

O come all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye to Bethlehem.
Come and behold him
Born the King of angels.
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
O come let us adore him,
Christ, the Lord.

If ever I have experienced a moment when the kingdom of God had come to earth, it was this.

I felt very literally as if I as standing before the heavenly throne described by John in Revelation when he says,

After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice…

Heaven had truly come to earth at least for one night.

This year I’m doing something much different, but I expect to witness the kingdom of God on earth just the same.

Fortunately, this time it won’t require a trip halfway around the world.

My wife has to work this Christmas. She’s in her first year as an OB/GYN resident, which means holidays are essentially on hold for the next 4 years. We will get to visit family for a few days during the holidays, but not for Christmas itself.

Since she’s working the night shift on Christmas Eve, I decided to take my church up on their request for people willing or able to serve dinner at a local homeless shelter. On the surface it seems like the furtherest thing from Midnight Mass at the Vatican. At St. Peter’s everyone was dressed in their Sunday best. At the shelter, keeping warm, not impressing others, will be the dress code for the evening.

There may be a few songs sung. I haven’t been before, so I don’t know. But I feel pretty confident in saying there definitely won’t be a Latin mass.

So, in a lot of ways my Christmas will be very different this year as compared to last.

But in the most important way, it will be very much the same.

This Christmas Eve, just like last, I expect to catch a glimpse of the kingdom of God.

This glimpse won’t come gilded in the gold of a high altar or adorned by the voice of a heavenly choir. This glimpse will be found in breaking bread with strangers. In sharing a conversation with people who spend most of their lives being ignored. And in serving those the world counts as the least of these.

It’s a different glimpse of life in the kingdom of God, but it is no less holy.

For me, this has become the thing I look forward to most at Christmas. The time off from work or school is great and I love the chance to go back home to see friends and family, but if Christmas is a time to celebrate the moment when the kingdom of God came down to earth in a stable in Bethlehem, then it is that holy collision that I want to experience more than anything else because every time I do it leaves me forever changed.

So, this Christmas it is my hope and prayer that you too have the chance to glimpse the kingdom of God for yourself. It may come in the form of a beautiful service at your church, in donating your time to a local charity, or in a moment you least expect.

But whenever and wherever it comes I hope you recognize it and embrace it for what it is – a holy gift from heaven that has within it the power to change the way you look at world in dramatic and lasting ways.

If you let it.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt

I didn’t know this was a thing.

Also, why is this a thing?

Just in case you’re thinking this is photoshopped (because I thought it was), here’s the story with the explanation for the billboard from the church’s pastor.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a Star Wars fan, a Trekkie, you love the Dark Knight, or you just have a soft spot in your heart for Bill and Ted.

This Nativity set has something for everyone.

Except Jesus.

Minor detail.

You remember the three wise men, right?

They were the kings from the East who showed up to see Jesus a few months after he was born. And, as we all know, they came bearing gifts.

Do you remember the three gifts they brought?

I gave you 2 of them in the title of this post. So, I should say, do you remember the third?

That’s right, myrrh.

On the occasion of the birth of Jesus, three random people showed up to the home (not the stable where he was born) of an unimportant, obscure family to give a random baby and his impoverished teenage parents fabulously extravagant gifts of precious metal and expensive oils.

Sounds kind of odd when you put it like that, doesn’t it?

That’s probably because for all it’s beauty and theological overtones, I think there’s a very practical heart to this story and an important lesson for us today, especially at Christmas.

Here’s what I mean….

Have you ever thought about what Mary and Joseph did with the gifts from the three wise men? Yeah, probably not. Most of us don’t. It’s a great story and we usually just leave it at that.

After all, the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly what they did with the gifts.

But from what history tells us about this sort of thing, we can make a pretty educated guess.

They probably sold the gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Now, I realize that probably sounds pretty crass to our 21^st century, first-world ears. We would want to keep such treasures as a keepsake. Put them on a shelf and admire them during the holidays. But that’s a luxury people like Mary and Joseph couldn’t afford.

They were most likely teenagers, just married, very poor and trying to create a life out of the very little that they had. You’ve got to remember, this was 1^st century Palestine. There was no middle class. You were either rich or poor, and Mary and Joseph were certainly not rich.

Which meant they had to take advantage of every opportunity given to them.

That’s why I think they probably sold the gifts. Why? Because they had a new baby to feed. Diapers to buy. They needed a roof to put over their heads. Plates to eat off of. Cups to drink out of. Carpentry tools for Joseph to work with.

You see, it’s not until we strip away the 2,000 years of tradition surrounding this story that we can see what the gift of the three wise men really was – a chance at a better life.

We talk a lot around Christmas time about the true meaning of the holidays. That usually means something about giving to others, rather than yourself. Unfortunately, it also usually means giving more stuff to people who already have lots of stuff and don’t really need more stuff.

This cycle of junk giving really began to wear on my wife and me a few years ago. So, we decided to give it up, at least for ourselves. We might still get one thing for each other, or possibly spend a night out on the town, but we realized that if we were really going to take Christmas seriously, then we had to admit that all the money we were spending of ourselves, could be spend elsewhere doing a lot more good.

So we bought a goat.

And some chickens.

A few ducks.

And even part of a well.

Ok, we didn’t technically buy a goat, or chickens, or ducks, or a well. At least not in the sense that they are sitting in our backyard. But they are sitting in somebody’s backyard who desperately needed them.

As you might have guessed by now we’ve been “buying” goats, chickens, ducks and all sorts of other goodies out of the World Vision Gift Catalog for several years.

If you’re not familiar with their Gift Catalog, you need to be.

It’s an elegantly simple, and honestly fun, way for you to help strangers around the world by picking out suggested items they need to improve their quality of life.

Remember that goat info graphic at the top of the post? Go ahead, check it out one more time. It’s actually part of this much larger info graphic that I borrowed from the folks at World Vision.

In the most basic terms, it shows you exactly the sort of impact your purchase of a goat will have. Sure the goats produce milk for the families to drink, but there’s much more to it than that.

If you’ve ever been on a farm, then you know that livestock like goats produce their fair share of manure. Manure is fertilizer. Fertilizer helps crops to grow. Crops and the extra milk from the goats can be sold to help pay for school, medical bills, rent, or even more goats.

And just like that, the 5 minutes you spent flipping through a catalog, just changed someone’s life forever.

In a very real way, you just became the fourth wise man or wise woman or wise family.

In a very real way, you also just answered Jesus’ questions in Matthew 25 in his parable of….wait for it….the sheep and the goats: I was hungry. Did you feed me? I was thirsty. Did you give me something to drink? I was naked. Did you clothe me? I was sick and in prison. Did you come and take care of me?

I can’t help but imagine Jesus thinking back on the gift of the wise men while he was telling that parable and remembering the story his parents told him of how those gifts helped to feed and clothe the family and even helped to pay his doctor’s bills when the young Jesus got sick.

What was a relatively simple gift for the three kings from the East, changed the life of Jesus and his family in real and significant ways forever. And by extension those three strangers from the East quite literally helped to change the world.

Your simple gift today can do the very same sort of thing. What is a relatively small amount of money for you, can change a family’s life on the other side of the world in real and significant ways forever. And if enough of us do the same, we can quite literally change the world.

So, on behalf on my friends at World Vision, I want to invite you to do something different this Christmas.

Don’t just give a gift.

Change a life.

Change several lives.

Forever.

Grace and peace,

Zack Hunt