http://thewellchapelhill.org/site/index/ en matthew.r.carter@gmail.com Copyright 2009 2009-12-07T21:33:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/advent/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/advent/ Advent is a season or time of preparation and waiting to celebrate the birth of Christ. This four week period covers the last four Sundays before Christmas, and as we joyfully and expectantly prepare for the arrival of Christ, we examine ourselves spiritually. Our goal is to prepare ourselves to encounter Jesus in a life-changing way. This may be the first time or the fiftieth time that we’ve celebrated the coming of Christ, but our goal is for this Advent season to make this encounter life changing. The coming of Jesus into the world is an astounding event. It’s a great mystery. Here’s a video that we shared at The Well on Sunday that looks at a passage from the Bible that might have actually been a song that early Christians sang in worship. This song is a simple way to teach and learn some simple truths about the coming of Jesus and how his coming changed the world forever. May God use this exploration of these ancient words to help prepare you for the birth of Christ - all over again or for the very first time. Peace, Matt 2009-12-07T20:33:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/walking_the_walk/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/walking_the_walk/ We’ve all heard the expressions “talking the talk” and “walking the walk”. Interestingly, this concept is centuries old, even going back to the Bible. As early Christians worked out their new way of life, they described their new life as a “walk”. Paul uses this expression several times in a letter he wrote to churches in the ancient city of Ephesus (in modern day Turkey). “I urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received” (chapter 4 verse 1) “You should no longer walk as the pagans walk” (chapter 4 verse 17) “Be imitators of God, as beloved children, and walk in love” (chapter 5 verse 1-2) “Walk as children of light” (chapter 5 verse 8) “Pay careful attention to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise, making the most of the time” (chapter 5 verses 15-16) Sometimes the path we’re called to walk is clearly laid out before us. Some decisions are no-brainers; we can easily see right and wrong. Other times, the path seems obscured. We think we see a hazy trail, but we’re not sure. What is the right way to go? What is the right thing to do? I encourage you to walk the walk. Live out what you believe. Seek God’s guidance through prayer and wise counsel. Search out the path when it’s hardest to find. And know that others are here walking the path with you. Let’s walk the path together. Peace, Matt 2009-11-11T16:23:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/the_church_as_a_body/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/the_church_as_a_body/ There are several places in the Bible where the church is compared to a body. In this analogy, the individual members of the church are like various body parts - eyes, hands, feet, etc. The idea is that just as a body needs each part to function well for optimal health, the church needs each member to function well for optimal health. As we grow to spiritual maturity, we help build up the church as a whole. Here are a couple of passages that express this image: 12 For as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. 13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free — and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. 14 So the body is not one part but many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I’m not a hand, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I’m not an eye, I don’t belong to the body,” in spite of this it still belongs to the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But now God has placed the parts, each one of them, in the body just as He wanted. 19 And if they were all the same part, where would the body be? 20 Now there are many parts, yet one body. (1 Corinthians 12.12-20, Holman Christian Standard translation of the BIble) Speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into Him who is the head — Christ. From Him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building up itself in love by the proper working of each individual part. (Ephesians 4.15-16, Holman Christian Standard translation of the Bible) I don’t think this is intended to be a guilt trip. It’s not saying, “If the church is struggling, blame the members. If everyone would get their act together, things would be great!” It’s also not saying that there’s no room in the church for hurting people, for broken people. There’s plenty of room in the church for those in need of healing and comfort - just like we take care of our physical ailments when a body part if hurting. The point of these texts is to say that there is a place for everyone in the church. There are no first and second class Christians. No one person is more valuable than another. This body image says that we all need each other. A friend of mine is fond of saying, “No one of us has it all together, but when we’re together, we have it all.” There’s a place for you at The Well. No matter what body part you are, or how healthy or unhealthy you are, there’s a place for you at The Well. Peace, Matt 2009-11-06T20:01:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/a_prayer_for_today/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/a_prayer_for_today/ I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources God will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3.16-21, New Living Translation of the Bible). May you experience the love of Christ today, and may God’s mighty power at work within you accomplish infinitely more than you can ask or even think. Please, pray the same for me, too! Peace, Matt 2009-10-22T17:15:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/what_is_success/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/what_is_success/ Success in life. Success in business. Success in school. Spiritual success. Success as a church. How do you define success? There are probably almost as many definitions as there are people - we all have different goals, different pictures in our minds of where we want to be. I think of St. Paul as a spiritual success. He established churches all over the Roman Empire. He even preached to pagan kings. As a pastor, he wrote thirteen letters to churches that are a part of our Bible today. And yet, if you look at his life, you may wonder if he was really a success. He wrote four of his letters from prison, incarcerated for his preaching work. He was publicly whipped. In fact, one time he had opposing preachers putting him down. Here’s how Paul answers his detractors. These are his credentials as an apostle. This is how he shows his success: 16 Again I say, don’t think that I am a fool to talk like this. But even if you do, listen to me, as you would to a foolish person, while I also boast a little. 17 Such boasting is not from the Lord, but I am acting like a fool. 18 And since others boast about their human achievements, I will, too. 19 After all, you think you are so wise, but you enjoy putting up with fools! 20 You put up with it when someone enslaves you, takes everything you have, takes advantage of you, takes control of everything, and slaps you in the face. 21 I’m ashamed to say that we’ve been too “weak” to do that! But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again. 24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. 26 I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not. 27 I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm. (2 Corinthians 11.16-27, New Living Translation of the Bible) Paul lists strange “achievements”, doesn’t he? Rather than pointing to the number of churches he established or the number of people he helped convert to Christ, he points to his suffering, to the problems he encountered because of his mission. This is how he shows that he’s a real person of faith. Now, Paul was speaking with some irony in this passage, but I think there’s an important point that we can draw from this text. God doesn’t call Christians or churches to be “successful”. He calls people to be “faithful”. He calls people to obey him, to follow him. If you read your Bible, most of the people you read about would not have been counted successful. Many of the prophets were ostracized, abused, imprisoned, or even murdered. Jesus himself was executed as a criminal. The Apostle Paul, whom I wrote about above, was executed as a criminal. But they were faithful to the end, living out the calling that God gave them. How about you? Peace, Matt 2009-10-13T18:27:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/united_in_christ/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/united_in_christ/ We live in a world of separation. Humans too often build walls to keep out anyone who is different in almost any way. We separate based on skin tone, politics, nation or region, gender, sexual orientation, education, and almost any other lifestyle descriptor. The church isn’t immune to this separatism. I’ve often heard this quote: “Sunday morning at 11 AM is the most segregated hour in America.” I don’t know if that is true or not, and I’m not sure what it means even if it is true. I understand that there are different worship styles, and it’s fine with me if people prefer one church or worship style over another. But when anyone is unwelcome in any church, there is a problem. And this isn’t news. From the beginning of the church, there have been racial problems in the church. In Ephesians 2.11-22, Paul takes the church in Ephesus to task for their racial division: Don’t forget that you Gentiles used to be outsiders. You were called “uncircumcised heathens” by the Jews, who were proud of their circumcision, even though it affected only their bodies and not their hearts. In those days you were living apart from Christ. You were excluded from citizenship among the people of Israel, and you did not know the covenant promises God had made to them. You lived in this world without God and without hope. But now you have been united with Christ Jesus. Once you were far away from God, but now you have been brought near to him through the blood of Christ. For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us. He did this by ending the system of law with its commandments and regulations. He made peace between Jews and Gentiles by creating in himself one new people from the two groups. Together as one body, Christ reconciled both groups to God by means of his death on the cross, and our hostility toward each other was put to death. He brought this Good News of peace to you Gentiles who were far away from him, and peace to the Jews who were near. Now all of us can come to the Father through the same Holy Spirit because of what Christ has done for us. So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God’s holy people. You are members of God’s family. Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit. (New Living Translation of the Bible) The message of the Bible is that those who were excluded are now included. Those who were foreigners are now full citizens. There is no longer a wall of separation in the church. All Christians are members of God’s holy family, and together we are a holy temple where God’s spirit lives. Sound good? Have you felt like an “outsider” and want to be an “insider”? God’s house is open to you. Come see us on Sunday. Peace, Matt 2009-10-07T18:28:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/gods_amazing_mercy/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/gods_amazing_mercy/ This clip is from the 1998 movie Les Miserables, based on the Victor Hugo novel of the same name from 1862. It may be the best illustration of God’s mercy I’ve ever seen. The bishop offers unmerited acceptance and friendship to a paroled prisoner that he’s never met before. He shows kindness by first inviting Jean Valjean into his home to share a meal and giving him a bed for the night. But he shows an amazing kindness when Jean Valjean robs and attacks him. Rather than seeking justice or retribution, the bishop freely forgives Jean - and goes beyond forgiveness by giving him silver on top of what he had already stolen! But that’s fiction, right? That doesn’t happen in real life, does it? I mean, I can’t imagine showing that kind of forgiveness, can you? And, yet, it’s a beautiful illustration of God’s mercy, God’s forgiveness, God’s grace. It happens every day in the most real life that there is. The Bible says it like this: God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Epheisians 2.8-10, New Living Translation of the Bible) God’s salvation is a gift, pure and simple. It’s not something we earn, by being good enough. It’s not something God gives us as a reward for acquiring points. God’s favor comes as a gift when we believe. Like Jean Valjean, we’re left amazed at God’s mercy when the chains fall off and the accusers are sent on their way. May you and I revel in God’s mercy in our lives and imitate God’s forgiveness as we relate to others around us. Peace, Matt 2009-09-28T19:15:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/open_the_eyes_of_my_heart_lord/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/open_the_eyes_of_my_heart_lord/ Are there people in your life who pray for you? I am blessed to have people in my life who pray for me every day - my parents, friends, and colleagues. Every so often, I get an email or a text message from a dear friend just to say, “I prayed for you today,” and I find that so encouraging. It tells me I’m not alone. It tells me that my friend is thinking about me, that my friend cares for me. It tells me that faithful people are bringing me to God’s attention, and that’s a good feeling. In Ephesians 1.17-19, Paul tells the Christians in Ephesus about his prayer for them. He’ll remind them several times in this letter that he prays for them, but I find this prayer fascinating.  He prays: I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power to us who believe, according to the working of His vast strength. The way Paul phrased this prayer really resonates with me. I like the image of the eyes of my heart being enlightened. In this case, Paul prays that this enlightenment will show them three things: the hope that comes from being called by God, the inheritance that we have as God’s adopted children, and the incredible power of God at work through us. Hope, Inheritance, Power: I call this the HIP prayer. As I look around Chapel Hill, I see a lot of people in need of hope. Folks struggling to pay the rent, battle-scarred addicts, broken-hearted lovers, unappreciated workers. God’s message is one of hope. I see people who need to feel loved and appreciated. God adopts us as his children. He doesn’t let us in by the skin of our teeth and allow us to gratefully sit in the corner. He welcomes us to his home, his table, full-fledged children - heirs. God’s not going to die - the inheritance isn’t about something we’ll get someday. The beauty of it is that we have the rights of heirs in his household. We share the blessings of heiresses and heirs, beloved sons and daughters. I see people in need of God’s power at work in their lives. God’s incredible power to change our hearts and our lives - far beyond what we could do on our own - is freely available to His children. Where does this prayer catch you? Are you in need of hope? Are you longing to belong to a family? Are you weak and in need of power? God is eager to share all of these blessings with you. I pray that the eyes of your heart will be open, and that you will see the Hope of His calling, the riches of His Inheritance, and the greatness of His Power at work in you. Peace, Matt 2009-09-22T20:10:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/god_doesnt_make_mistakes/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/god_doesnt_make_mistakes/ Sometimes, we make mistakes that turn out well. The sticky note was actually invented by mistake. You may read the story here, but the short version is that an inventor at 3M was trying to make a super strong adhesive, and ended up with a super weak one - a while later, another 3M scientist discovered a new use for the adhesive, and the rest is history. Some folks are tempted to think that Jesus’ death on the cross for our sins was an attempt to fix a mistake. God created humanity in his image, but because of our sin, He needed to correct the system - a sort of cosmic Plan B. We see in Ephesians 1.3-8 that this isn’t the case: All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son. He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. Even before He made the world, God loved us and had a plan for our lives - a plan to live in harmony with Him. God doesn’t make mistakes. There is no Plan B. God loves you and wants you to be part of his family - and he is willing to pay the price. Are you ready to be an adopted brother or sister of Jesus? There’s no time like the present. Peace, Matt 2009-09-17T15:11:00-05:00 http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/if_you_could_ask_god_one_question_what_would_it_be/ http://thewellchapelhill.org/blog/if_you_could_ask_god_one_question_what_would_it_be/ If you could ask God one question, what would it be? The Alpha Course at The Well gives you the opportunity to ask those hard questions. No question is too hard, too simple, or too hostile. Nothing is off limits. We promise a non-judgmental, no-pressure atmosphere as we explore questions of life and spirituality together. Each of the eleven weeks of the Alpha Course, we’ll share a meal, watch a video, and then discuss the video. Everyone’s opinion is of equal value and is welcome - it’s a discussion, not a debate. Does this sound interesting to you? Check out our Alpha page for more information or to sign up for this free course. Peace, Matt 2009-09-08T18:55:00-05:00