Mar 12

Written by: Vertical Blogger
3/12/2008 3:20 PM

Have you ever tried to start the wave at a game? The first few attempts seldom work. It takes a few goes to get it going. But, for those who have helped start one, it is a cool thing to see people you never met join with you in this silly hand-in-the-air gesture.

A few weeks ago at the MudHen's game Vertical attended - we met a young man who sold "schnacks" - that is what he called his various concessions he carried down each inning. His nickname is "Schnack Pack". Around the seventh inning he tried to get the wave going - and…well, the heat must have kept the fans from participating because it never made it around. A bit disappointing for Schnack Pack that night.

Last week we talked about the Cross. So many times we see them on necklaces, written on peoples notebooks, tattooed on backs and arms - and we asked the question: has it lost its meaning? The cross is THE event that separates Christianity from all other religions. It is the cross that moves Christianity out of the religious category and into a genre all its own. In the cross, God chose you significant enough to die for. It is the greatest act of love, surrender, and sacrifice that has ever been recorded - and the amazing thing is that you've done nothing. It was God's mission of rescue for our broken world.

If the action of the cross is true - it has great implication for our lives. If God himself chose us significant enough to send His only Son to forgive and rescue us from death and sin = we owe him! Big time! Most people respond one of two ways with the cross: Reject or Repay (aka religion). And that is their way of trying to "get off the hook".

Something powerful happens in our life the moment we realize the implication of God's great rescue mission. The moment we realize the depth and the significance of Jesus story - it overwhelms our heart…that God himself would go to such lengths to rescue us. There is only one suitable response: stop resisting him…and join His rescue team.

There are parts of Christianity that have long dark shadows that are often used to debunk the significance of the story. The truth is christians are the chosen people of God to bring faith, hope, love to a broken, fighting, selfish world. The cross represents the beginning of a wave of humanity sent and empowered by God to point to the greatest love story ever lived.

The wave is going - the question is will you join in?

- Ben

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