Jesus in the Mess

Josh Cramer • December 7, 2022

Thoughts on Advent

Greg wrote a lovely reflection on Advent for The Center's blog, and--like all of Greg's writing--I highly recommend it. He made me reflect on myself a bit. Toward the end of the post, he says: "I’m unprepared for Advent. I’m messy. And I’m beginning to believe that’s precisely what Advent is for— not to celebrate our preparedness, but to be the engine of our preparation. The gift of the incarnation can’t wait until our messes are solved, because the incarnation is the only thing in the world with the power to resolve the enormity of our collective human mess."


I absolutely agree. The incarnation is the only thing in the world with the power to solve any of our messes--our collective human mess, our individual messes, our family messes, the mess that sin makes of our lives. Greg invites us to welcome Jesus in the middle of the mess that is this season--the busyness, the competing pressures, the expectations and failures to meet them, the emotional and relational messes that we make.


Today was one of those days for me. I felt the mess of relational tensions and pressures plus my own failures to react with wisdom. Not unusual, maybe, but it feels messy. Not the kind of thing I want to invite Jesus into.


But the mess, as Greg reminds us, is exactly the place where Jesus shows up to remake us. Jesus is far less afraid of my mess than I am. I fear my mess in my own pride and shame; Jesus enters the mess and brings resurrection. Jesus touches the unclean and makes us clean. Jesus touches the broken and heals us. Jesus touches us in our sin and mess and death and makes us holy, redeems the mess, and brings us new life. Jesus doesn't avoid sinners or their sin--he joins himself to us and makes us new.


Take a look at Greg's post, and invite Jesus right into the mess, just as your are, with all the stuff you want to hide. He is the one with power to save.


Jesus, please come and be with me today, right in the middle of the tensions and holiday pressures and failures. Touch me today that I might be clean, healed, and used for your purposes and glory. There are things I don't understand, places I fail, and so many ways that I seem to cause more trouble than good. Take them all, join me in the mess, and make something beautiful out of it all.

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By Mario Romero • February 13, 2024
This is how I remember Lent as a kid: go to mass on Ash Wednesday (I have no memory of any sermon, lol), vow to give up something (that lasted as long as a New Year’s resolution), and eat Long John Silver’s fried fish on Fridays (their hushpuppies and crunchies…mmmm). We didn’t eat meat on Fridays (unless we forgot, but we prayed, so it was ok); it was something everyone in the church did, right? I knew it was leading up to Easter--other than that, I had no real understanding or connection to it. Lent was taught more like an obligation rather than an opportunity. An opportunity to reflect, rejoice, rest, repent (what other “r” words can we think of?) on Christ’s journey to the cross. The next 40 days is an opportunity, an invitation to draw closer to the Giver of Life. For some, this might look sacrificial (giving something up), for others it might be a genesis (starting something new), or it can be a combination of the two. “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth, As it is in heaven” Our Lord doesn’t just teach us to pray, he embodies prayer. He inaugurates God’s kingdom on earth through his presence with us; through his faithful obedience, we get to see and experience heaven on earth. This does not come without temptation, and trials, and wandering astray at times—yet our loving God invites. He invites us to remember, to reengage with the One who creates and holds all things; He invites us to lay down our lives and pick up our crosses. We want to invite you to participate with RCB, as we journey with Christ to Calvary, praying for the strength to be obedient… Your kingdom come, Your will be done, On earth, As it is in heaven.

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