Author: Ben Meredith

Ben is a recovering pharisee, a web guy, a passable guitar player (as long as you're not near Nashville), and the type of guy you'd want on your team in a game of Mad Gab. Follow him on twitter.
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New Home. Just Like the Old Home.

In Scripture, Paul has a brilliant aside on the concept of “home” in 2 Corinthians 5:1-9.  Basically, he makes the point that all of our temporary “homes” are just shadows and signs pointing toward our true home.  The truth of the matter is that even this house (though we love it, and so far the neighborhood has been fantastic as well) is not really home.  Winston-Salem is not home, Greenwood is not home.  Asheville is not home.

Jesus is home.

Home is a place where you are known, and accepted in spite of that knowledge.  Home is a place that is safe from all danger.  Home is a place that is comfortable being yourself, even the nastiest parts of yourself.

We try and build buildings and neighborhoods that are all of those things, but the truth is that we can’t build it.  Bricks and security systems may provide an illusion of safety.  Nice furniture and hardwood floors may indeed give a sense of temporary comfort.  But it can’t last.  We try and build a temporary Jesus.  We’re not so different from the idol-makers we look down our noses at when we read about them in scripture.

Our houses here need to be places of welcome, places designed not for our comfort, but the comfort of others who don’t know Christ. That doesn’t mean hardwood floors and nice furniture are bad things, just that they ought to be tools for the kingdom.  If the neighbor’s kid can’t come over because you are afraid he might stain the carpet, maybe it’s time for new carpet (or a new attitude).

It’s just a house.

Here’s a video I made back in Asheville about a family who had just that perspective, by the grace of God.  Enjoy.

What are some says that we can make our houses more like our true home?  What are some things you have done?  Comment below.

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I used to be a Rapper.

No really.

I wrote a rap (well, all but the first line or two, which I totally stole from my friend Steve) in high school.  I added a second verse in college for a poetry class (and got an A).  Finally, I added a 3rd verse a few years after I came on staff.  And it’s pretty entertaining to watch my theology develop through the verses.

I’d rap it on video for you, but I don’t want to be that guy.  You know the guy.  He becomes an internet sensation for doing something that he thinks he’s good at, and nobody loves him enough to tell him not to upload it to YouTube.  I’m not gonna be that guy.

But I will type it out for you. And I don’t think it has a name.

Verse 1, no I’m not doing this for fun
Because I have no fun without the Holy One
Who has risen, He’s quizin’ the heart of every man
To see if there is room inside for Him to stand
Alone we cannot make it, we try with all our might
To spite the fright despite no sight without His holy light
I’m beggin’, no pleadin’, before it is too late
And you’re standing with St. Peter outside of the pearly gates
Without Him, or You doubt Him, don’t know that much about Him.
Only Jesus can please us, don’t leave the world without Him.

Verse 2, don’t think that I’m not talking to you,
Because it’s your turn, to U-turn, to see what JC can do.
Moses had the rod of God, I got the Bible.
It’s God’s word to me, indicated by the title,
It’s holy, and solely for the purpose of good.
I read it to see if I should do the things I think I should.
I’m right, I’m light, so don’t put me under baskets;
I’m on a mission to save souls from rottin’ in the casket
Just ask it, and Jesus will come
Into your heart right through your heart into your bloodstream,
He’s so keen, by no means continue in sin:
’cause like the Bulls with MJ, the Spirit always wins.

Verse 3, let me tell you how it happened to me,
Because by verse 4 he’ll be knocking at your door.
I said before about the rod of God
and if you’re feelin’ this, come on everybody nod.
Age 12, couldn’t nod, steady shakin’ my head,
Both eyes shut, hoping God would leave me for dead.
I was His enemy. But He got into me.
Now, both eyes open, got me begging for bread.
But in my head still runnin’, try’na earn what he gave.
Because I know me, I’m too dirty to save.
I throw in filthy rags, to cover filthy mags
At the bottom of my gold-plated filthy bag.

And that’s as far as I’ve gotten.  I do think it’s fairly neat that the more I’ve gotten into Christianity, the more clearly I see how revolting my sin is.  I’d like to someday add that 4th verse, or at least close out the 3rd verse on something about how even that sin of thinking my sinfulness is beyond Christ’s reach has been paid for.

Watch out, Eminem.  There’s a new white, 30-something rapper on the scene.  And he’s bringin’ the HEAT.  I just need backup dancers and a “Uhh” guy, and we are ready for the world tour.  Who’s with me?

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Church Home.

We are pretty decisive people. That’s what has made the church search so painful. When we moved to Asheville, we already had a church picked out, and had all but joined. It was a perfect fit for us, parked in the space between Jacqueline’s home church and my penchant to be a bit of a theological neat-nick. We never even visited another church. We joined within a few months of moving.

So we got here, and though a lot has changed for both of us in what we look for in a church (how do you pronounce “childcare?”), we were skeptical as to what church could possibly live up to our experience at Grace. We were pretty spoiled by the gospel-centered teaching and the great community of folks there.

The first two churches we visited, though they seemed to be full of nice folks, just didn’t fit us.

Not finding an immediate fit was painful. I fully realize the luxury of living in America (in general) and the south (in particular) and near a larger city (to be down-right pinpoint accurate) in having not just a church on every corner, but some great, thriving, wonderful churches from which to choose. We are really so privileged in this part of the country to have access to such amazing communities of folks at such short distance from us.

Jacqueline and I have been acutely aware of the effect of being community-starved for the last few weeks. We have some great coworkers and friends here in the triangle that have softened the impact of moving, for sure. But coworkers can’t make up for church friends and church community. That’s a lesson I learned really early on in vocational ministry. Because ministry and church often “look” the same, it takes discipline to differentiate between “on the clock” and spiritual life. Healthy boundaries are a must.

The third church we visited looks and feels a lot more like a fit. It’s Christ The King Presbyterian in Raleigh. I learned yesterday that it’s one of only 3 churches in the world affiliated with both the Acts 29 network and the PCA denomination. What a perfect fit for us! We are excited to get plugged in, and to find some free babysitters community groups near us.

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Mother’s Daze.

My wife is incredible.  She’s a great mom, and even in the midst of this crazy stage of life with a move and quasi-bedrest and an unwieldy (almost) tw0-year-old, she’s shone far brighter than the jewelry she got for mother’s day (yep, that’s a shout-out to me.  Thanks for noticing, move along).

She’s not an encourager by nature, but I can’t even count the number of times just in the past week she’s gone out of her way to encourage me.  She’s so attentive to even the smallest details of my life.

She’s a wonderful mom to LB: from lavishing gifts on him (most notably her time and energy) to disciplining him and helping him to not get the false impression that the world revolves around his larger-than-average head, Jacq is constantly amazing to me.

So I thought I’d give her a shout-out on the interwebs.  She’s lived lately in a daze wrought by pregnancy hormones and lack of sleep, and yet she’s still the hottest mom on the planet.

She’s so good at it, I knocked her up again.

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