December-2018-Branches-Web_Production-Master

Pastor's Note
Unfiltered Truth
3
Today the television and movie
industries seem to be obsessed with
rewriting stories. It’s as if writers
have run out of ideas so they’ve
settled for rewriting what’s already
been done. Currently in television
production are the reboots of
Magnum PI, Miami Vice, Murphy
Brown, Duck Tales, Battle of the
Network Stars, Dynasty, the Jetsons,
the Magic School Bus, and the
X-Files to name a few. In Hollywood
the Neverending Story, Aladdin,
Peter Pan, Little Shop of Horrors,
Top Gun, Creature from the Black
Lagoon, Scarface, and Sister Act are
all slated for re-writes. But of all the
reboots and re-writes, the ones that
seem to be the most unnecessary to
me are the Christmas classics. Please
Hollywood, quit messing with the
originals! Did we really need another
remake of the Grinch? Hey studio
executives, why did the Nutcracker
need to be turned into a fantasy
adventure? To be fair though, I’m
obsessed with re-writing stories too.
Every time I put up a post on
Facebook or Instagram, I can put
it through a filter. If Idon’t like how
an image looks, I can manipulate
it. The holidays provide the perfect
opportunity for prime-time image
manipulation, don’t they? What will
I manipulate this holiday season
to make others think that I’ve got
it all together? Perhaps I’ll only
post pictures of my family where
they are smiling. Maybe I’ll ‘humble
brag’ through postslike, “I’m so very
blessed to have this ___” or “I’m
so thankful that God allowed us to
travel to ___.” Hopefully, I won’t be
so busy taking pictures of my time
with family that I miss it altogether.
When I share my life through a filter,
I’m re-writing my story. Am I sobored
with who I am that I need to hide
behind false narratives created for
others digital consumption? Even
worse, if I’m willing to re-write my
own story what else am I willing to
re-write? God’s story of redemption
in my life?
One of my mentors once taught me
that we have a tendency to “sanitize
the saints.” What he meant was that
we like to read Scripture in a way
that makes us feel better about
ourselves rather than confronting its
truths, especially the tough truths.
The reality is that everyone in the
Bible didn’t really look like they do
in the movies where they speak
English, have nice white teeth, and
look clean all the time. Rather, the
Bible is full of messy people who
are saved by the Messiah. In his
book, The Imperfect Pastor, Zack
Eswine writes, “We know about
Noah’s drunken debacle as well as
his courage and faith… We sing the
Psalms of a man after God’s own
heart. But this manalso did terrible
deeds and at times made tragic
choices far beneath his calling and
the grace given him. Paul teaches
us. But God made sure that we
receive Paul’s teaching and integrity
while knowing Saul of Tarsus’s bitter
story.” People in the Bible are broken
and they are beautiful. Thanks be to
God that we serve an Author who
does not use a filter or re-write the
broken parts.
And here’s the unfiltered truth that
he wrote for us, “Behold, the virgin
shall conceive and bear a son, and
they shall call his name Immanuel.”
(Matthew 1:23). Immanuel has come
and he is mighty to save. This real
event happened in real time on
this real planet. Make note of the
shepherds’ response after they
worshiped him. “And the shepherds
returned, glorifying and praising God
for all they had heard and seen, as
it had been told them” (Luke 2:20).
The shepherds didn’t put it through
a filter on social media, they didn’t
sell the rights to the story, and they
definitely didn’t try to re-write it.
The shepherds simply glorified God
and returned to their flock because
that’s what shepherds do. And when
you hear this true story again this
Christmas season, remember that
our Good Shepherd will return for us.
Until then, let us glorify and praise
God for all that he has done and told
us. Let’s praise him for the beautiful
and the brokenness in us all.
Merry Christmas
Derrick Harris
Assistant Pastor
If you would like to contact
Derrick, use the following:
derrick.harris@southwood.org