Oasis is a Cool Word

I'm not sure if it's ironic or providential that the word "oasis" has "as-is" in it.

That's what an oasis should be though, right? A place you can go--just as you are--to find rest, refreshment, relaxation, and perhaps even a new perspective on life. Whether your idea of an oasis is an island getaway, a secluded cabin, or an over-stuffed couch, the basic idea is the same: Come as you are. Leave changed.

Ideally, an oasis is what friendship should to be. And marriage. And church. And a relationship with Christ. We can bring our junk, work it out in a safe environment, and then move forward as healthier, happier, and more God-honoring people.

In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Notice Jesus didn't say, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you an earful." Or, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will shame you...or judge you...or shun you." No, the Lord of the universe promises us rest...even when we approach him with a trunk full of over-stuffed baggage.

And that is tremendously good news.

If you feel weary and worn down today--and even if you've been burnt by your friends or your spouse or your church--you can still find rest. You can still find a place to come just as you are. You can still find an oasis.

Jesus promises to be our oasis in Matthew 11. He takes us "as-is", and promises that (in the end) we'll be changed.

Why Don't Your Kids Go to Church?

You may have heard today's youth described as a "generation of causes." And it's certainly true.

It's why few non-profit organizations ask teens and twenty-somethings for regular monthly donations but, instead, suggest that they purchase bricks or goats or wells instead. As a whole, Generation Y likes--perhaps needs--to physically see the tangible fruits of their time or money in order to get involved in a project.

This attitude has clearly taken its toll on church attendance. Regular church-going, without any measurable statistics to prove that change is occurring, is a hard discipline for many Y's to master. In fact, a new Barna survey has found that 59% of young Christians disconnect from the church after age 15...many never to return. Statistics like these, and real-world evidence of such numbers, have caused more than a few youth-focused ministries to spend less time on life-changing relationships with Jesus and more time on life-changing social projects.

For example, the United Methodist Church has started a new initiative called Spark12 that is designed to give youth a cause to fight for, rather than just a church to go to.

Passion conference attendees recently raised about $3 million dollars to help end slavery and child trafficking around the world.

A church in New York regularly encourages congregants to reach into their community and "serve humanity in fellowship, that all may grow in harmony with the good."

Please hear me: none of these activities is bad. Actually, they are each very good. My concern is that (inadvertantly) we may be teaching an entire generation to, essentially, "be good for goodness' sake." But, unfortunately, goodness' sake isn't good enough. We need to be good for God's sake.

In Matthew 25, Jesus explains that it is not just good to help those who are hungry or thirsty or naked or in prison, but those things are an actual reflection of our love for him. Jesus says to his disciples, "Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."

Fighting against social injustices should be an outflow of our relationship with Christ, not the sum total of it. If Jesus himself isn't powerful enough to lead the next generation to care for the lost and the broken and the needy, why would we expect that by exclusively caring for the lost and the broken and the needy it will lead the next generation to Jesus?

Should the church care about the physical needs of those in their community and around the world? Of course. But, without Jesus as both the means and the end of such care, church ceases to be church and starts to be nothing more than charity.