Last Friday we got together at St. Paul’s for our Fall Mission Fest. It was a great night of celebrating fun Halloween festivities like costumes and candy while taking a look at great ways to get involved in global and local missions, like our new Decatur mission known as Bags of Hope.

It was an awesome time! I knew I was going to be a part of the night’s happenings, but really didn’t plan on wearing a costume myself. Thanks to a lovely wife in Michelle (and future mother by the way!) I was given a Superman t-shirt to wear under a suit and I went as Clark Kent. I even ran into my true identity, Kal-El or Superman:

I went home that night, thinking about what an awesome God we serve. A God who would grant success to such a night of fun and meaningful impact as we celebrated life together and came around mission work, putting others before ourselves. A God who sent us the real Superman in His Son, Jesus.

You know what I like about the comic hero, Superman? His real identity was the hero part; his alter-ego was the ordinary man, Clark Kent. Batman was born only as Bruce Wayne, he had to put on the mask and suit to become the Dark Knight. But Superman hit the phone booth to strip off his Clark Kent costume to show his true self – Superman.

What a great reminder of the way Christ came to us. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. Philippians 2:6-7

Jesus donned his Clark Kent outfit when he became like us. Being born of a virgin through the power of the Holy Spirit. The fullness of God in helpless babe. Why did God do this? So we could understand and know Him. So we could grasp how wide and long and high and deep His love is for us.

Do you know what Superman’s name, Kal-El, truly means? Those are Hebrew words meaning the voice of God. What a joy it is that we know the true voice of God. That Jesus is the Word, God’s voice, made flesh. That same power that spoke life into existence is the man who suffered under Pontius Pilate. For you and for me. What a joy it is to know the real Superman, and to be known as a follower of Him.

Enjoying the Journey,

Pastor Doug