Bible Study Inside Out

Transformation through Giving

2012-01-26T14:45:00.000-05:00

Luke 19:1-10

The story of Zacchaeus is well known to those of us who grew up learning the Sunday School song: Zacchaeus was a wee little man and we little man was he…. This song captured the eagerness of Zacchaeus to see Jesus for himself and Jesus’ deep desire to be in relationship with Zacchaeus. What this children’s song misses is the transformation Zacchaeus undergoes as a result of his encounter with Jesus.

Zacchaeus was the chief tax collector and very rich according to the scriptures. In those days the Roman Empire collected taxes from the residents of the land they had conquered. Their method was to enlist the help of the people to collect taxes from their fellow neighbors. In this case Zacchaeus, who is Jewish, is working to collect taxes from his fellow Jews for the Roman Empire. These taxes were extremely high (70% or more) and were collected in ways which were often corrupt and unjust. The tax collectors would then get a commission on whatever taxes they collected and then send the rest to the Romans. Needless to say tax collectors were despised and generally considered unjust and corrupt. To become a chief tax collector was to not only collect taxes but to oversee the entire tax collecting operation. Zacchaeus was well known by the people and hated for all that he had done. There is little doubt that Zacchaeus cheated, stole, and bribed his way to the top.

The people were thus shocked when Jesus invites Zacchaeus into relationship. The people would have expected Jesus to side with those who were oppressed and poor and instead Jesus seeks out the powerful, rich, and corrupt tax collector. Zacchaeus’ encounter with Jesus is transformational.

Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Luke 19:8

Zacchaeus is confronted with the truth about himself when he sees Jesus. He can no longer hide behind his wealth and power when standing before the Lord. His declaration is one of repentance for all that he had done and become. He certainly had cheated and defrauded others and become rich while making many people poor. Jesus confronts Zacchaeus by showing him the truth. While we may want to discard and dismiss the oppressive Zacchaeus, Jesus singles him out and calls him into a new life.

The transformation of Zacchaeus can be described as going from being a taker to becoming a giver. Being a follower of Jesus means we are not only concerned with our own well being and wealth but we are concerned with others. Being a follower of Jesus means it matters how we make our money and how others are affected by our wealth. Jesus also knew that Zacchaeus could not be faithful until he knew how to give to others.

It is in giving that we are most like God. It is when we share with those who are in need that we can understand the meaning of grace in a new way. Zacchaeus needed to be transformed by God’s love before he could understand who he was, a child of God in need of redemption. Once he had been given grace by God he could then become generous and gracious to others. May we also receive and know the love of God, become transformed from the inside out, and be generous with all we have as God has been generous with us.

Best for Last

2011-12-07T09:50:00.006-05:00

When Jesus began his public ministry I have wondered what his thoughts were. Did he really want to begin with a splash and grab everyone's attention? Did he want to heal someone or bring someone back from the dead? Or did Jesus hope for a gradual beginning that wouldn't overwhelm him? If we read the story of Jesus' first miracle we may still be left to wonder.

Jesus' first miracle came at a wedding and as the party ran out of wine there was a real crisis. Mary, Jesus' mother, goes to him and pleads for him to turn water into wine so the celebration could continue. Literally, Jesus' first miracle was to keep the party going. It wasn't a healing story or feeding thousands. All of Jesus' miracles are impressive, but this one at first glance seems to lack the gravity we would expect.

After Jesus turns the water into wine the party's wine steward comes to inspect (quite a party to have its own wine steward!). He was instantly impressed with the wine and proclaimed:

"Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." John 2:10

The wine Jesus turned from water turned out to be far superior to the wine from earlier and while wine lovers might find this tidbit interesting, for those who wish to more deeply understand the significance Jesus' first miracle we may be left still bewildered.

One way to approach this text is to think in terms of the natural human tendency to hold back. When we are uncertain about circumstances or people we often play a "wait and see" game. For those who have had bad experiences in life and love this can be particularly true. We have been burned before and are not going to allow ourselves to be hurt again. In this story, Jesus seems to be holding back as he is initially reluctant to do anything about the problem. Only after his mother persuades him does he then turn water into wine.

How many of us operate in a similar fashion? We are asked to help others and have to be guilted into it. On our own we tend to worry about ourselves and not others. Even Jesus tells his mother "it is not my time." Even when we can be coerced into giving sometimes we fail to give our best. We give to charities or food drives from our reserves not from our best. We hold back and hedge our bets. Ultimately we see in Jesus the giving of his full self, without holding back. We see in Jesus the pouring out of himself for us and for the world. What will we give?

For us we can and must give our very best in life: loving and serving others in Christ's name. We can give our best knowing that God will provide the rest, God will fulfill God's promises. We no longer need to hold back our time, talent, and treasure but can live generously knowing God will provide. We can be open emotionally and spiritually with others knowing that our savior and Lord gave all for us. We can live the abundant life while we are here knowing that God has promised us even more in the life to come.

Economic Oppression and the Seductive Lure of Debt: The Parable of the Talents

2011-10-25T16:29:00.004-04:00

The current movement Occupy Wall Street has taken hold throughout the country and is now extended in many parts of the world. As protesters gather and speak our against corporate greed, lack of employment opportunities, and banks run amok the question for people of faith becomes: what would Jesus have to say about all of this? Does our Christian faith have anything to offer? There are some Christians who claim that Jesus was only interested in spiritual issues, others are convinced that Jesus would fully support capitalists, but if we take the scriptures seriously we cannot avoid that fact that Jesus speaks frequently and vehemently against greed and the love of money.

The parables of Jesus are often misunderstood to be moralistic teachings or simple analogies for faithful living. While these interpretations are valid they often do not take into account the historical reality of Jesus' life and ministry. Jesus spent his time with the poor and the oppressed. He spoke out prophetically against the spiritual and economic oppression that the people endured. While Jesus was certainly concerned with the spiritual lives of people, he was deeply concerned and committed to speaking out against injustice. The parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) offers us such an example.

In the parable a rich landowner chooses three slaves to care for his property while he goes on an extended journey. "To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability." (Matthew 25:15) A talent was an enormously large amount of money and it was given to the servants who had earned the most trust with the master with the hope that they would find a way to increase the money. The owner is driven by greed and is willing to enlist the servants to help increase his wealth while he is away. The first two servants quickly go out and double the amount by "trading" with them. The acquisition of wealth was most often done in ways that exploited the poor and the weak. Any additional profit that was made would be understood as "honest graft" for the servants. In this way the wealthy landowner co-opts the servants into the game of building wealth through the exploitation of other peasants. The two servants thus become like their master even as they do their master's bidding.

The third servant refuses to invest the master's money but inside buries the talent in the ground. When the master returns he praises the first two servants: "Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master." (Matthew 25:21) Their shrewd maneuvering and managing of their master's money has earned them higher praise and standing. The third servant speaks out against the landowner in a daring and prophetic way:

Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ (Matthew 25:24-25)

The servant has named the sins of the oppressive and exploitative landowner and in doing so has spoken for an entire peasant class that has been preyed upon by the wealthy elite. The third servant is not a "wicked and lazy slave" but functions as a whistleblower who speaks the truth to power. The parable concludes with the third slave being cast out into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Jesus is sharing this parable with the poor and the oppressed of his day and it is his way of sharing the good news of God. With this interpretation God cannot be understood as the wealthy landowner, rather the third servant is the hero of the parable because he speaks out against injustice and oppression. He suffers the same fate as Jesus himself, death at the hands of oppressive power.

We too live in a time of tremendous economic inequality. While corporate profits are at an all-time high, unemployment remains intractable at over 9%, as many jobs are shipped overseas. While big banks are Wall Street firms were deemed "too big to fail" and received a government bailout, ordinary Americans are losing jobs and losing their homes. The protesters on Wall Street and here in Detroit understand that things are not as they ought to be and like the whisteblower they are compelled to speak out.

The question for us is whether we will stand with those who speak for justice or allow ourselves to be co-opted by the seductive power of wealth. For just as the first two servants are given incentives to play the master's game of exploitative wealth gathering, we too are incentivized to play the master's game of debt and wealth acquisition. For those of us who have retirement accounts and pensions have relied upon the wall street traders to secure our future. We chose to buy homes we could not afford, we chose to live beyond our means and now find ourselves enslaved in a cycle of debt and dependency.

And even if we see the "game" of debt and wealth for what it is, the game itself is rigged for those in power. You cannot buy a home without good credit and you cannot get good credit without going into debt. You must play the game of building debt in order to build credit. Try buying a house or car without a credit history. Unless you have the cash you must get a loan and then banks own you. Unless and until we can speak the truth to power and even more speak the truth to ourselves we will find ourselves cast into the outer darkness.

As Jesus shared this parable he was not only championing the heroics of whistleblower he was also sounding the bell for collective action and awareness. If the other faithful and trusted servants were willing to stand up for justice and one another, they could negate the master's exploitative game. The master is after all dependent upon the servants to acquire his wealth. If the servants stand with the peasants and refuse to play the master's games under the master's rules then real change can take place. Similarly, if we stand up and take collective action for the greater good then those in power will have to take notice (which is why I recently left Bank of America for a local credit union). It may sound crazy and we may be cast out into the darkness, but we are doing a good job of it ourselves.

For more insight on the parables see: Parables as Subversive Speech: Jesus as Pedagogue of the Oppressed William Herzog

Summer Hydration

2011-08-03T15:31:00.002-04:00

There are many things to love about summer days: the warmth of sunshine, extra time with family and friends, traveling, and baseball. It seems for many, at least in Michigan, we endure the winter months of cold and snow hoping for the arrival of summer. As a runner I have mixed feelings at best about running in summer. I tend to have more time and certainly more daylight hours to run, and the trails tend to be in their best shape in summer. The downside is the heat and humidity make it tremendously difficult to run. A normal 5 mile run can feel like 8 and one can quickly become dehydrated from the extreme heat. Of course I refuse to stop running in any weather so I have learned to make accommodations for hot conditions. When it is very hot I run with a water bottle and take breaks as needed.

Spiritually, summer is a time when many take a break from regular church attendance and the spiritual disciplines of scripture and prayer. We have family vacations, graduation parties, out of town guests, and many simply need a break from the unrelenting schedule of school year routine. It is good to have time for rest and sabbath, but if we are not careful we may find ourselves spiritually dehydrated if you do not continue to take time for God in our lives.

Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” (John 4:13-14)

It is so easy in life to become either overwhelmed by stress and anxiety that we do not make time for God in our life OR when we have time to relax, we not only take time away from our routines but we take time away from God. This can be spiritually dangerous because we simply cannot live long or well apart from the amazing love and grace of God. When we drink from the font of Jesus' love we are filled with all that we need.

What makes dehydration so difficult, both spiritually and physically, is that we often are unaware of being dehydrated until well after the process has begun. As a runner, when I sense my own thirst and begin to feel dehydrated it is already too late. My body has already begun to slow down and become less efficient. Spiritually, we enter into dry times we often cannot notice until we reach a really dry and depressing place. The key then is to avoid dehydration by remaining hydrated. We must continually come to Jesus to be filled up with love and grace, keeping us in good spiritual health.

The good news for us is that whether we have hit a dry spell or remained steadfastly hydrated in God's word, prayer, and worship, it is never too late to return to the font. We all live with a thirst for God and in Christ we find our fulfillment. May God bless you in days of summer dehydration!

Ananias and the Conversion of Saul

2011-04-16T10:17:00.002-04:00

Ananias protested, "Master, you can't be serious. Everybody's talking about this man and the terrible things he's been doing, his reign of terror against your people in Jerusalem! And now he's shown up here with papers from the Chief Priest that give him license to do the same to us." But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as my personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I'm about to show him what he's in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job." Acts 9:13-16

The story of Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus is the stuff of Christian legend. Saul was the chief persecutor of the early church and after his conversion becomes the most highly effective pastor and church planter in history. Much has been said about Paul, his conversion, his influence, and his letters, but what concerns me in regards to spiritual friendship is the connection between Saul and Ananias.

Ananias is called a disciple of Jesus and is called by God to go find Saul and to lay hands on him to bring healing to his sight. Ananais' response to God is what we might expect; he is shocked and repulsed by the idea of helping the chief enemy of the church. God tells Ananias to not argue but to go and do it, that God is working in Saul's life and has a plan to use Saul for God's glory. Ananias obediently submits to God and goes to Saul saying:

"Brother Saul, the Master sent me, the same Jesus you saw on your way here. He sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." No sooner were the words out of his mouth than something like scales fell from Saul's eyes—he could see again! He got to his feet, was baptized, and sat down with them to a hearty meal. Acts 9:17-19

Ananias, in the presence of a truly despicable human being, was being offered a choice, would he repay Saul for all the injustice he commited or would he extend grace and hospitality? He could have rejected Saul and ignored God's commands, instead he chose to be a spiritual friend to Saul paving the way forward for the church. Through the power of the holy spirit and the willingness of Ananias to offer the same forgiveness and love given through Jesus, we see the power of God's amazing grace to bring transformation to the lives of individuals and the community.

For us the question becomes: who is God calling us to befriend? Who are we to extend grace and mercy to? God never gives up on people no matter who they are and what they have done. God is on a mission to bring transformation, love, and grace to a hurting and broken world. God's best and only strategy is to use US to be God's hands and feet in carrying out this mission. God is calling us to love the unlovable, give grace to the sinner, and welcome the lost. This is a high and holy calling, one we should be familiar with since it was first given to us.

What a Friend We Have

2011-04-13T17:55:00.003-04:00

I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father. John 15:11-15

The life of a follower of Jesus is one filled with life-giving relationships. We are called to be in relationship with Jesus and one another, to receive and to share the love of God. We cannot live a meaningful and fulfilling life apart from God or from one another. Jesus tells us that "I am the vine, you are the branches" (John 15:5) signifying that we receive our vitality and connection through our relationship with him. Apart from Christ I am like a dead branch, dried up and useless, but connected to Christ I am alive and bearing good fruit for others. As Jesus prepared to travel to the cross he took time at the Last Supper to share last words of wisdom with the disciples. He knew the challenges and obstacles the disciples would face in the immediate aftermath of his death and the subsequent days, weeks, months, and years of the early church. The only way to remain faithful, for the disciples and us, is to abide in Christ. We must take time for Jesus in our lives, we must submit our lives to our Lord Jesus. We must also abide in one another, providing encouragement, support and love. Together we can journey with Jesus through whatever challenges we might face. Apart from God and one another, Satan will lead us astray by dividing and conquering. To have friends in our lives who share our connection and commitment to Christ is a true blessing. To have friends who are willing to go to hell and back with and for us gives us courage to be who God created us to be. To have friends who love as Jesus loved, willing to sacrifice and give of themselves fully brings hope and transformation. Who is that type of friend for you? Who are you that kind of friend for? Honor and treasure those relationships if you have them, make it a priority to develop those relationships if you do not.

Community of the Spirit

2011-04-12T21:39:00.003-04:00

And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person's need was met. Acts 2:44-45

The early church as depicted in Acts 2 may sound a bit naive and idealistic to our 21st century ears, but I believe it is the true representation of what God has in mind for the church. After Peter delivers his Pentecost sermon several thousands Jews come to faith in Jesus Christ and become baptized. Filled with the Holy Spirt, the early church lived together in community, sharing resources and coming together for worship, prayer, and learning. They had, as scripture tells us, "all things in common." This is absolutely remarkable, especially when you consider the devisive and divided nature of Christian sects today.

What is so powerful about the unity of the early church was that it was achieved despite enormous cultural and ethnic differences. Faithful Jews from across the known world had gathered in Jerusalem for the festival of Pentecost, and despite differences in culture and language, the power of the gospel brought God's people together in a transformative way. The unity of the church existed in the midst of real diversity, it was not a group of like minded people of similar backgrounds.

So what might the unity and diversity of the early church have to say to us today? For me it means that the petty differences that define so much of human relationships are truly meaningless to God. It means that in Christ we are free to be ourselves AND honor others for their uniqueness. It means that while we acknowledge diveristy, we recognize more fundamentally it is not our differences which define us but our shared connection through our Lord and Savior. Genuine Christian community is possible but it starts with our shared identity as children of God. Let us stand together, seeking authentic community, honoring one another while serving and loving the Lord.

Jesus and Spiritual Friendship

2011-04-12T09:21:00.002-04:00

He replied, "You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight...But you have God-blessed eyes—eyes that see! And God-blessed ears—ears that hear! Matthew 13:11-13;16

Jesus had a special relationship with the twelve disciples. He hand-picked them to be his followers and spent every day for three years with them, teaching them about the Kingdom of God and demonstrating that he was the Son of God through a series of miracles. When Jesus spoke to the disciples he spoke as a spiritual mentor, providing guidance, encouragement, support and correction. By contrast, when he spoke to large crowds he often did so in parables which the disciples and followers of Jesus understood but others often did not. Because Jesus took time and effort to cultivate a relationship of trust and support the disciples had "eyes to see" what God was up to.

Spiritual friendships are absolutely essential to the life of faith. We cannot walk alone, there are too many challenges and detours along the way. Jesus' ministry demonstrates to us the power of relationship, accountability and trust. When we learn to share with others, inlcude others in our spiritual lives, and allow others to guide and correct us when necessary we will grow stronger in the Lord. If we continue to walk alone Satan will certainly place obstacles in our way to keep us from seeing and experiencing the true joy and love of God.

So may you look for ways to support and encourage others in the spiritual journey, and may you allow others in your life to support and encourage you.

Much Given, Much Expected

2011-04-09T12:07:00.002-04:00

It's also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Matthew 25:14-15

The parable of the talents is a powerful reminder that all we have and all we are is a gift from God. The gifts, talents, and passions that we have were given by God, but with those gifts also come responsibilities. The gifts of talent and treasure require from us an acknowledgement that God has given us these gifts, we have not earned them nor do we deserve them; they belong to God. We are called to be good stewards of the gifts we have given and to share those gifts with those in need.

As the master distributes resources to his servants, he gives according to ability. To those who are given more, more is expected. When the master returned he expected that the servants would have made good use of the resources they were entrusted with. The first two servants do very well in their use of the money but the third servant, while not selfish, squanders away the opportunity to use the resources productively.

The servant given one thousand said, 'Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.' "The master was furious. 'That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? Matthew 25:24-26

The master is furious with the servant, not because he lost the money, but because he was afraid to take a chance. He kept his resources to himself for fear of losing what he had.

It seems to me that many people live their lives this way. We hold so tightly to what we have that we fail to realize opportunities to make a difference. When we are consumed by anxiety and fear, we fail to place our trust to God. When we fear judgment for failing, we are not seeing our gracious and loving God.

God is calling us to use our talents, not recklessly, but boldly. To step out of fear and into faith. To give to others fully, knowing that God will not leave us nor forsake us. This is a life of adventure, faith, and joy. To live otherwise is a terrible way to live.

Ananias and Sapphira

2011-04-09T08:49:00.002-04:00

Peter said, "Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn't lie to men but to God." Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. Acts 5:3-5

The story of how Ananias and Sapphira literally drop dead after failing to be generous in their giving should give us all pause. It is a remarkable story but one which easily can be misunderstood. As a community the early Christians decided to pool all their resources together for the common good. It was agreed upon that if anyone sold property they would donate the full sale to the church. When Ananias and Sapphira sell their property they only shared a portion with the church and lied about the selling price. They are both individually confronted by Peter and drop dead presumably from guilt.

When it comes to financial giving, or any other part of our life, God wants our whole heart. It pains the Lord to see people give half heatedly. It pains the Lord to see people go through the motions in their prayer life, church attendance, or any other aspect of faith. God wants our whole lives to be a living sacrifice to the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. When we give only a little, or only enough to get by God is neither impressed nor fooled.

When you give you are not giving to the church you are giving to God. Fundamentally giving is not even about money, it is about your relationship with God. When we give generously and from the heart, we acknowledge that God is the source of every blessing and in faith trust that God will continue to bless us. When we hold back we reveal our hearts to be not fully converted.

Take a step forward in faith and obedience to the Lord and give with a full and generous heart!

Lazarus and the Rich Man

2011-04-06T15:40:00.002-04:00

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. Luke 16:19-23

We live in a time in our nation and especially our world where the gap between the rich and the poor has never been greater. While CEOs and hedge fund managers make multi-million dollar salaries with even greater bonuses, the middle and lower class are under assault. Teacher and public worker unions are being blamed for state deficits, senior citizens and those in poverty see their taxes increase, while the wealthiest Americans and corporations receive tax breaks (or in the case of General Electric pay no tax at all!). This is a spiritual issue more than an economic issue and God's word is not silent.

Jesus shares the story of the rich man and Lazarus to make a prophetic point. Those who have wealth must not ignore the needs of others if they wish to remain in good standing with the Lord. Jesus cannot sit back and watch poor Lazarus suffer while the rich man feasts in luxury. God loves justice and reminds us that if we use our resources for self-centered and self-indulgent purposes we will not be received by the Lord.

This story also tells us that although the world may forget about the poor, the elderly, the widow and the orphan, God does not. God's heart is with the oppressed, the poor, and the broken hearted and offers them a vision of heaven filled with hope, love, and transformation.

While most of us would reject the choices the rich man makes in Jesus' story, what we fail to realize is most of us are more rich than not. We may not being in upper 1% of income in our country but if we have a job, a car, a home we are rich in wordily standards. For us the question becomes: what will we do with our wealth? Will we even notice the Lazarus in our midst? Will we even bother to look for ways to helps others?

Hear the word of the Lord, repent and live life on God's path.

Giving to God, not the Church

2011-04-05T16:54:00.004-04:00

The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford—she gave her all. Mark 12:43-44

One of the least favorite times of year for many church-goers and pastors is stewardship season. We hear things like: "all the church cares about is money" on the one hand or "let's help the church pay its bills" on the other. The truth is that giving is not about the church at all, money is a spiritual issue that must be discussed and when it is avoided contributes to the spiritual shallowness the pervades our culture.

Jesus talked a lot about money and the power of wealth to lead people away from God. He talks about it a lot because it is such a seductive and alluring threat to our relationship with God. Coming to a spiritual understand of money is absolutely essential to becoming a follower of Jesus. "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Luke 12:34)

For me, giving generously is really very easy. I suppose it is a spiritual gift not to be overly concerned with nice things or needing to keep up with the Joneses. Once I decided to tithe I have found great joy and peace in giving. I have learned to trust that God will provide and so there is no reason to not to give fully. It has been a blessing and I continue to find ways to try to out give God (as they say) but God continues to bless me.

For others I know giving is much harder. I have had people tell me they give my giving their time or that they simply cannot give right now or as much as they would hope. While I do have compassion for those going through tough times the story of the widow reminds us that everyone can give generously. We all must begin to think differently about our money and posessions.

Once we understand them as a gift from God, a gift which does not belong to us, it frees us to give knowing God will provide. I suggest to those at the beginning of their giving journey to start out giving a percentage of your income. Don't try to start at 10% but work up from 2 or 3%. Rather than giving an arbitrary amount (20 or 50 dollars a week) take your check stub and calculate a percentage.

As you learn the joy of giving you delight in your ability to give generous and be motivated to give more and you will be blessed along the way!

Anxiety and Trust

2011-04-04T14:45:00.002-04:00

What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep yourself in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.

Luke 12:29-31

One of the biggest obstacles to living life for and with God is anxiety. We spend time worrying about things that truly matter: our children, our jobs (especially these days), our retirement, whether or not we can send our kids to college and so much more. We worry, we fret, and mentally pace ourselves into nervous wrecks. Can any of these worrying add even a day to our lives? The opposite is true; worry and stress is a killer of our bodies and our spirits. Jesus understood stress and worry and offered wisdom for our lives. The antidote to anxiety is trust. Do we trust that God is in control? Do we truly believe that God has blessed us and will continue to bless us? Or do we secretly believe that we are the ones who have to do it. If we don't handle and fix everything it won't get done. Who do you trust more: yourself or God? When we trust that God will provide for us and we need not worry about anything, we are freed to love God and neighbor. When I trust that God will continue to bless me, as God has always done, I am free to be generous with my time, talent, and treasure. When I trust God to be God, I don't have to be!

How Much is Enough?

2011-04-03T15:53:00.002-04:00

Speaking to the people, he went on, "Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot." Luke 12:15

One of the biggest distractions that takes away from our relationship with God is money. When we do not have a balanced or proper understanding of wealth and material things, they can come to possess our attention, time, and devotion in disturbing ways with deep spiritual consequences. Jesus speaks about money a great deal because it is a spiritual issue, and if we do not think and act clearly about wealth it has the potential to destroy us. Consider that a large proportion of people who win the lottery end of bankrupt within a few years. It isn't the money that made them bankrupt it was their values and lack of foundation about money. When we have a skewed understanding of possessions and wealth it doesn't matter whether we are rich or poor, we are in spiritual trouble.

The man who built bigger barns to hold all of his stuff will never have enough to be satisfied, he will never have enough to feel secure. When we operate out of a mindset of scarcity, assuming that at anytime my provisions will run out, we miss the fact that it has been God all along who has been blessing us. God has taken care of us and blessed us in our lives, God will continue to provide for our needs and bless us in the future. All that I have and am is a gift of God's grace, it has never been about my ability to earn it or keep it, but about God's continuing blessings.

When we are driven to acquire more stuff, when we are obsessed with accumulating, when we needlessly get more and more, we must resist and remember. Resist the temptation to define success as "the one with the most toys wins" and see success in life as being content with what you have. Remember God's amazing grace in your life, and that God will continue to be present, continue to bless. As Jesus tells us: "fool! tonight you die and your barnful of goods--who gets it?"

The Place of Honor

2011-04-02T09:44:00.002-04:00

"When you're invited to dinner, go and sit at the last place. Then when the host comes he may very well say, 'Friend, come up to the front.' That will give the dinner guests something to talk about! What I'm saying is, If you walk around with your nose in the air, you're going to end up flat on your face. But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself." Luke 14:10-11

Growing up a child I had the opportunity to experience "the kids table" many times. Our house was often the host for family dinners at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. This meant that the adults gathered at the real table while the children (my 14 cousins and I) were in the other room. What made this strange for me is that I was displaced from my normal place at the table. I always felt like I was missing out and wanted to be part of the adult table.

When Jesus talks about taking the last seat at the table rather than the place of honor, he is really telling us that with our position in life, whether it is humble or grand, we need to see others with respect. When we have an inflated sense of self and look down upon others we are far removed from the Kingdom. When we see that others are honorable and worthy of praise we see how God sees them. As I grew older and became eligible to sit at the adult table I realized that there was nothing particularly unique or privileged about it. The adult table had ordinary conversation and the same food. In fact I now look back at my time at the kids table with fondness. That was where we shared laughs and made milk come out of Matt's nose! So may you embrace the seat of last place, making room for others to receive the dignity and respect God has for them. May you walk humbly, serving God and neighbor.

Who is my Neighbor?

2011-03-31T15:39:00.002-04:00

He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself.” And he said to him, “You have given the right answer; do this, and you will live.” But wanting to justify himself, he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” Luke 10:27-29

The parable of the Good Samaritan is well known not only within the church but in our broader culture as well. As any Seinfield fan can tell you the series ends when Jerry and friends are arreated for breaking the "good samaritan law" which requires bystanders to help someone in need. Like Jerry, many of us turn a blind eye and deaf ear to the needs around us, asking "who is my neighbor anyway"

The Pharisee, after Jesus turns his question back on him, tries to save face by asking Jesus who exactly should be considered a neighbor. Jesus of course responds with the well known parable that points out the hypocrisy of the religious elites and the goodness of the samaritan. What strikes me today is not Jesus' response but the pharisee's question. He wants to know who is neighbor is not so that he can go out and serve, but so he knows who he doesn't have to serve.

The question of: "well who is my neighbor anyway" suggests that he is looking to do the least amount possible. The question is looking for an answer which limits and qualifies his moral responsibility to care for the needs of others. Jesus' response is that we must help all people, everyone is a neighbor because everyone is a child of God. Everyone counts!

The parable concludes with a samaritan performing acts of love and compassion for a Jewish man. In others words, the ultimate non-neighbor in Jewish culture turns out to be the most neighborly. Because he showed mercy and compassion and love, the samaritan proved to be a neighbor, while the priest and the levite do nothing.

For us the question is whether we are more like the samaritan or the levite and priest. Do we look for ways to serve others or do we fail to even see the needs around us? Who are we showing mercy to? Who needs care, love, and compassion in our lives? Would we be praised by Jesus for our acts of kindness or arrested for standing by while others suffer?

First Things Last

2011-03-30T21:58:00.002-04:00

They came to Capernaum. When he was safe at home, he asked them, "What were you discussing on the road?"The silence was deafening—they had been arguing with one another over who among them was greatest. He sat down and summoned the Twelve. "So you want first place? Then take the last place. Be the servant of all." Mark 9:33-35

As Jesus' ministry became more and more popular, the crowds grew and so did Jesus' power and influence. As the disciples began to realize their teacher was powerful they began to argue amongst themselves who might be Jesus' successor. They were focused on individual power and completely missed Jesus' message of humble service.

It is a natural human tendency in the face of opportunities for power and influence to look after one's own self-interest. Our culture defines success as "getting ahead" or excelling over the competition. We can easily become obssessed with success and fail to see that others suffer for the sake of our prosperity.

The way of Jesus however is the way of service and humility. With power we are to serve, with resources we are to share, with influence we are to include. The way of Jesus means putting others before ourselves and loving with the indiscriminate unconditional love of God.

How are you "first" in life and how can you share your power and influence to be God's hands and feet?

Serving up Some Salty Goodness

2011-03-29T16:23:00.004-04:00

I don't know about you but I love salty french fries. I know sometime soon in life I will have to cut back on my salt intake but there are times when I simply crave a burger and fries, and salt is an integral part of that culinary equation. We need salt to live, but with too much we get high cholesterol, high blood pressure and assorted high problems. The key to health is balance, and so it is with our faith too.

You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. Matthew 5:13

As we serve others in Jesus' name we often encounter people who could be considered "salty" or a bit rough around the edges. To be Jesus' hands and feet we must have love and compassion for those who have a had rough and difficult lives, for those whose lives are less than moral or admirable. To serve God and neighbor we cannot stay in the safe and clean places, we must be willing to get salty. We must be willing to engage them where they are, bringing to them a word of hope and transformation. The trick is not to lose ourselves in the process. We must hold firm to the love and grace of God, not losing sight of the path God has given us to follow.

So be salty but no too salty! Who wants some fries?

Healed in order to Serve

2011-03-28T14:47:00.003-04:00

Read Matthew 8:14-17

When Jesus entered Peter’s house, he saw his mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever; he touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. Matthew 8:14-15

One of my favorite stories of Jesus is how he heals Peter's mother-in-law so she could make them dinner. Ok so perhaps that isn't the point of the healing story but it seems almost selfish doesn't it? Ok fine, not so much but the point is that Jesus heals her from a fever and she immediately goes about "ministering to them." We see Jesus many times offering his services of healing to those who were sick, blind, deaf, or in need of some sort of healing. This story is unique because immediately after being healed the person starts serving others. For me this let's me know that not only do I stand in need of healing, but that the purpose of healing is not for me but to enable me to serve and love others. Too often we can get caught up in our own need for healing or too easily get bogged down in our own issues and problems. Peter's mother-in-law reminds us that we are healed in order to serve, we are loved in order to love, we are given grace in order to be gracious. Yes we need the healing power of God's love and grace in our lives but we need it so we can use our gifts to love and serve others. It is not about me but what God can do through me.

The Power to Serve

2011-03-27T19:08:00.006-04:00

Read Matthew 8:1-13/Luke 5:12-16 As Jesus' ministry progressed he had more and more people coming to him seeking healing. He was proclaiming God's word, healing the sick, bringing hope...God was working! As exciting and powerful as it must have been for Jesus and the disciples to be part of such transformation, it must have also been exhausting. The needs in our world today are monumental; people are crying out for a word of hope. The problem is we have neither enough time nor energy to meet all the needs. In Jesus we see not only a deep commitment to serving others with God's amazing love and grace, but also a concerted effort to stay balanced and connected to God. "As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the way places for prayer." (Luke 5:16) Jesus knew that in order to continue serving God and neighbor he needed consistent and regular time devoted to God. Without developing a deep spirituality we can become burned out by the expectations of others and the needs of those around us. But when we can rely upon God to fill and re-fill our cups we will be blessed with the energy and compassion to serve others. As we serve others in the days to come we must remember to receive the life-giving love of God and take daily time for and with God.

Love and the Holy Spirit

2011-03-26T17:30:00.002-04:00

Read John 13:31-35; 14:15-31

It is my hope that over the past week you have truly enjoyed digging in to the scriptures and that God has revealed, through the stories of Jesus' life and ministry, the love and grace of God. We have seen how Jesus truly loved all people and how he gave us an example of how to live. In today's reading we find Jesus preparing to be arrested, face trial, and be crucified. Jesus knew what God's plan was and that he had very little time. Jesus takes time with the disciples to share last minute wisdom, instruction, and encouragement.

Jesus knew the challenges the disciples were going to face in both the short and long term. In the days ahead, the disciples would face: the threat of similar arrest and persecution, sorting out the meaning of Jesus death and resurrection, and begin deciding what to do next. Their challenge for the long term would be continuing the ministry of Jesus, by sharing the good news with all people and starting the Christian church. Jesus knew these challenges could overwhelm the disciples, so he wanted to share two key nuggets of wisdom: love and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus gives the ultimate reminder of what his ministry was all about when we offers a "new" commandment:

"I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35

Jesus wants the disciples to not only love one another, but to love each other as he loved them. In addition, this love is not a private love but a public love which would be seen by others. Jesus wants them to love to the extent that they become known by their love. To be a disciple we must learn to love as Jesus loved, we must love who Jesus loved. Jesus loved everyone everywhere and loved from the center of his being. Jesus gave his whole self to loving others, without holding back. If we truly want to be followers of Jesus, we must love, without holding back, all people. What is holding you back?

Jesus also knew that the disciples would face challenges from both within their community and from outside. Loving others is the mandate, but Jesus also provided the Holy Spirit to empower their work, provide guidance, comfort, and truth.

"If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you...I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you." John 14:15-17, 25-26

The work that God called the disciples to do would be challenging, difficult, and dangerous. Jesus reminds them that, although he won't be physically present, the Holy Spirit will lead them, guide them, remind them, and comfort them. The Holy Spirit will provide everything they need. So it is with us as well. God has called us to participate in God's mission in the world. It can be challegning and difficult, but we are equipped to do so and empowered by the Holy Spirit. May God continue to inspire, enlighten, and support in our journey of discipleship

Who is Jesus to you? Week 2: Day 6

2011-03-25T11:39:00.002-04:00

Read John 10:22-42

As Jesus became more and more popular with the people, and his healings and teachings began to be made known, he was increasingly viewed as a threat to the religious leaders. The “Jews” as John refers to Jesus’ opponents is really a description of the religious elites (Pharisees, priests, and scribes) not the Jewish people themselves (remember Jesus and his disciples were all Jewish). As Jesus grew in notoriety, more and more people came to believe that he was the Messiah. The confrontation in this story between Jesus and the religious leaders is fundamentally about who Jesus really is.

Throughout his ministry, Jesus performed miracles and signs that were interpreted as acts of God. He brought sight to the blind, helped the lame walk, fed the multitudes, and brought the dead back to life. For Jesus, his signs were evidence that he was doing the work of the Father and that he was the Son of God.

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered,

“I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:24-30

Despite the skepticism and lack of faith of the leaders, Jesus tells them the truth. He is the long awaited and promised Messiah and that he and the Father are one. For the religious leaders this is blasphemy. No one could claim to be God and Jesus was clearly making this point. Jesus uses the signs and miracles he performed as evidence of his identity as the Messiah. The religious leaders are forced to renounce their religious traditions (by believing that God had taken on human form) and believe Jesus, or renounce Jesus and try to discredit him. We know of course the path the leaders chose, and their rejection of Jesus leads him to the cross.

Ultimately the question Jesus asks the religious leaders is the same question he asks each of us: who do you say I am? Who is Jesus to you and what difference does it make? The leaders were either unwilling or unable to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and God incarnate. They had too much invested in their religion and their place of power to receive the truth. Believing in Jesus would have meant contradicting their long-held religious beliefs, which they had built a career sharing with the people and defending. Jesus was asking them to believe despite the high cost.

For us the question is just as pressing. Do we really believe that Jesus was the Messiah? Are we willing to order our life around this truth? What is the cost to us for living our life with a robust Christian faith? Many people claim to be Christian but their lives don’t reflect it. To be a disciple of Christ means that each day we are learning to be more and more like Jesus. It means we are willing to risk for our faith and stand up for God even when it is unpopular and inconvenient. It means placing God at the center of our lives and that all our decisions are filtered through our faith. As Christians we know that Jesus paid the highest cost for us and for the world. Jesus is calling us into a life-changing relationship which asks us to put God first. Are we willing to take the risk and pay the cost? Are we willing to say who Jesus is for us?

Judge Not Week 2: Day 5

2011-03-24T16:07:00.002-04:00

Read John 8:1-11

It is in the gospel stories that we learn who Jesus is most clearly. Throughout his life and ministry he interacts with all sorts of people from all walks of life. Jesus did not confine himself to relating to those who were like him, he did not follow the rules that governed social interaction. Instead Jesus, time and time again, goes out his way to relate to those outside of his social network in order to show that God's love and grace is for everyone, everywhere. The story of the woman caught in adultery exemplifies how Jesus breaks through barriers to share the love and grace of God in a profound and transformational way.

As Jesus is teaching in the temple, the Pharisees bring before him a "woman caught in adultery." The Pharisees ask Jesus if the woman ought to be stoned to death as Hebrew law required (see Deut. 22:22, Lev. 20:10). They asked Jesus, not because they were confused on the law itself, but because they wanted to "test" him. If Jesus allows the woman to be stoned his popularity with the people and the compassion he so frequently demonstrated would be compromised. If he bars the stoning he is violating the law. The Pharisees were trying to discredit Jesus' authority because he was becoming more and more popular as religious leader, thus jeopardizing the Pharisees position of power and influence in Jewish society.

Jesus responds to the trick question as he so often does, by turning it back to the questioner. Jesus tells the Pharisees and the crowd: "let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." The judgment, anger, and blood lust of the crowd is turned away from the woman and back toward themselves. Jesus refused to validate the question about the law, and instead focuses on the judgmental anger of the Pharisees. In doing so, he offers a tremendous gift of grace for the woman and a valuable lesson for us all.

To be a disciple of Jesus we must learn more and more to think and act like Jesus. In this situation while the majority of people were filled with judgment, Jesus was filled with love, grace, and compassion. After each of the people depart, leaving Jesus and the woman standing alone, he says to her:

Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.” John 8:10-11

In a situation where it would be incredibly easy to judge the woman, Jesus refuses to do so. There is no question in the story about whether or not the woman is guilty, as she was caught in the "very act" of adultery. Jesus is not at all interested in determining what actually happened or where blame deserved to be placed (notice however that the man who was caught in the act is no where to be seen--this seems a bit unfair doesn't it?). Jesus wants this woman to know that she is not condemned, that she remains a person of value and dignity. He tells her to go and sin no more. Jesus offers the gift of grace, a gift which transforms people at their very core. No doubt she left this encounter with Jesus a changed person, fully aware of the amazing and life-changing gift of God's love and grace.

As I reflect on this powerful story of Jesus, I cannot help but place myself in the story. If I am honest, I realize that sometimes I am just like the Pharisees. I can easily cast judgment on others and become focused on determining who is right and who is wrong in a situation. We rarely want to see ourselves as the judgers, but most of us are rather judgmental (whether we admit it or not). Jesus is calling us to move beyond such judgments, even when those judgments seems fully justified. After all, Jesus stands in our place so that we are not judged. We ought to be so grateful that judgment doesn't come our way that we steadfastly refuse to judge others. Imagine what our lives could be like if judging of others didn't take place....

Similarly, I can easily see myself as the woman in this situation. I have sinned and fallen short in life again and again. I deserve judgment and condemnation for all I have done and left undone. And yet, Christ comes to me, comes to us, and refuses to condemn. Instead of judgment, Jesus offers us an invitation to a new way of life. In Christ we no longer are defined by what we have done well or poorly, we are no longer defined by our ability or inability to live perfectly. In Christ we are defined by the life-giving and awesome gift of God's grace. Through Christ I am forgiven, through Christ I am transformed, through Christ I am free.

So let us receive anew the gift of grace and let God give us the strength and courage to be gracious to one another.

Reversal Week 2: Day 4

2011-03-23T14:00:00.002-04:00

You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.
You're blessed when you're content with just who you are—no more, no less. That's the moment you find yourselves proud owners of everything that can't be bought Matthew 5:3-5

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5, 6, 7) is the most important and powerful teaching of Jesus. If you ever wanted to understand the Christian life, these three chapters are a great place to start. Jesus proclaims from the mountain words of revelation and truth, words we need to hear today.

In the opening verses of this great speech Jesus offers what are called the Beatitudes. These are a series of sayings that describe blessings in life. What makes the Beatitudes so powerful is the people he describes would not normally be understood as blessed in any way. The poor, the hungry, the mourning, the meek, the perscuted would all be people that would be considered less than blessed.

The Beatitudes reveal God's heart those the world overlooks and rejects. While the world may tell us that those who are rich, powerful, good-looking, skinny, and smart are favored, God reverses human expectations. God's love and favor is for the forgotten and forsaken. God's love is for those who have failed or fallen short. God's love is for those who suffer and struggle.

The Kingdom of God that Jesus proclaims offers us not only the promise of eternal life, but also a glimpse of heaven on earth. Through Jesus we see God most clearly, through Jesus we have a model of how to live a Godly life, and to experience eternal life in the present. It may not include wealth, popularity, and a luxurious lifestlye, but it will include an awareness of God's amazing love and grace. And with that we are indeed blessed, no matter what anyone says!

The Other Side: Week 2: Day 3

2011-03-22T15:55:00.001-04:00

Read Mark 5:1-20

I love this scripture in Mark because it so powerfully demonstrates the love that Jesus has for all people. This scripture involves Jesus healing a man who has been possessed by a demon. Jesus specifically seeks out this man in order to restore him to health. It was no accident that Jesus went to the "other side" of the Sea of Galilee. He went there to find this strange and troubled man, and to restore him to health and wholeness. In healing this demon possessed man, Jesus not only saves a life he also shows us that no one is beyond redemption, no one is forgotten by God, all people matter and are deserving respect and dignity.

I also love this scripture because it is so strange, and it is one of many examples of Jesus interacting with demons. Until I really began to take seriously the power of darkness in the world, I would quickly dismiss stories in scripture about demons. But the reality is that each of us, at some level, must deal with the darkness in our own lives. And if our life isn't centered in Christ, we are vulnerable to over taken by it. For Jesus, the powers of darkness were very real and he constantly fought against them. In our modern world, with science, technology, and psychology are we too quick to dismiss demons? What are the demons that are present in our life? I believe Jesus has a lot to tell us in this scripture.

In chapter 5 of Mark, Jesus and his disciples travel by boat to the country of the Gerasenes, a great distance from their normal travels. When they arrive the text says:

And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; and he shouted at the top of his voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he had said to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” Mark 5:2-8

A significant detail here is that demon possessed man lives among the tombs. In Jewish culture, associating with the dead in any way was a major taboo and to live among the dead would be a guaranteed way to both be left alone and raise significant questions within the community. The demoniac has either been pushed out of the community or voluntarily removed himself. The text implies that this man was well known to be demon possessed, and no doubt stories, rumors, and legends of this man with demons were well known. Yet, Jesus seems to seek out intentionally this man. He specifically comes to this strange land to met and heal this strange man. A man who has been left for dead and forgotten by the world.

It is no accident that Jesus has come to this place and is meeting with this man. In Mark however, it is part of a theme where Jesus consistently interacts with demons (cf. 1:21-28; 3:7-12; 7:24-30; 9:14-29). Jesus has power and authority over the demons and they seem to know exactly who he really is. This is quite remarkable because in Mark there is a continual theme of people not understanding who Jesus really is. Yet the demons know Jesus and they are scared of his power. In this episode, the demons have fully taken over the man. Jesus does not address the man because the man doesn't exist in his demon possessed state. When demons are allowed to take over and become powerful, the person hosting the demons for all practical purposes ceases to exist. In the end, Jesus confronts the demons and casts them out, into a herd of pigs which are cast into the sea (vv. 10-13), restoring the man to health and wholeness. The demoniac has been restored and his transformation is so dramatic that the crowds are in disbelief and fear. (vv. 14-16) The man asks Jesus if he can become a follower and assist in his ministry. Jesus refuses, telling the man to tell his story of transformation and healing to all of his friends.

For me, this strange and bizarre story of demons exemplifies Jesus' earthly ministry. Time and time again Jesus searches out the most vulnerable, forgotten, and marginalized members of society. He spends time with the blind, the deaf, the lame, the lepers, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and demon possessed. He seeks out the forgotten and acknowledges their humanity, giving them dignity and respect. Jesus never gives up on anyone, no one is ever beyond the miraculous healing power of God.

What would our world look like if we took this example seriously? Who are the forgotten ones in our world today and what are we doing to acknowledge their humanity?

Today we might label a demon possessed person as mentally ill, epileptic, addicted, or eccentric. These labels may give us some level of understanding, but there are whole segments of our world that are forgotten and marginalized. Jesus' ministry calls us to love and serve all people, with particular emphasis and passion for the forgotten.What would this mean for us? How can we actualize this in our life today?

Follow Me! Week 2: Day 2

2011-03-21T15:29:00.002-04:00

Passing along the beach of Lake Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew net-fishing. Fishing was their regular work. Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass." They didn't ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed. Mark 1:16-18

When Jesus began his public ministry one the first things he did was ask people to join him as disciples. He was not well known, had no educational pedigree, and was offering no compensation or benefits. Instead Jesus offered Simon, Andrew and the others disciples the same thing he offers us: to live life with the Savior and Lord of the world, Jesus Christ.

It never ceases to amaze me how these two brothers (and James and John who follow shortly thereafter) drop everything to follow Jesus, no questions asked. They leave behind their father, their livelihood, all of what they knew. They left not knowing where they would go and what would happen next.

The question for us is: are we willing to follow Jesus? Are we willing to leave our safe, ordinary, and not so risky lives behind to follow? Are we willing? Are we able?

Being a disciple is challenging, difficult, and requires sacrifice. Are we willing to give our whole life to Jesus or only the safe parts?

God wants all of us. God wants us to hold nothing back and put Christ at the center of who we are. Are we ready? Are we willing?

Temptation and Faithfulness Week 2: Day 1

2011-03-20T07:59:00.002-04:00

Read Luke 4:1-13

The story of Jesus' temptation is a powerful reminder of the humaness of Jesus, and how easily we can be distracted from God's purpose for our life. Jesus was given a divine mission to share God's Word, bring healing and wholeness to the poor, oppressed, and broken hearted and to give himself on the cross for all of humanity. Jesus understood God's plan for his life and knew the sacrifice, focus, and dedication it would require. The temptation of Jesus was an attempt by Satan to distract, distort, and derail Jesus. Jesus' temptation was real and his success in overcoming temptation is inspiring.

At baptism, Jesus receives the power of the Holy Spirit. This power would enable him to do his earthly ministry and complete his mission on the cross.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. Luke 4:1-2

Here we have Jesus filled and empowered by the Spirit, but also driven to the desert by the Spirit. It is almost as if the Spirit wants and needs Jesus to endure the temptation by Satan. At the same time, while Jesus is attacked by Satan's temptations, he also filled up with the Spirit. Perhaps Jesus needed to successfully go through temptation in the desert, so that he would be able to overcome the later temptation to abandon God' plan of pain and suffering to be endured on the cross.

The circumstances of Jesus' temptation are important to note. It is only after 40 days of living in the desert without food, that his temptation begins. Jesus was at his absolute weakest when he was tempted. He was physically weak and after so much time in the desert he must have been emotionally fragile as well. For many of us, our temptations come when we are at our weakest; when we are tired, emotionally and physically spent, or when we have lost a sense of who we are.

It is also important to see the kinds of temptations Jesus goes through. He is tempted with food, earthly power, and divinity. Satan tries to get Jesus to use his divine powers to help himself. If Jesus had done so he would have jeopardized God's mission. Jesus resists the temptations of Satan by drawing upon the strength of his faith by quoting the scriptures (Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, 6:16 respectively). In our lives, Satan will use whatever means necessary to lead us off track. Some of us are tempted by money and power, others pleasure, food, sex, popularity, affection, or acceptance. Whenever we act out against God and against who God created us to be, we are giving into temptation.

I am more and more convinced that the closer we get to fulfilling God's purpose for our life, the more temptations come our way. Think about it. If we start fulfilling God's purpose for our life and participating in God's mission in the world, Satan will lose! As we start being more and more faithful, temptations increase. The story of Jesus illustrates this increasing level of temptation (Jesus will continually be tempted to use his power and to reveal himself before the time is right, and he was most certainly tempted to avoid the pain and suffering of the cross). As we grow in our faith, deepen our commitment to Christ, and become disciples we too can expect temptation to come our way. But like Jesus, we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, given the gift of God's Word, and the knowledge that with God on our side we can and will do amazing things.

Dwelling at the Feet of Jesus

2011-03-15T12:59:00.004-04:00

As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her." Luke 10:38-42

As we move forward in week 1 of The Discipleship Challenge, we are focusing on making prayer a more integral part of our life. I have had many people tell me, after I explained the purpose of the challenge and the time investment needed to be successful, have told me how they are too busy to take the challenge. People are busy no doubt, but the challenge is exatcly what people who are too busy need in their life!

Our culture defines for us success in many ways, not the least of which is the busier you are the more important and successful you must be. We cram our schedules (and our children's schedules) with activity after activity, we run around like chickens with our heads cut off. We are stressed, anxious, and busy and as long as we buy into the myth that busyness equals success we will continue to be stressed, anxious, and have no time for anything.

Let me say it clearly: God is not impressed with you! God is not keeping track of all you do and judging you based on your efforts--God has already made up his mind about you! God offers unconditional love and grace that is completely separate from our efforts, our successes, and our many failures. God does not want you to run around like a crazy person and have no peace, joy, or happiness in your life. God wants a relationship of love, God wants your time, your energy, your focus.

I suspect many of us are like Martha. We run around trying to do everything for everyone and exhaust ourselves in the process. We have no time or energy left for ourselves or God. Mary, however dwells at the feet of Jesus, taking time to hear from God and find joy and peace in Jesus' presence. In many ways, taking intetional time to pray for 10, 20, or 30 minutes is a Mary way of life. Yes there are things to do, but there always will be. You will never be done with your to-do list, but if you take daily time with our Lord you may just find the "main course" rather than being stuck with the dishes.

The Discipleship Challenge

2011-03-15T12:52:00.002-04:00

Welcome to all who are taking the Discipleship Challenge this year. Last we started with 130 people from King of kings taking the challenge and it was a tremendous experience. This I have shared the book with neighboring churches and we have a total of 8 churches and over 400 people participating in the challenge! I pray that God will do great things in these 40 days!

I will be using this blog to offer some personal reflections as I journey with you in this time of challenge. Week 1 is prayer and I have been praying by name for our folks at KOK and for the other churches as well. Prayer is the foundation of the Christian walk (which is why it is week 1!) and connects us to God and one another in deeply meaningful ways. While I am already less than perfect in my Discipleship Challenge 2, I have already been tremendously blessed in my prayers this week.

May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus be with you all!

Forgiveness Article

2010-06-19T09:49:00.002-04:00

Follow the link below for a great article on a scientific investigation on the power of forgiveness.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roy-lloyd/the-science-of-forgivenes_b_613138.html

The Conseqeunces of Sin

2010-05-06T14:34:00.003-04:00

The story of sin is the all too common story of human life. We continually sin and fall short of God's commands and expectations for our lives. The consequences of sin can be seen all around us: violence, oppression, greed, jealousy, addiction, brokenness, shattered relationships to name a few. We know that the world is not how God intended it to be and that our choices, both individually and corporately, have lead us to where we are. In the face of sin and brokenness we are called to turn to the Lord, seeking forgiveness and trying to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Mark 1:14-15

The kingdom of God comes into our lives when we move away from our selfish desires and choices, when we move away from a life of sin, and with the power of spirit begin living for the Lord. Jesus' message was clear: the way of sin is death and the way of God is life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

While Jesus' message is clear it is often difficult if not impossible to achieve. The question becomes: must we wait until heaven to live a life without sin? Or even a life with less sin? Can we live more holy and righteous lives here and now?

The stories in Genesis tell us a great deal about the power of sin in our lives. In particular, the story of Cain and Abel is quite illustrative. As Cain and Abel come to worship the Lord, each brings an offering for God. Cain works in the field and brings an offering of "the fruit of the ground" while Abel, a shepherd, brought the "firstlings of his flock." Each gave to the Lord as an act of worship, but God only received the offering of Abel. There is no explanation of why God did not receive Cain's offering in the text. what followed as an interesting exchange between Cain and God.

The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Genesis 4:6-7

God is telling Cain that it is possible to live a righteous life; it is possible to "do well." God also warns Cain that the power of sin is lurking at the door and has a desire for you. It is possible to do well (at least in theory) but most strikingly, sin has a desire for Cain. This is a profoundly powerful statement. Sin desires Cain. He can do well, but sin is preying upon him, nudging, pleading, instigating, and tempting him.

The story of what Cain does next is more well known. In anger and jealousy he takes his brother Abel to the field and murders him. While this story is often pointed to as the archetype for sibling rivalry, it is less a story of conflict between Cain and Abel, and much more about the conflict between Cain and God. Further, it is the conflict within Cain over how to handle his sinful desires that leads him astray.

The question for us is: if sin is knocking on our door, desiring to lead us astray, do we have any hope of living life for God? Are we inevitably caught in a life full of sin?

Sin has real power in our lives as it not only leads us away from God spiritually, but has real effects for others and the world. The consequences of sin have lead to violence, oppression, war, greed and so much more. Sin is not just an individual problem it is a world problem.

-Is it possible, through the faith of a few, to make the world more peace and loving?
-Can we through Christ, live lives that are better and make a positive difference?
-Or is our world hopelessly lost and beyond redemption until the Lord returns?

My prayer is that through the grace of God, and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, we might live lives worthy of the gospel. That because of Jesus' love for me, I might be more loving. Because of the amazing gift of grace, I might be more gracious. Because God includes me as a child of God, I might includes others in the same way. If we can love like God loves us, I truly believe our world's problems would improve. Perfect and sinless?doubtful. Better and worth working for? absolutely! As the vision for life with Christ found in Ephesians reminds us:

You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ. Ephesians 4:13

Original Sinners

2010-04-29T15:00:00.004-04:00

The story of Adam and Eve in the garden is one of mythic proportions. It is a story referred to by many in a variety of forms, and is known both within the church and is part of the collective conscience of our culture. The story of Eden is also tremendously misunderstood, misread (if it is actually read at all), and misapplied. Fundamentally, the story is not about Eve tempting Adam (and by extension how women are inherently wicked and sinful--how some have used this scripture) it is not about the satanic serpent who seduces the otherwise righteous Adam and Eve, and I don't believe it is a story of God entrapping humanity. Rather, Genesis 3 is a powerful story about sin, rebellion, and human nature. The story tells us about ourselves and our deepest and darkest inclinations. It is a story which reminds us that when we go our own way we are in big trouble.

But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Genesis 3:4-6

After Eve's conversation with the serpent, when she is told that she could know good and evil and be like God, she and Adam both ate the fruit of the tree. The serpent provides information to them in a seductive way but doesn't have to do much convincing for them to directly defy God's command.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” Genesis 2:15-17

God created Adam and Eve for relationship. They were given all that they needed for life in the garden, and they were given the responsibility to care for it. Within the boundaries that God established, they had absolute freedom. The only restriction was they could not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God designed the relationship with humanity to be one of trust and dependence. God created human beings and asked them to place their complete trust in God. Adam and Even sinned not simply because they ate the forbidden fruit, they sinned because the failed to trust God. They wanted to be like God, having all the knowledge and wisdom of God. With this knowledge, they would no longer be dependent on God, they could could be independent and autonomous. The original sin is to reject relationship with God.

The power of this story lies not in the historicity of Adam and Eve, but in the knowledge the original sin of Adam and Eve is alive and well today. In Genesis 3, we don't read about Adam and Eve, we read about ourselves; we are Adam and Eve. For me, and I believe most of us, the urge for independence, the resistance to be told what to do, the refusal to submit to authority, and the lack of obedience is at its core a rejection of relationship. When I believe that I know best, that I can do it all on my own, that I must be in control, I am incapable of being in a relationship of mutuality and trust.

Relationships of any kind require openness, humility, and trust and reject all forms of domination and subjugation. God calls us into relationship, names us children of God, calls us to trust. We would rather trust ourselves, our possessions, and live independent and autonomous lives. Sin enters the world when we fail to trust because we ourselves are not trustworthy. Left to our devices we make the wrong choices, become fixated and obsessed with status, power and "being successful." When we fail to trust God in our lives we make wrong choices with disastrous consequences. As the apostle Paul reminds us:

For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am of the flesh, sold into slavery under sin. I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:14-15

For anyone who has ever tried to live life for God, tried to be a truly good person, or simply reflected deeply on their life, knows the feeling Paul describes. We want to be kind, generous, patient, loving but we often are mean, stingy, ungrateful, angry, jealous, spiteful. We know life with God is better, and yet with consistently fail. The original sin of defiance and autonomy has been repeated so often it seems almost comical to describe it as "original."

The story of Adam and Eve is alive and well in our lives today. We are without doubt no more advanced than the first generation described in Genesis:

The Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind was great in the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually. Genesis 6:5

The good news for us and the world is that Jesus Christ delivers us from our sin and from ourselves. Through Christ, the relationship with God which has been severed by sin and found to be irreparable by human effort is restored and renewed by the love of grace of Jesus Christ. Jesus saves us from sin and saves us from ourselves. In Christ we are a new creation, in Christ we are free to love and serve, knowing the certainty and security which comes from God's love. May we trust in the Lord with all our heart, mind, and body and know with certainty that our salvation rests in the arms of a loving and merciful God.

In the Beginning

2010-04-22T13:16:00.004-04:00

The story of creation found in Genesis 1 and 2 is a story about beginnings; the beginning of life, time, and the created world. The creation story tells us that God is the creator of everything and all of life. God is the source, the originator, the unmoved mover. The creation story tells us that all that God created was "good" and was pleasing to God. The nature of creation is ordered and done with intention and purpose. The creation story also tells us who we are as human beings. We are created "in the image of God" (1:27) and endowed us with special powers and responsibilities to care for and be stewards of creation. The story of creation is powerful, rich, and has profound implications for who we understand ourselves and God to be.

The story of creation is also highly debated and discussed. In our day, the ongoing battle between creationism and evolution have dominated the conversation of these ancients texts. In the midst of the squabbling, yelling, and politicking have we missed the point? Do our ancient stories tells us something even more important than how creation came to be? For me the short answer is yes. The creation story gives an answer to the existential question of why. Why do we exist? What is the point of life? Who am I? What is the meaning of life? If we get bogged down in endless and nonsensical debates over what really happened, we miss the much larger point Genesis 1-2 is trying to make. So let us look to the scriptures themselves and see what God is really up to.

"In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light." Genesis 1:1-3

God is the creator of all things and began creation with the power of the holy spirit and the word of God. It is the wind from God which creates the conditions necessary for creation to commence. In Hebrew, the word ruah means: wind, breath, or spirit. So literally it is a wind/breath/spirit of God which causes creation to begin. This is profoundly important. The spirit of God comes over the face of the waters and starts it all. All of creation, all of life begins with the Spirit of God. Similarly, in Genesis 2, the first man comes alive only when the breath/spirit of God is given.

"Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being." Genesis 2:7

Creation begins with the spirit and human life begins with the spirit. It is the spirit of God which brings life, renewal, and restoration to creation. Without the spirit we are like dried up and left for dead bones. (see Ezekiel 37)

The other key element of the story of creation is how God creates. In Genesis 1, God creates by speaking. God repeatedly says: "let there be....and there was..." God literally calls things into existence by the power of God's word. This is profoundly important because as Christians we understand Jesus to be the living embodiment of God's word.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people...And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-4,14

God creates by speaking the word and the word is Jesus Christ. It is through Christ and the Spirit that creation came be (how about that for an explanation of the trinity). God's word literally has the power to create reality, the power to take potential and make it actual, the power to transform lives.

The story of creation firmly establishes God as creator and tells us a great deal about God and the creation. The story of creation also tells us a lot about human nature and the meaning of life. To be created in God's image implies an intimate connection between God and humanity that is not found elsewhere in creation. Human beings are set apart and given power and responsibility for the creation. (we do really well with the power side, not so much with the responsibility side) God also allows Adam to participate in creation by naming the animals (2:19-20). As such human beings can be understood as participants with God in the ongoing creation of the world and can be seen as created co-creators.

God created us for relationship, to live together in harmony with the created world and live in harmony with the Lord. The story of creation tells us fundamentally that we created for relationship with God, given powers and responsibilities to be stewards of creation, and to live within the boundaries God sets before us. As we begin to see in Genesis 3, it doesn't take long for this good and pleasing creation to lose focus and become askew. That story will have to wait.

Day 7: Exit Strategy

2010-03-06T07:32:00.002-05:00

Day 6: Identity Crisis

2010-03-05T13:22:00.003-05:00

Throughout his ministry, Jesus performed miracles and signs that were interpreted as acts of God. He brought sight to the blind, helped the lame walk, fed the multitudes, and brought the dead back to life. For Jesus, his signs were evidence that he was doing the work of the Father and that he was the Son of God.

So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.” John 10:24-30

Despite the skepticism and lack of faith of the leaders, Jesus tells them the truth. He is the long awaited and promised Messiah and that he and the Father are one. For the religious leaders this is blasphemy. No one could claim to be God and Jesus was clearly making this point. Jesus uses the signs and miracles he performed as evidence of his identity as the Messiah. The religious leaders are forced to renounce their religious traditions (by believing that God had taken on human form) and believe Jesus, or renounce Jesus and try to discredit him. We know of course the path the leaders chose, and their rejection of Jesus leads him to the cross.

Ultimately the question Jesus asks the religious leaders is the same question he asks each of us: who do you say I am? Who is Jesus to you and what difference does it make? The leaders were either unwilling or unable to believe that Jesus was the Messiah and God incarnate. They had too much invested in their religion and their place of power to receive the truth. Believing in Jesus would have meant contradicting their long-held religious beliefs, which they had built a career sharing with the people and defending. Jesus was asking them to believe despite the high cost.

For us the question is just as pressing. Do we really believe that Jesus was the Messiah? Are we willing to order our life around this truth? What is the cost to us for living our life with a robust Christian faith? Many people claim to be Christian but their lives don’t reflect it. To be a disciple of Christ means that each day we are learning to be more and more like Jesus. It means we are willing to risk for our faith and stand up for God even when it is unpopular and inconvenient. It means placing God at the center of our lives and that all our decisions are filtered through our faith. As Christians we know that Jesus paid the highest cost for us and for the world. Jesus is calling us into a life-changing relationship which asks us to put God first. Are we willing to take the risk and pay the cost? Are we willing to say who Jesus is for us?

Day 5: Judgement and Grace

2010-03-04T14:51:00.002-05:00

“Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

John 8:10-11

Day 4: Salty Light

2010-03-03T13:50:00.002-05:00

Read Matthew 5:1-48

The fifth chapter of Matthew marks the beginning of what is called “The Sermon on the Mount” and contains some of the key teachings of Jesus. If we want to become followers of Jesus, this chapter is absolutely pivotal to not only understand, but to live out. In this sermon, Jesus offers us: the Beatitudes which give us a vision of who is blessed in God’s kingdom, ethical teachings, biblical instruction, advice on how to live faithfully, and much more. I would go so far as to suggest that this one chapter of scripture is the most important in terms of learning to become a disciple.

Matthew 5 has so many powerful teachings about discipleship that I cannot reflect on it all. Rather, I want to pick up on a key theme which woven throughout this important chapter. Jesus wants the crowd (and us) to understand that when we are in relationship to God it should make a profound difference in how we live our lives. In other words, if you are a person of faith you should behave differently in the world. Jesus calls us to be salt and light in world, to live among others but through our actions give witness to the transforming power of God’s love (Matthew 5:13-16). In order to live this out, Jesus reminds us that it is not enough to follow the letter of the law (think 10 commandments), we must also live up to the spirit of the law. The life of faith is not simply about believing Jesus is Lord, it is about placing God at the center of our lives and living life accordingly.

Jesus uses salt and light as metaphors for living the faithful life.

“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13-16

When we think about salt we sometimes think in negative terms. Too much salt in your diet can indeed be unhealthy. Nonetheless, we need salt both in the food we eat and our bodies themselves. The key is having the right amount of salt. Think about a meal that is overly bland and how the addition of salt can make all the difference. Salt makes a difference and is noticed, but salt is also among things that are not salt. We wouldn’t eat salt on it s own—unless it was a dare—it is always mixed in with other ingredients. Jesus tells us that we are the salt of the world, but to be wary of losing our saltiness.

To be salt means we must live the life of faith in the world, among those who are not following Jesus. To be salt means that others will “see our good works” and the way we live our lives and want to be part of it. A person of faith doesn’t have the option of retreating from the world or only associating with other Christians. We must share our life and share our faith, and let our “salty” actions bear witness to the love and grace of God. Jesus also warns us that as salt we cannot lose our saltiness or we become useless. If we are living among those who are not in relationship with God, but we lose our faithfulness and people cannot tell the difference God makes, then we have lost our saltiness.

Later in chapter 5, Jesus goes on to re-interpret the classic teachings and understandings of the commandments. In a series of “you have heard it said, but now I tell you” statements, Jesus demonstrates what it means to be salt and light in the world. It is easy not to murder, anyone can restrain themselves from murder, but Jesus tells us that anger in our heart is what we must extinguish. Similarly, Jesus doesn’t simply affirm the prohibition against adultery; he also tells us that lust in our heart is the real issue. On several key issues, Jesus raises the expectations of what it means to be faithful. In essence he is calling us to live life with love in our hearts for all people. When someone wrongs you, don’t take revenge, pray for them. If someone takes your coat, give them your cloak as well. Jesus raises the expectations not only because it will be noticeable, but more importantly because the world desperately needs the love of God.

The life Jesus is calling us to live is truly radical and counter cultural. If we take him seriously, if we work on our relationship with God, we can begin more and more to live life differently. We can be in the world but not of it. We can be salt and light. Being a disciple means following Jesus and he is leading us to the cross, where true transformation happens. Jesus is calling you to be salty and be a light to a dark troubled world. I pray God gives us the strength and courage to be salty light.

Day 3: The Transformational Power of Healing

2010-03-02T14:14:00.003-05:00

Day 2: Let's Get it Started!

2010-03-01T08:40:00.006-05:00

Read Mark 1:16-28

As Jesus began his public ministry he traveled throughout Galilee proclaiming the good news of God: "the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe the good news." (Mark 1:15) Jesus was saying that now was the time to turn back to God, now was the time to change your life because the promises of God were about to be fulfilled. No doubt this was a powerful message which inspired hope and transformation. And as Jesus traveled, sharing the good news, more and more people received the message and began to follow. But perhaps evenmore powerful than the message of Jesus, was who he shared the message with and who he included as his followers.

When Jesus comes to the Sea of Galilee he sees a group of fishermen and immediately calls his first disciples: "follow me and I will make you fish for people." (1:17) Simon, Andrew, James, and John all abandon their boats and begin to be Jesus' disciples. Perhaps we have heard this story so many times that we fail to see how revolutionary Jesus' actions truly were. Most rabbis spent years working with the absolute best students to cultivate a group of dedicated disciples. Jesus simply walks up to a group of strangers and says "follow me." It is the most bizzare and powerful recruiting speech ever! Jesus doesn't tell them about the benefits of being a disciple, or warn them of their impending hardships, he simply invites a group of fishermen to leave their life behind and follow him.

Now fishermen were not an educated group. Most likely they had long prior dropped out of school and were never even considered by their teachers to be candidates as disciples. In their culture, the expectation was working the family business, starting a family, and being part of society. Jesus calls them out of the life they knew and they all willingly and immediately left it behind. Jesus called together the most unlikely group of disciples and for three years they followed Jesus, were taught by Jesus, mentored by Jesus, and empowered by Jesus. This unlikely group went on, after Jesus' death and resurrection, to start the Christian church and change the world. Where others saw deficiency, Jesus saw potential. Where others saw the uneducated, Jesus saw faith. Jesus, time after time, saw potential and value in the most unlikely people. He sees it in you. What do you see?

Just has powerful and unorthodox was Jesus' next stop. After gathering a group of disciples, Jesus heads to the local synagogue to teach the Word of God. The people are amazed at his teachings, as he taught "as one having authority, and not as the scribes." (1:22) In other words, Jesus was not simply offering the same old interpretation of the scriptures, he was bringing something new, something challenging, and something radical. Nonetheless, the people received Jesus' teaching and were beginning perhaps to understand what the kingdom of God was all about.

While at the synagogue, and while teaching, a man with an unclean spirit (demon possessed) proclaims "what have you to do with Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are the Holy One of God." (1:24) Jesus then casts out the demon and restores the man to health and wholeness. While it is quite fascinating that over and over, the demons recognize Jesus for who is really is (this is another topic for another day), what is truly remarkable is that Jesus even takes the time. To be a man with an unclean spirit meant that everyone would be afraid and unwilling to associate with you. Not only is the man considered unclean, he is also possessed by a demon and potentially dangerous. It is no mistake that this is the first healing story of Jesus. He restores and renews a man his society had deemed untouchable and invisible. In doing so, Jesus reveals his heart for the "least of these" in society. Jesus loves the unlovable, heals the broken, retores the hopeless, and transforms the hard-hearted. Where is our heart? Who are the forgotten and the invisible in our life?

So what is God up to?

Jesus is calling the unlikely, teaching the hard-hearted, healing the forsaken, and transforming lives.

Day 1: Tempting Jesus

2010-02-27T16:29:00.003-05:00

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil." Luke 4:1-2

Here we have Jesus filled and empowered by the Spirit, but also driven to the desert by the Spirit. It is almost as if the Spirit wants and needs Jesus to endure the temptation by Satan. At the same time, while Jesus is attacked by Satan's temptations, he also filled up with the Spirit. Perhaps Jesus needed to successfully go through temptation in the desert, so that he would be able to overcome the later temptation to abandon God' plan of pain and suffering to be endured on the cross.

The circumstances of Jesus' temptation are important to note. It is only after 40 days of living in the desert without food, that his temptation begins. Jesus was at his absolute weakest when he was tempted. He was physically weak and after so much time in the desert he must have been emotionally fragile as well. For many of us, our temptations come when we are at our weakest; when we are tired, emotionally and physically spent, or when we have lost a sense of who we are.

It is also important to see the kinds of temptations Jesus goes through. He is tempted with food, earthly power, and divinity. Satan tries to get Jesus to use his divine powers to help himself. If Jesus had done so he would have jeopardized God's mission. Jesus resists the temptations of Satan by drawing upon the strength of his faith by quoting the scriptures (Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:13, 6:16 respectively). In our lives, Satan will use whatever means necessary to lead us off track. Some of us are tempted by money and power, others pleasure, food, sex, popularity, affection, or acceptance. Whenever we act out against God and against who God created us to be, we are giving into temptation.

I am more and more convinced that the closer we get to fulfilling God's purpose for our life, the more temptations come our way. Think about it. If we start fulfilling God's purpose for our life and participating in God's mission in the world, Satan will lose! As we start being more and more faithful, temptations increase. The story of Jesus illustrates this increasing level of temptation (Jesus will continually be tempted to use his power and to reveal himself before the time is right, and he was most certainly tempted to avoid the pain and suffering of the cross). As we grow in our faith, deepen our committment to Christ, and become disciples we too can expect temptation to come our way. But like Jesus, we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, given the gift of God's Word, and the knowledge that with God on our side we can and will do amazing things.

The Discipleship Challenge

2010-02-24T12:52:00.001-05:00

Would you like to become closer to God? Would you like to better understand your purpose in life and how you can make a difference? Would you like your faith to grow and become a bigger part of your life? If so, the 40 days of Lent this year are for you!

Growing up the first thing I learned about Lent was it was time when you had to give something up. Whether it was chocolate, pop, TV, or something else, the emphasis was always on taking some away. When such sacrifices are done with the right spirit it can be liberating and edifying, but more often than not these Lenten sacrifices ring hallow, and not just because we aren’t very successful at keeping them. I would like to suggest that this year be a year where we focus intentionally on growing in our faith. This year I hope you will join in 40 Days of Discipleship.

Over the 40 days of Lent, I ask you to prayerfully consider taking time to grow your relationship with Christ and take the Discipleship Challenge. I believe that we can grow in our relationship to God by pursuing a path of discipleship; when we work at our faith and our spiritual life we will become closer to Jesus and be blessed. To be a disciple means to be a follower of Jesus, it means connecting to God in serious, disciplined, and intentional ways. When we make the time for God in our life and work at our spiritual lives, God will work and transform us in amazing ways.

Here is how the Discipleship Challenge will work. During the 6 weeks of Lent, intentional time will be given to each Mark of Discipleship. The Marks of Discipleship are areas of our spiritual lives that if we work on will help us grow closer to God. The Marks of Discipleship are: prayer, bible study, service, generous financial giving, spiritual friendships, and worship. Each week you will focus on a different mark and take time for God in that area.

Week 1 (February 21-27) Prayer: Take time each day, at the same time, for at least 10-20 minutes of personal prayer time. Multiple times a day is preferred.

Week 2 (February 28-March 6) Bible Study: Take time each day for 30-45 minutes of focused time for devotional bible study. You can read any scriptures you wish. The goal of devotional reading is not acquiring knowledge but growing in God’s Word.

Week 3 (March 7-13) Service: Take time and energy do something each day to serve the needs of someone else. Be creative and try to serve someone else you normally would not connect with.

Week 4 (March 14-20) Generous Financial Giving: Each day find some way to give money to someone in need. Whether this giving is to an individual or through an organization doesn’t matter. Give generously and give until you feel it. Consider giving away whatever money you might normally spend on entertainment, dining out, shopping, or any other extraneous spending. (I know this one is tough—they are supposed to be!)

Week 5 (March 21-27) Spiritual Friendships: Take time each day to check in spiritually with a friend. This is not a conversation about how busy you are. This is a conversation about your prayer life, what God is up to, or scripture. Your spiritual friend can be a spouse, small group member, or friend. If you currently do not have someone in your life who is a spiritual friend, consider asking someone.

Week 6 (March 28-April 3) Worship: Take time each day to worship the Lord. This can include but is not limited to organized worship services (this is Holy Week and we have worship Sunday, Monday, Thursday, Friday). You can worship on your own or with family or friends at your home. Read scripture, pray, listen or play inspiring music and you have worship!

After 40 days of intentional work on your faith, I guarantee you will grow closer to the Lord. I pray you will take the Discipleship Challenge and see how God will work in your life!

Slow Down! Workers Present

2009-11-19T15:08:00.001-05:00

As I was traveling by car recently, I had the distinct pleasure of being in a traffic jam due to road construction. As residents of Michigan, we know how ubiquitous orange signs indicating a work zone are, and how frustrating it can be to have trip or commute delayed. That day as I was in traffic, I happened to actually see, and mentally register, one of the signs telling me that workers were present (and to slow down and be cautious). I was thinking about that sign: “workers present, slow down” and wondering if God has placed similar signs in our midst. In our recent sermon series and in our congregational bible study, No Experience Necessary, we have been focusing on the idea that God is present in our world and on a mission to save, bless, and renew. God is on a mission in the world, or put another way, God is at work among us. I truly believe that God works through ordinary people, like you and I, to accomplish God's mission in the world and that if we look for signs that God is at work, we can see them all around us. As we prepare in the days and weeks ahead to celebrate the season of Advent and Christmas, I encourage you to look back in scripture at the signs of God's work at the birth of Jesus(check out Matthew 1-2 or Luke 1-2). The amazing story of Jesus’ birth tells us how God came into the world in order to bless and save creation. God chose Mary, an ordinary person, to bear the Christ child. God’s mission came to reality through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, but was made possible because of the willing faith of Mary. The story of Mary is amazing and inspiring, but as the angel shared the news with Mary he used the example of Elizabeth as a sign of God’s work.

Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” Luke 1:34-37

Elizabeth, Mary’s cousin, had become pregnant after never being able to have children. The angel tells Mary that Elizabeth’s pregnancy was a sign that God was at work, saying: “for just as God has performed a miracle for Elizabeth, God will work a miracle through you.” The angel helps Mary see how God was working and how she too was included in God’s plan to save and bless the world. Today the story of Mary tells us that everyone, even the least likely among us, is included in God’s plan and can be used by God to bless and save.

As I look in our midst, I see signs of God’s work among us at King of kings. The recent outpouring of love and support for the homeless in Detroit was inspiring (we filled over 5 boxes full of jackets and warm clothes). We have had people join our bible study who have never in their life read the bible. Each time we host an event new leaders step up to help. I hear powerful stories from many about what God is doing in their life, and how they have been able to help others. I see a community of God’s people worshipping and praising the Lord, seeking God’s presence, and striving to grow closer to God and one another. God is working in our lives, in our community, and in our church. God is at work, and workers are present all around us!

From Thanksgiving to Thanksliving

2009-10-21T07:43:00.004-04:00

As we enter into time of year when the calender reminds us to give thanks, I am especially mindful of the many blessings in my life. It is often quite easy to get caught up in the mentality of scarcity and neglect to recognize just how truly blessed we are.

God has abundantly blessed us with all the we have, and I have much to be thankful for: my health, my family, a job, a home, food, clothes, a car, friends, free time, a computer, and so much more. In these uncertain economic times, we are faced with real choices. For some the choice can be as simple as not dining out or what stores we shop at, for others it can mean which bills get paid and which don't, for others it can mean feeding our children or filling our car with gas. The times we are living in can cause us to focus on all the things we don't have and miss all that we are blessed with; this too is a choice.

In the midst of difficult times we are also faced with a critical spiritual choice: will we be filled with fear or faith? Will we allow our lives to be consumed with fears about our future, doubts about whether we will ever recover, and anxiety about what lies ahead? Or will we move forward confidently knowing that God has brought us all that we have and will continue to provide for us. To live in fear is to live as though it all depends on you. To live in faith acknowledges that God is in control. What will we choose? Who do we believe is in charge?

A true key to living a life of faith is understanding thanksgiving. To be thankful means we acknowledge the gifts we have been given, we acknowledge that we are not the source of all things, we acknowledge the Lord has been good to us. If we want to move from fear to faith then Thanksgiving has to go from being a day to a way. We must move toward living a life of thanksliving. When we no longer feel the burden of meeting all of our needs, when we acknowledge God as the source, when we remember how faithfully God has provided for us throughout our lives, we are on the way to thanksliving. We are moving from fear to faith.

The apostle Paul understood the power of thanksliving, he understood what it meant to live a life of faith. As he doggedly shared the gospel with all he met, he endured great pain and suffering. Paul was ridiculed, shamed, arrested, beaten, imprisoned, and ultimately killed for sharing his faith. Throughout all of his trials and tribulations Paul continually modeled faithful living, he showed us thanksliving. At the end of his life, while in prison, Paul wrote to one the churches he helped establish in Philippi. He wrote to them a letter of encouragement and thanks. He wrote in the midst of great personal suffering and with the knowledge that he would soon be executed.

I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:10-13

Paul learned the secret of thanksliving: to be content with whatever he had. Paul understood in a profound and real way that no matter what his circumstances, God was with him and providing for his every need. As we enter into the time of Thanksgiving, may we all be blessed to know contentment in the Lord and to live a life of thanksliving.

Authority Issues

2009-09-22T13:35:00.006-04:00

OK, I admit it. I have problems being told what to do. When I was a child and my parents or teachers or whoever said "because I said so" I knew they said that only because they couldn't think of any other reason for me to obey. Plain and simple, I have always viewed rules as optional. If rules don't make sense to me, more than likely, I don't follow them, no matter who told me.

This kind of obstinance is nothing unique, and despite my occasional hubris, nothing admirable. Stubbornly insisting that you know better, and refusing to acknowledge authority is not simply rude and inconsiderate, it is a relationship killer. Refusing to play along, follow rules, respect authority, listen to others, acknowledge my limitations and being self-righteous have hampered my relationships with others. I always thought I was being strong by resisting authority, but I was really keeping myself from fully engaging in relationships. Submitting to authority and becoming obedient requires humility and is a sign of strength not weakness. To have a relationship with God, means we must submit ourselves to God's will, we must acknowledge that we are not God and not in charge. To be faithful to God, we must become obedient and allow God to work in us, or we will simply be following our own desires.

God's word is filled with instruction and guidance to God's people. We are called to be obedient to God not because God wants or needs to be in control, but because God's word offers us a way to stay in right relationship with God. The word of God tells us who God is, what God has done, and who are in relationship to God. As we study and learn the word, we become more and more in tune and connected to God, and our relationship becomes stronger. When we go our own way, when we refuse to listen or submit, we can get ourselves in big trouble. Scripture not only captures God's words of guidance and instruction, but cautionary tales of the mess we can get into when we go our own way. The story of the golden calf illustrates this perfectly.

When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, “Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Aaron said to them, “Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” Exodus 32:1-4

As Moses was on the mountaintop receiving God's word, Aaron and the Israelites were reveling in their idolatry. Without God's word of instruction and guidance the people forgot who God was, what God had done for them, and followed their own sinful and self-gratifying desires. Without God, the people were lost whether they knew it or not. Similarly, when we refuse to listen to God's word, when we refuse to submit to God in our life we are in danger of forgetting who God is, who we are, and constructing gods based on our sinful desires, our lives get torn apart and disintegrate.

When we learn to listen to what God is saying and follow where the Spirit leads, we move away from ourselves and toward God. When we submit ourselves to God's will and become obedient, we align ourselves with God's vision for our lives. As we study the word, learn to listen, and faithfully respond God can and will do miraculous work in and through us. So if you are like me and have authority issues, listen up: the Word is speaking.

The Cost of Discipleship

2009-07-23T14:47:00.003-04:00

"I'll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love "

-Can't Buy Me Love, The Beatles

I have that it is increasing true in life that the best things, the things that matter the most are both free and priceless (Sam Cooke sings about this). We can have all the money, material possessions, and all that goes with it and have a life that is empty and devoid of meaning. Love, happiness, beauty, faith, hope, and joy are the things that matter in life and they cannot be bought, sold, or reproduced.

As a person of faith I believe that not only are the best things in life free, they are gifts from God. It is only through God's amazing love and grace that we can experience the best of life. It is only through God that our life has meaning and purpose. It is only through God that we have the ultimate gift: the gift of salvation. Eternal life and the promise of heaven is a free gift of God's grace given through Jesus Christ. The love of God is free and unconditional and it makes all the difference.

We have been given the gift of life and the promise of eternal life freely from God. But if we want to live life as God intends for us, we must become transformed and live life for God. Discipleship is the human response to God's love and grace. To be a disciple means being in an active relationship with God; it means putting God first by following Jesus Christ. If salvation is a free gift of grace, then discipleship is a labor of love which requires work and effort. Like any relationship, our relationship with God requires time, effort, and energy and comes with a cost.

"Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:24-25

As Jesus prepared his disciples to be his followers and eventually become leaders, he wanted to clearly articulate the difficult and sacrificial life following God entails. Jesus tells them and us, that the life of faith is not easy and calls us to deny ourselves in serving the Lord. Self-denial means we no longer put ourselves first, but put God's mission first. In extreme cases throughout history this verse has become literally true as Christians gave their life for their faith. While not many of us we called to be martyrs, we are all called to a life of discipleship.

So what are willing to sacrifice for God? What does self-denial look like in your life? Do you sacrifice time to serve the Lord? Do you sacrifice treasure for God's mission? Are you giving your life to the Lord or are you keeping it for yourself?

These are deep, powerful questions which call us to examine our life, our choices, and our values. Being a faithful follower of Jesus is not easy. Living a life of self-denial is both difficult and counter-cultural; people may not understand, you may lose friends. Becoming a disciple means becoming more and more like Jesus, who gave his whole self for the world. We all have a long way to go, we all have room to grow.

The good news is that our relationship with God is secure through Jesus Christ. We have the free gift of God's grace which makes all the difference. We have a choice how to respond to the gift and while a life of discipleship requires sacrifice and self-denial, it comes with the fruits of the spirit and the presence of God.

As a disciple of Jesus who is on the way and learning more and more what it means to sacrifice for God, I can testify that the more I give to God the blessed I become. As my faith grows and my relationship with the Lord deepens, I have more peace, joy, patience, hope and love. I am a better person and have a growing sense of purpose as I serve the Lord and God's people. I pray the Lord continues to be presence in your life and you find encouragement to grow your faith in a life of discipleship.

Outpouring of the Spirit

2009-06-18T14:34:00.003-04:00

In times like these it is easy to become overwhelmed with anxiety and worry. We can get caught up in the day-to-day stresses of life and the uncertain economy that we forget althogether God's abundant blessings and presence in our lives. Perhaps like me, you have also noticed a pattern in life as well. In my experience, there are times when everything seems to fall apart, while other times everything seems to come together positively. The old cliche "when it rains it pours" comes to mind, and can be taken either positively or negatively.

In studying the book of Acts in recent days, I have seen this pattern scripturally. Very often, when there is an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (positive) it is soon followed by an attack from Satan(negative). This is a pattern found in Acts and elsewhere in scripture, but my lived experience in faith also fits this pattern. Times of blessing and deep connection to God are followed by times of internal and external attacks which threaten our faith and work for Christ.

As the Christian church began through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles shared with all who were gathered the Good News of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. When Peter proclaimed the gospel that day, through the power of the Holy Spirit, over 3,000 people were baptized and came to faith. This new community of believers gathered together and "devoted themselves to the apostles; teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers." (Acts 2:42) On two occassions (2:44, 4:32) the community was said to have had all things in common and were of "one heart and soul." This is a tremendous example of Christian unity and community made possible through the outpouring of the spirit.

It doesn't take long however for Satan to attack the nascent Christian movement. Soon after the community began sharing all things together and forsakening private land ownership, two of the members go their own way, succumbing to the temptation of greed.

But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. "Ananias," Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!" Acts 5:1-4

Ananias and Sapphira were not required to sell the property and share it with the community, so it isn't that they owned property that was the issue. The issue was their deception. They purported themselves to be examples of generosity for the community when in reality, they only wanted to be seen as generous by others. Peter asks Ananias why Satan has filled his heart, how has he allowed himself to be so easily tempted away from God. The attack of Satan comes soon after a moment of great unity and genuine genorsity within the community of faith.

This is an ongoing pattern in Acts and is one I have seen in my ministry as well. Satan does not want the church to be succesful, Satan does not want individuals to have a strong faith or serve Christ faithfully. Satan will use whatever trick possible to lure and tempt us away from our true purpose and identity. The greatest threats we face will be after we have been most faithful. Put another way, we will be most strongly attacked when we are most faithful to Christ.

The question then shifts to how can we protect or prepare ourselves for such attacks? For me, the knowledge that these attacks are constant and present, that these attacks come both from within and outside the faith community, gives great power. Peter is aware of and on the look-out for Satan. When he sees Satan at work in Ananias he names it and challenges it. We too must keep our eyes and ears opens for the attacks we will face. If we are faithful to God, it is not a matter of if we will be attacked, but when. I pray when the attacks come your way, you will rely upon the power and presence of the crucified and risen Christ.

Prepare the Soil

2009-05-22T11:49:00.004-04:00

The transition from spring to summer each year, it seems to me, comes as a surprise. The temperatures seem to jump into the 80s, the trees are full of leaves after being barren the previous day, and our hearts and minds begin to dream of large quantities of vacation and beach time.

In many ways, spring blooms into summer in an exponential, almost explosive way. But as any farmer or gardener can attest, the harvest is the result of meticulous and patient planting and watering. What seems like explosive growth is often the visible result of long unnoticed and invisible work.

Jesus often spoke about matters of planting, farming, and soil. He used the imagery and examples that people would most connect with and relate to. We have many examples of Jesus discussing the Kingdom of God in this way: mustard seed, vineyard, laborers, etc. But the most well known of all Jesus' parables and sayings about farming, is the parable of the sower, seed, and soil.

"Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold." Mark 4:3-8

Like all parables, this can be interpreted in different ways depending on where the emphasis is placed. From the perspective of the sower, the parable might suggest that God's love is given to everyone everywhere always. From the perspective of the seed, the parable might suggest that God's word, while given to all and accessible to all, doesn't always take. There are some people who do not respond to the word positively and others who initially respond but lose interest over time. Finally, from the perspective of the soil, this parable might suggest that if we are good soil, God can cause exponential positive growth in our lives. This exponential growth not only makes our life closer to God, but gives us the ability, out of God's bountiful abudance of blessing, to bless others.

It is this final intepretation I find most intriguing. For me, the question becomes: how do I become good soil? How can I keep from becoming rocky, thorny, or shallow? What must I do to prepare myself for exponential spiritual growth?

Our farming analogy is quite helpful in trying to understand how to become good soil. Farmers and gardeners spend a great deal of time cultivating and caring for the soil; tilling, fertilizing, and watering. Successful planters do a lot of prep work to ensure a bountiful harvest. So it is with our spiritual lives. We too must take time to cultivate our relationship with Christ. We must spend time in prayer, time in scripture, time in worship, and time with fellow Christians. We need to work on our relationship with God, we must put in effort and energy, we must be disciplined and focused, if we want expontential spiritual growth.

I pray that God's seed of love, grace, and mercy continue to be sowed generously in your life, and that God might prepare your heart to be good soil, producing a bountiful harvest of love in the world, AMEN.

Calming our Fears and Sending us Out

2009-04-15T16:29:00.004-04:00

Read: John 20:19-23

After Jesus' death on the cross the disciples spent a considerable amount of time figuring out what it all meant. So much had taken place over such a short amount of time: Jesus' entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, Jesus' death, and the empty tomb. On the first Easter Sunday, the disciples gathered in a locked room and were consumed with uncertainty, doubt, and fear. They had no idea what the future held, they had trouble understanding what Jesus' death meant, and even more trouble understanding the empty tomb.

In the midst of their doubt and fear, the risen Jesus appears to the disciples.

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’"When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’" John 20:19-23

Jesus comes to the disciples and shares a word of God's peace. The risen Jesus comes to the disciples to quell their fears, address their doubts, and bring comfort to their hearts. Jesus comes to the disciples in a most powerful and profound way, and he does so that they might understand fully what his life, death, and resurrection is all about. After addressing their fears and doubts, Jesus shares a second word of peace with the disciples. The second "peace" also includes a sending: "as the Father has sent me, so I send you." The peace of Jesus then seems to have a dual purpose: to calm fears, and to send. Jesus wanted the disciples faith and confidence to be strong, but he also wanted them to go out into the world and share the message of forgiveness in Jesus' name.

The sending aspect of peace is vitally important in the life of individual Christians and the life of the church. Jesus comes to us, offers his unconditional love, mercy, and grace. He comes to give us true peace, comfort, and security. But like the disciples, we too are called to move past the locked rooms of our personal faith. Like the disciples we are called to move beyond the comfort and security of the four walls of our church. Like the disciples we are called to share God's love with the world.

The moment we stop looking outward, the moment we stop stepping out of our comfort zones, is the moment the church is no longer the church. When the church no longer reaches beyond itself, when individuals care only for themselves and their own, when we fail to love our neighbors, we are no longer the church of Christ. The story of the risen Christ tells us that we are sent out into the world in Jesus' name, for his sake. We are called to make a difference in the lives of those who are hurting, we are called to make a difference in the lives of people created and loved by God.

So may we receive the peace of the Lord in a new way, may we know with full confidence God's love for us. May our fears and doubts be removed by the peace of the Lord, and may we share God's peace with all we encounter.

Easter: Resurrection Glory

2009-04-12T08:54:00.002-04:00

Read: John 20:1-18

Have you ever been so excited you could hardly contain yourself? So filled with joy that it just spilled out of you? At one time or another we have felt this way, but have we felt this way about our Lord? Today is a day of celebration and joy. Today is a day of excitement and energy. Today is the day we proclaim the amazing work God did through Jesus. Today is resurrection day, the day Jesus rose from the grace and conquered sin, death, and evil. Today is a day of celebration!

When Peter and the beloved disciple hear word from Mary Magdalene that Jesus was no longer in the tomb, they ran to see. They ran to see if it was true, they ran filled with fear, doubt, and hopeful expectation. They ran to see the Lord. Do you have this excitement about Jesus? Are you running to meet the Lord?

When the disciples and Mary see the tomb empty, their excitement turns to doubt and fear as they believe Jesus has been taken away. Mary was afraid someone had stolen Jesus' body and that he wouldn't receive a proper burial. The resurrected Jesus then appears to Mary to bring her peace and presence. After mistaking him to be a gardener (I love that), Mary realizes that Jesus had not been moved, he had been raised! Mary's excitement and joy over seeing Jesus is tremendous. Jesus then tells her: "do not hold onto me" because he had to ascend to heaven.

This revelation is vitally important for us, that in the joy and celebration of Easter we realize that we cannot hold onto Jesus. God is on the move in the world and expects us to be moving too. The best way to experience resurrection glory is see and feel presence of God in the world: in the people we meet, those we love and serve, and those who bring us comfort and peace. God is alive and working in the world, thanks be to God!

Holy Week: The Cross of Christ

2009-04-11T07:49:00.002-04:00

Read: Romans 6:1-11

Imagine you are one of Jesus' original disciples. One day you are a fisherman learning your trade from your father, the next you are following a most unusual rabbi. For three years you traveled with a group of disciples learning from the rabbi. Jesus was sharing wondrous things about the kingdom of God, healing people of all sorts of maladies, feeding the masses, and transforming lives. At first you had no idea why he picked you, but after awhile you even start helping Jesus perform miracles. At first you weren't sure who Jesus was, but after awhile you and others become convinced that Jesus was the Son of God, the long awaited and promised Messiah. The joy of knowing and following Jesus was tremendous, but just as everything was coming together Jesus was arrested, falsely tried, and crucified. This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. What does it all mean?

For the disciples, and the early church, the cross of Christ was difficult to understand. Even though Jesus had predicted his death and resurrection numerous times, the disciples were shocked by his death. For many, Jesus' death on the cross meant he could not be the Messiah. After all, the Messiah was to be a military and political leader who liberated the Jewish people from the occupying forces and restored Jerusalem to the time of king David. And Jesus must not have been the Son of God, for God cannot die, and certainly not a humiliating death on the cross. For many the cross of Christ simply did not make sense.

For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles 1 Cor. 1:22-23

As the early church, and in particular Paul, tried to share the meaning of Jesus' death and resurrection they found that many had difficulty understanding. This is just as true for us today as many people try to grasp the full meaning and depth of Jesus' amazing love and grace. As more and more people shared their personal experience of the crucified and risen Christ, as they shared what it meant personally to them, more people came to know the Lord. It was not through logic, or prophesy that people came to faith, it was through ordinary people living and sharing extraordinary lives that people saw the difference Jesus makes. As they began to understand that, through Jesus, we have received the ultimate gift of God's love and grace, that through Jesus we know have access to God, through Jesus we have salvation, they knew the promises of God were fulfilled.

The death and resurrection of Christ unlocks for us, and for the entire world, the fullness of God's love, grace, and mercy. Through Christ we have all we will ever need, and that is Good News indeed!

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:5-11

Paul, for the early Christians and for us, makes sense of the cross of Christ and the resurrection. Paul is able to articulate how Jesus' death was not an invalidation of him as Messiah, but confirmation. Paul is able to articulate why Bad Friday is really Good Friday, praise be to God!

Holy Week: The Passion of Christ

2009-04-10T10:45:00.004-04:00

Read: John 18-19

Good Friday has always been a bit of an oddity for me. Perhaps it is the word 'good' that I have never quite understood. The story of Jesus' suffering and death on the cross, or "passion" (Latin for suffering), has always been disturbing and powerful, but I have never thought of today as "good." Today is really a terrible and awful day, the day Jesus suffered for us. Sure it is good because in the end we benefit, but without Easter, Good Friday is really the worst day ever.

The story of Jesus' passion has received new interest over the past few years. Mel Gibson's movie has brought new attention to the gruesome details of Jesus' suffering and death. While it is important to understand the story of Jesus in a real way, I struggle with the excessive violence the movie depicts. Is it the violence and suffering that brings redemption? Or is it Jesus unyielding faithfulness to God's will? The question of redemptive violence is complex and important, but an in depth look will have to wait for another day.

Today, I want to focus on one small, yet illuminating, detail in Jesus' passion story in John. The first detail concerns Peter's denial of Jesus. After Jesus is arrested and brought to the high priest, Peter follows and waits in the nearby courtyard. Peter is then asked by a woman if he is a disciple of Jesus:

The woman said to Peter, "You are not also one of this man’s disciples, are you?" He said, "I am not." Now the slaves and the police had made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were standing round it and warming themselves. Peter also was standing with them and warming himself. John 18:17-18

Peter denies being a disciple of Jesus out of fear, as he is worried that he too might be arrested. Yet Peter also wants to remain close to Jesus and the action, presumably to witness what takes place. Peter denies knowing Jesus and then warms himself next to the charcoal fire. I find this detail to be fascinating and important, for denying the Lord is most often neither dramatic nor pronounced, but most often subtle and unnoticed.

Peter warms himself with the charcoal fire after denying Jesus. He is in the dark, and receiving warmth from a charcoal fire which produces very little light. Peter is in the dark, yet he has enough warmth and light to be comfortable. Contrast this with the light of Christ:

"The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light." John 12:35-36

While Peter warms himself in the darkness with a false light, Jesus light shines. Peter's denial is perilous because he is in danger of being overtaken by darkness. What is subtle and seductive, is that Peter hardly notices the absence of light, the true light of Christ. Good Friday poses for Peter, and ultimately for us, the question of light and darkness. We will walk in the light of Christ or be consumed, little by little, by the forces of darkness?

Questions:
-How do the subtle forces of darkness work in your life?
-What can you do to avoid being pulled away from the light of Christ?
-How do you deny Jesus? What can you do to be a light for others?

Prayer: Lord, on this most holy day, let your light shine in the midst of my darkness. Help me Lord to live in the life-giving light of Jesus Christ, AMEN.

Holy Week: Maunday Thursday

2009-04-09T09:54:00.004-04:00

Read: John 13:1-20

There are things in life we because we want to, there are things we do because we have to, and there are things we do because we love. If you have ever changed a baby's diaper, cleaned up a child's puke, cared for an aging parent, or cleaned up after your dog, you know what humble service is all about. Love is an action not a feeling, and there is no action which greater defines love than actions of humble service.

As Jesus gathered with his disciples in the first Holy Week, he gathered to share Godly wisdom, examples for living, and love. The footwashing ritual that Jesus performs on the disciples is a powerful example of humble service demonstrating love. Jesus wanted the disciples to remember his act of love, but to set an example for them to follow as well.

And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to God, got up from the table, took off his outer robe, and tied a towel around himself. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. John 13:3-5

Imagine how the simple act of footwashing could have been seen as a genuine act of love and service. In their journeys with Jesus, the disciples did a tremendous amount of walking. They walked everywhere they went and never stopped for very long. They traveled on dirty and dusty roads, wearing no more than simple sandals on their feet. As you might imagine, the disciples feet were perpetually filthy. When entering a home, or gathering for a formal occassion, the owner of the house might provide a place to wash your own feet, or if wealthy provide a servant to wash the feet of guests. For Jesus to wash his disciples feet was an act of humbling himself in order to provide service. Jesus' example demonstrates his love, but also sets an example for the disciples to follow.

Like the disciples, if we want to follow the path of Jesus, it must be a path of humility, love, and service. The disciples were not to acquire power and lord it over people, but to use their positions of authority and power to serve and love others.

So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. John 13:15-17

The ritual of footwashing is of course about more than feet, it is about living our life as followers of Christ. Being a Christian means loving God and loving one another. Following the example of Jesus, we can best love one another by humbling ourselves and offering generous acts of servant love. Love is an action, an action which requires, at times, for us to get dirty so others might get clean.

Questions:
-What does it mean to you that Jesus humbled himself in an act of servant love?
-In what ways do your actions demonstrate love and humility?
-In what ways do your actions demonstrate lack of time, attention, and love?
-What can you do to show yor love more?

Prayer: Lord, help me become humble, help me serve and love others as you have loved me. Lord, let me be generous with my time, energy, and talents and meet the basic needs of those I love, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Holy Week: Betrayed by a Friend

2009-04-08T07:35:00.003-04:00

As Holy Week reaches its midpoint, and we immerse ourselves deeper and deeper into the story of Jesus, we can see how his disciples were such a big part of his life. Jesus spent day after day, year after year, with the disciples. He hand-picked them to be his followers, he taught them, he coached them, he mentored them, he empowered them, he supported them, he loved them. Their relationship was deeply personal, vulnerable, and cherished.

The only connection from my personal experience that even approaches the relationship Jesus had with the disciples, is the relationships I had as being part of numerous sports teams. Most striking were the relationships I had in college as part of the cross country and track teams. All my friends were runners; we ran together, ate together, socialized together, road tripped together, we were all very close and we knew each other in a powerful and formative time in our lives. Now as I look back many years later I realize just how unique and important those relationships were.

When I think of Jesus and the disciples I think of the relationships I had with my running friends. There are of course very important differences. We did not have a leader who lived among us (our coaches were included to a degree), we did not normally concern ourselves with spiritual issues (although you might be surprised), and we did not have the betrayal within the group that Jesus endured. The betrayal of Jesus by Judas was not only personally painful for Jesus but also the group. His betrayal was an existential threat to the very core of the way of Jesus.

The story of Judas, and his role in the suffering and death of Jesus is deeply troubling and complex. Did Judas betray Jesus? Was Judas acting on God's plan? Would God's plan be accomplished without Judas' betrayal? If so, is Judas really to be blamed?

The questions about Judas' actions, God's plan, atonement, and betrayal are too complicated to give justice to in this forum. I have personally struggled with Judas a great deal and am still trying to understand. And while the issue of Judas is very important to address, if allow ourselves to become fixated on his betrayal and miss the personal cost of his actions, we miss an important element in the story of Holy Week. Let us shift our focus from Judas to Jesus.

After saying this Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, "Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me." The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he was speaking.
John 13:21-22

Jesus went through so much for us and for the world. His arrest, torture, crucifixion, and death were brutal, painful, and prolonged. Jesus did this all for us, and he did so with some inkling beforehand how it was all going to go. Jesus knew God's plan and what it entailed, so in addition to the physical suffering he endured, he also suffered with the knowledge of what was going to take place. I also believe that Jesus' suffering includes the emotional suffering of seeing a friend and disciple betray him. Judas betrays Jesus for money, and in doing so not only betrays his Rabbi, mentor, and Messiah, he also betrays himself. Imagine the pain and suffering Jesus endured watching Judas implode. Judas' betrayal is painful not just for the ensuing harm caused to Jesus, but for the damage caused to his relationship to Jesus, the other disciples, and to God.

Questions:
-What are the physical, spiritual, and emotional consequences of betrayal?
-If you have been betrayed in life, how did you deal with it? If not, how will you?
-If you have betrayed a loved one in life, how did you deal with it?
-How can broken relationships be restored and made whole?

Prayer: Lord, as I contemplate the suffering you endured for me, I ask that you forgive me for all of my betrayals: of you and others. Forgive me and give me the power to restore and renew my relationship with you and with others, and give me the power to forgive myself, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Holy Week: We must decide

2009-04-07T09:37:00.002-04:00

Read John 12:20-36

I love watching movies. In fact I am not even that picky about what movies I will watch, and will sit through mediocre or even bad movies. In my family however, movie watching is a bit more complicated since it is difficult to find a movie everyone will enjoy. So we try to take turns for who will pick the movie out. Inevitably when I pick a movie I really want to watch (think Al Pacino) my experience of the movie is vastly different from everyone else. What is it about watching movies, and living life, that two people experiencing the same thing can have completely different ways of understanding it? (why doesn't everyone love The Godfather or Goodfellas?)

The truth of the matter is that life requires interpretation, we must decide what something means. When it came to Jesus' life, ministry, and mission the disciples and the crowds all had to decide for themselves who Jesus was and what it meant. Is Jesus the Son of God? the Messiah? a prophet? a great teacher? a political threat? a phony? Depending on their perspectives, those in Jesus' day came to different conclusions. As we prepare this Holy Week, we too are faced with the eternal question from Jesus: "who do you say I am" (Mark 8:29) We each must decide this question for ourselves, no one can answer for us.

As Jesus was preparing for his final journey to the cross, during Holy Week, he took extra time to explain to the disciples and crowds God's plan for his death and resurrection. Jesus was reminding and revealing the path he must travel for the sake of all people. He let people know that while his death on the cross would be personally difficult for him, he was fulfilling God's purposes for God's glory.

Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. John 12:27-30

As Jesus reminds and reveals God's plan for Jesus' death, God's voice speaks from heaven for the sake of the crowd to affirm the words Jesus is speaking. Some of those who heard God's voice thought it was an angel, or from God, while others wrote it off as thunder. They had a choice, like we have a choice, to interpret life from a perspective of faith or not. If we are looking for how God is working in our lives we will see God's hand in most everything. If we decide that God is uninvolved we will miss the everyday presence of a God who loves us. The choice is yours, you must decide.

Questions:
-Do you see God at work in your daily life? Are you looking for God's presence?
-If yes, how is God working in your life?
-If no, what is keeping you from believing that God is active in your life?
-How can you help others see God in their life?

Prayer: Lord help me see and feel your presence in my life today. Open my eyes, my ears, and my heart so that I might know your love and care for me today and everyday, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Holy Week: Preparations

2009-04-06T10:36:00.005-04:00

Read: Mark 14:1-9

Many people are now preparing for family gatherings on Easter, and there is much work to do: hams to buy, rolls to bake, house to clean. Big gatherings and big events mean big time work getting ready. Holy Week, then and now, is really no different. In our day, churches prepare through a well trained altar guild which does all the behind the scenes work for smooth and meaningful worship services on Thursday, Friday, Saturday (for some), and Sunday, with each service requiring special arrangements. It was not too dissimilar in the first Holy Week as Jesus prepared for his journey to the cross, grave, and resurrection glory.

The anointing at Bethany is a truly beautiful and remarkable story. An unnamed woman, presumably part of the disciple group, pours expensive ointment on Jesus' head. The ointment was so expensive it cost 300 denarii or almost a year's worth of wages. The disciples are shocked and appalled by this extravagant "waste" of money, and go so far as to scold the woman. Jesus rebukes the disciples saying:

"But Jesus said, ‘Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her." Mark 14:6-9

Jesus reminds the disciples that while caring for the poor and meeting people's basic needs are vitally important, his primary mission is the cross. The unnamed woman provides care for Jesus and helps prepare his body "beforehand for its burial" (spices were used to anoint a body for burial). So what seemed like wasteful exuberance is affirmed as an important act of service which recognized the primary importance of Jesus' journey to the cross. sidenote: ironically Jesus commands that she always be remembered for what she did and yet no one bothered to remember her name.

So what do we take from this story? For me, it speaks to the importance of preparation for important events. Jesus was being prepared for his journey to the cross, burial, and resurrection. There was nothing more important to Jesus, the disciples, and the world than Jesus' mission. The woman spent time and considerable resources in an act of loving service to prepare Jesus.

Questions to consider
-What are you doing to prepare for Jesus' journey to the cross?
-Have you taken time in prayer to make this week Holy? Have you prepared your heart and mind?
-At what price does your preparation come? (time, sleep, energy) What does the cost we willing to pay in preparation, say about our commitment and priorities?

Prayer: Lord, prepare me today and in the days to come to receive the gift of your love and grace. Help me to take the time to spend in prayer and devotion this week, so that this week might be more meaningful and holy, in Jesus' name, AMEN.

Holy Week: Palm Sunday

2009-04-05T13:36:00.001-04:00

When Jesus enters Jerusalem on the first Palm Sunday, he enters with a horde of people with massive expectations. Jesus had been traveling throughout the entire region sharing the Good News about God, healing many, and performing miraculous signs. Everywhere Jesus went the crowds went with him, and they kept getting bigger and bigger. By the time Jesus comes to Jerusalem during Holy Week people had begun to figure out the Jesus was the Son of God, and the long awaited and promised Messiah. Jesus reinforces this belief by riding into town on a colt that had never been ridden to fulfill an ancient prophesy about the Messiah:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he,humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
(Zechariah 9:9)

Jesus rides into town and is received as a king and as a son of David, with all the expectations of the messiah: political, social, and military liberation. The people were excited, enthused, and ready for their lives to change. It won’t take long however for those Palm Sunday expectations to be dashed as Jesus travels to the cross in a matter of days. The people expected libration from the Roman invaders, and the renewal of the reign of King David. What they got instead was spiritual liberation and renewal from the Kingdom of God. Many of the same people who hailed Jesus on Palm Sunday as their Messiah and king, called for his crucifixion and death on Good Friday. Jesus didn’t come to be popular and fulfill the expectations of the people, he came to fulfill God’s mission.

Questions
-As you consider the popularity, praise, and projected expectations heaped upon Jesus, what expectations do you have for God? Are they realistic or unrealistic?
-How do your expectations of God either prepare you or hinder you from fulfilling God’s expectations of you?
-What does it mean to have Jesus as our king and messiah? How can we balance our healthy expectations of God’s role in our lives, with being obedient to God’s will?

Prayer: Lord, help me rejoice and give thanks for Jesus being the king of my life. Lord, help me submit my will to you so that I might begin asking your expectations of me, rather than demanding my expectations of you, in Jesus’ name, AMEN.

A Spiritual Crisis

2009-03-19T13:28:00.006-04:00

More and more each day it seems the news gets worse and worse. Our economy continues to struggle, our country continues to be at war overseas, families are wondering if they will make it through. As we struggle putting together our "own house" and restoring order to our lives, the lives of many in our world have gone from bad to horrible. We are currently experiencing a new level of hardship that many in our world have always known. Many, now for the first time, live with uncertainty about the basic needs in life: food, shelter, safety, employment. The "American Dream" has taken a severe hit and for many it has become an American nightmare.

For those of us who look for positive developments and opportunities in the midst of difficulty and crisis, these days have been particularly difficult. As Christians however, we do have resources to help us understand and deal with any situation that arises. When we learn to place and re-place our trust in the Lord, when we learn to keep our priorities in order and focus on God, the struggles of life may not all go away but we do learn how to endure.

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall! Matthew 7:24-27

Perhaps our current economic situation is like the man who built his house on sand, when the crisis hit the whole system fell apart. Our economy was built upon credit we didn’t have, expenses we couldn’t afford, and the illusion that we could have it all. The system broke down and exposed its true self and its priorities. A house of sand cannot withstand the storms of life. Unfortunately for a great many, those who perpetuated this situation suffered little compared with countless people who unknowingly became victims of an immoral and unsustainable situation. While families and individuals worry about losing a job, a home, or a retirement, the corporate executives receive bailouts and bonuses. What is wrong with this picture?

I believe that our current financial crisis is a spiritual crisis. As a culture we must make critical decisions about how we want to live and what our world will look like going forward. Will we continue to make decisions based on greed and consumption? Will we be driven to acquire more and more material stuff under the illusion of happiness? We will move past our insatiable hunger for more power, wealth, and position? Will we reflect upon our current situation and make genuine life-style changes? Will we be driven by fear or faith? These are questions for us all as individuals to take seriously, but even more, these are questions for our society and culture to address. Who is God calling us to be? What does it mean to be faithful in today’s world?

For me, the spiritual antidote to our current predicament is contentment. To be content with what you have is a spiritual gift and a true key to happiness. The opposite of being content is constantly striving for more, and never being satisfied with what you have. This is a deeply embedded cultural value in America—discontent. Advertising, marketing, and our economy are all driven by consumers who buy products they are convinced they “need.” When we can learn to be thankful for what we have, when we live within our means, when we learn to say “no” to things we don’t need, when we learn to trust that God will provide, then we will know contentment. I pray we all might share Paul’s perspective on life.

Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13

Moral Evil: Sins of Strength

2009-03-16T20:50:00.003-04:00

Do you have problems with authority? Are you defiant? Do you have problems submitting to God and being obedient? If you are at all like me, authority and power issues are a real struggle. When our lives lose balance and were are unable to maintain a healthy self-esteem we can open ourselves up for following our own agenda, rather than seeking God's guidance and will.

“Sins of Strength” can be understood as the things we do which are in defiance of God. Acts of defiance are the actions or inactions that are conscious, intentional, and deliberately done against God by individuals or groups. While sins of weakness derive from a loss of “centeredness” leading to self-annihilation, sins of strength derive from over-centeredness or the elevation of the self. Paul Tillich uses the Greek word hubris to describe the phenomenon of self-elevation. Hubris is more than simply pride, but the “temptation to make one’s self existentially the center of himself and the world.” Hubris is an over emphasis on humanity’s potential infinity (imago dei; cf. Gen. 1:26) without acknowledging actual finitude. Another sin of strength, related to hubris, is concupiscence, which is generally associated with unhindered physical and sexual appetites. What makes this a sin of strength is not the actions themselves, but the “unlimited striving for knowledge, sex, physical hunger, will to power, material wealth, or spiritual values.” In short, hubris can be understood as self-elevation, while concupiscence is extreme self-indulgence. They are sins of strength because they involve the inflation or indulgence of the self, rather than the loss of self (sins of weakness), or ideally a person centered on God.

Our scriptures, focused on the lives of God’s people, illustrate both hubris and concupiscence. In Exodus 32, as Moses receives the 10 Commandments and is on the mountain for 40 days, the Israelites become restless. Their impatience leads them to construct a golden calf by which they might worship and offer sacrifices. In their hubris they decide that they are unwilling to wait for God. They do not need Moses to tell them about God, they have it all figured out. Their idolatry is not exhibited in their worship of the golden calf, but in their worship of themselves. They elevated themselves above their covenant with God, forgetting their deliverance from slavery. They grew impatient with the Lord and sought to fulfill their desires, and to know God on their own terms. In doing so they committed the great sin of idolatry.

Although many of the idolaters of Exodus 32 are unrepentant, some repent and turn from their evil ways. Those who refuse to acknowledge the limits of humanity or do not humble themselves to the Lord, are subject to the same kind of judgment Jeremiah predicts: “I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, says the Lord; I will kindle a fire in its forest and it shall devour all that is around it.” (Jeremiah 21:14) Jeremiah further details the failings of Israel. These sins of strength all revolve a lack of love/fear of God and lack of care and concern for the neighbor. Without repentance, these sins of strength will be punishable for both the individual and the community. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms by injustice; who makes his neighbors work for nothing, and does not give them their wages.” (Jeremiah 22:13)

These stories are a sober reminder to those of us who have had many blessings in our lives, to acknowledge God as the source of all we have. In all that we do, God is with us; in times of prosperity and despair, God is present. Ironically the same tendency to feel abandoned by God in times of suffering, is present when we fail to acknowledge God in the midst of prosperity. To live lives of spiritual balance we must acknowledge God’s presence in all that we do. Exodus and Jeremiah point us to a jealous God who does not tolerate idolatry.

Reflecting upon these texts and your personal experience with hubris and concupiscence, consider the following questions:

-Have you ever become so self-involved as to fail to acknowledge God’s presence in your life?

-Have you taken credit for the blessings God has given? What happened as a result? How did you become aware of this?

-Have you ever made idols of the things of this world? money? food? material things? work? What was the result?

-How can we balance being “created in God’s image” without creating ourselves into “little gods?”

Moral Evil: Temptation

2009-03-09T11:21:00.003-04:00

"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil" -The Lord's Prayer

Temptation is part of human existence that none of us is immune to; we all must deal with our temptations. In the gospel accounts, the temptation of Jesus plays a key role in the narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry. The temptation of Jesus raises important questions for us: what does it mean that Jesus was tempted by Satan? How close was Jesus to giving in to temptation? Because Jesus successfully resisted temptation, are we expected to be able to follow his example? How are the temptations we experience connected to Jesus temptation? These types of questions go to the heart of the Christian faith, and call each of us to provide an answer. Who was Jesus and what does it mean for my life?

As Christians, we confess that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Jesus was God incarnate, with all the divine attributes and powers, but also experienced the fullness of human existence. The temptation of Jesus tells us that Jesus indeed experienced real temptation, by being tested under the most extreme circumstances. For forty days in a wilderness desert, Jesus endured constant testing by Satan to utilize his divine power in order to alleviate his suffering, demonstrate his divinity, and achieve worldly power. (cf. Matthew 4:3-11) It was not part of God’s plan for Jesus to employ his divine power, rather Jesus was to willingly die on the cross for the sake of all humanity. People would come to believe in Jesus, not through a miraculous display of divine power, but through faith.

Jesus’ temptation resonates with me because it demonstrates that he understands what human life is all about. Because Jesus experienced real temptation, he understands how difficult it is to endure. When we struggle with temptation in our life, we have a God who has been there and understands; a God who has endured suffering and temptation. We can cry out to God in the midst of our pain, suffering, and temptation and God hears our cries and prayers as one who has been there. We share this direct and intimate connection to God through the incarnation of Jesus. Prayer does not always ensure that we will resist temptation, but it does help us re-center ourselves and point us in God’s direction.

Temptation can be understood as an example of moral evil or a sin of weakness. Moral evil are the actions or inactions of an individual or group that can be seen as evil. When the action of an individual leads to an evil result or when that action is done with evil intent, this is moral evil. Moral evil can either be done from a position of strength or weakness. Temptation is moral evil from a position of weakness. When I give in to my temptations and evil results, it is because I lack a foundational moral center. We may know what the right thing to do is in a particular situation, we may want to do the right thing, but for whatever reason we are unable. (cf. Romans 7:15 "I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.") Sins of weakness take place when we lose our center or our “moral compass.” We can become distracted, stressed out, or inattentive to the things which keep our lives in balance. When we lose our center, we open ourselves up to things we would not normally do. We become susceptible to the temptations of Satan, and act out even when we know it is wrong. When our faith is strong and healthy temptation is less of an issue, but when we are low or disconnected from God and one another, Satan pounces.

As we examine the temptation accounts and consider temptation in our own lives, it is important to remember that none of us, no matter how faithful and devout, are exempt from Satan. Satan is subtle and will lure us into a false sense of security. Satan preys upon not only our deep fears and anxieties, but our strengths as well. I have learned through my experience in ministry, that the closer you get to doing God’s work the more aggressive and desperate the assaults of Satan become. Whatever are preconceived notions we may have about Satan, we cannot deny the strong tempting presence Satan plays in our lives. For many, any discussion of the reality of Satan seems nonsensical and irrational. In the extreme, people either visualize a physical entity with horns and a pitchfork, or assume that Satan is an excuse that people use to escape culpability for their own actions. Either of these positions is potentially dangerous because they trivialize the serious threat that temptation and sin play in our lives. I recall a quote from a favorite movie, The Usual Suspects: “the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.” However we choose to discuss or understand Satan, we cannot deny that there is either something within us or outside of us that compels us to defy God. The real issue is how we deal with temptation or the tempter.

-What temptations do you struggle with and how do you deal with them?

-What do you think about the reality of Satan? Is Satan found outside of us or within?

-What tools or resources do we have to deal with temptation? What works for you?

-What does it mean for you that Jesus was tempted?

The Problem of Evil

2009-03-02T11:49:00.001-05:00

Note from Ben: Throughout Lent I am teaching a course on evil. I will provide weekly posts connected to the class in addition to the regular blogging. Enjoy!

The first two chapters of the book of Job have always been difficult for me. The pain, suffering, and loss that the righteous character Job endures are troubling. Job is said to have been “blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil.” (Job 1:1) Yet Job endures a great deal of suffering and pain as he sees his family die, his livestock killed, his house burned down, and extensive physical ailments inflicted upon him. Perhaps most disturbing is the role God plays in the story of Job’s suffering. The theological implications of Job suffering at the hand of Satan are quite problematic. The title “Satan” in Job is not the Satan we hear about in the New Testament, or in popular culture.

The title Satan (ha-satan in Hebrew) literally means “the adversary” or the “accuser” and can perhaps be best understood as the prosecuting attorney of God. The Satan is not the adversary of God, but of humanity. The Satan is one of the “heavenly beings” (literally “sons of God”) and a member of the royal court of God. He has the unique responsibility to bring forth God’s justice in the world, often in creative ways. The Satan must however first receive permission for “testing” Job. The interaction that takes place between God and Satan is not the cosmic duel for the souls of humanity and control of the world. Rather, Satan is the agent of God and the adversary of humanity. God allows Satan to act in his own best judgment, only placing certain restrictions on how Job could be tested. The question the story of Job poses is this: who is God in this story? Is this the same God that we know? Who is Satan? How does this story affect our understanding of a loving and merciful God?

The story of Job brings forth the classical theological issue of evil, or more precisely The Problem of Evil. The problem of evil leads us to struggle with questions that challenge our fundamental beliefs about who God is and how God acts in the world. Most, if not all, definitions of God include the following: God is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, and wholly benevolent. If this is the case, how do we explain the evil and suffering in our world? If God is the source of all things and evil exists, doesn’t it follow that God is the source of evil and therefore no longer good? If God somehow isn’t “the author” of evil does this mean God is not all-powerful? If God and the Devil are engaged in a war for our souls, does this mean God could lose?

There are many creative ways that theologians and scholars have attempted to diminish or solve the problem of evil, although none have done so with any success. The problem of evil is real and one each of us must confront and be honest about, for if we deny evil and sin in our world we deny reality. On the other hand, if we conclude that God is responsible for suffering and evil, we are left with a God who cannot be described as loving and merciful. Instead the image of God as sadistic “tester” we see in Job who feels the need to punish those who are faithful as well as the unfaithful. If God were truly benevolent why didn’t God give us the ability to live righteously? If God is all-powerful and all-knowing, then God knew we would turn out this way and allowed it to happen anyway. What kind of God is this?

I ask you to consider this issue in light of your experience with suffering, death, and evil.

-Have you seen God at work in these situations?
-Have you ever felt abandoned by God?
-How do deal with the “problem of evil”?

Ashes to Ashes

2009-02-25T17:29:00.002-05:00

As I reflect upon Ash Wednesday, when many of us participated in the imposition of ashes upon our heads as a sign of repentance, I cannot help to feel both humbled and blessed. I have always found this service to be deeply powerful and humbling. It is a reminder that we have sinned and fallen short, that our lives are not what God intended, that we have more to learn and room to grow spiritually, emotionally, and relationally. The ashes upon our foreheads represent our repentance and our mortality, as we remember "that we are dust and to dust we shall return."

I do however, remember a distinct time growing up when ashes played a key role in my life (other than once a year at church). I grew up in old house built around 1880. It was a large house (think mock-Victorian) that was exceptionally drafty in the winter and thus exceptionally expensive to heat. My dad installed a wood-burning furnace to supplement the gas furnace in order to keep costs down. At an early age I learned how to split and stack wood through much practice. One of the by-products of burning large quantities of wood is accumulating large quantities of ashes. I will never forget the moment those ashes came to my rescue. I had gotten myself stuck in the ice and snow of our back alley. My '76 Buick Skylark was no match for 12 inches of snow and ice. My car was hopelessly stuck and all the pushing, pulling, pleading, and praying I could muster did nothing to alleviate my dilemma. I then remembered how my dad had once used ashes for traction in just such a situation. I raced to the basement, filled up a bucket of ashes, placed them under the car and I was soon unstuck. The ashes I thought were waste and of no value saved the day!

I wonder now if our lives in some ways are a lot like ashes. We go through times of great turmoil, stress, trauma, and pain. Many of us have been burned by broken relationships, betrayal, deception and deceit that our lives resemble a bucket of full of ash--used up, burned out, and left in a heap. What happens when we overcome and clogged up with the ashes of life? How can we be cleansed?

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit. -Psalm 51

Psalm 51 is a favorite of mine and at times has functioned like a mantra. Whenever I feel overcome with negativity, filled with doubt and uncertainty, the words of the psalmist bring comfort and solace. Life is dirty, messy and painful. There is no way to avoid pain, disappointment, agony and suffering. What we need to be reminded of is our deep need to trust God to bring healing and wholeness to our lives. Christ is our rescue, our strength, our healer. God can clean the mess up, can restore our lives, and bring joy.

May the ashes of your life not hold you captive, but may they propel you to a new place of healing, wholeness, and peace through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Contagious Energy

2009-02-03T14:46:00.002-05:00

Have you ever known someone with contagious positive energy? The kind of person when you spend time with them you feel better? There are those whose mere presence has a way of lifting the spirits of all they meet. Such people are a true gift from God and we need more of them in our lives! My friend Tom Martin is one of these people in my life. He is always filled with energy and enthusiasm for life and has always lifted my spirit and mood. It is not really what Tom says or does that makes a difference, it is just...his presence.

I have thought about this idea of contagious positive a lot recently. I have been looking at the call stories of the early disciples. Jesus simply walks up to Peter, Andrew, John, James, Philip and simply says "follow me." (Mark 1:17; John 1:43) What I simply cannot get over is how basic and simple Jesus' words are, and yet how incredibly effective, as they all immediately leave their lives to follow Jesus. In fact, sometimes when Jesus calls a disciple to follow he not only says simple things he sometimes says truly bizarre things.

When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ (John 1:47-49)

The story of Nathaniel is quite interesting on a number of levels, but his encounter with Jesus is particularly interesting. Nathaniel is brought to Jesus by a super-pumped and enthusiastic Philip (a key behavior of disciples--helping people encounter Jesus) and is initially quite skeptical of Jesus. When Jesus tells Nathaniel that he "saw him under the fig tree" Nathaniel confesses his faith in Jesus. Nathaniel becomes a believer/disciple because Jesus tells him he saw him under a fig tree? what? Why would this convince a skeptical Nathaniel? Wouldn't you want a bit more explanation and convincing?

The more I have thought about these stories the more I am convinced that it is really not what Jesus said that was important. There is something about an authentic experience of God that is beyond words, beyond description. I believe the first disciples knew who Jesus was not by the power of his words, but through the power of his presence. Jesus had supernatural spiritual energy that was contagious to all whom he encountered. When people met Jesus, and felt the presence of God, they knew everything they needed to know.

Many of us have had "God moments" that are integral to our faith, moments which define our relationship with God, moments which define our lives. These moments are encounters with the crucified and risen Christ, encounters that transform lives, encounters which are beyond words. I have had these God moments and been so filled up with God's love, grace, and presence that I could not help but to share it. When I share my God moments with others, my words often fall short and fail to convey the energy and enthusiasm I intended.

All this brings me back to Philip and Tom Martin. We know that God has freely poured out love and grace and hope in our lives. We know God has given us this gift to share with the world. We also know that it is not the power of our words which will be compelling, but the power of our presence. If we could have a contagious spirit of God, and help people encounter Jesus we could make a huge impact in our world.

The question of the day is: how do we get contagious positive energy? And once we get it, how do we keep it?

For me, my spiritual energy comes from being connected to God. When I feel connected to God, my energy and enthusiasm for sharing Jesus goes way up. When I feel disconnected to God, spiritually dry and used up I have no energy at all. I have found when I take regular time to have deep discussions about faith, mission, church, and what God is up to I am re-energized and excited to share myself as Philip does.

Do you have a contagious positive energy for God?

What feeds your spirit? What re-energizes you spiritually?
Do you take regular time to get energized?

Winter of Discontent

2009-01-24T11:44:00.002-05:00

“Now is the winter of our discontent”
-opening line from Henry III; William Shakespeare

Let’s be honest: the weather has been truly awful this winter. It has been cold, snowy, and unrelenting. Even for me, a veteran of long depressing winters, this has been no fun and I am longing for days of spring, sunshine, and warmth. I know there are many who feel similarly, and some who truly suffer in this season.

In winter, we are restricted and confined, kept indoors by snow and ice. In winter, we struggle to keep warm and keep our spirits up. Compounding this is the current international financial crisis. We are worried about our jobs, our homes, our retirement, and our way of life. Anxiety, doubt, fear, and winter, what a glorious combination! In the midst of all these dis-ease, unhappiness, and discontentment, is there any good news to share?

As Christians, whether we know it or not, we have a deep storehouse of resources to combat difficult and challenging times. Scripture is filled with the story of God’s faithful action, intervention, and deliverance on behalf of God’s people. The stories of the exodus from Egypt, exile from Babylonia, and of course Jesus’ sacrificial death remind us of God’s deep love and compassion for us. God is neither absent nor unconcerned with our pain and suffering. God’s compassion and love for us is infinite and absolute.

It is also true however, that God does not shield us from unpleasant and difficult circumstances. God gives us strength to endure and the reminder of his presence, but the human experience is often filled with times of discomfort, pain, suffering, and hardship. God does not cause these things to happen, but they are allowed. For us then, times like these become opportunities for growth and development. What can we learn about ourselves in the midst of difficulty? How is this time in life preparing me for something later? How can I use this time to give God glory?

Times like these are never easy and require strong faith and confidence in the enduring presence, goodness, and love of God. Yet, we also know how this story will end. In Christ, we have our clearest picture of God’s heart. In Christ, we have a God of resurrection and redemption. In Christ, we experience the complete and total transformation of our lives and our world. In Christ, God transforms life from death, hope from despair, faith from fear, grace from guilt, victory from defeat. With full and certain knowledge we proclaim to the world, by the death and resurrection of Christ, confidence that despite a long and dreary winter, spring is on the way.

“I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:11-13

Following Jesus

2009-01-22T12:19:00.002-05:00

What does it take to be a follower of Jesus? What does it mean to be a disciple of the crucified and risen Jesus?

I have been thinking about these questions deeply over the past several years. As a pastor, it is my job, my calling, to empower and enable people to become followers of Jesus. So what is a disciple and how do you know if you meet one? Put another way, would a stranger be able to tell, by looking at your life, that you were a Jesus follower?

This is a tough question which causes us to deeply examine our lives and most likely repent and seek forgiveness. Lutherans in particular, have difficulty understanding discipleship. We know that being a good person and making Godly decisions are not what achieves and maintains our relationship with God. It is only through God’s amazing gift of grace and love, and not by our own doing, that we can be in relationship with God. Yet being convinced of our inherent sinfulness does not excuse us from the path of discipleship.

It is not enough for us simply to accept the gift of grace and believe the right things about Jesus. (Well in a sense this is enough, at least in regards to our salvation.) God expects us and needs us to be agents of grace and peace in the world, to be God’s hands and feet, to share the love of Christ with a hurting and suffering world. We cannot make this kind of impact unless our lives become transformed, sanctified, and prepared by God’s love and grace. We cannot become these kinds of people without growth, change, and disciple.

Being a disciple is an important and most necessary calling. Being a disciple of Jesus requires work and effort. Being a disciple of Jesus requires us to make sacrifices and live lives that are different from those around us. Jesus was constantly challenging his would-be followers to change their lives, to allow God to transform them to whom they were created to be.

‘Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.’ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, ‘You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the moneyto the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.” Mark 10:20-22

In the story of the rich young man, Jesus discusses the transformation a person of wealth must undergo. The young man had been faithfully following the law his entire life and yet Jesus asked for more. It was not enough simply to follow the law, the young man had to give up what he held most dear, his wealth. It isn’t being wealthy that is the problem for him, but it is the elevated status wealth played in his life which required change. It was a challenge to give up what he held most dear in order to fully follow Jesus. Being a disciple means more than following the law and having the right beliefs, being a disciple means submitting our lives to God. Being a disciple means putting God first. The young man was happy to follow God when it was easy, but when it required sacrifice he fell apart.

To become a disciple we must give our heart and our lives to God, without holding back. It is a difficult, sacrificial, arduous road. But it is a road which leads to our transformation, growth and liberation. A road which leads to the life God intended for you, and life which positively impacts the world. I pray that God might grant you the strength and courage to follow Christ with your entire heart and life, knowing that neither your ability nor inability to become a true disciple will change your salvation, but through God’s grace you have been afforded the opportunity to live a life of significance and meaning.

What is keeping you from being a true disciple? What are you holding back?

Go, See, Share!

2009-01-12T14:53:00.003-05:00

Do you expect to see God at work in your daily life? Are looking for the signs that God is active? Are you sharing with others what you see?

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church. If anyone speaks in a tongue, two—or at the most three—should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret…For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. (1 Corinthians 14:26-32)

Paul was a wonderful teacher and pastor of the early church and was extremely concerned that the budding Christian communities he helped establish would be hospitable to all people. Paul goes out his way, time and time again, to address the real and present needs of the people, and encourages them to find ways to live together in community.

In his letter to the Corinthians, and in particular in chapter 14, Paul is trying to bring order to a chaotic and unruly worship experience. It seems as though the people are so excited to share their “God stories” in worship that they are not taking turns. Everyone wants to speak at once and the unstructured nature of worship is causing problems for the church. Can you imagine what it would be like to have this problem? What would our church be like if people came together and eagerly shared their stories, so eagerly in fact that they tripped all over themselves trying to share?

It seems that Paul’s exhortation to bring order to worship has been taken extremely seriously in the history of the church. We like order and tradition and predictability—this is human nature. Chaos and disorder are disturbing and threatening. But are we missing something? Could we use a bit more disorder in our lives? Are we making room for the Spirit of God to intercede and show us something new? Are we making time to listen to God and one another?

In our life together as church, I would love to have the problem of the people of Corinth. I would love to have so many powerful stories of what God is doing in our lives that we have to be reminded to take turns.

An even bigger issue for us isn’t order or disorder in worship. I believe many haven’t yet opened their eyes to see what God is up to in the world. God is alive and moving in our lives and in the world. Are you looking? We can easily get so caught up in our own busy lives that we don’t even look for God. Or perhaps even worse, we believe that God is not present in our everyday lives. But God is present in all of life: at home, at work, at the grocery store, on the street, and even in the church.

So start looking for God and you will see. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9) Then come and share with the rest of us, I promise we will all get a turn.

Still Days

2009-01-05T13:10:00.002-05:00

Now that all of the presents have been opened, the food has been eaten, and family members have returned home, what is next? Each year we hustle like crazy preparing for and anticipating the Christmas celebration, and each year we inevitably suffer a post-holidays let down. After so much excitement, is there anything more depressing than a return to normalcy?

In many ways January is a most depressing month: the weather is cold and dreary, there are no more big social gathering to attend, and by now our New Year’s resolutions have already been broken. It all sounds so awful doesn’t it? Yet for me this time of year is truly wonderful, and not just because I really enjoy cross country skiing. We are given great opportunities in non-exciting times to examine our lives and make important changes. It is in times of quiet, when I have a chance to reflect, that I have moments of insight and self-discovery. It is moments of true stillness I have felt most deeply the presence of God.

“Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

This is one of my favorite scripture passages because it reminds me to calm down and make room for God in my life. In fact this verse from Psalm 46 can be a mantra of sorts with me. Whenever life gets hectic and out of control, taking time to seek the peace and presence of God can make a huge difference

Perhaps the quiet and still days to come are opportunities to connect in a deeper more meaningful way with God. Perhaps the days to come will give you an opportunity to reflect upon your life and your priorities and make needed changes. Wherever you happen to be in life, take time this season to be still and feel the presence of our Lord. The stillness of January is a blessing and I pray you find peace and strength in the days to come.

Carnal Knowledge

2008-12-24T17:36:00.002-05:00

What does it mean that Jesus was born today? What is Christmas all about?

In the past several years I have grown more and more cynical about Christmas. I am not a militant "let's put Christ back in Christmas" type, those who feel compelled to object to any politcal correctness or perceived assaults on Christmas. No, for me it is simply the thought-- this isn't how it is supposed to be. Shopping, parties, obligatory gift giving, consumerism--it all leaves me feeling cold. Is Christmas in America what God had in mind? Or are we missing something?

If I were to reclaim Christmas, it would have nothing to do with a nativity scene at city hall. Christmas is fundamentally about the fact that God came to this world to live among us. "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" (John 1:14) This Word is the word that was present at creation,the Word was with God and was God, the Word that God spoke that brought creation into being, the Word that became a human being in order to free all of humanity from a world of darkness and despair. The Word is Jesus Christ and is God's best and only strategy to change the lives of individuals and the world. In order to reclaim christmas, we must reclaim the original story of Christmas, the story of God's love poured out for all of the world.

I find the fact that God's strategy for changing the world was to become like us, to take on flesh and live like we live, truly remarkable. Certainly God with the whole all-knowing, all-powerful thing could have simply spoken the word and fixed everything. But God doesn't want a world of perfection, but a world where people faithful serve and love one another. God does this by living life as we live, filled with the fullness of human existence. Jesus experienced joy, laughter, love, pleasure, pain, sorrow, and despair. He experienced the fullness of life to deepen a connection between us and God, to connect God and humanity in a life-giving and blessed way. Jesus also shows us how to live a life of faithfulness, humility, and peace. He teaches us to be passionate about God, life, justice, and one another. Jesus opens our eyes and our hearts to live the life God intends for us. The Christmas story is a story about God's unconditional love for us.

When we follow the example of Jesus' life and love one another with the love of God, we can change the world. Jesus shows us how to live and to love, and frees us from our bondage. When we celebrate Christmas we celebrate God's amazing love and grace, freely given to all, a love and grace which changes lives.

So let each of us celebrate with joy the awesome gift we have been given and know we are loved, and share that love with all we meet.

Christmas Surprise

2008-12-08T13:28:00.001-05:00

In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you." Luke 1:26-28

The Christmas season is now upon us, with all its promise and its trappings. It seems that Christmas begins earlier each and every year, with all of the advertisements, sales, lights, and music. But for some reason, and perhaps it is just me, Christmas really snuck up on me this year. There has been so much going in our community and in our world that I have been caught by surprise when it was time to really prepare for this season (by writing a Christmas newsletter). Perhaps it has been the historic times we are living in with an unprecedented election, and looming anxiety over our collective financial future, but I am not ready for Advent much less Christmas!

Imagine the great surprise Mary must have felt when the angel Gabriel visited her and shared the message that she would bear God’s son. Mary must have been caught slightly off-guard by the visit and shocked by the message. There are of course several surprising aspects to Mary’s story. She is young, poor, and a virgin. If God were to pick someone to bear the messiah, a person like Mary would be a most unlikely choice. So what is God up to? Why was Mary chosen? What does this tell us about Christmas? What does this tell us about God? What does this tell us about ourselves?

God is full of surprises and unexpected reversals. God is unpredictable and mysterious, and there are things about the ways of God we simply cannot know. The choice of Mary, however, is part of a larger pattern of God lifting up the lowly, elevating the downtrodden, and liberating the oppressed. As Jesus said to the disciples: “So the last will be first, and the first will be last." (Matthew 20:16) God’s loving and gracious ways often reverse the unjust and uncaring ways of the world. God is with the lowly, the suffering, and the oppressed. God’s love is amazing because it extends to those the world has forgotten.

Wherever you find yourself this Christmas season, no matter how difficult or challenging your situation might be, know that the love of Christ is with you. This time of year is a time to reflect on the miracles God has worked in our lives, a time to give thanks for our many blessings, a time to marvel at the mystery of God. We may not know what the future holds but we know the Lord will be with us, surprising us all.

Context Matters

2008-10-22T16:13:00.000-04:00

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you... " Acts 17: 22-23

The Apostle Paul was the most effective and very best preacher and evangelist in the early church. He traveled extensively throughout the region of the Mediterranean Sea proclaiming the gospel to all whom he met, both Jewish and Gentile. Paul truly never let an opporunity to share the gospel pass, he looked for openings to share God's grace and took them.

After reading the book of Acts several times in recent days, and being familiar with Paul's own writing, it has become increasingly clear that Paul was a truly gifted and effective communicator. Paul understood how to deliver the message about Jesus so that it could be received and understood. Depending on who Paul was talking with he shaped his message and method accordingly. Paul was an expert in reading the culture and context of the places he visitied and sharing the good news in ways people responded to. Paul didn't change the message of the gospel, it is always God's grace, but he changed the methods he used to share the gospel depending on his audience. Paul was a contextual theologian, who took seriously the lives, values, and beliefs of those with whom he shared

In Acts 17 we see how Paul contextualizes the gospel for the Greeks in Athens. The Greeks worshipped many gods and were open-minded to new ideas or insights. In fact, the Greek philosophers were obssesed with discussing and debating ideas and would do so in public meetings all day. When Paul comes to Athens he comes across a group of philosophers and he decides to share the gospel with them (of course he doesn't miss the opportunity). But Paul shares the story of the gospel in a totally different way with the Greeks than he would with his fellow Jews. With a Jewish audience, Paul talks about the original convenant with Abraham, the law, and prophets and demonstrates how Jesus is the fulfillment of God's long promised messiah. This approach, while effective with a Jewish audience, would be meaningless to Greeks. Paul puts the gospel in terms that the Greeks would understand. He talks about the shrine to an "unknown God" and uses quotes from Greek poetry to share the gospel. The message is the same, but the method varied depending on who is was sharing with.

For me context is everything. If we want to share the message of who God is and what God has done in our lives with others, we must first understand where the other person is coming from. We must first seek to understand the other person, we must humbly listen, we must share openly. Context also means having a deep undestanding of culture. To share effectively we must understand the values and beliefs of the culture they belong to.

Perhaps an example is needed. Suppose you wanted to have a discussion with a teenager. Would it help to understand something about teenage culture? Do you know what kind of music teenagers listen to? Do you know what facebook is? Do you text? In order to effectively communicate with teenagers we have to understand teenage culture, appreciate teenage culture, and share our messages in terms that make sense within the teenage culture. This is not easy and requires us to be open and willing to move beyond ourselves and our own values and appreciate the values of others. It is difficult but it is also extremely effective when done well.

We are all called to share Christ with those God places in our path, through our actions and words. In order to do so we must, like Paul, be willing and able to understand context and communicate in ways that can be received.

What are the challenges to understanding context?
How would you share the gospel with someone of a different culture or background?

Sharing Christ with those who are Different

2008-09-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

Acts 8:9-13

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation about faith with someone who believes something totallyldifferent than you? Perhaps you have casually stumbled upon faith as a topic of discussion (with someone you don't know particularly well) and someone shares how deeply they feel about being an atheist or muslim, or a buddhist, or a catholic. What do you do? Run? Avoid the discussion?Agree to disagree? Try to convince them they are wrong?

No doubt these kinds of conversations are a major reason for the age-old wisdom about not discussing faith or politics in mixed company. (by the way I have a surplus of lipstick if anyone is interested) Certainly keeping silent about these matters is often a prudent course of action if relational harmony is a primary goal. But what if we want to move past superficial discussions about the weather, sports, or our children's school activities? What if we want to truly engage in deep, meaningful, and personally relevant discussion on matters of faith, politics, love, and life? Is it possible to have a meaningful discussion about these issues with people we disagree with or must it be avoided for fear of jeopardizing a relationship? Is it possible to be an authentic witness for Christ, without resorting to relational violence?

I believe the story of Philip in Acts gives us great insight into these important questions. Philip is a disciple in the early church who is traveling throughout the region sharing the good news of Jesus. When Philip arrives in a Samarian town he realizes that a man named Simon, who practices magic, has dazzled the people with his powers. The people were convinced that Simon was a man from God and they had "followed him for a long time." Philip comes to town to share a different message, the gospel of Christ. Philip was able to share who Jesus was, what he did for us, and how it personally made a difference to him. Philip's simple, humble, and personal witness changed the hearts and minds of the people and Simon! Simon actually became a devoted follower of Jesus and stayed "with Philip constantly."

The story of Philip giving witness to a Samarian town and to Simon is a powerful example of how the gospel has the power to transform lives and overcome differences. Like Philip, we are called to share who Jesus is and what he has done for our lives. We are called to be witnesses when conditions are favorable and when they are unfavorable. When we give witness we honor the work that God has done in our lives. When we keep our story to ourselves out of fear or anxiety or lack of confidence we limit the transforming power of God.

Ultimately, when we give witness to what God has done for us we realize that it is not our words or actions which will touch the heart of another person, but it is God working through our words. When we have the courage to share our story with others, and even those who disagree with us, we make room for God to work within us. So be bold and brave, not for personal glory or with some mistaken and delusional sense of self-importance, but with the knowledge that God will speak through us and God will do the convincing. Conversions like we see in Acts are not human acts, but divine actions. We do however, play a vital role for it is through our actions and witnessing that the transforming power of Christ will be shared with the world. This is God's best plan for the transformation of the world, in fact it is the only plan. We are the hands and feet of Jesus, so get moving!

Actions and Inactions

2008-07-17T13:58:00.000-04:00

Jesus said: " A man had two sons; he went to the first and said 'son' go and work in the vineyard today.' He answered, 'I will not';but later he changed his mind and went.The father went to the second son and said the same;and he answered,'I go sir' but he did not go. Which of the two did the will of the father? "The first" they said. Jesus said: "truly I tell you, the tax collectors and prostitutes are going to the kingdom ahead of you" Matthew 21: 28-31

Like many of the parables of Jesus, this passage is both surprising and disturbing. The story of two brothers, given identical commands to work in the vineyard appears relatively straightforward. The first brother initially says no, but then does the requested work. The second brother says yes and then does nothing.

Jesus' question to the crowds and to us is: "who did the will of the father?" Or put another way, who was most faithful? What one might expect Jesus to say is that the brother who actually did the work is most faithful. The crowds of onlookers and Pharisees certainly answered this way. But Jesus says no, it was the second brother who did nothing who was most faithful. What is this all about? What is Jesus up to?

This puzzling parable really made me question the reasons why I do the things I do. Jesus chastises those who would act only out of obligation or guilt. God does not want us to simply to do good deeds, God wants us to do things for the right reason.

Think about how easily we are drawn into doing things not because we want to or have a heart to help others, rather we do it because we feel we have to. If a friend asked you to help her move, how would you respond? Joyfully? Hesitantly? Would you make excuses?

It isn't so much that God praises the second brother's laziness and lack of action, but the willing heart and spirit which first said yes. More than anything, God wants our hearts. Are you open and willing to say yes to God or do you reluctantly do "the right thing" while motivated by guilt and obligation? The parable makes it clear, which is a challenge for each of us.

Knowledge or Spirit?

2008-06-26T19:42:00.000-04:00

After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but "must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon." When they were together for the last time they asked, "Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?" He told them, "You don't get to know the time. Timing is the Father's business. What you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world." Acts 1:3-8

The story of Acts is the story of the early church, how it came to be, and how the Spirit of God empowered the church to be witnesses to what Christ had done. In the beginning of Acts, Jesus is coming to the disciples one last time, offering instruction and guidance in order to carry on his ministry and participate in the unfolding Kingdom of God.
The disciples are confused, bewildered, and underprepared. Their first question to Jesus is: is now the time you will bring all of this to an end? Jesus gives the disciples an unsatisfying answer: it is not for you to know. Has God ever answered a prayer that way for you? Have your urgent concerns for knowledge and certainty been met with silence?
The disciples were fixated on KNOWING what God was up to. They wanted access to God's plan, they wanted to know how the story ended. Jesus tells the disciples, and us, that you do not get to know God's plan, you do not get to know God's timing. Instead Jesus promises the Holy Spirit which will empower them to be witnesses for God. The Spirit will give them, and us, what they need to share the story of Jesus with the world.
These humble and undereducated Galileans will share the story of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and through the power of the Spirit the world will be transformed. The story of Acts is not the story of the end of Jesus, it is the story of the beginning of the church. It is the beginning of God's people relying on the Spirit to change the world. We, like the disciples, are called to share the story of what Jesus has done for us. We are called to share this story, not because we have all the answers and all the knowledge, but because we trust that when we speak the Spirit will give us what we need.
Do you trust the Spirit? Are you able to be a witness to what God has done in your life?
Are you more inclined to rely upon your head or your heart when it comes to sharing about God? Why?

The Spirit of Renewal

2008-05-06T15:09:00.000-04:00

"God grabbed me. God's Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun. He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I said, "Master God, only you know that." He said to me, "Prophesy over these bones: 'Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!'" Ezekiel 37:1-4

Spiritual renewal is an extremely important key to life with God. As we go journey through life, we inevitably have times of triumph and trial, joy and pain, delight and despair. While it is easy to identify God's work in our lives in times of great blessing, we often feel cut off or disconnected from God in times of difficulty.

Ezekiel 37 is a profound story about how the spirit of God has the power to renew and revitalize our lives. Ezekiel, the great and eccentric prophet, is placed in the valley of the dry bones. As he gazes across the desert he sees an endless array of dried and sun-bleached bones. These bones represent fellow Jews who were exiled from the promised land, cut off from their homes, families, culture, and religious practice. The bones were literally the people of Israel, drying out in a state of physical and spiritual draught. It is within this context that God asks Ezekiel: "can these bones live?" Can these who have been cut off from their source of life, be brought back to life? Can God restore and renew life? Ezekiel's answer demonstrates his great faith: "only you know"

Our spiritual walk with Christ is not always easy or pleasant, and we do go through times of suffering and struggle. Jesus himself spoke often of times of trial and tribulation, times of spiritual dryness, and sufferings we would endure. "When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end" (Matthew 10:22-23) It is never easy to follow the Lord, and the world will and does resist. We go through times of struggle and spiritual dryness, but the spirit of God has the power to bring renewal.

As Ezekiel responded to God's call to speak a word of prophesy to the dry bones a miraculous event started to take place. The bones began to come together and took on flesh and blood. These reconstituted bodies stood before Ezekiel as a vast multitude, a great army of God. But, the bones didn't come to life until the spirit of God, from the four winds, came upon them. When God's breath, or the spirit ('spirit', 'breath', and 'wind' are all the same word in Hebrew and Greek) comes onto the dry bones they come alive. And so it is with us, we can walk around physically alive but spiritually dead. We need to seek renewal in the Spirit to fully experience the life God has called us to live. To fully serve and love the Lord, we need the spirit's renewing presence.

And yet, the spirit of Renewal is not some miraculous event waiting to happen, it is not something outside of ourselves we must wait to come upon us. The spirit of God is already active and present in our lives. Each breath we take is God's spirit inside of us. "Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." (Genesis 2:7) We already possess the resources for spiritual renewal, it is a gift already given to us. When we seek renewal from the Lord, it will be given. When we refocus and dedicate our lives to Christ, we will experience renewal. When we connect and reconnect our lives to our brothers and sisters in Christ, we experience renewal.

As we move forward together seeking to respond to the gifts God has blessed us with, may we be filled and refilled with the renewing Spirit of God.

Falling Out of Church

2008-03-21T13:32:00.000-04:00

On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!" Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”
Acts 20:7-12

The story of Eutychus is perhaps the most humorous story I have found in scripture. As a preacher, I find the idea of someone falling asleep during my sermon to be incredibly embarrassing, but the idea that someone might literally drop dead is beyond words. And Paul, even after realizing that young Eutychus has become so weary and bored of his preaching doesn’t just continue to preach his sermon, he preaches until the sun comes up.

Most of the times I have heard this story discussed the focus hasn’t been on Eutychus at all, rather the focus has been on Paul’s healing miracle. Certainly healing is powerful and needed in our time, but this story also offers the Christian church an opportunity to reflect. Who are the ones who are falling asleep in our sermons? Who are the ones who are sleepwalking through their faith lives? Who are the ones who have fallen out of faith? How can we wake Eutychus up?

For me the answer begins and ends with mission and missional thinking. To be focused on mission in the church means that we are actively striving to invite, welcome, and make known the life-giving love, grace, and mercy of Christ. To be missional means we look for ways to connect the unconnected, to love the unloved, to seek the lost, to feed the hungry, and clothe the naked. For us to be the church God calls us to be we cannot sleepwalk our way the same old tired and worn out practices. We must be willing to change and grow. We must be open to new approaches, new ideas, and innovation.

For some change is threatening, for others it is exciting. The question for our faith community to grapple with is: how can we include Eutychus without excluding those who are already here? How can we strike a balance of moving forward in mission, and moving forward with those who have made the church what it is? These are complicated questions of profound importance for the Christian church. We must find a way to wake Eutychus up, for if we do not the church will cease to exist. We must also be faithful to the Gospel and not compromise our integrity and sense of community. We must be bold yet sensitive, courageous yet discerning, flexible yet purposeful. Quite simply, we must be faithful to God’s call to serve and love one another.

MAKE! becoming more and more like Jesus

2008-02-05T12:53:00.000-05:00

As we have gone forward in our process of visioning together, we have covered the basic and fundamental aspects of the Great Commission: to GO! and MAKE! disciples of all nations. In many ways GO! and MAKE! happen at the same time. It is possible and productive to plant seeds of faith in others while growing personally as a disciple. In fact, there must be an overlap for if we waited until we were fully "made" into disciples before we ever "went" to others we would never GO! To MAKE! is a life-long process of growing closer and closer to Jesus. It is a process of becoming and life of faith we must actively practice.

Ephesians 4:13 “You are living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right, and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ.”

This passage from Ephesians really captures the essence of MAKE! and the journey of faith. We first accept the grace, love, and mercy of Christ, then we enter into a process of becoming a disciple. To MAKE! means that we are called to follow the example of Jesus in our everyday life, we are called to exhibit more and more of the qualities that Jesus exhibited in his life and ministry. To be a disciple is to become like the teacher.

For a congregation the process of MAKE! first starts with acknowledging that we all have room to grow. We are all "unfinished" and we each need to give intentional effort to our faith. The discipleship process is not a belief or an idea it is a discipline and a practice. The Marks of Discipleship are 6 spiritual practices which enable us individually and as a group to grow our faith and become better disciples.

The Marks of Discipleship

1. Daily Prayer
2. Weekly Worship
3. Regular bible reading and study
4. Generous financial giving; tithing 10%
5. Serving the needs of others both inisde and outside the church
6. Forming Spiritual Friendships and encouraging others in their faith journey

By practicing the marks of discipleship we will grow our faith and become closer to the person God created us to be.

Which of these marks are the easiest for you? which are most difficult?

What would change in your life if you were able to more fully live out the marks of discipleship?

GO! The Story of Jesus and Zacchaeus

2008-01-30T15:24:00.000-05:00

The story of Zacchaeus is well known and was first taught to me in Sunday School. When I first heard the story of how Jesus called Zacchaeus down from his tree and they became friends, it was one of the beautiful, happy ending kinds of stories we all love. While it is certainly true that Jesus offers “good news” to Zacchaeus by proclaiming “today salvation has come to this house,” there is more to this story than meets the eye.
Tax collectors in Jesus’ time where considered liars and cheats, and were a branch of the Roman Empire. Zacchaeus is said to be the “chief tax collector” and as a Jewish man collecting taxes for the Romans from his fellow Jews, he was public enemy number one. This is why the crowd was so shocked and disturbed when Jesus calls him down and goes to Zacchaeus’ house. It wasn’t that Zacchaeus was just a sinner, he was actively exploiting and cheating his own people.
Jesus however comes to each of us with a radical gift of grace. Grace is given to all people and is a gift none of us deserve. The story of Zacchaeus demonstrates that Jesus’ love extends to all people and that no one is forgotten or written off. God does not give up on people and neither should we.
We can take this story even deeper when we think of how Jesus offered grace to Zacchaeus. When Zacchaeus saw Jesus coming he went up in a Sycamore tree, presumably to get a better look. Zacchaeus certainly could see more from his tree but he also was a safe distance away. Perhaps Zacchaeus knew in his heart that Jesus was coming to change his life, perhaps he knew he wasn’t worthy of being loved, perhaps he was not wanting to personally engage his faith.
For me this story has a lot to do with evangelism and how we can be God’s agents of grace. Jesus consistently went to the people in society who were considered lesser and offers grace. He consistently seeks out the lost and invites them to experience God’s love. I also find when Jesus actually went to Zacchaeus’ house to be significant in this story. Jesus goes to where people are to offer grace. Jesus doesn’t wait for us to come to him, he comes to us. By coming to Zacchaeus' he also forms a relationship of trust.
To GO! for God we have to find ways to demonstrate God's love in our actions and form relationships that are built on trust and mutuality. As agents of God’s grace we are called to meet people where they are and invite them to experience God’s love, mercy, and grace. So get out there, meet people where they are, and maybe invite yourself over for dinner!

GO! MAKE! a Vision for the Church

2008-01-22T18:46:00.000-05:00

Central Scripture for GO! MAKE!

Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go, make disciples of all nations; baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.' Matthew 28:18-20

Scriptural Reflection

The Great Commission is Jesus’ last words to his disciples. After his death and resurrection, Jesus appears one final time to the disciples. He offers words of encouragement and a command. He commands the disciples to “go, make disciples of all nations.” This is not a request, this is not a suggestion, this not a word of advice, it is a command to go and make. In the original Greek, go and make are imperative verbs, commanding the disciples. To carry out the mission and ministry of Jesus, the disciples are called to go into the world and proclaim the good news to all people. To carry out the mission and ministry of Jesus, the disciples are called to make disciples of all people. It is often interpreted that going and making is one action, but scripture and Jesus’ life and ministry suggest otherwise. It is one thing to go and it is another to make, and we are called to do both.

Time and time again, Jesus goes to people where they are and demonstrates God’s love, mercy, and grace. Jesus intentionally goes to all people with the good news, including those who had been excluded by society. Jesus does not confront people by preaching at them, he shares a message with them. Jesus’ ministry is based on forming relationships with people, and meeting them where they are. Jesus intentionally seeks out the lost, the sick, and the forgotten. He goes to them and does not wait for them to come to him. We are called to follow Jesus model, we are called to GO!

Not surprisingly, the vast majority of people Jesus called to follow him responded positively. The good news of Christ is life-changing, liberating, and contagious. When people heard Jesus’ message and were encouraged to participate, it was deeply compelling. After people responded to the invitation to follow Jesus, the discipling process began. Jesus spent a great deal of time teaching the disciples and modeling faithful living for them. The process of becoming a disciple was also relational for Jesus. Each person had different needs and required different approaches. The constant for all was that Jesus spent countless hours mentoring and coaching the disciples. To MAKE! means to be committed to helping people grow in their faith, to MAKE! means helping people become disciples of Jesus Christ, while also becoming one ourselves.

What do you think it means to GO! in your life?

What would church become if we were able to implement MAKE! for our people?

King Herod and Us

2007-12-10T21:39:00.001-05:00

As we fast approach the celebration of Christmas we are reminded again of the powerful stories of Jesus' birth. In Matthew, we find the compelling story of Joseph and how he was able to hear God's call and be faithful. Joseph is an often overlooked but key part of the nativity story because he links Jesus to the giants of the Jewish faith (see Matthew 1:1-17 for the genealogy of Jesus). It is also in Matthew where we find the story of the wisemen, where they too demonstrate their faithfulness to God by following a star through an arduous journey over a great distance. Each of these aspects of Matthew's birth narrative are unique, powerful, and connect to our lives today. But it is the story of Herod which is more troubling and much more human, if not subhuman.

When the wisemen arrive in Jerusalem they triumphantly proclaim the birth of the messiah and ask where the Christ child can be found. (2:2) What they expected was an excited people who had finally received the long awaited promised messiah and king. Instead, no one knew what they were talking about and they were met with disbelief and fear. Fear of the end times, fear of judgment, fear of the unknown were probably all at work with the people. But for Herod it was much more personal. Herod feared a loss of power. He was threatened by a king who make all earthly rulers and kings illegitimate. He was threatened by a messiah who bring forth the Kingdom of God. He was threatened by a child whose birth signified the end of his power.

So Herod did as any king or ruler would, sought to eliminate the competition. First he tried to enlist the help of the wisemen to act as reporting agents. Under the guise of "paying homage" (2:8) Herod tells the wisemen to follow the star to Bethlehem, and when they found the child to report back to him. When the wisemen did not return Herod was furious and in a fit of rage and desperation ordered the slaughter of "all the children in and around Bethlehem who were two years old or under." (2:16) Can you imagine how insane Herod must have been to order such a massarce on his own people? What was it inside Herod that caused him to be so threatened and so fragile that he would act this way?

Was Herod a monster, inhuman, and psychotic? Or can we see in ourselves and in our society the same tendencies? It doesn't take a psychoanalyst to see that Herod has issues, but are his issues so far removed from ours? Herod's behavior is extremely self-destructive and irrational. His actions, even if successful, undermined his legitimacy as Jewish king and would have made him a target for a rebellion and forceful removal from power. Do you have self-destructive tendencies? Do you protect your power and privilege at all costs? Would you commit acts of violence to protect your own interests? Would you compromise your values to get ahead in life? Would you betray a friend for a promotion?

Certainly there is a great difference between the slaughter or innocent children and deceitfulness, but is it a difference in kind or degree? Are we so different from Herod? How do we keep ourselves from losing connection to the values we hope to live by? How can we achieve the balance of striving for "success" in life and maintain our integrity?

The Faith of the Disciples

2007-10-24T17:28:00.001-04:00

The experiences we have in life determine so much of what we do, what we think, and who we are. In a very real sense, we are defined by our experience, it shapes the way we view the world and gives us perspective. For the disciples it was much the same, their life with Jesus was dramatic and powerful. They were able to experience the power of God in a transforming and personal way on a regular basis. Can you imagine what it must have been like to be an eyewitness to Jesus' miracles? How much greater would your faith be if you were able to spend just one day with Jesus?

It is natural for us to assume that the disciples were giants of faith who never questioned, doubted, or lost faith. After all, they had front row seats to the greatest story ever told. They were there for the healings, the exorcisms, the feeding miracles, the walking on water, the resurrection, and everything else. It is then such a disappointment when the disciples repeatedly fail. They show a lack of faith, fear, doubt, cowardice, and a hardness of heart. In the Gospel of Mark, the disciples are particularly dim-witted. Time and time again they fail and they never seem to show much progress.

In Mark there are two miracle feeding stories which go a long way toward illustrating the deficiencies of the disciples. The first episode occurs in 6:30-44. The disciples had been sent out into the world to cast out demons, anointed the sick, and proclaimed the good news (6:7-13) After returning from their first ministry efforts, Jesus gathers the disciples together to discuss their experience. As they gather in a boat together, a large crowd assembles on the shore and follows them as they drift along. Jesus realizes that as the crowd continues to grow he needed to speak to them. After teaching them about the kingdom, the disciples realize that it is getting pretty late.

"When it grew late, his disciples came to him and said: 'this is a deserted place, and the hour is now very late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding country and village and buy something for them to eat." Mark 6:35-36

Jesus then tells the disciples to gather the food they have and feed the crowd themselves. In utter disbelief the disciples watch as Jesus takes 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, blesses them, and gives them to the disciples to distribute. The disciples then distribute the food and return with 12 baskets of leftovers! They fed over 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish, everyone was fed and filled, and there were leftovers! This is a miracles of God.

The disciples see this all unfold. Not only do they see Jesus bless the food, they also distribute the food to the crowd. The miracles takes place in front of them as they pass the baskets around and see that everyone is filled. This experience was powerful and witnesses personally by the disciples, yet they cannot overcome their doubt and fear. Immediately after the crowd is filled, Jesus sends the disciples away to the boat, sends the crowd home, and goes off by himself to pray. When he returns to the disciples he sees that the wind has picked up and they are struggling to row the oars of the boat. Jesus approaches the disciples by walking on the water. When the disciples see him they are terrified and cry out. Jesus then says: "take heart, it is I, do not be afraid." After Jesus gets into the boat the text goes on to say: "they were utterly astounded for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened."

The disciples witnessed first hand the miracle of the the feeding of 5,000 people. They were there and participated, they played an active role in the miracle. Then after that takes place, Jesus walks on water and they are still stuck on the loaves. They are terrified and amazed and astounded by Jesus, their hearts are hardened because they cannot understand how Jesus feed the crowd. Their experience of the feeding of the 5,000 was so confusing and bewildering that they simply cannot get past it. In fact later in Mark 8:1-10 Jesus again feeds a large crowd with 7 loaves and a few fish. One would think that after just experiencing the first feeding miracle the disciples would believe Jesus could do it again, but when it was time to feed the people the disciples still disbelieve. "How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?" (Mark 8:4) They simply cannot get past themselves and see God at work, they cannot overcome their lack of faith and doubt and trust that with God all things are possible.

The disciples just don't get it. This is a common sentiment for biblical scholars when they analyze the disciples in Mark. Time after time they fail to truly understand who Jesus is. They have moments of faith followed by complete ignorance and doubt. They are failures. This may be what Mark has in mind in the writing of his gospel. No one ever truly understands who Jesus is or what his mission is all about. If no one in the story ever gets it then it is up to us, the reader, to understand. If the Good News of Jesus Christ is going to be shared with the world we have to do it. The question of the gospel is for us to answer: Who do YOU say Jesus is? What will your life be?

On the other hand, I think our disciple friends may get a bad rap. It is true they fumble and bumble their way through. It is true that they demonstrate a lack of faith, fear, doubt, and understanding. But they also are faithful, dedicated, and persistent followers of God. They hang in there and do not give up. For me, the disciples are a model of faith because they are truly human. They oscillate between faith and doubt just like us. If the disciples who spent every moment of everyday with Jesus and still had doubts, then perhaps we should give ourselves more grace when we struggle with doubt and fear. If the disciples have there good and bad moments, up and down faith then maybe this is just how it goes. Perhaps Mark is trying to paint a realistic picture of what following Christ is like: moments of trust, grace, and enlightenment and periods of confusion, doubt, and fear.

Imagine if we shared this message with people struggling with their faith. Would they be comforted? Would they realize they are not alone? Would they grow closer to God?

The Power of Healing

2007-10-09T15:48:00.000-04:00

In the gospel accounts, healing plays a central role in Jesus' ministry. Time and time again, Jesus is able to heal people of incurable diseases and physical maladies. Everywhere Jesus and his disciples traveled they were mobbed with an ever increasing demand for healing.
In the Gospel of Mark it is quite interesting to note how these healings take place. There are many instances where Jesus heals people because they have demonstrated faith. They somehow know that Jesus, because he has divine powers, has the power to heal. They truly believe Jesus can perform a miracle and they humbly seek him out.

"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees,

"If you are willing, you can make me clean." Filled with compassion,

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing,"

he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

Mark 1:40-42

It would appear that the faith of the individual seeking healing is the driving force behind Jesus healing. It may be that Jesus is more inclined to heal those who have or faith, or it may be that the faith of the person is the power which enables Jesus to perform healing miracles.

Later in Mark, when Jesus visits his hometown he is met with resistance and disbelief. Those who had seen Jesus grow up, who had known him his entire life had great difficulty accepting him as a teacher and healer, and certainly as the Son of God. in Mark 6:5 it says Jesus was unable to perform any miracles or "deeds of power" in his hometown and that he was "amazed at their unbelief."

It would seem then that faith is a key element in Jesus' healings. However it is not always the faith of the person in need of healing which enables Jesus. There are instances where the faith of others precipitates healing for a person in need. In Mark 2:1-12 four friends bring a paralyzed man to Jesus for healing. They deeply believed Jesus could heal their friend and were utterly persistent in seeing Jesus, so much so that they rip off the roof of Jesus' house to do so. Jesus is so impressed with their faith that he heals the paralyzed man because of their faith. This episode is always striking because Jesus first heals the paralyzed man spiritually then physically. Jesus is concerned with both our physical and spiritual need for healing.

Another interesting healing story comes in Mark 5:25-34. In this story a woman with hemorrhages seeks Jesus' healing. She works her way through a crowd and touches Jesus' cloak. She believed that if she even touched his clothing that Jesus would heal her. She was right! After 12 years of bleeding, after spending her fortune on doctors, after being marginalized from her community, she believes that touching Jesus' clothes will heal her. After she touches his cloak she was healed, but Jesus was not even aware she was there. The text says that only after she was healed did he become aware that a "power had gone forth from him."

Each of the healing stories of Jesus are different, but each also presents a consistent pattern. In order to be healed we have to bring something to the encounter. A deep faith or belief that Jesus can heal us, a burning desire for Jesus to take away our pain, anxiety, and suffering. Whether we seek healing for ourselves, our families, or for our friends, when we take our concerns to Jesus he responds. Make no mistake, it is God, not us, who does the healing, but we need to believe in God's power and ability to make us whole and healthy. We must seek God and call upon the Lord to bring healing to our lives.

What can we do to bring about healing in our lives? What can we do for those who are in need of healing? Can God heal without faith? Will God heal some who denies him?

What's Up with the Demons?

2007-09-26T14:08:00.000-04:00

In our discussion this week we focused our attention on Mark 5:1-21. This episode in Mark involves Jesus healing a man who has been possessed by a demon. Jesus specifically seeks out this man in order to heal him and restore him to health. The healing of this demoniac is one episode among many in the gospel of Mark which finds Jesus interacting with demons. So what's up with the demons? Is this some strange supernatural 1st century thing or do we have modern day equivalents of demons?

When I think of demons I immediately think of the images of demons from movies. Ghostbusters, The Exorcist, Fallen are all movies portray humans that have been demon possessed. It is always done in a way which seems far-fetched and disconnected from reality. But for Jesus, demons were real and serious. Are we missing something here? Are we too quick to dismiss demons?

In chapter 5 of Mark, Jesus and his disciples travel by boat to the country of the Gerasenes, a great distance from their normal travels. When they arrive the text says:

"When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? Swear to God that you won't torture me!" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"

A significant detail here is that demon possessed man lives among the tombs. In Jewish culture, associating with the dead in any way was a major taboo and to live among the dead would be a guaranteed way to both be left alone and raise significant questions within the community. The demoniac has either been pushed out of the community or voluntarily removed himself. The text implies that this man was well known to be demon possessed, and no doubt stories, rumors, and legends of this man with demons were well known. Yet, Jesus seems to seek out intentionally this man. He specifically comes to this strange land to met and heal this strange man. A man who has been left for dead and forgotten by the world.

It is no accident that Jesus has come to this place and is meeting with this man. In Mark however, it is part of a theme where Jesus consistently interacts with demons (cf. 1:21-28; 3:7-12; 7:24-30; 9:14-29). Jesus has power and authority over the demons and they seem to know exactly who he really is. This is quite remarkable because in Mark there is a continual theme of people not understanding who Jesus really is. Yet the demons know Jesus and they are scared of his power.

In this episode, the demons have fully taken over the man. Jesus does not address the man because the man doesn't exist in his demon possessed state. When demons are allowed to take over and become powerful, the person hosting the demons for all practical purposes ceases to exist. In the end, Jesus confronts the demons and casts them out, into a herd of pigs which are cast into the sea (vv. 10-13), restoring the man to health and wholeness. The demoniac has been restored and his transformation is so dramatic that the crowds are in disbelief and fear. (vv. 14-16) The man asks Jesus if he can become a follower and assist in his ministry. Jesus refuses, telling the man to tell his story of transformation and healing to all of his friends.

For me, this strange and bizarre story of demons exemplifies Jesus' earthly ministry. Time and time again Jesus searches out the most vulnerable, forgotten, and marginalized members of society. He spends time with the blind, the deaf, the lame, the lepers, the prostitutes, the tax collectors, and demon possessed. He seeks out the forgotten and acknowledges their humanity, giving them dignity and respect. Jesus never gives up on anyone, no one is ever beyond the miraculous healing power of God.

What would our world look like if we took this example seriously? Who are the forgotten ones in our world today and what are we doing to acknowledge their humanity?

Today we might label a demon possessed person as mentally ill, epileptic, addicted, or eccentric. These labels may give us some level of understanding, but there are whole segments of our world that are forgotten and marginalized. Jesus' ministry calls us to love and serve all people, with particular emphasis and passion for the forgotten.

What would this mean for us? How can we actualize this in our life today?