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?
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Spirit of Renewal
"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.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Falling Out of Church
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.
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.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
MAKE! becoming more and more like Jesus
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.
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.
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?
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 Prayer2. 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?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
GO! The Story of Jesus and Zacchaeus
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!
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!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
GO! MAKE! a Vision for the Church
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?
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?
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