SEEING THE EXTRAORDINARY

Category: Christian Community

  • Teachable

    At some point, it seems we gain a sense of confidence about the things we know.  We develop a knowledge base and choose to become satisfied with our current state.  It is almost as if we cut off our ability to learn and to grow because we feel like we have matured to the point that we no longer need it.  We become confident, maybe overly confident, about the things that we know and do not allow any other information to be considered.  We know what we know and we become stuck in this.  Anything that challenges what we know, we dismiss or become angry.  We defend what we know with all our might.  And, in turn, we lose the ability to listen, grow and learn.  This seems to especially happen with our faith.  And the chances of it happening seem to grow exponentially if we were raised in church.  We become less willing to hear and learn and dismiss anything that doesn’t coincide with what we think we know.  We look for people that think like us and dismiss all else.  What happens, though, is we grow stagnant.  When we are not learning and growing, we become stuck and unable to live out our faith.  We can even become frustrated and angry.  We are no longer teachable.  

    An easy example of this is when we look at scriptures we have heard over and over again.  We have heard them taught every way you might can imagine.  For instance, the parable of the prodigal son is one.  This has been taught from a thousand different angles.  So when this becomes the scripture for us to read or we hear a message about it, we can begin to tune out.  We can turn off the switch and go into autopilot because we know the answers – or at least we think we do.  If we do decide to listen and something is unusual that we hear, we just dismiss the entire message.  We are not growing and we are not teachable because we have decided we know it all.  

    But that really isn’t how God’s Word works.  This isn’t really how the Christian faith is to be lived out.  This isn’t why God has given us this guide we know as the Bible.  It isn’t so that we can look at it and memorize it and quote it but not live it.  It isn’t so that we can use it to judge others or beat others over the head with facts we aren’t even willing to accept ourselves.  It isn’t so that we take this Word and decide one way of looking at it and stop growing.  We are given God’s Word that speaks to us where we are.  If we believe that the Word is alive and active, then we cannot know it all.  It requires us to be teachable, all the time.  It means we are never an expert.  We never have all the answers.  It forces us to listen, even when we think we know it all.  God gave us this Word so we could become more like him – not more confident in who we think we are.

    If we are going to be teachable at all times, it means we must be willing to listen – really listen.  Listening requires active tuning in without trying to answer all the questions.  It means keeping our mouths closed and minds open because we do not know it all.  We do not have all the answers.  And that is hard – especially when we have grown up studying the Word.  But since we are not God, there is still so much to learn.  

    Today’s scripture is Romans 13:8-14.

    In this scripture, Paul is teaching what it means to live in the way of Christ.  He is challenging believers to wake up – to pay attention – to listen to the direction of Christ.  He is pushing them to go beyond where they already are and not to become stagnant in their faith.  Don’t stay in one place, stuck in your beliefs.  Grow and stretch – and these words certainly do stretch us.

    Romans 13:8-14

    13:8 Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.

    13:9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet”; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

    13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.

    13:11 Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;

    13:12 the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;

    13:13 let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.

    13:14 Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

    Love one another.  It seems so simple.  It is written so many times in the Bible that we could identify this as one of the major themes.  Jesus said that to love God and to love others is central to it all.  We know that we are to love our neighbor.  And so, when we hear this again, we could easily hear…blah, blah, blah.  It could be like the teacher on Charlie Brown – wank, wank, wank.  We tune out all the rest because we think we have it.  We feel sure, because we have heard it so often, that we understand it.  Yet, I wonder if we are living it.  Understanding it, hearing it, knowing it is completely different than living it.  

    That may be why God has it so many times in his Word.  This may be why the Bible repeats it and there are stories of it over and over again.  God taught it, Jesus lived it, but do we?  Do we really get it?  Do we really love our neighbor?  Do we really live honorably?  Do we live without quarreling and jealousy?  Do we live without hatred and meanness?  Do we live without judgment and name calling?  I don’t think so.  I think that even after all the lessons, we still don’t get it.  And it could be because we aren’t willing to hear it any longer.  It could be that we have decided that we know it all and cut all the rest off.  It could be that we are no longer teachable.  And that should scare us.  

    Loving our neighbor requires us to love without judgment.  If we only love those that look like us and believe like us and act like us, we haven’t really done anything.  If we gang up together with other people that are just like us, we look like the enforcement rather than love.  Jesus constantly went to those who were different, who were not accepted, who were the least – and brought them love.  He tried to love the religious people but they were often so stuck in their own worlds that they could not understand what love really looked like.  Have we become the religious people?  Are we so determined that we are right that we cannot reach out to others?  Have we become an exclusive club rather than a welcoming home for those that are weary?  Have we decided who belongs rather than showing the love of Christ to all?  

    I’m not sure we reach many people with God’s love when we become forceful or hateful or malicious.  I’m not sure we set a good example when we look like we know everything and everyone else is simply stupid.  I’m not sure that approach solves anything.  And it could make us a bit overconfident about the things we think we know.  

    The challenge really becomes – what does it really look like to love our neighbor?  And I think it looks differently than we imagine.  I don’t think it only means to love those who look, think, believe or act like us.  I think it means exactly the opposite.  And that may be the greatest challenge of all.  

  • transformation

    I really enjoy watching transformations.  There are home transformation shows on all the time.  They take an old, abandoned, neglected home and transform it into something completely different.  What seems to have no potential becomes something truly remarkable.  It is hard to believe they are even the same houses in the end.  They look to improve functionality and update the style while keeping character pieces.  I find it fascinating.  And there are shows about body transformations.  People go through complete transformations as they learn to eat better and exercise.  They take on a whole new lifestyle and become someone completely different, at least on the outside.  When they are done, you can’t even believe your eyes.  It is truly something you have to see to believe.

    What is it about these transformations?  What we don’t fully understand or see is the amount of work that goes in.  If we are not involved in the steps of the transformation, we don’t really know all the struggles and sacrifice it took to get there.  For the home, they had to tear out all the old stuff.  Inevitably there are problems.  It is to be expected.  There are setbacks.  There are hidden issues that no one is prepared to tackle.  There are the long days and nights of sweat labor poured into the new drywall and the new floors.  Everything has to be rethought and reimagined.  If it is done correctly, it is a matter of remaking this house with careful detail and intention.  

    For the person that goes through their own transformation, we don’t really know what it was like to get up each morning to exercise.  We don’t get what it meant to make better food choices and stop the habits that had caused the issues initially.  We cannot comprehend the mental, physical and emotional fatigue that goes into every step, every decision, and every setback.  So much of a person’s life is poured into this transformation.  They have to learn to believe in themselves and their own potential.  They have to see themselves differently.  It is way more challenging that we could ever understand unless we have been there.

    Transformations are like that.  They look incredible on the outside, but so much work and effort…so much sacrifice…has gone into the change.  It is not something that is done in a day or a week or a month.  It is a lifetime of continual work.  Transformation is about sacrifice on a daily basis.  It is not easy.  

    Yet, this is what we are challenged with in the scripture today.  This is what is put before us.  We are called to a place of sacrifice in order to transform.  We are called to live differently.  We are called to put in this daily difficult challenging work to transform.  Let’s consider this as we hear from 

    Romans 12:1-8

    12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
    12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God–what is good and acceptable and perfect.
    12:3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
    12:4 For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function,
    12:5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another.
    12:6 We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;
    12:7 ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;
    12:8 the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

    We are encouraged in this scripture to work for transformation.  We struggle with this ultimate call to be something unique, different than this world.  We are called to do this incredible work of love – to live it, to live by it, to let love guide us.  We are called to something that pushes us to become more like Christ.  And this takes work.  Just like transformation of houses and of bodies takes daily, difficult, struggling work – sacrifice, even – so does our spiritual transformation.  

    The good news is that we have the ultimate trainer for our journey.  We have the transformation guru to help us.  We have someone that has been doing this forever and he is the best.  We have the Holy Spirit as our trainer.  He is with us, he takes up residence – really – in us.  He becomes so much a part of us that if we listen to him, we become a new creation.  We still do the work, but he guides the process.  We still struggle daily to become all he has created us to be, but he encourages us to keep going.  Trainers do not do the work for others, they simply guide the process.  They know what we need and what we don’t.  We choose to listen or not.  If we don’t listen, we don’t change.  If we do, we find results.  Sometimes they are slow, painful, rough results – but they are results, nonetheless.  And results brings really good news.

    Sacrifice means we have to give up things.  It means we give up our hold on earthly goods.  It means we give up our single minded focus on ourselves.  It means we give up the baggage that is holding us back.  And it means we work on this daily.  We are constantly giving it our all.  If we take a day off, we can get off track so easily.  We can’t give up to achieve real transformation.

    God really is the master of transformations.  Look at his good creation for an example.  The most obvious is the butterfly.  What a miracle it is to watch this take place.  But there are so many more.  From tadpoles to frogs – from seeds to fruit – from tiny specs to flowers – trees transform every season – flowering, providing shade with their leaves, changing colors, losing leaves – always in the process of transforming.  It happens all around us without us even noticing.  

    For us, we transform by hearing God, by listening.  We transform when we read and study God’s word.  We transform when we daily work to use our gifts for God’s glory.  We transform when we hear God call us and we follow.  We transform when we love others with a radical love.  We transform when we share kindness with an unkind world.  We transform as we seek God every single day.  We seek him actively.  We seek him with our whole hearts.  We seek…and when we seek, we find.  

    When we transform, we begin to work together for God.  We begin to transform the church and the world.  We transform the places around us when we share God’s love.  God’s love will always change things, always.  God’s love will transform, always.  

    Are you ready to put in the effort to become more like Christ?  It is a daily struggle – a willingness to listen to the Holy Spirit – a giving up of self and embracing what God has for us – sacrificing our own wants for God’s – working with others, sharing our gifts for the greater good.  These challenging times call us to do the difficult work of transformation.  Are you willing to sacrifice?  We are in this together.

  • God is with us

    Right now, for many, these are lonely times.  There is lack of physical interaction.  It is for a really good reason, but we were made for community.  So it makes it extra difficult to find our way when our view of community has changed so drastically and at such a rapid pace.  What most of us imagined as a few weeks of change has become a version of new normality.  Lunch with friends is not so easy to plan.  Vacations are revamped, if happening at all.  It can feel like we have been swallowed up in the chaos of it all.  Air hugs and distance fist bumps just aren’t the same.  But it is where we are.  So what do we do when times feel so lonely and everyone feels so distant?  What happens when we look around and see despair?

    Elijah found himself in a really challenging place in his life.  Our struggles do not compare to his, except to say that God’s Word for him can really ring true to us in our situation.  I think the life that God speaks to Elijah also bring us life if we listen…if we truly hear.

    To give you a brief background, Elijah was a mighty prophet for God.  He was willing to do what God had told him.  He had stood before 450 prophets of Baal, confident in the work that God could do.  God had shown up, in a miraculous way.  He had been strong, he had been faithful, he had conquered his fears and God had honored that.  Baal had been defeated and the prophets had been destroyed.  God was triumphant…and that was the side that Elijah was on – it is always helpful to be on the winning side.  That would mean he would be willing to go up against anyone or anything…why not?  God had shown up once, surely God would show up again.  But Elijah found himself in a place of despair…fearfulness…loneliness…helplessness.  Elijah felt abandoned even despite all that had just happened.  And it wasn’t because Elijah lacked faith.  It wasn’t because Elijah was a wimp or he wasn’t being used by God.  Elijah found himself here even with his strong faith.  Sometimes we find ourselves here and it isn’t our faith that is lacking either.

    1 Kings 19:9-18
    19:9 At that place he came to a cave, and spent the night there. Then the word of the LORD came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
    19:10 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
    19:11 He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake;
    19:12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
    19:13 When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”
    19:14 He answered, “I have been very zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”
    19:15 Then the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram.
    19:16 Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place.
    19:17 Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill.
    19:18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

    What are you doing here, Elijah?  Remember, God doesn’t ask questions because he doesn’t know.  It isn’t as if God has no clue what Elijah is doing.  He knows.  But he needs to hear why Elijah thinks he is there.  What does Elijah think of his situation?   How is he processing what is going on around him?  And Elijah repeats his perspective, twice.  This was how he felt.  This is where he was.  This was his view of his life and he was being destroyed by it.  We hear his plea, his cry, his heartfelt fear. This was where he was.

    Elijah felt alone.  He felt as though all was against him and he was left alone.  God provided him with an encounter.  He provided him with answers in the silence.  He showed him majestic wonders.  He moved him, literally with the elements.  He spoke to him as he sat.  He spoke to his situation, right where he was.

    We might think that this would do it for Elijah.  We might think this would be the renewal he needed, the boost to continue to move forward.  We might would imagine this would lift his spirits so he would be ready to face anything ahead.  But it wasn’t.  Even after his encounter with God, he still felt all alone.  That did not change him like you might would think it would.  God does not give up on him, though.  He does not leave him alone in his despair.  This speaks to God’s compassion for Elijah.  He doesn’t berate him for not being comforted.  He doesn’t tell him he is on his own now.  He doesn’t scold him or tell him to stop his complaining.  God doesn’t give up on him and I love this.

    He, instead, lets him know that there is support, there are others, God has not abandoned him nor the others.  His mission is not complete.  There are others that are in the same situation.  There is a community.  This is not the end for Elijah or the Israelites.  I hear God tell Elijah to pick up your head and see your tribe.  Lift your eyes to the hills, that is where your help comes from.  Lift up your heart, for God has provided all you need.  This is not the end, you are not alone.

    It is not easy to hear you are not alone when you feel so alone.  Even when circumstances tell you differently…even when God tells you differently.  It can be challenging when you feel pressed to continue going.  So many times, we can find ourselves just wanting to hide out.  We feel alone.  This scripture reminds us that God is not only with us, he provides those along the journey to accompany us.  We may not realize it.  We may not easily see them.  But God provides others.

    I believe that God reminds us that he is with us.  What does it mean to have God with you?  It means that no matter what you face in life, he does not abandon you.  It means that when you feel like you can’t go on, he helps to nurture you and bring you along.  It means that when you can’t take another step, he provides rest and renewal so you can continue the journey.

    I also believe that God tells us to lift up our heads, there are sights we have missed.  Lift up our eyes to the hills, God’s help is here.  Lift up our hearts, we have others with us on this journey.  You are not alone because there are others that travel this journey too.  You have a tribe.  You have people that love and support you on this difficult road.  You do not face this alone.  Look up, my friends, your tribe awaits.  Your tribe can consist of family and friends…people you haven’t even had a chance to meet yet.  It can be your church and your community.  Your tribe also consists of professionals that help you along the way.  Sometimes when we feel all alone, we need help that mental health can offer.  There is no shame in that – only grace.  God has given women and men gifts to help guide and direct us to a better mental place.  It often is that prayer and faith lead us to these gifted people that can help us with therapy and medication.  And there is nothing wrong with that…actually there is so much right with it.

    Today, church, know that you are not alone.  Whether you are hearing this on your phone, your computer, or in person…you are not alone.  Whether you are hearing this alone or with someone else, you are not alone.  God is with us.  God will not leave us.  We are not abandoned.  Lift up your heads, church.  Lift us your eyes, friends.  Lift up your hearts – for God has provided what you need.  May God be with us all as we seek him and find those with us on this journey.

    Amen.

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  • Peace Be Still

    There are moments when calm seems to appear out of nowhere.  It can happen at the least expected times in our lives.  When all seems to be in an uproar, a small yet defining moment of peace appears and overwhelms our situation.  It doesn’t always stay.  It isn’t always noticeable to anyone else.  It is just for a moment.  In our greatest times of need, it is as if peace is being spoken.  And it is a welcome message for us all.

    Being experienced on the water was their trade – it was in their blood – it was their lifeline.  It is almost as if these guys were born on the water.  They lived it, they breathed it, it was always a part of them.  They had encountered abundance as they threw out nets and brought in a catch that would not only feed their family but others as well.  They had felt the agony of returning home with nothing and wondering what went wrong.  The exhaustion of trying all night long weighed heavy like a big wet blanket over them.  The excitement of THE catch overjoyed them for days.  It was a life of highs and lows, like most any.  No one knew the waters better than them.  No one understood the tides and could predict the weather like they could.  They were the ‘go to’ for most anyone.  They were the fisherman of the town.  It was generational.  But more than that, it was a part of who they were.  They had been through more storms than they could even count at this point.  They had wondered if they would come out alive – and kissed the ground when they finally arrived.  To say that the water was their home would have been more than accurate.  They were fisherman after all.

    So to know that those who spent their life on the water were scared speaks more volumes than words can ever express.  Language cannot hold the amount of fear felt by these guys.  Imagine a storm that frightens experienced, lifelong fisherman.  They just knew this storm could be their last.  It may be the last time they ventured out onto the water.  It may be the last time they saw their families.  This was THAT storm.  And they were caught.  The wind was so fierce, there was no steering the boat.  The waves were crashing so hard, they wondered if the boat would become swallowed up.   They did all they knew and it still wasn’t enough.  Nothing would ever be enough with this one.  The sea was angry and they were enveloped in the brunt of its anger. Fear is a mild word for what they felt.  They worked and held on, they did all they knew just not to capsize.  Just hold on until it passes…if it ever does.

    One person in the boat was calm, not anxious at all about what was going on.  The waves did not shake him.  The water didn’t awake him.  He was not fearful.  And he was not even a fisherman.  Not being a fisherman could account for his ignorance of the magnitude of the storm.  Maybe he didn’t understand that they could easily die from this.  Maybe he was oblivious to the severity.  So they would explain it to him.  This was their home and they knew the danger they were facing.  Get up and pay attention…it may be the last you ever see!

    And yet, it was not the end.  He was not anxious because he knew what was needed.  He was not overwhelmed because this was actually his creation, not theirs.  And so he gets up and speaks…and when he does, things change in the blink of an eye.

    Mark 4:35-41

    35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

    Three simple words spoken from him changed everything.  Three words breathed a renewed life into an otherwise disastrous situation.  Three simple words became the catalyst that brought a calm that was unexplainable.  Peace be still.  Breathe that in for a moment…peace be still.

    For my anxious mind, that speaks life.  For my overwhelmed heart, that covers me in calm.  For my fearful body, that slows the shaking.  Peace be still.  It isn’t the words, of course.  Anyone can say the words and they can mean nothing.  It is the words spoken by the One who brings peace that changes everything.  It is the words spoken by the Creator of it all – the ONE with power which really echoes into the very recesses of our fear.  Peace be still is more than a declaration from an encouraging speaker.  It is a command of the world around to simply stop – for the Creator has spoken.

    I don’t know about you, but I allow the anxieties of this world to become a part of me.  I allow the fears that are in my mind to capture my being.  I allow the chaos of the day to rule my spirit.  It isn’t as if I seek it out.  I do not get in a boat hoping for a storm.  I am simply trying to live my life day to day.  I am just doing what I always do – working, trying to provide for my family, seeking to do my best.  I didn’t cause the storm.  I didn’t seek out to get caught up in it.  I would have avoided it if I had known.  But when I do get caught – my world becomes a whirlwind.  It is in times like these that the words of Jesus speak more to me than anything else…peace be still.

    To hear the words takes some humility, I think.  It takes an acknowledgement that this is all out of my control.  I can’t do anything about this storm.  The waves are crashing and the boat is being thrown from one side to another.  All I can do is hold on and pray…and maybe scream a little.  But ultimately it is all out of my control.  This isn’t something I can fix.  I can’t row hard enough or long enough.  All I can do is hold on.  It is these times peace can happen.  It is when we let go, we can hear the words of our Savior speak peace.

    I need to hear words of peace over anxiety…peace over my fears…peace over my worries and concerns…peace over my life and peace over my days.  Peace be still.  When our faith is in God, peace is the way.  When we trust in the Creator of it all, peace becomes possible.  When we realize that we are exhausted and give up rowing, peace takes over.  Peace be still.

    They didn’t realize the one in the boat had such power.  They had failed to pick up on the cues who this really was.  This man was more than the average teacher.  This wasn’t your everyday guy.  This is the one who had power.  This is the one who could speak and the whole earth would listen.  This is Jesus.  Before we criticize them for their ignorance, we have to take a self-check.  Do we realize who is with us every single day?  Do we really know who it is we are following?  Do we understand who calls us his beloved?  How often do we forget the One who created us is still creating…and creating peace in us?  We can’t be critical of the fisherman, we find ourselves in the same place – even when we know Jesus is Savior and Redeemer.  Who are you trusting to speak peace in your life?

    My prayer is that peace takes over you today.  The peace of God that goes beyond all of our understanding…may it wash over you.  The peace that allows us to breathe, may it calm you.  May Jesus speak peace to your chaos…and may you know the Savior is with you.  Peace Be Still.

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  • Grounding in the Chaos

    Things sure have changed a lot in a short amount of time.  Our secure, comfortable schedules have been displaced and torn to shreds.  The rhythm of our days has become a page of staccatos without the usual flow of the masterpiece.  What we have always relied on has been altered and changed.  And let’s be honest, some of us handle it better than others.  Some are angry at everything…waiting anxiously to lash out at anything that shows up.  Some of us appear a bit lost…wandering around aimlessly trying to find a sense of direction.  And some of us are simply trying to adjust to the new rhythm, trying to find a new sense of normalcy in a chaotic piece of art.  It is scary and enlightning all at the same time.  Every time we think we have this new rhythm down pat, the whole piece changes and we are required to re-adjust.  And some of us are not great at the re-adjustment.  Our world is different and we are not okay with it.  So we might blame anyone we can and yell at anyone who will listen.  We may even find ourselves lost in the mess of it all.

    This isn’t the first time the world has changed in the blink of an eye.  It has been happening since the beginning.  There have been uproars and wars.  There have been times of peace and contentment.  There have been times when things are going well and all seems to be in place.  And there are times when many worried there would never be peace again.  This isn’t the first time.

    I have been thinking about the Israelites in all of this.  What we are encountering is nothing compared to their struggles.  They were slaves in a land that was not their own.  God sees and hears them.  But that meant they had to leave their homes in the middle of the night and run…and keep running.  They kept running until they reached…the wilderness.  That’s right…not the Promised Land they would have liked to have seen.  They reached wilderness – vast dryness and nothingness.  They were there with no food, no water and little supplies.  They reached the end of their lives.  And in their honesty, they found a longing for their days in captivity…at least they knew what was expected there.  Here, everything was unexpected and variable.  They didn’t know about their next meal.  They didn’t know what they would do or where they would go.  They didn’t understand that God was working to rescue them.  All they knew was this place wasn’t what they thought and they just wanted to go back.  Only…they couldn’t.  They had come too far now.  And they were scared.

    What did God do to help them in their fears?  What did he do to show them that this was not the end?  He provided for them.  They were given food and water.  They had tents for shelter.  Their basic needs were cared for.  They were not left alone.  God saw them.  He heard them.  He was in the process of providing rescue.  Along with providing for them, he gave them a visible sign of his presence.  God let them know that he was with them always.  There was a cloud…there was fire…God was there.  They only had to look around them to see that he had not left them.

    And then God gave them a new rhythm.  He gave them something to hold onto.  He gave them something that they could grasp and know he was in this.  It wasn’t what they expected, I am sure.  It wouldn’t be what we would expect either.  But it was God’s response to their human need.  He got that they needed direction and guidance.  He provided the 10 commandments.

    Now before you roll your eyes and dismiss what I am going to say…stay with me.  We have come to view the 10 commandments as an archaic set of rules that should be made into statues or monuments, but not so much followed.  We have viewed them as a list of do nots and a way for punishment.  They are not often seen as God’s answer to the needs of his people.  He gives them these commandments as a guide to help them in their dismay.  They have lost their way.  They do not know which way to turn.  They are looking for stable ground.  When wilderness is all you see, you need direction.  And this was his answer for his people in their time of great need.  It was not for their harm or a way to keep them under control.  This was a gift of protection and love.  This was a reminder that in their great distress, God had not left them.  These words were meant to help them when they didn’t know what else to do.

    So if we read them in a different light, we might hear something different.

    We have the commandments recorded in Exodus 20.  I want to focus only on the first few of the commandments this morning because it is the basis for the rest.  If you get these, the remainder seems to fall into place.  And it seems to me that the first is the first for a really good reason.  I do encourage you to go back and read the remainder.  They all have something powerful to teach us.

    Exodus 20:1-6

    20 Then God spoke all these words:

    2 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3 you shall have no other gods before me.

    4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6 but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

    I hear…God brought you here and he hasn’t left you.  I hear that God has brought us here and God has not left us.  This may not be a place we would have picked but this is not the end.  We may only see wilderness, but this is not the end.  God is God and we are not.  And he expects and commands us to keep him first.  To keep him first in all things is the guide.  There should not be competition between God and other things in our lives.  God is first and stays that way.  When we are lost, he is our grounding.  When we are scared, he is our security.  When we feel empty, he takes care of our needs.  His presence is with us…just look around.  While our world is changing, God is not.  He is with us.

    If God is with us, whom do we fear?  Why are we so angry if God is our guide?  Why are so filled with rage if the God of love is our salvation?  Why do we hold so tight to our things on this earth if our treasures are not here anyway?  Why do we fight to have things our way if what we really want is God’s way?

    We are told that God did not give us a spirit of fear…but instead a spirit of power and love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).  We are given a spirit of love.  That doesn’t leave room for our selfishness.  It doesn’t leave room for our desire to have things our way.  It does give us reason to look at things quite differently.  What would it all look like if we lived in love?  How might it look differently if we found our solid foundation in the commandments to guide us?  We might just find that we are wrong on some things.  We might find some of our fears are not justified.  We might see that those fighting for justice are onto something.  We might realize that God is working and it is a matter of opening our hearts and minds.  We might find a different rhythm and it might be freeing.  It may be a masterpiece God is preparing.  Can you feel it?

    May we find grounding in the commandments…and may they be the guide for our lives in times like these.

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  • Do We Value Life?

    Today, as I seek God’s word, I struggle.  I struggle with the right words – how do I speak in times like these?  What do I say when tragedies continue over and over again?  I understand my words do not matter – but God’s words do.  So I pray that in the myriad of words I will bring to you today, you will hear something from God.

    I can’t help but wonder….Do we value life?  Do we really value life?  Is one person’s life less valuable than another?  Does one person hold more value because of who they are, where they live, their status, their color, their sex, their sexual orientation?  Does this change the value of a life for us?

    Embedded in our society is the belief that some lives hold more value than others.  The events this week of one man killing George Floyd while handcuffed as he pleads for his life, just to simply take a breath, remind us that racism is still as real and alive as ever.  George Floyd’s life held no value to the one that held him down.  Regardless of whether he had a criminal record, what he had been arrested for or anything else, the bottom line is that his value as a person was diminished.  In our recent past, racism was out in the open – where one goes to the bathroom, where one sits in an establishment or on a bus, what access to education and employment – these were all out in the open.  It was apparent that white supremacy was real, obvious and prevalent.  Since that time, it is still prevalent but hidden…it has been taken out of plain sight.  Anyone can go to any bathroom supposedly or sit anywhere in theory – but you could be looked at differently, and potentially treated differently.  You likely won’t be made to move, just a general wish you had not come.  And let’s be honest, the only reason that this racism is in our face now is because someone recorded it.  If it had not been recorded, it would have likely been swept in someone’s drawer as a closed case in favor of the white man.  Racism is held under such a cover that it is only when exposed that we come face to face with reality.  And reality is, in this case, quite ugly.

    We cannot make excuses for what is happening.  We cannot pretend that it doesn’t happen.  When those we love around us are fearful for their lives and the lives of their children, it is way past time to act.  And as the church, we should know better.  We should be the difference.  We should stand out front and fight against racism and sexism.  But we are often the last to say anything – one because we often find racism in ourselves and two because we know those who are racist.  What this really says is that we do not value all life.  We hold that some lives have more value than others.  Because of the color of skin or the lifestyle chosen, there is more value?  I don’t need to hear stories of where white people have been hurt or where black people have done something to be seen differently.  Bottom line…heterosexual white people have privilege because of ingrained white supremacy.

    Yet, church, this isn’t at all what we are taught.  We are not taught a difference in the eyes of God.  We are not taught that one group is superior to another – or even that there are groups.  There are not divisions based on color.  Jesus never gave us an example of division among his created.  Yet, here we are again.   We are not taught to hate.  We are not taught to decide who is worthy.  We are not taught to judge someone based on looks or appearance.  We are not taught that Jesus loves one group more than the other.  We are not even taught that God loves America more than he does any other country or any other peoples.  We have taken that on – and I cannot imagine that God is pleased with hate, bigotry, racism, sexism, or any of the like.  This is God’s world, not simply God’s country.

    It may be that you are saying we don’t know the other part of anyone’s story.  I am saying we don’t need to.  There is never a reason to hate.  There is never a reason to discriminate.  There is never a reason for white supremacy.  There is never a reason to devalue life.  And again…there is never a reason to hate based on the color of someone’s skin, their culture, their background, or their sexual orientation.  Hate is not the answer.

    I hear in the scriptures this:  For God so loved…God created…The Holy Spirit came upon them…Power was given to them.

    For God so loved the world…the whole world.  We know the scripture and verse.  Many of us have said it since we were children.  We have it memorized.  Even if you have not attended a church, you have likely heard of John 3:16.  Yet we are not hearing John 3:16.  For God so loved the whole world that he gave Jesus.  God loved the whole world.  It does not say that God loved white skin – side note, remember Jesus was not white.  It does not say that God loved those that we think should be loved.  It does not say that God loves those who follow the rules.  It says that God loved the whole world…all of it…all of us.  Jesus was sent because of God’s great love for us.  To devalue a life is to devalue someone God loves.  It is to devalue someone that God sent his son to die for.  Money and privilege and skin color do not change God’s love.

    God created…God created humanity with his own breath.  He breathed life into us.  To take that breath away is to take life away.  To stop breath is to stop life that God has given.  To not see someone as God’s beloved is to take God’s creation and tell God he doesn’t love this life as much.  I don’t see that in God’s word.  But I sure see it in our world.  If we truly believe that God created, then we will work to have equal value for all of God’s creation.  No life is less valuable.

    Today is Pentecost Sunday.  This is the Sunday that we remember the day that the Holy Spirit fell on God’s people – something promised by Jesus as a guide and a comforter.  I want to direct your attention to the scripture where Jesus describes the Holy Spirit.

    John 14:25-29

    25 “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. 26 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. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. 28 You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. 29 And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur, you may believe.

    This is a portion of the description that Jesus offers about the Holy Spirit that is being given to the believers.  In Acts 2 we see the fulfillment of this promise.  As believers, we hold that Jesus offers us the Holy Spirit.  We understand that when we choose to follow Christ, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us and through us and around us as we seek to fulfill God’s will.  I think that most of us could agree.  But what does the Holy Spirit do?  If the Holy Spirit is living in us, we are guided, helped, taught, courageous, loved, and given peace.  If we are led by Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit, I cannot see where we can be anything but love.  I cannot find where we can be anything but peacemakers.  I cannot see where there is room for hate or judgment.  I cannot find a place for racism or hatred or devaluing life.

    Christians, if we truly believe that God so loved the world…if we believe that God created…if we accept that the Holy Spirit is living in us…how can we tolerate hatred, racism, or the devaluing of any life?  I don’t see how those can be together.  I do not believe that God has filled us with his presence to make us feel superior or full of hatred or supreme to any other human being.  I cannot see how we cannot stand with our black and brown sisters and brothers in a time when there is struggle.  We should be standing with those that are hurting.  We should be fighting for justice.  This should be a time when we are showing that the world may be acting like fools, but the church stands with you, supports you, loves you.  The church should be leading the way.  Where are we church?  What are we doing in times like these?  Do we really value all life?  God created…God loves.

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  • Called Out

    We have heard a lot about the church in the last few weeks.  Lengthy discussions have been carried out over locking up the church.  Many are angry that they cannot come to church in person.  As churches begin to reopen their doors, many changes must be made that will make church services unlike anything in the past.  It will not be the same, at least for now.  That makes many upset.  Singing carries issues farther than talking.  Shared hymnals can cause problems.  Even something as simple as opening a door can be potentially serious.

    All of this has certainly caused us to rethink church.  What is the church?  Why do we go to church?  How do we worship as a church in a way that is safe and protected for everyone?  What does the church even do?  Is the church necessary?

    Today’s scripture helps me to begin in the search for these answers, and I hope it begins to help you as well.

    Ephesians 1:15-23

    1:15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason
    1:16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
    1:17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
    1:18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
    1:19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
    1:20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
    1:21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
    1:22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,
    1:23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

    Do you hear anything about the church?  I do hear an intent and purpose.  Look closer.  Listen to what is being said.

    Christ is above all – ruler, guide, all powerful.  He has immeasurable greatness of his power that is given to those who follow him.  And his power changes things.  He is the head of it all, and that includes the church. The church is his body – his vehicle for doing his work.  The church is about wisdom and growth and seeking but it is also about going and living and loving.

    Maybe we have been shut up in the walls of a building too long and have forgotten that to be the church is to live for Christ.  Maybe we have gotten so comfortable in our pews that we haven’t allowed ourselves to follow Christ when we leave those pews.  It could be that we have grown so accustomed to the way things have always been that comfort was all we were seeking.  Could it be that we have made the church more about us than about Christ?  Could it be that we have made church what we wanted it to be – comfortable for us to sit with a group of people that look like us and agree with us?  Maybe, just maybe this is our time to be the church.

    IF we are the body of Christ, that seems to be a movement forward – a carrying out into the world.  It seems to me that this would be living out the vision and mission that Jesus lived as an example.  I do remember him gathering in the place of worship, but I don’t remember that being the only place he went.  Actually it seems like he spent more time with those that were discarded and forgotten than those that claimed to be devout.  He spent more time loving those on the outside that had never experienced love before.

    Do not misunderstand me – there is great value in gathering.  Jesus did it.  He taught in the place of worship and spent time there.  We gather to gain knowledge, we gather to seek wisdom, we gather to pray together, we gather to worship.  All of those are vital for our spiritual lives.  We gather in community.  We gather in resources and gifts to carry further the cause of Christ.  But this is a gathering.  This is not the end all, be all.  Gathering is only part of the equation.  And I think that we have gotten comfortable with gathering only because it makes us feel like we are doing what we should do – it is a box to check off on our holy list.

    But what if gathering is to prepare us for something more?  What if we have been taught how to worship and now we are being called out to worship in the world?  What if we have been given what we need to go out and serve?  What if we are being called to live for Christ as a unified body that isn’t in a building right this moment?  What if we are so worried about not gathering in a building because it is the only time we serve?   Could it be that we have been called out for times like these?  Could it be that we have been equipped to be God’s people right here and right now?  Could it be that we are to serve faithfully until we gather again?  And might we be changed when we do gather to value serving in and out of the building?  Maybe it will make us uncomfortable enough that we don’t get too comfortable when we return to the building.  That might just be an important gift in it all.

    The writer of Ephesians helps us to understand that in knowing Christ better, our heart is enlightened, we are given hope, and we are given a spirit of revelation and wisdom.  We have been given what we need.  Are we serving with a heart for Christ?  Are we filled with hope?  Do we live in wisdom?

    We are in this together, church.  And I mean more than Trinity.  I mean THE church.  We are all in this together.  We have been given all the gifts we need.  We have been strengthened for service.  We have been given courage to do as Christ calls.  Until we can safely gather in this building, it does not mean you are free from being the church – unless you feel that being in this building is the only time you are a follower of Christ.  You are actually given a great responsibility to seek to serve in this time.  You are called to encourage, pray, study, and above all else – love like never before – not from a comfy pew but out in a world that is starving for Christ.

    We will gather again in a building…and when we do, I pray that God has so filled us with his power that we are even more eager to go back out.  I pray that our pews are no longer comfortable and our worship reminds us that we are in this together, for Christ.  When we return, I pray we return changed, challenged, and called.

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  • Enough

    When is enough really enough?  When do we call out in loud exclamations of ENOUGH!?  How many people have to die at the hands of those who feel superior because of the color of their skin or the location of their upbringing or their sexuality?  When do we, as the church, stand up and proclaim the way of Jesus – which doesn’t look anything like any of this!?  When do we really make movements to show this is not okay?  Are we waiting for a time that it affects us?  Are we waiting for a time when we feel threatened?  Are we simply passing the buck because it isn’t our homes that are terrorized?

    As a white male, I am aware of white privilege and those heavily influenced by white supremacy.  I am aware that I am looked at differently because of the color of my skin and being a heterosexual male.  I understand that I pastor a mostly white church that operates as a white church in an area where the majority of the population is not white.  I get that I have the freedom to move about without worry because I was born here.  As someone that exercises outside, I am aware that I can run or bike in pretty much any area without being looked at as suspicious for the color of my skin.  I am even more aware of these privileges when I consider what is happening on a regular basis in this country and even perpetuated by key leadership that look like me.

    So why mention this as a white heterosexual male minister with privilege in a worship service on a Sunday that is Mother’s Day in the middle of a pandemic, no less?  Why not?  When does it become a good time?  When is it appropriate?  Many non-white churches and places of worship have been speaking of this for years and years.  How many people have to die before it is a good time for the church to call this out?  How much has to happen before enough really is enough for the predominately white church?  What has to happen before white people call out our privilege and begin to work towards a different world?  And I speak of non-white because it is the African American community – but it is also the community that is non-white or different – Hispanic, Jewish, LGBTQ, Muslim and more.

    Sure, the conversation is uncomfortable, terrifying at times, and quite difficult.  I can hear people speaking right now…Pastor Brad – you know I am not racist.  If everyone that says they are not racist weren’t actually racist, we wouldn’t need to have the conversation.  What if racism is so built into our society and into our churches…white privilege so ingrained in our lives…that we don’t even notice when it is being used?  What if it isn’t just about being blatantly racist but about embedded racism that rears its ugly head on a regular basis, often unnoticed by those who use it?

    With this, I think the time is now.  It is Mother’s Day and I cannot imagine the fear a non-white mother must have as she sends her non-white children out into the world, giving them instructions on how to avoid even appearing to do anything wrong.  I cannot image giving them directions on the best way to get places so that they are in places where they should not be.  What about giving them guidance so that the white people won’t think they are dangerous or a threat?  I can’t imagine because I am white.  What I can say is that enough is enough.

    And I don’t know where else to start when enough is enough than the Bible.  I don’t know how else to find direction and guidance than God’s instructions for life – God’s instructions that show love and peace and kindness without any difference.  I don’t know any other place to begin than with the grace that is so freely given.  I can only begin with the life of Jesus – a non-white person that led the way to love.

    There are many places we can go from here.  Jesus ate with sinners and tax collectors when that was not okay – not only shunned but dangerous.  Jesus went and sat down with a Samaritan woman in order to show her love in a time and place that was not acceptable.  He taught a parable about who was our neighbor using someone from a different culture and was despised by those he spoke.  Jesus gave examples of inviting all people to the table and welcoming the forgotten and the oppressed.  He died for all people and gives us the command to love God and love others, regardless.  And we have turned that, all too often, into loving people like us.  If you don’t believe me, look at those that have been accused of these hate crimes over the years…those that claim faith, that claim to be a part of a church, that also claim superiority and fear of someone different taking over.  Wasn’t Jesus hung for similar reasons – fear of someone else taking over and superiority?  We tend to forget that Jesus wasn’t a white male American – or the fact that he wasn’t white at all.

    In Bible Study this week, we looked at 1 Peter 2:2-10.  I want to revisit a particular few verses of this scripture – and for some of us, introduce it for just a moment.  Verses 9-10 read, “2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
    2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”  One people, holy to God.  That people is not a color or an origin or a sex.  One people because we are God’s people.  This does not mean white people.  This is God’s people.

    If indeed, we are to work to become more like Christ, to be one people, where do we begin?  As white Christians, I have to believe we begin with repentance.  We begin with acknowledgement where we have misunderstood, where we have fallen short, where we have taken advantage of our privilege without fighting for true equality.  We acknowledge that our privilege has held others down.  We begin to understand that we have allowed our fears to direct our actions.  We begin by asking for forgiveness – both from God and from our brothers and sisters that have a different skin color or origin than us.  Forgiveness is hard because it is uncomfortable and causes us to confront the issues we have that we might not otherwise acknowledge.  Being repentant means we don’t want it to be like that any longer – meaning as white heterosexual people, we are willing to release our power and privilege and fight for the rights of those not like us.  Repentance means that we do the frightening work of having conversations of where others have been wronged.  When we are willing to sit down and hear the voices of other people unlike us, we can begin to work towards something different.

    I want to offer one more scripture as I bring this to a beginning (though nearing the end of the message, I pray the beginning of a new start)

    Colossians 1:9-20

    9 For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s[d] will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. 11 May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled[e] you[f] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.[g]

    15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in[h]him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[i] him all things hold together. 18 He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

    There is a lot packed in this scripture, but I hear the desire to live a life worthy of the gospel.  I want to live fully pleasing to God.  I want to have my eyes opened to the truth – even when it hurts.  I want to enter conversations that challenge my thoughts and actions so that I can see where I have gone wrong.  I want to follow Christ wherever he leads me and his church.  I want to lift up my brothers and sisters, as we begin to ask for forgiveness, a small step in moving forward.  My prayer is that God would be glorified in it all.  I pray that hearts would begin to heal, efforts would be made towards justice, and lives would be changed.  I pray my life begins to show the love of God for all of his children.

    Church – will you begin with me?

    Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy.

    Amen.

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    The trail was calling

  • We Need a Shepherd

    Our world has many that claim to be shepherds, leaders, deals, bargains, attractions…we are asked to hear me, follow me, buy me, see me, believe me.  It can be overwhelming.  Some leaders appear to be taking us in one direction, but their lives reflect another.  Some claim to be on the right track and want others to follow, but you have to wonder why God only gave them the right track.  Others try to attract us with fancy shows, big promises, and even material wealth.  Just follow me, they say, and all will be well.  Everyone seems to be searching for a follower, a buyer, a student, seeker.  And so many feel as though they have the answer.  They call…be rich like me, be smart like me, be free like me, be judgmental like me…or whatever.  Whether it is religion, politics, sales, or the like, it all seems to scream, we are the right way!

    So what is the right way?   You are reading or worshiping this morning and so I am sure that you feel like you know the answer.  But there are many in spaces of worship trying to give us a way that is not true, is not valuable, is not right.  I am not going to tell you what to do…I am simply going to point out what I choose and why.

    John 10:1-18 (full scripture below)

    My sheep know my voice and they follow me.  This is the voice I want to follow.  I want Jesus to be my shepherd because Jesus is leading me to a life of love.  He is guiding me to a path of peace and grace and forgiveness.  He has a plan that is good and joyful and full of abundant life.  He offers life…real life, true life.  But in a world full of voices, how do we know the voice of Jesus?  How do we know if it is really Jesus?

    There are a few ways that I think we can detect the voice of Jesus.  And for me, it begins with more than just a feeling.  Sometimes we get caught up in what feels the best, what is the easiest, what seems to be the most attainable.  Unfortunately, nothing about the way that Jesus leads indicates this is the way.  While Jesus promises us peace and love, joy and grace, he doesn’t promise it will be easy.  Actually to love is one of the most difficult things he calls us to do – as he calls us to love everyone.  The way of peace will often make others upset because it isn’t what they wanted to believe.  Grace is such a gift some will not want to accept it – feeling completely unworthy.  It is beautiful but I don’t find it easy.  It also isn’t full of earthy belongings.  Following Jesus isn’t about getting the biggest house or the nicest car or holding in what you have so tight that you are financially secure.  It is about giving and sacrificing and letting go.  So if we are simply looking to our feelings, we might want to dig a little deeper.  Jesus will give us peace, but our abundant life may not feel like we would want it to feel.

    So how does it begin?  I think Jesus speaks to us when we use all of our senses.  He calls in the wind, the songs of birds, the laughter of children, the growth of vegetables, the smell of fresh flowers, the taste of fresh produce, the embrace of a loved one, the eyes of a stranger.  I think he speaks to us in those that do not speak our language and we do not understand except through love.  I think he speaks to us in those that have no food and those that need to know they are worthy.  He speaks to us through a home cooked meal and a fresh baked pie.  He speaks to us in the most unusual ways that we often miss.  But we don’t know it if we aren’t learning about what it means to follow.

    All too often, we have our ideas of what it means to follow.  We have defined how we think Jesus would call, how he would lead, what he would want us to have, what we think it means to love, and how we have the right to judge.  But if take the time to study how Jesus lived and how he led, we might find something completely different.  We just might find we are following others and not Jesus.  We might find we are following leaders rather than Jesus.  We might find we are worshiping people and not Jesus.  It is so easy to do…to slip in behind the magnetic personality…to be drawn in with the promises of wealth or goods…to be enamored with the glitz and glamour.  But that isn’t Jesus at all.  That isn’t how he led or what he taught or how he called at all.  But don’t take my word for it.  I want you to experience it for yourself.

    Maybe it is time that we took the opportunity to study God’s word…took the time to read the teachings of Jesus…see how he lived and what he actually did…find out how he lived.  Maybe we read it with open eyes and an open heart – without judgment or trying to decide how it fits in our lives.  Maybe we just read and learn from the shepherd.  I think when we do that, we begin to hear him, we begin to see him at work, we begin to understand who we might be following.  We need a shepherd…and Jesus is calling us to follow him.  He is, after all, the good shepherd.  We don’t need all those other things that seem so valuable, we simply need to follow.  Let’s follow Jesus together.

    John 10:1-18 (NRSV)

    10 “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

    7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

    11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

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  • As you are

    Why not go fishing?  Why not spend some time in the quiet to bring you back to where it all started?  Why not be around friends trying to figure out…what now?  Why not enjoy time away from the commotion of it all?  It is better without the crowds and the accusations and the whirlwind of events that have taken place.  It is a chance to breathe, rest and reset.  It is a chance to simply be.

    They had been through so much in such a short period of time.  Exhaustion, frustration, embarrassment, fear, grief, excitement and confusion had to be wrapped together so tight that it was just better to get away for a while.  Everyone processes it differently.  Everyone finds their own way through the maze of grief.  It is a journey that they were trying to grasp.  Fishing made complete sense.

    I can imagine that the series of events probably played on a continuous loop in their minds, over and over again.  What he has taught them, what he had said, how they had fled, how they were so afraid, what they felt and what if they had done things differently?  What if they had been braver?  What if they had stayed?  What if they had prayed harder instead of sleeping?  What if they had been more faithful instead of jumping ship at the first sign of trouble?  What must it have been like for Jesus to suffer without the disciples?  What had caused them to react like they did?  What was missing?  Just fish.  Put it behind you for a moment and spend time on the water…and fish.  All night fishing, even if you don’t catch anything, is better than the fear of being locked behind doors.  It is way better than trying to explain what was going on.  It was the only answer they knew.

    And then they see someone on the beach.  He is cooking, that would be obvious from a distance.  The smoke rising from the fire would have been a signal of welcome.  He calls for them to catch fish and oh do they!  They catch more than they can hold.  John proclaims, Peter swims and the catch just keeps coming.  They catch until they reach the beach.  They catch and now they are there, on the sand with him.

    Jesus met them where they were.  He invited them.  He welcomed them.  It was an invitation to come and see – see the scars, enjoy the meal, feel the joy in the presence of the Lord.  The invitation didn’t come with conditions.  It didn’t come with a list of rules or a way to behave.  It didn’t come with attire or manners or anything else.  It was a meal that he had prepared.  There was no scorning, no remediation, no making them feel belittled…it was a simple message of come as you are…I’m here to meet you.  He brought the bread and fish to serve them.  He prepared a meal for them to experience the fellowship around the fire.  He was there to meet them.  He was there to show them they were loved.  He called them children because that’s what they are…God’s children.  They were loved and belonged.  They were welcomed.  He simply gave the invitation with no strings attached.  And they came, sat down and ate.

    This powerful story reminds me that Jesus meets us where we are and transports us to where we need to be…sometimes through a simple meal.

    We don’t get excluded because we didn’t get it…because we have strayed…because we are not good enough.  We get invited.  The invitation is to come and experience new life and new triumphs.  Jesus knew about their loss, knew they were unsuccessful, knew they were dismayed, and knew they would be hungry.  He understood because he knew them.

    Here’s the thing…He knows us, too.  He doesn’t expect us to be someone else.  He just expects us to follow.  He will take care of the rest.  He feeds, he nurtures, he revives…he gives life because he is life.  Come and enjoy the meal.  Sit and listen.  Come as you are.

    Lots of people have been told they do not belong.  They have been made to feel as though there would be not seat at the table for them, no invitation because of what they have done or said or thought or who they had become.  They have been made to feel that you can come when you get your life straight or you get clean or you give up your bad habits or you stop sinning or you dress right or talk right or believe right.  Maybe that’s where you find yourself.

    But hear this: the disciples had betrayed and ran and hid and were fearful.  They had missed it and had been unfaithful and were so off course.  And Jesus met them where they were and invited them to the meal.  He didn’t tell them to confess before they got there.  He didn’t ask them to get their life straight or figure out where they had gone wrong.  He didn’t ask them to sit down and write out their misgivings.  They knew who they were and they understood what they had done.  He didn’t need to berate them.  He simply needed to be with them, welcome them, love them and show them that they were loved just the way they were.  All the rest would take care of itself, for now, just sit at the meal and relax.  He didn’t come to belittle, he came to renew.

    So I hear Jesus inviting us just the way we are.  I hear him welcoming us because he loves us so very much.  He knows where we have been.  He knows what we have done.  He knows how we have missed it.  And yet, he calls us his children and invites us to sit, listen, learn, and follow.  No accusations, no judgment, no beating down, no embarrassment…just a welcome.  Welcome.  Come, eat, follow.  It really is that loving, because that’s who Jesus is.

    Focus Scripture:

    John 21 After these things Jesus showed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias; and he showed himself in this way. 2 Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

    4 Just after daybreak, Jesus stood on the beach; but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, you have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net to the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in because there were so many fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on some clothes, for he was naked, and jumped into the sea. 8 But the other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, only about a hundred yards off.

    9 When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, a hundred fifty-three of them; and though there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and did the same with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

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