The Pastor's Study

GLORY in the SKY!

2009-07-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

HAMBURGERS WITH SLICES OF GRILLED PINEAPPLE, the family gathered around the patio table savoring the flavors of summer while making plans to attend the local gathering in Scotts Valley to experience the evening sky filled with the glorious colors of exploding fireworks and the reverberating concussive thud to be felt in our chests. Ah, this is the joy of celebrating our American Independence Day.

We are willing to walk a mile carrying the needed provisions for the evening. We deem it fun to cuddle up and wrap blankets around us to keep off the evening dew-filled chill. We even graciously tolerate the traffic-filled ride to find our way back home. It's what the holiday is all about. It is even better enjoying it together as a family. (Especially since this may be the last one for awhile for my two eldest kids, Trinity is headed to Rome, and Krista, back to Africa.) Of course, the fireworks, with their attendant oohs and ahs, are truly the much-needed icing on the cake.

The Bible tells us that there is coming a Day, another day in which we shall look to the sky in the celebration of our freedom. But this freedom is not from the tyranny of some earthly empire, but from the tyranny of sin and death! A Day is coming in which we shall look toward the heavens as our souls will be filled with the reverberating sounds of a trumpet call and we shall see the Glory of the coming King of kings and Lord of lords. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18) I surmise it shall be even better than all the BBQ's and fireworks we could every imagine, and it is shall be the greatest gathering of family ever! A Day to declare our independence from this world and our complete dependence upon Jesus, God's Son, the Messiah, our Savior!

As we celebrate our national independence let us not forget to celebrate our spiritual dependence upon Jesus. As the evening of the Fourth of July draws to a close and we pick up our blankets and make our way slowly back home, as we lay are weary, but thankful heads upon our pillows, let us not forget to set our alarms to awaken us to celebrate the fifth of July by gathering with God's people in worship as we draw together to celebrate the reality of our Lord's promised return and His sacrifice upon the cross which made our true freedom possible!

Come! Let us worship the Lord with the anticipation of His glory in the sky!

(Note: heading out on vacation for a few weeks...Pastor's Study will be vacationing, too. See you on my return.)

We Can't Escape It

2009-06-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson "went the way of all flesh." And with their passing we are again brought to the stark reality that death is something that none of us can escape. Whether life is lived long, or cut drastically short, death is the specter awaiting each of us.

To be honest Farrah's and Michael's deaths upset me, but not for the reasons which most are upset. I am upset because the deaths of these two celebrities will cause us to forget the ongoing tragic deaths around the world in places like Darfur and Congo. I know some of you are thinking, "come on Randy, lighten-up, quite being so cynical and harsh."

Well, that's just the place I am.

I am sadden by many who are suffering that I personally know...good people...humble people...people who have lived quiet lives of serving God and man, and now find themselves being chased by death. For these and for many others, my heart hurts.

These thoughts of death and dying do bring us to this week's sermon passage from John 12:12-36. It is here we now see Jesus moving straight forward to His death. Not sherking from it, not hiding, but resolved to accomplish that for which He was sent. (John 12:27)

Jesus came for the purpose of dying, so that through His death we might have life. (John 10:10; John 20:21; 1 John 5:12) I cannot say that for anyone else. And as they say, "the proof is in the pudding," or is Jesus' case, in His resurrection!!!

How good it is to know that we can be part of the wonderful harvest that has been brought forth because of Jesus' sacrificial death. (John 12:23-26) And that we, as the fruit of that harvest, have the responsibility to also die to self so that the planting and harvest will continue, and all for the glory of God.

Death does await all of us and the day of our death is known only to Him who is the Giver of life, so let us therefore live in the Light, as children of the Light; working while it is still day so that death shall not be an horrendous end, but a glorious beginning.

Flouresent Monkeys

2009-06-04T05:20:00.000-07:00

I don't know if they really glow-in-the-dark, but it seems scientists have created a transgenic monkey. Apart from the usual ethical questions it is rather amazing what is being done these days. The unwrapping of the human genome is constantly changing how we see ourselves, and this has very powerful ramifications, some good and some not-so-good.

In his recent book, "So Beautiful," Leonard Sweet seeks to unwrap the DNA of the church. Sweet's thoughts are worth considering, and in many ways resonant with my own. For a number of years now I have wrestled with the question of who are we as the church, and what is our life to be like as those who have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of our lives?

One thing has become clear, just as in "making" transgenic glow-in-the-dark monkeys can yield positive results for the human race farther down the road, it can also open a Pandora's Box of unintended results. What is definitely called for is great and humble wisdom.

What the world sees as good and right is not always the case. And what can be said about the world can also be said about the church. In my sermon passage for this coming Sunday (John 12:1-11) we encounter Mary (the sister of Lazarus) pouring expensive perfume on the feet of Jesus. Some in the gathered group, namely Judas, see it as nothing but a waste of time and money. But, Jesus says that Mary has chosen the right thing to do. Mary has responded rightly to her Creator and has lived out that for which she was created, the total worship of the Lord.

This Sunday I am to not only preach about this encounter, but I am to share with the church the direction in which we believe the Lord is leading us as a local congregation. These are truly exciting days and we see God doing some amazing things in our midst and around the world (even more amazing than glow-in-the-dark primates), and yet we need to keep our eyes and heart focused, as did Mary, upon the primary mission which is the glory of God.

What is the DNA of the church? How are we to live out the lives we were created to live? As Leonard Sweet points out, the church, as God created it, is so beautiful. I encourage you to delve deep into the revealed mysteries of God and stand amazed at the beautiful work God has wrought. May we, as His Body, live forth as He designed for His glory.

Life or Death, Which Will It Be?

2009-05-18T16:51:00.000-07:00

The older I get (just had a birthday last week) allows me to get closer to death. My friends and the flock get older too, and thus are closer to death. Lately, I have witnessed an increase in those affected by cancers, heart conditions, and various other illnesses that carry the specter of death around them. But death is not a respecter of age, for even this morning one of our senior church members lost an adult child to an accidental death, much to the tragic shock of all of us. Personally, my soul is wearied by those called to such suffering, my heart aches for them in their pain, suffering, and loss.

My prayer for them is that they will know deeply the presence of the Lord during their period of suffering and/or grief. I pray for His abiding peace to truly guard their hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Philippians 4:6-7)

With all this in mind, this week's Biblical sermon text is even more striking and powerful. In our sermon series, "Changing Our World for Good," we look over the shoulder of Jesus as He encounters death face-to-face in the death of his dear friend Lazarus. (John 11:1-44)

There are, of course, many things to discuss and ponder in this encounter, but here is what grabs me today, and a question that has arisen in me numerous times over the years, it is, "why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, was is not better for him to remain in heaven?" Now, I realize that Jesus did state that by His act of compassion in raising Lazarus people would come to believe in Him (John 11:15) and that God would receive glory (John 11:40).

But, is there more?

I believe there is.

In addition to God's power being displayed. In addition to a validation of who Jesus is. In addition to the restorative comforting His act provided to Mary and Martha. I believe Jesus also reminds us of the importance of life.

Life was God's creation, not death. We were created for life, not for death. I don't think we were even created for heaven, we were created for life with the Living God. We were created for living communion with the One God, who has eternally existed as a Tri-Unity. It is in the bringing of Lazarus back to life that Jesus is declaring that life is a good thing, it is that thing for which we were created.

Too often, my focus (our focus) is either on the tragic aspects of death which surround us, or upon the reality of life after death (which I admit is a great truth). But when are focus is solely upon those aspects we miss the truth that we have been given life, and life to be lived right here, right now. Jesus declared in John 10:10, that He came to give life and that life in abundance. In other words, is the raising of Lazarus we see that this is not such a bad place to be, this place called life on Earth, even with all its pain and suffering. In fact, it is the life we have now in Jesus that brings us the grace, compassion, steadfastness and hope to live this life.

For me to live is Christ!

So, shall we live?

Walking Blind

2009-04-22T08:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I shared about my early morning God-lesson as I watched two planets reflecting the light of the unseen sun. (sermon here) One of the lesson was that of the need for the darkness in order for the dirt-encrusted planets to shine forth. For us that darkness often refers to things like suffering and doubt. Elements that we do not desire nor enjoy, and yet are the very things that allow Christ's reflective light to shine forth.

This week's sermon passage, John 9:1-41, also deals with darkness and light in the form of blindness and sight. There is much to discuss in this powerful encounter between Jesus, the blindman and the religious leaders, but I would like to focus just on one short section that coincides with my God-lesson mentioned above.

In John 9:6-12 Jesus begins the healing process with spit and mud (pretty earthy, the basis of our very creation...hearkens back to Genesis 2:7). Then Jesus tells the man to walk blind to the pool of Siloam. I don't know how far the man had to walk, but Jesus could have healed him without making him walk one more step in the darkness that had overshadowed him from birth, and yet Jesus sent the man off with spit and mud in his eyes and in darkness to wash in the pool.

The spiritual lesson for me was strong. Jesus may bring healing into various areas of my life, while at the same time calling me to continue to walk in darkness. To walk obediently in the dark while His healing of my life is still in the process of arriving. I don't know why at one time the healing is immediate and at others it is still arriving, all I know is that sometimes the darkness is still present, and as with the planets allows the Light of the world to shine unto God's glory...which is the goal in all things. (John 9:3)

So, Prove Me Wrong!

2009-04-16T08:23:00.000-07:00

IN EVANGELICAL ECCLESIASTICAL PASTORAL CIRCLES, this coming Sunday (the Sunday after Easter) is lovingly referred to as "Slump Sunday." It's the day when churches suffer below normal church attendance, which often looks even more striking against the previous week's, above normal church attendance. The reason for this below normal gathering is often attached to the fact that so many in the church did more than usual the week before because of all the increase of religious activities during Holy Week, and now they believe they earned a Sunday off.

After over 30 years of pastoral work I have found the above phenomenon to be true. To be honest it's a little disheartening to us pastors. Sure, we can understand it, and it may even make some limited sense, but it still is troubling. It's not just having the CE attendees (Christmas/Easter) fail to return, but it's having the regular church family disappear as well.

When I was younger this whole event bothered me on a strictly statistical and numerical basis; numbers were down, giving was down, and this was not good. But now, it bothers me at a deeper level (though I miss the numbers as well). It troubles me that we can think that not gathering with the Community of Christ on a regular basis is somehow an option for us. Now, don't get your toga in a knot, for I know we all go other places and even pastor's take a week off from time to time. I know that, and I am OK with that, this issue is much more systemic than that.

Often, there is a sense that this "missing church" will some how not matter in the great scope of things. The danger is that this attitude can develop into a destructive practice. The truth is we were created for Community. As Christians are born anew into Christ's Body, the Church, and the church is not about doing, it is about being. Sadly, I know people who cannot miss a day without stopping at Starbucks. In fact, if they miss that opportunity they will make it the topic of conversation and complaint until they are able to return to their "temple" of choice, but these same people can miss a month of Sundays without the slightest affect upon their being.

Believe it or not, this brings us to our passage for this coming week, John 8:48-59.

In this encounter Jesus is once again defending who He is before the religious leaders. In John 8:58 He declares, "Before Abraham was, I AM." In that statement He made it definitively clear to His detractors that He was God, the "I AM." (Exodus 3:14) Yet, it should be noted that being the I AM did not mean He stood alone, but rather the greater reality was that He has dwelt for eternity in a Divine Community. What He did, what He said, was what He saw and heard from the Father. Jesus' very nature, that of being in community with God, had bearing upon all that He was and did. That community is imparted to us, His followers. It is what the Body of Christ is all about.

Jesus told His followers that apart from Him we could do nothing. (John 15:5) We, too often, personalize that statement. We make it all about Christ in me, but in reality it is much more. It is about community, and it is for the community, the Body of Christ. Apart from the Community of Christ, His Body, we can do nothing. Not just because the individual members of the local church hold some collective power that is transmitted to us, but because Christ lives in, and through, His Body. Remember the Word of God tells us we are not like a body, we are the Body. (1 Corinthians 12:27)

There is much to unpack in this passage this week, but let's not miss the truth about who Jesus is, how Jesus is, for we are called to be conformed to His image. (Romans 8:29) The community, gathering with it, is of vital importance to our journey in following Christ and in being made like Him by the Holy Spirit's work in us.

Will the Community of Christ gather this week with the numbers and enthusiasm, as it did the week previous? I doubt it! But to that I would love to say,

"Prove me wrong!"

HE IS RISEN!

2009-04-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

HE IS RISEN!

That might be a scary prospect for a horror film. Something about some guy rising from the dead, sulking around the countryside looking for hapless victims to bring to his netherworld lair. Yep, I am sure Hollywood could make that title into a real hit for the Halloween movie season.

But, when I use those words, my thoughts fall not to images of death, but rather of life! It is a declaration of life-bringing truth. He is risen! This "He" is of course the man Jesus, who, as the Apostle's Creed reminds us, "was crucified, dead, and buried, descended into Hell, The third day He rose again from the dead."

This week we remember the Passion of our Lord. That passion was for us; to pay the full and complete price for our sin (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 3:18). Because of this Passion He willingly journeyed to the Cross. (Hebrews 12:2) but His Passion not ony included His death, but His resurrection as well.

Jesus' resurrection was for the purpose of bringing life, not death. It was to move us from a place of fear to the place of faith. It was not a horror story, but the event that establishes hope. The shout of the Church, "He is risen!" Was not a shout of dismay but of joy. It was the constant reminder that all the Jesus said, did and promised was true! Sins forgiven! A place in heaven guaranteed! The relationship with our Heavenly Father restored! Purpose, peace, mercy, love renewed, continually!

I encourage you this week, as we remember the Passion of our Lord, to seek to renew your passion for Him. To call upon the Holy Spirit, that dwells in the life of every believer, to empower you anew. Cry out for the Resurrection Passion to fill your life.

Choose this week to live out the the life-changing declaration of truth, that "HE IS RISEN!" not just with your mouth, but with the everyday decisions of your life for "He is risen, indeed!"

He Ain't No Superstar!

2009-03-31T13:59:00.000-07:00

Hosanna Heysanna Sanna Sanna Ho

Sanna Hey Sanna Ho Sanna
Hey J C, J C you're alright by me
Sanna Ho Sanna Hey Superstar

So goes the chorus of the crowd as the character of Jesus Christ Superstar enters the city of Jerusalem on the day we now call Palm Sunday. The only problem with superstars is that they too often fall from the heights and coming crashing into some dark hole of anti-stardom. Of the real Jesus Christ this of course is not true.

Jesus was no superstar, as our Bible text from last week's sermon (The Exclusivity of Jesus) pointed out, Jesus is the "light of the world." (John 8:12) He is not some superstar placed in the heavens by the decision of the populace, but in fact He is the One who is Light Himself.

The Apostle John would also write in his letters, "This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all." (1 John 1:5) Our Lord is not someone who shines brightly for awhile only to be overshadowed by some other light, no He is the One who was light from the beginning, and it is His light that is the very life of all people. (John 1:4-5)

Like the people of Jerusalem 2000 years ago, we are desirous of lifting people to superstar status. There seems built into us the need to have someone who shines brightly, a star that lifts us out of our own personal places of darkness and gloom. Jesus does that, but so much more.

In this coming Sunday's passage (John 8: 31-47) Jesus calls His would be followers to a place of commitment and action. He tells those gathered that to have a relationship with the heavenly Father demands that they have a relationship of trust and obedience with the One that the Father as sent, namely Jesus, the Christ.

The "hard teaching" of Jesus related in this passage again comes to the issue of light. To believe and trust in Him puts you in relationship with God the Father, the God who is Light, but to reject that relationship gives you another father, Satan, the father of lies, and to carry with our theme, the god of the dark.

As the events of that Passover week unfolded the people who were calling out for a superstar soon changed the words of their song,

We need him crucified
It's all you have to do
We need him crucified

It's all you have to do

How quickly the light of a superstar fades in our eyes. How desperately we need a light that bears no shadows, a light that fully encompasses the whole of our lives. This is the Light that is Jesus. This is the Light who is the one and only Son of God (John 3:16). This is the Light of the world, if whom we follow, then we shall never walk in darkness, but have the Light that is Life. (John 1:4-5)

This Passion Week, let us all seek to dwell in the Light. Let us choose to know the Father who sent His Son to be the Savior of the world, and let us follow Him. (1 John 4:14)

Now That's Dark

2009-03-30T09:24:00.000-07:00

I THOUGHT I KNEW WHAT DARK WAS, until I took a tour of the Oregon Caves located in the mountains above Grants Pass, Oregon. As part of the ½ mile, 90 minute tour you are taken into one of the pathways between chambers at which point the Park Ranger/tour guide turns out the lights. To say you can’t see your hand in front of your eyes is an understatement. And there is no “letting your eyes adjust” either. It is just dark as dark can be. Truthfully, a pretty unnerving feeling. I more than welcomed the opportunity to bask again in the soft incandescent glow of the light strung overhead.

The Holy Scriptures tell us that without Jesus, who is the Light of the world, we are all walking in darkness. I am going to make the assumption that the darkness is not some sort of twilight time of dusky shadows but more like the intense blackout that I experienced in the cave. It is a darkness that over time leaves one with the inability to determine which way to go, and maybe even more not knowing that there is a way to go. It is a darkness that paralyzes.

The good news is that we do not have to remain in the darkness. Like the Park Ranger in the cave, our Lord is more than willing to illumine the path that leads to the fullness of light if we but call out to Him. It is the desire of our gracious Lord to not only shine His light upon the path of our life, but to lead us out into the day in which we can be completely encompassed in Him who is the Light of the world.

In the book of the Revelation, the Apostle John describes the fullness of the Lord’s light. He records, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.” (Revelation 21:24-25) It is in this Light that we are called to walk.

So, let us walk.

Limitations

2009-03-23T09:26:00.000-07:00

As I was reading through the text for this coming Sunday's sermon, John 8:12-30, my heart was grabbed by John 8:15, "You judge by human standards...." The context of this statement is Jesus' response to the religious leaders who were questioning His authority to be His own witness.

Jesus' statement truly stuck me, for there is the deep realization of just how inadequate I am to truly understand God and His workings. As the LORD stated is Isaiah 55:8, "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, and neither our your ways My ways." I have often thought of those words in relation to the reality that God's ways are different than mine, but there is a deeper truth. The truth is that I cannot fathom, understand, categorize or judge the ways of the LORD. It is beyond my ability to understand.

Now, I could feel very defeated by this, or I could cloister myself away in a closet believing that since I cannot know, why try. But my inability to judge at God's level does not mean I should not try, rather it means I need to keep things in proper perspective. It means that I can rest in the knowledge that there are some things I will not, and cannot, understand. It brings me once again to the place of trust and faith in the God who IS and who is bigger than I in all aspects. Security comes from learning to trust in a Father who loves me, completely, and who is more than able to see me through to the Day. (1 Corinthians 1:8-9; Jude 1:24-25)

As the Apostle Paul wrote, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

AMEN to limitations!

Solving the Economic Crisis and the World's Oldest Profession

2009-03-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT PROSTITUTION is the world's oldest profession. Even yesterday I heard a discussion centered around our present economic crisis where one of the commentators said, even for all the woes which prostitution brings we need to remember that it is a player in our market economy. What?!?

His point was that where there is an exchange of "goods" and "money" it can be seen as helpful to the economy. Now, to be fair, it must be said that the speaker was not advocating prostitution, rather he was making the strong point about how deeply intertwined are culture, community and commerce.

And here we arrive at our sermon text for this coming Sunday, John 8:1-11, the encounter between Jesus, the religious leaders and the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. (Note: I realize that some feel that this section of Scripture should not be included in John's gospel account, for a concise dealing with this issue see Bob Deffinbaugh's commentary on this section. Click here.) What we do find in this passage, among others things is how to deal with immorality when it strikes us in the face, and this brings us back to the issue of solving the economic crisis.

I believe, as some others do, that our present economic crisis is a crisis of morality, birthed in greedy and ill-content hearts. It is ultimately not about poorly designed mortgages, or over-the-top interest rates, or even an over-inflated housing market. It arrives from our hearts that seek to acquire more and more in the hopes of finding fulfillment in our lives. We have searched, since our departure from the Garden, to fill that emptiness in our soul that only God can fill. And sadly, that search has often led us to all sorts of immoral activity.

Now, back to John 8:1-11. The activity of the woman was immoral. The activities of the religious leaders were immoral as well. But Jesus' response to both of them were not. His response was to point to the truth, "those without sin cast the first stone,"(John 8:7) and to the woman, "go and sin so more." (John 8:11) His response was not to rant and rave. It was not to cast stones of condemnation (though of all those gathered, he has the right), rather in quiet, patient resolve He called those present to remember the deeper truth to which we are called, and to live lives according to that truth.

I believe we can apply the way of our Lord to the present crisis in which we find ourselves, that is to not rant and rave, pointing fingers and casting blame, but rather to quietly gently, speak the truth of God, reminding ourselves that our present economy will never be changed until we see its cause for what it was, a moral failure on personal and national levels. Until we understand this truth, and change at the heart (sinning no more), there will be no solving this crisis. But, like the woman sent on her way by our Lord, there is an opportunity for a new beginning, that commences with forgiveness and grace.

How shall we then live?

The Drought

2009-03-10T20:33:00.000-07:00

Last week, during the midst of a pretty decent rain storm, the Governor of our fair State declared a drought. As I was listening to the news report it was pouring down rain outside and I thought to myself has this guy even looked out the window?

Now, in a case for fairness, our State has been suffering from below average rainfall for a few years, and I am sure that the drought conditions do exist, but I was humored by the choice of timing for his press release. He at least could have waited until thing had stopped raining for the week. Oh well, I guess politics and weather are two things one never quite gets right no matter how hard you try.

So, what does this have to do with our sermon text for this week? It all comes down to water. Our text comes from John 7:25-44 where Jesus stands up on the great day of the Feast of the Tabernacles and cries out, "If anyone is thirsty let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scriptures has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:37-38) Of course, as we quickly discover, this water is the filling of the Holy Spirit that will come upon those who put their trust in Christ as Savior and Lord.

As I was studying this passage, I was also spending time in 2 Chronicles in preparation for our weekly prayer meeting and Bible study (we are walking through 2 Chronicles together). This week's passage contains the familiar passage of 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land." What is interesting is that this passage is found in the context of God withholding rain, and thus the need for the people to call out to Him.

Too often I believe 2 Chronicles 7:14 is taken out of context, and applied to the predicaments of our own nation, but if we look at it in the whole of the context (that is who it was written to and why) we can see that the promise goes much deeper than just the setting of our country right and of fixing the political and social woes of our nation. I believe it truly speaks of the very withholding of the Holy Spirit, or at least the plugging up of the flow of His power.

In Israel one of the greatest indicators of God's blessing was the giving of the fall and winter rains which would go to ensure a future harvest of blessing. So too, with those called by His name today, the Church, the greatest blessing that God gives to us in the here and now, is the gift of the Holy Spirit, His reign in us that is a guarantee a future blessing. (2 Corinthians 5:5)

So, is there a drought in California, well by looking at my rain gauge over the past couple of weeks, I would say "no." But then my backyard is only a very small part of the whole. Yes, there may very well be a drought in our State.

How about the Church, are we experiencing a drought of the reign of the Holy Spirit? To read some of the reports coming out from people like Cathy Lynn Grossman's article in USA Today, and a recent article by Michael Spencer in the Christian Science Monitor, both dealing with the seeming demise of evangelicalism. Now, I don't necessarily believe everything included in these reports, but they do give one cause to sit up and take notice. As I look around at the church of which I am blessed to be a part I can see that there is no drought here, but rather the gentle falling rain of God's blessing. The soil is soft, the grass in growing green, and there is a promise of future blessing. I can't say that there is not a drought in the land, but in some pockets the rain is falling and for this we are blessed.

A Lenten Dilemma

2009-02-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

GROWING UP IN MY HOME MEANT giving up something for Lent. I am not sure, but I think it was a holdover from my mom's Catholic schoolgirl days.

In my childhood days we were good Methodists, so I guess observing Lent still held some weight, and thus each year I was "encouraged" to give up something I enjoyed for the 40 days leading up to Easter Week. I never really knew the "why" other than it had to do with something about Jesus suffering for me, so I should suffer for Him.

I don't know if it was good theology or not, but truth be known it did make me think more about Jesus and His death on the Cross, and of course His resurrection which would free me not only from sin, but from the constraints of my Lenten "sacrifice."

Now, once again, the Lenten season is bearing down on me. As a good evangelical I could pass it off on my Mainline brothers and sisters, and say that I am free from those previous ecclesiastical constraints, but then I would hear my mother's voice in my ear. Yes, I know I probably have some other "issues" to deal with as well, but this Lenten thing still weighs upon me. I suppose the reality is that when I have practiced this discipline in the past I have actually been better for it. No real spiritual magic, just the reality of a disciplined life, and of course giving up say, 40 days of television does have its benefits.

But what about this year?

This year I have had a different thought tickle my theological fancy. It is the thought about rather than giving up something, to take something on. I realize that Jesus gave up everything for me; His prerogatives of being God (Philippians 2:5-11), His right to be served as God (Mark 10:45), and of course His very life as a sacrifice for us (Romans 3:25). But, He also took on so much for us, and in that process He gave to us. So, I am left with this idea of adding something to my life.

But what?

I do have a couple of ideas like creating a discipline of rising extra early and committing more time to prayer. There is also the idea of finding ways to practice compassion to those in need around me, like meeting the needs of the homeless under the bridge by the church. Maybe it would be writing letters of encouragement to 10 people everyday. There are lots of ways of adding something "Christ-like" to my life. Now, what will it be...?

Oh, the rule I learned from my mom is you are not supposed to go broadcasting it to everybody, so I guess I just pick one, or two...maybe three things, and go from there. Anybody care to join me.

Happy Lent!

He's Everything to Me

2009-02-02T15:20:00.000-08:00

Back in my younger days, we used to sing a little chorus (probably old enough now even to be classified a hymn by some), it was entitled, "He's Everything to Me," and if memory serves me right it went something like,

In the stars His handiwork I see,
On the wind He speaks with majesty,
Though He ruleth over land and sea,
What is that to me?

I will celebrate Nativity,
For it has a place in history,
Sure He came to set His people free,
What is that to me?

Til I met Him face to face,
And I felt the wonder of His grace,
Then I knew that He was more than just
a God who did not care,
Who lived a way up there,
And, now in lives inside me everyday
Watching o'er me while I pray,
Helping me to find that narrow way,
He's everything to me.

This coming week's sermon text, from John 5:16-47, deals with some of the important distinction of this One we call Jesus of Nazareth. The Scripture lays out for us just who this Jesus is, and with a careful reading it is clear that He is more than just a carpenter's son.

In fact, quite a key list is put forth including such aspects as His part as life-giver, creator, judge, forgiver of sins, not to mention One who shares in the glory of God. Something for which the Jewish leaders were not very excited.

But Jesus did not stand alone in this confession regarding who He is, for He said there were at least three other "confessors" as well: John the Baptist, His accomplished works (miracles, etc) and the Scriptures themselves (God's Word). (See: John 5:33-40)

As you take time to read through this passage, I would ask you to consider what you learn about Jesus, the Messiah. And with John the Baptist how would you testify to the truth about the Truth?

The Program of Jesus

2009-01-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

Recently, there has been a mantra floating among our church leadership. It goes something like this: "People over programs." The gist of it being that we are seeking to make our decisions, especially financial ones of late, not based solely upon the needs of our church programs and facilities, but upon the true needs of the people who call Felton Bible Church home.

When you think about it, this was often Jesus' way of looking at ministry as well, much to the chagrin of the local religious leaders and even His own disciples. A case in point can be found in this coming week's sermon text found in John 5:1-15. In this passage Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda by the Sheep Gate leading into the city of Jerusalem.

Now there is nothing wrong with healing a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years, the problem came from doing it on the Sabbath. We see that the healing gave the man cause to carry his mat away from his 38 year sitting spot, and this little action is not allowed on the Sabbath. Doesn't matter that a great miracle took place. Doesn't matter that a man was set free from years of physical bondage. The only thing that matter is that this act of compassion broke the rules of the program. And we just can't have that can we?

Programs, for both leaders and followers, offer control and safety. We know what is going to happen next. Things are relegated, or dare we say "religious?" But, I believe the LORD always put people over programs, even though that meant things might seem out of control at times and might get a little messy.

Yes, order is important, and God has set forth guidelines, but too often we have taken these prescriptions and buried them in a foundation of concrete rather than resting them in the movement of the Spirit. We have become so tied to the way we think God should work that we miss Him when He does. In stead of rejoicing with the healing of this man, the religious leaders called him to give account for his Sabbath infraction. They were more concerned about the program than the person.

As a "religious leader" myself, this passage troubles me for I have to ask myself how I would have responded? I surely know what it is to plan and run a program, and the importance of keeping things running smoothly for the Kingdom, but how often do I miss the very presence of God because I am more concerned about the status quo than I am about the present touch of God in a person's life.

Today, as I was reading 2 Chronicles 5:13-14 I was humbled when I read about the presence of the LORD filling the temple to such an extent that the priests could not do their job. The program was suspended for the Presence! I was humbled by the thought of how many times I might have pushed on through with the program in spite of the Lord desiring to fill the place with His holy Presence.

People over program, yes, a good mantra.

Presence over program, even better!

Some Rising Thoughts

2009-01-13T10:41:00.000-08:00

My son and I have some things in common, one of those being our love of bread (the kind you eat). Even last night at dinner he would be willing to forgo a delicious meal made by his mom for just some more slices of bread. Bread can be for us a meal in itself not just an accompaniment. Some have said that hell smells of burning sulfur, I think heaven will smell like warm fresh-baked bread!

In the sermon text for this coming Sunday (John 4:27-42), we find the Disciples returning to find Jesus having a conversation with a Samaritan woman. They don't question Him about this encounter but they do raise some questions when they call Him to eat some lunch and He replies that He has bread of which they know not. Of course, we discover that Jesus is talking about not physical bread, but of the purpose of His life which is do do the will and work of His Father.

His conversation about bread got me thinking about the other references to bread in the Scriptures, and I began to wonder is there a connection between these references.

So, here I pose the question to you, the readers of this blog. A question for you to ponder, and I pray will draw you closer to the One who is the Bread of heaven. Ponder this with me, if you would:

What is the relationship, if any, between:

Jesus' bread as being the doing of the work and will of the Father.
Jesus being the bread of heaven (John 6:33-59)
Jesus' breaking of the bread at the Passover meal (22:1-38, and others)
Jesus' prayer asking for our daily bread (Matthew 6:9-13)
The consecrated bread of the Temple (Exodus 35:13)

and with this

If Jesus is the Bread of heaven and we are His Body, is there a relationship to us also being bread, and if so, what is that relationship and what would it mean for our daily lives as followers of Jesus, the Lord?

So, there are some thoughts to chew on? I don't know if I have many good answers right now but I hope that some truth will rise. I look forward to some of your musings as well.

Peace!

How We Change Our World

2009-01-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

Today I came across the following quote,

"He also lived with authority. He didn't teach chemistry; he turned water into wine. He didn't teach weather patterns; he calmed a storm. He didn't teach medicine; he healed hurting people and instructed his followers to heal in his name. He didn't teach moral philosophy; he forgave and enabled us to forgive. He didn't teach a course on world hunger; he fed the multitudes and commanded his followers to feed them also." ("A Faith and Culture Devotional," Kullberg and Arrington)

This quote grabbed mt attention as I was thinking about our series in "Changing Our World for Good." We endeavor in some many ways to boldly change our culture, and often in the process we turn people away rather than to draw them near. Now, granted when Jesus was here He did turn some people off (usually those of the "religious right" of the day) but for the most part people were drawn to Him. As the above quote reminds us people were drawn to Him instead of just teaching behind the pulpit (though He did that, too) He lived out amongst the people, meeting their needs as they came up.

A case in point from our Scripture text of last week and this coming, John 4:1-42, is that when Jesus brought forth the issue of the woman's husband it was not with a word of condemnation, but for the purpose of drawing forth her need. Rather than moralizing, He would offer her forgiveness. This encounter reminds me of another in John 8:1-11, there too, Jesus does not condemn but offers forgiveness and the grace of a new direction.

I believe there is a lesson there for us to learn.

When the woman at the well changes the focus from her "marital status" to that of the correct place and form of worship, here too Jesus does not argue with her over the "wrongness" of the Samaritan view, but instead points her to a whole new way of looking at the truth. He moves quickly from discussing religious systems (read that "mountains" of worship) to a new culture that is not based upon a place, but upon a Person.

I think this is what Andy Crouch is promoting in his book, "Culture Making: Recovering Our Creative Calling." Crouch explains that one of the best ways we can truly make a difference in our culture, is not by copying, or mimicking, or even standing against our "evil" culture, but rather by offering something wholly (holy?) different, and with that something better than what the people already have. Too often, we either just tear the culture down or copy it up and neither of these options, left to themselves, will draw people to leave what they have to join us in what we are offering.

When Jesus came, He did not just come to change culture, but to create something new. Even on the night He would find Himself betrayed into the hands of sinful men He declared to His disciples, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood which is poured out for you." (Luke 22:20) The Kingdom He came to establish would not be a rehash or a remaking of the old, but the birthing of a new Kingdom. A Kingdom so radically life-changing that people would freely give of their very lives to be part of it.

I think there is a lesson here for us to learn.

I'm Thirsty!

2008-12-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

How many times as a parent have we heard our child proclaim, "I'm thirsty!"? It can happen of anytime of the day...or night. Sometimes their call is not really because there is some physiological need, but rather one of a more psychological or sociological need. There is the declaration of their thirst that derives from the need to be close to us, or the need just to have something to do, like drink a soda.

I was reading last week about a child that approached their grandma with the declaration that they were hungry, but when the grandma offered them a number of good food options, they turned them all down, to which the grandma wisely responded, "Well then I guess you're really not hungry, or more likely just bored." And as any good parent should know, food is not a good way to satiate boredom.

This week's passage is John 4:1-38, the encounter between a thirsty Jesus and a water-drawing woman of Samaria. In this powerful, but gracious, encounter we watch Jesus strip away the various defenses and devices that the woman uses in order to help her see where her true thirst lays.

There are lots of "sermons" in this passage, some which I hope to discuss in my present sermon series, "Changing Our World for Good," but what is grabbing my attention right now is the need we have to help our culture discern its "thirsts." Too often, I believe that people do not respond to the message of the Gospel because they are thirsting for the wrong thing. It's like going out for a five mile run and thinking that a Pepsi is going to quench your thirst, when really the best thing is simple clear, cool water.

It's a problem that the church must deal with if we are to continue to bring the life-giving water of our Lord to the masses. I think that often we offer what people want (like the child mentioned above) rather than what they truly need, that which will really quench their thirst.

To solve this we need to know what people are thirsty for, and also we need to know that which will best serve the deep thirst. We also need to know how to help them get their buckets to the bottom of the well so that they will be able to draw from the life-giving water that is Jesus.

So, there my friend, are some questions for us to dwell upon:
1) For what do people thirst and how does this thirst mask their really need?
2) How can we get them to the well, when they may not even know it is there for them?
3) How is the Living Water, the true thirst-quencher they need?
4) How can we give them the tools to reach the bottom of the well where the living water flows?

Ideas?

May the Lord, who is the Living Water, quench the thirst of your soul.

Words are One Thing

2008-12-22T09:39:00.000-08:00

Mission Statements. Vision-Casting. Key Result Areas. Goal-Setting. All good and useful items, but like some of the papers I wrote in college, they are just a lot of words unless we take their truth and put them into action. The same holds true for those New Year Resolutions that we write down at the beginning of each new year. Too often, they become nothing more than a bunch of words, never accomplishing the end we desired.

In my present sermon series, Changing Our World for Good, we have been looking out how Jesus came to change His world for good, and how we, as His followers, are to now join Him in that life-changing work. The rub comes for us in that we cannot just read His Word, and agree with His plan, but we must join Him in His work.

The problem, as I see it, is that too often I expect Jesus to join me in my plans. I write the Mission Statements, I Cast the Vision, and then I pray hard for Him to bless my work. I think for too long I had it all backwards (and I realize that I am not alone in this).

This Sunday I am planning, Lord willing, to be preaching out of John 3:22-36. Here, within this passage, we again encounter the forerunner of Jesus, John the Baptist (Luke 1:5-35; Luke 1:57-80; Luke 3:1-20; John 19:19-34) Central to this passage is John 3:30, "He must become greater,I must become less."

John's words, like some of my Mission Statements, sounds good, looks great on the top of your corporate letterhead, or emblazoned upon the foyer walls, but the practice of which is near impossible.

Would I dare to make this statement of John's my New Year Resolution? Sure, it sounds good, holy even, but to pray for its reality and to live out its truth...ah, there comes the difficulty.

To be honest the prospects of living out this statement is scary. It means living a life of humility. It means not even playing second fiddle, but maybe just being the person who sweeps the floor after everyone has left the building. Note, that continuing action of John's declaration; He must become greater, I must become less. It is not something I just do once, but Jesus must keep growing in glory, and I must continue to grow in humility. There is no promise of finally receiving my recognition as a servant, no, I must continue to make sure that it is Jesus who is lifted up and seen. My role and responsibility to be continue to work behind the scenes, continually pulling the curtain open to reveal the Lord's full glory.

Now, hear me, I am not saying the responsibility is one of demeaning, beaten down slavery, no, this is a position of great honor, to serve the King of kings. But, I must remember, it is all about Him! It is really about dying to self (Luke 9:21-27). It is the call of the true disciple of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

As I think about it, it is the rephrasing of the statement we have repeated at church over and over again over the past 11+ years..."It's not about me, It's about God."

How do we Change Our World for Good? By becoming less, so that He can become more. Now, there is a New Year Resolution worth living for...by His grace and strength alone.

A Blessed Christmas to you!
And a Grace-filled year to come!

Fear Not!

2008-12-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

Fear again seems to permeate our society. In 2001 we learned to fear terrorism. In 2008 we have learned to fear the economy. Add to those the ongoing fear of raising kids in today's permissive culture, and the fear of failing health, aging parents, or corrupt government officials, and it is hard not to be "running scared."

Therefore, I suggest that the declaration of the angelic host, overseeing the birth of Jesus 2000 years ago, is as needed today as ever.

Fear not, for I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all people. For you this day, in the city of David, is born for you a Savior, He is Christ, the Lord. (Luke 2:10-11)

When the angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, his words were "Fear not." (Luke 1:13) When Gabriel appeared to Mary, the mother of Jesus, he said to her, "Fear not." (Luke 1:30) To the shepherds in the field it was "Fear not." (Luke 2:10) Later in the midst of His ministry Jesus declared to His followers Do not be afraid the kingdom is yours (Luke 12:32) And toward the end of His earthly ministry He comforted His grieving disciples by telling them not to fear for He is leaving them His peace. (John 14:27)

Later, the Apostle Paul would write to the fledgling church, that peace with God is available to them and the peace of God is with them. (Philippians 4:4-7) He reminds them that their anxiousness can be comforted as they seek God, lift their needs and hearts before Him, and focus upon that which is good and true and holy. (Philippians 4:8-9)

This peace, the peace that comes from the One who is the Prince of Peace is still available to us today. Our God knew the plague of our hearts was fear. Fear of the future and of the past. Fear of failure and success. Fear of loving well and being loved. Yes, it permeates our lives. But there is Hope...there is Jesus.

May this Christmas, may the declaration of the angels and the words of our Lord sooth and comfort your heart. May you know afresh the reality of Him who is the Prince of Peace. And as we celebrate His first Advent, my our hearts look forward, with peace-filled anticipation to His second Advent.

Maranatha!

MASS-Marketing

2008-12-02T09:37:00.000-08:00

Mass-Marketing affects us all, and seems to touch our lives in so many ways. It infiltrates our homes, our cars, our places of employment, our schools, and even our places of recreation. I guess that is why it is called "mass-marketing."

It has also entered into our most hallowed of spaces, the church.

As I was reading over this coming Sunday's Scripture text, John 2:13-25, where Jesus enters into the courtyard of the Temple and begins to clear it of those selling there, I realized how not much has changed over the years. It seems every so often another 'Temple clearing" is needed.

Now, this next paragraph may seem a little convoluted, but for the sake of argument allow me some room here, and of course I invite your thoughts, and questions of clarification.

So, we are awaiting the arrival of that very special day of the year, Christmas. The word derives from the celebrating the Mass of Christ. Mass being that aspect of worship whose main focus is the celebrator of the Lord's Table. Thus, we can say that the Mass is the service of worship, and Mass-marketing is when we begin to market and sell worship so to meet the needs of those attending. That is, we get the focus off the Lord of the Table and on to those who attend it (that would be you and me.) Following? I pray so. ;o)

For too long, the church has been involved in Mass-marketing, the creating of a "worship experience" whose purpose is to meet the needs of the buyers (the congregation) and the sellers (the clergy and organized religion). We have taken the focus off the One who we are to worship, and we have turned our services into places of need-meeting, rather than of simple, prayer-full worship.

As we celebrate this Advent season, it is time not only to watch out for the ploys of mass-marketing and the over-spending that is often attached to it, but we also need to be wary of the Mass-marketing that has attached itself to our faith.

Christmas is the time for us to re-focus our worship upon the One who alone is worthy of our worship. The One who not only cleared the Temple, but who called us to a relationship with the Father, a relationship most intimately developed in and through the discipline of prayer.

Remembering Gratefulness

2008-11-26T07:45:00.000-08:00

The American holiday known as Thanksgiving (or more commonly referred to as Turkey Day, but that is the topic for some other blog) is tomorrow. The stated purpose of this blog is to discuss my upcoming sermon, and related topics, but I found myself in a little of a quandary knowing what topic to cover: my new sermon series, Thanksgiving, or even the beginning of the Advent season (starts this Sunday).

So, could I cover all three? How could I stay in the midst of my new series (we would be in John 2 and the wedding at Cana), and cover both Thanksgiving and Advent? Honestly, I could not think of a way until I re-read a section of a book I finished a few years ago by Heri Nouwen, "The Life of the Beloved." Nouwen writes that gratefulness comes from remembering that we were chosen by God as His beloved. Being beloved by God, since before creation, gives us reason to rejoice, and to be thankful. Being beloved by God has brought us more blessing than we can imagine. The height, depth, and breadth of the love of God is beyond our ability to completely gather in. Ephesians 3:18

So, how does this fit with Advent and the wedding of Cana in John 2:1-12?

It has to do with being chosen to receive a blessing.

The Advent is the living proof of the reality that we are in fact beloved by God. He sent His one and only Son in the world, not to judge and condemn, but to fully express His love for us. And with this incarnate expression of love in the Person of Jesus, the Messiah, we have received blessing upon blessing.

The wedding of Cana, is the first place that Jesus revealed Himself by His choosing to bless those gathered through the miraculous production of wine from well water. Again, God chose to bless those He loves by meeting a practical need in an extraordinary manner. Even though the miracle may have not been in His immediate plan (see His interaction with His mother), because He loved the couple, He chose to meet their need, a need that may have actually been unknown to the celebrants at the moment it was performed.

These blessings, these acts of grace to those beloved by God, lead us to a place of gratefulness. And gratefulness is a place to remember that we are called the beloved.

Thanksgiving. Advent. A wedding. The Bread of Heaven, come to bring living water, that would lead to the pouring out of the Spirit into the lives of the beloved.

There is reason for thanks-giving!
There is reason for rejoicing!
You have been chosen!

Prayer's Deeper Place

2008-11-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last night while I was reading (Coming Home to the True Self) I was humbly struck by this sentence, "Prayer...is the most intimate expression of love for God." (p. 104).

Really?

Is this really true in my prayer life? I don't think so.

My prayers often have to do more with my needs and desires, with the trials and troubles of my life, than with my most intimate expression of love for God. Even in my times of prayerful intercession for others, my prayers are often self-driven. Even in my most compassionate and mercy-driven moments my prayers are for the needs of others, not really expressions of intimate love for God.

Sure, there are times of praise and thanksgiving directed toward God. There are times that I seek to tell Him that I love Him and that I am thankful for His love to me, but prayer as the "most intimate expression of love for God?" I have to wonder.

Maybe the author (Albert Haase, O.F.M.) is wrong in his assessment, but something in me says he is truly on to something. My time with the Abba God is to be about my relationship of love with Him. His eternal and holy love for me, and my response to His love. I have so much to learn in this growing relationship with the triune God. I so desire a heart that is fully His, and whose prayer, in all its attendant forms, truly expresses my intimate love for God.

San Juan Baptista

2008-11-13T09:37:00.000-08:00

CHANGING OUR WORLD FOR GOOD. How are we to do that has followers of the One who, came to change His world for good? That's the question I seek to find answers for in our new series of Sunday morning messages, "Changing Our World for Good." Our study is taking us through the Gospel of John with the prayer and plan to see Jesus, and to note how He changed the world for good, and then to discover how to join Him it that world-changing work.

This week we are looking at one who sole purpose was to point to the Way and then get out of the way. John the Baptist, as we know him came to bear witness to the Light and yet he himself was not the Light. He is a great example for us as followers of Jesus Christ. Too often I seek to keep in the limelight, but that is really not my role, not my place. Like John, I am to point to the One who is the Way, and then get out of the way, so that people can follow Jesus.

Today I am thankful for the John the Baptists in my life. Those who pointed me to Jesus, and then got out of the way so I could see Jesus and follow Him. Then were content to live within the limits that God had entrusted to them. They called me to repentance. They spoke the truth. They even stood with me in the rivers of my life, and yet their primary role was to point me to Jesus and set me free to follow Him. For these men and women, I am thankful.

To this baptist life I think we are all called. To watch, wash, and point the way. It's a life of humble purpose. Come to think of it, it's the life of Jesus in us.

So may we live.

Election Night Thoughts

2008-11-04T16:13:00.000-08:00

The Rolling Stones, may have struck the right cord with their song, "You Can't Always Get What You Want." That's going to be how lots of people feel as they watch the unfolding of the election results this evening. It does really matter how you voted, there is always going to something that didn't quite go your way.

This morning I was reading in the Old Testament book of Daniel. In the second chapter we find King Nebuchadnezzar struggling over a dream he desires to be both told and interpreted. When none of the wisemen of Babylon can give an answer to the King, he threatens to kill them all. This great crisis brings forth an even greater opportunity. The opportunity for God to work through Daniel and his three friends, and to bring glory to Himself, even from the mouth of a "heathen" king.

Some say we are facing a great crisis (no matter who wins and what passes), I would rather prayerfully submit that we are also facing a great opportunity. An opportunity for the people of God to once again humbly, hungrily, and desperately seek our Abba God, as Daniel did. And in that seeking see God glorify Himself through the might of His gracious power.

When we do seek God and see Him work, we too, may exclaim as did Daniel,

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he sets up kings and deposes them.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, O God of my fathers:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”