Friday, September 30, 2016

John 14:22-31

John 14:22-31
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Sometimes, our kids are quiet.  It doesn't happen very often, but every once in a while when one of them isn't singing or screaming or asking questions they will settle down and play quietly and this wonderful sense of peace breaks out in the house.  It's surreal, and I often don't know quite how to properly treasure such a moment.
  Jesus is telling me that such a respite from the noise of a household with small children isn't true peace.  The absence of conflict or the stillness of a moment isn't the kind of peace God brings -- God's peace is something more, something greater.  True shalom isn't merely the absence of something, but it's the presence of God that brings wholeness to the soul.  God's peace is lasting, eternal and leaves us completely at rest, body and soul.  It isn't something the world can provide, but it's something we must receive from God.
  So we should enjoy the moments of peace here on earth, but let us remember that they are only signposts that point the way towards the kingdom and peace that God alone can bring.

Thursday, September 29, 2016

John 14:15-21

John 14:15-21
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  The Holy Spirit is a tough one for us.  How exactly do you describe it?  You can't see it or touch it, but it conveys the presence of God and guides us as Christians.  Though God is not physically present with us, the Holy Spirit is with us to remind us how God is near and will never leave nor forsake you.  The Holy Spirit is a constant presence in our lives, and yet it can be so difficult to grasp the reality.
  It's like explaining salt in food -- we often can't see it (unless you're eating in a Southern restaurant), but it's presence can certainly be sensed, sometimes stronger than others, and once you grow accustomed to it, you notice when it's not there.  Living near the ocean, salt can get into everything, and it can be felt in the air.  In the same way, when we abide with the Spirit year after year, it is part of our everyday life, and others can notice that there is something different about us. But try explaining salt and what it tastes like to someone who has never had it -- it's a hard concept to explain.
  God is always present, and God always loves you.  So often that is communicated through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.  May we make room in our days to let the Holy Spirit lead us.

Wednesday, September 28, 2016

John 14:8-14

John 14:8-14
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  I think Jesus understands how hard it is to believe.  The disciples, the ones spending every day of three years with him, they're struggling to grasp how Jesus can be God.  Jesus is understandably patient and loving, trying to help them believe.  He tells them to trust in his word, and if his word isn't enough, he points to his actions.  Jesus is urging us to trust in him -- remember, his goal is not to lose a single sheep.
  And then he promises something amazing -- that the disciples will do even greater things.  He paints them a picture of an amazing future, and then reminds them that it will all be for the Father's glory.
  When you and I get discouraged, our vision tends to narrow to the immediate.  When I have a tough day at work and get home late, I get down and think it's always going to be like this.  When I get sick, I wonder if I'll always get healthy.  When I'm sad, I forget that I'll ever be happy again.
  Jesus, however, points to the long-term.  He tells us the amazing things that await us.  He reminds us of the glory of God that is in store in the future.  He reminds us that he is building us up for the future, for God's future, and that future is worth the wait.  In the darkest of nights, Jesus orients us towards the coming dawn.
  So be patient as you struggle with questions, with life.  Jesus has come for us, and he longs for us to grow into the future God has in store for us.  May the body of Christ surround you and remind you of that each and every day.

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

John 14:1-7

John 14:1-7
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  When Jesus leaves, he tells us what he will be doing until his return -- preparing a place for us.  He's not idly waiting for us to save the world.  He's not watching the debate thinking about how it might affect his places.  He's not twiddling his thumbs because he got distracted on the way back from the fridge.
  No, Jesus is actively at work, preparing a place for us.  He's thinking of you -- and he has promised to bring you back with him when he returns.
  Now, we have a lot of questions about what this return will look like and what it's going to be like after death.  To all of those questions, Jesus offers an answer:  Himself.  He is the way, the truth and the life.  To every question we have, he is the answer.  When we're uncertain about exactly what it means for God to love us and assure us a community in life and a life beyond death, we look to Christ.  We look to the example he set in his life, we study his teaching and his selfless death, and we wonder at the power of the resurrection to conquer death.
  When we are afraid, the way is to remember his promise to always be with us.
  When we are joyous, the truth is that our joy is a glimpse of the heavenly kingdom.
  When we are uncertain, the answer is to trust in God and take small steps, guided by the Holy Spirit    When we are facing death, the life is to trust in the God who has pierced the veil of death and points to the life on the other side
  In all of life, Christ is big enough and powerful enough to walk with us through each and every moment.  He is our everything.

Monday, September 26, 2016

John 13:31-38

John 13:31-38
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 It sounds so good for Peter:  I would die for you!  He probably means it when he says it, too.  He loves Jesus and has followed him everywhere for the past three years.  He will do whatever... but when the time comes for him to be tested, we know how the story goes -- he falters.  He means well when he says it, but he just doesn't have the strength to follow through.
  In the same way, we mean well when we make intentions and promises to God to grow in discipleship.  We mean well when we say it.  We want it to be true.  But when the time comes to step up and do it, we often find excuses, or we duck.  Sometimes there are things that come up, but other times we just find things to distract us.  It's hard to be faithful in a distracting world.
  And so there is a balance.  Where our sin leads us to falter, there is grace.  There is the unconditional love of God that promises to forgive us even as we fall short, even as we often deny Christ through our words and deeds.  God knows us and loves us just the same.
  At the same time, we are continuously called into the deeper waters of discipleship, called to have a looser hold on the things of this world and a stronger hold on Christ.  We are called to re-commit ourselves daily to Christ, no matter how challenging it may be.  We do this not out of guilt, but out of gratitude.

Friday, September 23, 2016

John 13:21-30

John 13:21-30
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

   "And they just stared at each other."
  Isn't that great?  This is the inspired Word of God, the disciples who followed Jesus each and every day, and there were moments were they were just left staring at each other, uncertain of what to say.
  See, we think we have to have faith all figured out, as though we are supposed to know exactly what to say and do in each and every moment to live our faith.  But the disciples, who walked with Jesus every day for 3 years, sometimes got lost in the midst of what he was trying to teach them.  They didn't always know, but they kept coming back, asking questions and looking for answers.
  You aren't always going to know exactly what to say and do, and sometimes you're probably going to get it wrong.  You're going to try and share your faith or serve someone and it's not going to go just as you planned, and eventually you'll just find yourself staring around, wondering what happened.
  That's ok.  God still leads us and guides us, through the moments of confusion and into the future.  God doesn't give up us on when we're a bit lost -- he seeks us and finds us and leads us into the ways of life and peace.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

John 13:12-20

John 13:12-20
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Know how they're always trying to get you to sign up for a credit card at Target?  They ask you this whether you spend $5 or $500, hoping that the allure of a discount will get you to sign up for something, even if you're not ready to.  Often we sign up for things without considering the full implications of our decisions.
  Here, Jesus is spelling out the implications of the disciples' decision to follow him.  It's not just a one-time decision, it's a new way of life, highlighted by selfless service.  They can't flip it on and off like a switch -- it's a serious decision with repercussions that carry over into every single way of life.  It's a permanent decision to assume the role of servant, trusting that this leads into the way of eternal life.  We are practicing now for the life that is to come.

Wednesday, September 21, 2016

John 13:6-11

John 13:6-11
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 Now, if it was me, I would've brought up this point about Judas first, because then maybe Judas would have left and that would've been one less pair of feet to wash.  I'd have been able to cut down that less-than-pleasurable task by 1/12.
  Jesus, however, washes the feet of Judas.  He calls Judas and loves Judas and serves Judas despite Judas' rejection of him.  Judas will betray Jesus, but Jesus loves him all the same.
  What love is this!  Can you imagine such a love that receives wounds but never gives them?  Can you understand that God loves you with depth and power and without condition?  Can you receive such love?  Surely it is grander than the most beautiful sunset that ever has been, is purer than the newest snowfall in the most remote part of the world, is more perfect than anything that has ever been.  You are loved by a God who will stoop to wash your feet and will forgive whatever sins you may commit.
  You are loved.  Today, yesterday and forever.

Tuesday, September 20, 2016

John 13:1-5

John 13:1-5
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 How big of a hurry are you in to wash the floor?  How about cleaning the back of the refrigerator?  Anybody here like to clean out the garbage can?
  We don't get excited about cleaning.  I don't think most people do.  I doubt that Jesus was necessarily excited about the cleaning of people's feet in and of itself -- what Jesus was interested in was assuming the role of a servant and demonstrating the love of the Father.
  In these times, people's feet got really dirty.  Think about all the things that were in the road -- not just dirt and mud, but people were probably constantly stepping in detritus left by passing animals.  There was just stuff everywhere, and I don't think most people were using Gold Bond to keep their feet dry.  It would have been refreshing to have your feet washed, but not pleasant for the washer.
  But Jesus wasn't thinking of himself.  He was demonstrating a type of love that doesn't think of the self -- it thinks of the other.  It demonstrates the ability to put the needs of another first, even if it involves discomfort for the self.  Jesus shows us how to love purely and simply -- by doing for another, even if it means not doing something pleasant.
  So what does this mean for us today?  As most of us don't have feet as dirty as a 1st century Jew would have, I think it means a willingness to set aside our own wants and desires and think of the other.  What does love of another cost us, and when it comes time to pay up, are we willing to pay that cost, or do we slink off because we don't want to be inconvenienced?  Are we willing to give up something to demonstrate love?
  God gave up everything to show us the depths of his love.  May we be in awe of God's love and try to follow that demonstration each and every day.

Monday, September 19, 2016

John 12:46-50

John 12:46-50
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

  What's your guiding light?
  When you think about a guiding light, it's the one thing that occupies your heart and mind.  When you're looking for direction, you look towards the light.  When you're at a crossroads, that light is the thing that will lead you into the next step.  Lots of us haven't made intentional choices, but we've let life dictate what that light becomes.  It will often end up being a career or relationship, or maybe it's something different that defines our identity each and every week.  Sometimes, we'll take anything that offers direction, even if it's just momentary pleasure.
  When Christ offers to be light for our darkness, an amazing promise is made.  Christ offers to be an eternal light, one that will never go out or leave us in darkness.  It's a permanent offer, and it promises to light our way through the transition from death into eternal life.  Walk by his light and we walk into the light of God's grace.
  Walk by any other light, Christ tells us, and we risk being uncovered as frauds, or discovering that the light that led our way will be extinguished at exactly the wrong time.
  So let us choose the light of life and follow the challenging calls of discipleship, for in the darkest moments of life, that is the only light that will truly shine.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

Sermon for September 18

Ephesians 1
Zechariah 3

  Quick question – do you know your credit score? If you go to apply for a loan, be it a home loan or a car loan or a loan to get siding on your house, your cost is going to come down to your credit score. Banks boil all the information about you down to a number, and if the number is good enough, then you’ll get a better rate. That credit score is supposed to sum up everything about you that is worth knowing – a summary of your past actions that determines if you are worthy of credit or not. If your history is checkered enough, you won’t get a loan.

  From Monday through Friday, I examine credit. I work in a bank that issues financing for nursing homes and affordable housing developments, and so what happens is that we receive the financials from a facility and then try and figure out what an appropriate loan is. After that, we examine the facility and the people behind it to see if they are worthy of credit. We want to make sure that we are lending to a worthy institution that is likely to pay us back. We don’t want to take any more risk than necessary – if we have a lot of questions, we’ll come up with mitigations or simply not issue the loan, because it’s not worth the risk to issue a loan to bad credit.

  This mindset makes sense. If I’ve made a lot of bad choices in my life and have proved that I’m risky with other people’s money, I’d expect someone to hesitate before offering me a loan. I get it. They’re going to want assurance that they’ll get paid back. The opposite is also true – we think that if we have proved ourselves trustworthy, we should get better rates. People should be more eager to lend us money when we have made good choices.

  So what happens is we translate this mindset to our approach to God. We believe that if we have lived well and made good choices, then God will love us more. We have proved ourselves worthy of God’s love. Where most of us stand, however, is in the other camp – if we’ve made poor choices or have fallen short in some way, we come before God with shame in our hearts, afraid of what God is going to say because we know in our hearts that we do not deserve the love of God.

  What Scripture tells us, however, is a different narrative. When we lose ourselves in the Word of God, we discover that there is a different story than the one the world tells us. Scripture tells a story about grace, freely given, while the world shouts that it all depends on you earning your own way. But it starts with the central truth – none of us are worthy, not even one.

  In Zechariah, we come across Joshua the High Priest. Joshua was the first high priest after the Jews returned from Babylonian captivity. The temple had just been reconstructed, and they needed a high priest, and Joshua was the one chosen for the task. In other words, Joshua was a stand-up guy. If there was a man of integrity walking around, it was Joshua. Yet, in Zechariah 3, verse 3, what do we see? Joshua’s clothes were filthy. Even Joshua was filthy before God, tainted by human sin. The devil knows it, too. He’s standing at Joshua’s side, ready to accuse, ready to remind Joshua of his failures, ready to taunt him for his sin, ready to remind God that even Joshua isn’t worthy.

  And yet the truth of the Gospel is this: Before Satan can say a word, before Joshua can make a case for why God should love him, before anything, God speaks, pointing out that Joshua is rescued like a stick from a fire, he is washed of his sin and dressed in priestly clothes. Before there is a case made about whether or not Joshua is worthy, God is there offering forgiveness. God’s grace is present before Joshua or the devil can speak a word.

  This is the joy we find in Ephesians 1. Before the world was created, Christ was chosen to live with us and introduce us to the grace and love of God. Before the word was spoken that created the world, there was a plan that God’s kindness would lead to our adoption as sons and daughters of God. Before anything, there was the unconditional love of God that offers us forgiveness even before we sin. Ephesians 1:7-8 says ‘Christ sacrificed his life’s blood to set us free, which means that our sins are now forgiven. Christ did this because God was so kind to us.’ Note there isn’t anything in here about whether you are worthy. There isn’t language in here limiting this to people that have been good enough.

   God doesn’t offer his grace to the people that have made good choices. Christ sacrifices his life to forgive our sins, and it’s because of God’s kindness. This isn’t about your credit and it isn’t about what you have or have not done, it’s about what God has done for you – God loves you, and he wants you to accept his love. That’s it – no matter what is in your past, you are loved and chosen by God. That is enough.

  Let us pray

Friday, September 16, 2016

John 12:37-43

John 12:37-43
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Praise can be intoxicating.  It can alter messages -- leaders will begin to shape their message so that they will hear the roar of the crowd, even if the message isn't quite what they would have said if they were going to say what they truly felt.  You see this running rampant during political season (which feels like a full-time season any more) -- politicians will say whatever they feel the crowd wants to hear, depending on the particular crowd they are talking to.  They tailor the message to work up enthusiasm, although once they are actually in charge their campaign promises go out the window.  They simply wanted praise and adulation.
  Religious leaders are no different.  They like to be praised, and it's easier to deal with praise rather than to deliver a difficult message that might make people unhappy.  No one will mind if you cut out the difficult and confrontational parts of the message, right?  Everyone should just be happy!
  But God challenges us.  He confronts us with our sin -- not to be cruel, but rather to recognize our need for a Savior and accept the grace that is freely offered.  We need leaders to confront and challenge us, even if our stubborn and proud hearts don't want to face the truth.  We need people to hold up mirrors and show us the death that is within us so that we can accept the life that is offered to us.  If the leaders fail to do so by seeking the easy way out, the people may not know the truth of the Gospel.  If we don't know the depths to which we sink on our own, we may never rise to the heights to which God offers to carry us.

Thursday, September 15, 2016

John 12:30-36

John 12:30-36
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  Kids have a unique ability to hear what they want regardless of what you actually say.  Tell them to clean their room or get ready for bed and you'll often find them still playing a few minutes later, having activated their selective hearing and ignored the pertinent aspects of your orders.
  When it came to the Messiah, people heard the prophecies but then shaped them to fit their expectations.  They so badly wanted the Messiah to lead them to victory over the Romans that they stopped imagining that anything outside their expectations was possible.  When Jesus talked about being lifted up, they imagined it happening in a glorious earthly victory, not an ascent to the cross where he would die for the sins of the world.  People couldn't imagine because they'd been selectively listening for years.
  How do you selectively listen to Scripture?  We all do it.  I decide what I want and then imagine how God has called me to it.  I can find enough Scripture to affirm my decisions, and so contrary information just flows in one ear and out the other.
  So when you come across a verse or a preacher that unsettles you, stop and linger there.  It may be uncomfortable because it doesn't conform to expectations, and that may be a very important message for us to recognize how God may well be doing a new thing.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

John 12:23-29

John 12:23-29
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 Just imagine the conversation with a grain of wheat -- you'd have to convince it that being put in the ground and covered in dirt would lead to the best possible outcome.  Or picture the conversation with a fetus -- it has to leave behind everything it knows, pass through an immensely stressful and dangerous ordeal, but life will be better on the outside.
  These things just don't make sense.  To believe them, there has to be an immense amount of trust in what cannot be seen.  To believe that true and abundant life can begin only after giving up one's own life requires a step of faith that cannot be gained through a mental exercise -- it must be informed by thought, but it must also be pure faith in what cannot be grasped by the human mind.  We believe in what Christ tells us because he has demonstrated the veracity of his Word.  We believe in life beyond death because Christ showed us the Way.  We believe, but not because it always makes the most sense.  Rather, we believe because we trust that there is more to this life than the human mind and eye can grasp.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

John 12:20-22

John 12:20-22 
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 How many Bibles do you have in your house?  One?  Five?  Ten?   I'm willing to bet we have at least ten in our house.  Now, I may be a bit of an outlier as a minister, but most of us have ready access to at least one Bible.  We take it for granted (a little too much, probably).  If we want to know about Jesus, we can pick it up at our leisure and read what it says.
  But the Greeks couldn't have done so.  They heard the rumors, but to meet Jesus they had to travel.  They had to exert great effort and cost to discover if what was said about Jesus was true.  They risked much to find out if this was worth their lives.
  Around the world today, there are still many risking their lives for the Word of God.  Millions don't have ready access to Scripture, and there are people risking their lives to smuggle Scripture to them.  The Word of God is food for the soul, and when people are starving, others rush in to fill the void, to try and offer them the sustenance necessary, so that when they say they want to meet Jesus, there is a copy of the Bible around to introduce them to the Messiah.
  What would you risk to share the news about Jesus?  To what extent would you go so that another might hear the Good News?  Is it worth everything?

Monday, September 12, 2016

John 12:12-19

John 12:12-19
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 There's a danger in familiarity.  We start to take things for granted.  For the people in Jesus' time, everything was new and astounding.  They kept hearing about these miracles, and they wanted to see the man who was performing them.  They believed that he was the Messiah, the one who came to save, because he was fulfilling so many prophecies.  They rushed from near and far to praise Jesus.
  When we meet the rising day, do we do so with the same sense of anticipation and wonder?  I will confess that I do not -- it's easy to default into believing that God will do the same thing today that he did yesterday.  We've heard the promises and read the stories so many times that while we still believe them, it's hard to maintain a spirit of wonder, ready for God to do something new.
  The Pharisees were ahead of their time when they said that everyone in the world is following Jesus.  It may have seemed like it at the time, but the true moment was far off, when every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  I don't know when it will be, but I pray for the spirit to be eager for what God is up to today.  I pray for a willing heart to depend on God, rather than simply assume that today will go as I planned.

Friday, September 9, 2016

John 12:9-11

John 12:9-11
Contemporary English Version (CEV)

 What happens when a position you hold dear is threatened?
  If you close your ears and defend it with all your heart, attacking the opposing position and anyone who holds it, it can be a troubling signal of a lack of humility.
  If, instead, you listen carefully and engage with those who oppose you, willing to be challenged and trusting that Truth wins in the end, this is the kind of life God calls us to.  I don't fear someone proving that Christianity isn't true, and so I'm willing to listen to any and all challengers.  It helps me grow, and I gain a better understanding of both why I believe and what others believe.  People have been attacking Christianity for centuries, and it still holds true.  The Bible has been tested for authenticity more than any other book in human history, and it's been found reliable every time.  God has never failed on his promise.  Jesus Christ has been examined this way and that, and he's still risen from the dead, still Lord of all.
  So don't fear those who will attack the faith.  Be humble and listen, and pray for the Spirit to guide the conversation.  Christ is the way, the truth and the life, and he always shall be.

Thursday, September 8, 2016

John 12:1-8

John 12:1-8
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 This past weekend, we were very grateful to have guests fill our house.  We loved having people stay with us and enjoy a beautiful weekend, celebrating our daughter's birthday with us.  It was a great weekend.
  Now, there were lots of other things that probably needed to be done.  We could have opted to tell folks to stay home because we needed to clean the house and mow the grass and organize the basement and so on and so forth.  But we opted to celebrate when we had the chance, trusting that we'll find time for those other tasks later.
  In this passage, Jesus is pointing out the importance of honoring Jesus when we have the chance  Jesus doesn't tell us to ignore the poor -- he has spent hours teaching us to serve and love the poor when we can -- but he is telling us to be sure to take the chance to worship at the feet of Jesus when we can.  It's vital not to let these moments of worship pass.  We aren't to simply assume we'll be able to get around to it later.  Set aside time to celebrate the love of Jesus.  Be intentional about having time with your Savior.  Don't let it slip.
  The other tasks are important.  But Jesus reminds us to put him first.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

John 11:45-57

John 11:45-57
Contemporary English Version (CEV) 

 We don't know what what we know sometimes.
  Caiaphas thought he had it figured out -- they would have Jesus killed to save one the country.  They worried that Jesus might stir up a rebellion, and so having him killed would mean they could avoid Rome cracking down on Israel.
  In reality, God prophesied through Caiaphas that Jesus, one man, would die for the sins of many.  Jesus would die so that all of mankind would be saved.  It's not fair, is it?  Why should one man have to die for the sins of many?  But God offers his son, such is his love.  Jesus could have complained about how unfair it was, but instead he was obedient, sacrificially offering himself for many.
  Caiaphas wasn't humble enough to realize that God might be pointing to something bigger than himself.  God was at work through him, even if he wasn't aware.  I think there are times in our lives when God is using us, even when we aren't aware.  It's a matter of being humble and realizing that God is at work when we cannot see, and being willing to go and do just as God would have us, even if we cannot understand the full meaning.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

John 11:38-44

John 11:38-44
Contemporary English Version (CEV)


 We always find reasons not to do the things we know we need to do.  I can come up with 1,000 reasons not to go to the doctor, and it's amazing how long I can put off taking my car in for an oil change.  If I've caused a problem, I'll spend a long time doing anything other than setting it right.  I know what the next step is, but I come up with excuses.
  Martha does the same -- Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the dead, and Martha is worried about the smell.  Sure, they trust Jesus... but that smell.  Can't we put this off a little longer while we debate the smell?
  Jesus is doing miracles in the world.  He's transforming the world, one day at a time.  This is a precious gift from God, and we distract ourselves from worship by finding excuses to do everything else.  We don't take Bible study or prayer seriously because there's something else that needs doing -- and so we distract, we excuse, and it waits for another day.
  Will today be the day we set aside the excuses?

Thursday, September 1, 2016

John 11:28-37

John 11:28-37
Contemporary English Version (CEV)


 Jesus was fully human and fully divine.  This means that Jesus completely understands what it means to walk in your shoes -- from your daily frustration with difficulties at work and in your relationships to the overwhelming grief of the death of a loved one.  Your emotions are not foreign to God -- you don't have to approach God with the need to explain things.  That feeling when you just want someone to see your perspective to understand why you did what you did -- you don't have that with God.  God knows.  He knows the ups and downs of human life, the joys of friendship and the pain of loss.  God knows.
  God knows, and this makes his love all the more amazing.  He knows our temptations and our pain, and he is able to love us uniquely, wonderfully, completely.  God knows you and loves you and understands you, and he will redeem you through death into life.