Standing on the Mountain

Devotional--The Israelites, Part VII

2012-02-02T07:35:00.003-05:00

Exodus 15:22-26
Then Moses ordered Israel to set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter. That is why it was called Marah. And the people complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” He cried out to the Lord; and the Lord showed him a piece of wood; he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord made for them a statute and an ordinance and there he put them to the test. He said, “If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in his sight, and give heed to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will not bring upon you any of the diseases that I brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord who heals you.”
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We're probably all a little jealous of the Israelites--think of the signs and wonders that they saw. Can you picture them, thirsty, gathered around the spring, knowing that the water was unsafe to drink, watching to see what Moses would do? Can you imagine the shout of joy that went up when the first brave soul sampled the water after God transformed it? Can you picture the looks on their faces as they marveled what the Lord had done?

The Lord did miracle after miracle in the lives of the Israelites, and they were witnesses to the tangible presence of the Lord. As tempting as it is to think they had it better/easier than us, the reality is that God continues to be active in our lives today. I'd love to see God write his name across the heavens in magic marker for all to see, but until then I have to be satisfied with the reality that God has blessed me with family and friends and love that surrounds me, God nourishes me by his Word each and every day, God sustains me when I am too weak to move forward on my own. God has turned my tears into rejoicing, and there is hope for me beyond the shadow of death. In all these and many more ways, God is present in my life, and in yours, too. Even when we cannot see clearly, God is at work, preparing us for what is to come.

May you feel the presence of God with you today in all you do.

Blessings

Devotional--The Israelites, Part VI

2012-02-01T08:25:00.003-05:00

Exodus 14:10-11,21-25

As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked back, and there were the Egyptians advancing on them. In great fear the Israelites cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.’
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Yes, this is a mighty and incredible thing that God does to deliver the Israelites.
Yes, God shows up in an amazing way and defeats their enemies.
Yes, God does this for us, too.

In our baptisms, God draws us through the waters and out of the reach of our enemies of sin and death. In our baptisms, we pass through the water and are threatened no more by those who would seek to destroy us. God does something miraculous, something powerful, and we are forever transformed--it not only changes our past, but it changes our destiny. For the Israelites were bound for destruction at the hands of the Egyptians, just as we were bound for death, but through the power of God we now are destined for life, for freedom.

So may we set aside our fears and remember the liberation God has given us through the waters of baptism. We are to be a free people, free from fear and free to serve Christ Jesus in all we do! Not even death can threaten us!

Blessings

Devotional--The Israelites, Part V

2012-01-31T07:44:00.005-05:00

Exodus 13:17-18, 21-22 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, ‘If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle.

The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
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Can you imagine what this must have been like--to be able to see the Lord's presence leading you exactly where you needed to be? Moses couldn't possibly have become lost, and there was no need to stop and ask for directions (every man's dream!).

While we don't have a literal pillar of cloud or fire (and if you do, that spells trouble nowadays rather than guidance), what we do have is a community of faithful people around us who care about us know what it's like to struggle with difficult decisions. Other people can help us make the right choices, the faithful choices, but we have to open ourselves up and give them the chance to let the Holy Spirit speak through them. We have to be willing to share our burdens, that others may help us carry them. So often we're in search of divine guidance, but we're afraid or timid and don't put ourselves in a place where that can happen.

So be open to God working in your life through the words and support of others. Perhaps it may even be more useful than pillars of fire!

Blessings

Devotional--The Israelites, Part IV

2012-01-30T07:45:00.000-05:00

Exodus 12:11-14
This is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it hurriedly. It is the passover of the Lord. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals; on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgements: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live: when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague shall destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
This day shall be a day of remembrance for you. You shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; throughout your generations you shall observe it as a perpetual ordinance.
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This past weekend I attended a wedding. It was a celebration of two lives forever changing, becoming one, and as we heard the vows proclaimed and rejoiced at the event, I couldn't help but be reminded of my own wedding, 5.5 years ago, and I looked at my own ring, a reminder of the vows I have made and how my life has changed. Every year we set aside that day to remember, to celebrate, but the truth is that we are called to celebrate our marriage each and every day, not just once a year.

It's not so different with our relationship with God. We set aside special days and times throughout the week and year in order to remember what God has done and celebrate that our relationship is still alive, but we are also called to live our faith each and every day rather than just show up a few times a year. Our love for God should be living, active and growing--we should dedicate ourselves to reminding God of our love for him throughout each of our activities, that our remembrance of his wondrous deeds may help us grow in confidence and love, and that our lives of worship may expand to more than just one day a week.

Blessings

Devotional--The Israelites, Part III

2012-01-26T09:22:00.002-05:00

Exodus 11:4-8
Moses said, ‘Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go out through Egypt. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the female slave who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the livestock. Then there will be a loud cry throughout the whole land of Egypt, such as has never been nor will ever be again. But not a dog shall growl at any of the Israelites—not at people, not at animals—so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Then all these officials of yours shall come down to me, and bow low to me, saying, “Leave us, you and all the people who follow you.” After that I will leave.’ And in hot anger he left Pharaoh.
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Throughout the plagues, the Egyptians suffered, but the Israelites were protected. The Lord held them safely in his hand, and they were reminded of his presence.

Last night, at our Bible study, we talked about fear. We talked about how powerful it was, and how, in order to conquer our fears, we have to remember God's promises. The Israelites had a tangible reminder of God's promises whenever a plague affected the rest of the land and left them alone, but we often don't have such a visual reminder.

So we need to find our own reminders--it could be a Bible verse or a mantra you repeat to yourself or something you carry, but it's vital that each of us has a tool that reminds us that God's love and strength is greater than any potential source of fear. We have no need to fear, because we have God with us.

May God's promises help you resist the source of fear in your life.

Blessings

Devotional--The Israelites, Part II

2012-01-25T07:49:00.000-05:00

Exodus 7:1-7
The Lord said to Moses, ‘See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. When Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring my people the Israelites, company by company, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgement. The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.’ Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
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The Israelites may have been unaware of what God was planning to do through Moses and Aaron. They knew of God's promised presence, but perhaps they were doubting whether God could live up to that promise or not. I would imagine they were so focused on the hard labor they had to perform, made harder since Moses' arrival, that they didn't have much time to dream.

But God had big plans for the Israelites, even if they weren't able to see that far. God had prepared a future for them, a land where they would live and thrive--God was dreaming bigger than the Israelites were dreaming!

As Christians, it's important for us to dream big--we know that God has promised to use the church, to use you and me, as a part of his plan to transform the entire world. God has big plans for us, and it's important that we continue to be faithful, continue to dream big, to imagine how God might use us, so that when the plans are made clear we are ready to live into God's future. Let's not get caught up in small debates and shrink God down to our size--rather, may our hearts and minds run wild as we seek to be the kind of people God has made us to be.

Blessings

February Newsletter Letter

2012-01-24T11:31:00.002-05:00

Friends in Christ,

Did you know thatKFC no longer stands for anything? Recently, they decided to moveaway from the apparently cumbersome 'Kentucky Fried Chicken' and havethe official name be 'KFC'. In a similar manner, the YMCA officiallychanged its name to just be the 'Y'. Companies across the countryare selecting this option as a way of streamlining their brand namein hopes of attracting new customers. They're getting rid of what isdifficult or inconvenient to make their brand more mainstream.

When we think aboutthe church and its 'brand', what comes to mind? How does the worldview us? Is it cumbersome and complicated? Or streamlined andsleek?

I think itstempting to water-down Christianity in the hopes of appealing to themasses. But what that produces is a church that may be wide but israther shallow in its discipleship. Since the aim of the church isto help disciples grow, a process that takes hard work and deepcommitment, we do seekers a disservice if we try to make the churchmore appealing by de-emphasizing the difficult call of Christ.

I believe the morefaithful call is for each of us to ensure that we are daily dying toChrist, daily emptying ourselves, daily being filled with Christ. When we walk as disciples, humble about our shortcomings butcommitted to growth in Christ, we live a life that preaches theGospel. We offer an example to the world of what discipleship lookslike, and we're enabled to invite others into a walk with Christ thatis honest and deep.

So may we each becommitted to a life of discipleship, and in so doing may we look foropportunities to invite others into that walk. Maybe it looks likeinviting someone to pray with you, or to church, or to a dinner atyour house to talk about things of faith. May we keep our eyes openfor windows the Spirit opens, and may we be growing in faith while wewait.

In Christ,

Keith

Devotional--The Israelites, Part I

2012-01-24T05:00:00.000-05:00

Exodus 5:4-9
But the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labours!’ Pharaoh continued, ‘Now they are more numerous than the people of the land and yet you want them to stop working!’
That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors, ‘You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, “Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.” Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will labour at it and pay no attention to deceptive words.’
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To recap, Joseph was wildly successful, and soon there were loads of Israelites in Egypt--so many that Pharaoh was threatened and enslaved them all. To clear this up, God sends Moses to convince Pharaoh to let God's people go free.

And then Moses shows up and makes everything worse.

Ever had that happen to you? You think things are about as bad as they can get... and suddenly things get worse? Perhaps even thanks to someone who is trying to make them better? And it's all you can do to thank them by politely inviting them to never speak to you again?

Welcome to the world of the Israelites. But do you know what? God is there. And God has something in store for them--something big.

God has something in store for you, too. It doesn't mean you'll recognize it when it first shows up. It doesn't mean you're free from all of life's stress and problems and pain. It doesn't mean that you won't wonder where God is in the process of arriving there.

But God is with you, even in the pain, even when it seems to get worse. Just hold on--God has something big in store.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part XIII

2012-01-23T07:22:00.002-05:00

Genesis 50:15-21
Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, ‘What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?’ So they approached Joseph, saying, ‘Your father gave this instruction before he died, “Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.” Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.’
Joseph wept when they spoke to him. Then his brothers also wept, fell down before him, and said, ‘We are here as your slaves.’
But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.’ In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.
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Am I in the place of God? Am I the one to judge, the one to rule over you? Am I the one determine your eternal destiny?

So many in this world would answer that question with yes by the way they live--they judge the lives of others, living as though they believe they know exactly how God feels about people.

May we be humble. This doesn't mean we have to set down what we believe and let the world walk all over us--it simply means we have to acknowledge that God alone is judge, and so we must be willing to be humble, selfless and loving towards all of God's children, trusting God to sort things out in the end. The world is in good hands!

Blessings

Sermon for 1/22/2012

2012-01-23T07:12:00.001-05:00

Luke 23:26-56

The Crucifixion of Jesus

As they led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming from the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carry it behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, and among them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For the days are surely coming when they will say, “Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.” Then they will begin to say to the mountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” For if they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?’

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’]] And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’

One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

The Death of Jesus

It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, ‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus

Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a member of the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He came from the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever been laid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath was beginning. The women who had come with him from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

On the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

Much of our culturedepends on us wanting to be like those who are more famous than us. Last weekend there was another Hollywood awards show, and I have nodoubt that countless celebrities traipsed the red carpet withbreathless onlookers commenting on their attire for the evening. Designers count on this—they depend on people like you and merushing out to the store and buying similar clothes so that we mightat least look like our favorite celebrities. Often you'll see acelebrity endorsing a product that you can be certain they have neverused—but the company depends on you believing that their word makesthe product more appealing.

In Christianity,this takes on a bit of a different spin. There aren't, as far as Iknow, reporters who announce what brand of suit Joel Osteen iswearing, in the hopes that other Christians will rush out and buy thesame. There aren't brands of Billy Graham endorsed clothing, becausethere isn't a market for people to buy similar clothing in the hopesthat it might help us become like him.

But we are guilty,I think, of having a bit of envy for those 'super-Christians' thatare lifted up in society and in Scripture. We read the stories ofDavid and Gideon and Abraham and Noah and we wonder why our livesdon't more closely mimic their radical dependence on faith. In ways,we can learn from them, and their faith can show us how to live, eventhough we are separated by many years.

There's a commonstory told that reflects on this common idea that we are called toemulate the giants of the faith.

A classic story tells about the greatChassidic Rabbi Zusha, who was found agitated and upset as he lay ondeathbed. His students asked, “Rebbe, why are you so sad? After allthe the great things you have accomplished, your place in heaven isassured!”

“I’m afraid!” Zusha replied,“Because when I get to heaven, God won’t ask me ‘Why weren’tyou more like Moses?’ or ‘Why weren’t you more like KingDavid?’ God will ask ‘Zusha, why weren’t you more like Zusha?’And then what will I say!?”

The reality of theChristian life is that each of us is a unique individual, made in theimage of God, but called and gifted in ways that have never been seenbefore and never shall grace this earth once more. You, and youalone, have the combination of brains and brawn for a very certainreason—because God has called you to something unique.

Now, perhaps theChristian church, perhaps this very church, has been guilty of tryingto prescribe a one-size-fits-all calling. And while I will say, inour defense, that many of the attributes of our lives in faith areheld in common, our lives themselves are so unique that we couldnever capture a full picture of them in the same way that you do. You have been uniquely gifted, called and placed in your situation,and only you can minister the way you do to the people in your life. If I tried to minister in the same situation and way you did, itwouldn't work, just as your gifts and callings wouldn't work in mylife. We are each differently gifted, thanks be to God. God lovesvariety, and God uses us in different ways, in different places,differently.

In today's text,this sad, sad tale of death and despair, we come face to face withthis fact in the way only a story-teller could capture. We findourselves wandering the path to Golgotha, to the cross, along withJesus, and on the road we meet people as different as one couldimagine.

First, we meetSimon of Cyrene, a man of mystery who appears for the purpose ofaiding Jesus on his long journey. Simon is there to carry thecross—so he is a strong man. Perhaps he had spent his lifewondering why God made him so strong, only to discover on this daythat it was for the purpose of helping his Savior. Perhaps, afterthis day, he recognized his calling as being a man of help to otherswith burdens too great for one. Simon shouldered his brother's load.

Next come thewomen. Now, these women probably weren't given the gift of strengthas Simon was. I don't want to say that for certain, for plenty ofwomen in this world are stronger than I am, but these women had arole to play, too, but it was different than Simon's. How much worsethis story would be if everyone assumed their role was the same asSimon's! Instead, they are called to weep, to mourn for the depth ofdespair in the world, to cry for the presence of sin. And I will saywith boldness that there are people this very day who need someone tocry with them, who need someone to sit with them in their sorrow anddiscuss the deep wrongs of their lives, of the world. They don'tneed someone to fix their problems, they just want someone to listen. So the women, in their own way, wept.

Next, we come tothe soldiers, men oblivious to the fact that their gifts could beused for God's glory. They are more concerned with enrichingthemselves and being entertained by this sad scene than they are inhelping anyone. Sounds like much of the world, doesn't it? Moreinterested in being enriched and entertained than in growingfaith—may we be careful not to fall into this rut.

Finally, we havethe two soldiers on the cross—one is caught up in the soldiers'mockery, but the other recognizes that he has missed his life'scalling, wasted his terrible years, and in his dismay and anger hecries out to the Savior, desperate to hear if it is too late. Thegood news for him, for me, for you, is that it isn't too late. TheSavior's arms are always open for another sinner to run home.

Even after thedeath of Jesus, we see people putting their gifts to use. Joseph ofArimithea has influence and he has wealth, and both of these he putsat the service of God so that the body of a King may have a place tolie. He doesn't try to carry the cross, and he doesn't come weeping,but rather comes with the gifts that he has, that no one else has,and does what he can. It's all Jesus asks—that we do what we canto be faithful in our lives.

At the end of thescene we encounter once more the women, waiting to embalm the body ofJesus, desperate to offer one more service to their Lord. They knowthat they can't do everything, but this once thing they can do, andso they will return.

Friends, you haveeach been given a unique combination of gifts for the purpose ofplaying a role in God's unfolding drama of redemption. You are anagent of hope, of light, of the Kingdom, and if you play your part tothe best of your abilities, you can trust God to do the rest. So letus set aside our comparisons, our self-abuse, for not being someoneelse, and let us discover who we are and how we are to live. Let usdo this as individuals, claiming our singular role in God's Kingdom,and let us do this as a congregation—may we not regret that wearen't Christ United Methodist or Rivermont Presbyterian or any ofthe other mega-churches around us. We have a unique role to play asNew Hope Presbyterian Church, and we betray our true identity if wedon't live into that and trust God to do something powerful withthat. Let us claim our identity with passionate hearts and befaithful to that call.

Each of us followsthe King in our own way, and we follow Him to the cross, where hefulfilled his unique role as the lamb led to the slaughter, theperfect sacrifice to atone for the sins of humanity. He laid downhis life for us, that we might have life, and so we follow him, andin his life we have our own life, lived for his glory, so that we mayspread the message to all of humanity—Christ is Risen!

Let us pray!

Amazing

2012-01-20T11:55:00.001-05:00

I particularly love the ending.

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part XI

2012-01-20T08:06:00.001-05:00

Genesis 45:16-20
When the report was heard in Pharaoh’s house, ‘Joseph’s brothers have come’, Pharaoh and his servants were pleased. Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘Say to your brothers, “Do this: load your animals and go back to the land of Canaan. Take your father and your households and come to me, so that I may give you the best of the land of Egypt, and you may enjoy the fat of the land.” You are further charged to say, “Do this: take wagons from the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come. Give no thought to your possessions, for the best of all the land of Egypt is yours.” ’
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Forgiveness and grace are powerful things. Each of us has things in our past that we regret. We'd love to invent a time machine, go back and do things differently. We wonder what on God's green earth we were ever thinking....

But when we confess these things, when we lay them down before God and before others, we often find unexpected grace, rich forgiveness, and we discover that God will take those things and turn them into something good. God's love is bigger, more powerful than we can ever imagine. We expect a vindictive God, but the reality is a God whose arms are open wide--on the cross God displays the fullness of his love, and we are fools if we choose to carry our burdens ourselves, rather than casting ourselves upon the wealth of his love.

So may we lead a life of active confession, both to God and those whom we have wronged, and may we trust God to transform us, little by little, into a people of grace and love.

Blessings

1/19 E-News

2012-01-19T12:31:00.002-05:00

Announcements

SnackPacks—Thismonth we are collecting granola bars for the snack packs we aremaking for East Brainerd Elementary. Please continue to bring theseevery Sunday, that we may meet our goal of 250! Also, we could usesome more ready-to-prepare chilis/mac & cheese/bean dishes(microwaveable, preferably).

WednesdaySuppers—NextWednesday we will revert to our usual Wednesday Eveningpatterns--$4/person, with a maximum of $15/family. We'll be studying2 Timothy.

NewHope News

Only 4 more Sundays inLuke! Any suggestions/longings for sermon series in the future? (That don't include 2.5 year commitments!)

Prayfor:

LynnMeyer, who is currently in Memorial Hospital

DavidSmith

Russel& Donna Mabry

PeterSavard, for healing in his foot

LinaHart, our associate executive in the Presbytery, who had surgeryyesterday

PeggyHamby, who is fighting cancer

Links

Whatmight this look like in New Hope?

TheDeath of Honesty?

IsChristianity a crutch?

IsJesus background music in your life?

Whya political enclave of evangelical leaders could be dangerous

Oneexample of something God is up to in Chattanooga

Didyou ever imagine the day would come when we would be discussingbanning wearing pajamas in public?

Textfor this Sunday

Luke23:26-56

TheCrucifixion of Jesus

Asthey led him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, who was comingfrom the country, and they laid the cross on him, and made him carryit behind Jesus. A great number of the people followed him, andamong them were women who were beating their breasts and wailing forhim. But Jesus turned to them and said, ‘Daughters ofJerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for yourchildren. For the days are surely coming when they will say,“Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and thebreasts that never nursed.” Then they will begin to say to themountains, “Fall on us”; and to the hills, “Cover us.” Forif they do this when the wood is green, what will happen when it isdry?’

Twoothers also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to deathwith him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull,they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his rightand one on his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgivethem; for they do not know what they are doing.’]] And theycast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by,watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others;let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosenone!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering himsour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, saveyourself!’There was also an inscription over him, ‘This isthe King of the Jews.’

Oneof the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him andsaying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ Butthe other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you areunder the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have beencondemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus,remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ He replied,‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’

TheDeath of Jesus

Itwas now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land untilthree in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; andthe curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, cryingwith a loud voice, said, ‘Father, into your hands I commend myspirit.’ Having said this, he breathed his last. When thecenturion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said,‘Certainly this man was innocent.’ And when all the crowdswho had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place,they returned home, beating their breasts. But all hisacquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,stood at a distance, watching these things.

TheBurial of Jesus

Nowthere was a good and righteous man named Joseph, who, though a memberof the council, had not agreed to their plan and action. He camefrom the Jewish town of Arimathea, and he was waiting expectantly forthe kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for thebody of Jesus. Then he took it down, wrapped it in a linencloth, and laid it in a rock-hewn tomb where no one had ever beenlaid. It was the day of Preparation, and the sabbath wasbeginning. The women who had come with him from Galileefollowed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid. Thenthey returned, and prepared spices and ointments.

Onthe sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

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Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part XI

2012-01-18T22:48:00.004-05:00

Genesis 45:1-5
Then Joseph could no longer control himself before all those who stood by him, and he cried out, ‘Send everyone away from me.’ So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it.
Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so dismayed were they at his presence. Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ And they came closer. He said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life.
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In an incredible scene of grace, Joseph reveals that he understands how God has used everything that has happened to make something good. (Note: It doesn't say God caused bad things to happen--it just says God used them to bring about good. Big difference there.) Joseph then extends forgiveness to his brothers, and sets up a remarkable model for us to live by. I know that I would have a hard time setting down the past and not lording it over my brothers in this case--I'm not sure I'd be willing to forgive, even if things did work out in the end.

But Joseph does. He forgives, and in so doing, re-opens a relationship. He removes their guilt from them, and now new life can spring up in their relationship.

Are there grudges you need to let go of? Words of healing you need to speak to old friends, to family? May God give each of us the grace and wisdom to know how best to reach out and sow seeds of love.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part X

2012-01-17T18:22:00.003-05:00

Genesis 42:3,6-9,17
Then ten of Joseph’s brothers went down to buy grain from Egypt.

Now Joseph was the governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its people. So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground. 7 As soon as Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them, but he pretended to be a stranger and spoke harshly to them. “Where do you come from?” he asked. “From the land of Canaan,” they replied, “to buy food.” 8 Although Joseph recognized his brothers, they did not recognize him. 9 Then he remembered his dreams about them and said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where our land is unprotected.”

And he put them all in custody for three days.
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Imagine Joseph's emotions at this moment--he's probably managed to suppress the anger and hurt he feels from his brothers' betrayal of him from his youth, and he's ascended to great heights in Egypt, only to have his brothers resurface in his life, only this time, they are completely at his mercy.

How would you deal with it?

Our character is revealed by how we treat those over whom we have power, and in our dealings with our enemies. It's important how we relate to our friends and those closest to us, but it's ever so important how we treat those whom we oppose--do we still extend selfless love to them? We all have ample opportunities to live into the love for our enemies which Christ calls us to live out--how will you respond? Will you surprise them by being gracious and loving? Will you love freely? In loving even our enemies, we testify to a deep and abiding faith and confidence in God to put all things right--we trust that the world is in His hands, and that He will know how to handle things, and so we trust Him, and live for Him alone.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part IX

2012-01-17T18:12:00.000-05:00

Genesis 41:43-45New International Version (NIV)
43 Pharaoh had Joseph ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and people shouted before him, “Make way!” Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt. 44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt.” 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.
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This is a pretty impressive leap for a man from the dungeons of Pharaoh's prison! Not too long ago he might have been wondering whether Pharaoh (and perhaps God) had forgotten him in the depths of prison. Now? Now, he's riding high, favored in the land and never in need of a thing that will not instantly be provided to him.

In times like this, it's easy to forget that we need God just as much as we did in the depths of prison. We humans have a tendency to forget about God when all is right with the world--we forget about how we ever made it as far as we did, we forget that without God, we'd never make it out of bed in the morning! We forget that we utterly depend on God for everything, and then we lead ourselves smack into the middle of temptation and find ourselves in a mess, when suddenly we remember God's endless love!

So may we stay faithful, clinging to God's promises, in good times and bad!

Blessings

1/16/2012

2012-01-16T08:50:00.001-05:00

Everlasting God,

From age to age, you are King. From the peak of the highest mountains to the depths of the sea, all of creation proclaims your glory. You have made this earth and all that is in it, and you proclaimed it good.

At the height of human folly, we chose sin over you. We chose to worship ourselves, to proclaim that we are wiser than you, and we turned from you to self. Forgive us, Lord, and break our habit of sinning, that we might remain on the road that leads to life, following the footsteps of Christ.

This day is a blank slate, an opportunity to praise you, to live for you, to proclaim your name. Empower us by your Spirit, that we might not fill this day with self-centered actions, but rather would be focused on worshiping you as we were made to do.

Amen

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part VIII

2012-01-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

Genesis 41:37-40
The proposal pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find anyone else like this—one in whom is the spirit of God?” So Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has shown you all this, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall order themselves as you command; only with regard to the throne will I be greater than you.”
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How did Joseph get here? He interpreted Pharaoh's dream and warned him of the coming famine, encouraging Pharaoh to take appropriate steps to prevent devastation during the 7 years of famine. The key to Joseph's position of power comes from an earlier verse:

Genesis 41:16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not I; God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.”

In the same way, we empty ourselves and allow God to fill us. We set aside our own ego and pride and recognize that the reason we can do great things is because God does great things through us. We depend on God--our prayers, our worship, our Bible study should be the food that provides us nourishment, without which we can barely go forward. We do nothing on our own--but we are filled with grace and wisdom from God, so that we can then give the glory to God, pointing others towards his remarkable grace and glory.

Blessings

Sermon for 1/15/2012

2012-01-14T22:10:00.003-05:00

Luke 23:13-25

Pilate then called together the chief priests, the leaders, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was perverting the people; and here I have examined him in your presence and have not found this man guilty of any of your charges against him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed, he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

Then they all shouted out together, “Away with this fellow! Release Barabbas for us!” (This was a man who had been put in prison for an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and for murder.)

Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again; but they kept shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!” A third time he said to them, “Why, what evil has he done? I have found in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will therefore have him flogged and then release him.”

But they kept urgently demanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and their voices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demand should be granted. He released the man they asked for, the one who had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handed Jesus over as they wished.

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Often in life, weget exactly what we deserve. Those who work hard are rewarded, andthose who don't are not. Lately, there has been much discussionabout this, much of it sparked by the Occupy Wall Streetprotests—people don't feel like they get what they deserve. Theysee a system tilted against them, so that no matter how hard theywork, they will never get ahead. They see a corrupt system, in needof serious reform. We rebel against the times we do not get what wedeserve—when we've worked hard, we want to see rewards offered. It's what is fair.

I have had alifelong tendency to disobey the speed limit. It's simply part of myidentity—I can come up with all sorts of people and cities andother things to blame, but the simple fact is that my right footseems heavier than my left. Guilty. So it wasn't too shocking whenI was driving across Alabama quicker than the state of Alabama wouldprefer and I saw a trooper coming the other way cross the median andhead my way. I knew I was caught red-handed, so I had pulled overbefore he had even managed to turn his lights on. He told me howfast he had clocked me and asked if I knew what the speed limit was,and I replied that I did, and soon I had a very expensive souvenir ofmy trip to Clean Water U. But I couldn't protest too much—I earnedit.

Every once in awhile, though, we are given a gift of grace, something that we do notdeserve, and it should startle us. When I was sixteen, and had beendriving for several months, I worked in a large subdivision with manystop signs and a low speed limit. I had been told by my parents thatif I ever received a speeding ticket, I'd lose my license for sixmonths. Soon, however, that fear wore off, and I drove faster andfaster and coasted through more and more of those stop signs. Wasn'tlong before those same blue lights were behind me, and an officer wasasking me if I knew what I had done.

Perhaps it was theabject fear he saw in my face, or maybe he was just feeling mercifulthat morning, but for some reason he let me off with a warning, andthe sense of relief and gratitude that washed over me was immense. Iwas so grateful to not have to face my parents' collective wrath forbeing punished for something I was absolutely guilty of doing.

Perhaps you, too,have a similar story of not being punished for something youdeserved. If you do, you can relate, in some small way, to therelief Barabbas faces today in our Gospel reading.

The question ofBarabbas' guilt is never raised—the people of the crowd don't evenseem too concerned with who he is and what he is done—they are justdoing as they are told by their leaders, chanting for the death ofJesus while also crying out for the release of Barabbas. In otherGospels, we are told that it was the custom of Pilate to release oneprisoner, and the people choose this guilty insurrectionist over theteacher who challenges them to love God more than they love anythingelse in the world. Barabbas certainly isn't going to argue toomuch—he gets freedom instead of a death he might have deserved,while Jesus receives a death he does not deserve. Never has such aperfect man had such an unfair fate cast upon him. But he doesn'tsay a word, doesn't cry out against the unfairness of the system,doesn't try and convince the people, or Pilate, of his innocence. Like a lamb before the slaughter, Jesus says nothing.

It's so unfair.

And we are thebeneficieres of this unfair story. For we, just like Barabbas, standguilty as charged of sin, of loving other things more than we loveGod. We have plenty of things to blame, but at the end of the day weare responsible for the sinful choices we have made, and we areguilty, just like Barabbas. Each of us is guilty of a differentcrime, but at the end of the day, we have chosen self, chosen world,over God.

It's not to saythat we're terrible people, that we deserve a public death—but itdoes mean that if we had to stand before God just as we are, we wouldhave no claim to eternal life.

Enter Jesus, thelamb to the slaughter, the perfect Son of God. He doesn't sayanything before Pilate, before Herod, before the crowd, because thisis how it was always going to go. From the time God spoke the worldinto being, from the time God spoke to Abraham, from the time theangel spoke to Mary, it was always heading here, to a violent deathon the cross, taken on behalf of every sinner who has ever lived. Indying on the cross, Jesus opened up a door to life that we do notdeserve—he made eternal life possible with God, even though wecannot make a case for it based on our own actions—Jesus makes ourcase for it, and when we stand before God upon Judgment Day, we willnot be seen as a tarnished, guilty sinner, but rather we will becovered by Christ. We are worthy because He is worthy. Each sindisappears, and we are made new.

So, like Barabbas,we have been freed from the weight of our sin. It would be nice ifwe could live a perfect life from this point forward, but wecan't—we'll continue to sin, but because we are in Christ, we stillhave hope for eternal life.

The so-what of allthis, the purpose of it all, is not simply to get us into eternallife with God. The point of it all is that each one of you has beentransformed by the grace of God. Christ is our Lord and Savior, theonly way to salvation, and we are called to live a life that reflectsthat.

We don't know howBarabbas lived, but we know that he had the chance to re-write theend of his story.

I don't know whereyou go from here, but I will leave you with this question: Are youliving a life that reflects the freedom, the life, the hope that youhave found in Christ taking the punishment you deserve and leavingyou the gift of eternal life in its place? Does everything you do,in every moment of your life, re-tell the story of Christ's offer ofsalvation and redemption? Or does it keep telling the story of theprison of sin from which you have been freed?

Let us pray.

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part VII

2012-01-13T10:35:00.003-05:00

Genesis 41:9-13 Then the chief cupbearer said to Pharaoh, ‘I remember my faults today. Once Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me and the chief baker in custody in the house of the captain of the guard. We dreamed on the same night, he and I, each having a dream with its own meaning. A young Hebrew was there with us, a servant of the captain of the guard. When we told him, he interpreted our dreams to us, giving an interpretation to each according to his dream. As he interpreted to us, so it turned out; I was restored to my office, and the baker was hanged.’
****************

My life is changing. Once, I had little to no schedule on Friday--I could lounge about and write my sermon on my own time. I could even go to the Y or run other errands. But no more--Caleb has introduced a wonderful demand on my time, and things are changing. You soon may see your devotional emails appearing in your inbox in the evening--since mornings are now a bit more hectic! But God is using this transition in my own life, too. It's not just a blessing for Caleb to get some time with Dad (although, depending how fussy he is, he may debate whether my childcare skills count as 'blessings'), but it's a blessing for me, too. I am introduced to a new way of life, and I trust God is with me in this new venture, that God is shaping me for something new, something extraordinary (I believe all things done for Christ's kingdom are extraordinary).

Joseph was in jail when God was laying the path for his future, preparing him for what was to come--God used two other people to do a work in his life. In a similar vein, God is using Caleb to prepare me for what is next to come. I am learning, and I am watching, to see where God is at work in my heart, in my life. (And yes, sometimes trying to soothe a fussy baby feels like the despair Joseph must have felt in prison. I thought it. I may as well admit it.) I trust that God is at work in each of you, too.

Blessings!

1/12 E-News

2012-01-12T12:06:00.003-05:00

Announcements

FreeWednesday Suppers—Thenext Wednesday will once again be free suppers for anyone who showsup. Please invite your friends, neighbors and casual acquaintances,whoever could use a free meal! Join us at 6.

NewHope News

Only 5 more Sundays inLuke! Any suggestions/longings for sermon series in the future? (That don't include 2.5 year commitments!)

Prayfor:

DavidSmith

Russel& Donna Mabry

Madeline

PeterSavard, for healing in his foot

Roger& LynnMeyer

Links

Someinfo on the beginning of the King James Bible

Howhymns fit into the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

Buyingthe Body of Christ (Fascinating article about the business ofcommunion wafers)

Havequestions about how the world is going to end this year?

Only11 months until TheHobbitcomes out!

Textfor this Sunday

Luke23:13-25

JesusSentenced to Death

Pilatethen called together the chief priests, the leaders, and thepeople, and said to them, ‘You brought me this man as one whowas perverting the people; and here I have examined him in yourpresence and have not found this man guilty of any of your chargesagainst him. Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us. Indeed,he has done nothing to deserve death. I will therefore have himflogged and release him.’

Thenthey all shouted out together, ‘Away with this fellow! ReleaseBarabbas for us!’ (This was a man who had been put in prisonfor an insurrection that had taken place in the city, and formurder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed themagain; but they kept shouting, ‘Crucify, crucify him!’ Athird time he said to them, ‘Why, what evil has he done? I havefound in him no ground for the sentence of death; I will thereforehave him flogged and then release him.’

But they kept urgentlydemanding with loud shouts that he should be crucified; and theirvoices prevailed. So Pilate gave his verdict that their demandshould be granted. He released the man they asked for, the onewho had been put in prison for insurrection and murder, and he handedJesus over as they wished.

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Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part VI

2012-01-12T08:25:00.001-05:00

Genesis 39:21-23
But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him favour in the sight of the chief jailer. The chief jailer committed to Joseph’s care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The chief jailer paid no heed to anything that was in Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with him; and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
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When we last Joseph, he had just been thrown in jail for doing the right thing, proving that we don't do the faithful thing for rewards; we do it because it's the right thing to do.
But the Lord was with Joseph in jail. Joseph did not despair, for he trusted in the Lord's presence and love. In Romans, Paul talks about how nothing can separate us from the love of God--here we see an example of this. It's just as true today as it was then--no matter where you are and what live has piled on top of you, the Lord is with you.
Perhaps you wonder where the Lord is and why it doesn't feel like the Lord is making your efforts prosper? I don't have an easy answer for that, but I trust that the Lord is with you, and he is helping you grow in faith, that you might grow as the Christian the Lord longs for you to be.

Blessings

Reading

2012-01-11T11:37:00.003-05:00

Sometimes it feels as though I'm trying to read my way into the Kingdom of Heaven. I'm constantly in search of the one book that will illumine the Christian life for me, that I will suddenly come forward into a clearing of understanding and grasp exactly how the Holy Spirit wants me to live.

In doing so, I underestimate the Bible's transformational powers. And I expect too much for other authors, too.

The mistake I make when I read for spiritual growth is that I read to learn more about myself. Instead, the purpose of so much reading is that I am learning more about God--only by learning about God first do I begin to understand who and how I truly am. When I begin to grasp that all of creation is God's gracious outreach and that God has made me out of his generous love, I can be transformed as someone who has been claimed by God despite the fact that I am unworthy. No matter how much I learn about myself, if I do not base my self-image on God's view of me, I am misaligned from the beginning.

This is the gift of reading the Bible--it illumines from the beginning God's outpourings of selfless love. It shows how God, through the ages, has been generously pouring out grace on his creation. It shows, too, what proper (and improper) human responses are to that love, but the Bible is God's story, first, just as my life should be an unfolding of God working through me, rather than me trying to figure out how God fits into my life.

In my reading, I too often put myself first, in the hopes of then figuring out God's place in my life. A better way to go about this would be to read for the intention of trying to learn more about God, so that in knowing God better, I can recognize that he has already claimed my entire life.

And then, well, something you just need to read a wonderful tale for the sheer joy of it. I just finished The Hobbit, and the not nearly as wonderful Moby Dick, and I'm better for reading both of them.

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part V

2012-01-11T09:14:00.001-05:00

Genesis 39:6-20
So he left all that he had in Joseph’s charge; and, with him there, he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate. Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking.And after a time his master’s wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, “Lie with me.” But he refused and said to his master’s wife, “Look, with me here, my master has no concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he has in my hand. He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife. How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” And although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie beside her or to be with her.
One day, however, when he went into the house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, she caught hold of his garment, saying, “Lie with me!” But he left his garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside.When she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, she called out to the members of her household and said to them, “See, my husband has brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice; and when he heard me raise my voice and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.”
Then she kept his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to insult me; but as soon as I raised my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.”When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying, “This is the way your servant treated me,” he became enraged. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison.
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It's not fair. It's the only reaction to this story--Joseph is trying desperately to live with integrity, to resist sin and temptation, and what does he get for it? Thrown in jail.

Often, we don't seem to be rewarded by doing the right thing. Being faithful probably will not make us rich and famous--but we shouldn't be basing our success on what the world has to say to us. What matters is how successful we are in following God--Jesus lived the perfect life, and it got him crucified. Most of the apostles were killed for their efforts.

The world often treats Christians harshly--but we must persevere. It's not about us--it's about God.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part IV

2012-01-10T08:16:00.002-05:00

Genesis 39:1-5

Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had brought him down there. The Lord was with Joseph, and he became a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. His master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of all that he had. From the time that he made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house and field.
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Joseph's story has so many different chapters to it--one minute he's riding high with everyone's favor, and the next he's in the pit of despair, waiting for certain death. He's been sold into slavery, and then the Lord sets him up high above the household of one of Pharaoh's officers. The Lord is preparing him for something, but the road there isn't going to be easy.

If we stay faithful to the Lord, he will work out his plan for our life, too--but we have to accept that it isn't all going to be free and easy. Some of it will be costly and painful. It doesn't mean that the Lord has abandoned us--rather, it means that the Lord will use that time to prepare us for what comes next. We're not called to give up hope or give up faith, but rather to remain faithful and continue to grow in the Lord, in good times and bad--it's easy to forget our call to faith in the good times, when it seems like everything we touch turns to gold. May we stay faithful even then.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part III

2012-01-09T08:18:00.001-05:00

Genesis 37:29-36
When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. He returned to his brothers, and said, ‘The boy is gone; and I, where can I turn?’ Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood. They had the long robe with sleeves taken to their father, and they said, ‘This we have found; see now whether it is your son’s robe or not.’ He recognized it, and said, ‘It is my son’s robe! A wild animal has devoured him; Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.’ Then Jacob tore his garments, and put sackcloth on his loins, and mourned for his son for many days. All his sons and all his daughters sought to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and said, ‘No, I shall go down to Sheol to my son, mourning.’ Thus his father bewailed him. Meanwhile the Midianites had sold him in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.
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Yes, to answer your first question, the Bible has some messed up family dynamics. Not exactly the Brady Bunch here.

But God does amazing things through them--God takes these terrible situations, of a brother sold into slavery out of hatred by his brothers, and turns it into something miraculous. The story never ends where we think (or fear) that it might.

In a similar manner, our own story never ends where we think it might. God is always promising redemption, new life, even in the face of deep and abiding challenges. When we are in the midst of despair, God has probably already prepared something new for us.

Even in the face of death, the story doesn't end where we fear it might. In Christ, through Christ, it carries on beyond the tomb to the promise of new life in God, with God, forever.

Blessings

Sermon for 1/8/2012

2012-01-07T22:42:00.003-05:00

Luke 23:1-12

Jesus before Pilate

Then the assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.They began to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that he himself is the Messiah, a king.’ Then Pilate asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basis for an accusation against this man.’ But they were insistent and said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea, from Galilee where he began even to this place.’

Jesus before Herod

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him off to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see him for a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, but Jesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robe on him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other; before this they had been enemies.

How many of youhave ever played the game 'Telephone'? I imagine that most of you,at some point in life, played this fairly simple game. In it, peoplesit in a circle and one person whispers a statement into the ear ofthe person next to them, who then relays it to the next, and so onuntil the bit of information has traveled around the circle. Thefinal message is then compared to the original, often with humorousresults. Rarely, if ever, are the two the same. The reason for thisis that the original message gets distorted at some point along theway, and then that message gets distorted, and each succeedingmessage is farther from the truth.

Now, if you werenot in the middle of a game, and you heard a garbled message, thebest thing to do would be to ask the originator what the message wasto be sure you knew exactly what had been said. This would make sureyour knowledge was accurate, and just as importantly, it would ensurethat what you were passing on to the next person was accurate. Ifyou fail to do so, you simply compound the error. As they say, alittle knowledge can be a dangerous thing.

In Christianity, alittle knowledge can be downright scary. In the Presbyterian church,we encourage each individual member to take up their own independentstudy of the Bible. We want you to take responsibility for yourfaith—we want you to have your own knowledge. If you never openthe Bible in your house, your faith becomes like a game oftelephone—you're listening to my interpretation of it. Now, I'mtrying to be as faithful as possible in relaying the truth of theBible. But I am human, and I make mistakes. It's important for youto be involved in your own study of the Bible so that you candouble-check what I'm saying—so that you can go back to the sourceand be sure that your faith is based on the firm foundation ofChrist. There are plenty of leaders in the world who willmaliciously twist the words of the Bible for their own benefit, andthousands of followers go along blindly, never opening their ownBibles to fact-check their leaders. They simply follow a distortedGospel.

In Jerusalem, theJewish leaders had developed their own distorted faith, passed downthrough generations of church leaders like a big game of telephone. Only this was no party game—this is the single most important thinggoing on in the world, and the leaders were leading the churchastray. They weren't going back to the text and seeing the God whowants all of their hearts and lives offered to him and him alone—theywere simply following along in a distorted, rules-based faith thatdepended on works alone to save them. They'd forgotten the God whostood behind the story. Their distorted faith didn't simply affectthem—they passed it along to others, and to the leaders who cameafter them, so generations of believers were affected by theirrefusal to allow God to dwell within their hearts. The leaders ledthe church astray, and it went farther off course with eachsuccessive leader.

Enter Jesus.

He came totransform all of this. He invited the leaders back to the truth ofGod's love, back into the fold of what it means to follow God. Heinvited them to take off the blinders, to see the distortions forwhat they were, and to lead the people back from the wilderness intothe promised land. He wanted them to understand that their heartswere astray, that they had fallen prey to generations of distortions,and to return to a life of worship. Jesus came to save everyone—thatincluded the Pharisees, the chief priests and the scribes. Jesusloved them just as much as he loved the disciples, as much as heloved those he healed, and he desperately wanted to see them come toa saving faith in Him alone.

But they resisted. Boy, did they ever resist. Three years of public ministry by Christdid nothing to soften their hearts. Countless exchanges with theWord made flesh didn't weaken their defenses—they had bought intotheir distorted faith, and they would not be shaken. Eventually,they had him arrested, and here we are today in Luke 23, with Jesuson trial and this crowd accusing him of all sorts of things, most ofthem lies, in the hopes of having him put to death, thus enablingthem to continue in their comfortable distortions. They distort theministry of Jesus to Pilate in the hopes that it will buy them aconviction. They want this problem solved.

Now, I don'tbelieve that Pilate and Herod are very important to this text. Ithink Pilate sees Jesus as a curiosity, someone not worth his time. When Jesus refuses to reveal anything self-incriminating before him,Pilate is hesitant to join into this inter-family squabble. When theassembly refers to him as a Galilean, Pilate sees this as goldenticket—suddenly, Jesus is not his problem.

It's a gloriousrealization for Pilate—Jesus is someone else's problem, and soPilate passes the buck, sending Jesus off to Herod, who has his owndistorted view of Jesus. Herod wants to be entertained, wants tohave some great story of seeing Jesus perform a miracle before hisvery eyes, not so that he will believe, but rather so he'll have astory to share at cocktail parties. He wants to see Jesusperform—but Jesus remains silent, so Herod and his soldiers mockthis Jewish carpenter and send him back to Pilate. The King of Kingshas nothing to say to the king. The one who heals beggars and dineswith sinners and prostitutes has nothing to say to the king with anempty heart.

So back Jesus goesto Pilate, along with the assembly and their hatred for hischallenges of his difficult faith, his calls to a hard road ofdiscipleship. They hate him for how he pushes them to giveeverything, to give their comfort and their hearts to God. They hatehim for challenging the distorted faith to which they have grownaccustomed. They hate him for calling them to change.

And so here wehave before us the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords—how do werespond? Is our own faith a distortion? Or do we live the kind offaith that Christ calls us to?

The best way toknow for certain what kind of faith Christ calls us to is to be inconstant study of Scripture. It's where the answers are for each ofus. We need to be in church, and sermons and worship certainly playa large part in our spiritual formation—but you need to be workingon your own, studying on your own, because you have a book with everyanswer in it. Only by reading it for yourself do you grasp thecomplete call of Christ's discipleship. Only by spending hours andhours in its pages do we understand how complete the call todiscipleship is. Christ wants all of your life, all of your heart,all of your energy. Christ wants every single day to be an offeringto Him—Christ wants all that you do, in work and play, every secondof every hour, to be lived for His glory. If we believe thatChrist's call to discipleship is not a call on all of our lives, weare no better than those who had him put on trial—we our attemptingto live our own distorted version of Christianity, and Christ callsus back to him, to worship with heart, body, mind and soul. He callsus to complete discipleship.

The scribes andthe Pharisees allowed their faith to grow distorted over the years,and when Christ called them to change, they refused.

What kind of faithwill you have? One based on a love of and study of Scripture, whereyou are constantly aligning yourself with God's call on your life? One rooted in listening to the Holy Spirit direct your feet?

In Jesus Christ,God came to earth to save you. On the cross and in the garden wherethe stone was rolled away, a message was sent to all people thatnothing on this world will ever be the same. May we live a life thatis constantly reminding ourselves and others that we have beentransformed in Christ, and that we will not allow ourselves to live adistorted version of the Gospel based on our comfort andunwillingness to change.

Let us pray.

Challenges

2012-01-07T09:21:00.004-05:00

I promised myself that I'd spend this past week examining my life, letting the Gospel challenge me, that I might prepare myself to go forward into 2012 as a more faithful Christian.

It's been a tough week.

Rachel tells me that I'm my own toughest critic, but the reality (as I see it) is that I read the Gospels and then look around my own life for what the two have in common--and I think I have a lot to learn and a lot of room to grow. I agree with the video above--I am sometimes guilty of rounding off the demanding corners of the Bible's demands of discipleship because they don't fit with the structures of my comfortable life. I long to follow Jesus with my heart and soul, but I am loathe to give up some of my luxuries.

I don't at all believe that I'm going to figure out Christ's call for my life in the first week of 2012. I don't think I'm going to have it figured out by the last week of 2012, or 2021 for that matter. But I believe I am being called into a deeper realm of discipleship, one that demands more of my heart and soul, and my energy and money, be turned over for Christ's use. I don't want to reach the end of life and be left wishing I had spent more time at the beginning figuring out what radical discipleship looks like in my life--I'd like to begin to figure it out now, so that by the the time I reach the end, whenever that may be, I know that I ran my race well, that while I failed, I did so attempting to worship God in all my efforts. Maybe that means selling all and giving it to the poor, maybe it doesn't--I think the call is different for each of us--but it means giving all I have to Christ and letting him set the agenda.

That is my prayer for 2012--that I make time to listen quietly to the Spirit's calling, and that I have the courage and humility to obey.

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part II

2012-01-06T09:45:00.003-05:00

Genesis 37:17-24
The man said, ‘They have gone away, for I heard them say, “Let us go to Dothan.” ’
So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him from a distance, and before he came near to them, they conspired to kill him. They said to one another, ‘Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild animal has devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams.’
But when Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, ‘Let us not take his life.’ Reuben said to them, ‘Shed no blood; throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him’—that he might rescue him out of their hand and restore him to his father.
So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with sleeves that he wore; and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it.
********************

Do you ever feel like you've been thrown into a pit by people you love? Do you cry out for lack of water, for lack of hope, for want of light?
It's easy to think that everyone has abandoned us in the pit. It's easy to believe that the end is near, that the end is near and our journey will soon conclude.
But God isn't finished with us--just as Christ had to pass through death before reaching resurrection, so too will we have to pass through dark places and times in life before discovering God's will for us. And, as we will discover later, God will use those dark times of abandonment.
But never fear, for God is with us--God is with us in the pit when the world has betrayed us, just as God is with us ever second of our lives. Nothing shall separate us from the love of God.

Blessings

1/5 E-Newsletter

2012-01-05T11:19:00.002-05:00

Announcements

Potluck—ThisSunday!

SnackPacks—Thismonth we are collecting granola bars for the snack packs we aremaking for East Brainerd Elementary. Please bring in some everySunday, that we may meet our goal of 250!

FreeWednesday Suppers—Thenext two Wednesdays will once again be free suppers for anyone whoshows up. Please invite your friends, neighbors and casualacquaintances, whoever could use a free meal! Join us at 6.

NewHope News

The memorial service forEvelyn Piatt will be tomorrow at 11.

Prayfor:

MarkBarber (Elsyilyn's husband), who is having problems with his vision

PeterSavard, for healing in his foot

Roger& LynnMeyer

Links

Thismade me cry.

Needsome help with your garden?

Battlingthe demons of distraction. It's not just a 21^stcentury thing.

MartinLuther used social media, too.

IfChrist was born in Bethlehem today, this is what it might look like.

WhyI love the Rose Parade (reason #1052)

Textfor this Sunday

Luke23:1-12

Jesusbefore Pilate

Thenthe assembly rose as a body and brought Jesus before Pilate.Theybegan to accuse him, saying, ‘We found this man perverting ournation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor, and saying that hehimself is the Messiah, a king.’ Then Pilate asked him, ‘Areyou the king of the Jews?’ He answered, ‘You say so.’ ThenPilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, ‘I find no basisfor an accusation against this man.’ But they were insistentand said, ‘He stirs up the people by teaching throughout all Judea,from Galilee where he began even to this place.’

Jesusbefore Herod

WhenPilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. Andwhen he learned that he was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent himoff to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. WhenHerod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had been wanting to see himfor a long time, because he had heard about him and was hoping to seehim perform some sign. He questioned him at some length, butJesus gave him no answer. The chief priests and the scribesstood by, vehemently accusing him. Even Herod with his soldierstreated him with contempt and mocked him; then he put an elegant robeon him, and sent him back to Pilate. That same day Herod andPilate became friends with each other; before this they had beenenemies.

NewHopeChattanooga.org

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Keith'sBlog& Devotionalsfor your Kindle

Devotional--The Life of Joseph, Part I

2012-01-05T08:38:00.000-05:00

Genesis 37:3-8
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he had made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably to him.
Once Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. He said to them, ‘Listen to this dream that I dreamed. There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright; then your sheaves gathered around it, and bowed down to my sheaf.’
His brothers said to him, ‘Are you indeed to reign over us? Are you indeed to have dominion over us?’ So they hated him even more because of his dreams and his words.
******************

Just think, whenever your family disagrees, you're following in the Biblical tradition!

I've struggled to know what to do with this passage--clearly Joseph is destined for great things, and God has blessed him immensely. Perhaps, though, Joseph could have used a small lesson in humility, and he might not have angered his brothers so much. Telling all of your brothers that they will bow down before you isn't the best way to promote family peace.

We all have our flaws. We find out early that Joseph wasn't perfect--but he loved God. He pursued a relationship with God, and he sought what was right. He wasn't content to live an average life, but offered his entire heart to God.

In your life today, how will you offer yourself to God? Will you pursue a deeper relationship with God today? May we strive to fall deeper in love with God today, even though we will do it imperfectly.

Blessings

Wednesday Morning

2012-01-04T09:00:00.001-05:00

Holy, gracious, most high God,

You are my King. From the moment you spoke the world into being, you have not stopped creating by your awesome and righteous Word. You shaped mountains out of dust and gave the seas their place, then filled them with fish of every color and size. Trees sprouted at your command, and they give shade to birds that only your imagination could conjure. Each corner of this globe became reality because of you.

And now, these same corners are covered in sin because we have exercised our free will and turned from you. I, too, am a sinful man, a selfish being who does not live in constant adoration of you. At some point, the wonders of this world stopped bringing me to a place of awe, for I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts to offer myself to you. Forgive me, Lord, for the shameless way that I have lived, believing that I am more important than you. For such selfish choices, I repent.

I repent with boldness, knowing that you are a God of grace. You have made the choice to pour out forgiveness and grace before I even realized the depths of my sin--and your Spirit quickens my heart to recognize that you have a plan for my life. You are making a way in the wilderness of my sin, a light in the repressive darkness, and directing my eyes and my feet. Grant me the wisdom to submit before your Spirit, that the life I lead may be one that glorifies you and you alone. As John says, may I decrease while you increase.

May this day be an offering to you, one that brings pleasure to you, my God and King.

Amen

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part XV

2012-01-04T08:54:00.000-05:00

Genesis 48:15-16
Jacob blessed Joseph, and said,‘The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked,the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys;and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac;and let them grow into a multitude on the earth.’
***********

Here we are at the end of Jacob's life, and he is blessing Joseph. You can tell by his words that he is deeply rooted in gratitude for all the things God has done for his life. I can imagine Jacob with a wry smile as he imagines all the harm which drew near, and the overwhelming sensation of grace as he recalls that God somehow led him through the dangers.

Our lives, too, should be rooted in gratitude. In God, we worship a Creator who acts first, who speaks first. God gives to us, and then our lives should be one large 'thank-you' to God. It was God who offered the covenant to us, it was God who gave the Law, it is God who gives us grace in Christ before we even know to ask for it. God surrounds us with love--may we be grateful for all God does, and may that gratitude lead us to bless others in our lives, both with our words, as Jacob does here, and with our actions.

Blessings

Moby Dick

2012-01-03T09:03:00.000-05:00

It's finally over.

I don't want to think about the time it took me, but I finished Herman Melville's Moby-Dick.

When I was a child, I read the Boys' Life cartoon version. For some strange reason, I felt that this was not quite worthy, and now that I've read the entire book, I can say that the Boys' Life version is not only more entertaining, but also more focused. Expecting to find a book caught up in the thrill of the hunt, I found a collection of random stories and descriptions of whales that doesn't meet up with Moby Dick until the book is 94% finished.

In reflecting on Moby Dick, I find an interesting parallel with my own life--a lack of focus. Melville's saga wanders around the ocean, introducing the reader to various subjects and bits of information that are wholly unnecessary to the story. Had Melville simply decided to tell the story without deciding that it was truly necessary to spend I don't even know how much time describing the difference between a right whale and a sperm whale, one would find an entertaining story about 10% as long as it is now. Melville doesn't spend much time telling the story.

When I think about my own life, I wonder how much time I truly spend in communion with God, focused on serving Him. How much time do I spend caught up in tangents, in stories and events that don't matter, pursuing some bit of information or trivia that has no eternal value? How much time has been frittered away, like pages in the novel, on things that do not matter? Have I invested the majority of my own story in things that fade away, that rust and abide where thieves break in and steal, rather than storing up my own treasure in heaven? Am I making sure that my life tells a straight-forward, focused story, a love story between a man and his Creator, or am I busy pursuing offshoots and passions that will fade as the morning dew?

When I read the story of my own life, will I grow bored and weary of segments that have no eternal value? Or will I be excited to turn the page and find another chapter of a man pursuing his goal of a faithful life? Ahab was completely focused on Moby Dick--his one redeeming value was that his pursuit of his goal never flagged. Can I say the same about my pursuit of a life lived in faithful obedience? And if not, how will I change?

Below is a pretty interesting Studio 360 production about Moby Dick.
Herman Melville's white whale survived his battle with Captain Ahab only to surface in the works of contemporary filmmakers, painters, playwrights and musicians. Kurt Andersen explores the influence of this American Icon with the help of Ray Bradbury, Tony Kushner, Laurie Anderson and Frank Stella. Actor Edward Herrmann is our voice of Ishmael.

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part XIV

2012-01-03T08:10:00.006-05:00

Genesis 47:7-12

Then Joseph brought in his father Jacob, and presented him before Pharaoh, and Jacob blessed Pharaoh. Pharaoh said to Jacob, ‘How many are the years of your life?’ Jacob said to Pharaoh, ‘The years of my earthly sojourn are one hundred and thirty; few and hard have been the years of my life. They do not compare with the years of the life of my ancestors during their long sojourn.’ Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of Pharaoh. Joseph settled his father and his brothers, and granted them a holding in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed. And Joseph provided his father, his brothers, and all his father’s household with food, according to the number of their dependants.
**************

We skip ahead here, to the days when Joseph is in Egypt (we'll get back to Joseph later). Joseph has brought his brothers and his father Jacob to live with him in Egypt, and Jacob comes before Pharaoh to offer a blessing.

Can you imagine what Jacob must have thought, standing before Pharaoh and offering a blessing? It must have been a surreal experience that he never could have imagined.

In a similar vein, God will use you in ways you can never imagine. Your biggest dreams are still exceeded by God's imagination--God's vision is longer than our own. We are encourage to dream big, to live boldly, and to trust that God has plans for us bigger than we know. I don't know where God will lead you in life--but we should each be prepared to follow, and to trust that he will never abandon us.

Blessings

Earth

2012-01-02T21:39:00.001-05:00

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part XIII

2012-01-02T09:14:00.002-05:00

Genesis 35:9-15

God appeared to Jacob again when he came from Paddan-aram, and he blessed him. God said to him, ‘Your name is Jacob; no longer shall you be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.’ So he was called Israel. God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall spring from you. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.’
Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him. Jacob set up a pillar in the place where he had spoken with him, a pillar of stone; and he poured out a drink-offering on it, and poured oil on it. So Jacob called the place where God had spoken with him Bethel.
*************

God changes names--from Abram to Abraham, from Jacob to Israel, from Saul to Paul. These name changes serve to denote the change in identity--the transformation that happens when we are in Christ.

How does your faith change you? How would you live differently if you weren't a Christian? How has God changed you? How do you demonstrate the transformation that has happened within you by the power of the Holy Spirit?

God has changed us--may we lead lives that give evidence of this transformation.

Blessings

Sermon for 1/1/2012

2011-12-31T22:59:00.001-05:00

Luke 22.54-71

Peter Denies Jesus

Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest’s house. But Peter was following at a distance. When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, ‘This man also was with him.’ But he denied it, saying, ‘Woman, I do not know him.’ A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, ‘You also are one of them.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I am not!’ Then about an hour later yet another kept insisting, ‘Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean.’ But Peter said, ‘Man, I do not know what you are talking about!’ At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, ‘Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times.’ And he went out and wept bitterly.

The Mocking and Beating of Jesus

Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, ‘Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?’ They kept heaping many other insults on him.

Jesus before the Council

When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. They said, ‘If you are the Messiah, tell us.’ He replied, ‘If I tell you, you will not believe; and if I question you, you will not answer. But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.’ All of them asked, ‘Are you, then, the Son of God?’ He said to them, ‘You say that I am.’ Then they said, ‘What further testimony do we need? We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!’

This will certainlycome as no surprise to any of you, especially those who know me well,but I am imperfect. Pretty darn imperfect, and depending on the dayI can be incredibly imperfect. Sometimes it is more obvious thanothers, and some days I may actually find the wisdom to draw near tothe Holy Spirit's design for my life. Even then, though, I haveflaws. Lots of them.

In years past, Ihave resisted the common theme of making new years' resolutions. Perhaps I simply didn't want to do what everyone else was doing, ormaybe I simply thought my imperfections weren't obvious enough toneed fixing around new years. I often believed that I should take upthe work of correcting my mistakes whenever I recognize them, andwhile I still believe that, I also believe that I used that as anexcuse not to set out on the difficult task of examining my life andseeking the Holy Spirit's wisdom to guide my feet on the next leg ofthe journey. Perhaps I may use fancier words that transcend thecommon new years' resolutions, but I believe that God is calling meto spend some time in silent reflection upon my habits andimperfections and set out on a journey to allow my heart to be guidedby the Holy Spirit over the next year, that the next leg of my lifemay be spent falling deeper and deeper into love with God.

At the heart of myimperfections, I believe, are the different ways that I deny Jesus'Lordship in my life. At the heart of each of our imperfections isthe simple fact that we find different ways to deny his Lordship. Weeach do things, everyday, that Christ would not have us do. If wetruly allowed Christ to be Lord over every aspect of our life, wewould live differently than we do. How differently depends on thedegree of sin in each of our lives, but we are each imperfect. Whenwe reflect upon our imperfections, the Spirit can guide us intorepentance and then into action, that we might allow our lives to beshaped around God's will for our lives, rather than our own.

In today's passage,I'd like to lift up three different ways that characters deny Christ. They are different in word and tone, but at the heart is the refusalto allow Christ to be Lord of the heart.

First, we havePeter's very obvious denial. Peter is, quite possibly, my favoritedisciple. Why? Because he is so visibly and obviously broken. Heis passionate about following Jesus, and yet his failures arewell-detailed in the Gospels. He is imperfect, and Jesus loves him,even when he messes up. Here, just after Jesus has been arrested,after he has cut off a slaves' ear, after he has promised to followJesus to death, Peter is denying knowing the very man. He wouldprobably deny laying eyes on Jesus given the chance—he knows thatassociation with Jesus may lead to death, and Peter is in full onsave-yourself mode here in the courtyard. Peter, the rock upon whichJesus will build the church, denies Christ openly with his words. Notice, here in Luke, how Peter is reminded of his sin of denial—it'swhen Jesus looks at him. When Peter is confronted by the Word madeflesh, Peter recognizes his sin for what it is.

From here, we go tothe story of Jesus being beaten by the ones who hold him. They mockhim and his abilities to prophecy. They mock what he stands for andthe holiness that drips from him. They mock him and abuse theirpower, beating him because they know can. They heaped insults uponhim, certain that they had power over him. By their actions, theydenied the Lordship of the Prince of Peace.

After that longnight had passed, Jesus is taken before an assembly of the elders ofthe people, chief priests and scribes, and they want to know if he isthe Son of God. They want him to say something that will allow himto condemn him to death. They're not interested in the truth—theydon't want to be confronted with his glory—they simply need areason to put him to the death they have already planned. They thinkthey know how the story ends, they think they know all the details,they just need Jesus to supply the one missing piece—something bywhich to convict him to death. If he doesn't, they'll come up withsomething, but they're hoping Jesus will give them what they sodeeply want. They deny the Lordship of Christ by believing in theirown wisdom, by believing they know everything and not listening towhat Christ has to say. In their unwillingness to trust Jesus, theydeny him.

From the text, weturn to our own lives, and I hope that I can present you with somethings to think about over the coming minutes and hours and days. Ihope that I can offer some meat that you might chew on, that mightoffer some direction, that you may do some self-examination andperhaps seek the Holy Spirit's guidance on how you might change inthe coming year to more closely align your life with God's will foryou.

First, I think wewould be wise to join with Peter in examining our words. Does theway you talk glorify God? Do your words acknowledge that Jesus isLord of everything you do, of everything you say—or do you setaside parts of your day and not offer them to God?

We can talk aboutfaith in two different ways. First, we can talk to others about thedifference it makes to us that we are a Christian. We can talk aboutour relationship with Christ to others—we can talk about how it isfood for our souls, about how it nourishes us each and every day,about how we struggle when we do not have it.

The other way is torecognize that everything we say reflects upon who we are. What kindof language do you use? Are you kind to others when you talk, or areyou rude? Do you use foul language and take the Lord's name in vain? If someone was handed a sheet of paper with everything you said in aday recorded, could you be proud of how you conducted yourself? Orwould you be embarrassed? How we talk to others is part of ourwitness—even if we're not talking about our faith, we're talking ina way that reflects upon our faith, because we are a people whoproclaim that everything we do matters to God.

Need a guide? I'drecommend spending some time in the Word, seeing how other people offaith conducted themselves—just as the nearness of Jesus made Peterrecognize his sin, the nearness of Scripture helps us see our ownsin.

Secondly, I'd liketo invite you to reflect upon your actions. Do you conduct yourselfin a way that reflects a man or woman seeking God in everything youdo? Do the choices you make with your life witness to someone who ispointed towards the Kingdom of heaven, or are you making choices toenlarge your own kingdom? Those charged with watching over Jesusconducted themselves in a way that sought to entertain themselves atthe expense of Jesus Christ—are you spending too much time inshallow entertainment and not enough time in deep commitment to arelationship with Christ? Are you choosing to invest yourself andyour energy in a life of witness to a greater power? Are youchoosing to serve? Our actions are part of our witness—and we canchoose to acknowledge or deny Jesus Christ's Lordship in our actionsas well as our words.

Finally, we come tothe chief-priests and the scribes. They thought they had all theanswers. They thought they knew the path they were called to walk,and they were certain that no one else was going to tell them theywere wrong. They were so unwilling to trust God's leadership thatthey didn't listen to Christ calling them into a new way of life. Indoing so, they denied Christ. Will you be like these few, or willyou be contrite and go to God in humility, seeking guidance? Willyou spend some honest time in heartfelt prayer, seeking God's wisdom,rather than your own? Will you admit that you don't have all theanswers, but that you worship a God who does? Or will you continueon the same path you've always been on, certain of yourself and howyou think things will go?

Friends, we have achoice—in each and everything we do, we can deny or acknowledgeChrist's Lordship in our lives. Each of us has areas of our lives inwhich we need to change. Each of us has a growing edge that God isasking us to offer to Him, so that he might help us grow.

This year, whatwill you choose? Will you choose the hard road of discipleship?

Let us pray.

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part XII

2011-12-28T10:14:00.000-05:00

Genesis 33:4-11
But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept.When Esau looked up and saw the women and children, he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, “The children whom God has graciously given your servant.” Then the maids drew near, they and their children, and bowed down; Leah likewise and her children drew near and bowed down; and finally Joseph and Rachel drew near, and they bowed down.
Esau said, “What do you mean by all this company that I met?” Jacob answered, “To find favor with my lord.” But Esau said, “I have enough, my brother; keep what you have for yourself.” Jacob said, “No, please; if I find favor with you, then accept my present from my hand; for truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God—since you have received me with such favor. Please accept my gift that is brought to you, because God has dealt graciously with me, and because I have everything I want.” So he urged him, and he took it.
********************

Two quick thoughts this morning--
First, let us remember to allow people to surprise us. Jacob was terrified that meeting Esau, his brother whose blessing Jacob stole, would be his end. In reality, it was a joyous reunion. God is at work in each of us, and we must remember that redemption occurs in each of us at different times, and God can change people radically through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Second, when God deals graciously to us, let us pour out gifts upon others. We are blessed for the purpose of being a blessing to others--may we recognize where God has dealt graciously with us, that we may be led into the world to seek opportunities to deal graciously with others.

Blessings

Christmas Day Sermon

2011-12-25T09:13:00.003-05:00

Luke 2:8-20

The Shepherds and the Angels

But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace among those whom he favours!’

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

*********************

I imagine that you've never beenjealous of the life of a shepherd. Imagine yourself outside in a mid-December night, wrapped up against thecold but unable to afford the warmest clothes. You're standing around, watching the sheep sleep in the middle of thenight, wondering what on God's green earth you're doing this for. It's not a job for the feint of heart, or forthe weak, or for the rich—those who have the ability or freedom to do anythingelse would choose just that. But theshepherds are there because they don't have anything else—they haven't turneddown lives of luxury because they feel called to a ministry to sheep. They're shepherds because it puts food on thetable. They're shepherds because itpays, even if it doesn't pay much.

It's not a job they wouldchoose, and it's not a job we would choose. But it's a job, and in this day and age, that still counts forsomething—even if it doesn't pay as much as we like, it's still pay. Some people are shepherds because they haveto be, just as people today do jobs because they have to do them, because thereisn't anything else.

It's this crowd to whom Godsends the heavenly host of angels to announce the birth of a Savior. God is always doing strange things likethis—he's reaching out to the last people in the world we'd expect him to reachout to. He's inviting people in to theparty who don't seem like the first option on the party invite list. We'd expect God to show up in a church or asynagogue—instead God shows up in a pasture, with the sheep.

God does strange things. The Incarnation itself is a bit strange—theSavior of the world being born in a manger in poverty. But they're not strange to God—to God, it's achance to show a love for the poor and the needy. To God, it's a chance to reach out to theworld, and God reaches out to everyone, even those people we might leave offthe list if we were in charge of making it up. And so, as a result, a heavenly host of angels show up in the middle ofa field of sheep to announce to the shepherds the news that a Savior is born.

So, here we are, two thousandyears later, still hearing the story that the angels told on that firstChristmas, and God is still reaching out to all of humanity, to the rich aswell as the poor, to the greatest and least of these in our minds, because toGod we are all equal, each one of us a sinner in need of a Savior.

We don't have the first words ofJesus recorded, but we have some of the last words—Go, therefore, and makedisciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of theSon and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I havecommanded you. And remember, I am withyou always, to the end of the age. We, too, are sent to share the message with everyone. We're called to go to those the worldconsiders the least—the shepherds of today's world, the poor and the homeless,those so quickly forgotten—and share the love of Christ. We, too, are called to take this message tofields and plains, to the places we might not naturally go, as well as theplaces we frequent everyday. We'recalled to join with the angels and sing the songs of God's amazing love, sothat we might tell the whole world about God's gracious and free love.

Let us pray.

Christmas Eve Meditation

2011-12-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

John 1:1-5, 14-18

The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth. (John testified to him and cried out, ‘This was he of whom I said, “He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.” ’) From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart, who has made him known.

*******************

I learned a lotabout having a child this year. And by that, I mean that I learned alot about watching my wife have a child this year. While she wasundergoing pregnancy and having a child grow inside of her, I wasgetting into the best shape of my life and competing in triathlons. So let's not pretend that both sides of this equation are equal.

But still, I waswith her every step of the way, even when those steps got a bitshorter and slower as Caleb grew. I was with her in the deliveryroom, throughout the long labor, and I have been ever since. And theone thing I gained from this experience is the wisdom that having achild is not an everyday occurrence. It's not easy, nor is it safe. Caleb was not in a big hurry to come into this world, and Rachel andI both came to the conclusion that had her pregnancy occurred 100years ago, neither she nor Caleb would have likely survived thelabor. Having a baby is a risky endeavor, and not for the faint ofheart.

And so it amazesme all the more this year, as we come to this miraculous Christmaseve, that God chose this dangerous, risky process by which to bring aSavior into the world. Our God, the One who spoke the world intobeing, could easily have had a little boy materialize somewhere inthe wilderness to be adopted by some loving family, perhaps by Maryand Joseph on their way to Bethlehem. Or Jesus could have simplyappeared in the wilderness at the age of 30, having skipped all thedangerous years beforehand, and not much would have changed. Markand John's Gospels would read the same.

But God chose tohave Jesus come into this world as a baby because God longs for us toworship Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, to turn from sin to Him. And in order for us to worship Him, we have to be able to trust Himfirst. We have to be able to trust that he understands us, that heknows what it is like to be scared, to be sad, to be human. We haveto be able to trust that Jesus doesn't save us out of pity, but outof love, because he knows exactly what it is like to be human, and heshows us how to live in our humanity, not trying to avoid it, butembracing it.

In Jesus Christ,God becomes vulnerable. Trust me, there is nothing more vulnerablethan a newborn infant. The only things that Caleb can do are cry,eat, dirty his diaper, and flail his limbs without any semblance ofcontrol. It's amazing to think that our Lord and Savior was once thesame way—he couldn't hold his head up without the help of Mary andJoseph. This is the One who came to save—and does save. He wasdependent on humans.

Thousands of yearslater, the church still depends on humans. God uses us to carry themessage of Christ forward. Without the church to be His hands andfeet, the message of Christ flails around here in themanger—confronting no one with the awesome message of love. Butyour hands and your feet have been chosen by God to be the objects tocarry the message of love and grace forward. God is depending on us,the feeble and sinful church, to share Christ's love with the world.

God invites us tojoin in with what he is doing in the world. God uses us, just as Godused Mary and Joseph, to move forward the redemption of all ofcreation.

This Christmas,may you celebrate the reality of a Savior who comes as a man, fullyhuman and fully God, to offer us salvation, and may you rejoice thatthis Savior invites you to play a role in the redemption of humanity. God uses people, you and I, to work in the world—won't you joinin?

Let us pray.

12/23 E-News

2011-12-23T10:51:00.003-05:00

Announcements

ChristmasEve Service—Saturday,Dec. 24 @ 7.

ChristmasDay Service (w/ communion)—Sunday,Dec. 25 @ 10:45.

NewHope News

Russ Mabry is home anddoing well!

Peter Savard goes to thedoctor Tuesday in the hopes that his foot will be healed!

Joseph Townley hadsurgery yesterday to have tubes put in his ears—it went well, butinclude them in your prayers.

Janet Phillips' sisters'husband passed away on Monday morning. Please be in prayer for themas they mourn.

Prayfor:

Those who are not filled with the hope of a coming Savior--that they might see Christ working in their lives.

Thosesearching for jobs.

Thosewho mourn this Christmas season.

Roger& LynnMeyer

Links

Moreabout faith and football from Tim Tebow. (i.e. What truly matters)

About10% of Protestant churches will be closed on Christmas Day. <shakinghead>

Yes,one person can make a difference in this world.

Forthose of you traveling over Christmas.

Whoa.

Textfor this Sunday

Luke2:8-20

TheShepherds and the Angels

Inthat region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watchover their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stoodbefore them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and theywere terrified.But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; forsee—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: toyou is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is theMessiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you willfind a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.’ Andsuddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenlyhost, praising God and saying,
‘Glory to God in thehighest heaven,
and on earth peace among thosewhom he favours!’

Whenthe angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said toone another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing thathas taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’ So theywent with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in themanger. When they saw this, they made known what had been toldthem about this child; and all who heard it were amazed at whatthe shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words andpondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifyingand praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been toldthem.

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Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part XI

2011-12-23T09:50:00.001-05:00

Genesis 32:22-31
The same night he got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’

So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ Then the man said, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed.’ Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.’ The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.
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Powerful things happen when we spend time alone--when we set aside time to be alone with God, often we wrestle with ourselves, and with God--usually to our benefit. When we lay ourselves down before Christ, we are forced to confront our unworthiness with Christ's glory--but then we should also recognize that despite the fact that we are unworthy, Christ comes to save us. Christ doesn't listen to the sound of our unworthiness--rather he offers us His glory and his love as a free gift. He pours himself out so that we may be filled. But, just as Jacob limped, we, too, are forever changed by our encounter with Christ--we will never be the same, for all of eternity.

Friends, believe the Good News--we are forgiven and saved through Christ. May we spend time alone and wrestle with this powerful truth, accepting its grace while we determine how best to live as a forgiven people.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part X

2011-12-22T09:18:00.001-05:00

Genesis 32:9-12
And Jacob said, ‘O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, O Lord who said to me, “Return to your country and to your kindred, and I will do you good”, I am not worthy of the least of all the steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant, for with only my staff I crossed this Jordan; and now I have become two companies. Deliver me, please, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I am afraid of him; he may come and kill us all, the mothers with the children. Yet you have said, “I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted because of their number.” ’
***************

I love this prayer--it's desperate and heartfelt, honest and true. It's said in an hour of need, and it shows us that the Biblical characters we read about had times in which they felt the world falling away, in which they passed through the darkest valleys of life and were gripped by fear. In those times, what did they do?

They turned to the Lord with urgent prayers for safekeeping. They remembered the promises of the Lord, and begged to understand them in the midst of their chaotic lives. They cried out in pain for healing.

Our own prayers often mimic theirs--as they should. When we suffer, when we are filled with pain, may our own cries ascend to the heavens, that God may hear our prayers and send us His peace.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part IX

2011-12-21T08:36:00.001-05:00

Genesis 30:25-26, 31-32, 35-36, 37-40
When Rachel had borne Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, ‘Send me away, that I may go to my own home and country. Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know very well the service I have given you.’
He said, ‘What shall I give you?’ Jacob said, ‘You shall not give me anything; if you will do this for me, I will again feed your flock and keep it: let me pass through all your flock today, removing from it every speckled and spotted sheep and every black lamb, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and such shall be my wages.
But that day Laban removed the male goats that were striped and spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled and spotted, every one that had white on it, and every lamb that was black, and put them in charge of his sons; and he set a distance of three days’ journey between himself and Jacob, while Jacob was pasturing the rest of Laban’s flock.
Then Jacob took fresh rods of poplar and almond and plane, and peeled white streaks in them, exposing the white of the rods. He set the rods that he had peeled in front of the flocks in the troughs, that is, the watering-places, where the flocks came to drink. And since they bred when they came to drink, the flocks bred in front of the rods, and so the flocks produced young that were striped, speckled, and spotted. Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the striped and the completely black animals in the flock of Laban; and he put his own droves apart, and did not put them with Laban’s flock.
****************

I've always been amazed at this story--it's a competition between two men who don't trust each other, and with good reason! They set up this incredibly simple procedure to pay Jacob, and then spend the next period of time trying to outdo one another in trickery.
What does this teach us about life before Christ? I think it teaches us something about cleverness, about being intelligent. We're not supposed to be the kind of people who simply lie down and let the world walk all over us--we're called to serve the world, and love others selflessly, but it doesn't mean we have to be dumb, or that we have let those who would take advantage of us prosper.
I think Jesus captures this in Matthew when he is telling the disciples to be 'wise as serpents, yet innocent as doves'. Cling to righteousness and avoid sinfulness, but you also need to watch out for yourself, for there are plenty of people in this world looking for someone to take advantage of. We can love them and serve them without allowing ourselves to be taken advantage of.

Blessings

2011-12-20T07:56:00.001-05:00

Genesis 29:21-30

Then Jacob said to Laban, ‘Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.’ So Laban gathered together all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.)
When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?’ Laban said, ‘This is not done in our country—giving the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me for another seven years.’ Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel as a wife. (Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her maid.) So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah. He served Laban for another seven years.
**************

Some people in this world seem to exist for the sole purpose of trying our patience. You know the type--they seem to seek out ways to frustrate you. Imagine you're Jacob--you've served Laban for seven years in hopes of marrying Rachel, and then you discover that you've married the wrong sister and you've got another seven years of service ahead of you. You'd be a bit disappointed, right? You'l probably want to string Laban up by his ears!
God works in mysterious ways. Ways we don't always understand--but I do know that God allows us to have adversity in our lives. I'd say that it makes us stronger, makes us tougher, but if we're honest, sometimes adversity just makes things more difficult, makes life painful.
In the face of adversity, we're called to remain faithful--not to give up and take the easy way out, but to do the most faithful thing. Sometimes, when it comes to those special, frustrating people in our lives, the most loving thing we can do is avoid them. Often, though, we just have to grit our teeth and love them, tolerate them, and remember that God loves them, too. It's not easy--but it's the faithful thing to do. God will bring something out of that relationship, out of that situation--trust in him.

Blessings

Growth

2011-12-19T10:17:00.000-05:00

Luke 2:52
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor.
**********

Jesus grew, in maturity and wisdom.

It is so easy to forget this.

But it is essential to a life of faith.

See, I often get caught up in the (wrong) idea that Jesus was born as a completely developed font of wisdom, that as a newborn he was busy spouting nuggets of wisdom and pearls of spiritual impact that left Mary and Joseph stunned at the child they had just delivered. (and yes, it takes two people to deliver a baby. Did Rachel do the hardest job? Yup. But I played a pretty big role, too. She'll agree with that.) Jesus wasn't busy describing the spiritual state of the Pharisees as a newborn--he was busy crying.

Because that's what babies do. They cry. Then, when they're finished crying, they rest so they can cry more. Then they eat, because no one likes to cry on an empty stomach.

Because Jesus was fully God, I have this image of him in the manger as a completely developed and wise baby. But I forget that he was fully human--that it took him months before he could hold his head upright, that it took him a year before he could walk, that his first words didn't occur to him at six weeks, but rather years later. I forget that Jesus wasn't busy composing the Sermon on the Mount at the age of four, but rather was busy trying to figure out how to be a four year old.

Jesus grew and matured.

I do, too. I'm not supposed to have it all figured out. I'm suppose to be working on some things, focusing on my growing edges (and there are many), so that I might move through this particular growth field and into another, but I'm always going to be growing and maturing. Faith takes place over a lifetime, and the Holy Spirit builds one layer at a time--he doesn't finish the whole thing and then give me thirty years to sit back and admire it from my bathtub on the edge of the cliff that they always show in those commercials--no, the Holy Spirit works with and in me every single day, and then uses that day to build toward the next, and this process continues throughout my life. I am growing in faith--and while I hope to be growing in different areas and in new ways many years from now, I don't want to stop growing.

So I need to give myself some patience, and recognize that I'm not going to get everything right, that I'm not going to have all the answers--but rather that I'm called to be moving in a faithful direction, working as hard as I can while the Holy Spirit works within me, in the hopes that I might see the next faithful direction, the next step in my growth, so that I, too, might increase in wisdom and years.

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part VII

2011-12-19T08:43:00.003-05:00

Genesis 29:15-20

Then Laban said to Jacob, ‘Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?’ Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah’s eyes were lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel; so he said, ‘I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel.’ Laban said, ‘It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me.’ So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
**************

Rachel never would have forgiven me if I had skipped this part!

Sometimes, you have to wait for what God has in store for you. Waiting is rarely fun. But in waiting, our time is not to be spent idly counting the days and minutes and seconds--rather, it's to be spent serving, growing, so that when we finally receive the object of our desires, we have grown as a person.

Think of all the things in life you are waiting for--perhaps you're waiting for Christmas, or you're waiting for news, for a job, for a medical test. Maybe you're just waiting in line, or waiting at the car mechanic. Waiting can take moments or it can take years, or, in some cases, it can be moments that feel like years.

Don't waste the time that you wait--if you're in line, say a little prayer. Think about how you might grow while you wait--how can God use that time? How might you rest, or work, while you wait? Don't just wait idly, and don't grow impatient, believing that it's a waste of time. There is a purpose in waiting--that we may grow, that we may learn.

And yes, you are free to send this back to me to remind me that waiting is worthwhile. I'm preaching to myself on this one!

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part VI

2011-12-18T08:33:00.001-05:00

Genesis 28:18-22

So Jacob rose early in the morning, and he took the stone that he had put under his head and set it up for a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He called that place Bethel; but the name of the city was Luz at the first. Then Jacob made a vow, saying, “If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father’s house in peace, then the Lord shall be my God, and this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house; and of all that you give me I will surely give one tenth to you.”
***************

Most people don't enjoy talking about money. We get cold and clammy when the subject comes up, and like a summer storm, we hope it passes quickly and leaves enough of the day to enjoy afterward. I don't think Jacob is talking just about money when he says he will give a tenth to God--but money is certainly included in that tenth.
Money is a powerful object in life--think about how many decisions in this country, in your life, that it drives. It seems to be the sole driving force behind politics right now, however slowly it may be driving!
God is the one who gives us the gifts we need to work and earn money. God is the giver of every gift--and so we are called to give back out of what we are given. Just as the church calls people to give from their time and their energy, the church calls people to give money back.
In the text today, Jacob promises to live for God--part of that is giving back. May we each do our part.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part V

2011-12-17T09:16:00.002-05:00

Genesis 28:10-17 Jacob’s Dream at Bethel

Jacob left Beer-sheba and went towards Haran. He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven; and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.
And the Lord stood beside him and said, ‘I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.’
Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!’ And he was afraid, and said, ‘How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.’
********************

Wherever you are at this moment, take a look around--the Lord is there. You don't need to bring God there or find God--the idea is to recognize God's presence with you, around you. God never leaves nor forsakes you, and wherever you end up in life, God is already there, waiting for you to arrive. Even in the darkest nights of life, God is there, with you.

So when we think about evangelism, when we think about spreading God's love, it's not a matter of us trying to force God down people's throats--the question is how do we get people to recognize that God is already with them, working in and around them. We don't have to give them the gift of God, as though we keep God in a box somewhere--we rather can help them see God's presence in their life.

The first step and, I believe, the best way to do that is to live a life that recognizes God's presence in all that we do. Only then can we give that away.

"Surely the Lord is in this place--and I did not know it!"

Blessings

The end of war

2011-12-16T14:35:00.002-05:00

A war ended yesterday. Thanks be to God for that.

It seems like it did so quietly, with a whimper, as the last combat troops left Iraq behind and returned home. It is my wish that the memories of war would remain trapped in that desert country, but I am aware from what I have read that memories and trauma linger, often painfully, as the country expects the troops to return seamlessly to the lives they left behind, despite all they have been through worlds away. We expect them to place the chaos of war and the death of friends in some safe box and leave it tucked away, doing no harm, while they continue on with life-as-usual. From what I read, the chances of that happening are slim to none, with slim catching the last train home. The pain, the terror, the emotions do not depart as the soldiers did--rather they linger, appearing in the dark of night or at the appearance of harmless sounds like popcorn or fireworks. The war is gone, but the scars remain.

Perhaps the war ended so stealthily because it has lingered so long, on the edge of national consciousness. Perhaps it went so meekly because thousands more troops remain entrenched in Afghanistan, fighting an impossible war against an unknown enemy. Perhaps it slipped out the back door simply because it could never match the emotion it triggered when it started. I remember being in England when Iraq was invaded--I remember the protests and the fear, the uncertainty and the passion--could we ever match such passion with our celebrations at the end of the war?

I wonder how we will look back on this war. The 4,500 soldiers who were killed, each family that was affected, each community that was shattered by a visit from a soldier informing them of the death of a loved one--those scars will never disappear. In time, perhaps, they will heal, but I am not a believer that anyone will ever get over the grief. They will pass through it, as one passes through a long, dark valley and eventually returns to the warmth of the sun, and hopefully find a place of peace, but grief never fully dissipates. Nor should it, I believe. We hold onto the memories, onto the life that was lived, and the way it changed us. We cling to these things, and to the hope of resurrection, of life beyond the shadow of death. But we don't simply 'get over it'. We're not made that way.

War has ended, and I believe that God rejoices in that. God's peace is greater than the absence of war, though--it includes a wholeness of society, of creation, a wholeness that requires more than simply quiet, but takes people actively working to love one another, to love God. The first step is certainly the cessation of hostilities--but God always asks more of us, and so God presses us to work together, to love one another, to pray for one another and look beyond what separates us. I believe that salvation comes through the Son of God, our Savior, Jesus Christ, and yet I also believe that I am called to pray for, and to love, those with whom I share this planet, no matter their religion. I am to live for their benefit as well as for the benefit of my Christian brothers and sisters. I am to seek shalom in my own life, as well as the lives of those who surround me. In all things, I am to proclaim Christ.

Will we look back on this war as a good thing, as an action of liberation? Or will historians still debate whether the cost was worth it? I cannot begin to imagine how Iraqi society has been transformed. A recent wired.com article puts the civilian death toll in Iraq around 120,000. Everything has changed there... a ruthless dictator has been tried, convicted and killed for the crimes he committed against his people. Supposedly, freedom reigns there. I hope that it lasts. Is the price of freedom worth the enormous cost of human life, both in Iraqis and Americans? I don't even know how to begin to answer that question.

Was it worth it? Was it the right thing to do? Was it faithful? I don't know how much those questions matter now. Even if the answers are all no, there are still 4,500 families grieving, with thousands more families trying to help rehabilitate injured soldiers. Countless more are helping veterans recover from the mental trauma of war. I cannot even being to imagine what their experience is like. The scars of war remain, some fresher than others, and I believe that the church is called to be a place of healing and peace for those in need of it. How can we selflessly serve those in need of healing?

And may we pray for the war in Afghanistan to end, too, that the soldiers may come home and depart no more, that peace may reign on this planet.

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part IV

2011-12-16T08:34:00.001-05:00

Genesis 27:41-45Jacob Escapes Esau’s Fury
Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’ But the words of her elder son Esau were told to Rebekah; so she sent and called her younger son Jacob and said to him, ‘Your brother Esau is consoling himself by planning to kill you. Now therefore, my son, obey my voice; flee at once to my brother Laban in Haran, and stay with him for a while, until your brother’s fury turns away— until your brother’s anger against you turns away, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send, and bring you back from there. Why should I lose both of you in one day?’
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Rebekah was looking out for Jacob. Esau was furious at him for taking his blessing, so Rebekah knew that the only way to protect him was to have him flee.
It usually doesn't feel very rewarding to run from a problem or a person. But I believe that sometimes problems are so big that we simply can't tackle them in our present state. God will prepare us later, but in the meantime we simply need to be somewhere else, doing something else. It's why the most loving thing we can do with some people is not be around them. It's why we sometimes need to take some time on our own and regroup. Perhaps you beat yourself up because you're overwhelmed by a problem or situation--God may be preparing you at a later date to face it, but perhaps in the meantime you need to rest, to regroup, to flee.

Jacob's life is a mysterious life, a strange and unique life, but it is one lived for God. May people look at our wonderfully imperfect lives and say the same thing!

Blessings

12/15 E-News

2011-12-15T12:53:00.002-05:00

Announcements

Musicfor Water—Thurs.,December 15 @ 8:00 will be a recital that you will not want to miss! John Brandon and some other talented singers from the Chattanoogaarea will be blessing us with a Christmas recital to help raise fundsfor our Living Waters mission. Admission will be $10, and a freewilloffering will be held at the end of the service. Detailsfound here.

Cantata—ThisSunday! Be there!

ChristmasEve Serve—Saturday,Dec. 24 @ 7.

NewHope News

Russ Mabry is home!

Christine Vetne will becelebrating her last Sunday with us on Christmas Day. Please be sureto thank her for her ministry.

Justin Alleyne will alsobe departing, heading back to the warmth of Florida. This comingSunday will be his final Sunday. Please wish him well.

Prayfor:

Ourchurch, that we might continue to look for opportunities to serveothers this Christmas season.

Thosesearching for jobs.

Thosewho have a tough time with the Christmas season.

Roger& LynnMeyer

Links

Theconflict between science and religion may not be a conflict at all.

Incase you didn't see the Tuesday Times-Free Press article about JohnBrandon.

Whatwould your child's drawings look like if done by an artist?

Everwonder what your cats do when you're not watching?

Denverarea pastor clears up debate about God helping Tim Tebow win.

Textfor this Sunday

John3:30

Hemust increase, but I must decrease.’

NewHopeChattanooga.org

NewHope on Facebook& Twitter

NewHope on iTunes

Keith'sBlog& Devotionalsfor your Kindle

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part III

2011-12-15T08:27:00.001-05:00

Genesis 27:18-24 So he went in to his father, and said, ‘My father’; and he said, ‘Here I am; who are you, my son?’ Jacob said to his father, ‘I am Esau your firstborn. I have done as you told me; now sit up and eat of my game, so that you may bless me.’ But Isaac said to his son, ‘How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?’ He answered, ‘Because the Lord your God granted me success.’ Then Isaac said to Jacob, ‘Come near, that I may feel you, my son, to know whether you are really my son Esau or not.’ So Jacob went up to his father Isaac, who felt him and said, ‘The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.’ He did not recognize him, because his hands were hairy like his brother Esau’s hands; so he blessed him. He said, ‘Are you really my son Esau?’ He answered, ‘I am.’
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Yes, this is really one of the fathers of the faith--Jacob, who lies and says he is his brother in order to obtain his father's blessing, which is thought to guarantee success and prosperity. Jacob lies, and in so doing gets the birthright and the blessing, giving him every advantage over his brother.

So the founders of the faith are broken, too. They're imperfect. Jacob lies and, in doing so, steals a blessing from his brother. I have the hardest time working this out, trying to justify it. In the end, I never get to a place I'm comfortable with. It's just difficult.

And yet, I trust that God is at work. I trust that God is using broken people to achieve his purposes, to prepare the world for his kingdom, to reveal his salvation to the world. You have a role to play in this, just as Jacob did. Everything you do today, at home and at work, has the chance to be a part of this unfolding narrative if you so desire--but you have to make that choice and offer up that time, whether it's cleaning a toilet or presenting a proposal, for God to use.

How shall we live today? For God? Or for ourselves?

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part II

2011-12-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

Genesis 25:29-34
Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stuff, for I am famished!” (Therefore he was called Edom.) Jacob said, “First sell me your birthright.” Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” Jacob said, “Swear to me first.” So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob. Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank, and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
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At times, we learn how to live from individuals in the Bible by attempting to follow the example they set. And, at other times, we learn from what they do wrong.
In this case, Esau allowed his hunger to overwhelm his good sense, and he traded short-term pleasure (a full stomach) for long term pain (loss of a birthright).
It's easy for us to do the same--we avoid the work of discipleship and growth in faith by choosing short term entertainment, but in the long run we do not turn into the type of Christians we hope to be--we think that we will become mature Christians just by luck or chance, when the fact is that we grow into maturity by following the Spirit's guidance every day, and though we often do not realize the long term consequences, small decisions you make today affect who you will be ten years from now.
So let us make the tough decisions today and reject the offers from the Jacobs around us to trade who we will be in return for an easier today.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Jacob, Part I

2011-12-13T08:17:00.000-05:00

Genesis 25:21-28
Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and she said, ‘If it is to be this way, why do I live?’ So she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,‘Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided;one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger.’

When her time to give birth was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red, all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau. Afterwards his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau’s heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved Jacob.
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Last night, one of our cats ran away. And by ran away, I mean he hid in the basement for five hours. Rachel and I spent a long time searching for him, but when we found him, the other cat wasn't happy to see him at all. He is still hissing every time he sees him--there was no joyous, tearful reunion. I tell them to play nice, but they listen about as well as they do when I ask them to not shed.

There was always strife between Jacob and Esau. From the time they were in the womb, they were struggling to establish superiority. This was no easy relationship, free of conflict.

Sometimes, the Lord puts people in our life against whom we struggle. There are people who seem to exist for the sole purpose of bringing strife. Every time we see or think of them it raises our blood pressure.

Being a Christian means that life will not be easy--our lives are not free from conflict, and we're still called to love those who stress us out. I guarantee that you will have conflict, and that it will upset you, and that you even may wonder why God has put that person near you. Well, I believe that God is at work, just as God was at work with Jacob and Esau. We can't always see his purposes, but God is doing a mighty work in us, using us to build his Kingdom, and so may we persevere, not for our own sake, but for God's.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Isaac, Part III

2011-12-12T07:59:00.001-05:00

Genesis 25:19-21The Birth and Youth of Esau and Jacob

These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife Rebekah conceived.
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Considering how much Isaac is mentioned later on in the Bible, he doesn't have much to do in the Genesis story--we spend chapters with Abraham and chapters with Jacob, his son, but in between the two Isaac marries Rebekah and... well, that's about it. There's a little story about him passing his wife off as his sister, as his father did, but not much else.

But that doesn't make Isaac a failure. It doesn't make him a nobody. It doesn't make him a disappointment. What Isaac did was live faithfully to the call God had for him. Maybe it didn't include wild adventures and headline-worthy stories, but it was who he was called to be. And it was enough.

We aren't each called to the main stage of public adoration. We won't all be famous. But that doesn't mean we haven't been faithful to who God called us to be--what matters is whether our hearts are focused on God alone, and whether we're absolutely focused on serving him in what we're doing right now. Don't worry about fortune and fame--those may come and pass away, or never come this way at all--just worry about serving and loving those around you, and you, too, will be known in the halls of heaven, where it truly matters.

Blessings

December 11 Sermon

2011-12-11T09:26:00.001-05:00

Luke 22:47-53

The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

While he was still speaking, suddenly a crowd came, and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him; but Jesus said to him, ‘Judas, is it with a kiss that you are betraying the Son of Man?’ When those who were around him saw what was coming, they asked, ‘Lord, should we strike with the sword?’ Then one of them struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear.But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him. Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple police, and the elders who had come for him, ‘Have you come out with swords and clubs as if I were a bandit? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness!’

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I want you to take a moment and think about your favorite movie. What comes to mind?Now take a moment and think about the conflict in that movie—who is it between?Every great movie is filled with conflict. Think about some of the greatest movies of all time—they each have a conflict—sometimes it's a conflict rooted in the love between a man and a woman. Sometimes it’s a conflict between two friends or two enemies. Often, it’s far more complicated than that.

But there’s always conflict.Ever since Adam and Eve were shown the way out of the Garden, good and evil have been in conflict. Sometimes, good appears to have the upper hand, such as when the Israelites were marching through the Sea of Reeds with the Egyptians hot on their tail. Other times, evil seems to be winning—I was writing in Caleb’s baby book about the things that were happening around his birth and it was pretty difficult to come up with a lot of newsworthy great events—but there were plenty of bad events. They battle, back and forth, with rays of hope bursting through the darkness.

Here, in the 22nd chapter of Luke’s Gospel, we find them at war once more. Throughout the last few chapters we’ve been awaiting this clash—we had expected it once we started reading about betrayal, and perhaps we read a bit closer to see how and when they would clash.Jesus has gone to the Mount of Olives to pray, and he urges the disciples to join him in prayer, while the forces of evil gather their friends and make their way to the Mount, that they might strike the first blow in the hopes of gaining the upper hand.

We join the action here today.Remember—Jesus is busy praying, and he’s urging the disciples to pray. He’s encouraging his followers to spend time doing the single most important thing that they can be doing, and he’s trying to model the prayer that is more important than any other prayer—not my will, but yours be done. Perhaps he’s finally awakened the disciples to do their Christian duty and pray. Perhaps they’ve finally awoken to the need to pray—I can picture them rousing themselves from sleep and kneeling to pray when Judas bursts onto the scene, his band of no-so-merry men behind him, wielding clubs and swords, disrupting everything. Judas, acting as though nothing is wrong, ambles up to Jesus, who is not shocked by any of this, and goes to kiss him before Jesus stops this horrid scene.

Judas disrupts this time of intimate prayer with his betrayal. Who knows how long he has been plotting this. He’s had ample opportunities to betray Jesus to the chief priests—but he chooses here and now, in this prayer time in the garden. Why?Because Satan loves to disrupt us when we’re finally getting serious about spending time with God. I’m not sure there’s anything the devil loves more than finding a man or woman about to spend time with God in prayer and distracting them with some menial task so thoroughly that they never get back around to prayer. I can imagine the laughter in the bowels of hell as the demons recount ways they have turned individuals from prayer—perhaps they prompted a mundane phone call just before someone sat down to read the Bible, or interrupted a spiritual conversation with the sound of the trash truck and a reminder that the trash can hadn’t made it to the street yet. Friends, if you’re getting serious about developing your spiritual life, expect some serious opposition—and remember to stay strong in the face of it. There will be ample opportunities to drop out—but don’t let Satan turn you from your work.

So Satan comes to betray Jesus with a kiss, using this sign of love as a sign of betrayal, turning a wonderful thing into a terrible thing, and the disciples finally come to their senses, realizing what is happening, and leap up with a question: Lord, should we strike with the sword?Now, perhaps Luke, in his excitement at recording the scene, simply forgot to record Christ’s answer. I think a far more likely scenario, certainly a far more common one, is that the disciples, having asked the question, rushed into action before bothering to listen for an answer.

Not that anyone you know would ever do that.
Not that you would ever do that.
Not that I would ever do that.

Can you imagine the nerve—asking the Lord a question, for guidance on an issue, and then plowing ahead with your own plans without even bothering to give the Lord time to answer your carefully worded question?How often do you spend time in prayer asking for guidance on an issue, but never bother to spend time in silent reflection listening for an answer? Are you guilty of never bothering to ask a trusted friend what they think about a tough question, forgetting that the Lord often speaks through those who know us best? Do you sometimes doubt whether the Lord answers questions and ask them simply out of duty?As Christians, as people called to spend time in prayer and prefer the Lord’s will to our own, we’re called to discern God’s will for our lives. Often that means we need to spend more time in silent waiting than we do speaking. It’s like that old saying that so many of us heard from our mothers—you were given two ears and one mouth in the hope that you might listen twice as much as you speak. The Lord’s answers are rarely clear, I have found, but they are never clear when I don’t listen, when I don’t open the Bible and search for God’s wisdom, when I don’t bother to discuss the question with anyone I trust.

So the disciples leap into action and aim for the kill. They go for the head of one of the slaves of the high priest, removing his ear and probably giving the man more than he had expected. By this point, however, Jesus leaps into action. No more of this, he cries, and he reaches out his hand to heal the man’s ear.Typical Jesus—healing his enemies when the disciples think they are saving him.Let this text be a lesson to those who think God is always on our side when we go up against our enemies—Jesus loves our enemies just as much as he loves us.

I imagine that this text wasn’t referenced often in the midst of the Crusades, when it was believed that God would give them the power to destroy their enemies. The thought of Jesus running around on the battlefield healing the wounded on each side should be enough to give us pause. Jesus shows his perfect love by healing those who have come to arrest him. So I’d invite you to think about that the next time you’re in conflict with someone—as you’re imagining yourself emerging victorious, think about Jesus reaching out and healing them from the mental or emotional wounds you might have caused them. Perhaps it will lead us to be a bit more careful with our words, and perhaps it might help us put selfless love for enemies into action a bit more earnestly. Christ loved those who would come and arrest him—and he calls us to do the same.

Having healed the slave, he turns to the chief priests and the temple police, mocking their selection of weapons, wondering aloud why they didn’t bother arresting him in the temple, highlighting their fear of him. Evil always prefers the dark to act. It’s why crime often goes down in neighborhoods or parks when public lighting is installed—evil creeps back into shadowy places, hoping that its actions won’t be seen. So, too, has evil chosen the dark and seclusion of the Mount of Olives at night in this text, and they come to arrest Jesus, and Jesus, he who will defeat death and sin, allows it to happen.

Why?

Probably because he knows it has to happen.Probably because he knows the end of the story.But this is your hour, and the power of darkness, Jesus cries. I can picture him saying it with a sad look on his face, knowing that evil reigns in these men’s hearts, but knowing how much greater the power of love is. Satan will have his power, will do his worst, will try and conquer the light by crucifying the one who has come to save.But good will prevail.The light shall shine in the darkness, even when the darkness does not understand it. Jesus shall be resurrected, raised from the dead.Out of the depths of the darkest night, the Son shall rise. Evil will have its hour, but good wins. God wins.

And God calls us to join in—to shine in the darkness, to be filled with the light of Christ. As you go forth into the world, I’d invite you to consider the Christmas lights—each one shining in the night, each one a tiny speck of light that does something powerful when joined with a whole strand and plugged into the source. Each light is unique, and yet so many lights can transform a house, a community, a world. Will you let the light shine in you, in your own unique way, so that God may change the world anew and use you as the light overwhelms the darkness and transforms all of creation?Will you join in with what God is doing?Will your life be a victory song?Will good triumph in you?

Let us pray

Devotional--The Life of Isaac, Part II

2011-12-08T07:06:00.001-05:00

Genesis 22:9-14

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son.But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.”
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I know that we just went over this text, but have you ever imagined what impression it had on Isaac? One would think that it would strike fear into the heart of the boy, such fear of God that he would never worship God again. Would we be surprised if we never heard from Isaac again after this event? Would it be a shock for him to never want to worship the God of his father?

Instead, Isaac grows to love and serve God. Isaac sees trust and faithfulness in Abraham's act, and he wants to serve the same God with the same trust and the same faithfulness. Isaac grows in his knowledge and love of the Lord.

Let us trust the Lord to work in people's lives. Even when we don't understand how God is at work, even when we don't understand what God is doing, let us trust that God is reaching out, that the Holy Spirit is alive in the hearts of others, and perhaps through our willingness to love and serve they will hear God's voice. In all things, may we be a conduit of God's grace, so that his love might shine through us.

Blessings

Devotional--The Life of Isaac, Part I

2011-12-07T08:55:00.001-05:00

Genesis 21:1-7 The Birth of Isaac
The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, ‘God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’
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Childbirth is nothing short of a miracle. I sometimes catch myself marveling at Caleb--at one point, less than a year ago, he was two cells big, barely a speck in Rachel's womb. In the months that followed, he grew toes and fingernails and eyelashes--each part perfectly formed in the safety of the womb. On an ultrasound, I saw the chambers of his heart--and was overwhelmed by it all. There is nothing ordinary about it.

Isaac's birth was no less miraculous--born to Sarah in her advanced age, when all thought it was impossible. But nothing is impossible with God.

Your birth, your presence here on earth, is a miracle, a gift from God. May we each treasure and value our time here, seeking to live in faithfulness to God, giving thanks for the miracle of each and every day.

Blessings

Garage Doors and Spiritual Happenings

2011-12-06T12:17:00.001-05:00

This morning, I was taping up a light switch in the Narthex to make sure it would stay on--it controls the outlet for a light that shines onto the front of the church, and it's easy to switch off because nothing changes during the day when you flip the switch.

I couldn't help but be reminded of this commercial:

As I was laughing I started to think about a lot of the reading I've been doing on discipleship lately, and it occurred to me that much of what I do in my spiritual life is the equivalent of flipping the same switch over and over again without bothering to actually move to any place where I might patiently wait and observe what God is doing in my life.

There is both positive and negative to routine. The great part is that you know exactly when and where and how you're going to set aside time to be with God. In the 22nd chapter of Luke, we are told that Christ goes out to the Mount of Olives as was his custom. This was something he usually did--he regularly set aside time to pray in the same place. The disciples knew about this custom, and so they would not have been in a hurry to disrupt it. In the same way, my wife knows it is my custom to write my devotionals first thing in the morning, so she doesn't disrupt me while I'm doing these--the expectation is clear.

The negative part to a routine is that, well, it becomes routine. And when something is routine, we stop being mindful while we are acting and our bodies carry us through the activity. If we pray in the same manner every day, the danger is that we might stop attending to our prayers and simply say the words because that's what we always do. We stop pouring our hearts into them, and we stop listening for new answers.

If we don't create silence as part of our life, we are like the man flipping the switch without ever stepping out of the garage to see if we're slamming a door closed on an opportunity in our life. We need to be aware that the Spirit is moving all around us, and it's our responsibility to stop and listen. Let us create a routine but be on our guard that our hearts and minds are fully engaged in our time with God, and that we are listening and watching for God to move us into a new phase, a new day, a new opportunity. God longs for us to grow closer and closer, and while he offers direction, it won't help if we're not on the lookout for it.

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part X

2011-12-06T08:11:00.001-05:00

Genesis 25:7-11
This is the length of Abraham’s life, one hundred and seventy-five years. Abraham breathed his last and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, east of Mamre, the field that Abraham purchased from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried, with his wife Sarah. After the death of Abraham God blessed his son Isaac. And Isaac settled at Beer-lahai-roi.
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Most people aren't too keen on thinking about death. I'm one of those. Rachel and I were watching the first Lord of the Rings movies last night (she recently finished reading the books) and when one of the characters dies towards the end of the movie, I couldn't stop my mind from wondering about death, about the legacy we leave behind. This morning, I open up the Bible and we have come to the end of Abraham, a man who faithfully served God, who followed God each and every day, a man whose heart was focused on God and God alone.

What is the legacy you want to leave behind? What will they say? What impression will you leave upon this earth? Do you want your life to proclaim Christ? It's easy to brush off the question because death isn't pleasant to think about--and we don't have to obsess over death, but it's worth asking ourselves what story our life proclaims. Is it our own story, lived for our own glory and comfort, or do we proclaim a greater story, one of God's love and the gift of a Savior?

Blessings

Christianish

2011-12-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

I just finished Mark Steele's Christianish and loved the emphasis on work, on the slowness of a lifetime of discipleship. Steele is open and honest about his own failings in his life--he never sets himself up above the reader as some sort of super-Christian whom we all need to emulate. Instead, he honestly and openly expresses his desire to be a passionate disciple of Jesus Christ. And he invites each of us into the challenge, too. There are plenty of people who promise that a lifetime of discipleship will be easy, that the right prayer will bring you everything you ever wanted as a sign of God's favor shining upon you. Steele doesn't buy into that, and I don't either. The discipleship I read about in the Bible, the discipleship that Christ calls us into, is one of constant challenge and continual slow growth. Christianish is a fine invitation into a lifetime of discipleship, and I appreciate Steele's efforts to challenge all Christians to raise their commitment and live a life of true and honest commitment, rather than the surface level that is so apparent in society.

The truth is, our Christianish path will only give way to following Christ when we determine that we are each willing to take the slower, more painful, more developmental approach to our daily life. It comes when we are willing to go through the rough stuff for the purpose of being transformed. (p. 274)

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part IX

2011-12-05T08:03:00.001-05:00

Genesis 22:9-14

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’
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The more often I think about it, the more in awe I am of the sacrifice that God made when he sent his son Jesus Christ to die on a cross for us. I think this story of Abraham almost killing his son is one of the most horrific scenes in the Bible... and yet God sends his son into the world knowing full well what is going to happen. He does so out of love, knowing that it is the only way to defeat the power of sin. He does it freely, graciously, knowing that it is the only way to break death's hold on us. He does it for us, but I can't imagine the pain and agony he went through, the sadness and tears.

Here, in Genesis, Abraham follows where God leads, and the Lord provides a way through the darkness, hope in the midst of darkness, just as he does for each of us in the midst of our own sin. May we live in gratitude for what God does in Jesus Christ, and may that hope guide our hearts and minds this and every day.

Blessings

12/4 Sermon

2011-12-04T08:27:00.001-05:00

Luke22:39-46

Jesus Prays onthe Mount of Olives

Hecame out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and thedisciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said tothem, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Thenhe withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, andprayed,‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet,not my will but yours be done.’ [[ Then an angel from heavenappeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayedmore earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of bloodfalling down on the ground.]] When he got up from prayer, hecame to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, andhe said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that youmay not come into the time of trial.’

FollowingJesus was not easy for the disciples. They had to make sacrifices tofollow Jesus—perhaps these sacrifices were made easier by themiracles that Jesus was performing before their very eyes, butnevertheless, they had to sacrifice to follow Jesus. For three yearsthey followed this incredible man around the region, never certain ofwhat miracle came next, surely always amazed by the words that pouredforth from Christ. They left behind family and friends to followJesus, and perhaps every now and again they thought they had itrough.

Itwas about to get a lot rougher. I think, by this point, they'restarting to get the picture that everything is not going to turn outwell in the end. I think by this point, they're starting to graspthe coming death of Jesus Christ. I have to imagine that theybelieved that there would still be a way out of it, but it's hard tothink that they couldn't see the writing on the wall.

Butthey're still following Jesus. They're still there, still with him,still at his side, even though threats loom and Pharisees linger,waiting for their chance to bring Jesus down—the disciples arestill there.

ButJesus knows it's about to get a whole lot tougher. And so he leadsthem to the Mount of Olives, where he needs to go and pray. He needsto go and spend some time in conversation with God, for he knows whatis about to come and how difficult it will be. Notice, too, how heurges the disciples to be in prayer. “Pray that you may not comeinto the time of trial.”

Now,we pray this prayer every week. We constantly are praying that theLord lead us not into temptation. We know that we are weak andstruggle with resisting temptation—so we pray for the Lord to keepit at bay.

Butwe all know that temptation comes, just as surely as we fail toresist it.

Sowhy does the Lord encourage us to pray?

Becauseprayer shapes us. Prayer shapes the kind of people that we are. Prayer forms us as disciples—the disciples have followed Jesus foryears, all the way to the Mount of Olives, and they still needforming, just as surely as you and I do. We need more practice asdisciples—and prayer forms us as the kind of people who depend onJesus Christ for every decision we make. When we are in constantprayer, we are looking to God's wisdom, rather than our own, whentemptation does overtake us. Jesus prays the most selfless prayerpossible: notmy will by yours be done.

Whenwe pray this, over and over again, eventually we begin to believe it,and then we begin to live it. Then, when we are overtaken bytemptation, our minds are prepared to follow God's will rather thanour own. When we are constantly being formed as disciples, we aremore likely to resist temptation.

Solive a life rooted in prayer. It's not enough just to come tochurch, or to mutter a prayer once a day. Let us be in prayerconstantly—for in our prayers we are being formed. We are beingformed as a people ready to empty ourselves, to set aside our ownwants and desires and to pick up God's will for us. In prayer, weare shaped daily, so that when temptation comes, we will be preparedto face it.

Noticehow the disciples opted for sleep rather than prayer. When thetemptation to flee from Christ comes, they ran. May we be in prayerso that when adversity comes, and as Christians I promise you that itwill come, we will be formed as disciples to stand as witnesses tothe Lordship of Jesus Christ in every part of our lives.

Letus pray.

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part VIII

2011-12-02T08:12:00.001-05:00

Genesis 22:1-8
The Command to Sacrifice Isaac

After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away.
Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’ Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.
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For three days, they walked together, Abraham knowing what awaited at the end of their journey. Imagine the silent conversations & arguments he had with God in that time. Imagine how many times he begged and pleaded with God for any other way.
Whenever I read this passage, all I can think of is the immense pain Abraham must have been going through. It seems like a cruel joke by God to make him go forward with this plan. How could God torment a man like this?

I struggle to understand this passage. What I do know is that God wants us to worship him above all else, and he doesn't want us to place anything, even family, between ourselves and God. I do know that God would never ask us to do anything he was unwilling to do, and in this case we can look forward to see when God is willing to give his own Son to die on the cross and begin to see how deep God's love is for us. It goes beyond what we can imagine, what we can comprehend, and it offers us new life, life everlasting, life made possible by death on a cross.

I don't understand everything God does--but I trust God, and believe that in each one of us he is working out his plan for the redemption of humanity. When we are in times of immense struggle, and it feels like we're wandering in the valley of the shadow of death, may we remember that God will never abandon us.

Blessings

12/1 E-News

2011-12-01T11:22:00.001-05:00

Announcements

Potluck—ThisSunday!

LeafDay/Men's Breakfast—ThisSaturday morning you are welcome to come and join us in raking leavesat 9:00. The weather should be beautiful! We'll have a men'sbreakfast at 8:00.

EarthcareCommittee—Meetsnext Wednesday @ 5:00

NewHope News

RussMabry is in Siskin Rehabilitation Center downtown after fallingSunday afternoon. Please keep Donna and Russ in your prayers.

Serviceof Healing and Wholeness—December 11 @ 6 PM

Iknow that many in our congregation, in our community, are dealingwith pain. Physical pain caused by disease, emotional pain caused bystress and the loss of loved ones. On December 11 you are welcome tojoin me in a service of worship and prayer for those in need. Wewill have a time for those who would like hands laid upon them as wepray for healing.

Prayfor:

Ourchurch, that we might continue to look for opportunities to serveothers this Christmas season

Roger& LynnMeyer,whoare home in Chattanooga.

Links

Yes,you should absolutely read this story. Sounds like something Jesuswould do, doesn't it?

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Textfor this Sunday

Luke22:35-46

Purse, Bag, andSword

Hesaid to them, ‘When I sent you out without a purse, bag, orsandals, did you lack anything?’ They said, ‘No, not a thing.’ Hesaid to them, ‘But now, the one who has a purse must take it, andlikewise a bag. And the one who has no sword must sell his cloak andbuy one. For I tell you, this scripture must be fulfilled in me,“And he was counted among the lawless”; and indeed what iswritten about me is being fulfilled.’ They said, ‘Lord,look, here are two swords.’ He replied, ‘It is enough.’

Jesus Prays onthe Mount of Olives

Hecame out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and thedisciples followed him. When he reached the place, he said tothem, ‘Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.’ Thenhe withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, andprayed,‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet,not my will but yours be done.’ Then an angel from heavenappeared to him and gave him strength. In his anguish he prayedmore earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of bloodfalling down on the ground. When he got up from prayer, he cameto the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, andhe said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that youmay not come into the time of trial.’

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Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part VII

2011-12-01T07:38:00.001-05:00

Genesis 21:8-14
Hagar and Ishmael Sent Away

Isaac grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named after you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.
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It's often hard for us to let things go. We each have things in our past that we regret, that we wish we could change, that we still wonder about. We hold onto the memories, the feelings, the curiosity. We think we could have done things differently, and perhaps life would be different.

God is asking us to let that go, to trust him that he will take care of the people in our pasts, the events that have faded with time. God will look after them, and ensure that they are not lost to the world. They're in good hands because they are in God's hands--Abraham feared for Hagar and Ishmael, but God promised to look after them, and the people in your life who have drifted away will be cared for by God, too. That doesn't mean that we have to stop praying for them, have to stop loving them, but we don't have to worry about saving anyone--God alone can do that, and I trust in Him. Let us do our part by loving and serving the world, but may we trust God to do His part, allowing us to set aside our fear and regret and focus on living in this moment, this day.

Blessings

Bottles

2011-11-30T23:13:00.001-05:00

What a bottle...

I can't believe I ate the whole thing...

Any more where that came from?

How the times are changing--I'm now (occasionally) feeding Caleb from a bottle, as he continues to grow. We are looking ahead to the days of day-care and babysitting and all those other times when Rachel may not be available to feed the little eating machine, and beginning to prepare him for another stage of life.

Isn't life constantly like that? Even when we're smack in the middle of something great, God is preparing us for what comes next. We rarely sit still, but are always barreling into the future, often so quickly we don't bother to stop and enjoy the present.

I've fed Caleb twice now (we tried a third time, but that didn't go so well... let's just say that I'm not mom and at midnight, all three of us simply wanted to go to bed rather than deal with eating), and it's a strange experience. (For both of us, probably!) I've never fed a baby before, and he's never drank from a bottle before--but now, there we are, each one of us like a fawn on new feet, trying to make this work, knowing that it is good but unsure exactly what the best way forward is. We manage to make it work, but not with confidence or grace. (I haven't dropped him, yet. So I've got that going for me.)

Caleb continues to grow, and I continue to seek out ways to be there for him, to encourage him and love him, so that he grows secure in the knowledge that he is loved immensely. Rachel and I rarely know what we're doing, but we trust that God is doing a mighty work through us, and we're simply enjoying each moment, thankful for the grace and blessing of life.

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part VI

2011-11-30T08:48:00.001-05:00

Genesis 18:1-5, 9-14

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. He said, ‘My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on—since you have come to your servant.’ So they said, ‘Do as you have said.’
They said to him, ‘Where is your wife Sarah?’ And he said, ‘There, in the tent.’ Then one said, ‘I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son.’ And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, ‘After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?’ The Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh, and say, “Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?” Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son.’
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Is anything too wonderful for the Lord? Throughout the witness of Scripture, we see that God does miraculous things time and time again. God is constantly reaching out to the unlikely hero to do the unexpected task with uncounted-on strength. God is using the weak to demonstrate his strength.

I don't know what the deepest prayers of your heart are. I don't know what you've been longing for God to do in your life. I won't promise for an instant that they will come true--but I do know that the God who has done the unexpected will continue to do so throughout our lives. When I look back at my own life, it's a wonder how I arrived at the point where I am now. My plans have been discarded along the way, and God has put something wonderful in their place. We often don't know what God has in store for us--but I trust that it is something wonderful. May we keep our eyes open for strangers announcing unexpected blessings from God, and may we welcome them with open arms.

Blessings

Jobs

2011-11-29T10:20:00.000-05:00

I find this fascinating and haunting at the same time. Jobs are the keyword of the current election (and by current, I mean the one that isn't happening for another year) and the theme of the lives of so many right now. Millions are looking for work--work of any sort, for they long ago gave up looking for the specialized work they would prefer to do. At this point, they'd like anything that would provide a paycheck and keep them in their house. They are in our churches, our communities and our neighborhoods.

And what is the church to do about it? I certainly believe our first and foremost task is to be in earnest prayer for every un-and underemployed person. May we lift them up, in the hopes that the stress and strain of the search for work will not overwhelm.

But what else? How are we called to be Christ's hands and feet in their lives?

For answers and guidance, I pray...

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part V

2011-11-29T08:14:00.001-05:00

Genesis 17:1-7

The Sign of the CovenantWhen Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram, and said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless. And I will make my covenant between me and you, and will make you exceedingly numerous.’
Then Abram fell on his face; and God said to him, ‘As for me, this is my covenant with you: You shall be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you the ancestor of a multitude of nations. I will make you exceedingly fruitful; and I will make nations of you, and kings shall come from you. I will establish my covenant between me and you, and your offspring after you throughout their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you.
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God does strange things sometimes. For instance, God promises a 99 year old man whose only offspring is a 12 year old he had with his wife's servant girl that he will be the ancestor of a multitude of nations. Abraham could have thought God had lost his mind.

But God had always been faithful, so Abraham trusted him, and the promises came true, no matter how unlikely they might have been.

In the same way, God is faithful to us--and God asks some strange things of us. God asks us to serve the poor, to follow Him above all else, to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. God asks us to be humble and meek, to lead through service, to build up treasures in a place we've never seen, and to place our lives in the hands of a crucified Jewish carpenter who also happens to be the God of all Creation.

But God is faithful, and so we should trust and follow Him. In return, just as he changed Abram's name, He transforms our identity--we are forever changed by God's amazing grace, given a new name as 'Christian', and sent forth as new people.

Blessings

Sermon on the Mound

2011-11-28T12:01:00.001-05:00

A great title will get a book a long way--and Michael O'Connor's Sermon on the Mound: Finding God at the Heart of the Gamecertainly has a great title. For someone who loves baseball as much as I do, it doesn't take much to convince me to read a book that attempts to link baseball and religion. I have always attempted to ensure that baseball doesn't become my religion, but I also believe that baseball, as with anything in life, is filled with opportunities to see God at work in the world if we look through the proper lens.

Sermon on the Mound tells O'Connor's story of a deep and abiding love of baseball, and how baseball led to his salvation. The narrative parts of his life are interesting, and it's fun for any lover of baseball to join with O'Connor as he reflects about different ideas in baseball that can direct our attention to God. I wouldn't say that anything in this book is earth-shattering or life-changing, but it's a fun read and helps the reader see baseball as a chance to display gifts and talents from God.

I think O'Connor's best reflection is done later in the book, when thinking about the free and easy love of baseball (and sports) in relation to the difficulties we often have transporting that enthusiasm into our worship. He writes:

Why is it, then, I find it so delicious to give myself in wild, spontaneous, rapturous applause to some self-centered, overpaid athlete who just slugged a game-winning homer into the upper deck when it is still difficult to lose myself in the sweetness of a worship service? Why does gravity tug so at these hands designed by God to be lifted wholeheartedly in praise, when, in moments not nearly so regal, they are generously filled with helium?
[...]
So long as I am able to enjoy the excellence I see down on the field and recognize it as a momentary diversion from life's struggles. So long as we remember the true struggles are the spiritual battles waged daily in our hearts and minds, and that the outcome of this warfare will ultimately decide to whom we offer our adulation and for whom we have nothing left but a place on the trash heap with the banana peels and the day-old box scores.

As we near the end of the college football season and the heat rises on the debate about playoffs and champions and rivalries, I wonder how we, too, might reflect on the place of sports in our own lives. Are sports a helpful diversion, an entertainment option? Can we enjoy the spectacle of a game well-played without getting so wrapped up in the result that a loss ruins our day? Or have sports taken over our lives, hijacked our emotions, that the roller coaster ride of a football game tarnishes everything so deeply that we fail to appreciate the inherent beauty the game, so desperate are we for a victory? Can we respect and appreciate those who play without worshiping them? Can we be loyal to a program without building it up as an idol?

Sports are such a massive part of American life--may we have the courage to enjoy them as the artistic forms they are without crossing the line and building them up as idols in our lives.

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part IV

2011-11-28T08:20:00.001-05:00

Genesis 16:1-6

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, bore him no children. She had an Egyptian slave-girl whose name was Hagar, and Sarai said to Abram, “You see that the Lord has prevented me from bearing children; go in to my slave-girl; it may be that I shall obtain children by her.” And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai. So, after Abram had lived ten years in the land of Canaan, Sarai, Abram’s wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her slave-girl, and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife.He went in to Hagar, and she conceived; and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress.

Then Sarai said to Abram, “May the wrong done to me be on you! I gave my slave-girl to your embrace, and when she saw that she had conceived, she looked on me with contempt. May the Lord judge between you and me!” But Abram said to Sarai, “Your slave-girl is in your power; do to her as you please.” Then Sarai dealt harshly with her, and she ran away from her.
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I don't understand all of the stories in the Old Testament. Sometimes I read them and I wonder exactly what the Lord was doing in a certain situation--I wonder why it isn't simpler, why it can't be more straightforward, or why I can't more easily see the clarity of a situation.

Then I remember how complex and messy life is. How many of us end up in situations where we don't even understand how we got there? Abram listened to his wife tell him to have a child with her slave girl, except then his wife got angry at Abram for doing exactly that. (There's a marriage lesson in here somewhere about using the lines "Yes, dear" and "I love you, honey") So Hagar is thrown out to fend for herself, until she comes back, has the child, and is thrown out again. It's messy.

Friends, God is with you in the messy complexity of your life, too. You may wonder why things aren't more clear, or why you aren't more certain of exactly where and how to live--we live day by day, and as difficult as it can be, I promise you that God is with you, that God will never leave you, and that God is at work in your life, reaching out to others through you. Don't despair just because life isn't as you imagined it--God still uses each of us for His Kingdom.

Blessings

11-27 Sermon

2011-11-27T08:08:00.001-05:00

Luke 22:24-34

The Dispute about Greatness

A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

‘Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your own faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death!’Jesus said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the cock will not crow this day, until you have denied three times that you know me.’

This morning we'regoing to talk about greatness.

When we begin totalk about greatness, one of the first things that comes to mind issome of the nicknames throughout the ages that allude to greatness. For starters, there is Muhammad Ali, who was simply called 'TheGreatest.' There is Wayne Gretzky, who was called 'The Great One',and we have greatness rolled into a name in the case of Alexander theGreat.

Each of these menhad greatness in their nickname because they reached the highestpinnacle of their profession. There has been no greater boxer thanAli, and it's hard to imagine a hockey player better than Gretzky. Ihave never seen Alexander the Great in action, but since we're stilltalking about him thousands of years later, we can safely assume hewas pretty good at leading an army. Greatness came naturally tothem, and they worked and worked and worked to perfect it. They weregreat at what they did.

I'd invite you totake a second and consider what greatness looks like in your life. If I told you that in ten years you would be referred to as great,what images come to mind? What defines greatness in your life? Whatwould it take for you, for others, to think of you as great. As apastor, it's tempting to think that greatness would be a church wherethousands gather every Sunday to hang on every word.

But that's theworld's idea of greatness, and if we're not careful, we buy in towhat the world defines as great. We think that if we achieve fameand fortune we will be great. As a pastor, it's so tempting tobelieve that I am great if people come to hear me—but the realityis that image is an idol, because it's not about me, and greatness inmy profession, just like greatness in your life, isn't defined by thethings this world defines as great. This is the distinction Jesus ismaking in the text today, and it's a distinction he wants us to makein our lives, too. Jesus is redefining greatness.

Let's look at thesituation out of which this discussion arises—the disciples arearguing about which one is to be regarded as the greatest. Why isthis important? Let's not forget that Jesus is leaving the disciplessoon, and he's been pretty open and adamant about that fact. Thedisciples are assuming that whichever of them is the greatest willassume Jesus' role of leadership within the group, and to the worldat large. They believe that the ministry will continue exactly as ithas, and the leader will gain notoriety and fame across the region. They believe that being the greatest will enhance their status andreputation within the group. They want to be great so that otherswill see them as great.

Notice how Jesusresponds to this argument. He doesn't dispute with them that thenatural inclination is to assume that the one who is served, the onewith the higher worldly status, is often seen as great. He doesn'tdispute that those with wealth, fame and power are seen as great.

What he does isredefine greatness in the eyes of God. What Jesus does is demandthat those who wish to follow him must follow a different route andbe willing to set aside the world's idea of greatness if they want toachieve greatness in the eyes of God. God isn't going to love youany more than He already does if you have wealth and fame. You aregoing to achieve greatness the way that God defines it by doing one,and only one, thing: serving others.

Now, it's ournatural inclination to want to complicate this. We're going to wantto add all sorts of complications and intricacies to it—but Jesussays it so straightforwardly. Serve others. Jesus, the greatestperson that has ever and will ever live, serves others. Jesus spenthis time in the gutter, serving beggars. He spent his time reachingout to lepers and others that most people wouldn't even talk to—heserved them with a heart willing to love. He did this as a way toshow others what true greatness is—it's service. It's love inaction.

Now, you may bewondering how much service it takes to be great. You may be worriedthat you're not serving enough to meet Jesus' high threshold. Thisis where I have some really good news for you:

Jesus calls brokenpeople.

It would have beeneasy for Jesus to call the best of the best, the ones with the leastsin in their lives. It might be easy for God to look out across thepopulation today and choose to save only those with the least amountof sin in their lives.

But God lovesbroken people. Always has. Has promised to always do so.

Look at thedisciples. Jesus has been talking for days, for weeks, for years,about how he is going to be killed. All of the action is coming to ahead, and Jesus is busy discussing which one of the disciples isgoing to betray him. How do the disciples respond? With hearts fullof concern for Christ? Desperate to hang on his every word, to catcheverything possible before he is crucified?

No, they get caughtup in worrying about who is going to be in charge when he's gone.

Then we turn toPeter, who promises to follow Jesus wherever he will lead, even ifthat ends in prison or death. No, Jesus says—you'll deny evenknowing me three times before the sun rises. Peter, the rock uponwhom Jesus will build his church, will deny even knowing JesusChrist. These are the disciples, the ones whom Jesus handpicked tofollow Him.

God loves brokenpeople. He's been using them to build his kingdom for thousands ofyears. Now, he's going to use you.

You may want toobject because you believe your sins are so great, because you thinkyou're unworthy. You may not believe that you can ever lead a lifeof service like the one that Jesus led.

I have news foryou—you'll never live up to his standard. You'll never achieve alife like the one Christ led. But the great news is that you don'thave to—you're worthy of Christ's love because of what he did, notbecause of what you have—or haven't—done.

Which means that wecan set aside all of our fears about being good enough, about beingworthy. We can set those aside and focus our eyes on one thing: being great in God's kingdom. And that doesn't necessarily meanpreaching to a church of 10,000 people or giving more money thananyone else. What it means is that you are called to serve.

You're called toserve your family and your friends, your neighbors and your church,strangers and loved ones, homeless and wealthy, republican anddemocrat—you are called to serve. You're called to serve with yourlife, with your time, with your money and your energy. You're calledto serve others, to constantly put others first and determine how youfind new ways to serve. You're called to serve through prayer andaction, through your words and your listening. You're called toserve in ways you can't even imagine right now. You are called toserve, and in so doing, you are great in God's eyes.

Because whenever weserve someone else, we serve God. So strive to be great, not in theeyes of the world, but in the eyes of God, and live a life thatserves others, that chooses not to sit at the table and be served,but rather to serve. In so doing, may we do our part to join inGod's building of a kingdom.

Let us pray.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T23:49:00.001-05:00

I have a lot to be thankful for this year.

It's been a pretty amazing year. One year ago, I was having dinner on the island of Kauai with my wife, mother and sister. It seems like a long time ago. We found out in February that Rachel was pregnant with Caleb, and everything since then seems like a bit of a blur, with occasional days filled in for color along the way. I remember the ultrasounds, the overwhelming sense of wonder that washed over each of us. I remember my mother yelling when she called after she had gotten our package in the mail informing her of her new & upgraded status as grandmother. I remember looking at Rachel at some point in early September and realizing just how pregnant she was. I remember the sheer sense of unreality when I woke up at 2:00 in the morning and realized that Rachel was about to have a baby. All of it has led to this day, this moment.

But of course, God started to lay the groundwork for these precious moments long ago. God has been at work in my life since before I was born, since before I was old enough to utter any words of faith, since before I realized how much God loved me. God has been at work for years, for decades, reminding me of his love and surrounding me with amazing, gracious people who have helped me make it this far--not a single step was taken on my own, without the support and encouragement of so many. And, of course, God has been there for every breath, every heartbeat.

It hasn't all been easy, nor has it always been fun. There are more tears in my past than I would have chosen, and there are people that I would desperately love to have back, even for one day. I don't suppose I'll ever get over that sense of loss, no matter how wonderful the memories are. That's just a part of life, I guess.

I have also had the habit of making some not-so-wise decisions, and in so doing I made my own path a lot harder. But again, those amazing people have helped me see that the road I was on led only one way, and it was not the way I intended to trod. So with a helping hand and a lot of grace, I have tried (and failed, so often) to restore my feet to the path that leads to life.

But only God can do that. And God has blessed me so richly.

This was Caleb's first Thanksgiving, and it was a grand occasion. It marked his debut at the church, and he managed not to cry so loudly that not a single thought could be thunk, and he managed not to introduce himself to soon-to-be-friends through any bodily functions. For both, we are grateful.

We feasted at the church, surrounded by family and friends, and as we watched our son be rocked in the arms of a woman who knows a good bit more about raising children than we do, we were grateful. Simply grateful.

For what?

For love. For the love of a Savior. For the love of God that is made manifest in the love of so many people. For the love we have for a child. For the love God has for that child. For the promise of eternal love.

So much love has been poured out, and it is my heartfelt and solemn prayer that I might spend my life pouring love out upon others as a way to say thank you to the one who has always and will always love me more than I can ever understand.

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part III

2011-11-23T08:53:00.001-05:00

Genesis 15:5-7
He brought Abram outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’
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God absolutely keeps his promises. God promises descendants to Abraham more numerous than he could count, despite the fact that Abraham didn't even have a child at that point. Abraham didn't understand how such things would happen, but he trusted God.

God will keep his promises to you. God will never abandon or forsake you, and his love for you is stronger or fiercer than anything you can imagine. You may not understand how God will be at work in your life, and you may not even know where God is in your life, but I absolutely promise you that God is there, that God is faithful, that God will never leave you, and that God is preparing a place for you. God is the only thing in this world that will never let you down. May we put our trust in Him.

Blessings on this day, and have a great Thanksgiving!

Occupy

2011-11-22T09:42:00.000-05:00

They say that an infinite number of monkeys with an infinite number of typewrites will eventually produce a work of Shakespeare. I would offer, in that same vein, that the same amount of monkeys could not produce a solution to our current economic and political malaise that would satisfy both our current Democratic and Republican leadership.

And that, I believe, is part of the frustration at the heart of the Occupy movement.

I think.

I've struggled with what to make of the Occupy movement, as a lot of Americans have. I certainly share the frustration with the overwhelming lack of clear leadership being displayed by those elected to positions of power in this country. I, too, believe that there is too much money in politics, and the fact that Congress recently agreed to classify pizza as a vegetable in order to satisfy the Salt Industry and the Fast Food Industry may be the straw that broke the camel's back in this man's willingness to have any trust in Congress. I am fed up with corporations getting their way in Washington simply because they have the ear and wallet of the right leaders in their pockets, and I believe that many of these corporations are corrupt and greedy. In all of these issues, I agree with the Occupy movement.

However, I have discovered that I am in the majority of Americans who simply don't know what the goals of the Occupy movement are. This recent Gallup poll has 59% of Americans being unsure of what Occupy's goals are. Perhaps the lack of clear goals is an intentional attempt to bring in all who are fed up with the current state of the country, but I think it weakens the broad support, since many, like me, aren't sure how to support an organization with unclear goals.

But as a pastor, I feel like the most important reminder of the Occupy movement is the important of having Christians in leadership positions live like Christians. The Occupy movement is fed up with corporate corruption--they are individuals who see corporations are seeking the almighty dollar before all else, fattening profit margins before being concerned with the health and welfare of individual employees and customers.

When Christ calls someone to follow Him, He calls all of us, all of our hearts, all of our lives. He doesn't simply call us to give up an hour on Sundays and occasionally write a check to support the work of the church in the world. He doesn't call us to put a fish sticker on our cars and call it a day. He calls us to lay everything before him and live with integrity so that everything we do is an offering to God. This includes our work--when we work, we are to love God with all of our hearts and minds, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. We are to be ethical, responsible people, making decisions in our companies that are always based on what is right, not what is profitable, and we are to work to ensure that the places we work are ethical places. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes not as much--but no matter the level of responsibility, we are called by Christ to be faithful, in big and small decisions. Whether a secretary or a CEO, we are called to follow Christ within our places of work. If those involved in the leadership of corporations across this country sought to live with the same selflessness that Christ displayed, I believe that would be a giant step in the right direction.

I don't think corporations are solely responsible for the frustration and anger of the Occupy movement. I think those in political office share much of the responsibility. In 1 Timothy, Paul urges that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone, for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. Well, they certainly need our prayers, perhaps now more than ever. I think that there is little hope in America that those who have been elected to lead us will do so effectively. The cynicism is so high that rather than despair that only 9% of Americans feel like Congress is doing a good job, we wonder what those 9% of people are thinking. Hope is such a powerful force in our lives, and we most accurately recognize this when hope is gone, for then despair sets in, and despair cries out for action. I believe it is despair that leads protesters out into the streets, into the parks--I believe they are desperate to find hope in someone or something, a hope that the future will be better, that someone will make decisions that are the best for the country and the future, not simply for themselves. I believe people are desperate for hope, for themselves and their children, desperate to know that opportunities for employment and a voice will be present today and the days to come.

What does the church have to say to this despair? It is my hope that we point to the Kingdom, the 'already but not yet' reality. The Kingdom is not yet here, and we look forward to the future with hope, confidant that Christ is coming soon to transform the world, but in the meantime, the Kingdom is here, too. God is at work in the world, redeeming the world, and inviting Christians to join in the process.

And if the Kingdom is already here, that means that individual Christians are called to be actively engaged in building the Kingdom, not just sitting back and waiting for the 'not yet'. We are to be at work in the world, recognizing the needs of those who surround us and doing whatever we can to meet those needs with the blessings we have been given. Each of us has different gifts--those are meant to be shared with the world, not simply used to enrich ourselves. We need to love our neighbor as ourselves, and perhaps in doing so our hope will be restored--if we are tightly bound together in Christ as a community, it is a lot harder to give up hope, for we know that our voices are heard, that our needs are noticed, that we are not simply trod underfoot, left alone to face the rising challenges and trials of life. With a community around us, we see glimpses of hope in the care and love of one another.

Christ calls us to love our neighbor, to feed the hungry, to reach out to the stranger. As a church, we cannot meet all the worlds' needs and answer all of the cries of the needy. But we can listen to each one, and recognize that we can always work to restore hope, to love one another, and to make sure that people do not feel isolated in the valleys that we each traverse. While we cannot save the world, we can do our part to join with what God is doing in the world, and always remember that we find hope in Christ, and that hope should transform us to offer that same hope in love and service to our neighbors.

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part II

2011-11-22T08:48:00.001-05:00

Genesis 12:10-19

Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to reside there as an alien, for the famine was severe in the land. When he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know well that you are a woman beautiful in appearance; and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife’; then they will kill me, but they will let you live. Say you are my sister, so that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared on your account.”

When Abram entered Egypt the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. When the officials of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram; and he had sheep, oxen, male donkeys, male and female slaves, female donkeys, and camels.

But the Lord afflicted Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram’s wife. So Pharaoh called Abram, and said, “What is this you have done to me? Why did you not tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her for my wife? Now then, here is your wife, take her, and be gone.”
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The second thing we learn about Abraham after his call to leave everything behind is that he lied about his wife being his sister to save his own skin. Interesting, isn't it?

So what's the message for us, other than the fact that portraying your wife as your sister can earn you oxen, donkeys, camels and other stuff?

Abraham wasn't perfect, either. He was put in a difficult situation, trying to decide the best way to muddle through what he saw as a large grey area. He wasn't in a big hurry to have his head removed, so he did what he thought was best. But he wasn't perfect.

God uses each of us in different ways, and he can shine his light through our imperfections. Don't give up or ever despair if you feel like you're not qualified or worthy to serve God--God uses us despite our imperfections and loves us just the same. Don't let guilt overtake you--rather feel the love of God and the waves of grace cleanse you of your sins.

Blessings

Devotional—The life of Abraham, Part I

2011-11-21T08:19:00.001-05:00

Genesis 12:1-4
The Call of Abram

Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’
So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
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The simplicity and complexity of Abram's call stand in stark contrast. The Lord only speaks a few words, and the call is simple to understand--go and follow God.
For Abram, however, it is endlessly complex--he is to leave behind everything he has ever known. He takes his wife, Sarai, and brother's son, Lot, but sets out as a stranger into a strange land, led only by the call of God.

This passage illustrates our own call. It is simple in a way--we are to follow Christ with all of our hearts and minds and strength, to give everything to Him. On the surface, it is easy to say and believe.
Deeper, though, it becomes endlessly complex as we try and determine what that means in our day-to-day living. Being a Christian is not easy, and we wrestle with tough decisions as we try to live as Christians in our society. Christianity is not simple or easy, and each day requires a leap of faith into the arms of our ever-present God.

But let us not get so caught up in the difficulties of our daily living that we forget the call of God, those simple words to put Him first, above all else, before all else. Let us not lose sight of the goal of our lives--to glorify God and enjoy God forever. May we seek to follow God faithfully, even when we're not sure where to put our feet for the next step.

Blessings

November 20 Sermon

2011-11-19T22:08:00.001-05:00

Rather than give one sermon this Sunday, I used the Call to Worship and Prayer of Confession and reflected on the text.

Luke22:7-13

ThePreparation of the Passover

Thencame the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had tobe sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, ‘Goand prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.’ Theyasked him, ‘Where do you want us to make preparations forit?’ ‘Listen,’ he said to them, ‘when you have enteredthe city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow himinto the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, “Theteacher asks you, ‘Where is the guest room, where I may eat thePassover with my disciples?’ ” He will show you a largeroom upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.’ Sothey went and found everything as he had told them; and they preparedthe Passover meal.

Isn'tit wonderful when things are prepared for you? Rachel and I don't goout to eat very often, but there's something so relaxing aboutknowing that all of the cooking and preparation will be taken careof—we don't even have to wash dishes! We simply get to sit backand enjoy a relaxing meal in each other's company. We have a role toplay, but so much is already done for us.

Today'sGospel message invites us into this reality—in today's message, wereach the Last Supper, the celebration of the Passover meal beforeJesus is arrested and put on trial. In today's passage, we see whereall the preparation has been leading.

Butbefore Jesus is arrested, before he heads off to the garden to pray,he eats a meal with his disciples. And he sends them off to preparethe meal, but the story conveys the message that God has beenpreparing for this for a long time. Things have been set in motionhundreds, even thousands of years, each of them leading up to thismoment.

ButJesus still invites the disciples into the action. He gives them arole to play—they are to go and prepare the meal. They are toaccompany Jesus these last few steps of the journey. They are totake the message to the world after he ascends, to be Jesus'witnesses.

Inthe same way, each of you are invited to join in with what God isdoing. We don't have to make all the preparations. We don't have todetermine the path to salvation. It has all been done for us. Godhas made everything ready, and he invites us to play a role, to joinwith him in what he is doing in the world. Today, we gather tocelebrate God's mission, and in our worship we are rejuvenated to goout into the world and share the Good News of God's love and grace inthe world.

*****************************************************

Luke22:14-23

TheInstitution of the Lord’s Supper

Whenthe hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles withhim. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat thisPassover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will noteat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Thenhe took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this anddivide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on Iwill not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of Godcomes.’ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had giventhanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body,which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And hedid the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that ispoured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, theone who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. Forthe Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to thatone by whom he is betrayed!’ Then they began to ask oneanother which one of them it could be who would do this.

Imaginewith me, for a moment, that you worship in a church that has tall,vertical windows up and down the walls of the sanctuary. Now, thismight not be so bad if the church were located in a suburban areawhere there's nothing but trees and parking lots as far as the eyecan see. But imagine this church is in the middle of a highlydeveloped area, where there is constant change just outside thewindow. Perhaps, just as a bonus, we'll throw in a siren everythirty minutes or so, just as another noise. Imagine trying to focusin such an environment. It would be difficult, right?

Theworld is filled with distractions. Many of them are harmless, butsome are much more than that—some turn our attention away from God,and when we turn from God, it leads our vision away from God, and caneasily lead our feet, our hearts, away from the path God has setbefore us. Before we know, we're far from who we want to be, andit's not always easy to find our way back.

Inthe passage I just read, Jesus is talking about how the betrayal ofone of the disciples is upon the group. Each disciple is stunned,and notice what happens just after Jesus introduces this fact—thedisciples begin to ask one another who it could be that would do sucha thing.

It'sonly natural—we'd do the exact same thing. These men have spent somuch time together over the past three years. They are as close asbrothers, and they've just found out that one of them will betraytheir leader. They want to know who, and why, and all sorts of otherinformation.

Butnotice what the distraction does—it turns their attention away fromJesus.

Thisis what sin does—it turns us away from God. It distracts us anddrags our hearts and minds away from the worship of God. Sin keepsus from thinking about God, and we end up with our minds set on thethings of this world—before long, we're so busy that we forget tonotice that Jesus is still at the table with us. Before long, wemight even forget why we're at the table.

Sindoes the same thing to us today that it has for thousands of years—itturns us from God. I don't know what the sin in your life is,whether it's big and all-consuming or small and insignificant, but Ican tell you what it does to your life, because it does the same tomine—it turns our hearts and minds away from Christ. When wegather together to confess our sins, we set our hearts and minds backon Christ, and begin once more to struggle against sin, to struggleto live for Christ.

Iinvite you to join me in a time for silent confession of sin, toreflect about the things in your life that turn you from God, andpray for God's forgiveness, that we might once more direct our livesback toward God.

Pleasepray with me.

6.5 Weeks

2011-11-19T20:39:00.000-05:00

For the first in what I'm sure will be many times, I am amazed by how quickly my son is growing. He's probably over 12 pounds by now, and most of it seems to be comfortably seated in his thighs. His cheeks are chubby, and when Rachel and I were giving him a bath last night we had to tilt his neck several different directions to get the washcloth between his neck rolls. (He'll get a few more weeks before he starts his training regimen at the YMCA. I'd like to have the doctor's approval before he starts weightlifting.) He's packing on the pounds, and he doesn't fit quite so well in our arms anymore!

Life moves so quickly... and we're just busy trying to enjoy each day. Rachel and I took Caleb out for a walk in the stroller today, enjoying the afternoon sun and the fall weather here in the South. It's cool, but every now and again those perfect fall days pop out and we feel the need to savor them. Tonight, we'll go to sleep and this day will slip forever into the past, replaced quickly by tomorrow, when we'll rise and have the chance to do it all over again.

It's amazing to think that so many women only get six weeks maternity leave. What that means is that Rachel would have returned to work this week. We are so grateful for the generous policy of the TVA--she has treasured this time at home, and I have, as well. We've bonded as a family, thanking God for the gift of Caleb, praying for his growth and health. We wonder at how our life has changed, and we can barely remember what it was like before God blessed us with his presence. (Although we're fairly certain it was quieter.) While we don't know what God has in store, we're so grateful for what has transpired over the past six weeks--day by day, miracle by miracle, we soak in the beauty of this new stage of life.

Devotional--The Life of Noah, Part IX

2011-11-18T07:54:00.001-05:00

Genesis 9:20-29

Noah, a man of the soil, was the first to plant a vineyard. He drank some of the wine and became drunk, and he lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it on both their shoulders, and walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father’s nakedness.
When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; lowest of slaves shall he be to his brothers.” He also said, “Blessed by the Lord my God be Shem; and let Canaan be his slave. May God make space for Japheth, and let him live in the tents of Shem; and let Canaan be his slave.”After the flood Noah lived three hundred fifty years. All the days of Noah were nine hundred fifty years; and he died.
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Noah knew better than most about how dramatically God can work in our lives. He had survived only because of the sustaining hand of God.

And yet, even know made mistakes. He didn't lead a sinless life after exiting the ark. I think he probably lived a faithful life, as faithful as possible, but it wasn't perfect.

So don't expect perfection out of yourself. Strive for faithfulness--read the Gospels and grow in Christ everyday, constantly seeking to be challenged so that you might continue to grow. But don't despair when you make a mistake--we worship a God of grace, a God who offers forgiveness in Christ, and for that we should all be very grateful. So grateful, in fact, that we're willing to offer our very lives to the God who saves us!

Blessings

11/17 E-News

2011-11-17T14:42:00.001-05:00

Announcements

Joinme in prayer: Last evening, Evelyn Piatt completed her baptism @ 6:30. She wassurrounded by family members, and we join them in mourning. Aservice of witness to the resurrection will be held in Bellaire, Ohionext Wednesday. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may bemade to First UnitedPresbyterian Church of Bellaire, 3358 Guernsey, Bellaire, OH 43906.

YouthMusical—ThisSunday! Be there!

OutreachCommittee—Meetstonight @ 5:30

NewHope News

ThanksgivingMeal--Do you have plans for Thanksgiving? If not, please plan to join usin the McMillan Building for a great annual tradition. Speak to JoAnWright if you'd like to join us at 2:30 on Thanksgiving Day!

58Shoeboxes werepacked for Operation Christmas Child!

LivingWaters Update--

Itis not necessary to install a purification system at the O'Dells homein Tazewell. The new well which we provided has pure, usablewater, but the three homes it serves need to be "shocked"to purify the system from previous bacteria. We are waiting tohear from Mike in Knoxville about when we can go to do this. Wewill let you know when it is, in case someone would like to go andparticipate, or see what has been done.

Thereis a possibility of putting in the purification system at anotherhome in that area, possibly in the spring. The Christmasconcert will be a great opportunity to raise money to buy thissystem. We will let you know any new information we receive. Lloyd, Don and Gerry

Prayfor:

AshleyGerskin—she's having surgery tomorrow morning to remove a benigntumor.

Roger & LynnMeyer

Links

Ever wonder what$130can do in other parts of the world?

Christianscan afford to wait

Speaking ofwaiting--if you can't wait until Wednesday to see the muppets, thesoundtrack comes out Monday.

Apparently, noteveryone likes Operation Christmas Child.

TheSamaritan Center's Christmas parade is coming up.

TheBrutal Truth about Penn State

Textfor this Sunday

Luke22:7-23

ThePreparation of the Passover

TheInstitution of the Lord’s Supper

NewHopeChattanooga.org

New Hope on Facebook& Twitter

New Hope on iTunes

Keith's Blog& Devotionalsfor your Kindle

Devotional--The Life of Noah, Part VIII

2011-11-17T08:03:00.001-05:00

Genesis 9:8-17
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, ‘As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you, and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark. I establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of a flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.’

God said, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: I have set my bow in the clouds, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.’ God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.’
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I think it's safe to say that in the thousands of years since Noah's time humanity has probably given God plenty of reasons to turn back on his covenant and bring another flood.

But God has remained faithful. Throughout centuries of wars and idolatry and conflict, God has remained faithful. God has made a promise to us, and it stands firm, though the mountains may quake and the whole world shall tremble. In the depths of human sin, God is still faithful, extending love to us.

Therefore, in our own despair, when we consider our own sins, let us remember God's faithfulness. May the beauty of the earth around you, may the life within you remind you of God's love, and may you find hope and power in God's presence and love. God will not abandon us--indeed, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God will transform us!

Blessings