1 John 4:7-12

1 John 4:7-12 

English Standard Version 

  I was listening to a Tim Keller sermon this morning in the car, and he was comparing God to a storm.  A storm is all-powerful and threatening, and when we see the full power of a storm, it leaves us in stunned silence, often afraid.  God, too, is all-powerful, and to see the full power of God would leave us in stunned silence, afraid.

  The difference is that God loves us.  

  A storm is just chaos, leaving destruction in its wake, caring little for what stands in its way.  If life truly is a cosmic accident, we're all in the path of the storm, and none will ultimately escape its wrath.

  God, however, designed us with intent, and is intent on saving us, delivering us from the cosmic storm because we are beloved.  God is love, and this changes everything in the universe, because we know that in the beginning, there was nothing but love, and the arc of the universe will bend towards a final culmination in love as well, because one day that is all that will be.  

  So God is love, and God has freely chosen to love you -- therefore, we ought to love one another, right?

  What else is there?

1 John 4:1-6

1 John 4:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  This is the benefit of community.  If you're on your own, it can be challenging to test a word from God.  How do you really know if it's from God or if it's not?  I can talk myself into and out of all sorts of things when I'm on my own. 

  In community, however, true friends should be able to call your bluff -- they can keep you on the straight and narrow.  True friends, who care deeply for you, can help you discern if your decisions are from God or if you're drifting from faithfulness.  

  So share what it is you're hearing from God.  Talk about where you're being led.  Open up about what it is you're discerning, and the community can come together and listen to your words, your thoughts, your feelings, and help you figure out what the next best step is, what the faithful response is, and together, we help each other stay closer to the path.

1 John 3:19-24

1 John 3:19-24 

English Standard Version 

  It's so easy to get drawn into negativity towards ourselves -- we know ourselves better than anyone else, which means we know all of our flaws and imperfections.  We also buy into the belief that our shortcomings are unique -- because we don't know others as intimately as we know ourselves, so we convince ourselves that we're abnormal in the ways we fail, when the reality is that everyone is often failing in the same ways.  We don't come close to extending the same grace towards ourselves that we extend towards others. 

  Fortunately, God takes a far more gracious view towards us than we take towards ourselves.  When our hearts are ready to condemn us, John tells us, God is more powerful than our own voices and hearts, and speaks a word of grace, reminding us that we have been claimed by the Almighty God and marked as Christ's own forever.  God abides in us, not running from our failures, but embracing us in grace and in love.

1 John 3:16-18

1 John 3:16-18 

English Standard Version 

  Let's say that I win the upcoming Powerball of $420 million and I decide to give a gift to a friend.  Suppose I give them $1 million, and they take the check, frame it on the wall, and never spend a dime of it.  Would you say that they really honored that gift and used it well?

  Or say that I donated $100 to a hospital.  What if they created a separate bank account, put my $100 in the account, and then never used it -- would you say that they honored that gift?

  When God pours love into your heart and life, the intent is that the love of God transforms us.  It should change the way we see the world, in that we don't need to be afraid, because God's love has forever claimed us from anything that would seek to destroy us.  It should also change the way we interact with one another -- if we've been loved unconditionally, even when we don't deserve it, then shouldn't we be willing to extend love to others, even if they don't always deserve it? 

  Who can you show unconditional love to today?  Who can you reach out to?

Dragon Teeth

   When I was in 4th grade, I gave a book report that was almost certainly exceptional.  I'd read Michael Crichton's Sphere, and I did a book report in rap, complete with backwards hat.  It is one of the countless memories that I have where I give thanks that video recordings were relatively rare at the time.  

  I recount this merely to say that I've been reading Michael Crichton books for a long time, and I generally enjoy them.  I remember Sphere being a little strange, but I loved Jurassic Park, and I remember the second Jurassic Park (The Lost World) being phenomenal, while the second Jurassic Park movie was, perhaps, less than phenomenal.  My all-time favorite Michael Crichton book is The Great Train Robbery, which is on a very, very, very short list of books that I've read more than once.  Of the 498 books that I've read since 2011, there are less than 5 books that I've read multiple times.  

  Caleb and I stopped by the library to pick up some Diary of a Wimpy Kid books for him the other day, and I saw Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton.  I'd never seen it, so I grabbed it, and read it the other night.  It's a wild book, a mix of fact and fiction, with a college student who ends up joining a summer archaeological expedition to Montana on a bet.  It's at the time of George Custer's defeat at Little Bighorn, otherwise known as not a great time to venture out west, and it is set amongst a rivalry between two college professors who are attempting to sabotage each other's expeditions to secure lasting fame for themselves.

  When I was getting ready for bed, having finished around 3/4 of it, I told myself that I'd finish the rest in the morning.  Then I crawled into bed... and made the mistake of picking it back up, because I couldn't leave it without knowing how it ended.  Wyatt Earp makes an unlikely appearance, and my takeaway is that so often, we're caught up in things bigger than ourselves.  All we can do is control what we can control, care for the people immediately surrounding us, and try to make it through, recognizing that we're all bound to get caught up in the world's chaos from time to time.  It often doesn't seem fair, but we still have to deal with life as it comes, not necessarily as we want it.  As a Christian, I truly believe that one day I'll be able to look back and make more sense of things, but in the short-term, I have to trust God and stay faithful, day by day, even when I don't fully grasp what's going on.

1 John 3:11-15

1 John 3:11-15 

English Standard Version 

  Have you ever attended a musical event or play where everyone gave a standing ovation at the end, and you stood up and clapped even though you didn't think it was worthy of a standing ovation?  Peer pressure is an amazing thing -- when it feels like everyone else is standing up and going one way, it's far easier to stand and do the same.

  We experience that peer pressure in countless ways, every day.  Advertisers prey upon it, trying to influence you to act a certain way.  And if we're not careful, if we're not well anchored, we drift one way or another, acting like the world.  We get drawn in by the desire to fit in with the crowd, to do what the world is doing.

  In this letter, John is trying to anchor us in love.  We should love one another, John says, always holding up the example of Christ's love for us.  We have been fiercely loved, and we should therefore go into the world and love one another, even if the world is filled with violence and hatred.  When the world tries to tell you that violence and hatred are acceptable, we resist, because we're anchored in love.  John tells us that one way we demonstrate our faith is to love, even when it's hard.  It's easier to hate, especially when there is so much hate in the world.  To love in the face of this is difficult, but that's how we are called to be, even when we're confronting someone, even when we're speaking difficult words and standing in opposition to actions or words of those who oppose us.  We don't have to shrink back, don't have to be shrinking violets, but we always act out of genuine love, for we have been loved, even when we were enemies of God.

Sermon for Sunday, April 24 (Road to Emmaus)

1 John 3:4-10

1 John 3:4-10 

English Standard Version 

  

  This passage can be summed up in one word:  resist.

  This side of heaven, we're not going to make it to a place where we don't sin.  It's impossible, part of our human nature.  We acknowledge this, we confess this.

  But we don't accept it.

  It's easy to get comfortable with sin.  It's all around us.  It's within us.  It's easy to give up fighting it and simply accept it as part of our life.

  But the Gospel calls us to resist sin.  Not because we need to secure our salvation, but rather because we're called to pursue God out of gratitude and love for the free gift of salvation that is given to us.  

  And so we resist.  We don't accept it's influence in our financials, in our relationships, in our thinking, in our internet browsing, in our eating, in our habits, in our interactions.  When we see it rear its ugly head, we fight against it.  When it prevails, we repent, to God and to one another.  And we wake up tomorrow and resist again, trusting that the Holy Spirit is training us and shaping us to be a people that resist sin and seek to praise and glorify God.

1 John 3:1-3

1 John 3:1-3 

English Standard Version

  Ever walk by the pet store in the mall?  It's dangerous, right?  Rachel and I once went into the pet store for fish food and almost came home with a dog, despite not really having the time or yard to care for a dog at all.  It was so cute!!!  To adopt a dog is to take it into your home and life despite not having to -- it's an active choice to transform the life of a dog.

  God freely chooses to adopt us, even when we're in the midst of sin.  So we're not as cute as puppies, but God takes us in anyway, choosing to love us, choosing to be for us, choosing to forgive us, and choosing to transform us.  We don't even know the full glory of what we shall be transformed into, but we trust that it will be magnificent, because we place our trust in God.

1 John 2:28-29

1 John 2:28-29 

English Standard Version 

  I'm not a tree expert.  I generally have no idea what kind of tree something is just by looking at it.  I know what maple trees look like in the fall when the leaves turn bright red, and I know an oak tree based on the acorns it drops.  Other than that, I'm a bit in the dark.

  But I know an apple tree when I see apples hanging from every branch.  And when I drive by an orchard with orange trees laden with fruit, it's pretty easy to guess what kind of trees those are.  We know trees by their fruit.

  In the same way, we can tell Christians by those who follow Christ with their actions and their words.  We see people serving selflessly, speaking kindly, setting their own priorities aside to discover the needs and desires of others.  In these ways, we discover the Christians in the world around us.

1 John 2:18-27

1 John 2:18-27 

English Standard Version 

  I'll admit it -- sometimes, I read Biblical passages and get a bit lost in the details.  But I think that's part of what lends credence to the Bible -- it is filled with wisdom that was written to a specific people about specific details.  The first century church was trying to find its way in the midst of extreme opposition, and church leaders were trying to encourage them to remain faithful and warn them about dangers they would face, and they weren't shy about either end.  The world was a tough place for the early church, and no one was hiding that fact, which I appreciate.  

  So what is the message for us?  The world is sometimes a tough place, and we don't always fully understand it all.  But we can take comfort in the assurance that the Holy Spirit is with us, and that God abides with us, even when we're facing opposition that tries to lead us astray.  Opposition does not mean that God has forgotten us -- God is with us, no matter what, and that's a critical reminder, especially when our defenses are weak and we feel isolated and alone.  You are not alone, no matter how lonely you may feel!

1 John 2:15-17

1 John 2:15-17 

English Standard Version 

  Augustine talked about sin as disordered loves, and I think that's what John is getting at here in this letter.  We have to remember that God made the world and declared it good, and so much in the world reflects the glory of God.  Yesterday, we had Easter worship, and we gathered around the table following worship with family and we reveled in the grace of God.  Later, I laid down in a sunbeam and slept for a few minutes, and I loved it.  It was fantastic.  Easter is a reminder of so much that is good in this world, and of how much there is to love. 

  The important thing for us is to remember that it's all intended to point us towards God's love.  Do the things you love in this world point you to God, to recognize that God is the creator and God has given you these good blessings and that the most important thing is to love God more than you love the things in this world?  It's a slippery slope but so easy to start down... we begin to love thing in the world more than God, and it's usually not bad to love things, but little by little, degree by degree, we turn from God and we turn to the world.

  So every Sunday is a little Easter, intended to turn our hearts back to God, to remind us of what we should love more than anything.

  When you look at the things and people you love most in the world, remember that they are gifts from God, and that the best things in the world are but reminders, shadows of the infinitely greater love of God.  May we celebrate what is in this world as things that help us see the love of God and teach us to tell the story!

Easter Sermon 2022

Mark 15:21-32

Mark 15:21-32 

English Standard Version 

  It astounds me to think that we can read the news of the death of Jesus and call this day Good Friday.  It is a tragedy -- a man who came to save and deliver us was so thoroughly misidentified and mistreated that he was hung on a cross to die, and he was treated so poorly that even the people being crucified near him were reviling him.  What kind of statement is it about Jesus' death that people being killed along with him were reviling him?  It was awful and humiliating and terrible in every way.

  And yet, because of the power and love of God, we're able to call it good, because God brought something amazing out of it.  Even as we mourn on Good Friday, we can celebrate in hope because we know that Jesus will be raised from the dead on Easter morning.  We know that we know that we know that this isn't the end of the story.  

  Only God can bring something good out of something so bad.  

  I don't always know what comes next.  I know some people going through some really, really hard times right now, and I don't necessarily have answers for them.  I know there are some really rough times in the world right now.  I don't know what hope looks like in each and every one of these situations.  There are some terrible things -- but because I have seen what God did on Good Friday, I'm hardwired to believe that it is possible to hold onto hope, even in the most desperate times. As we look forward to Easter, I pray that the miracle of Easter takes root in each and every human heart, that we might believe in a God of resurrection and new life, a God who chooses to serve any and all, even in the midst of being rejected.  I pray that the world might find the peace of Easter morning overwhelming, and that everyone dealing with conflict and stress and turmoil and violence and disruption and trials might look into an empty tomb and see that life is overwhelming death, so that we might choose life, too.

  Have a blessed and wondrous Easter, and may the reality of what God has done for you so capture your imagination that you settle into a place of joy and know the peace of God that passes all understanding!

1 John 2:7-14

1 John 2:7-14 

English Standard Version 

  Remember -- the New Testament is a continuation of the Old.  The Gospels aren't a new story -- God is always doing a new thing, but it's also an old thing, for God's story is a consistent story about reconciling the people back to God.  God is pure love and pure relationship, and everything God does is emanating from that love.  God speaks in the same, steady voice throughout the ages, although sometimes we hear it better from different sources.  

  May we listen with new ears, but may we also have the humility to go back to the old sources and read once more what it says there, that we may remember the consistency of God and give thanks for steady grace in changing times.

1 John 2:1-6

1 John 2:1-6 

English Standard Version 

  Feel like you need to be perfect?  Have I got good news for you -- when you sin, we have an advocate!  The Bible makes it clear -- you're going to make mistakes, you're going to fall short, you're going to sin, and God has planned for that ahead of time.  It's not going to surprise God when you mess up!  So you don't need to worry -- but take seriously the commandments, for in our efforts to follow God, we demonstrate our faith in God.  We don't have to be perfect, but we are called to live in a certain way as the beloved people of God, and so demonstrate to the world where our faith is placed.

1 John 1:5-10

1 John 1:5-10 

English Standard Version

  The fear is always getting caught -- I remember this from when I was a kid, and I see the same thing in our kids.  You know that you're caught, but you want to come up with some way that you won't get in trouble.  If you can say the right thing, or avoid confessing what you've done, then maybe you can sneak through and not be busted.  It doesn't work, but it's interesting to watch our kids try and find a way forward.

  We do the same thing with God.  We think that if we don't confess our sins, or maybe they're small sins, then it'll be ok and we can slide through.  Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that -- God is all-knowing, and even the smallest sin creates a valley between us and God.  The good news of the Gospel is that God is the one who has reached out first to create a bridge between us -- in Jesus Christ, God proactively sends us notice that God is ready and willing to forgive our sins.  

  To pretend we have no sin is folly, but to fall into the grace and love of God, knowing that we can confess our sins without fear and find grace, is a pure gift!

1 John 1:1-4

1 John 1:1-4 

English Standard Version 

  What brings you absolute joy?  

  It might be a walk in the woods.  Dinner with close friends.  A warm bath in a peaceful house.  A great meal.  Something entirely different?

  Think of what John is writing about here -- they've touched, with their own hands, the manifest word of life that brings eternal life.  It's an astounding thing that the church has witnessed, something that would bring joy and elation to millions today if they could have the same relation to it that John has.

  And yet the joy isn't complete until it's shared.

  What a wondrous perspective to have -- that community is required to have complete joy.  It's not possible to have complete joy unless there are others who share in it!  This echoes the picture we see of God in Scripture -- that God is relational, constantly engaged in an eternal dance between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Through the power and love of Christ, we are invited into that dance!!!!  And so, we're encouraged and commissioned to invite others around us into that same dance, into the same relationship of mutual love, that the dance may grow, and along with it, our joy may be complete!

Palm Sunday Sermon (2022)

Psalm 119:169-176

Psalm 119:169-176 

English Standard Version 

  We come to the end of the Psalm, and we're consistent with the theme -- the Psalmist continues to ask for understanding according to God's word.  This is a hard thing to ask, because you're admitting that understanding may not come according to the ways you love, according to the things you want, but God may grant understanding in a way that is currently completely different than how we're living.  When we choose to live according to God's precepts, God's hand may be ready to help, but that help may start us down a road that is unfamiliar.  

  It takes courage to delight in something unfamiliar, and a massive amount of trust not to run back to what you know.  

  Culture would have us believe that Christians make this leap of trust with blind faith, but our faith is anything but blind.

  For 2,000 years, skeptics have pushed on the truth claims of Christianity.  For 2,000 years, Christianity has stood firm, unafraid of examination, because countless historians and theologians both have examined the evidence and come to the conclusion that Christ rose from the dead, and the eyewitnesses of this event were the ones who carried this Good News into every corner of the known world, and the world has never been the same.  

  Standing in the tradition of the church, which has been passing on the Good News of this resurrection, our lips can pour forth praise, knowing that our lives are built on a firm foundation in Christ Jesus our Lord.  

Psalm 119:161-168

Psalm 119:161-168 

English Standard Version 

  Much has been said of ducks, which always look so serene floating on the water, even when they're paddling like crazy below the water.  Even when the world around is chaotic, they appear peaceful, but they're working beneath the surface.

  Sometimes, I think being a Christian is like that. Can we all admit that the world is a crazy place at times?  It doesn't often seem serene around us.  People persecute us, but a lot of the time, we're just caught up in stuff.  We struggle with mental and emotional health.  We experience stress in relationships.  We have conflict with parents and children and coworkers.  We read the news.  The world is full of chaos.

  But to be a Christian means that our ultimate hope isn't in the things of this world, but in a God who redeems this entire world.  This allows us to move through this world in peace.  When we fully realize that God loves us (no matter what!) and intends to redeem this world and what is in it, then we should be so amazed that we go to God in prayer.  That's how a soul turns to God 7 times a day in prayer -- not out of obligation, but out of love.  We're constantly working to praise God, and the more we praise God, the more our trust isn't in this world, so the more peaceful we seem to the world around us, and the better influence we can be to the people and events around us, because we're not caught up in the drama and conflict, so we don't intensify it!  It's a cycle that goes around and around, and through it all, we can bring peace into the world, relationship by relationship, because we have nothing to fear and nothing to hold onto, because God is holding onto us.  

Psalm 119:153-160

Psalm 119:153-160 

English Standard Version 

  Life comes according to the promise of God, according to the rules.  We often think that we want life according to our rules, but when I look around, we keep messing things up, right?  In many ways, culture today is more free than it ever has been.  And yet, you don't get the idea that people are happier than ever, do you?  There seems to be more stress and more anxiety than ever, even though many people have the chance to define things according to their own set of rules.  This could probably turn into an essay, but to keep things short, I think it's fair to say we're able to set our own rules in many ways, but there is so much conflict and so much strife.

  When we ask for life according to God's rules, we can know that those rules lead to peace.  God talked about the lion laying down with the lamb.  God showed us pictures of peace -- Jesus spent time with the elite of society as well as the very poor, telling and showing all a picture of God's kingdom where there was no more strife and no more conflict.  

  So when we encounter strife and conflict in culture, it should do two things.  The first is to remind us that this is not the way it should be, not life according to God's rules, and the other is to stir us to think about how we should interact in such a way that leads away from conflict and into ways of peace.  This is hard, especially when everyone is so primed for conflict, but how can we be gracious and non-anxious influences in our spheres, that we may point to a different definition of life that helps people thrive?

Psalm 119:145-152

Psalm 119:145-152 

English Standard Version 

  Here, the Psalmist is declaring that he's up early in the morning and late at night, spending his time in prayer.

  Have you ever laid awake in bed in the middle of the night with thoughts racing?  When I was in seminary, I struggled mightily with anxiety, and I'd be awake at 2.30 in the morning thinking through various catastrophes.  It was great.  (Actually, it wasn't great.)  I don't think I'm alone -- we've all been awake in the middle of the night, or unable to fall asleep, or waken early with racing thoughts, with big questions and fears and uncertainties.  

  The Psalmist reminds us of a better way to spend those hours.  Rather than be awake and worry, we can be awake and pray.  Rather than let our anxious mind rule our hearts, we can use the Psalms to calm ourselves, to arrest those worried thoughts, to let the assurances of God speak to our hearts and minds.  We can use that time to pray, to pour our anxieties out to God and to be assured of the promises and presence of God in those times.  If you don't know the words, start reading the Psalms, and they give us the words, teaching us to pray, day by day.

Psalm 119:137-144

Psalm 119:137-144

English Standard Version

  Rachel and I were talking earlier about the geopolitical situation, and it's a bit overwhelming. I can do very, very, very, very little about what's going on around the world, and yet it impacts my life.  I remember my place, and sometimes it can be a bit discouraging when I realize how small I am in comparison to the rest of the world.

  When it comes to God, we have a similar thought, and yet it leads to an entirely different conclusion.  I am small, tiny when compared to God, and yet that doesn't lead me to discouragement -- though I am small, I matter a great deal to God, and doesn't that tell us how amazing God is?  Augustine says that even if you were the only one, God would have died just for you, and that's such an important truth to hold onto.  Though we are small, we are not forgotten.  May it be an encouragement to you today to remember that you matter to God -- you have infinite worth to an infinite God!

Sermon for April 3, 2022 (Lord's Prayer, part 5)

1 Corinthians 1:18-25

1 Corinthians 1:18-25 

English Standard Version 

  Happy April Fools' Day!  Today we celebrate the things that are foolish in the eyes of the world. 

  To be made a fool means to have put your trust in the wrong things.  To be made a fool means that you've been found out to be wrong.  Maybe you thought someone would prove reliable, and it turns out they aren't.  Maybe you thought a certain job or certain resource would solve life's problems, and you've been disappointed, and you feel foolish.  Maybe you wonder if you're a fool because you're pursuing something different than the rest of the world is chasing.

  In the beginning of 1 Corinthians, Paul is talking about how the Gospel is foolish in the eyes of the world.  The world trusts in strength, power, and riches.  The world looks to beauty or popularity as to what makes people great.  

  But Christians look to Jesus Christ, who was crucified on the cross between two criminals, and we worship him.  The world thinks us to be fools, but Jesus is the only person in human history to have correctly predicted his resurrection and been proven to be right.  Jesus has defeated death... and Paul is telling us that in the end, those who pursue the wisdom of the world at all costs will be the ones found to be fools, while those who follow the path of Christ and opt for selfless love and generosity and kindness, even in the face of death, will be found to be wise.

  So if you sometimes wonder if you've chosen the foolish path, imagine yourself planted in the garden and staring into the empty tomb, laughing in the face of death as you realize that Christ has broken free and turned death into a gardener.  Drink in the richness of the hope you have in the eternal life that God is able to offer you, and go out into the world confidant that no matter how foolish it may seem, in the eternal wisdom of God, we have placed our trust in the right place!