In John 4, we catch Jesus in the act of being graceful.
Leaving the southern part of the country, he had two options for traveling north – along the Jordan River, or the shorter route through Samaria. Even though it was longer, most Jews chose the river route, and not because they loved the pretty vistas along the way. They absolutely hated Samaritans, and would go out of their way to avoid them. Notice that Jesus had options – he didn’t have to go through Samaria because there was no other way. Ha had to go through Samaria because his mission and his blind love for all people compelled him to do so.
It was lunchtime, and the disciples left Jesus at a watering hole and headed to Taco Bell for their new Fiesta Platter. A woman came to get water, and Jesus asked her for a drink. Notice two oddities, here – the hour the woman came (alone) to get water, and that Jesus dared to ask such a thing. The woman points out the latter issue. But the former issue gives us a clue about the woman. She’s getting water at the wrong time of day. Most women would journey together in the early morning hours to get water. We find out soon why she might rather walk alone.
Shaking off the woman’s objection, Jesus breaks the ice with a theological riddle about living water. The woman isn’t catching on, and asks lots of practical questions. To help flip on her light bulb, Jesus displays a touch of his divinity by asking/telling her about her current living arrangements.
The woman doesn’t like being called out by a Jewish guy, even if he knows what he’s talking about. She’s no doubt been through the wringer for her life experience. We don’t really know if she was a victim of circumstance, or a woman of ill repute. Either way, however, such a journey often leaves you with few friends, and lots of public speculation. This helps explain why she walked alone.
She chooses to change the subject by dropping the theological whopper of a statement sure to get any Jew riled up – our mountain is better than your mountain for worshipping God. That’ll get him off her back, she thinks.
Jesus affirms God’s work through the Jewish people, but also respects her by stating truth that she could agree with. He showed her respect. Especially when he told her he was the Messiah – the first person (according to John’s Gospel) Jesus chose to tell.
The disciples get back with the nachos and stuff, perplexed by what they are witnessing. They don’t say much as they watch the woman leave, and they offer him food. He uses this for a teaching moment – he’s been fed on a level they can’t appreciate. Doing what God wanted him to do, which satisfied beyond any physical craving, had nourished him. Jesus was full.
The proof was in the return of the woman, who brought an entire village along with her to see the Messiah. They came and believed. Because they believed, the church was able to expand into Samaria after Jesus’ death and resurrection.
Who do you identify with in this story?
How closely aligned with God’s grace are you – enough to leave your comfort zone and reach out with love and respect?
How disappointed are you with life so far? Are you walking alone? Do you realize that you are alone, and that God chooses people who feel the way you do to disclose himself?
How eager have you been to tell other people about what Jesus has done for you?
How ready have you been to be nourished by doing God’s will – a source that far exceeds Taco Bell?
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Born Again To Eternal Life
What does "born again" mean, anyway?
What is Jesus saying in John 3:16, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life?
Sometimes words are so familiar and have worked for us for such a long time that we don't even question our definitions anymore. But what if the definitions we've been riding on for over a century was off from the start? What is the implication on what we've believed?
Perhaps born again means to wake up. To be awakened by and to the Spirit of God. To awaken refreshed and renewed to a different, everlasting greater Other who is lovingly interested in our lives.
Are you aware that in this particular passage, conservative scholars agree that the "eternal life" Jesus referred to was not heaven?
Eternal life in this instance refers to what life looks like right now if we followed God diligently. It's what life would look like if God's Kingdom ruled completely. It's what shalom is all about - being whole, complete, at peace with each other, world, our God, and ourselves.
Believe isn't simply a thinking thing. In the original language, to believe meant you "got it" intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally. In other words, you understood what you believed, you knew in your heart that it was true, and you lived your life based upon those other two realities. Your believing actions would further solidify your intellectual and emotional convictions. You would live "eternal life" increasingly.
May you be jolted out of your slumber if you think born again is a simple lip-service confession.
May your life be turned upside down with the reality that God is extremely interested in your eternal life - which is right now.
May you fully believe and fully live.
What is Jesus saying in John 3:16, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life?
Sometimes words are so familiar and have worked for us for such a long time that we don't even question our definitions anymore. But what if the definitions we've been riding on for over a century was off from the start? What is the implication on what we've believed?
Perhaps born again means to wake up. To be awakened by and to the Spirit of God. To awaken refreshed and renewed to a different, everlasting greater Other who is lovingly interested in our lives.
Are you aware that in this particular passage, conservative scholars agree that the "eternal life" Jesus referred to was not heaven?
Eternal life in this instance refers to what life looks like right now if we followed God diligently. It's what life would look like if God's Kingdom ruled completely. It's what shalom is all about - being whole, complete, at peace with each other, world, our God, and ourselves.
Believe isn't simply a thinking thing. In the original language, to believe meant you "got it" intellectually, emotionally, and volitionally. In other words, you understood what you believed, you knew in your heart that it was true, and you lived your life based upon those other two realities. Your believing actions would further solidify your intellectual and emotional convictions. You would live "eternal life" increasingly.
May you be jolted out of your slumber if you think born again is a simple lip-service confession.
May your life be turned upside down with the reality that God is extremely interested in your eternal life - which is right now.
May you fully believe and fully live.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Salvation-Life
The salvation God offers is like life itself. In fact, the best life we can hope for is the salvation-life God offers us.
You and I didn't create ourselves. We were created. And, while our parents certainly had something to do with our creation, they did not give us breath. You were given breath. Did you know that the same word for Spirit in the Bible is the one used for breath? Your breath was provided for you by the One who Breathes Life into us.
You and I have about as much to do with our okay-ness with God as we did in being physically created. From the beginning of time according the Bible, when humanity did something to damage their relationship with God (and simultaneously damage their own life experience), God took initiative in providing restoration. From Adam and Eve, through Abraham, all the way to God's clearest and greatest reconciliatory restorative action in Christ's sacrificial death, God has always been a Restorer, a Redeemer of us. It is a gift to embrace that informs our hope that after this life is over, life will go on for us, and it will be very good and free. Not because of something we have done, but because this Breather of Life loves us and has covered us out of endless resources of Grace.
What we do with our life between our first breath on earth and our first breath in heaven is up to us. God is giving us an invitation, a Way, a Direction. God even promises to empower us in our pursuit of this Way. But we have the choice as to whether or not we will embrace this Way of life. The Way is the salvation-life God offers - the very best hope for life on this earth. Meaningful. Whole. Significant. And different than the default way of the world.
This savaltion-life is something that needs to be worked out all throughout our lives. Jesus began his earthly ministry by spending 40 days and nights in the wilderness to prepare for the tests to come. A Spring training, of sorts. Throughout his ministry, he would take time way from his responsibilities to invest in a greater responsibility - his intimacy with the Breather of Life. It is no wonder, then, that Paul wrote to the Philippian church to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." The fear/trembling connotes the need for taking it very seriously.
We live in a very health-conscious age. We know that a healthy diet and exercise leads to a better life experience. And we know it is a choice. We know that we have to do cardio training to keep our hearts operating at optimum health. And we know that we need to do strength training to give us healthy bones and muscles. No matter what physical trainer you speak to, all of them will encourage you to work out every major muscle group in your body. None of them will suggest that simply doing dumbbell curls alone will be sufficient strength training for your health. If you focused only on select areas of your body for strength training, you would become out of balance. You'd look silly, and you would be setting yourself up for physical failure when your neglected muscles are put to the test.
Salvation-life is similar. It is multifaceted. In the Gospel of John, there are seven areas that stand out in Jesus' life and teaching that show us the areas we need to work out. The areas listed are not in order. There is no "right" place to begin. All need to be developed, however, in order for us to experience more and more of the salvation-life God has for evey person.
Spirit. This salvation-life is Spirit-driven. God loves us, and will constantly be present to counsel us along the way. When we choose to view God's interaction with us through a lens of love and grace, God does not come across as Angry Judge, but rather Benevolent Coach. Be open to the words of the Coach.
Confession. A woman gets caught in adultery. Jesus is asked to make a judgment as to what her punishment should be (John 8). He utters the famous verdict: Let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone. Slowly and surely, all the accusers drop their stones and walk away. Jesus is left alone with the woman, telling her that he does not condemn her, and instructs her to leave her life of sin. To turn away from her destructive behavior. To repent. Throughout our lives, we need to walk humbly enough to recognize when the Spirit is coaching us to stop destructive attitudes and behaviors. And when we hear, we need to make the course correction.
Allegiance. When Jesus spoke to Peter after being resurrected from the dead (John 21), he asked him three times whether or not Peter loved him. Three times. The same number of times Peter denied being associated with Jesus a short time before. Humbled by the allusion to his failure, Peter pledged total allegiance to following Christ. We need to do more than simply confess where we've missed the mark. We need to be shooting at the mark, pursuing the salvation-life to which we've been called.
Community. Not long before he would be arrested, Jesus gathered with his disciples, and he washed their feet (John 13). After he had performed this lowliest of acts, he commanded them to wash each other's feet. If they would choose to love each other in this way, he knew that their understanding of love would grow exponentially. As they learned, their abiblity to love strangers - and even enemies - would skyrocket as well. But apart from being in community, it wouldn't happen. We need each other to learn how to love and be loved.
Rituals. Jesus gave us two clear rituals to practice together: baptism and communion. Baptism, because it represents God's grace over our lives - the washing away of sin, the new life after death, the new beginning. Baptism also illustrates our commitment to God - in our tradition we choose to be baptised - we declare through this act our allegiance to the God who has given us everlasting hope and the Way for salvation-life. Communion is an ongoing ritual that remembers the love of God made obvious in the passion of Christ. It keeps us centered on the reality that our breath comes not from ourselves, but from the Breather. The healed blind man's unfolding understanding and confession of belief served the early church as an example, and became the source of a confessional statement during both rituals (John 9).
Intellect. Nicodemus, an expert and leader among the Jewish community, came to visit Jesus (John 3). Nicodemus did not go with the expectation that he would leave that conversation with the realization that he had a lot to learn. Many things about which he thought he knew all he needed to know, he didn't. Nicodemus kept learning, and became a follower of Jesus. We need to keep learning throughout our entire lives. God desires us to know Him increasingly. Studying, journaling and meditating through the Bible is a necessary staple in our salvation-life workout.
Emotions. When Jesus rasied his good friend, Lazarus, from the dead, this was more than an intellectual teaching moment for the hundreds of witnesses present (John 11). Their emotional sense of assurance about this Jesus as God's anointed One deepened immensely. As we walk in relationship with God, we will see God working all throughout our lives. As we witness God's touch, our emotional knowing grows strong, helping us navigate through the most difficult of times.
These salvation-life workout areas lead to the abundant life Jesus promised to his disciples (John 10:10). May you recognize where your current salvation-life workout is out of balance. May you choose to work out your salvation with great intentionality. May you live as you've never lived before.
Process Stuff...
Why do you think Jesus needed to spend 40 days preparing in the wilderness?
How do you spend time preparing?
In which salvation workout area are you most developed? Under-developed?
What are you going to do differently in response to new insights you've gained?
Prayer: God, may you help me have a larger vision of the life you offer me. Help me be sensitive to your Spirit, quick to confess where I've missed the mark, quicker to say yes to your directives, humble enough to love and serve other, quiet enough to appreciate the rituals you've provided, wise enough to know I have much to learn, and open enough to see and celebrate your incredible faithfulness all around me.
You and I didn't create ourselves. We were created. And, while our parents certainly had something to do with our creation, they did not give us breath. You were given breath. Did you know that the same word for Spirit in the Bible is the one used for breath? Your breath was provided for you by the One who Breathes Life into us.
You and I have about as much to do with our okay-ness with God as we did in being physically created. From the beginning of time according the Bible, when humanity did something to damage their relationship with God (and simultaneously damage their own life experience), God took initiative in providing restoration. From Adam and Eve, through Abraham, all the way to God's clearest and greatest reconciliatory restorative action in Christ's sacrificial death, God has always been a Restorer, a Redeemer of us. It is a gift to embrace that informs our hope that after this life is over, life will go on for us, and it will be very good and free. Not because of something we have done, but because this Breather of Life loves us and has covered us out of endless resources of Grace.
What we do with our life between our first breath on earth and our first breath in heaven is up to us. God is giving us an invitation, a Way, a Direction. God even promises to empower us in our pursuit of this Way. But we have the choice as to whether or not we will embrace this Way of life. The Way is the salvation-life God offers - the very best hope for life on this earth. Meaningful. Whole. Significant. And different than the default way of the world.
This savaltion-life is something that needs to be worked out all throughout our lives. Jesus began his earthly ministry by spending 40 days and nights in the wilderness to prepare for the tests to come. A Spring training, of sorts. Throughout his ministry, he would take time way from his responsibilities to invest in a greater responsibility - his intimacy with the Breather of Life. It is no wonder, then, that Paul wrote to the Philippian church to "work out your salvation with fear and trembling." The fear/trembling connotes the need for taking it very seriously.
We live in a very health-conscious age. We know that a healthy diet and exercise leads to a better life experience. And we know it is a choice. We know that we have to do cardio training to keep our hearts operating at optimum health. And we know that we need to do strength training to give us healthy bones and muscles. No matter what physical trainer you speak to, all of them will encourage you to work out every major muscle group in your body. None of them will suggest that simply doing dumbbell curls alone will be sufficient strength training for your health. If you focused only on select areas of your body for strength training, you would become out of balance. You'd look silly, and you would be setting yourself up for physical failure when your neglected muscles are put to the test.
Salvation-life is similar. It is multifaceted. In the Gospel of John, there are seven areas that stand out in Jesus' life and teaching that show us the areas we need to work out. The areas listed are not in order. There is no "right" place to begin. All need to be developed, however, in order for us to experience more and more of the salvation-life God has for evey person.
Spirit. This salvation-life is Spirit-driven. God loves us, and will constantly be present to counsel us along the way. When we choose to view God's interaction with us through a lens of love and grace, God does not come across as Angry Judge, but rather Benevolent Coach. Be open to the words of the Coach.
Confession. A woman gets caught in adultery. Jesus is asked to make a judgment as to what her punishment should be (John 8). He utters the famous verdict: Let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone. Slowly and surely, all the accusers drop their stones and walk away. Jesus is left alone with the woman, telling her that he does not condemn her, and instructs her to leave her life of sin. To turn away from her destructive behavior. To repent. Throughout our lives, we need to walk humbly enough to recognize when the Spirit is coaching us to stop destructive attitudes and behaviors. And when we hear, we need to make the course correction.
Allegiance. When Jesus spoke to Peter after being resurrected from the dead (John 21), he asked him three times whether or not Peter loved him. Three times. The same number of times Peter denied being associated with Jesus a short time before. Humbled by the allusion to his failure, Peter pledged total allegiance to following Christ. We need to do more than simply confess where we've missed the mark. We need to be shooting at the mark, pursuing the salvation-life to which we've been called.
Community. Not long before he would be arrested, Jesus gathered with his disciples, and he washed their feet (John 13). After he had performed this lowliest of acts, he commanded them to wash each other's feet. If they would choose to love each other in this way, he knew that their understanding of love would grow exponentially. As they learned, their abiblity to love strangers - and even enemies - would skyrocket as well. But apart from being in community, it wouldn't happen. We need each other to learn how to love and be loved.
Rituals. Jesus gave us two clear rituals to practice together: baptism and communion. Baptism, because it represents God's grace over our lives - the washing away of sin, the new life after death, the new beginning. Baptism also illustrates our commitment to God - in our tradition we choose to be baptised - we declare through this act our allegiance to the God who has given us everlasting hope and the Way for salvation-life. Communion is an ongoing ritual that remembers the love of God made obvious in the passion of Christ. It keeps us centered on the reality that our breath comes not from ourselves, but from the Breather. The healed blind man's unfolding understanding and confession of belief served the early church as an example, and became the source of a confessional statement during both rituals (John 9).
Intellect. Nicodemus, an expert and leader among the Jewish community, came to visit Jesus (John 3). Nicodemus did not go with the expectation that he would leave that conversation with the realization that he had a lot to learn. Many things about which he thought he knew all he needed to know, he didn't. Nicodemus kept learning, and became a follower of Jesus. We need to keep learning throughout our entire lives. God desires us to know Him increasingly. Studying, journaling and meditating through the Bible is a necessary staple in our salvation-life workout.
Emotions. When Jesus rasied his good friend, Lazarus, from the dead, this was more than an intellectual teaching moment for the hundreds of witnesses present (John 11). Their emotional sense of assurance about this Jesus as God's anointed One deepened immensely. As we walk in relationship with God, we will see God working all throughout our lives. As we witness God's touch, our emotional knowing grows strong, helping us navigate through the most difficult of times.
These salvation-life workout areas lead to the abundant life Jesus promised to his disciples (John 10:10). May you recognize where your current salvation-life workout is out of balance. May you choose to work out your salvation with great intentionality. May you live as you've never lived before.
Process Stuff...
Why do you think Jesus needed to spend 40 days preparing in the wilderness?
How do you spend time preparing?
In which salvation workout area are you most developed? Under-developed?
What are you going to do differently in response to new insights you've gained?
Prayer: God, may you help me have a larger vision of the life you offer me. Help me be sensitive to your Spirit, quick to confess where I've missed the mark, quicker to say yes to your directives, humble enough to love and serve other, quiet enough to appreciate the rituals you've provided, wise enough to know I have much to learn, and open enough to see and celebrate your incredible faithfulness all around me.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Beyond The Mountain Top
The disciples really needed the mountain top experience witnessed in Matthew 17:1-9. This "transfiguration" transformed more than Jesus - it radiaclly altered Peter, James and John's understanding of this man they'd been following. It no doubt continued to carry them all the way up to the resurrection.
Experiences of God's glory does that to people.
Saul experienced such glory. It was so bright it blinded him for awhile. When he had time to process all the implications of his mountain top experience, he completely realligned his life to mirror the Way of Christ. His heart changed - it began beating as God's. He identified so much with the people God wanted to reach that his identity changed - he changed his name - how he was called and known. He moved from Jewish/Hebrew/Believer friendly "Saul" to Gentile/Greek/Seeker friendly "Paul."
The disciple's vision changed on the 4,000 ft. Mt. Meron that day. They saw dead people. But they weren't dead. They were alive in a greater way as they conversed with Jesus. Though the bright light of that moment faded, I beleive they held onto their "Mt. Meron vision." I don't think they saw dead people all the time, but I do think their perspective on life changed. Immediately, a lot of stuff no longer mattered much. Stuff, in fact, no longer mattered as much. Just as quickly, however, another reality began to dominate their thinking. After catching a glimpse into the spiritual world, how wold you guess their commitment to following Jesus was affected?
When they came off that mountain, and again after the resurrection, and again after Christ's ascension, they gave themselves to God and His Way with reckless abandon. God and His Way are the only eternal "things" that exist. Why would they give themselves to something less?
All of us who have come to follow Jesus have a tremendous advantage over those early disciples - nearly 2000 years of hsitory under our belt. We enter the story already knowing things about Jesus about which the disciples had to wait. We enter the Gospel story with the winds of victory at our back. We come to Jesus after he's already been glorified. Whereas the disciples needed to climb up that mountain to see the glory of God, we need to climb down the mountain, winding back the clock, to hear Jesus' teaching six days prior.
Jesus was telling the disciples about how his last days would play out. Suffering. Ridicule. Death. The King of Glory was choosing this path ahead of time. So committed to loving the world was Jesus that he willingly put aside his glory in order to bring in the Kingdom.
The Way of the Kingdom is different than the way of this world. But only the Way of the Kingdom is worth living and dying for. Everything else is simply ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
I don't want to be the pastor of FBC as it is now. We have a good amount of glory here after nearly 15 decades of existence. We could sit back and enjoy it. But my Lord calls me to rise from whatever glory we have and step into His Glory which is all the greater. I want to become and be the pastor of thsi church as she steps into that Glory-filled potential.
You may be tempted to sit back and enjoy basking in the reflected glory of where you are, and where our church is. But your Lord hasn't and isn't going to ask you to do that. Our Lord is calling us to become and be people who rise and walk into His Glory. To be the people who bring about FBC's globe-impacting potential as we follow the Way together.
We are called to see with Mt. Meron eyes, to recognize dust as dust, Glory as Glory, and choose Glory in every way possible. In spite of the fact that it will involve some serious cross-carrying in our share future. That dusty haul is laden with Glory...
The light shining off Jesus faded, but the disciples never forgot. They lost their lives for the sake of Jesus, and found life, everlasting life.
May we be credited for doing the same.
Experiences of God's glory does that to people.
Saul experienced such glory. It was so bright it blinded him for awhile. When he had time to process all the implications of his mountain top experience, he completely realligned his life to mirror the Way of Christ. His heart changed - it began beating as God's. He identified so much with the people God wanted to reach that his identity changed - he changed his name - how he was called and known. He moved from Jewish/Hebrew/Believer friendly "Saul" to Gentile/Greek/Seeker friendly "Paul."
The disciple's vision changed on the 4,000 ft. Mt. Meron that day. They saw dead people. But they weren't dead. They were alive in a greater way as they conversed with Jesus. Though the bright light of that moment faded, I beleive they held onto their "Mt. Meron vision." I don't think they saw dead people all the time, but I do think their perspective on life changed. Immediately, a lot of stuff no longer mattered much. Stuff, in fact, no longer mattered as much. Just as quickly, however, another reality began to dominate their thinking. After catching a glimpse into the spiritual world, how wold you guess their commitment to following Jesus was affected?
When they came off that mountain, and again after the resurrection, and again after Christ's ascension, they gave themselves to God and His Way with reckless abandon. God and His Way are the only eternal "things" that exist. Why would they give themselves to something less?
All of us who have come to follow Jesus have a tremendous advantage over those early disciples - nearly 2000 years of hsitory under our belt. We enter the story already knowing things about Jesus about which the disciples had to wait. We enter the Gospel story with the winds of victory at our back. We come to Jesus after he's already been glorified. Whereas the disciples needed to climb up that mountain to see the glory of God, we need to climb down the mountain, winding back the clock, to hear Jesus' teaching six days prior.
Jesus was telling the disciples about how his last days would play out. Suffering. Ridicule. Death. The King of Glory was choosing this path ahead of time. So committed to loving the world was Jesus that he willingly put aside his glory in order to bring in the Kingdom.
The Way of the Kingdom is different than the way of this world. But only the Way of the Kingdom is worth living and dying for. Everything else is simply ashes to ashes, dust to dust.
I don't want to be the pastor of FBC as it is now. We have a good amount of glory here after nearly 15 decades of existence. We could sit back and enjoy it. But my Lord calls me to rise from whatever glory we have and step into His Glory which is all the greater. I want to become and be the pastor of thsi church as she steps into that Glory-filled potential.
You may be tempted to sit back and enjoy basking in the reflected glory of where you are, and where our church is. But your Lord hasn't and isn't going to ask you to do that. Our Lord is calling us to become and be people who rise and walk into His Glory. To be the people who bring about FBC's globe-impacting potential as we follow the Way together.
We are called to see with Mt. Meron eyes, to recognize dust as dust, Glory as Glory, and choose Glory in every way possible. In spite of the fact that it will involve some serious cross-carrying in our share future. That dusty haul is laden with Glory...
The light shining off Jesus faded, but the disciples never forgot. They lost their lives for the sake of Jesus, and found life, everlasting life.
May we be credited for doing the same.
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