Dreamer

Acts 2:1-21

When Peter is talking to the crowd at Pentecost he quotes the prophet Joel:

In the last days it will be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.

It strikes me that, first of all, the Holy Spirit does not discriminate, and, secondly, Joel shares some pretty amazing things that God the Spirit enables us to experience. Sons and daughters will prophesy and old men shall dream dreams, the Spirit is poured out upon all flesh. Because we live after Pentecost, we have no excuses for why we do not share the Word of God with others. We have no excuses as to why we are unable to see God’s vision for this world and we have no excuse as to why we sit around with a narrow view of the world. God the Spirit causes us to dream dreams, see-visions, and prophesy. The Holy Spirit shapes us and molds us, pushes us and prods us to become more like Christ.

While in Divinity School one of my favorite books became St. Basil the Great’s, On the Holy Spirit. In his treatise, Basil is defending the divinity of the Holy Spirit against a group of folks, the Arians, who do not believe that the Holy Spirit is fully divine like God the Father and God the Son. Most protestant denominations affirm the divinity of the Holy Spirit and profess that the Holy Spirit is God. Basil asserts that if any member of the Trinity, especially the Holy Spirit, is neglected in any way then the efficacy of the Church will suffer.

Basil asks, “What makes us Christians?”[1]  His answer is the “regenerating grace of baptism.”[2]  Baptism is accomplished through the ‘Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;’ therefore, salvation also comes through the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  According to Basil, all Christians must admit the role of the Holy Spirit in the act of salvation as part of the Trinitarian God; it is impossible to separate salvation from Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Furthermore, the Holy Spirit is to be worshiped with the Father and the Son.  Because the Spirit is Lord, just as Father and Son are Lord, she is worthy of praise and glory.[3]

The first calling of the Church is to spread the ‘Good News’ of grace found in the Gospels.  Moreover, each time someone accepts the grace given by God the Father, through God the Son, which is perfected by God the Holy Spirit, she is baptized into the Church and her salvation is completed.  If the Holy Spirit is not recognized as deity, then the salvific act of baptism can only be seen as, at best, very similar to pagan practices that any Christian would deem insignificant in relation to salvation.  Therefore, it is only right that as Christians we acknowledge and accept the deity of the Holy Spirit, so that the salvific act of baptism is not viewed as insignificant by Christian and non-Christian alike.  Christian ministry is contingent upon the idea of sharing the grace of God that leads to repentance and justification; thus, the deity of the Holy Spirit must be affirmed so that the act of salvation through baptism is untainted.

Sometimes, Christians have the tendency to emphasize worship of one person of the Trinity over another person of the Trinity. Shoot, this week is Pentecost and it is easy to emphasize the Holy Spirit, but last week was Ascension and it was easy to emphasize Jesus. Basil reminds us that all three persons of the Trinity are God and all three persons deserve equal worship. And, although our Acts passage appears to emphasize the Spirit, I think it is probably true that without God the Father and God the Son we will be unable to prophesy or dream dreams.

---

[1] St. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit. (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY; 1980) 46.

[2] St. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit. (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY; 1980)  46

[3] St. Basil the Great. On The Holy Spirit. (St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, Crestwood, NY; 1980)  86

Flicker

Acts 2:1-21

This week in our church, just like in a lot of United Methodist churches, we will confirm a group of young folks as they take responsibility for their own faith. Confirmation gives the young folks an opportunity to affirm their faith in God and profess that faith before the congregation. It seems to me that this action is impossible without the Holy Spirit. Maybe that is why we celebrate confirmation on Pentecost Sunday.

Furthermore, it is amazing that we celebrate the profession of faith on a Sunday when we celebrate the coming of God’s Spirit and all who became followers of Christ on that day many years ago.

My son, Laine, is 8 months old and he loves fire. When I light my charcoal grill he loves to sit and look at the flames, the flames are intoxicating even for a child—maybe especially for a child. The Spirit is said to have come upon the disciples and all who were gathered in Jerusalem like ‘tongues of fire.’ Fire is powerful, it is hard to predict, it destroys, and it brings renewal. Why was fire used to represent the Holy Spirit?

In her book The Happy Place, Nicole Esch shares a poem:

“Forgotten”

The Forgotten Soul,

Still Flickers. (13)

That soul, that person of creation, may be forgotten by this world, but he or she flickers because of the Spirit that is in this world. Esch appropriately uses a fire metaphor to describe the soul, tying the person to the Spirit who never forgets us.

As we celebrate our confirmands and reaffirm our faith, I hope that God, the Spirit, flickers inside of us and that we may have the humility to share God’s love as though ‘tongues of fire’ have descended upon our heads. 

Incredible Things

Acts 2:1-21

Alright, I got this new CD, Around the Well, by Iron and Wine, last Tuesday, and since then I have listened to it half a million times. Music is extremely important in my family, we sing about dinner, sing about going to bed, we even have a pajamas song for my son (P-jams, P-jams on me…). You probably get the picture, music is on continuously during the day and usually when we go to bed music is on for a few minutes before our eyes close. Over the last week I have listened to my new CD attempting to decipher the meaning of each song.

Today a quote from Peng! 33, is guiding my thoughts on Pentecost. For the record, I do not know what the title means. In the song the chorus goes like this:

Incredible things are happening in the world

 Magical things are happening in this world

This week incredible, magical, extraordinary things are happening in the world. We are reminded that God sent the Holy Spirit to be with us in this world; we have an advocate, a guide in God the Spirit. When we celebrate Pentecost, we celebrate God’s continuous presence with us and in the world. Jesus tells us on ascension Sunday that God the Father is going to send us power from on high in the form of God the Spirit.

From where I am sitting that is incredible. This week, when you feel the wind, when you see fire, when you hear music, remember that the Holy Spirit is here in the world. Remember that God the Spirit is here with you and that the Holy Spirit is here to guide you each and every day. 

"Love Vigilantes"

Ephesians 1:15-23

No one in my immediate family is overseas fighting in the war that wages in the Middle East. In fact the last person that I know of in my family to serve our military was my Granddaddy (Annie’s Grandpa also served in the military). And, even though our soldiers top many of our prayer lists, most of our country continues with everyday life with little regard for those folks overseas.

On Tuesday, my favorite band, Iron and Wine, released a new album Around the Well, and it was one of the songs on the album that made me think of the folks fighting in the war. The song is “Love Vigilantes” and the lyric are:

 Oh, I've just come from the land of the sun

From a war that must be won in the name of truth

With our soldiers so brave your freedom we will save

With our rifles and grenades and some help from God

I want to see my family

My wife and child are waiting for me

I've got to go home

I've been so alone, you see

You just can't believe the joy I did receive

When I finally got my leave and I was going home

Oh, I flew through the sky, my convictions could not lie

For my country I would die, and I will see it soon

I want to see my family

My wife and child are waiting for me

I've got to go home

I've been so alone, you see

When I walked through the door my wife she lay upon the floor

And with tears her eyes did soar, I did not know why

Then I looked into her hand and I saw the telegram

Said that I was a brave, brave man, but that I was dead

I want to see my family

My wife and child are waiting for me

I've got to go home

I've been so alone, you see

I could not help but become sad when I heard this song today. Evidently New Order originally released this song in 1984, but I had not heard it until today. During the last verse I could not help but think of my family and how I leave them to go to work most days but coming home is never a doubt in my mind. We have mothers and fathers serving overseas who wonder each day if they will ever see their families again. I am, by nature, not a very political person, and have no intension of turning this blog into a political blog, but I do believe that war is awful.  Today I was reminded that all people who serve an ascended Christ must pray for peace each day.

In the Epistle lesson for this week Paul tells the Ephesians:

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Even though this world is difficult to live in and life is hard, Jesus has overcome the difficulties of this world and promises us final victory. It is time that we pray our world may know the hope that is God and believe in God’s immeasurable greatness. Unending peace is only possible with God and is only possible when we yield entirely to God. I hope that as we proceed into the future that there will be less telegrams and more embraces. I pray that the people who live in war torn countries may walk their streets again without fear. May the power of the resurrection and the Christ who lives and reigns in heaven shower down upon this world today.

Opened Minds--A New Lens

Luke 24:44-53

When things go poorly for Theophilus and his kin in the church, when the world falls apart, things come loose, and chaos threatens, it is good to know who is in charge, who rules. In the words of the ancient Ascension Day anthem, Deus Ascendit, “God Has Gone up,” not gone away from the church but gone up to be the empowerment for the church…[1]

Will (intern at Union Grove) reminded me in bible study this morning of the importance of Revelation 5:6. The verse reads, “then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered.” I was reminded that the lamb who was slain also stood and rose from that slaughter. Will pointed out that this verse in chapter five is the lens through which all of Revelation should be read (I believe he said that all of chapter 5 should be our lens, but particularly verse 6).

As we read about the ascension this week and reflect upon Jesus taking his place with God the Father, it is important that we remember Jesus is the lamb who “stood as if had been slaughtered.” Jesus was slaughtered but even as he was killed he stood, in his weakness he conquered slavery, sin, and death. Maybe we should use verse 6 as the lens through which we understand all of God’s creation.

Even though God (Jesus) has gone up, he has not left us forever. The Holy Spirit is here and wherever God the Spirit is present, God the Father and God the Son are there too. When we are having a difficult day or feeling as though we just cannot make it, look at your life through the lens of Jesus standing yet slaughtered, beaten yet whole, overcoming and ultimately conquering all that is broken. Be of good cheer Jesus went up to his Father so that he may empower the church (the people).

May we allow God to open our minds so that the lens of the overcoming lamb and the risen Christ may shape how we look at the world. May we be strengthened and encouraged by the Christ who lives and reigns in us and in the world this day and forever. May you know the confidence that comes from Christ our savior.

---

[1]  William H.Willimon,   Interpretation: A Biblical Commentary for Teaching and Preaching, Acts.  (Atlanta : John Knox Press, c1988.) 22.

The Joy of an Opened Mind

Luke 24:44-53

Joy is essential to spiritual life. Whatever we may think or say about God, when we are not joyful, our thoughts and words cannot bear fruit. Jesus reveals to us God’s love so that his joy may become ours and that our joy may become complete. Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved and that nothing—sickness, failure, emotional distress, oppression, war, or even death—can take that love away.[1]

Have you ever heard the phrase, “ I am trying to wrap my mind around_________.” Well, today I am trying to wrap my mind around what it must have felt like for Jesus to open the disciples’ minds. Was it like a flash bulb or was it like one of those moments when you make sense of the last piece of a large project? I wonder if the disciples even understood what was going on in that moment, or if they needed to reflect a later moment to understand what had happened. Lots of times when I read scripture it takes multiple readings for me to learn anything, and sometimes the words on the page do not make any sense until days later. On some days I don’t read at all and that is when my mind cannot be opened at all.

Rich (senior pastor at Union Grove) pointed out today that when the disciples went back to Jerusalem, they ‘returned with great joy.’ I thought, ‘yeah, got that, I can read,’ but then Rich said ‘isn’t it amazing that they weren’t upset or scared.’ The passage tells us that the disciples were filled with great joy. Joy, as Nouwen reminds us, comes from the love of God and our recognition of that love. Nouwen goes on to explain that joy is different than happiness and that while happiness can be fleeting, joy that is from God is possible even during the most difficult times in life.[2]

Our scriptures tell the stories of God’s love for humanity, but how can we know about that love if we do not know the scriptures? Furthermore, how can our minds be open to the scriptures if we never spend time learning the scriptures? Can we experience the joy of Christ without our minds being opened? In our Gospel lesson the disciples’ minds were opened before the expressed Joy in Jerusalem. May we seek God this day and may we experience the Joy of Christ.

---

[1] Henri J. M. Nouwen. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994) 30.

[2] Henri J. M. Nouwen. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994) 30.

A Brief Reflection...

Acts 1:1-11

“Where are You Going,” a song by Dave Matthews Band, is the topic that I want to reflect on briefly today. This week is ascension Sunday and for United Methodists we remember Aldersgate Sunday on this May 24^th. Aldersgate Sunday is the Sunday that the UMC remembers John Wesley’s heart being strangely warmed.

But today, as I think about Ascension Sunday and Jesus ascending to God the Father, I want to ask “Where are you Going?” I don’t mean this question as an eternal kind of question, although I guess it could be, but I am asking this question so that we might take a look at where God is taking us and whether or not we are following. Where are you being led? Where is God’s work for you in this world?

One line in the DMB song sticks out for me today Dave sings, “where you go, is where I want to be.” May we want to be where God is this day. I pray that God may show you and me our places in this world and our place as God’s servants.

Bearing Fruit: A Sermon

Stewardship: Bearing Fruit that will Last

 John 15:1-17 

‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. ²He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes^* to make it bear more fruit. ³You have already been cleansed^* by the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. ⁷If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become^* my disciples. ⁹As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. ¹¹I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.

12 ‘This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. ¹³No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. ¹⁴You are my friends if you do what I command you. ¹⁵I do not call you servants^* any longer, because the servant^* does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. ¹⁶You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

 

It hit me this morning, just a few hours ago actually, this passage, this Sunday is about doing what you are made to do.

Today we commit to doing what we are made to do

The controlling metaphor of our entire gospel lesson is that of a vine grower, a vine, the branches of the vine, and the fruit of the vine.

Now I don’t know a whole lot about how plants work, I know they need the sun, I know that they need water, and I know that they need good soil. I know that roots pick up water and nutrients from the soil and leaves magically collect energy from the sun and then photosynthesis and then more magic and ta-da we have fruit.

I know that it is not magic but it seems like it. Rather, a healthy plant produces fruit naturally.

Do you see what I am getting at, God has a purpose for you; there is a fruit that your particular branch of the vine produces and you are made to produce that fruit naturally.

“Stewardship is the discipline of prayerfully and intentionally discerning the will of God.” Stewardship is the discipline of immersing ourselves in good soil, seeking the water of God and soaking up God’s good Sun so that we may discern what fruit God made us to produce and then produce that fruit.

Henri Nouwen writes:

One of the tragedies of our life is that we keep forgetting who we are and waste a lot of time and energy to prove what doesn’t need to be proved. We are God’s beloved daughters and sons, not because we have proven ourselves worthy of God’s love, but because God freely chose us. It is very hard to stay in touch with our true identity because those who want our money, our time, and our energy profit more from our insecurity and fears than from our inner freedom.[1]

Even though we are called to bear fruit and share the good gifts that God has given us; we cannot find our identity in our fruits. The fruits are a byproduct of whose we are and how we are made, but the fruit is not who we are. Our identity is child of God. John’s gospel addresses identity through the word abide.

We hear the word abide a lot. Abide in God let God abide in us; Abide in God’s love, let God’s love abide in us.

And in verse nine is the culmination of how we are to abide ( and before anyone gets out their bibles and says look here is this abide word again, I wan to acknowledge, I know that we are told to abide in verse 10: however, it is a reiteration of verse 10)

As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.

Several of the commentaries[2] that I read pointed out three things about this particular passage:

First, the word abide can mean remain or dwell, words that have more of a continuous or long lasting connotation.

Second, when we are told to abide! It is one of the strongest imperatives in all of John’s Gospel.

And Third, that the tense used for love in this passage is a tense that would have conveyed a sense of continual love.

Stewardship begins when we look past all the distractions of the world and find our identity in God. Stewardship begins when we dwell in the continual love of God.

God made you to bear specific fruit, we produce this fruit naturally by dwelling in God’s love and by being tended by the vine grower.

What is the most famous speech given by Martin Luther King Jr.?

I have a Dream.

And, what is the most memorable phrase of that speech?

I have a dream.

Absolutely, but there is a phrase that King repeats several times in the fifth paragraph of the speech that speaks to the heart of today: Now is the time…

This phrase represents the precipice of transition that we must deal with today. Today is a day that our community of faith covenants together to share all the gifts that God has given to us with the community and the world. Today is a day that we claim as a turning point for our year a time where we come together to acknowledge that God blesses us immensely and that we are all called to serve God one way or another.

Now is the time...

Now is the time for daily prayer

If you do not spend time with God each day, how do you expect to know God?

If you do not spend time praying for your neighbors, for other members of this congregation, for the numerous requests lifted up each Sunday morning; why do you expect God to answer those prayers.

If you do not spend time listening to God how will you know God’s plan for your life.

Now is the time…

Now is the time to nurture relationships with God, Neighbors, Family and Friends

Relationships take time and effort.

If you spend more time checking email each day than with your family how do you expect your children to know you.

If you spend more time trying to serve your own needs rather than the needs of other how can you expect that relationship to flourish.

If you cannot describe your spouses dreams and fears.

If you do not know your neighbors name.

If you do not know the word of God.

If you do not spend time on relationships then they will suffer and fall apart.

Now is the time…

Now is the time to participate in worship.

Worship is not a passive activity to be attended and enjoyed like the opera or a play.

Worship is active and we are called to participate actively in the worship of our congregation.

Worship is not an out of body experience where we turn off our brains for an hour each week or only use parts of who we are.

Worship is glorifying God in all that we do giving praise to a God that loves us and gave Jesus to us. Get involved in worship.

Furthermore, if you are not being fulfilled, if you are not able to worship God here, please let Rich or me know and we will find you a place to worship that allows you to serve God. I am not trying to get rid of anybody, but more important for you to be worshiping God as fully as possible than for the seats of Union Grove to be full.

Now is the time

Now is the time to lay down your life for your sisters and brothers

In our Gospel passage Jesus calls us friends. And instructs us that we are to lay down our life for our friends.

The word used for friend here is phileo a word that can be translated beloved or the one who is loved. Phileo is the translated to the anglo-saxon freon which is translated to our friend.[3]

We are called to give all of who we are to our sisters and brothers; we are called to give our lives to those who we love. Because we are the loved of God.

Now is the time…

“It is hard to live in the present…The real enemies or our life are the “oughts” and the “ifs.” They pull us backward into the unalterable past and forward into the unpredictable future. But real life takes place in the here and now. God is a God of the present.”[4]

Stewardship is about the here and the now.

Stewardship is about serving God and being present each and every day to serve God.

Stewardship is about being present to bear the fruit you were made to produce.

Now is the time…

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit Amen

---

[1] Henri J. M. Nouwen. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994) 191-192.

[2]  Anchor Bible Reference Library,  An introduction to the Gospel of John, Raymond E. Brown ; edited, updated, introduced, and concluded by Francis J. Moloney.  (New York: Doubleday, c2003.)

 The New Interpreter's Bible : general articles & introduction, commentary, & reflections for each book of the Bible, including the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical books.  Volume 10 (Nashville : Abingdon Press, c1994-c2004).

[3] Anchor Bible Reference Library,  An introduction to the Gospel of John, Raymond E. Brown ; edited, updated, introduced, and concluded by Francis J. Moloney.  (New York: Doubleday, c2003.)

[4] Henri J. M. Nouwen. Here and Now: Living in the Spirit. (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1994) 19.

We Are Truly Blessed

Acts 10:44-48

Sometimes it feels as though the Holy Spirit is talked about one Sunday a year. We trot out the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday and then put her back in a box or something. But what if when our preachers gave sermons the Holy Spirit fell upon those listening and they began proclaiming the Good News in different languages. That would be awesome right? Well, while it might be awesome, if everyone in the congregation speaks English then what would be the point of folks in a modern congregation speaking in different tongues?

What if the Holy Spirit does come to us when we listen to pastors speak on God’s word, what if the Holy Spirit attempts to come upon us when children share during a services, what if the Holy Spirit tries to guide us when we pray? What if we ignore the prodding of the Holy Spirit when she tries to change and mold us? The Holy Spirit is not in a box, the Spirit is always present in the world and we have an opportunity to respond, we only need to be aware that God is always with us. The Holy Spirit meets us where we are, and when we are willing to listen and obey she will speak to our hearts and direct us to God’s work for us in the world.

I am no expert on listening to God, the Lord knows that I miss the boat more than my fair share of the time, but I know that the Holy Spirit is present more than once a year in our churches. Or better yet, I know that the Holy Spirit is present in our lives more than just on Sunday mornings. How has the Holy Spirit spoken to you lately and attempted to lead you? Have you accepted the prodding of the Holy Spirit?

The video today is of a song entitled “Blessed be the Name” and we should sing out that song because the Holy Spirit comes to us even though we miss God’s prodding even we ignore God’s still small voice. Take time today to seek God and ask God to send the Holy Spirit upon you, and if you meet someone who speaks a different language than you maybe you will be able to share the good news with them.

Workout

John 15:9-17

Recently Annie and I began running and walking in the mornings together. This is something we usually try to do once a year and end up quitting after a week. We are in the middle of week two, and appear to be more determined than we have been in the past—at least we haven’t quit yet.

One of the reasons that we have started running is because we put on a little extra weight over the last few months coinciding with the birth of our son. We spend more time with him and less time paying attention to ourselves. I thought about posting a picture of myself with no shirt on with this post to demonstrate just how out of shape we are, but figured it would be flagged by blogger.

But what does any of this have to do with our gospel text for this week. Even though we are friends of God and able to share fruit from God because of God, if we become spiritually out of shape it will show. When we become spiritually soft around the middle we are unable to share God’s love in the most effective way possible. Love is powerful and, as an action, it has the possibility to change the foundations of all that is broken in this world.

It is impossible for you to take a stand with love against every ounce of brokenness in the world. For one thing that job was completed by Jesus and for another if you tried you would probably fail and then get frustrated and then just quit caring all together. Well, maybe that wouldn’t happen to you, but it would most definitely happen to me; although, if were made to make a guess I would guess that it would happen to you too. So what about this; rather than standing up against all that is evil and unjust in the world, why don’t we covenant to stand up against those things we come in contact with in our own back yards. I don’t claim to know what that is for you, I am still trying to figure out what it is for me, but what I do know is that we need to start today. We need to take steps to be spiritually fit folks who bear good fruit and serve our neighbors to the fullest. If we work together in our own back yards with God working through us then we can hope for the kingdom of God on earth and the light of God may come to the dark places of this world.

I struggle to say that being spiritually fit requires that we stand up against the brokenness of the world, but if we are not standing up against the brokenness of the world then we will become weak, our muscles will atrophy, and it will be extremely difficult for us to bear the fruit of God. The nice thing about a spiritual workout versus a physical body workout is that we must rely on God completely to finish the former (it is possible that I would do better with my physical workouts if I relied on God for them).

That's One Nasty Fruit

John 15:9-17

The primary reason outsiders feel hostile toward Christians…is not because of any specific theological perspective. What they react negatively to is our “swagger,” how we go about things and the sense of self-importance we project.[1]

Jesus tells us that we are no longer servants but now we are friends.  We know what the master is doing; we know everything that Jesus has heard from the Father. It is no wonder that we tend to have a little ‘swagger’ or ‘self-importance.’ Why wouldn’t we? We are God’s children; Jesus calls us friend; we are important. It is no wonder that Christians appear, to those outside the church, to have big heads and inflated opinions of their own importance.

I know that when I read the quote above from, UnChristian, a book published by the Barna Group,[2] I began to think of all the ways that a couple of bad apples spoil the whole bushel. You know those few knuckle heads that make Christianity look bad for the rest of us. But then I began to wonder if I had ever swaggered when I should have acted with humility. I wonder if at times I have acted with self-importance rather than selflessness.

Before Jesus calls us friends he reminds us that, “no one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Not only does Jesus challenge us to this radical style of friendship, Jesus demonstrates this type of friendship. It is a friendship that is humble and selfless, and it is a friendship that can be difficult but that is more rewarding than a friendship that swaggers with self-importance. Being a follower of Christ is very important to me, and following Jesus will never cause me to forsake being a friend to a neighbor.

When we allow our broken nature to taint the love of God then we portray Christianity as something that is attainable through human works. Our gospel text reminds us that we are known by God and friends with God because of Jesus; not because of what we have done. What we must do now is love one another and represent the love of Christ to the world with selfless humility.

Sometimes I think that I was called to ministry because it would have been impossible for me to represent God in another work place. When I go out into the public sphere lots of times I am wearing a t-shirt or a “polo” with a church logo or a bible verse on it. God made it easy for me to remember that I am representing God at all times. It seems to me that without a constant reminder (like clothing), it could be difficult to remember that we represent God in all that we do and everywhere we go. I am not attempting to profess that I do this perfectly or even well, I am admitting that we all need to represent Christ better.

If folks at work, school, places we hang out, etc know that we claim to follow Christ then we must bear fruit that will last. Fruit that lasts needs to be good fruit. This is how I like to think about it, when you eat a bad piece of fruit it tastes bad; likewise, when you treat someone in a way that will bear bad fruit, if you profess to follow Christ, it will leave a bad taste in your mouth.  Because no one wants to eat nasty fruit repent of that act, learn from it and grow. Do not beat yourself up over a mistake. Remember our God is a redeeming God who can work through our mistakes. Rather than feeling guilty and sorry for yourself and how you “messed up,” prepare yourself for the next time you have the choice to bear good fruit or bad fruit and pray that God gives you the ability to love. I commend you for professing your faith through good fruit and walking the journey of faith with selfless humility. When you get home at night take a moment and swagger in front of the mirror and thank God for giving you the strength, courage and ability to be a light in the world because no one wants to see a self-important swagger.

---

[1] David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. UnChristian: What a New Generation really thinks about Christianity…And Why it Matters. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007) 26.

[2] The Barna Group “is a visionary research and resource company located in Ventura, California. The firm is widely considered to be the leading research organization focused on the intersection of faith and culture.” In 2007 the Barna group published a book entitled UnChristian. In an attempt to make sense of the research compiled by the Barna Group over a ten year period David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons sought to find out what the 20-30 something generation thinks about Christianity. I have attempted not to read this book, but feel that in order to move forward in ministry I need to at least check it out. http://barna.org/about

Now is the Time...

1 John 5:1-6

Why do we fail at loving our neighbors?

I was not alive during the Civil Rights era of American History and cannot imagine the burden that Martin Luther King Jr. and other felt to represent those being oppressed because of the color of their skin. But as a middle schooler born in 1982 and later as a senior high student I ate lunch in a segregated cafeteria. No, the segregation was not mandated by the state or the county school board; it was voluntary. Looking back I am shocked and appalled at the way the students of my high school segregated themselves when they had a chance. If we are to become children born of God, then we must love folks who do not look like us, and even love the people of the world who do not believe the same things that we believe.

Our verses in 1 John talk about a faith that conquers the world, a faith that conquers the world because of the Son of God. That faith, faith that believes in the complete redemption of Creation through water and blood is the faith that must have fueled King and others. It is the faith that I failed to have in high school. How often do we fail to have the faith to love our neighbors.

In the introduction to the book UnChristian, David Kinnaman shares a quote from the thousands of interviews he conducted while researching:

One outsider from Mississippi made this blunt observation: “Christianity has become bloated with blind followers who would rather repeat slogans than actually feel true compassion and care. Christianity has become marketed and streamlined into a juggernaut of fearmongering that has lost its own heart.”[1]

Do we look inwardly in such a way that we are gluttonous and forget the people who are not like us? Furthermore, can we actually believe our faith to be valid when we look as though we care about ourselves more than others? Don’t get me wrong, self-care is very important and our personal time with God and in worship with others is critical, but those things cannot overshadow our love for humanity in a way that makes our love seem nonexistent. Maybe when we pray we need to pray that God will place the burden of the needy upon our hearts and souls. Maybe when we read the scriptures we need to seek ways to help those who are hurting because of tragedy. Maybe when we worship on Sunday mornings we need to invite folks that look different than us to worship with us.

Many people like to point out that one of the most segregated times of the week in America is Sunday mornings at 11 am. I wonder if the reason that we appear to be ‘bloated and blind’ is because we cannot see the inconsistencies of our most common practices. Solutions to these issues are not abundant or easy, but the beginning of a foundation to solve these issues is simple. Love one another. May we love one another each and every day.

---

[1] David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. UnChristian: What a New Generation really thinks about Christianity…And Why it Matters. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2007) 15.

Curious

Psalm 98

O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things.
His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have see the victory of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.

 

We just finished watching the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” a movie about a person who ages backward or inversely. I am not really sure how to explain what happened, but the boy was old when he was born and an infant when he died some 80 years later. Surprisingly, Annie (my wife) had a very difficult time with the movie. At its completion she was almost in tears but she could not explain why. I thought the movie was good because it told a story.

What does this movie have to do with Psalm 98. The honest answer is not a whole lot; however, there are a couple of things that might be learned from the movie. First, the movie is told through Benjamin’s relationships with other people. Quite naturally humans are relational creatures: we were created to be in relationship with God and other people. Secondly, I think the movie was difficult for Annie because Benjamin was an infant when he died. Death is difficult enough when someone passes away who has lived a long life, but when an infant passes away it is extremely difficult. In the case of the movie Benjamin had lived a long life but passed away as an infant, which contradicts many of the typical emotions that come with the death of an infant. I cannot imagine what the death of a child might be like and my heart and prayers go out to anyone who has lost a child.

This is where the Psalm comes in, I think. Although death stings and even though some deaths seem unbearable, the Psalmist reminds us of God’s victory. God is just and God’s love comes in the form of righteousness and equity. God loves us and God redeems creation even in its darkest places. God’s love stretches out upon us even when we have a difficult time believing God exists.

Last week I went to a preaching conference for the Board of Ordained Ministry, and the Pastor leading the conference talked about the difficulty of losing a child: she had lost her 23 year old son this past September. One thing she taught us was this: ‘begin to develop disciplines now that draw you near to God, because when you need them it will be too late to start.’ Although, I think it is never too late to start, you will be better served by spending time with God now when then difficulties of life hit. Take time to pray, learn the Psalms, and allow yourself to be filled with the love of God. Maybe that is why the movie was so difficult for Annie: because we are relational in nature it is hard to lose those who we love and it is hard to confront that death is part of life in a fallen world. May God strengthen you for the difficult days of life so that we may remember God’s victory and redemption over all creation.

Love through Obedience

Acts 8:26-40

In the Interpretation commentary series, Will Willimon observes that Philip does not go up to and interact with the Ethiopian because he is an amazing and enthusiastic person; rather, Philip interacts with the Ethiopian as an act of obedience. It is the angel of the Lord who instructs Philip to go up to the chariot and it is because Philip begins to ride with the Ethiopian that he is able to share the good news of Jesus. And when the Ethiopian hears the good news he believes and is baptized.

Jesus instructs us to love our neighbors and to love God. Therefore when we love others it is not because we are enthusiastic and amazing people; rather, when we love others we love them because we are being obedient to Christ. And when we are obedient to Christ we will have the opportunity to share the love of Christ and the good news.

Does this mean that we should live without enthusiasm or that followers of Christ are not amazing? God Forbid. This means that folks who follow Christ can have enthusiasm and be amazing because they follow Christ.

We love because Christ first loved us and we love others so that we might be obedient to God. In that obedience we have the privilege of sharing the good news. May we be obedient this day.

You Got any Fish???

John 21:4-19 and Psalm 22:25-31

Bluegrass music is one of my favorite genres of music and the “David Crowder Band” version of I Saw the Light is extremely entertaining. But more than being entertaining the song reminds us that at one point, rather, at many points in life we sin and it is the light and grace of God that can come into our lives and reshape the way that we live. God’s love is big and God’s love is all encompassing. It is a love that can reshape the most misshapen lives; lives that we believe are completely forsaken. This song reminds us that without God we wander aimlessly through life seeking that which is, ultimately, not life giving. Without God’s light we live in darkness. A night that causes us to see the world through a shaded veil.

So, walk into God’s light today. Allow the love of God to envelope all of who you are and all that you do this day, and be encouraged that the light of God can come upon your life.

Peter puts on his clothes, jumps over the boat, and swims to shore so that he can embrace his Lord. After the disciples eat the fish prepared by Jesus on a charcoal fire, Jesus asks Peter three times “do you love me.” Each time Peter replies ‘yes Lord,’ and then Jesus instructs him “Feed my Lambs,” “Tend my Sheep,” and “Feed my Sheep.” The charcoal fire probably reminds Peter of his denial of Jesus because when Peter denied Jesus he was standing next to a coal fire. But that does not matter now, for Peter was in darkness and has now seen the light that is the risen Christ. On this day Jesus charges Peter to go forth and proclaim the good news of Christ.

This is where seeing the light is not quite good enough. Don’t get me wrong seeing the light is amazing; it is essential, but we cannot stop with our seeing of the light we are charged to spread the light. Maybe there was a moment when God came into your life a moment when you remember the presence of God being particularly evident. What did that moment smell like, what do you remember that moment tasting like, what did that moment sound like? When Peter smelled the charcoal and heard the three questions from Jesus “do you love me,” he remembered the moment when he denied Jesus, but from that point on when he smelled charcoal he remembered the risen savior beside the sea. And when he remembered that moment he remembered that he is called to spread the love of Christ: to share the light that has come into his life and reminded that just seeing is not enough.

God's Branches

 John 15:1-8

We would much better create communities in the church in which people can find intimacy and love than to split congregations over issues…If we truly had a church in which people could love and be loved, we would transcend so many divisive issues and be free to become the people God has created us to be.[1]

It is impossible to produce fruit without loving people. There are a lot of difficult issues in our world today; you could probably fill a legal pad up with all the issues that people deal with on a daily basis. But the main issue that people of faith have to address is the issue of love. We have to love other people. There are people in our world, people in our congregations who do not feel as though they are loved. If we are to bear fruit then we must love others regardless of any issue we may or may not have with them.

What if part of the passage read like this:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. He removes every branch in me that does not love others. Every branch that loves others he prunes to make it love others more. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot love others by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them can love others, because apart from me you can do nothing.

Loving others is difficult, it is messy and it takes commitment, but if we refuse to love others then we refuse to abide in God. Loving others takes many different forms and requires sacrifices on many different levels. May we learn to love others unconditionally so that we may spread the light of Christ.

---

[1] Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw. Jesus for President. (Grand Rapids, MI; Zondervan: 2008) 233.

Back Tomorrow

I went to bed last night before 9 pm with a migraine headache and was unable to finish my post for today. I will be back tomorrow.

have a blessed day,

Grace and Peace!

'One Love'

John 4:7-21

Dogs teach us more about unconditional love in just a few short moments than most humans do in an entire lifetime. And if we know a dog for the entirety of his or her life then we will experience the depths of true love that spans infancy to adolescence to adulthood to the golden years and even up until death. The love of a dog comes without strings or expectations, shoot, you can tie a dog up all day without water, leave it outside in the rain, and forget to feed it for a week and the dog will wag her tail and lick your face the minute you come within standing distance.

Marley in the movie “Marley and Me” reminded me of my dog Clarence. Clarence was a dog that was hyperactive and loved to get into mischief, but when he laid those beautiful brown eyes on me when I came through the door from work or when he jumped in my lap for a nap on the couch, he loved me no matter how I might have neglected him or how poorly I may have reciprocated his affection. When we had to put Clarence down in December he loved us until the very end, never taking his brown eyes off of my blue eyes, sharing with me humble affection until his eyes closed.

I know that God loves me and that God loves me even more than Clarence did, but sometimes I wonder if God gives us dogs so that we may glimpse the unconditional love of God. Or maybe, God gives us dogs because God knows that without an aid we would never even partially understand unconditional love. Said differently, maybe God created dogs to be one way through which God demonstrates unconditional love.

Our passage for today is all about love; some scholars even argue that the passage today contains more insight about love than even 1 Corinthians 13.  Its foundation comes in the final verses:

We love because God first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God’, and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

God commands that we love and more importantly God commands that we must love others. If we do not love others then we are unable to love God.

In his book Passions for Peace: Reflections on War and Nonviolence ,Thomas Merton writes:

So instead of loving what you think is peace, love other people and love God above all. And instead of hating the people you think are warmongers, hate the appetites and the disorder in your own soul, which are the causes of war. If you love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed—but hate these things in yourself, not in another.[1]

When we act with hostility toward others then we are failing to love with the unconditional love that we are called to by God. Rather than pointing to how others should love and how we are being treated with injustice we must seek to ‘love other people and love God above all.’

When I think about love and loving others my thoughts turn to the idea of peace. I do not personally know how to bring about world peace, but I will pray because that is the best thing that I can do. However, I do know that each and every day I can promote peace in my little sphere of influence. When I am in the grocery store, when I am talking with my wife, when I am at a committee meeting, I can promote peace. Don’t get me wrong, I do not always do the best job at promoting peace, but according to our passage today, it is impossible for me to know God unless I am seeking to share peace.

In the clip from “Marley and Me” above, John (Owen Wilson) names Marley after a song by reggae singer Bob Marley comes on the radio. But did you notice what song came on? It was “One Love.” I want to leave you with that song today and as we listen may we seek to share the love of God with each other with the unconditional love of a Dog or is it God?

---

[1] Thomas Merton. Passion for Peace: Reflections on War and Nonviolence. (The Crossroad Publishing Company: New York; 1995) 38.