Last week I sat in my recliner thinking of all the good outdoor things I would do this Spring. kayaking, cycling, walks, fishing ... I could go on. But to do all those things with excellence some preparation is needed. For my prep, I sat in my chair going through the things in my backpack, making sure I had all the things I would need. A good knife, fishing lures, waterproof bags for clothes and cell phone, a change of clothing, maps, and other useful items are part of my outdoor tool kit. But the outdoor stuff isn't the most important thing I am doing. Jesus, just after His resurrection, gave us all a command called the Great Commission. The command said we were to go into all the world, preaching and baptising new disciples, teaching them to obey all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28).
This brings me to our new Wednesday evening series. It will be called "Backpack" and we will be looking at all we need to do, all we need to know and all we need to have to be prepared for making and being disciples. Specifically we will learn:
- What is being a disciple all about?
- What is making disciples all about?
- How can I make the Bible real to me and to those I am talking to?
- How do I tell others about the Church and specifically my church?
- What are the most important things to know about the Old and New Testaments?
- How are these "basics" tied to United Methodist beliefs?
In essence we will study our backpack, what important things are in our backpack and how we can use our backpack to do what God has asked us to do, namely MAKE DISCIPLES.
I hope you will be part of this study. If you are wondering about tying basic United Methodist beliefs to Scripture, wondering what being a disciple is all about, wondering how to study your Bible more effectively, wondering about the true nature of the Church, wondering how God can use someone like you in His amazing plan, then this is your time to gather, learn and prepare for what God wants for you. Get ready to pack your bags and journey with Jesus! Come every Wednesday for the rest of the Spring (6:30pm after pot luck dinner ... every week except April 24th till May 15th [last pot luck dinner for the Spring]). I will be using, as a basic resource, Francis Chan's new book, Multiply ... grab a copy if you like and, of course, the Bible. See you Wednesday! Pastor Randy
Monday, April 1, 2013
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Caught Up
Isn't it easy to get caught up in things? Some of us are caught up in March Madness, the phenomenon of the NCAA basketball championship tournament. I will admit to loving this tournament and I have, over the years, invested time and energy into watching both on TV and in person. Some are caught up in getting ready to see the Master's golf tournament, thinking that watching this beautiful setting is a sure sign of spring (I sure need that mental picture as I write this in my office, in a sweater I should not be wearing in Florida this time of year). Some are caught up in spring cleaning and getting their house ready for the influx of visitors who will surely be coming their way.
Pastors, on this week of the year, are caught up in preparation, prayer, details, writing, reading and thinking about one of the biggest weeks of the year. But as I run from task to task, I can't help but think about what Jesus was "caught up" in during that eventful week about 2,000 years ago. Sunday we talked about the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) in which a city/nation (according to Jesus) had missed the chance to see their Messiah, enjoy His peace and receive a "visitation from God." That should convict us and challenge us this week.
Thursday we (as Jesus did) will experience the somber giving of the cup of the New Covenant in which Jesus presents Himself as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He does this at His expense (we should hear 'Jesus Paid it All' playing in the background of our minds). I hope you will come and receive the bread and the cup (the table is open to all who come in the name of the Lord) ... we have a few special surprises planned and I hope you will be there to allow God to stop your being 'caught up' so you can become captured by the Savior, His message and His call to "do this in remembrance of me." The service Thursday is called "Maundy Thursday" because Jesus mandated this as a time to remember what He had done, was doing and is still doing as He truly does "take away the sins of the world."
And I cannot even imagine what Jesus was experiencing on that first Easter morning. What is it like to be resurrected? What was it like to see the faces of friends and disciples who thought you were dead? I'll bet that it was an amazing experience to be caught up in that!
This Sunday I hope you will all come and be 'caught up' in Easter. The Church (that is all of us who believe in Jesus and are part of His called-out people) are called "Easter People" because every Sunday we worship God in the context of a 'little Easter.' Of all things we get 'caught up' in, Easter is worthy of our time, our interest, our attention, our giving, our singing, our fellowship and our passion. I pray God will bring you into the house of the Lord and let us, together, tell the old, old story that is as true today as it was when Jesus left the tomb. For in Him we find a Savior full of life, love and hope for a lost world. Hallelujah, He is Risen! Pastor Randy
Pastors, on this week of the year, are caught up in preparation, prayer, details, writing, reading and thinking about one of the biggest weeks of the year. But as I run from task to task, I can't help but think about what Jesus was "caught up" in during that eventful week about 2,000 years ago. Sunday we talked about the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday) in which a city/nation (according to Jesus) had missed the chance to see their Messiah, enjoy His peace and receive a "visitation from God." That should convict us and challenge us this week.
Thursday we (as Jesus did) will experience the somber giving of the cup of the New Covenant in which Jesus presents Himself as the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He does this at His expense (we should hear 'Jesus Paid it All' playing in the background of our minds). I hope you will come and receive the bread and the cup (the table is open to all who come in the name of the Lord) ... we have a few special surprises planned and I hope you will be there to allow God to stop your being 'caught up' so you can become captured by the Savior, His message and His call to "do this in remembrance of me." The service Thursday is called "Maundy Thursday" because Jesus mandated this as a time to remember what He had done, was doing and is still doing as He truly does "take away the sins of the world."
And I cannot even imagine what Jesus was experiencing on that first Easter morning. What is it like to be resurrected? What was it like to see the faces of friends and disciples who thought you were dead? I'll bet that it was an amazing experience to be caught up in that!
This Sunday I hope you will all come and be 'caught up' in Easter. The Church (that is all of us who believe in Jesus and are part of His called-out people) are called "Easter People" because every Sunday we worship God in the context of a 'little Easter.' Of all things we get 'caught up' in, Easter is worthy of our time, our interest, our attention, our giving, our singing, our fellowship and our passion. I pray God will bring you into the house of the Lord and let us, together, tell the old, old story that is as true today as it was when Jesus left the tomb. For in Him we find a Savior full of life, love and hope for a lost world. Hallelujah, He is Risen! Pastor Randy
Monday, March 18, 2013
Never Too Late
Lee and I spent the day Saturday at the arts festival in Fairhope, Alabama. It was a task we do each year in preparation for the Arts Quest sponsored by the Cultural Arts Alliance (Lee works there). You know how I am not a fan of the cliche' but I saw a little art card that had a saying I really liked. It said, "It is never too late to live happily ever after." For the secular person, this is cute but there is little substance behind it. How can we live happily ever after if the world and this present darkness is all we have. But for the Christian, I like this thought a lot.
I deal with pople in the throes of life's struggles. A family member hs died. A woman is beginning a new life differently than she had planned. Finances are tight and there seems to be no way out. I have so much on my plate and I cannot see my way out, past or over what I face. I am struggling!
As I look at all of these problems I then look at the journey of our Savior. Chased from Jerusalem under threst of death. Demanding people all around. Disciples who have spent three years learning what seems to be almost nothing. A nation expecting a cnquering king ... something I am not about to deliver. And even my Father isn't giving me the whole story (confirmed by Jesus prayer at Gethsamane). So I journey to face what seems like a certain death and I am expected to be obedient in the face of jeers, torture, disbeief and taunting (''come down off that cross if you have any power'').
But, as the old African-American preacher said ... "Sundays a comin!" Yes ... there is a happily ever after. But the paradox is, the ones who should be happy are messed up, sinful people like you and me. "Because (as the song says) He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know I have a future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives." When I read the Gospel story one more time I am reminded that my problems are in the hands of someone who has, with his own blood, purchased my "happily ever after" to be spent with Jesus in the place He has prepared. So ... I will get past to struggles of today knowing that God has provided and is providing for my future and my present ... and He has (thankfully) forgiven my past. So today ... I can begin again. That's Good News! Randy
I deal with pople in the throes of life's struggles. A family member hs died. A woman is beginning a new life differently than she had planned. Finances are tight and there seems to be no way out. I have so much on my plate and I cannot see my way out, past or over what I face. I am struggling!
As I look at all of these problems I then look at the journey of our Savior. Chased from Jerusalem under threst of death. Demanding people all around. Disciples who have spent three years learning what seems to be almost nothing. A nation expecting a cnquering king ... something I am not about to deliver. And even my Father isn't giving me the whole story (confirmed by Jesus prayer at Gethsamane). So I journey to face what seems like a certain death and I am expected to be obedient in the face of jeers, torture, disbeief and taunting (''come down off that cross if you have any power'').
But, as the old African-American preacher said ... "Sundays a comin!" Yes ... there is a happily ever after. But the paradox is, the ones who should be happy are messed up, sinful people like you and me. "Because (as the song says) He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone, because I know I have a future, and life is worth the living, just because He lives." When I read the Gospel story one more time I am reminded that my problems are in the hands of someone who has, with his own blood, purchased my "happily ever after" to be spent with Jesus in the place He has prepared. So ... I will get past to struggles of today knowing that God has provided and is providing for my future and my present ... and He has (thankfully) forgiven my past. So today ... I can begin again. That's Good News! Randy
Monday, March 11, 2013
Ouch!
I gotta admit that I have an innate ability to do clumsy things. One of those things I am particularity gifted at is stumbling. This usually happens on a cold evening when I am walking in the dark and hit my toe on a hard object causing the maximum amount of pain. OUCH!
Some things make us stumble. This can apply to our physical clumsiness and our spiritual clumsiness. Paul describes this in several places when he talks about how we (and people in general) stumble over things that essentially keep us from knowing God. In 1 Corinthians 1 he writes: "For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength." [v: 22-25 NRSV]. As I read these words I think over the many discussions I have had in my years of ministry. I have talked with the scientist who needs proof of everything ... but how do you prove the existence of love? I have pondered questions of the faith with philosophers ... but how do you describe faith since faith is unseen?
Michael Card puts it in an interesting way in the song, God's Own Fool ...
So come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
And you'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam
So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see
What do you think?
Pastor Randy
Some things make us stumble. This can apply to our physical clumsiness and our spiritual clumsiness. Paul describes this in several places when he talks about how we (and people in general) stumble over things that essentially keep us from knowing God. In 1 Corinthians 1 he writes: "For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength." [v: 22-25 NRSV]. As I read these words I think over the many discussions I have had in my years of ministry. I have talked with the scientist who needs proof of everything ... but how do you prove the existence of love? I have pondered questions of the faith with philosophers ... but how do you describe faith since faith is unseen?
Michael Card puts it in an interesting way in the song, God's Own Fool ...
So come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
And you'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam
So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say I believe
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see
What do you think?
Pastor Randy
Monday, March 4, 2013
Are You a Practicing Christian?
I've got to tell you that over the last year my golf game has become pretty bad. Most of you really aren't concerned about this and I am not bent out of shape about it. It is just a fact. When I began to think about why my game is so bad I came up with several valid reasons. First, I don't play much. You can't be good at something if you just think about it but never do it. Second, I don't practice. If practice makes perfect then no practice makes me as imperfect as I can be. Finally, my thoughts have not been about golf lately. So, let's see ... I don't engage the game mentally or physically but expect my scores to be the same as they were when I was more attentive to golf.
How about my faith? Do I treat it the same? Do I engage God's Word daily? Do I meditate on the Scriptures as the Bible demands? Do I practice my faith by applying what I have learned? You see where I am going with this.
In our Lenten study about grace we have learned that God pursues and draws us to Himself even before we know He exists. This is prevenient grace that leads us toward God and covers us when we are to young or mentally unable to know God. Then, there is God's saving grace that (when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior) makes me justified before a Holy God even though I am much less than holy. This week we will be speaking about another grace which can be summarized as growing in Christ. This grace, sanctifying grace, grows us up as Christians. We study God's Word. We serve God. We give to God's work. We love people that God has sent. We pray, fast, partake in the sacraments and we allow God's means of grace to lead us forward and upward toward what Paul called 'the goal.'
I won't get better at golf without physical and mental practice. We won't grow as Christians without engaging our faith physically, mentally and spiritually. If we love God with our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength, what else can we do?
Pastor Randy
How about my faith? Do I treat it the same? Do I engage God's Word daily? Do I meditate on the Scriptures as the Bible demands? Do I practice my faith by applying what I have learned? You see where I am going with this.
In our Lenten study about grace we have learned that God pursues and draws us to Himself even before we know He exists. This is prevenient grace that leads us toward God and covers us when we are to young or mentally unable to know God. Then, there is God's saving grace that (when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior) makes me justified before a Holy God even though I am much less than holy. This week we will be speaking about another grace which can be summarized as growing in Christ. This grace, sanctifying grace, grows us up as Christians. We study God's Word. We serve God. We give to God's work. We love people that God has sent. We pray, fast, partake in the sacraments and we allow God's means of grace to lead us forward and upward toward what Paul called 'the goal.'
I won't get better at golf without physical and mental practice. We won't grow as Christians without engaging our faith physically, mentally and spiritually. If we love God with our heart, our soul, our mind and our strength, what else can we do?
Pastor Randy
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Saved
When we read the term 'saved' what do we think? I have heard some say that 'saved' means praying the salvation prayer at the altar. Some think being saved is having an overwhelming feeling of God's Spirit telling us that our sins are forgiven and that we are children of God. Some think that we will all be saved and that somehow all of this life is 'washed out' by God's desire to bring all people to heaven. Some don't think of salvation at all and feel that we live life, do good deeds, and that this life is the beginning and end of our existence. Truly there are so many permutations of this idea of salvation that I could write entire books about the options. And isn't it amusing that in formulating our idea of salvation, we often leave out the only opinion that counts ... God's!
Sunday we will examine a grace called Justifying Grace. Justifying Grace is God's free (but not cheap) gift to us where a good and perfect God chooses (not on our merits but because of His goodness) to provide a way of reconciliation with Him. That way is named Jesus ... the sinless man who dies as a sacrifice for all sins. We are reconciled to God by Jesus and are 'justified' by His act of love, forgiveness and life-giving sacrifice. We are both saved from what we have done and saved to a life of service and devotion to the one we call Lord and Savior. This grace is better than mercy (not getting what we deserve) and better than justice (getting what we deserve). It is, in fact, getting something good that we don't deserve.
One point I will make both today and Sunday is one thing salvation is not. Francis Chan asks if Jesus' life, death and resurrection was all so we could go down to an altar or attend a 'mountain-top' camp, pray a prayer and then live life as if our ticket is assured for the heavenly banquet Jesus speaks of in Scripture? He makes the point that we often treat that moment as the end of a journey ... not the beginning of a journey. We cheapen the life in Christ to a moment in time ... not a life of following.
Maybe this is why we have so many church people who dutifully attend services but do not participate in His service. Maybe this is why we have a nation full of people who say they are 'Christians' but so little 'Christ.' Maybe this is why many non-Christians love Jesus and have animosity toward the Church. Maybe it is why many in the Church are worried about how holy we look instead of being humbled by how lowly we are. Maybe this is why we want our expectations met in Church but are unconcerned about the expectations of Jesus.
John the Baptist placed himself in this place of awe, humility and servant-hood when he saw Jesus and said "He must increase and I must decrease [John 3:30 NRSV]." Maybe life in Christ is a perpetual process of us becoming less, Jesus becoming more ... until all that is left looks like Him. That doesn't sound like an event, a momentary emotion or a mountaintop profession ... it sounds like a journey. Pastor Randy
Sunday we will examine a grace called Justifying Grace. Justifying Grace is God's free (but not cheap) gift to us where a good and perfect God chooses (not on our merits but because of His goodness) to provide a way of reconciliation with Him. That way is named Jesus ... the sinless man who dies as a sacrifice for all sins. We are reconciled to God by Jesus and are 'justified' by His act of love, forgiveness and life-giving sacrifice. We are both saved from what we have done and saved to a life of service and devotion to the one we call Lord and Savior. This grace is better than mercy (not getting what we deserve) and better than justice (getting what we deserve). It is, in fact, getting something good that we don't deserve.
One point I will make both today and Sunday is one thing salvation is not. Francis Chan asks if Jesus' life, death and resurrection was all so we could go down to an altar or attend a 'mountain-top' camp, pray a prayer and then live life as if our ticket is assured for the heavenly banquet Jesus speaks of in Scripture? He makes the point that we often treat that moment as the end of a journey ... not the beginning of a journey. We cheapen the life in Christ to a moment in time ... not a life of following.
Maybe this is why we have so many church people who dutifully attend services but do not participate in His service. Maybe this is why we have a nation full of people who say they are 'Christians' but so little 'Christ.' Maybe this is why many non-Christians love Jesus and have animosity toward the Church. Maybe it is why many in the Church are worried about how holy we look instead of being humbled by how lowly we are. Maybe this is why we want our expectations met in Church but are unconcerned about the expectations of Jesus.
John the Baptist placed himself in this place of awe, humility and servant-hood when he saw Jesus and said "He must increase and I must decrease [John 3:30 NRSV]." Maybe life in Christ is a perpetual process of us becoming less, Jesus becoming more ... until all that is left looks like Him. That doesn't sound like an event, a momentary emotion or a mountaintop profession ... it sounds like a journey. Pastor Randy
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
New Things
God's Word uses this phrase many times. In Isaiah God says through the prophet "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV)." God is into new things and there are several new things I would love for you to support, pray for and embrace as part of God's New Things at Good News.
On Sunday, February 17th the Contemporary Adult class (meeting in Classroom 1 at 10am, upstairs in the Worship Center Building, left at the top of the stairs) will begin a study called "Parental Guidance Required." The study will be all about parenting and reminds us that the only instruction manual that is given regarding our children is God's Word. All parents are invited to come, fellowship, laugh, love and learn together.
On Sunday, February 24th at 7pm Good News will be adding a 3rd service geared to our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in the Santa Rosa Beach area. The service will be led by Fredy Iscano, one of our Certified Lay Speakers at Good News. Fredy will preach God's Word with our unified mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who know God, love God and serve God. Jesus and His cross will be lifted high.
Both of these new things are part of the Strategic Plan for Good News and are geared to reflect God's love through our congregation and out into the community. We hope to show people Jesus Christ to help all people grow more like Him through worship, missions, service, fellowship, love and prayer. By doing this our goal is to be used by God to reproduce this process and multiply His plan, purpose, grace and love in our community and around the world.
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19 NIV)." Isaiah tells us that we need to open our eyes to perceive that God doesn't need pristine and fertile soil to do His good work. Because He makes a way in the wilderness and causes springs to rise up in the wasteland. May it be so here!
On Sunday, February 17th the Contemporary Adult class (meeting in Classroom 1 at 10am, upstairs in the Worship Center Building, left at the top of the stairs) will begin a study called "Parental Guidance Required." The study will be all about parenting and reminds us that the only instruction manual that is given regarding our children is God's Word. All parents are invited to come, fellowship, laugh, love and learn together.
On Sunday, February 24th at 7pm Good News will be adding a 3rd service geared to our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in the Santa Rosa Beach area. The service will be led by Fredy Iscano, one of our Certified Lay Speakers at Good News. Fredy will preach God's Word with our unified mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who know God, love God and serve God. Jesus and His cross will be lifted high.
Both of these new things are part of the Strategic Plan for Good News and are geared to reflect God's love through our congregation and out into the community. We hope to show people Jesus Christ to help all people grow more like Him through worship, missions, service, fellowship, love and prayer. By doing this our goal is to be used by God to reproduce this process and multiply His plan, purpose, grace and love in our community and around the world.
"See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland (Isaiah 43:19 NIV)." Isaiah tells us that we need to open our eyes to perceive that God doesn't need pristine and fertile soil to do His good work. Because He makes a way in the wilderness and causes springs to rise up in the wasteland. May it be so here!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Eclectic
Eclectic ... that is a word I would use to describe the unique nature of Good News. We have a diversity of people from all over the place and a diversity of ideas that are far from homogenous. We are tall and short, thin and not-so-thin, serious and funny, different skin tones, different home towns and different interests. We have traveled many different paths to get to this place where Jesus reigns and God's Word is respected and taught. It is interesting that this point came forward in a meeting tonight where we discussed past, present and future ministries of Good News.
It is crystal clear that we are diverse, so the question is, what brings us together? In another meeting with Audrey and Lisa (music) I think we happened upon the thing that pulls us and holds us in this place where we serve side-by-side with people from all walks of life. It is described in the words of a song:
We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity, May one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news, That God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
We will work with each other, We will work side by side
We will work with each other, We will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity, And save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
All praise to the Father, From whom all things come
And all praise to Christ Jesus His only son
And all praise to the Spirit, Who makes us one
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
Jesus' last prayer was for our unity. Let it be so Lord!
It is crystal clear that we are diverse, so the question is, what brings us together? In another meeting with Audrey and Lisa (music) I think we happened upon the thing that pulls us and holds us in this place where we serve side-by-side with people from all walks of life. It is described in the words of a song:
We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, We are one in the Lord
And we pray that all unity, May one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand
We will walk with each other, We will walk hand in hand
And together we'll spread the news, That God is in our land
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
We will work with each other, We will work side by side
We will work with each other, We will work side by side
And we'll guard each one's dignity, And save each one's pride
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
All praise to the Father, From whom all things come
And all praise to Christ Jesus His only son
And all praise to the Spirit, Who makes us one
And they'll know we are Christians, By our love, By our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians, By our love
Jesus' last prayer was for our unity. Let it be so Lord!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Learning from the Master
In the early 1900's Edward Thorndike posed a theory of learning known as connectionism. The basic idea of the theory is that we learn as the brain compiles information from stimulus, forms neural networks, files these bits of information away and then recompiles them into learned information. Learning is reinforced by repeating the process (we exercise our memories by repetition), by positive or negative reinforcement (a good outcome strengthens the learned information and a negative outcome weakens the 'connection') and by how ready/willing (by our passion to grasp the data or by learning in an environment that is conducive to learning) we are to actually learn. I know this learning theory might seem a bit distant from what I usually write in my blog, but bear with me.
I will avoid the educational theory but when you think about it, God gives us His Son and His Word to teach us. He is "training up His children in the way we should go" so that when we are older we will return to it (God's path). God is truly into teaching, but how is His teaching different from what we usually experience? Most of us grew up in a western educational system that basically gives us information which places knowledge in our heads. That knowledge changes what we know and is very 'head-oriented" by nature. Hebrew teaching/learning is very different in it's goal. Jesus was a great example of the Hebrew process. Jesus provided information but didn't leave it there. His information was often given to us in a story that we must listen to and process. Part of the learning was the effort involved with placing out mind into the picture that he is showing us. It requires more than just storing information. In fact, the Hebrew learning process makes the learner repeat and reprocess the information because we must roll it over in our minds and replay the story/picture. Then, after the story, Jesus would give us a principle, sometimes as a question (i.e., "which one of these was a neighbor?" [in the story of the good Samaritan]) and then a command for action/application (same story, "Go thou and do likewise"). The learner, in order to get to the end of the learning process, must apply the truth and see what happens. The goal of the information, then, is the change in behavior (rather than the changed information in our brains).
When I look at this I believe this is why I see so many Bible studies, so many opportunities to learn and so little changed behavior. It is why I see us resist things that Jesus would have assumed as basic, God-led behavior (like tithing, caring for our neighbor, love for our parents, etc.). Our knowledge, if we are true to our faith, needs to begin to settle into our behavior or we haven't truly learned from the Biblical perspective. I don't know about you, but I will spend some time trying to apply the things I have learned ... then maybe I will begin to be molded by the God who teaches. I, for one, want to become a better student who applies his knowledge rather than keeping it in my head.
I will avoid the educational theory but when you think about it, God gives us His Son and His Word to teach us. He is "training up His children in the way we should go" so that when we are older we will return to it (God's path). God is truly into teaching, but how is His teaching different from what we usually experience? Most of us grew up in a western educational system that basically gives us information which places knowledge in our heads. That knowledge changes what we know and is very 'head-oriented" by nature. Hebrew teaching/learning is very different in it's goal. Jesus was a great example of the Hebrew process. Jesus provided information but didn't leave it there. His information was often given to us in a story that we must listen to and process. Part of the learning was the effort involved with placing out mind into the picture that he is showing us. It requires more than just storing information. In fact, the Hebrew learning process makes the learner repeat and reprocess the information because we must roll it over in our minds and replay the story/picture. Then, after the story, Jesus would give us a principle, sometimes as a question (i.e., "which one of these was a neighbor?" [in the story of the good Samaritan]) and then a command for action/application (same story, "Go thou and do likewise"). The learner, in order to get to the end of the learning process, must apply the truth and see what happens. The goal of the information, then, is the change in behavior (rather than the changed information in our brains).
When I look at this I believe this is why I see so many Bible studies, so many opportunities to learn and so little changed behavior. It is why I see us resist things that Jesus would have assumed as basic, God-led behavior (like tithing, caring for our neighbor, love for our parents, etc.). Our knowledge, if we are true to our faith, needs to begin to settle into our behavior or we haven't truly learned from the Biblical perspective. I don't know about you, but I will spend some time trying to apply the things I have learned ... then maybe I will begin to be molded by the God who teaches. I, for one, want to become a better student who applies his knowledge rather than keeping it in my head.
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Most Freeing Thing Ever
I see a lot of people in various stages of bondage. They are bound by substances, choices, other people, jobs, relationships and all manners of external things. But there is one thing ... one thing that is truly a Messianic promise ... that can help in each of these circumstances and give us freedom wherever we are physically located. It is the most freeing thing ever!
Jesus continues to speak to us as He reads from Isaiah's scroll from Luke, Chapter 4. Jesus tells us He has been anointed to "preach Good News to the poor." Then Jesus says, "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind." Sunday we will break this down further, but for the purposes of our blog, let's focus on "recovery of sight to the blind." This is a loaded statement that deserves a bit of unpacking. First, let's look at recovery. You recover something you once had but somehow have lost. I believe this describes all of God's people who have been made in the image and likeness of God. We have been given the ability to see and perceive spiritual things ... a sense of the spiritual realm that is real but suppressed by this world in which we live. We are often told that somehow what we see every day is all that there is but deep down each of us knows and senses something bigger, greater and more real. St. Augustine called this a God-shaped hole in our heart that can only be filled by God-stuff. Carolyn Arends, in her song "Reaching" says:
"And later lying in the dark, I felt a stirring in my heart
And though I longed to see what could not be seen
I still believed
I guess, I shouldn't think it odd, Until we see the face of God
The yearning deep within us tells us, There's more to come
So when we taste of the divine, It leaves us hungry every time
For one more taste of what awaits, When Heaven's Gates are reached"
We long for a relationship and connection to God and, in its absence, try to fill that space with the inadequate things of this world.
But we don't just recover something lost ... as we grow spiritually we open our eyes and see what was there when we were blind. We see colors we never knew existed. We see beauty that only connection to God can reveal. And, and here is the most freeing thing ever ... we see ourselves clearly. All of our warts (and this is painful) and all of our beauty (this is almost too good to be true). One of my professors rightly talked about this trait of the "likeness of God" as transcendence. It is the ability to step outside of ourselves and see ourselves and others clearly. We honestly see our own motives. We see our situations as they actually are ... not as we would like to imagine them. We see our children as real people with real issues but also amazing beauty and promise. We see our lives clearly and become able to tweak, make adjustments and make real change (something impossible in the delusional world of blindness). And a church full of 1st century Jews are hearing Jesus read this beautiful promise and they have the chance to see themselves clearly as He reads and then teaches.
As I said, we will unpack this further Sunday, but I will leave you with a question. How did those Jews react? Did they leave enlightened and seeing, or did they leave blind? How will you leave Sunday? Will you learn from the one they called 'Teacher' or will you continue to live in the fog ... never becoming the transcendent creature you were created to be? Good questions I think! Pastor Randy
Jesus continues to speak to us as He reads from Isaiah's scroll from Luke, Chapter 4. Jesus tells us He has been anointed to "preach Good News to the poor." Then Jesus says, "He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind." Sunday we will break this down further, but for the purposes of our blog, let's focus on "recovery of sight to the blind." This is a loaded statement that deserves a bit of unpacking. First, let's look at recovery. You recover something you once had but somehow have lost. I believe this describes all of God's people who have been made in the image and likeness of God. We have been given the ability to see and perceive spiritual things ... a sense of the spiritual realm that is real but suppressed by this world in which we live. We are often told that somehow what we see every day is all that there is but deep down each of us knows and senses something bigger, greater and more real. St. Augustine called this a God-shaped hole in our heart that can only be filled by God-stuff. Carolyn Arends, in her song "Reaching" says:
"And later lying in the dark, I felt a stirring in my heart
And though I longed to see what could not be seen
I still believed
I guess, I shouldn't think it odd, Until we see the face of God
The yearning deep within us tells us, There's more to come
So when we taste of the divine, It leaves us hungry every time
For one more taste of what awaits, When Heaven's Gates are reached"
We long for a relationship and connection to God and, in its absence, try to fill that space with the inadequate things of this world.
But we don't just recover something lost ... as we grow spiritually we open our eyes and see what was there when we were blind. We see colors we never knew existed. We see beauty that only connection to God can reveal. And, and here is the most freeing thing ever ... we see ourselves clearly. All of our warts (and this is painful) and all of our beauty (this is almost too good to be true). One of my professors rightly talked about this trait of the "likeness of God" as transcendence. It is the ability to step outside of ourselves and see ourselves and others clearly. We honestly see our own motives. We see our situations as they actually are ... not as we would like to imagine them. We see our children as real people with real issues but also amazing beauty and promise. We see our lives clearly and become able to tweak, make adjustments and make real change (something impossible in the delusional world of blindness). And a church full of 1st century Jews are hearing Jesus read this beautiful promise and they have the chance to see themselves clearly as He reads and then teaches.
As I said, we will unpack this further Sunday, but I will leave you with a question. How did those Jews react? Did they leave enlightened and seeing, or did they leave blind? How will you leave Sunday? Will you learn from the one they called 'Teacher' or will you continue to live in the fog ... never becoming the transcendent creature you were created to be? Good questions I think! Pastor Randy
Monday, January 7, 2013
Poor
Sunday we will examine a word that most of us don't like. The word is "poor." What do you think of when you hear the word "poor?"
Some of us think of those who have made bad choices and have ended up in poverty. Some desire to help this group. Some say, "They made their bed ... now let them sleep in it." Some feel duty bound to help the poor but they help reluctantly and suspiciously, feeling that the poor are dishonest and always out to scam the system. Some just want to ignore this version of the poor. The question for us is ... how does Jesus lead us to treat the poor.
Another version of "poor" is the poor in spirit (from the beatitudes). We have been taught that these are folks who might be beat down by life and beat up by others (sounds like most of us to me). Often we view these people as weak or unable to handle their own business. What does Jesus say about them?
Both instances use the word Ptochos which in the Greek means "poor and helpless ... one who needs lifting." The idea is that both groups cannot make it on their own strength ... they essentially do not have the capacity (without God) to navigate life and get to the place god has prepared without God's help. I like that definition. It describes all who understand our real dilemma in life ... we cannot (on our own power) get from our sin-filled and spiritually poor life to God's place where He makes all things new. It highlights the idea that when the praise band sings the song, "All the Poor and Powerless" the words describe the condition we must be in to receive what God has for us.
I meet too many people who say, "I can handle my on stuff ... God helps those who help themselves ... we can fix our own situation ... we are self-sufficient." The problem I see every day is ... these fixes don't work and at the end of the day we are left with useless cliches that contain none of God's power, forgiveness and provision. As I have seen life play our in so many families, self-sufficient is not sufficient at all! Jesus might say, "Come and I will give you living water from a well that never runs dry." Sounds like a good plan to me!
Some of us think of those who have made bad choices and have ended up in poverty. Some desire to help this group. Some say, "They made their bed ... now let them sleep in it." Some feel duty bound to help the poor but they help reluctantly and suspiciously, feeling that the poor are dishonest and always out to scam the system. Some just want to ignore this version of the poor. The question for us is ... how does Jesus lead us to treat the poor.
Another version of "poor" is the poor in spirit (from the beatitudes). We have been taught that these are folks who might be beat down by life and beat up by others (sounds like most of us to me). Often we view these people as weak or unable to handle their own business. What does Jesus say about them?
Both instances use the word Ptochos which in the Greek means "poor and helpless ... one who needs lifting." The idea is that both groups cannot make it on their own strength ... they essentially do not have the capacity (without God) to navigate life and get to the place god has prepared without God's help. I like that definition. It describes all who understand our real dilemma in life ... we cannot (on our own power) get from our sin-filled and spiritually poor life to God's place where He makes all things new. It highlights the idea that when the praise band sings the song, "All the Poor and Powerless" the words describe the condition we must be in to receive what God has for us.
I meet too many people who say, "I can handle my on stuff ... God helps those who help themselves ... we can fix our own situation ... we are self-sufficient." The problem I see every day is ... these fixes don't work and at the end of the day we are left with useless cliches that contain none of God's power, forgiveness and provision. As I have seen life play our in so many families, self-sufficient is not sufficient at all! Jesus might say, "Come and I will give you living water from a well that never runs dry." Sounds like a good plan to me!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Hard But Worth It
Yesterday I watched as the Dallas Cowboys football team lost their bid for the playoffs to a Washington Redskins team led by a rookie quarterback and a rookie running back. For those of you not into football, experience is a major factor in achieving your goals in the National Football League (NFL) and for these two rookies, it is amazing to see what they have accomplished. I believe they are where they are because of 1) considerable natural talent, 2) hard work and 3) remaining focused on the task at hand. Oh but if we could approach our pursuit of good things for our new year in the same way.
When I think of stories like the one above, I think truer, better and more important stories from Scripture which have been teaching us these virtues for a long time. One such story is that of Paul. Paul was possessed of 1) considerable natural talent (he was trained by the best), 2) great work ethic (it took time, dedication, energy, sacrifice and sweat to learn and become what he called a 'Pharisee of Pharisees') and 3) stubborn persistence (Paul pressed on toward the goal [for a while the wrong goal] well before he was called by God to be the greatest evangelist ever). Paul applied these virtues toward the persecution of this new group called "the way" (i.e., the early Christian Church). He followed them. He watched them and participated in their persecution (see Acts 7:58). But God has a way of calling us to higher purpose and better use of those traits that can be used for good or for bad. God used the natural talent of Paul ... his knowledge of Scripture ... his ability to pursue logical argument ... his understanding of the Law and its dangers. God used Paul's work ethic as the Holt Spirit inspired words like, "But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me." [Philippians 3:12]. God used Paul's dogged focus to give him strength to persist in places like prison, shipwrecked on an island, in court and pressed on every side (2 Corinthians 4:8) by troubles.
2013 will be a year when we can choose to stay the course, go backward or go forward. Staying the course will be easy ... just do nothing and next New Year's day we can wonder why our world has the same issues and problems. Going backward is simple ... just revert to behaviors and practices that have brought us down every year up till now. Or ... just maybe ... we can go forward. We can embrace and apply our natural talent God gives us all to do His work (these are called Spiritual Gifts [1 Corinthians 12]). We can do the hard work of (every day) making hard choices, putting one foot in front of the other and reminding ourselves that following God isn't a microwave (instant) process, it is a crock pot (slow, persistent, methodical) process. And, we can realize that we are called to "run with endurance the race the God has set before us [Hebrews 12:1]." You don't have to be an experienced Christian to see results from this process. You only need to be open, usable and willing. In fact, you can be a rookie. All God needs is your yes! Pastor Randy
When I think of stories like the one above, I think truer, better and more important stories from Scripture which have been teaching us these virtues for a long time. One such story is that of Paul. Paul was possessed of 1) considerable natural talent (he was trained by the best), 2) great work ethic (it took time, dedication, energy, sacrifice and sweat to learn and become what he called a 'Pharisee of Pharisees') and 3) stubborn persistence (Paul pressed on toward the goal [for a while the wrong goal] well before he was called by God to be the greatest evangelist ever). Paul applied these virtues toward the persecution of this new group called "the way" (i.e., the early Christian Church). He followed them. He watched them and participated in their persecution (see Acts 7:58). But God has a way of calling us to higher purpose and better use of those traits that can be used for good or for bad. God used the natural talent of Paul ... his knowledge of Scripture ... his ability to pursue logical argument ... his understanding of the Law and its dangers. God used Paul's work ethic as the Holt Spirit inspired words like, "But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me." [Philippians 3:12]. God used Paul's dogged focus to give him strength to persist in places like prison, shipwrecked on an island, in court and pressed on every side (2 Corinthians 4:8) by troubles.
2013 will be a year when we can choose to stay the course, go backward or go forward. Staying the course will be easy ... just do nothing and next New Year's day we can wonder why our world has the same issues and problems. Going backward is simple ... just revert to behaviors and practices that have brought us down every year up till now. Or ... just maybe ... we can go forward. We can embrace and apply our natural talent God gives us all to do His work (these are called Spiritual Gifts [1 Corinthians 12]). We can do the hard work of (every day) making hard choices, putting one foot in front of the other and reminding ourselves that following God isn't a microwave (instant) process, it is a crock pot (slow, persistent, methodical) process. And, we can realize that we are called to "run with endurance the race the God has set before us [Hebrews 12:1]." You don't have to be an experienced Christian to see results from this process. You only need to be open, usable and willing. In fact, you can be a rookie. All God needs is your yes! Pastor Randy
Tuesday, December 25, 2012
Big and Small
Our Christmas Eve service revolved around a term from Scripture that is spoken of in the Pentateuch (the first five books of Scripture) and that is carried (thematically) through all of Scripture. The Christmas term is Immanuel, meaning "God with us." We really need God with us ... because we are the people Jesus spoke of when he said "Come all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest." We need God with us when we are confused and need someone with an eternal perspective. We need God with us when we have lost someone close to us. We need God with us when a disaster has happened and we are just trying to survive. We need God with us when we are "geographically-challenged" by being born in a place where God is not welcome or where someone who looks like me is oppressed. We need God with us when we are tempted to enter back into an addiction and need a higher power to help us through one more day. We need God with us when our teenage son or daughter is out of control and we need wisdom beyond our years. We need God with us when we wait in the doctor's office for a diagnosis that might be hard news. We need God with us when our adult children are struggling and we have helped all we can. We need God with us when we just cannot forgive without God's power. We need God with us when it is hard to pray. And we need God with us when our choices have made us alone in this cold, hard world.
C.S. Lewis had an amazing image of God which is both Biblical and helpful. He said God was the only power in the universe big enough to create the universe, direct the affairs of nations and princes and kings and yet make himself small enough to step down into our worst hurts and deepest miseries. God with us came into the humility and lowliness of our world. God with us lost friends to death. God with us was chased by people who wanted to kill him. God with us was beaten, spit on, insulted and nailed to a cross. God with us laughed and cried. God with us was a son ... a friend ... a preacher. God with us walked hard roads and served the Father placing His (Jesus') interests below God's plan. And God with us did something that only someone fully God and fully human could do ... he took all the sins of Adam's race upon himself. This Christmas remember that God with us made a promise that should give us comfort when we hear that God has been sent out of places like schools, our nation, our halls of legislation and any other place that allegedly has had God 'removed.' First, we have no power to remove God from any place God desires to be. We can ignore God and God can chose to remove His Spirit, His blessing and His peace. But we cannot do it. Second, God has (in Matthew 28) told us He will be with us even unto the ends of the earth. So ... carry Him in your heart. Let Him into your workplace. Invite Him into your day. Let Him into the little things and the big things. Watch for God with us in the comfort, bravery, grief, struggle and stories of places like Sandy Hook Elementary, 911, Afghanistan, the Mexican border, the inner city and the jungles of Brazil. For where the brokenhearted are ... God is close by. That gives me strength, comfort and calm. God with us is as big or as small as He needs to be to meet us, lead us, save us and carry us to our destination with Him. THAT ... is Good News.
C.S. Lewis had an amazing image of God which is both Biblical and helpful. He said God was the only power in the universe big enough to create the universe, direct the affairs of nations and princes and kings and yet make himself small enough to step down into our worst hurts and deepest miseries. God with us came into the humility and lowliness of our world. God with us lost friends to death. God with us was chased by people who wanted to kill him. God with us was beaten, spit on, insulted and nailed to a cross. God with us laughed and cried. God with us was a son ... a friend ... a preacher. God with us walked hard roads and served the Father placing His (Jesus') interests below God's plan. And God with us did something that only someone fully God and fully human could do ... he took all the sins of Adam's race upon himself. This Christmas remember that God with us made a promise that should give us comfort when we hear that God has been sent out of places like schools, our nation, our halls of legislation and any other place that allegedly has had God 'removed.' First, we have no power to remove God from any place God desires to be. We can ignore God and God can chose to remove His Spirit, His blessing and His peace. But we cannot do it. Second, God has (in Matthew 28) told us He will be with us even unto the ends of the earth. So ... carry Him in your heart. Let Him into your workplace. Invite Him into your day. Let Him into the little things and the big things. Watch for God with us in the comfort, bravery, grief, struggle and stories of places like Sandy Hook Elementary, 911, Afghanistan, the Mexican border, the inner city and the jungles of Brazil. For where the brokenhearted are ... God is close by. That gives me strength, comfort and calm. God with us is as big or as small as He needs to be to meet us, lead us, save us and carry us to our destination with Him. THAT ... is Good News.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Some Changes
OK ... usually we devote the blog entries to those things that might make you think ... about your relationship to God ... about your relationship to your church ... about things less logistical and more reflective. Today we are going to change course for a week. The reason for this is simple. We (Good News and the Church in general) is charged with making meaningful connection to people so that we might introduce them to an amazing, holy and awesome God who is declaring His past/present/future reign constantly. We make these connections in many ways including interpretation of Scripture, preaching, teaching, fellowship, sacrament and nurture. In today's world we also make these connections through the communication systems in place today ... our website, the local newspaper and the tried-and-true word of mouth. Sometimes being consistent in these communications requires us to have some continuity in what we do on a weekly basis. Over the past several years a 'glitch' in this consistency has been our custom of having a joint worship service on the 5th Sundays which fall about every three months.
From a fellowship standpoint this has made some sense. In practice, however, it has not done what we would have intended. It has made communicating through our media outlets (website, newspaper, verbal) confusing and inconsistent. It has created confusion for people who are visiting and have come to worship only to find that that particular Sunday there is only one service. The 5th Sunday has been consistently our lowest attendance Sunday. Finally, some of our people have been confused over whether the service will be traditional or contemporary. So ... we will be making a change.
Beginning immediately we will have all Sunday worship follow our usual (and advertised) pattern. Our traditional worship will be 8:50am each week and our contemporary worship will be at 11:00am. This means that December 30th of 2012 we will have two normal worship services ... 8:50am and 11:00am. For those who like their normal style of worship this should make life easier. For those who can't keep the 5th Sunday idea in their heads or on the calendar, this should give you the comfort and consistency that every Sunday's pattern will be the same. For those who might visit or be coming here for the 1st time, this should make their choice of worship services simple.
And remember ... we WILL be having our amazing Christmas Eve communion service at 5:30pm on December 24th (oddly enough, Christmas Eve). I hope you will invite family and friends to this time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the promise of new life, the love of a giving God and the life that we are offered through one small child, born in Bethlehem. Come and see the hope ... hear the songs ... and remember that night when everything changed. Pastor Randy
From a fellowship standpoint this has made some sense. In practice, however, it has not done what we would have intended. It has made communicating through our media outlets (website, newspaper, verbal) confusing and inconsistent. It has created confusion for people who are visiting and have come to worship only to find that that particular Sunday there is only one service. The 5th Sunday has been consistently our lowest attendance Sunday. Finally, some of our people have been confused over whether the service will be traditional or contemporary. So ... we will be making a change.
Beginning immediately we will have all Sunday worship follow our usual (and advertised) pattern. Our traditional worship will be 8:50am each week and our contemporary worship will be at 11:00am. This means that December 30th of 2012 we will have two normal worship services ... 8:50am and 11:00am. For those who like their normal style of worship this should make life easier. For those who can't keep the 5th Sunday idea in their heads or on the calendar, this should give you the comfort and consistency that every Sunday's pattern will be the same. For those who might visit or be coming here for the 1st time, this should make their choice of worship services simple.
And remember ... we WILL be having our amazing Christmas Eve communion service at 5:30pm on December 24th (oddly enough, Christmas Eve). I hope you will invite family and friends to this time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the promise of new life, the love of a giving God and the life that we are offered through one small child, born in Bethlehem. Come and see the hope ... hear the songs ... and remember that night when everything changed. Pastor Randy
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Someone
Ever had a time in your life when you needed someone? Someone who might be a bit wiser ... someone who has a different perspective ... someone who will tell you like it is ... someone who will say what needs to be said while being your best friend? Those someones are very hard to find ... but Mary had someone.
The someone for Mary was her cousin Elizabeth. Older ... dealing with issues of her own ... and someone who, at that very moment, was sharing an experience that would be part of this world-changing event we call Christmas.
Elizabeth lived about nine days journey from Nazareth where Mary lived. Isn't it odd that Mary's family would allow her to make a nine-day journey through rough country to go and see Elizabeth? I believe it says a lot about the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. The Bible calls Elizabeth barren in her old age ... Mary called Elizabeth friend and confidante. These two women were both drawn together by relationship and pulled together by the common experience of what was about to happen. Elizabeth would give birth to John the Baptist. John would be in charge of announcing the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. He would live an extraordinary life and die a horrible death, all in service to a God who could redeem all of it. Elizabeth would give birth to John about six months before Jesus would be born, but Mary would spend months sharing stories, hearing her advice and receiving Elizabeth's encouragement. I believe both women were blessed by their relationship. And their love and friendship was honored by God.
This part of a larger story reminds us the value of that someone in our lives who will love us no matter what and will share our deepest desires, our greatest failures, our biggest successes and our most painful hurts. When you have a friend like that, never let them go. Cherish them. Hold them close. Pray for and with them. And be as good a friend to them as they are to you.
Sunday we will share some of this story and this great friendship as Mary is encouraged by Elizabeth. Elizabeth is helped in her pregnancy by Mary as they both share part of the greatest story of all time. We will learn about the Biblical meaning of 'blessed.' We will learn that Elizabeth and John knew the identity of Jesus 10 days after conception (I think that baby was pretty viable at 10 days of life). And we will learn not to ignore this story as we move through the Christmas season on our journey to the manger in Bethlehem. Join us!
The someone for Mary was her cousin Elizabeth. Older ... dealing with issues of her own ... and someone who, at that very moment, was sharing an experience that would be part of this world-changing event we call Christmas.
Elizabeth lived about nine days journey from Nazareth where Mary lived. Isn't it odd that Mary's family would allow her to make a nine-day journey through rough country to go and see Elizabeth? I believe it says a lot about the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. The Bible calls Elizabeth barren in her old age ... Mary called Elizabeth friend and confidante. These two women were both drawn together by relationship and pulled together by the common experience of what was about to happen. Elizabeth would give birth to John the Baptist. John would be in charge of announcing the coming of the Messiah, Jesus. He would live an extraordinary life and die a horrible death, all in service to a God who could redeem all of it. Elizabeth would give birth to John about six months before Jesus would be born, but Mary would spend months sharing stories, hearing her advice and receiving Elizabeth's encouragement. I believe both women were blessed by their relationship. And their love and friendship was honored by God.
This part of a larger story reminds us the value of that someone in our lives who will love us no matter what and will share our deepest desires, our greatest failures, our biggest successes and our most painful hurts. When you have a friend like that, never let them go. Cherish them. Hold them close. Pray for and with them. And be as good a friend to them as they are to you.
Sunday we will share some of this story and this great friendship as Mary is encouraged by Elizabeth. Elizabeth is helped in her pregnancy by Mary as they both share part of the greatest story of all time. We will learn about the Biblical meaning of 'blessed.' We will learn that Elizabeth and John knew the identity of Jesus 10 days after conception (I think that baby was pretty viable at 10 days of life). And we will learn not to ignore this story as we move through the Christmas season on our journey to the manger in Bethlehem. Join us!
Monday, December 3, 2012
What I Couldn't Say
Those of you who were at church Sunday get the meaning of the title of this blog. Truly, I couldn't talk ... a condition which came upon me quickly and got worse as the morning progressed. I appreciate all of the help from Josh, Jerry, Leah and everyone who basically put up with my laryngitis attack. It was difficult for me because I had lots of Mary and Nazareth facts to convey ... so this blog will, I hope, give you a start on our Christmas Journey through the characters and places of the first Christmas.
First, Mary ... 12 or 13 ... scared ... hearing the news from the angel that she was with child ... traveling to stay 3 months with Elizabeth (her formerly barren cousin, also pregnant with a child who would become John the Baptist) ... returning to Nazareth where she would have probably (at the very least) been an object of scorn and (at the most) could have been in danger for her life since she was pregnant and unmarried. Her last statement in the story of the annunciation (the announcement by the angel that she would bear the Son of God) was "I am God's servant." Pretty mature resolve for an early teen.
Then. Nazareth ... the site of a spring that became a town (reminds me of Isaiah's prophecy about "streams in the desert"). This town with a few hundred shepherds, laborers, workers and (according to John 1) folks with a poor reputation would become Jesus' boyhood home and the place where he would begin a Galilean ministry that would change the planet. Nazareth was halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. The people were generally poor and would have lived in simple shelters such as limestone caves. It was a meek and humble beginning for our journey to Bethlehem. The town's name might have come from the word 'netzer' which means sprout or shoot ... the growth from a chopped-down stump. Some believe that the prophecy in Isaiah 11 ("A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:1) relates to this obscure name for Nazareth since Mary (thus Jesus) was from the lineage of Jesse, descended from King David. Both the Northern Kingdom (Israel in 721 BC by Assyria) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah in 586 by Babylon) had been chopped to the ground, this prophecy was a hope that the nation of Israel would be restored. It is interesting that this restoration comes from a lowly place and will take shape in a much different way than was expected.
As I take in and savor this story, I am reminded that God's great work happens in ways that we would never choose never expect. Mary's comment about being God's servant reminds me, like Sunday when your preacher couldn't say much, that God doesn't need much to work with. Just our willingness and our action (not so much our words, our knowledge or our resume'). As John 1 states, "could anything good come from Nazareth?" I would say what the story of the annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) states ... "Nothing is impossible for God."
First, Mary ... 12 or 13 ... scared ... hearing the news from the angel that she was with child ... traveling to stay 3 months with Elizabeth (her formerly barren cousin, also pregnant with a child who would become John the Baptist) ... returning to Nazareth where she would have probably (at the very least) been an object of scorn and (at the most) could have been in danger for her life since she was pregnant and unmarried. Her last statement in the story of the annunciation (the announcement by the angel that she would bear the Son of God) was "I am God's servant." Pretty mature resolve for an early teen.
Then. Nazareth ... the site of a spring that became a town (reminds me of Isaiah's prophecy about "streams in the desert"). This town with a few hundred shepherds, laborers, workers and (according to John 1) folks with a poor reputation would become Jesus' boyhood home and the place where he would begin a Galilean ministry that would change the planet. Nazareth was halfway between the Sea of Galilee and the Mediterranean Sea. The people were generally poor and would have lived in simple shelters such as limestone caves. It was a meek and humble beginning for our journey to Bethlehem. The town's name might have come from the word 'netzer' which means sprout or shoot ... the growth from a chopped-down stump. Some believe that the prophecy in Isaiah 11 ("A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—and he will delight in the fear of the Lord." Isaiah 11:1) relates to this obscure name for Nazareth since Mary (thus Jesus) was from the lineage of Jesse, descended from King David. Both the Northern Kingdom (Israel in 721 BC by Assyria) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah in 586 by Babylon) had been chopped to the ground, this prophecy was a hope that the nation of Israel would be restored. It is interesting that this restoration comes from a lowly place and will take shape in a much different way than was expected.
As I take in and savor this story, I am reminded that God's great work happens in ways that we would never choose never expect. Mary's comment about being God's servant reminds me, like Sunday when your preacher couldn't say much, that God doesn't need much to work with. Just our willingness and our action (not so much our words, our knowledge or our resume'). As John 1 states, "could anything good come from Nazareth?" I would say what the story of the annunciation (Luke 1:26-38) states ... "Nothing is impossible for God."
Monday, November 26, 2012
Journey
Our December Sermon Series will be called Journey, focusing on the journey of all the "Christmas" players to the manger of baby Jesus. In a sense their journey is an allegory of our journey to Jesus' side. All of the players in the drama have brokenness. Mary is, to all outward appearances, an unwed mother. She both carries the scorn of the people and the uncertainty of a teenage girl processing her part in the play. Joseph is called to be a faithful husband (though the marriage hasn't happened) and a surrogate father who loves this child as his own. This would have been a difficult thing in 1st century Judaism. Elizabeth (Mary's cousin and mother of John the Baptist) was part of the announcement of Jesus' birth and part of the introduction of Jesus to the world through the ministry and life of John the Baptist. Both Mary and Elizabeth had reason for joy and probably a sense that both children, being totally devoted to God, would come to a difficult end ... when you are totally for God people will and do reject you. Other characters, like Herod, the magi (who came on the scene three years after Jesus' birth), the shepherds, the angels and the animals in the grotto, played their parts in the most amazing story of a great gift from God.
We can see ourselves in this story. We are troubled, uncertain, misunderstood, put down by family and friends, taken advantage of and many other negatives. But I want us to focus on the positives. We are all used by God ... all usable for God's glory ... all special creations by a God who loves us ... all gifted for god's special purpose ... all able to bear fruit for God's kingdom ... all seen by God in a vastly different light than the darkness of the world. In fact, I pray that you and I will be able to see and understand that amazing purpose God has for all of our lives ... a purpose lived above the fray going on around us and toward a God who has a higher purpose for each of us. In the words of C. S. Lewis, may we be willing to go "higher up and further in" as we journey to the manger. Thanks for listening ... Pastor Randy
We can see ourselves in this story. We are troubled, uncertain, misunderstood, put down by family and friends, taken advantage of and many other negatives. But I want us to focus on the positives. We are all used by God ... all usable for God's glory ... all special creations by a God who loves us ... all gifted for god's special purpose ... all able to bear fruit for God's kingdom ... all seen by God in a vastly different light than the darkness of the world. In fact, I pray that you and I will be able to see and understand that amazing purpose God has for all of our lives ... a purpose lived above the fray going on around us and toward a God who has a higher purpose for each of us. In the words of C. S. Lewis, may we be willing to go "higher up and further in" as we journey to the manger. Thanks for listening ... Pastor Randy
Monday, November 12, 2012
Getting to the Source
Over the next 4 days I and 3 other Good News leaders will be attending a conference in which we will obtain tools to help our people with the issue of dealing with finances and our strange economy. While we can't impact the part of our local/national/individual economy that depends on other people, we do have control over our own decisions. In fact, this is the main toolbox we will be assembling ... what each person can do in making their financial life better. And the best part is all the advice comes from Scripture and from God's plan to make our lives better by following Him rather than being led by our culture.
Pray for the team. We will be listening to how we can lead our adults, young people and children to make Biblical choices in their lives as they relate to money, possessions, priorities, time, energy and doing life in a Biblical context. I hope we are able to bring back some usable and useful ways for each of us to do life in a way that gives God power over our everyday choices. He told us if we follow then we will be in a place where He can bless us and give us an abundant life, full of God's good things. If we follow the culture I believe we will not see this blessing and will not understand God's peace, God's provision and God's purpose.
The conference is called Momentum and in 2013 we will all be asked to be a team that pulls together to place all we learn into action. It will take each of us ... every member, attender and every heart given to a willingness to become part of something larger than themselves. Sunday School classes and small groups will be asked to be part of the effort ... children and teens will be called to be part of this push toward a better place. I hope you will pray for your participation and your willingness to help us all make changes that will benefit and grow us.
Thanks in advance for your prayers and your preparation for this major undertaking. Pastor Randy
Pray for the team. We will be listening to how we can lead our adults, young people and children to make Biblical choices in their lives as they relate to money, possessions, priorities, time, energy and doing life in a Biblical context. I hope we are able to bring back some usable and useful ways for each of us to do life in a way that gives God power over our everyday choices. He told us if we follow then we will be in a place where He can bless us and give us an abundant life, full of God's good things. If we follow the culture I believe we will not see this blessing and will not understand God's peace, God's provision and God's purpose.
The conference is called Momentum and in 2013 we will all be asked to be a team that pulls together to place all we learn into action. It will take each of us ... every member, attender and every heart given to a willingness to become part of something larger than themselves. Sunday School classes and small groups will be asked to be part of the effort ... children and teens will be called to be part of this push toward a better place. I hope you will pray for your participation and your willingness to help us all make changes that will benefit and grow us.
Thanks in advance for your prayers and your preparation for this major undertaking. Pastor Randy
Monday, November 5, 2012
Making a Difference
This Sunday I will begin a two part series on post-election advice that I hope will help us get past the election and onto God's good things. I hope it will help us debrief the past few weeks of calls, ads, promises, accusations and just plain meanness. I wonder about our political system at times but have no better plan. But I do think God has a better plan for His people so i will put forward two things about how we can, as God's people, make a difference.
One way every person at Good News can make a difference is to pitch in and help in areas where we have needs. I want to offer a few ideas and see if anyone will take up the struggle and the blessing of serving. Here are a few needs that are both pressing and could nbe just the place God needs you.
1. We need a person who will spend a couple of hours every week on social media for the church. We are in dire need of shoring up our social media presence and I know there is someone who can give a few hours to get our likes, our presence and our connections to the highest possible level.
2. Our praise team has need for someone to play drums. Practice is on Sunday from 10-11am and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 5:30-7pm. This is a small investment of time for what can give lots of people a great blessing (including the person who can help with this need).
3. Our praise team needs both male and female singers who love God and can come and lead worship with us. Practice is on Sunday from 10-11am and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 5:30-7pm. These positions are auditioned (by Mike Kitchens). A heart for the Lord, a voice that can carry a tune is pretty much the need. I hope some of you will say yes.
4. Our praise team needs an electric guitarist who can do some lead and fill. Again, practice is on Sunday from 10-11am and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 5:30-7pm.
5. Ongoing volunteers for cleaning up after communion (after 2nd service) are needed. this takes about 20min after the service once per month. It doesn't require much time but it is surely helpful.
You can call Leah at the church office and she will fill you in on any and all of these. Her number (M-Th,8:30am till 2:30pm) is 850-622-9191. And remember, many of you will be inclined to let someone else do these things ... that is how we end up with unmet needs and how many of you fail to get the full blessing of being part of something that makes a difference in the world. That's my take! Pastor Randy
One way every person at Good News can make a difference is to pitch in and help in areas where we have needs. I want to offer a few ideas and see if anyone will take up the struggle and the blessing of serving. Here are a few needs that are both pressing and could nbe just the place God needs you.
1. We need a person who will spend a couple of hours every week on social media for the church. We are in dire need of shoring up our social media presence and I know there is someone who can give a few hours to get our likes, our presence and our connections to the highest possible level.
2. Our praise team has need for someone to play drums. Practice is on Sunday from 10-11am and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 5:30-7pm. This is a small investment of time for what can give lots of people a great blessing (including the person who can help with this need).
3. Our praise team needs both male and female singers who love God and can come and lead worship with us. Practice is on Sunday from 10-11am and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 5:30-7pm. These positions are auditioned (by Mike Kitchens). A heart for the Lord, a voice that can carry a tune is pretty much the need. I hope some of you will say yes.
4. Our praise team needs an electric guitarist who can do some lead and fill. Again, practice is on Sunday from 10-11am and on the 2nd Tuesday of each month 5:30-7pm.
5. Ongoing volunteers for cleaning up after communion (after 2nd service) are needed. this takes about 20min after the service once per month. It doesn't require much time but it is surely helpful.
You can call Leah at the church office and she will fill you in on any and all of these. Her number (M-Th,8:30am till 2:30pm) is 850-622-9191. And remember, many of you will be inclined to let someone else do these things ... that is how we end up with unmet needs and how many of you fail to get the full blessing of being part of something that makes a difference in the world. That's my take! Pastor Randy
Monday, October 29, 2012
Thinking Ahead for A Reason
Over the last two months of 2012 our leadership team has decided that we will end the year with a goal ... a purpose ... and a positive action that will help Good News be the Church locally, nationally and internationally. We will continue our usual missional focus during the Thanksgiving and Christmas season. This focus includes Operation Christmas Child, our designated Christmas Eve offering (usually for United Methodist Children's Home) and our yard sale for congregational medical needs. But this year our leadership team is calling all of us to do something different ... something that is achievable and forward-thinking. Here is the plan ...
1. We need everyone to be part of this plan in whatever way you can. Our desire is to pull together a Christmas-season offering that will prepay all of the missional parts of the Conference Offerings for 2013.
2. Each week we will share information about some of the missions that will be funded by this special offering.
3. We have about 400 members ... our plan is to average $50/person above our regular offering ... that's all. We know some can give more and some can not give at all, so we are asking for generosity from each of us. Our plan is ambitious ... raise $20,000 during the Christmas season and fund the mission of our church locally, in our district, in our conference, nationally and internationally. All funds will prepay the missions part of our conference giving for 2013. We will keep you posted on the progress ... I will personally start Sunday with my share of this goal ... again, above and beyond my regular tithe.
4. Through this process we will become aware of how your regular giving does amazing things beyond our local church and how we are part of something much bigger that our 400 member church.
5. I reiterate ... we all need to be a team and be a part of this effort. I hope our leaders and your pastor can count on you to be focused, engaged and in tune with this plan.
6. As an ancillary benefit, this effort will reduce our monthly budgetary needs for 2013 by about $1,800.
Watch for information about the missions you are and will be funding. You might be surprised that you are touching people from right next door (e.g., Noah's Ark in Panama City) to the other side of the world. It is one way we "go into all the world, making disciples (Matthew 28:19)" ... and as our District Superintendent reminded us at our annual church meeting last evening, for the transformation of the world. The point is that the transformation of the world will only happen through the work of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that we do this as Christ's ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:16-20) ... we plan to obediently follow that call! Pastor Randy
1. We need everyone to be part of this plan in whatever way you can. Our desire is to pull together a Christmas-season offering that will prepay all of the missional parts of the Conference Offerings for 2013.
2. Each week we will share information about some of the missions that will be funded by this special offering.
3. We have about 400 members ... our plan is to average $50/person above our regular offering ... that's all. We know some can give more and some can not give at all, so we are asking for generosity from each of us. Our plan is ambitious ... raise $20,000 during the Christmas season and fund the mission of our church locally, in our district, in our conference, nationally and internationally. All funds will prepay the missions part of our conference giving for 2013. We will keep you posted on the progress ... I will personally start Sunday with my share of this goal ... again, above and beyond my regular tithe.
4. Through this process we will become aware of how your regular giving does amazing things beyond our local church and how we are part of something much bigger that our 400 member church.
5. I reiterate ... we all need to be a team and be a part of this effort. I hope our leaders and your pastor can count on you to be focused, engaged and in tune with this plan.
6. As an ancillary benefit, this effort will reduce our monthly budgetary needs for 2013 by about $1,800.
Watch for information about the missions you are and will be funding. You might be surprised that you are touching people from right next door (e.g., Noah's Ark in Panama City) to the other side of the world. It is one way we "go into all the world, making disciples (Matthew 28:19)" ... and as our District Superintendent reminded us at our annual church meeting last evening, for the transformation of the world. The point is that the transformation of the world will only happen through the work of God through Christ and the Holy Spirit. Paul reminds us that we do this as Christ's ambassadors (2 Cor. 5:16-20) ... we plan to obediently follow that call! Pastor Randy
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