You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Celebrating the Lost ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ The NOT Disciples of Jesus ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ What If *Winning* Meant Everyone Eats, Everyone Learn , and No One's Left Behind? That's the Kind of World Worth Fighting For. ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Work Sabbath and Sabbath Work ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ It's Not Really About the Money ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Afraid of the Father's Good Pleasure ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Against All Kinds of Greed ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
Dear Jesus-Followers,
If you ever thought that “following Jesus” was
going to be about peaceful co-existence, about living comfortably, about not
being anxious about tomorrow, or about being first rather than last …Jesus is
about to spend the next stretch of Sundays challenging ALL of our assumptions,
hopes, and dreams! Get ready! The sun’s not going to be the only scorching
thing to smite us! But living as we do
these days next to Hell’s backyard (not only as a reflection of the summer
weather, but the world around us that is wracked by the evidence and
consequence of human sinfulness), being smote by Jesus’ words isn’t the worst idea
of how to pass some of the hottest days on earth.
Jesus will describe a baptism with which to be
baptized, as a fire already kindled.
Jesus references scorching heat from a south wind. Jesus will sentence us to the lowest place
and instruct us to invite the poor to dinner.
Jesus will tell us to “sell our possessions” but be “dressed for
action. Jesus will ask us not to be
afraid, but that our house may be broken into.
Jesus will tell us that our lives will be asked of us, and that our
possessions cannot remain with us. So, if
we are to have any claim on the Kingdom of God …our lives and our possessions,
our homes and dinner tables—should bear little resemblance to how they do,
today!
Wow! Jesus
comes to us with seemingly little tolerance for the ways in which we are
usually accustomed to spending our summer vacation! Boating, fishing, swimming, camping by the
lake under the stars, traveling to see far away places, re-creating—we call
it!
If you’re familiar with the television series,
Yellowstone, you may have heard Mr. Dutton—the fictionalized owner of the largest
ranch in Montana—brag about how no one questions his ardor for the ranching
lifestyle from the summer days spent watching the cattle while living away in
the wilderness, bathing in mountain streams and playing in the meadows, with no
other people to bother you! A view, even
he would say too few people share the privilege of, because people like him,
keep it to themselves! So, Jesus seeks
to remind us that living in the Kingdom of God isn’t about preserving it for
ourselves, but just the opposite—making it accessible to everyone! It's why Jesus teaches us that life isn’t about
the abundance of possessions, that possessions are sold and alms are given, that
God gives us the kingdom (even if we’re not ready for it), and we’re always
invited to dinner (whether we can pay for it, or not).
I think Jesus turns up the heat hoping we realize
some urgency in moving toward the Kingdom of God …not for our sake, but for the
sake of the whole world! This comes as
no surprise to us who have come to know at least some of what Jesus is about. When you’ve sat in our pews as long as some
of us have, well, the pew is a little bit worn and “comfortable”—like an old
ball glove, well-worn shoes, or a favorite pair of jeans. The “comfortable” isn’t what’s bad; but the
urgency of tending to others, sometimes fades, too.
WE are the instruments of God’s Kingdom. When we make noise, the Kingdom comes
alive! So may God strike up the band and
use us as a clarion call of faithful following in which God’s Kingdom—in all
it’s glory—is revealed.
Keep your cool.
Wear your sunscreen. Live your
life so it tells God’s story …like what Jesus
says.
Dear Followers of the Risen Christ,
In the last few days of the Easter season
Christians celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, where his followers watch Jesus get
taken into heaven. Then, on what would
be the 50th day of Easter, we celebrate Pentecost. These are two celebrations you might wonder
why in the world we celebrate. Jesus …leaving
us? And then, because Jesus has
ascended, we are promised and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit?
But the celebration of Jesus’ ascension isn’t
really “celebrating” that Jesus leaves; rather, it is celebrating the full and
completeness of his resurrection. We are
reminded that Jesus is no longer subjected to the earthly realm, things like
death, suffering, pain, and so forth. It’s
not that Jesus leaves as much as we know he is untouchable. Jesus was raised. He is alive.
And that life is extended to us; even though we die, we live. And the gift of the Holy Spirit, isn’t a replacement
for Jesus.
In his death and resurrection, Jesus has
transformed the world. And by means of
the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are called to transform the world, too. So that in the days after Jesus’
resurrection, the world is transformed, and we are transformed; and for those
of us who are alive in Christ, our lives are made new.
In the crucifixion and resurrection Jesus
supercharges OUR lives. Jesus calls us
to love one another and others as he has loved us. Jesus invites us not just to fish for people,
not just to believe in him, but to take our lives and love as he loved. And it’s because we are LOVING people that we
need a bit of light, sparkle, enthusiasm, hope, and …joy.
In the scriptures, notice how those who believe
begin to make a difference in the lives of others. See what happens when those who follow Jesus encounter
worldly challenges. Witness how the lift
of Jesus is no longer confined to biblical stories, but has been let loose in
the world through us.
When Eastertide wanes, we are inaugurated and
imbued with resurrection joy! For having
been made in God’s image, we are now recreated for God’s loving!
…So what’s ahead for you …and your loving?
Be sure to join us on Sunday, May 8th
as we celebrate Pentecost in worship, followed by our annual Pentecost
Picnic!
On June 15th, we celebrate Trinity
Sunday—the only Sunday in the liturgical calendar named for a church doctrine,
not a biblical story!
On Wednesday during June, our all-Church Bible
Study meets on Wednesday evenings. Join
us for a meal at 5:30 followed by Bible Study at 6pm.
The crucifixion was hard, but new life lies
beyond it. How will you use yours?
Not ready to commit? Both Mo-Ranch and Montreat offer accommodations and campgrounds for “passers-thru” so if you’re in the neighborhood, you can check out things in person!
