You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ When the Days Draw Near for Lifting Everyone Up ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ The Sound of Sheer Silence or an Oxymoronic Paradoxical Power ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ The Fifth and Final Promise of the Paraclete ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ A Story that Frightens; or, A Story that Saves ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Speaking Resurrection, Saying Salvation, Reporting Restoration ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
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?
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ One Man's Honesty ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ A Reading of the Will ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Believing in Resurrection ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ What Seeing Jesus ...or Believing Jesus is Alive ...MEANS ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Doubts About Doubting Thomas' Doubt and the Purpose of Our Faith ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
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!
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ What Happens When Resurrection Happens ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the scripture readings and my sermon entitled,
“ The Mandate With A Meal ”
being preached during worship on Maundy Thursday, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Prelude of the Victory ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Mary's Tower and Martha's Funeral ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ The Ending or the Rest of the Story ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
Dear Jesus-Followers on the road to Jerusalem, that eventually includes
a trip to the cross,
Some years ago, a friend of mine from my youth group days (who’s also
now a minister colleague) invited the congregation she was serving at the time
to adopt a program where members were invited to “walk” from Nazareth to
Bethlehem during Advent. The idea wasn’t
to travel to modern day Israel, but rather, to cover the same number of miles in
their own lives as a kind of spiritual journey preparing them for Christmas. Individuals and families were invited to sign
up and keep track of their progress—they even divided it into the number of
steps, so people could count their Wal-Mart trips and parking lot steps! Another church I heard about, celebrated
Advent one year by inviting families to contribute baby supplies for a special
mission project that year. Lent can be this
same kind of journey, marking time and having a special emphasis, but it’s a
lot less fun. At least during Advent,
you get to look forward to holding a baby when you get to Bethlehem. For Lent …there’s a cross waiting for us! This may be why many of us struggle with
Lenten disciplines!
In Jerusalem, there’s a journey through the city known as the Via Dolorosa—they
way of sorrows or suffering—believed to be the path Jesus made from the trial
before Pilate to the place where he was crucified. The old city of Jerusalem is actually quite
small; the passageways are narrow, and the route of the Via Dolorosa is only
about 2,000 feet, passing 14 “stations” or places along the way, attributed to
some of the recorded events. It’s
important to note that the stations and events are subjective and based on
tradition, not historical facts—so it’s a journey that’s more spiritual than
physical, or literal, especially for modern day pilgrims like us.
I like to remind us during Lent that we’re following Jesus to the
cross. But I also get that this is a bit
of an unusual itinerary (except that we do this every year!). So, it’s not lost on me that while the other
symbols for springtime and Easter involve fluffy animals and special candy,
we’re actually trying to walk or journey toward a crucifixion! Which seems oxymoronic!
Several years ago, a speaker at a conference I was attending reminded
the audience of the irony that one of the most brutal forms of public execution
was the symbol of our faith. We take the
cross, one of the worst forms of human suffering, and somehow transform it
…wearing it as jewelry, placing it as decoration, symbolizing our faith and
even “love” with a object that represents violence and death. “We are traveling to the cross,” as if it
were a destination that wasn’t harmful, or at least, harmful to us. We remember Jesus’ suffering, perhaps as if suffering
were simply swallowed up, like death, in Jesus’ suffering and death, when he is
raised.
So, I’ve been thinking about what one carries to a cross party …or, a
crucifixion? …If that’s where we’re
going, spiritually if not physically.
When I traveled to the Holy Land, one of my colleagues decided he no
longer needed the things he brought with him …so, he left them behind, either
donating them or helping others repurpose them.
Part of the Lenten journey is remembering that we’re invited to leave
our sins behind, dying to our old life and being raised in a new life. Mortification and vivification; dying to sin
and rising without sin. …So if you could
leave a spiritual suitcase behind at the cross …what would you leave in
it? What do you no longer need to carry
with you? Or, another way is thinking
about what you might tell someone else, they get to leave behind, because
you’ve forgiven them?
Some journeys are harder than others. The journey to the cross isn’t an easy one, physically or spiritually. But life lies beyond it. The way of the cross …dying and rising.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ When You See Ole Foxy Pants ...Tell 'em, I'm Busy ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ It Was the Worst of Times ...Or, the Best of Times ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Don't Take Off Your Clothes, Jus Come Home ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Let Your Light Shine Before Others ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
Dear Followers of a brightly shining Jesus—in our midst,
By the time you’re reading this, it will nearly be Lent! And to be perfectly honest, it snuck up on me
this year! Lent, of course, is the
liturgical season in which precedes Easter, 40 days in which early Christians
prepared for baptism and a life of faith in the Church, a time when we as
believers and followers of Jesus traditionally undertake spiritual disciplines
such as prayer, fasting, studying of scripture, feeding strangers, assisting
those who have been victimized, standing up for justice and righteousness. Lent is an important season which serves to recall
us to practice what we believe.
Another Lenten word is praxis. Praxis
comes from a Greek word meaning, “to do.”
Lenten praxis means “doing Lent.”
So, rather than think about Lent as a season, a time that comes and
goes—instead, it’s a call to be doing and practicing our faith. It’s why we often talk about participating in
practices of “giving up things,” which is an ancient way of understanding how
to make MORE ROOM in our lives for the works of faith.
…So the question becomes, “What are you doing for Lent?” As in, choose your praxis!
Again, traditional Christians are encouraged to pray, to fast, to
study God’s word, to participate in feeding, in sharing, in helping, in
standing with, in lifting up …goodness and kindness and mercy and many other virtues. Again, traditioned believers will be
clamoring to be visible witnesses to what they believe, by practicing faith, and
being the embodiment of the work and witness of God’s Kingdom as witnessed in
Jesus.
…Have I talked you into “participating”
yet? Because you can’t “do Lent” while
sitting down! Or being quiet, or sticking
to yourself. You can’t be a part of the
movement, shake up the countryside, learn how to walk on the Way, seek
forgiveness or be forgiven—by keeping it to yourself. …It’s not like Advent!
Advent was about waiting and watching, hoping and ringing in the
season of God’s love. Lent? It’s about challenging and changing what
we’ve always done. It’s about picking up
where we’ve left off. It’s trying again
to bring the Kingdom of God to bear on our lives, remembering what it means to
embody a resurrection!
What will you praxis this Lent?
How will you show the world what you believe about Jesus Christ? Where will you show up and be the Kingdom’s
work, and with whom?
Don’t be afraid. Even if Lent
snuck up on you, too—it’s not too late! It
will come to you. The Spirit will help
make it known for you. Just don’t sit
still.
We will celebrate the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday, March 5th.
Palm Sunday is April 13th.
We will celebrate Maundy Thursday on April 17th.
And Easter is April 20th.
Lent, is all the time between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday. Make it count.
Jesus shone God’s light on those who were in need, not to make it public, but to reflect the rays of God’s action. Jesus is still the light of the world. We are the reflections of his light. Let your light shine before others.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ A Good Measure ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ A Great Crowd of His Disciples ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of my sermon entitled,
“ When E. F. Hutton Talks ... ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ What's He Come Out To Do? That's What I'm Here to Find Out! ...Wait, What's He Saying? ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
Dear Star-Illumined-Jesus Followers,
One of the things I love about serving this congregation is that you
know how to pray; and one of the things I’ve heard a lot from the recipients of
those prayers is that the prayers are FELT by those who are the focus of your
prayers! It’s awesome!
Yet one of the conversations behind the scenes has been how our
prayers can be best directed, so as to be felt, so as to help realize God’s
work …because we have a Prayer Tree, a Prayer Group using Facebook, there can
be announcements from the pulpit, there’s a newsletter, a Facebook page, word
of mouth, a Sunday School Class, a Choir Group—all of whom can be prayerful! Or not—because we also have folks who think
that prayers are like religion and politics—not to be spoken in public! Or shared!
Praying for one another is a gift of the heart, the Spirit, a sign of
the love of Christ among us, that regardless of one’s circumstances, can have a
powerfully-felt impact—both for the prayer and the one(s) being prayed
for. But it’s also true that to be
prayed for, one shouldn’t have to give up their privacy. Sometimes we need to be prayed for, but it’s
a situation or circumstance that should not be revealed!
I’d like it if one of the ministries of this congregation can be that we pray for one another—in times of great need, or just ordinary plenty. We can do this by being mindful to pray for each other by just perusing through the directory along with remembering our families and neighbors. But when it comes to praying in special circumstances, we should apply some additional guidance.
When someone asks to be put on our prayer tree, that’s a group of
dedicated, faithful people who do the praying.
If you have prayer requests or would like to be added to the prayer
tree, please contact Janice Vail, she can add you to the list of people who are
called on the telephone and asked to pray.
Persons can also be added to our Facebook Prayer group—a private
group of dedicated pray-ers. Only
members of this group will see prayer requests, each request is confidential,
it is definitely not public. If you have
prayer requests, or you’d like to be added to this group, please contact Ashley
in the Church Office—every person who requests to be a part of this group is vetted
ahead of time.
In addition to prayers, our Witness and Service committee is charged
with care for members and others, because sometimes we need a little prayer and
a cup of soup! All of us can help can
help by helping to ask one another when we think someone might need to be
prayed for or if we need to be asking about fulfilling other needs. If you know someone is or may need our
prayers, asking them if they want to be prayed for is a good start; then
sharing that with the appropriate persons.
If someone has a desire to keep a request completely private, you can
contact me directly—I’ll then know to be praying for you, especially; and, we
can also determine how best to employ our prayer networks on your behalf.
Again, part of the ministry of this congregation has been and should
be to seek to minister to one another in the form of prayer. Not as a source of sharing information, but
directing divine initiative.
We should be able to do prayer better than politics as a part of keeping up with the story and work of God’s amazing love! Jesus shone God’s light on those who were in need, not to make it public, but to reflect the rays of God’s action. Jesus was the light of the world. And we reflect that light, too.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Look! Everyone's Staring! What's He Come Out To Do? ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled,
“ Signs of What? ”
being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ When All the People Were Baptized, and When Jesus also had been Baptized ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
You can hear an audio recording of the second scripture reading and my sermon entitled, “ Seeing Stars ” being preached, by CLICKING HERE.
