John’s first letter intrigues me. John makes the statement that we often accept what men and women say but, and I think this is implied, we don’t really believe the testimony of God that he has given about his Son.
Maybe I’m just being cynical this morning. Some of the news I heard this week made me wonder how much good we’re doing. Did you hear about the children of the Congo who were being accused by their pastors of being witches? Then the pastors would exorcise the demons or whatever from them if they were paid a sum of money that was equal to one-half year’s wages. Even when the parents paid the money and the pastor supposedly cast out the demons, the children were ostracized and most often abandoned on the streets or roads of the country. Something’s wrong here and I wonder what God would have us do about it?
In the gospel according to John we heard Jesus praying for his disciples before he left them. He prayed for their protection. He interceded for them before God. He knew it was going to be dangerous for them because they were preaching a new thing. They were preaching that Jesus was the Son of God and that God’s kingdom had come down to earth and was still here. They were preaching peace and non-violence. They believe so much in what they were doing that they gave their all for what they believed. They gave their very lives for what they believed. What do you believe? What would you give your life for? And why would you do that?
I have mentioned before that the confirmation class has written faith statements, putting into words what they believe. And as they did that they realized that they had questions, good theological questions. They believed and they also questioned why does evil seem to triumph in the world?
What do we believe and why? And the other side of this is what do we do with our belief? I am constantly convicted that I’m not doing enough with my belief. I think that the world put a terrible lot of pressure on all of us. We allow the world to complicate our lives and it quietly insinuates itself into our psyches. And one morning we wake up and realize that we are not just in the world but we are the world. And we wonder how’d that happen?
It’s my belief that we allow our lives to become complicated with way too many things that we think we have to have in order to live. I’ve heard many of you say that life was a lot different when you were young. Don’t you think that’s because lives were lived a lot more simply back then? I’m not saying that technology is bad but listen to how much talk there has been lately about the ice caps melting and glaciers calving chunks of ice the size of New York City. And then we read about how fast the landfills are piling up with our refuse. And we complain about how many plastic bags we accumulate?
Sometimes I think that we try to make this way too complicated. First we have to believe that God is real and that he did create everything. If we believe that then we must believe that he sent his Son, Jesus, here to live among us and show us that God is love. Third, we must believe that God loved us so much that he allowed this Son, Jesus, to die on a cross for us in order that our lives might be saved and our sins forgiven. He did this and promised that we would enjoy eternal live with him if we would repent and sin no more.
I believe what do you believe? In last week’s message that Jim gave to you he told you that it all sounds so easy but we find out that it’s not. The reason it isn’t easy is because we try to do it all by ourselves and we can’t. We fail miserably. We have to put our faith in this God who loves us and let him show us the Way.
In the gospel lesson Jesus prayed for his disciples and in the reading from Acts the disciples prayed for guidance in choosing a replacement for Judas. Do you suppose that we might find the answer to many of our questions in prayer?
What do you believe? Why do you believe what you do? As you spend time this week in your daily devotions spend some time thinking and praying about what you believe. It might even help to write some of your thoughts down on paper. Who is God in your life? Who is Jesus and what does he do for you? Who is this Holy Spirit who filled the hearts of the believers? What is God’s word and what does it mean for us today? What do you believe?
Ponder these questions this week. Next week we will celebrate the birthday of the church, Pentecost. Let the Holy Spirit guide and instruct you this week as you spend time alone with God is study and prayer.
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Love, Joy, and Friends
Jesus told his disciples to love one another as he had loved them. In fact he commanded them love one another. Commanded, did you notice that? How is it possible to command somebody to love someone? Jesus said it so it’s something we are supposed to do or at least give it our utmost effort. And why you may ask?
It’s so Jesus’ joy might be our joy and that our joy might be mature. And finally he said to them that he would no longer called them servants but he would call them friends because he had told them everything the Father had told him. He had shared everything with them. He gave them his love so that they would be filled with his joy. And one thing that probably filled them the most was being called his friends.
Love, joy, and friends, what more could anyone want out of their time here? But what does this all mean? People have been asking these questions for eons. What is love? What is joy and how can we get it? How important are friends? What does it mean to be called “friend?” There are probably more questions here than I have answers.
We could begin by trying to define what each of these words mean. The word “love” used in the New Testament is based on the Septuagint. The writers used the Greek word agapao, to emphasize choice, selection, and action in the meaning of love, rather than the impulsive desire of eros.
Love usually requires some form of action, but the word is rooted in emotion and affection. This complicates how the word can be understood. Love is an emotion. It’s how we feel for our spouses, our children, our friends, and our community. Love can be shallow or it can be deep.
If love is to mean anything to us at all it must include a depth of caring, for whatever or whoever we love, that is so deep that at times it’s painful. Love seems often to be linked to suffering. In the New Testament we can see that in Jn. 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” In chapter 15 we have heard read today John reflects on the self-giving love from God through Jesus to the disciples. It reaches the climax in verses 12 & 13, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Friends, that’s what love is. It’s caring so deeply for someone that you would willingly sacrifice anything for them; even your life if that would bring them joy.
There’s that word “joy.” How do we define joy? Isn’t it the same as being happy? Well, not exactly. Happiness is usually achieved by luck or good fortune, while joy on the other hand is often described as a vivid emotion of pleasure. At first glance these may seem to be very similar but think about it. You would be very happy if you had purchased a lottery ticket and discovered that you had won the big one. Joy on the other hand would be what fills our hearts and souls when we think of our beloved children or grandchildren. Happiness may give us a warm feeling but joy, now joy on the other hand, creates an emotion that fills us to overflowing. It just about takes our breath away. You know what I’m talking about don’t you?
I’m happy when I find a five dollar bill in my coat that I didn’t remember putting there but I am filled with joy when one of my children or grandchildren calls to ask me for some help or some advice. I am filled with joy every time they give me a hug or a kiss when they’re ready to go home.
What fills you with joy? What takes your breath away? There are times when I’m walking Murphy in the morning just before the sun comes up and we get to experience the sun exploding over the horizon. You know what I’m talking about. It’s when the sky is kind of a steel blue gray and then a pink color that gets rosier and rosier. Then there’s a sliver of reddish orange and before you know it the full power of the sun has burst over the horizon. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the sun rise but it still fills me with joy and awe.
John writes in his gospel in chapter 17 verse 13 that the ultimate joy, immeasurable joy, comes when people live in intimate contact with Jesus. When we relieve ourselves of our burdens and take up Jesus’ yoke we begin to experience the special care and protection that God provides us through His Son, Jesus. In chapter 15 verse 11 Jesus said that when we do what he commanded then we will be filled with all the joy that he has, and that’s more than we can even imagine. Think of the time when you were filled with the most joy you’ve ever experienced, and then multiply that by a gazillion. That might come close to joy that Jesus was talking about.
I’m talking about love and joy and it may sound to you as if it’s something easy to obtain. It isn’t. It takes work. Just think about how much work we put into getting along with our co-workers. Just talk to any married couple and ask them how hard they work to make their marriage one that’s filled with joy and peace. Think of the most difficult person you know of that you have had to work with and then remember Jesus’ commandment to love one another. How easy is that? Not to easy, right?
It’s way too hard for any of us to do, in fact it’s impossible to do it alone. We need help. We must accept Jesus as the Son of God and trust him as our friend before we can expect to have even a glimmer of hope in achieving true love and joy. We need a friend. He’s already called us friends but some of us haven’t accepted his invitation. And that’s really too bad because he just wants us to be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
So if any of us ever expect to be joyful and loving then we need a friend. I don’t mean Larry or Betty at the bakery though they do make very good friends and there is a lot of joy found there. But the joy doesn’t last. It’s kind of like the energy boost I get from eating one of their maple frosted snails. But if we ask Jesus to be our friend then we will be filled with love and joy that will never end. Who wouldn’t want that?
We can have it all just by asking Jesus to be our friend. He’s already forgiven us for our sins. We just have to repent of them and invite Jesus into our hearts. How easy is that? Pretty easy.
Friends, if you want to have love and joy and friends you can have by talking to Jesus. Love and joy could be yours right now just by claiming Jesus as your friend. What’s holding you back?
Maybe you need to think about it for awhile. Okay, but come back next week and see what God has for us then.
Thanks be to God for his gracious love and joy and mercy. Amen.
It’s so Jesus’ joy might be our joy and that our joy might be mature. And finally he said to them that he would no longer called them servants but he would call them friends because he had told them everything the Father had told him. He had shared everything with them. He gave them his love so that they would be filled with his joy. And one thing that probably filled them the most was being called his friends.
Love, joy, and friends, what more could anyone want out of their time here? But what does this all mean? People have been asking these questions for eons. What is love? What is joy and how can we get it? How important are friends? What does it mean to be called “friend?” There are probably more questions here than I have answers.
We could begin by trying to define what each of these words mean. The word “love” used in the New Testament is based on the Septuagint. The writers used the Greek word agapao, to emphasize choice, selection, and action in the meaning of love, rather than the impulsive desire of eros.
Love usually requires some form of action, but the word is rooted in emotion and affection. This complicates how the word can be understood. Love is an emotion. It’s how we feel for our spouses, our children, our friends, and our community. Love can be shallow or it can be deep.
If love is to mean anything to us at all it must include a depth of caring, for whatever or whoever we love, that is so deep that at times it’s painful. Love seems often to be linked to suffering. In the New Testament we can see that in Jn. 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.” In chapter 15 we have heard read today John reflects on the self-giving love from God through Jesus to the disciples. It reaches the climax in verses 12 & 13, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Friends, that’s what love is. It’s caring so deeply for someone that you would willingly sacrifice anything for them; even your life if that would bring them joy.
There’s that word “joy.” How do we define joy? Isn’t it the same as being happy? Well, not exactly. Happiness is usually achieved by luck or good fortune, while joy on the other hand is often described as a vivid emotion of pleasure. At first glance these may seem to be very similar but think about it. You would be very happy if you had purchased a lottery ticket and discovered that you had won the big one. Joy on the other hand would be what fills our hearts and souls when we think of our beloved children or grandchildren. Happiness may give us a warm feeling but joy, now joy on the other hand, creates an emotion that fills us to overflowing. It just about takes our breath away. You know what I’m talking about don’t you?
I’m happy when I find a five dollar bill in my coat that I didn’t remember putting there but I am filled with joy when one of my children or grandchildren calls to ask me for some help or some advice. I am filled with joy every time they give me a hug or a kiss when they’re ready to go home.
What fills you with joy? What takes your breath away? There are times when I’m walking Murphy in the morning just before the sun comes up and we get to experience the sun exploding over the horizon. You know what I’m talking about. It’s when the sky is kind of a steel blue gray and then a pink color that gets rosier and rosier. Then there’s a sliver of reddish orange and before you know it the full power of the sun has burst over the horizon. I don’t know how many times I’ve seen the sun rise but it still fills me with joy and awe.
John writes in his gospel in chapter 17 verse 13 that the ultimate joy, immeasurable joy, comes when people live in intimate contact with Jesus. When we relieve ourselves of our burdens and take up Jesus’ yoke we begin to experience the special care and protection that God provides us through His Son, Jesus. In chapter 15 verse 11 Jesus said that when we do what he commanded then we will be filled with all the joy that he has, and that’s more than we can even imagine. Think of the time when you were filled with the most joy you’ve ever experienced, and then multiply that by a gazillion. That might come close to joy that Jesus was talking about.
I’m talking about love and joy and it may sound to you as if it’s something easy to obtain. It isn’t. It takes work. Just think about how much work we put into getting along with our co-workers. Just talk to any married couple and ask them how hard they work to make their marriage one that’s filled with joy and peace. Think of the most difficult person you know of that you have had to work with and then remember Jesus’ commandment to love one another. How easy is that? Not to easy, right?
It’s way too hard for any of us to do, in fact it’s impossible to do it alone. We need help. We must accept Jesus as the Son of God and trust him as our friend before we can expect to have even a glimmer of hope in achieving true love and joy. We need a friend. He’s already called us friends but some of us haven’t accepted his invitation. And that’s really too bad because he just wants us to be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
So if any of us ever expect to be joyful and loving then we need a friend. I don’t mean Larry or Betty at the bakery though they do make very good friends and there is a lot of joy found there. But the joy doesn’t last. It’s kind of like the energy boost I get from eating one of their maple frosted snails. But if we ask Jesus to be our friend then we will be filled with love and joy that will never end. Who wouldn’t want that?
We can have it all just by asking Jesus to be our friend. He’s already forgiven us for our sins. We just have to repent of them and invite Jesus into our hearts. How easy is that? Pretty easy.
Friends, if you want to have love and joy and friends you can have by talking to Jesus. Love and joy could be yours right now just by claiming Jesus as your friend. What’s holding you back?
Maybe you need to think about it for awhile. Okay, but come back next week and see what God has for us then.
Thanks be to God for his gracious love and joy and mercy. Amen.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Who Are We Following, the Good Shepherd or the Hired Men?
The question from the gospel that I would like us to think about this morning is, “Who are we following, the Good Shepherd or the hired men?” We know who the Good Shepherd is, Jesus, but who are the hired men? Who or what is it that we choose to follow but then deserts us when we need them the most?
How often do we stop and realize that Jesus is there for us; has always been, is always there for us. How often do we thank him for the sacrifice or sacrifices he made and makes for us? It’s not often I suspect.
I hadn’t thought about this before, about who the hired men might be that is. Jesus was referring to the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who weren’t caring for the people as God had directed them to in the laws given to them when they entered the Promised Land. But who are the hired men today? I think it is those people or those things which take our focus away from God and the work He has for each of us to do.
Just look at how easy it’s been just this week to take our minds off worrying about the economy to worrying about swine flu. And next week what will take its place?
Friends, we, and I include myself here, spend too much of our precious time that God has granted us worrying about things of the world, things that when our time here is done we can’t take with us and most likely our friends and families will not see as important as we do. We worry about our investments, our money that we have put in different pots hoping that it’s enough to provide for our needs until it’s time for us to go home. We worry about our houses, our cars, our yards, our sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters. We worry about our climate, our environment, our nation, and the world. We spend our time worrying about wars that spring up all over the world. We spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about things that, in the long run, really don’t matter at all. Now I know some of you will disagree with me and that’s all right.
The point I’m wanting to make this morning is to remind all of us that Jesus has told us he is the Good Shepherd who cares for us. He intercedes for us before the Father. Behind the Father we are next in importance to him. He even said that he is more concerned for us than he is for himself. So why do we worry? He’s got it all taken care of.
This is the Good News. The Father knows Jesus, Jesus knows the Father, and because they have this intimate connection Jesus willing sacrificed himself for us, those other sheep that weren’t of the original flock.
John reminds us of this fact in his letter we heard read this morning. It’s because of Jesus’ sacrificial love that we are able to experience and understand love, true love. And this is how we are to live our lives, not worrying about the things of this world or its hired men, but living lives that give of themselves to our fellow believers, not just out for ourselves, as The Message translates John’s letter.
Remember Jesus, the Good Shepherd, made the ultimate sacrifice for us and John reminds us that if we turn our backs on or give our brothers and sisters the cold shoulder when they are in need then God’s love isn’t there. We made it disappear.
Jesus was talking in John’s gospel to his disciples who were Jews, God’s chosen people. He told them, though at the time they didn’t understand what he was saying, that he others who weren’t part of the chosen ones that were his also. Friends, sometimes I think we think we are God’s chosen ones instead of the others Jesus spoke of here. In fact I think we Americans believe we’re God’s chosen ones. I wonder where we can find that in the Bible, the USA is the home of God’s chosen ones.
Because our ancestors chose to take the risk and travel to this country we have been supremely blest by living in the wealthiest country in the world. But it could also be a curse. This country could be the hired man we follow instead of the Good Shepherd. Think about it.
Mark 8, beginning with verse 35, says in The Message, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am…Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” This is losing your life so you can have true life in Jesus. This is what we mean when we talk about serving others without thinking about what we’ll get in return.
Who are we following, the Good Shepherd or the hired man? What is God doing or saying to your heart today?
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
How often do we stop and realize that Jesus is there for us; has always been, is always there for us. How often do we thank him for the sacrifice or sacrifices he made and makes for us? It’s not often I suspect.
I hadn’t thought about this before, about who the hired men might be that is. Jesus was referring to the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, who weren’t caring for the people as God had directed them to in the laws given to them when they entered the Promised Land. But who are the hired men today? I think it is those people or those things which take our focus away from God and the work He has for each of us to do.
Just look at how easy it’s been just this week to take our minds off worrying about the economy to worrying about swine flu. And next week what will take its place?
Friends, we, and I include myself here, spend too much of our precious time that God has granted us worrying about things of the world, things that when our time here is done we can’t take with us and most likely our friends and families will not see as important as we do. We worry about our investments, our money that we have put in different pots hoping that it’s enough to provide for our needs until it’s time for us to go home. We worry about our houses, our cars, our yards, our sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters. We worry about our climate, our environment, our nation, and the world. We spend our time worrying about wars that spring up all over the world. We spend an inordinate amount of time worrying about things that, in the long run, really don’t matter at all. Now I know some of you will disagree with me and that’s all right.
The point I’m wanting to make this morning is to remind all of us that Jesus has told us he is the Good Shepherd who cares for us. He intercedes for us before the Father. Behind the Father we are next in importance to him. He even said that he is more concerned for us than he is for himself. So why do we worry? He’s got it all taken care of.
This is the Good News. The Father knows Jesus, Jesus knows the Father, and because they have this intimate connection Jesus willing sacrificed himself for us, those other sheep that weren’t of the original flock.
John reminds us of this fact in his letter we heard read this morning. It’s because of Jesus’ sacrificial love that we are able to experience and understand love, true love. And this is how we are to live our lives, not worrying about the things of this world or its hired men, but living lives that give of themselves to our fellow believers, not just out for ourselves, as The Message translates John’s letter.
Remember Jesus, the Good Shepherd, made the ultimate sacrifice for us and John reminds us that if we turn our backs on or give our brothers and sisters the cold shoulder when they are in need then God’s love isn’t there. We made it disappear.
Jesus was talking in John’s gospel to his disciples who were Jews, God’s chosen people. He told them, though at the time they didn’t understand what he was saying, that he others who weren’t part of the chosen ones that were his also. Friends, sometimes I think we think we are God’s chosen ones instead of the others Jesus spoke of here. In fact I think we Americans believe we’re God’s chosen ones. I wonder where we can find that in the Bible, the USA is the home of God’s chosen ones.
Because our ancestors chose to take the risk and travel to this country we have been supremely blest by living in the wealthiest country in the world. But it could also be a curse. This country could be the hired man we follow instead of the Good Shepherd. Think about it.
Mark 8, beginning with verse 35, says in The Message, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat; I am…Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for?” This is losing your life so you can have true life in Jesus. This is what we mean when we talk about serving others without thinking about what we’ll get in return.
Who are we following, the Good Shepherd or the hired man? What is God doing or saying to your heart today?
Friends, God loves you and so do I. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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