Jesus in Trouble...

The Life Journal readings for today are 2 Kings 23, 2 Chronicles 35, and John 7.

Scripture: John 7:1 (The Message)
"Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee.  He didn't want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him."

Observation:
At this point in his ministry, Jesus had become a target because of the things he was saying and doing.  Now, he feels as if he can't go into the city because the folks there are trying to kill him.

Application:
It's no surprise that folks who couldn't wrap their heads around the possibility that Jesus actually might be who he said he was were looking for an opportunity to be rid of him.  We still, today, destroy that which we don't understand.  Jesus acted like the Messiah.  He sounded like the Messiah.  He healed like the Messiah, and taught like the Messiah.  However, he was from Galilee and they all knew that they weren't supposed to know where the Messiah came from.

I wonder how many folks today walk around in isolation, misunderstood, or simply aren't allowed to be who they really are for fear that they will be treated in a similar manner.  Folks may not actually be trying to kill them, but still, they are not treated well.  If those of us who are already on the inside could open our minds to the possibility that a child of God can come from anywhere and look like anything, then would the kingdom begin to unfold. 

Prayer:
God of the unknown and misunderstood, open our eyes to see your presence in all those we meet.  Allow us to see them for who they really are, not as we would judge them to be.  Remind us that we  have all fallen in one way or another and allow us to see the face of Christ in all.  Amen.

"Too Tough to Swallow..."

Today's Life Journal readings were from 2 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 34, and John 6.

Scripture: John 6:60 (The Message)
"Many among his disciples heard this and said, 'This is tough teaching, too tough to swallow.'"

Observation:
Jesus is starting to get to the meat and potatoes of why he was sent.  At this point in John's gospel the explanation of the redemptive aspect of his mission was  more than some could handle.  All this talk of eating flesh and drinking blood was just too much.  His crowd had been growing steadily because of the "signs" John continually refers to, such as the healing stories, the feeding of the crowds, and other things of that nature.  Now the real teaching begins.

Application:
This teaching is tough to swallow.  Jesus has effectively begun to weed out those who were just there for the show, or to get what they could get, and may or may not have been serious about being kingdom bringers.  I don't know if it was intentional or not, but the end result was the same regardless.  Many who had been following turned back when they heard Christ describing himself as the Bread of Life.

It still happens today.  The number of those who follow may grow steadily larger until the real work begins.  Then one by one, or maybe even in large numbers, they begin to disappear.  What Jesus didn't do in this story, however, was to go chasing after them and begging them to come back.  We would be tempted to do that because we are judged more by numbers than depth of discipleship.  Instead, Jesus looked at his core group, "The Twelve," as John calls them, and asked them if they wanted to leave as well.  He was concerned with depth and dedication, and maybe that is the definition of discipleship we should be working toward. 

Do we have what it takes to stick with him through the tough stuff?

Prayer:
O God, who calls and sustains us, give us ears to hear and strength to follow, even though the path before us be rough and steep.  Grant us holy boldness when the temptation to turn back becomes stronger than we alone can fight, so that with you and through you, we can take even the tough teachings as a guide for our living.   

"Do you...?"

Life Journal reflections for today.  The readings were Nahum 1, Nahum 2, Nahum 3, and John 5.

Scripture: John 5:6 (The Message)
"When Jesus saw him stretched out by the pool and knew how long he had been there, he said, "Do you want to get well?"

Observation:
This is yet another miracle story that was turned into a trap by those who couldn't see beyond their own agendas.  It was probably the Pharisees, although John doesn't specify, who could not see the miracle because it did not line up with what was important to them.  What was important to Jesus was not necessarily protecting their laws (which, by the way were also his laws), but instead being faithful to the One who had sent him, and the work he had been sent to do.

Application:
The decision was his.  Jesus only made the offer.  The man could take a risk, believe that Jesus was who he said he was, and be healed.  Or...he could continue living as he was.  It wasn't the life he was created to live, but it was safe...no risk involved.  Day in and day out, all he had to do was lay by the pool and hope that he was quicker than the others that day.  Or...he could answer the call of the One who stood before him offering him another way...the decision was his.

At first, he did exactly what we try to do in similar situations...give a list of reasons why he had not yet been healed, and why Jesus' offer might not work, but Jesus didn't ask for excuses.  He asked him one question: "Do you want to get well?"

Well, do you?

Prayer:
God of the hopeful and the hopeless, grant us the ability to hear when you call and the strength to accept your offer of healing.  Forgive the tendency within us to make excuses, and lead us into the courage to pick up our mats and walk.  Amen.

Shocked Disbelief...

These are the reflections from yesterday's Life Journal readings. 

Scripture: John 4:27 (The Message)
"Just then the disciples came back.  They were shocked.   They couldn't believe he was talking with that kind of a woman.  No one said what they were thinking but their faces showed it."

Observation:
The story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well in Sychar is just another example of how radically different Jesus was from other teachers of the time.  He knew her inside and out, and yet took time to sit down and talk with her.

Application:
How different would the world look if we were that radical?  Jesus knew her, even to her very core, yet still offered her water that would quench her deepest thirst.  He called a spade a spade with her, no doubt, and made her a little mad.  Her anger disappeared when she heard, possibly even for the first time, that God loves all of her.  The things she wanted to argue about really didn't matter.  Jesus told her that what counted was who she was and how she lived.  It was the disciples, not Jesus, who couldn't see past the exterior to the child of God on the inside, just waiting to be born.  Unfortunately, in many places, and many times, it still is.

Prayer:
God of living water, hear my prayer for those who hurt, and those who have been the source of hurt for others.  Let me be your voice calling all of those who are thirsty to drink from the water of life.

New Birth...

So the down time hasn't been all bad.  Over the past week, after I was able to spend a whole day with Tolkien, the dwarves, elves, hobbits, and a couple wizards, I was able to spend much time in reflection.  One of the things that kept coming back to me was how I had let my own personal devotional time get pushed out of my schedule, once again, by the busy-ness of the ministry.  It happens.  It happens a lot, not just to me, but to scores of folks who do what I do.

So, here is an attempt to remedy that.  Actually, this was how this blog got started over two years ago.  New birth came out of failure.  During Lent, 2010, I failed miserably at self-denial in preparation for the celebrations of Easter, so I decided to add something to my life instead of take something away.  Thus, a return to the LIFE Journal, and the birth of this blog.  Ok, so every entry wasn't from the life journal, I know.  Ok, so a lot of them were written as rant, I know.  Some of them really ticked a few folks off.  But hey, what did Hank Jr. say? "If it's in him, it's gotta come out." 

Today I'm returning to a spiritual discipline that has been a little lacking of late.  I confess that.  I need to get back to journalling, and the Life Journal is a pretty good tool for that.  The format for the Life Journal is illustrated by the acronym SOAP:  Scripture... Observation... Application... Prayer.  Each day of the year is assigned a set of readings, and today's was Isaiah 65 and 66, Psalm 62, and John 3.  Following this plan, you can read and reflect your way through all of scripture in a year.  I picked the readings back up a week or so back, but had not taken the time to journal yet, so today's the day.

Today John 3 spoke to me, so here we go.  The reflections are fairly short, and at the end of the reflections, a short prayer is written for each day.

Scripture:  John 3:5 (The Message)
"Jesus said, 'You're not listening.  Let me say it again.  Unless a person submits to this original creation - the 'wind hovering over the water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life - it's not possible to enter God's kingdom.'"

Observation:
Nicodemus could not see the possibility that God can actually operate outside the realm of our understanding.  Birth, to him, was only, and could only be, physical. 

Application:
It happens so often.  Nicodemus wasn't the only one who had difficulty comprehending what is possible with God.  Sure, physical birth is one form of beginning, but there are others.  That moment when we, like Peter, realize the bottoms of our legs are getting wetter, that we can't do it on our own, and reach out a hand...a form of new birth.  Our independence sinks into the water, and our dependence on the God who created us draws us out of despair. 

The moment we cry out in frustration, disappointment, or hopelessness to the God who calls us into a new way of being, leave the old ways behind, and step onto a path that will allow the good work begun in us to be completed...new birth.  First, though, we must lay down our ideas of what is, and what is not, possible.  

So we, like Nicodemus, sit in the dark, scratching our heads and asking, "How can this be?"  It can only be when we lay down our ways and submit to the original creation.

Prayer:
God of new birth, hear my prayer for all those who are seeking but not yet finding, who can no longer live as they are but are unsure of how to be anything else.  Guide them into the peace and possibilities that new birth in you promises.

 

Everything is Chicken But the Gravy...

Ok, I've stood it as long as I can.  I had said that I would not chime in on the Chick-fil-a fiasco, but the smart aleck in me has finally won out over the common sense in me.  From what I've read this whole deal has been blown way out of proportion.       

Here's my beef with the whole thing: the liberal left and the conservative right have both missed the point. 

I'm an elder in the United Methodist Church who has vowed to uphold the Discipline of my denomination, and according to the laws of my church cannot participate in or officiate at a same sex marriage, nor allow the same to be conducted in the church I am appointed to serve.  I'm cool with that.  If you want to say that is preserving the biblical ideal of marriage, I will defend to the death your right to believe that.

But wait...there's more...I am an elder in the United Methodist Church who has vowed to uphold the Discipline of my denomination, who by the laws of our church cannot officiate at or participate in a same sex marriage, nor allow the same to be conducted in the church I am appointed to serve...HOWEVER...I have full sacramental rights to re-marry as many folks as I want for the second, third, or fourth time...which, with a few ancient exceptions...also mars the glorious sanctity of holy matrimony, and the family born from that union. 

When this whole thing blew up, it caught my attention.  Why?  Well, because Chick-fil-a makes a killer chicken sandwich.  I don't visit often, but in the times I have patronized their establishment I've never been disappointed.  I applaud the fact that, along with Hobby Lobby, Swirlz, and a few others, they are closed on Sunday to give their employees time to worship, if they choose, and/or spend time with family. 

The first thing I did when I started seeing the Facebook posts was to start doing a little research, which is my other beef with the whole fiasco.  Granted, I have not done extensive research, but some is better than none.  Evidently there were only about a dozen of us who actually went back and looked up the quotes before we started slamming Facebook with our shares and reposts. 

What I found was Dan Cathy being quoted as saying this: “We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives.”

I applaud Mr. Cathy for the fact that he has made his marriage work...or at least wants the public to think that it's working.  I am thankful that we live in a country where he can say what he wants with complete freedom, and that he can run his company pretty much as he sees fit.  I also applaud him for standing for what he believes in even though it may not be popular. 

What gets me though, and it's another thing that makes my job so cotton picking hard, is the scores of folk jumping on whatever raft floats down the river without doing any homework.  From what I read, Dan Cathy never mentioned same sex marriage.  He may be against it, and perfectly within his right to be so, but in this particular situation, from these particular quotes, those of us who have divorced and remarried, and divorced and remarried, have done just as much damage to the biblical institution of marriage and the biblical image of family.  And...as an officiant at more than one exchange of vows for the second or third time, does that make me just as guilty even though I am still with my first wife?

If you support same sex marriage, and don't want to eat at Chic-fil-a, don't eat there.  There are countless other places to get a good, nay great, chicken sandwich.  If you oppose same sex marriage, and want to support Chick-fil-a, get in line.  You won't be alone.  Personally, it doesn't matter to me.  This isn't a sword I'm willing to fall on.  But...there's something in scripture about planks and eyes, or splinters and eyes, or something like that, and this we cannot forget.  Make sure the reason you are supporting the company or trying to shut it down is legit, and based on facts instead of mob mentality.

Gentlemen, if you are concerned about preserving the biblical image of family and protecting the sanctity of marriage, and if you have looked at a woman cross-ways and had bad thoughts about her while your wife was standing beside you, you might want to hold off on ordering that chicken sandwich.  Ladies, likewise, if you are concerned about preserving the biblical image of family and protecting the sanctity of marriage, and if you have ever winked at a man that wasn't your first husband, maybe a cheeseburger this week instead of that grilled chicken.  If you have thrown your wife or husband away and said something like, "I just don't think I love you anymore," or "I'm just not sure I want to be married anymore," maybe you should hit McDonald's instead.  Wait, let me make sure Don Thompson hasn't said anything. (I think he's McDonald's CEO)

If you are trying to keep Chick-fil-a out of your city because their freedom of speech doesn't line up with your agenda, get over yourself.  Dan Cathy has a right to believe and say what he wants, just like you and I do, and get this, has the right to run his company pretty much the way he sees fit.  From what I've read, he's not discriminating against anyone, just stating the beliefs that stand behind his company.

The beauty of living where we live is that we don't have to agree, but for the love of all that's good and holy, let's at least do a little homework so that we know what it is we are disagreeing about. 

...oh...and by the way...that's an Arby's chicken sandwich in the picture

Addendum...after seeing a few comments about this, I feel like I need to say that my reflections are about the quotes attributed to Cathy, not what the company does or does not do with their profits.  Further research into that could change everything. 

Can I Ask You A Question...

It's Friday! 

I know what you're thinking: "Well, thanks for that, Captain Obvious." 

It's Friday, which means, it's Saturday for me.  It's 7:30 in the morning and I'm sitting on the loveseat in my PJ's with my laptop and a cup of my favorite java.  After while, I'm going to head over to our house to spend the day making it look a little less abandoned, but I need to write first. 

Friday, for me, is not only my "regular day off" (I use that term very, very loosely...and save all the cracks about pastors only working one day a week for the end of class, please).  Friday is the day I usually take a little time to reflect on the week and the work that was done for the Kingdom, and I have to say, this week has been a banner week.  Seriously.

It hasn't been anything that I've done, and I mean that.  The church that I am blessed to pastor, and the flock that I am blessed to shepherd, never ceases to amaze me.  I have considered beginning a volunteer log so that we can track the massive amount of volunteer hours my flock donates each week.  I don't know why, but I think it would be a huge morale boost for the tough weeks...and I know there will be tough weeks. 

We hosted our "Operation Overboard" VBS this week and my folks welcomed, taught, fed, and played with a great group of kids.  It was hot...inside the building and out.  I know they are exhausted, but as I looked back through the registration forms, I realized why we do this: I was amazed by the number of kids who had listed "None" or "N/A" as their church home.  For 4 nights, they received just a tiny little taste of the body of Christ loving them in the name of Christ.  Now the hard work begins...follow up. 

As amazing as VBS was this year, that is not the only thing that sticks out in my mind as making this week past a banner week.  Three other things have happened since Wednesday that have opened my eyes to some blessings and major problems with the local church.

First the blessing: (Cue compliment sandwich)  The local church is poised to have an impact, the likes of which, has not been seen since the great revival movement of the mid 19th century.  Folks are hungry.  They are looking for something. 

I sat through two meetings yesterday that concretized the suspicions I have had for the 13 years I've been in ministry: We (the local churches) honestly have no clue what the hell we're doing when it comes to reaching folks for the kingdom.  There, I said it.  We don't know how to do the one thing we have been comissioned to do.  We're really good at transferring membership from one flock to another, but as far as reaching out to "the unchurched" we're basically really good at sitting around talking about it.

One of the meetings I sat in yesterday is a new task force who's purpose is to look at revitalizing our existing local churches and starting new faith communities.  I love all of the folks who sat in the room with me yesterday, and many of them have mentored me throughout my career.  We did a lot of defining the problem, but not much in addressing ways to fix it.  We know what doesn't work, but haven't figured out yet what does work.  (Prayer: "Lord, grant me patience.  Amen.)  I have committed to this group and can't wait for God to move among us.

Last night, I sat through meeting #2 for the day.  My ears perked up when I heard my friend (and boss), Sky McCracken, read from Dan Dick's blog about the young people who are missing in the local church.  You can read that blog here:

http://doroteos2.wordpress.com/2012/06/28/beyond-label-or-category/#more-4687

Not only do we not know how to reach them, we really don't even know who they are.  We know they're not in worship on Sunday morning, but we haven't asked them why.  We know they are different in ideology, style, dress, and focus, and maybe those differences scare us.  I don't know.  I have to say that I'm not sure many of the churches who claim to want younger people in their midst, really want younger people in their midst.  That, for me, is where the two meetings from yesterday crash head on.  Revitalization in the local church can only happen, at least in my opinion, when those on the inside develop a burning desire to spend time with those who are not on the inside yet, and to see them brought to a healing relationship with the Creator God...instead of engaging in spitting contests over worship style, times, dress, and all that other stuff that Jesus (probably, possibly, maybe) doesn't even care about.  Where is the source of that burning desire?  The Holy Spirit, of course...another entity many local churches are afraid to let in.

Now for the one thing that totally blew me away this week.  I had a young man come to me Wednesday night.  Normal looking guy.  He had made some bad decisions which led to our first meeting at the county jail.  He came to me and asked "Can I ask you a question?" (Lord, forgive my cynicism for the thoughts I had at that moment)  "Sure," I said.  Then he leaned in close and almost whispered this: "I've been thinking about something this week.  I think I would like to come to church here..."  Then he looked into my eyes and asked, "Would it be ok if I came to church here?"

What???!!!

"Of course it would be ok for you to come to church here!  I would love that, and you let me know if there is anything I can do for you.  I'll see you this weekend."

Now, why would he even ask that question?  Because it is not okay for him to go to some of the other local churches, evidently.  Why?  Because he's young...he dresses in jeans and a T-shirt...he has a record...he is actually seeking something but has no clue what the hell it is..and honestly, many local churches are afraid of him.  Not only are many local churches afraid of him, he is afraid of them.  Why?  Well, that question has as many answers as the many judgments he has had passed on him by well mearning "Christians."

(Cue blessing sandwich again) But there is hope!  Jesus himself, as he looked into the eyes of a young woman with a record, a reputation, and probably dressed loosely...as he bent down to write in the sand, and then as he looked back into her eyes, asked her, "Where are they? Does no one condemn you?  Then neither do I.  Go and sin no more."  That is our example.  That is the way our Jesus did things.

We are in the position to give folks on the outside something they may have never had...love in the name of Christ.  But first, we have to get to know them...and their baggage...and their pasts...and their questions...and their hopes...and their confusion...and their distrust of organized religion. 

Now, if your church is ready to do those things, I guarantee you, revitalization is on the horizon, and hopefully the number of kids filling out registration forms at our really awesome, yet to be designed, VBS next year, will put the name of their church home on the line where, this year, they put "none."

Peace
Jamie