Tag: faith

  • Avoiding Shaping

    Psalm 103, 2 Peter 1:3–11, 1 John 1:5–2:2

    Have you ever whittled, shaping a piece of wood cut-by-cut, flick-by-flick, putting something into that was only in your mind?

    While God does not use a knife to whittle on us, through and life’s trials God does shape us. Sometimes it is to bring something new and good out of us that we didn’t know we had. Other times God removes things and we don’t like it. It doesn’t happen all at once. Part of who we are is our flaws, personality traits, and our unredeemed nature. As we work with God, these are changed and transformed into something new.
    Peter reminds us that God’s divine (i.e., not our efforts) gives us everything we need. We have to be willing sharing that power. It sounds strange. God’s power. However, if we look at nature, humanity often will avoid that as it seeks its own way through its own power. Peter gives us the blueprint of adding to our . With this adding, there is a bit-by-bit transformation. There is an end goal, and it is to be fruitful. When we about our transformation it is so that we are able to add to God’s kingdom.

    Sometimes (okay, maybe every day), we have to do a self-check on what we’ve done and not done. Sometimes we can not love others as ourselves. Sometimes we don’t love God first. It is all part of our human condition. As we are “added to” (per Peter) every day, we that we will be improved. However, we all know that there will be missteps, mistakes, and sins. While God gives us the power to avoid sinning, sometimes we lack the wisdom and maturity to not misstep or make mistakes. We do not have to be down on ourselves or be too harsh on ourselves. John tells us to have a life of confession. We need to our sins. Does it fix everything? No. It does, however, remind us where the true orientation of our needs to be.

    1) Why do you think Peter uses “adding to” when he talks about the path of holiness he is laying out?

    2) What does it mean to you that you share God’s power?

    3) How does confession help to bring us to the Very Good Life?

  • Blessings of the Vine

    Isaiah 65:8–16, Luke 5:33–39

    In Old Testament and Jesus’ time, wine was considered a of God’s .* In this Isaiah , the new wine will be the remnant that faithfully returns to God, and then to the Promised Land. The interesting play on this means that because of the old wine (Israel) that the vines (the to Abraham) yielded, they should be destroyed. However, “one says” that there is in the new fruit. This new potential is followed by a reclaimed swamp (Sharon) for pasture, and “cursed”/barren land (Valley of Achor) as a place of .

    Isaiah’s speech continues down a course of punishment for those who don’t (and/or continue to not) follow God. At the same time there is a promise of blessing for those who will follow God. The new wine indeed came and people returned to the Promised Land.

    Yet, the new wine can become old, and it did. It wasn’t aging well, according to Jesus. The modern process of winemaking is both art and science. Vintners are pretty confident with their wines that they will get better with age. There are wines that don’t get better with age, too. In older days, however, the precision wasn’t there, especially as part of the fermenting process. BAD wine and vinegar were common results. Was Jesus saying that the wine (the Pharisees and scribes, scions of the Jewish Law and religions) was bad? Maybe, but it is more likely that Jesus was saying that the aging process was no longer effective (just like real wine), and it was time for something new.

    This parable is often used to “prove” that Christianity was the new replacement for Judaism. It is used regularly to encourage churches to not hold too tightly to the old ways. Which is valid. However, the beauty of this version of the parable (see Matthew 9:14-17 for the other version) is the added line about the old wine. One must that the old wine was once new, too. The old wine has value.

    If Jesus is the vine (or root), and we are the branches (John 15:1-8), we should all be producing new fruit, which makes new wine. Let us not keep focusing on old wine already made.

    1) When you look at “the ” (all the claimants to Christianity), where do you see “new wine” and where do you see “old wine”?

    2) Your “old wine” used to be the “new wine”, even if you think you’re young, that’s so. Why is important to see the value in old and new?

    3) The wine and wineskins age together, how does that mirror our growth in faith and grace?

    *As a denomination in the temperance (abstaining from ) camp, the Church of the Nazarene (and other similar denominations) often struggle to wine a sign of God’s blessing. By God’s grace, Thomas Welch invented (or perfected) the process by which grape juice fermentation would cease, and no longer produce an alcoholic beverage. This did allow temperance folks to have a “fruit of the vine” that met the theological needs of Communion and the theological/pastoral needs of ministering to those affected by alcohol or had another philosophical opposition to alcoholic beverages.

  • Being and Becoming the Bridge

    Isaiah 30:18–26, Isaiah 61:10–11, 1 Corinthians 3:5–11, 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

    We are the bridge between the past and the future, with one foot in the past and one foot in the future.

    The past of glory was gone, a faded memory. Perhaps to some it was just an old tale that was from the crazy aunt. David and Solomon? Sure. Whatever you say, Auntie.

    Into hearts that resided in darkness, Isaiah spoke and . People who felt oppressed were promised the freedom of planting crops and harvesting them on their own behalf, not under the rule of foreigners. Not only that, Isaiah told them that they would turn their backs on their treasured idols. They were being told that the little gods that had protected them would be thrown away. That’s crazy!

    Isaiah later talks about the earth and garden producing as they should, because God has provided salvation and blessed them. Not their idols. The of God’s blossoming righteousness in the hearts of people who had abandoned their God who had chosen them to bear his name.

    to life. During this series of devotions, we haven’t spoken much on Lent, but with this last devotion for the series it seems appropriate. Lent comes from Old English and German, meaning spring. Spring comes at the end of Winter (the land almost “dead”, but waiting to come alive). Just like the Jews, who were in their “Winter”, so are we before our salvation.

    and Apollos worked on ground that wasn’t yet “alive”. Yet, they planted the and watered it. Eventually, new growth in dead ground came alive and blossomed. While were fighting over who they followed (Paul, Apollos, or others), these coworkers in Christ looked ahead to see a crop that God empowered them to see, even if they did not see it now.

    Our bridge from death to life and from past to future is the legacy of our faith. Paul proclaims it best, “…as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.” The past and future. While we remember and honor the past, we must look to the future of ourselves, our , our church, our faith, and the world.

    1) What do you think the future of this church should look like? What can you do to help that come to pass?

    2) Often, we are blinded to our vision of the future, and thus tear down the future visions of others. What can you and we do to embrace the visions of others for the future?

    3) Paul’s concluding statement covers both past and future. How can Paul’s conclusion empower and educate your vision and how to make it come to pass?

  • Communional Mystery

    John 6:54–66, Zechariah 3:1–4, Romans 8:31–39

    The how of Communion has been a of and for the church. How it works has been (and continues to be) a strong discussion point between traditions and denominations. What hasn’t been a discussion point is that it does work. The long practice of Communion ties generations to the past, communities together, connects hearts and minds to the . At the beginning, even before Jesus’ on the cross, it was a dividing point. People took a very literal view of Jesus’ wording, which turned them away from him. Those that knew him—the 12 disciples—didn’t walk away. They seemed to have some understanding that Jesus wasn’t being as literal as had assumed. That does not mean they completely understood. They did, however, know Jesus, so instead of insisting to understand, they accepted. Jesus did make accepting blood and flesh crucial to being his follower, and receiving eternal . Thus Communion is not just something we do lightly.

    Communion is part of the transformed/transforming/being-transformed life of being a Christian. It is part of our adoption into God’s family. As we become, and continue to be, a part of God’s family, we can rely and in ‘s words about those who accuse us. The accusations of being nonredeemable and unredeemed are the same accusations that Zechariah saw Satan throw at Joshua (a high priest, not the prophet who followed Moses). The same filthy rags that were removed from Joshua (and by extensions, the Jews), are those removed from us when we accept Jesus Christ.

    The Accuser (whether Satan or people who seek to pull us down) is a constant threat to a Christian (or anyone). However, when we have Jesus Christ and are in fellowship with him, the accusations are merely empty words. The words and behind them hurt, but we turn to Jesus who wipes away our tears and hurt. Communion is that constant reminder that God is the host of the banquet. He has clothed us in white, even though we cannot see it.

    1) Have you ever come across a time or place where Communion separated, rather than joined, people to Christ and the greater body? What was it like?

    2) Have you ever thought about the importance of Communion in regards to your ? How do you think that works?

    3) Accusations can often keep us away from the table. When you “” accusations, how do you deal with them? Do you bring them to others, or do you bear them alone?

  • Cup of Blessing

    Psalm 16, Luke 24:13–35

    Psalm 16 is considered by many to be a Messianic Psalm. Peter and Paul both seemed to have some agreement on this as they appear to have referenced as it appears to be referenced to by them in a number of places. One of the contrasts is the cup of blood (v4) and the cup of blessing (v5). The cup of blood is what is used to pour out the drink offering. This is a play on the “right” drink offering before God, which was the fruit of the vine. Instead, this blood offering is an unrighteous offering, not only because of the conflict of the drink offering but also—and primarily—the offering was to a god other than God. In other words, those who were making these blood offerings had chosen to follow false gods for their security.

    On the contrary, the cup of blessing is a Godly portion which holds and blessing. The cup of blessing comes with an inheritance. The cup of blessing comes with Godly fortitude (not false fortitude). The cup of blessing comes with security. And, lastly, the cup of blessing comes with the path of eternal life. With all of that, one can easily see why Messianic is applied to this psalm, especially in the context of communion.

    In the context of scripture (and yesterday’s sermon), we have talked about the institution of communion, which was ‘ Last Supper with his disciples, and was observed within the context of Passover. One could say that Cleopas and the other (some believe it was his wife) experienced the first “true” communion. In many ways, it is the exclamation point on Paul’s words, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s until he comes”(1 Corinthians 11:26). Seeing is believing. They saw their Lord alive after he was dead, and declared alive again. They became witnesses to his bodily . What a way to know in your what the new included!

    1) Do you remember your first communion? If not, that’s okay. If you do, what do you remember? Do you remember the last communion you took? If so, what do you remember?

    2) In certain communities communion is taken individually Why do you think that is? Generations this coming Sunday, will take communion in framily groups? Why is this important?

    3) Why is the and group taking of communion important? What does this tell us about church-, faith-, and community-life?

  • Passing On Legacy

    Psalm 78, Judges 17:1–13

    “We will not hide [the miracles of the past], but will tell a generation…” Except what are we telling?

    This is a very personal question for anyone. There have been generations of self-defined Christians whose entire families have walked away from the . It may be because the is full of broken people. That certainly is the case. However, that cannot be the only cause. Many of the families “grew up” in church. Many “met ” at a young age. That is the “fire insurance” tendency of people.

    Verses 7 and 8 are the crux of it. We the legacy of God’s story so that they know (information) and live out (relation). The American church has done a great job of information, but often only stops at a surface relation with Jesus. So much of church was keeping up appearances. It had to wear out eventually. Once the pretty shell wore off, the ugliness showed through, and people left. The church struggles to this day with the ugliness that often shows through, and strange things happen.

    The story in Judges itself is strange. A mother curses the person (we infer) who took her . When her confesses, she blesses (?) him. Then in an already confused situation, they use “church” language, which apparently makes it better (?), and make an . So, Micah (the son) builds a family “” and assigns his son as priest. This is in the context of Israel. The idol is bad. Only one family is supposed to be priests, and Micah’s family is not part of it. Then a person from the right bloodline (Levite) walks by and is hired to be the priest. As there is no mention that this Levite is a descendant of Aaron (the “true” priests), it just gets better and better. Then, oddly, Micah (a father with apparently adult sons) tells the Levite that he (the Levite) will be his spiritual father.

    During the time of the book of Judges, there was definitely a soul of independence that believed the “other” was not family (even if of Israel, too), and people could do as they wished. It was controlled anarchy. In the US, we have well over 1200 denominations (not counting all the non-denominational—which have some sort of affiliation—churches). Sounds vaguely like controlled anarchy, too. As we watch big churches and even bigger denominations struggle with leaders who do bad things, we should be able to sympathize with people who wonder if we Christians really do have a single religion. Based on some behaviors, we could even wonder if the church has a bunch of people like this Levite, who has the credentials but is all about the money (or power).

    1) Why is it important to sympathize with the perception of the church by those outside of the church? How can such perceptions hinder sharing about Jesus? More importantly, how can they help to share about Jesus?

    2) This story (which actually has a second part) is very much about people not being under the authority of a king? Can you think of the Jewish/Israelite reason for this? How can this inform how we interact with each other inside and outside of the church?

    3) Denominations pass on legacies of beauty and dedication. Denominations can also pass on legacies of pride and power. How are denominations used by God? How can denominations be dangerous to the mission of God?

  • Out of Line Annunciation

    Job 28:12–28, Luke 1:24–45, Hebrews 10:4–10

    It is often the case that humanity has to confront reality. Humanity is quite . When confronted by its own folly, humanity tries to hide it in so many ways. While searching for knowledge and , it analyzes and categorizes. Humanity can only be so knowledgeable and so wise. True knowledge and wisdom come from the one who created everything, including us. Part of the issue may be that we expect God to be predictable. Somehow, we seem to think that we are capable of understanding God. Perhaps that is the of the decision made in the Garden of Eden. is often not understanding, but accepting anyway.

    Elizabeth and Mary were in that exact situation. They didn’t completely understand, but they trusted God anyway. It probably seems strange that in the midst of Lent to talk about the Announcement of ‘ birth, but timing is pretty close (though not exact). While on the journey to the cross, we include the beginning. There is indeed an echo of a beginning in the . Lent is the journey to the cross, which is basically the end of Jesus’ ministry on earth. On the other hand, the cross along with the Resurrection is the beginning of a completely new chapter in regards to a with God. Why not talk about the announcement of the coming Messiah. Oh, right, God moved (again) in a way that humanity couldn’t just categorize and analyze. The announcement of Jesus, along with his birth was not “how it was supposed to be”. God broke the rules, again. The rules? understanding and wisdom that is far short of God.

    The author Hebrews recognizes that humanity often doesn’t get it. The author reflects on the sacrificial system that is so superficial that it ignores the whole point: relationship with God. The sacrificial system was never intended to be a “check this as done” system, but an orientation to God that was really to recognize the distance that man had put between itself and God. In its quest to categorize and analyze, humanity destroyed the wisdom that God had presented.

    1) When was the first time that you recognized that God did not the way you expected or were taught to expect?

    2) Why is it important to that our wisdom is not God’s wisdom?

    3) What does the announcement of Jesus’ coming and the journey to the cross teach you about God’s wisdom

  • Sharing Where The Food Is

    Isaiah 55:1-9, Matthew 6:1-15

    When one works with the homeless, one learns that the homeless have an amazing network of information. This network includes which ministry provides food on which day. It can include which ministry provides sundries and clothes. Then there are the ministries that provide free clothes cleaning. They are quick to share what will aid one another. Regardless of your perception or feelings regarding ministry to the homeless, their connection to one another cannot be denied. When we our pride and our stuff, Christians more than anyone else ought to be aware that we are truly homeless. This world is not our home.

    Just like the homeless who share about the sustaining things around, Isaiah announces God’s mighty grace, mercy, and gifts. Imagine if all of Christ’s followers couldn’t help themselves from sharing this amazing that God has given them. We talk about so much that is present in Isaiah’s words: the value (or lack thereof) of , God’s great food, new covenant, not of this world. Yet, more and more, Christians are really nothing special. Now, that isn’t to say that they aren’t, but that they no longer know that they are. By and large, most people view them as political blocks or hate-filled people. Christians have allowed themselves to become this. We are no longer (by-and-large) Isaiah (or the homeless) saying, “come meet this awesome guy, Jesus!” Because of our career positions or career locations, we are not free to share our faith. We now have to become wiser than serpents to share the Gospel. However, we have to become like Isaiah and believe we have good news to actually share.

    The has come up with many schemes and methods to share the good news.

    It is good news, right? Is it, perhaps, time to return to simpler words and ways?

    When Jesus provides the template for prayer, it is intended to be an antidote to the excessive prayers of those who made a show of their false piety. Later, it would also as a counterpoint to the Roman tendency for long-winded oratories that were so prized by the intellectual culture. The Lord’s Prayer (as we it now) is so simple that a child can (and memorize it). Yet, the depth of the Lord’s Prayer from the holiness of God to our place in God’s here on earth. The Lord’s Prayer really is the tension between the ideal and our reality. We are often uncomfortable with the tension between the two, yet that is where the energy and ability to call those struggling in this life to the new life offered by new in Jesus Christ.

    1) Is your life with Christ still an important part of your life that you want and seek to share with ?

    2) When was the last time you prayed the Lord’s Prayer? What do you see as its positives and negatives?

    3) We talk about inviting people to church. When was the last time you invited a person to a new life with Jesus?