Finding Our Way
March 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Who’s your favorite person in the Bible? And you can’t answer Jesus, because everyone knows that’s who you’re supposed to answer. Who is your favorite non-Messianic man or woman from scripture?
Far and away, my favorite is Jacob. No contest. I like Jacob, because he’s so imperfect. If you were to paint a picture of Jacob, there’s no way he would deserve a halo. He’s a schemer and a scoundrel. He’s so flawed. He buys his older brother Esau’s birthright with a bowl of stew. With his mother’s help he steals Esau’s inheritance by deceiving his old, blind father. After running away and living with his uncle Laban, he manages to leave with all of Laban’s best livestock. And in spite of all of this, Jacob, prospers. Scripture is very clear to say that the LORD blessed Jacob.
But of course, the blessing is never quite what we expect, right? Like they say, “Be careful what you wish for.” Jacob prospers. He has numerous servants, wives, children, and livestock. He is rich. But he is also deceived by his family. He must run from the anger of his brother and of his uncle. And on the night before he is reunited with his brother, he spends an entire night wrestling with God. Finally, toward morning, Jacob asks for a blessing from God. He gets it, but he also walks away with a limp that he carries for the rest of his life.
In Jacob Beuchner’s Son of Laughter, a fictional retelling of the story, Jacob compares the blessings of the LORD to a runaway camel. Eventually all he can do is hold on for dear life.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Jacob’s runaway blessings lately, and the warning about “being careful what you wish for.” This morning I want us to start talking about how Jesus changes lives. If that’s are theme for the year and our mission as a church, we would do well to think about what it means to ask Jesus to change our lives. And the best place to start seems to me to be this question: Do we really want Jesus to change our lives? Do we dare ask Jesus to change our lives? And if we do, will we get a runaway blessing?
It reminds me of a quote from Ben Witherington’s blog in which he’s talking about the place where Jesus is born. He concludes it this way:
The old medieval Christmas poem said ‘though Christ a thousand times in Bethlehem be born, if he’s not born in you, your heart is still forlorn.’ Let me just tell you however, if you let that Guest into your inner sanctum, even if you put him in the very back, he will surely take over and become the center of attention in due course. (benwitherington.blogspot.com/2007_12_01_archive.html)
Jesus will change our lives. Are we prepared for the changes he’ll make?
Spare Some Change?
March 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
This Sunday I’m beginning a series on our theme/mission: “Changing Lives Through Jesus.” And, once again, I find myself frustrated with the concept of preaching. Every once in a while I think about it and it strikes me as bizarre that I stand in front of you for twenty or so minutes and tell you what I think. Refresh my memory, why do we care what I think again?
I’m especially feeling it with this theme. It just seems like, in my life, this idea of “Changing lives” is in real danger of being little more than a slogan. Every advertiser in the world says that their product is life-changing. Certainly Jesus changes lives on a deeper level than, say, shampoo or floor cleaner or power tools. So help me think about this. Here are some questions I want you to think about and answer.
- How has Jesus changed your life? Really, how has knowing Jesus made a difference to you? What are you today that you would not have been had you not come to know Jesus?
- How is Jesus changing your life today? Where are you feeling the call to “higher ground” in your life? What aspects do you feel Jesus challenging you to change?
- How do you resist this change? This one is for the courageous of heart. How do you dig in your heels with Jesus? How do you resist making your life different? Why?
- What gives you the courage to let Jesus change your life? What is it that finally brings you around?
- How do you feel God calling this church to change? Is there some place you feel that he’s leading us?
- What ways can we be sharing this with each other? What forums can we be using? This blog has great potential, but what other media could we be using?
I just want to have an authentic conversation about what we really mean when we talk about “Changing Lives Through Jesus.” So help me out! I talk to myself enough as it is. Throw in your 2 bits. Actually, it’s most important that you ask the questions for yourself. Then if you choose to share what you come up with that would be even better. I hope to hear from a lot of you. You can post a comment here. You can send an email to robert.lee@norfolkcoc.org. You can just tell me about it. As always, anything you email me or tell me will not be used in a public arena unless I get your permission first.
On a totally unrelated subject: I’ve been telling some of you about “Carrier,” a documentary airing on PBS at the end of the month. Basically a film crew embeds on the USS Nimitz for a full deployment, and we get to follow various people and hear their stories. The reason I’m talking it up is because I want to hear from those of you who have first hand experience. How close are they? Where do they miss it?
If you have some free time next week, there will be two free screenings of it here in Hampton Roads. The producers will be there. You can go here for more information on the screenings. For a preview of the show, click here.
He Lives
March 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I’m not much for creeds. The Churches of Christ have not traditionally given them much attention. Like I’ve said before, they seem to divide more than unify. They’re as liable to confuse as to clarify. One exception is the Apostle’s Creed. Even though it’s not without its problems, it gives a pretty basic and historical summary of what it means to be a Christian. Here are some excerpts:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit…
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
Let me stop here. If this was all that could be said of Jesus—that he was crucified, died, and was buried, his life would hardly be noteworthy. Granted, there are the claims to divine birth and sonship of God. But neither of these things was without precedent. As we’ve talked about before, the rulers of Jesus’ day (Egyptian, Roman, Persian, etc.) commonly made claims of divine birth.
And his crucifixion certainly wasn’t unique. Crucifixion was a favorite method of execution for the Roman Empire. Largely reserved for slaves and citizens of other nations, it was a shameful death that reinforced Rome’s claims to power. Rome frequently made this very public statement in order to maintain control. At the end of the slave revolt led by Spartacus in 71 B.C., 6,000 surviving rebels were crucified along the road between Rome and Capua. So what sets Jesus apart? Let’s go back to the creed:
…On the third day, He rose again from the dead.
It’s the resurrection that sets Jesus apart. Of the many thousands of people crucified by the Romans, Jesus of Nazareth is the only one to have been raised from the dead. The gospels and the writings of Paul testify that he appeared to his followers—one time as many as 500 of them (1 Cor. 15). Many of those witnesses went to their executions testifying that “Jesus is risen.”
It is why we are here today. We are followers because both facts are true. Jesus died and was raised by God. The resurrection makes a universe of difference. The question for us this morning is what does the resurrection mean to us right now? How is our day to day life different because of it? I hope it gives you hope and teaches you how to live. Happy Easter. Christ is risen.
Mulch Madness 08!
March 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment
We had a great time working together improving the church grounds. But even more so, the fellowship was outstanding! Take a look at some of the pictures from Mulch Madness 08!
Contemplation and Good Friday
March 21, 2008 | 1 Comment
I’ve been wanting to dwell on art that depicts Christ lately. There’s something about it that helps me focus. It helps me leave wherever I am sitting, usually at a desk in front of a computer, and place myself somewhere else. It allows me to stand before Jesus in a new way. For the most part, the only way I’ve ever been taught to come into Jesus’ presence is through prayer—a certain type of prayer, the kind of prayer that is dominated by words. I encounter Christ by going through everything like a list: “Lord, help me with this;” “Jesus, forgive me for that;” “Lord, please be with ________.” And that kind of prayer does have an important place.
But if I think about my relationship with my wife, some of the most important moments in our relationship have been beyond words. They have taken place in silence. They have happened with glances, with held hands, with smiles, and sometimes through tears. Whatever they were, those moments defied words. And in those moments Rachel became more real to me.
I guess I’m seeking out some of those moments in my relationship with Jesus. I want him to become more real to me just by sitting with him. I think John would call that “abiding” in him (see John 15:4 in the King James Version). I also think (though I’m not sure) that this is partly what is meant by “contemplation.”
Likewise I’ve found that I can, if I’m not careful, go too long without noticing Rachel. Life becomes all about accomplishing tasks. We move from one chore to another–getting kids ready for school, figuring out what to do for dinner, scheduling events. And before long I have failed to pay much attention to her.
I think I’ve done this even more with Jesus. My relationship with Him has become (has always been, really) so task-oriented. But to work beside someone is just one way of getting to know them. The other way is to sit with them and look them in the eyes.
So today I would challenge you to sit with these images from Good Friday. Click here. Click here. Click here. Finally, click here. Just a warning, though–they are not very comforting. Especially the last one. I find them challenging because they remind me of the severe ramifications of the cross. Like I said last Sunday, we move too quickly from Jesus’ crucifixion to his resurrection. But isn’t it possible that, in doing so, we somehow temper the joy of Easter? I’ll let you react to them in your way. But to me they are reminders of the death, the very real death, of the Son of God. May we have the courage to face the awful consequences of our sin, and then celebrate all the more God’s immeasurable grace.
Not Fit For Church
March 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment
Today you will hear a story not fit for church. Which is ironic, because if it weren’t for this story, our church would not exist. Neither would any church, for that matter. But honestly, in some ways the story of the crucifixion has very little place in our church atmosphere. Think about it. Just stop from your reading for a moment and take a look around you. What do you see?
I’m imagining you seated in a pew before the beginning of our worship service. Light from the three large windows fills the room. Perhaps there is a buzz of conversation taking place around you, punctuated by the occasional squeal from a baby. People are laughing and greeting one another with hugs and slaps on the back. Children are talking to each other while their parents are herding them to their seats. Colorful slides are rotating on the screen at the front—pictures of parties and baby showers and other joyful events.
What in the world does this place have to do with Golgotha, the place of the skull, the scene of the crucifixion? How can we possibly be expected to confront the savagery of a place like that while seated in a place like this? How can we possibly hear the screams of agony that come from Christ, and the screams of derision that come from his persecutors, and the cries of sorrow that come from his family and friends while we are here in this room filled with gentle voices?
And I will not mention the horrible sights. There is a reason that Mel Gibson’s movie was Rated R. These sights are difficult to process when we are surrounded by neatly manicured people dressed in vibrant Sunday clothing.
Nevertheless, today I will talk about the crucifixion. Not in grisly detail. Actually I don’t plan on dwelling on the physical aspects of Jesus’ death at all. I’m much more interested in the spiritual nature of it and what that means for us.
But don’t be fooled. The spiritual details aren’t pretty either. They, too, are hardly fit for church-at least the spiritually sanitized church that you and I generally prefer. The spiritual situation that brought about the events of Jesus’ death are not easy to talk about or sit with. In examining the crucifixion, we are confronted with the worst of human nature. If we sit back and ask ourselves, “How did it come to this—the execution of an innocent (a perfectly innocent) man?” then we are confronted by the sin that we all carry around with us.
But there is good news. In the midst of the spiritual and physical horror there is more than enough love. If there weren’t, then Jesus would have never been crucified. We’ll talk more about it this morning.
Jesus & Vader
March 12, 2008 | 1 Comment
I don’t always pay attention to how long I preach, but sometimes I take note. When I finished Sunday’s message, the clock at the back said 11:45 a.m. I didn’t note my beginning time, so the length could be due to something else (late beginning of service, longer than usual Greeting, long Lord’s Supper, etc.). Anyway, I generally try not to preach too long.
Which is why I didn’t end up talking about this. However, if there were such thing as a “Director’s cut” or a “deleted scenes” feature for my messages, I would have given you this illustration.
You’ll recall that Sunday I talked about Jesus’ “triumphal” entry into Jerusalem, and how it actually wasn’t all that triumphal. Rather than enter Jerusalem on a war steed with a legion of angels following close behind, he enters Jerusalem on a donkey. Matthew says it’s to fulfill the scripture in Zech. 9:9 that describes Israel’s king coming to her “gentle and riding on a donkey.”
Jesus could have chosen the way of force. He could have compelled Jerusalem, Rome, and “all the kingdoms of the earth” to bow before him. Perhaps this would have been a quicker solution. Satan tempts him with this option at the onset of his ministry. Instead Jesus chooses the way of humility and service. He wins people over, not through compulsion, but by serving them (healing them, washing their feet, feeding them) and then inviting them to follow him. This is a more difficult way to win people over, but it is more reflective of the character of God.
Had I the time, I would have directed your attention to the story of Darth Vader. (If you’re not a Star Wars geek like me, just indulge me for a second.) For many of us who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s, the Star Wars movies were a borderline obsession. So when the last installment of the original trilogy, Return of the Jedi, was released in 1983, a nearly 20 year wait ensued for Episodes I-III.
Since we knew how the story ended, what could possibly manage to keep us interested for all of those years? One of those things was the story of Vader. How was this monster created? How did one of the great archetypal villains of cinema come to be? How was he transformed from a cute (if also a little annoying) kid in Episode I, to the sociopathic, mass-murdering, half-robot of Episode IV?
Turns out it’s the same thing that Satan used to tempt Jesus. Anakin is drawn to the dark side of the force because he wants to save the people he loves, first his mother, then his wife Padme and their unborn child. He has a dream that tells him Padme will die in childbirth. (He assumes that means the child will die, too.) So when Anakin’s tempter arrives in the form of Chancellor Palpatine, he succumbs. Palpatine tells him that there have been other Dark Lord’s who were able defy death. The promise of being able to save his wife and child is enough to draw Anakin over.
As Episode III draws to a close, it’s clear that Anakin believes that the end justifies the means. Of course, the darkness is too great, and Anakin is not powerful enough to save his wife or himself from the evil that consumes him.
All of Jesus’ acts, including his not-so-triumphal entry, show that he chose the riskier, more difficult path. Rather than make a deal with the devil, he sought to conquer the world through love and service. Obviously, it’s taking a longer time, but the outcome is so much better.
At this point I could go on about how this might influence our behavior—the way we treat our friends and neighbors or how we address our spouses, children and parents. But my time is up. The “blog clock” is way past 11:45. What do you think? What does it look like to change the world through love and service rather than force?
Connections Sunday
March 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
| April 13, 2008 |
Just like a tree needs roots to grow and branch out, we need to find a way to connect with one another. April 13th is the day to get connected. You’ll find out about new LIFE Groups, and ministry opportunities. Join us for a fellowship meal after services. We’ll be having BBQ and sides. Please see the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for what to bring. If you are a ministry leader, help us prepare by sending pictures of your ministries in action.
Easter Dinner & Egg Hunt
March 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
| March 23, 2008 | ||
| 12:00 pm | to | 3:00 pm |
The congregation is invited to the Cuthrell’s immediately after services on Easter Sunday for lunch and an Easter Egg Hunt. Please bring a side dish or dessert and drink to share. Bring treat-filled eggs for your children. For more information, see Deborah.
Show of Force
March 9, 2008 | Leave a Comment
One Sunday morning a while back I asked the congregation what superpower they would most like to have. I got a wide range of answers. Someone said they would like to have super strength. Others wanted x-ray vision, others wanted to be able to read minds, and somebody wanted to be able fly.
The other question I’d love to ask is: How many of you would be tempted to use your superpowers to “break the rules?” Would you be tempted to profit illegally from those powers? Would you be tempted to steal? Would you seek revenge on all of those who had ever hurt you? Would you use your power to control others?
There’s a movie out right now called “Jumpers.” I haven’t seen it, but as far as I can gather, it’s about people who have the ability to teleport anywhere in the world. They hang from Big Ben in London, have a picnic on the top of the Sphinx, or show up in the Coliseum after it closes. They can also break the rules. Wouldn’t you be tempted to steal if you knew that your powers gave you the ability to break into any bank in the world?
Since we’re sitting in church, my immediate answer would be, “No.” Of course I would only use my powers for good! I would be a member of the League of Justice instead of the Legion of Doom. I would join the X-men. And I would never dream of abusing my abilities. But I must acknowledge how tempting it would be.
Would you believe that Jesus faced this temptation? Scripture is very clear about it. This morning we’re beginning a series of lessons that will follow Jesus through the final week before his crucifixion. We’ll watch Jesus during his week in Jerusalem. We’ll walk beside him as he goes to his crucifixion, and we’ll celebrate his resurrection on Easter Sunday.
Today we’re going to be looking at a passage where Christ is tempted to misuse the power at his disposal. And we’ll see that he chooses the way that is right, even though it’s the way that is difficult. In entering the city of Jerusalem for his ultimate show down with the forces of darkness, Jesus teaches us what kind of a King he is and what it means to be members of his Kingdom.
It’s a good reminder for us as we talk about changing lives through Jesus this year.