“How Odd of God”

I spend a lot of time thinking about God – I suppose it goes with the my life’s work - I don’t know . . . .  A few weeks ago, I was struck with the phrase “the problem with God”, and then “a really cool thing about God.”  Well, it has hit me again today.   “How odd of God!”

Phillip Yancey’s book, “Reaching for the Invisible God”, is a good read and I have so many highlights and marked pages they have nearly become meaningless because of their number.  Anyway, this from Yancey:

“. . . God also chose to relate on a closer level with a tribe of people descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  So closely did God get involved, in fact, that he ‘moved in’ with them, first in a tent in the wilderness, later in a temple built by Solomon.”

I don’t know about you, but I find it odd that God would want to move closer to folks like us.  The Bible is full of references to God’s heaven, and it just strikes me as odd that He would want to live closer to people like me . . . and you!  He first had Moses build Him that tent so He could be closer to a rebellious, nomadic people -  they called it the “Tent of Meeting” – the place God met with them through Moses.  And later it would be Solomon’s spectacular temple for God to call His home on earth.  It too, was a place of meeting but in that case, the people were to come to Him when the temple was completed.

 But the oddest and strangest of all was when “The Word became flesh and blood,

and moved into the neighborhood.  We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish” (John 1:14 – The Message).  And it gets even odder when we read the invitation that we can “. . . become friends with God; He’s already a friend with you.  ‘How?’ you ask.  In Christ.  God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God” (2 Corinthians 5:20-21 – The Message).

I suppose that’s why we call it good news - really, really good news!

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

I have often found myself saying, “Well, it’s back to square one . . . again!”  It seems that far too many of us find ourselves “starting over again and again.”  Now, don’t get me wrong, as I have already confessed, I have spent my share of time going back to some sort of “square one.”  We have to start someplace and “square one” is, as far as I know, the only place to do so.

 My thought today is that it would be wonderful if we could make it to a square two or three or four or actually make it to the finish line, wherever that is!  Hebrews 6:1 speaks to this very issue:  “Let us stop going over the basic teachings [square one] about Christ again and again.  Let us go on instead and become mature [square 2, et al) in our understanding.  Surely we don’t need to start  again . . . .”  Thank God, we can start again!  But I am also delighted that we can go on . . . to the full inheritance that is ours in Christ.

 In his testimony in Philippians 3:12-15, the Apostle Paul testifies:                                                                                                                                                                                            “ I’m not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made.  But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. Friends, don’t get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I’ve got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward — to Jesus.  I’m off and running, and I’m not turning back.                                                        So let’s keep focused on that goal, those of us who want everything God has for us.” (The Message)

That is to say, we don’t have to take 3 steps forward and 2 back.  We can go forward in our walk with Christ.  I don’t have all the answers, but I do know a few things that make it possible for us to do so:  A disciplined habit of prayer, daily scripture reading, regular fellowship with other believers.  Paul practiced this in his personal life and urged his converts to do so.

So . . . why not give it a shot?  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“It seems to me that we often, almost sulkily, reject the good that God offers us because, at that moment, we expected some other good. . . .”
C. S. Lewis. “A Mind Awake.”

So, evidently, we have something of a choice here: We can celebrate the “good that God offers us” or we can wish for something else, “some other good.”  Although our “some other good” is always something less than what God intends. But we sometimes persist in refusing to give thanks for “the good that God offers us” because our expectations are focused on that “something less” of our own making or imagining.  And again, and yet again we find that we are disappointed with that “something less” and inevitably blame God for the outcome.
My Monday morning anchor Scripture is Psalm 23:                                                          1 The LORD is my shepherd;
    I have all that I need.
2 He lets me rest in green meadows;
    he leads me beside peaceful streams.
3 He renews my strength.
He guides me along right paths,
    bringing honor to his name.
4 Even when I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will not be afraid,
    for you are close beside me.
Your rod and your staff
    protect and comfort me.
5 You prepare a feast for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You honor me by anointing my head with oil.
    My cup overflows with blessings.
6 Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the LORD
    forever.

I still prefer the King James translation of verse one:  “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.”  It is the Lord who leads me.  The rest of this Psalm describes many places to/through which He may lead, to which the Psalmist responds, “I shall not want."  It is another way of saying that I choose to live in “good that God offers” in spite of and in the midst of my circumstances.  Green pastures, still waters, paths of righteousness or the valley of the shadow of death have no power over the “good that God offers!”  

The Apostle Paul put it this way in Philippians 4:11, “I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”  So, contentment is not a gift of the Spirit but is something we learn as we learn to lean into the “good that God offers.”    

There is no other “good” equal to the “good” that God sees as best for us in any given season in life.  

You can, as the saying goes, “go the bank on that!”

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

Several years ago Anthony Campolo made famous the saying, “It’s Friday but Sunday’s coming!”  He said this as it relates to the horror and sadness of Good Friday  compared to the joy and celebration of the Easter resurrection.  I am not sure it is original with Campolo, but he was the first person I ever heard make the statement.  

Well, as I sit here early on Sunday morning I realize that Monday’s coming!  Monday is the day of my weekly post and, quite frankly, I have struggled to find something to post.  So, it seemed prudent that I write about those times when we know we have something to do and don’t know exactly how we are going to get it done!

Life is full of deadlines.  Someone has said, “I love deadlines.  I love the whooshing sound they make when they go by!”  Someone else quipped, “The greatest inspiration is a deadline.”  Hmmm . . . not sure about that.   Another thought:  “Nothing makes a person more productive than the last minute!”  Yikes!

All of these are helpful in this late hour in that they take up some of the print space!  However, there is some truth behind all this nonsense.  None of us have all the time in the world – doesn’t all belong to us, we have to share that time with others, and  we just can’t stop the clock, nor can we delay the rising and the setting of the sun.  Time is in motion and our days are numbered.  Psalm 90:10 says:  
“The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

Philosopher Winnie the Pooh’s friend, Piglet said, “It’s today!”  Pooh responded, “My favorite day.”  I suppose it is wise to make the most of today as we prepare for tomorrow.  Indeed, making the most of today is the very best way to get ready for tomorrow!

So . . . Happy Today!  Live fully, productively, joyfully!  It’s the best way to get ready for tomorrow!  By the way, Tuesday’s coming . . . !

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

God is not a quitter!  He does not give up easily.  We have seen that as we read Exodus and it will be equally clear as we move on to Numbers.  God does not give up!  One of the verses that I read almost daily is from Lamentations 3:22-24:
“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

“Because of the Lord’s great love . . .  I really like that!  How does that work out? In Jeremiah 18:1-4 God led His prophet to a potter’s workshop to see His love illustrated in the potter’s work.  The potter was working with a particular lump of clay and “. . . the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter, so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.”

That is to say that what the potter first chose for the lump of clay did not work out.  Sometimes, a potter would simply toss the clay aside and get clay more suitable for his plans.  However, in this case, the potter chose to make something else, more suitable for the clay and still pleasing to the potter.  How cool is that!

I have met so many people who believed that they could never please God or be acceptable to God because of some sin or mistake or poor choice of the past.  That is just not true!  God does not give up so easily.  He purposes to redeem and restore and renew.  God never tosses a person aside.  He continues to pursue us and promises to make us into a new person!   The Apostle Paul picked up on that theme when he wrote:  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

That is a really cool thing about God!  God is not a quitter so . . . we shouid never give up!  Because of His great love we are not consumed!  His compassions are new every morning . . .  this morning . . . today!

How cool is that!

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“The "Problem" With God?”

I don’t know.  Not sure I would have had the courage to put that in print, but Philip Yancey put it out there in front of God and everybody.  He suggests that there is a potential “'problem' with God.”  Here is a quote from Yancy:

“The only thing more difficult than having a relationship with an invisible God is having no such relationship.”
Philip Yancey. “Reaching for the Invisible God

“. . . an invisible God . . . so, “the problem with God,” as he puts it,  is that we can’t see Him.  It is, I’m thinking - and saying to myself – true in a way.  I can see the people around me and I can see the person with whom I have chosen to spend my life and I can see our children and grandchildren, and I can see our neighbors and I can see my barber and I can see . . . well the list is endless and I am quite sure you got the point before I quit trying to make the point!  So, folks seem to think that the idea of God is somewhat foolish because He is nowhere in sight!  At least not since Jesus ascended back to heaven.  Is that really true?

Dr. Henry Spaulding, president of Mount Vernon Nazarene University, recently wrote, “Much of my religious identity took shape in this relatively unimpressive church with simple but extraordinary people. I did not know it then, but the grand unfolding of sanctity [holiness] began to define the meaning of “flesh and bones” faith in the lives of the saints at Panama Park Church of the Nazarene. Holiness was not a doctrine or theory for me. It had bodies attached to it.”  What Dr. Spaulding was saying is that he “saw” the reality of God in the lives of his parents and members of his local church.  He “saw” God!  Psalm 19:1 reminds us that “. . . the heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.”  Eugene Peterson puts it this way:  “God’s glory is on tour in the skies.  God-craft on exhibit across the horizon.”  In other words, creation itself bears witness to the existence of God and testifies to His involvement in our world.

I have “seen” God in the face of people like my mother and have been inspired to believe in Him as I have “seen” Him in the lives of so many good people over the years.  God is present with us in the Holy Spirit and in the holy lives of believers around the world!  This “invisible God” to which Yancey refers is in the here and now . . . He is among us!  John 1:14 declares “. . . the  Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory . . . .”

On the Communion Table at Parkview, we have the Christ candle from our Advent wreath.  It is lit every time we are in the sanctuary for worship.  It is a reminder that He is here . . .  among us!  

Can you see Him now?  He is here . . . among us . . . and in us!  What problem?

On the journey . . . .

Pastor J K

“. . . full speed ahead . . . !”

So, here we are again, COVID 2, I suppose you could call it that.  Or maybe COVID 3 or 4 . . . forgive me if I seem to have lost track.  Interestingly, we now seem less interested in where this mysterious virus originated than in when this mysterious virus will behave itself and go back to wherever it originated!  Honestly, I am tired of COVID “number” whatever!

That being said, it is what it is!  So, now what?

There are three famous sayings that stand out in U.S. naval history. “I have not yet begun to fight” by John Paul Jones; “Don’t give up the ship” on the flag of Oliver Hazard Perry’s ship, originally spoken by Capt. James Lawrence on board the frigate Chesapeake on June 1, 1813; and “Damn (pardon the French) the torpedos, full speed ahead” by East Tennessee native David Glasgow Farragut in the Battle of Mobile Bay.

In the face of opposition and/or disappointments and/or challenges each of us have a choice:  we can choose to live in fear, or we can choose to live with wisdom and courage.  Wisdom and courage are sometimes seen as opposites, but that is not always the case.  David Glasgow’s “. . . full speed ahead . . .” was not a foolhardy  statement but rather a declaration of faith in the ability and courage of the men with whom he served, the weapons at his disposal, and the value of the cause for which they were fighting!

Well, you may be asking yourself, “What does all of this have to do with where we are today?”

I would suggest that we declare that it is “. . . full speed ahead . . .” as we engage in the mission of God with courage and wisdom.  Wisdom will guard us from foolishness and courage will enable us to press on!  In Matthew 10:16 Jesus said, “Behold, I send you our as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”  So, Jesus intentionally – on purpose - sends us into a dangerous world but also gives to us the wisdom so as to avoid the unnecessary extremes so prevalent in our world.

“. . . full speed ahead . . . !”  Count me in . . . how about you?

On the journey . . . .

Pastor J K

“Grace – The Art of Becoming”

Lately, in my morning prayers and thoughts, I have been further exploring this beautiful ,and too often diminished word, GRACE.  Grace is the unmerited favor of God for the world in which we live (John3:16).  With the following chorus to her hymn “Grace Greater Than Our Sin,” Julie Johnston places grace at the heart of our faith:

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin!

I have loved that hymn all of my life and it has come to mean even more in this season of life.  And, I have come to think of grace in two ways:  the grace of place and the grace of space.  

It is really hard to believe that God extends to us the grace of place:  I think of it as a seat at His table – just for you, just for me!  According to Isaiah 49:16 God has written our names on the palm of His hands!  If I could see His hand, I think I would find my name:  Johnny Ken Warrick!  Think how often to you look at your hands each day and be reminded that God always has us on His mind, the grace of place!  

And then, I find it equally inconceivable that God extends to us the grace of space:  time and room to grow, to become, to be transformed and enlightened.  Philippians 1:9-11 says it best: . . . that our love may  abound still more and more in real knowledge and insight so that we will approve the things that are excellent so that we may be transparent and blameless, filled with the righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ.
I could say it another way as in, the grace to become.  Following Jesus is the art of becoming; becoming more like Him.  The art of becoming is His gift to us but we have to unwrap it and make use of just like any other gift we receive.

All of this is to say, “He’s still workin’ on me!”  Join us Sunday as we continue to think about God’s transforming grace at work in us.

On the journey . . . .

Pastor J K

“2022 - And so it Begins . . . “

2022 is here . . . perhaps before we are really prepared for it! Not to fear . . . I have a feeling that things will not change all that much as we turn the pages of the calendar.  Our feeble efforts to manage our lives by dividing time into decades, years, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds – and if one is a competitor, split seconds - is really artificial, benefiting only us.  We move from Daylight Savings Time to Standard Time but the world just keeps on turning and time keeps rolling on regardless of our incessant tinkering.

Since we cannot manage the world or time, as some might suggest, perhaps we should concentrate on living a more effective life and more accurately representing our Lord each day.  I am wondering if God would not want us to make 2022 another “Year of Awakening.”  I really can’t say that I have a “word” from our Lord, but in this tumultuous season of history it could be that God would choose to bring a renewed holy health and vitality to His people . . . to His church . . . ;  to quicken our imagination and enlarge our vision.  And, should that be the case, He is more than able to do so . . . I really believe this!

After the death of Moses, God said to Joshua, “Be strong and courageous!  Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).  Joshua’s response?  He immediately sent officers throughout the camp saying, “Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you are to cross this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you . . .” (Joshua 1:11).

God was saying to His people, ‘You prepare and position yourselves and I’ll do the rest!”  Not too many days later they were building an altar out of stones from the riverbed of the Jordan, worshiping God having crossed the Jordan River!

January 1, 2022:  Prepare and position yourselves for God’s miracle - He will provide!

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“A Song for Christmas”

Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Sing this Christmas morn.
Hallelujah!  Hallelujah!  Christ the Lord is born.

Singing on the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Be Born in Us Today!”

“If Christianity was something we were making up,  of course we could make it easier.”

C. S. Lewis was, I think, on to something with that comment.  Hardly any of us would have thought to make the message of Christ so complicated and challenging:  a virgin birth, of all things; angels singing to, of all people, lowly shepherds;  strangers traveling so many miles over such rough terrain from, of all places, the land of the Medes and the Persians; the senseless killing of babies, of all things, as Herod reacted to the words of these men from the east.

It was, we now see, a foretelling of His unusual life.  We might have missed Him altogether had it not been for who He was and is.  For He was not the first to be born nor was He the first to die on a cross nor was He the first to experience betrayal.  He was, in a very real sense, one of us!

But He was the first to
. . . invite any and all to . . . come to Him, “Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden,  and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)
. . . say, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6);
. . . pray, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34)
. . . be raised from the dead, “. . . God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of  death . . . “ (Acts 2:24).

And so it is, on this Christmas Eve, this Christ whose birth we celebrate.  But not only His birth as, in a real sense, our birth but His life as our life and His peace as our peace and His joy as our joy and His love as our love and His resurrection as our resurrection and His eternal life as our eternal life!

O Holy Child of Bethlehem, be born is us today!

“As you were born on Christmas Eve
All sinners to receive,
So let me, Lord, be born again
And I will cry, Amen! Amen! Unto the end.”
(Walter Wangerin Jr.)

Still on the journey this Christmas Eve . . .

Pastor J K

“I'm dreaming tonight
Of a place I like
Even more than I usually do
And though I know it's a long way back
I promise you...

I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams”

“I’ll be home for Christmas . . . .”  It was something of a promise from a soldier stationed on the war front in World War II as Christmas approached.  Perhaps to family or a sweetheart; a promise to be “home for Christmas . . . if only in my dreams.”  Written in 1943 by Kim Cannon and sung by Bing Crosby it found its way into the heart of a war-weary country and remains a Christmas favorite even today.  “I’ll be home for Christmas.”

Home, I suppose, as in “where the heart is.”  It is not so much a place on a map, although it might be, but perhaps more a place in one’s heart, “home.”  Someone has said that “home is where the heart is” and if that is true then we can nearly always be at the very least close to “home.”

Walter Wangerin wrote of “home” in his Advent devotional, “Preparing for Jesus.”  

“O Word by which the whole Creation came to be, we come to you in rags and tags and unembarrassed, because you, too, have chosen not royalty nor wealth nor power but the lowly existence of shepherds. Swaddled and laid in a manger, you are like us. We yearn to be like you.”

“Hush, mother Mary; we’ll watch for you.
Sleep while your baby is sleeping too.

He is a lamb both tender and young,
We will be shepherds to shepherd your son.

After his infancy, after his sleep,
He’ll be the shepherd and we’ll be the sheep.

O Mary, we’ll see to his happiness
Before his Father requires a death.

“Then he will call us by our names
And lead us all like little lambs Home.”

We can be “Home” in Christ and still be going "Home."  I suppose I can say that in Christ “I'll be Home for Christmas” and in Christ I will be forever “coming Home!”

I’ll be “home” for Christmas.  I pray that you will find yourself, if not “Home in Him” in this Christmas season, at least “homeward bound!”

Merry Christmas!

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Home For Christmas”

“I'm dreaming tonight
Of a place I like
Even more than I usually do
And though I know it's a long way back
I promise you...

I'll be home for Christmas
You can plan on me
Please have snow and mistletoe
And presents on the tree

Christmas Eve will find me
Where the love light gleams
I'll be home for Christmas
If only in my dreams”

“I’ll be home for Christmas . . . .”  It was something of a promise from a soldier stationed on the war front in World War II as Christmas approached.  Perhaps to family or a sweetheart; a promise to be “home for Christmas . . . if only in my dreams.”  Written in 1943 by Kim Cannon and sung by Bing Crosby it found its way into the heart of a war-weary country and remains a Christmas favorite even today.  “I’ll be home for Christmas.”

Home, I suppose, as in “where the heart is.”  It is not so much a place on a map, although it might be, but perhaps more a place in one’s heart, “home.”  Someone has said that “home is where the heart is” and if that is true then we can nearly always be at the very least close to “home.”

Walter Wangerin wrote of “home” in his Advent devotional, “Preparing for Jesus.”  

“O Word by which the whole Creation came to be, we come to you in rags and tags and unembarrassed, because you, too, have chosen not royalty nor wealth nor power but the lowly existence of shepherds. Swaddled and laid in a manger, you are like us. We yearn to be like you.”

“Hush, mother Mary; we’ll watch for you.
Sleep while your baby is sleeping too.

He is a lamb both tender and young,
We will be shepherds to shepherd your son.

After his infancy, after his sleep,
He’ll be the shepherd and we’ll be the sheep.

O Mary, we’ll see to his happiness
Before his Father requires a death.

“Then he will call us by our names
And lead us all like little lambs Home.”

We can be “Home” in Christ and still be going "Home."  I suppose I can say that in Christ “I'll be Home for Christmas” and in Christ I will be forever “coming Home!”

I’ll be “home” for Christmas.  I pray that you will find yourself, if not “Home in Him” in this Christmas season, at least “homeward bound!”

Merry Christmas!

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

This from Eugene Peterson:
“Worship is a meeting at the center so that our lives are centered in God and not lived eccentrically. We worship so that we live in response to and from this center, the living God. Failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren. Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives. We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy.
People who do not worship are swept into a vast restlessness, epidemic in the world, with no steady direction and no sustaining purpose.”
Excerpt From: Eugene H. Peterson. “God's Message for Each Day.”
I am particularly challenged by these words: “Worship is a meeting . . . failure to worship consigns us to a life of spasms and jerks, at the mercy of every advertisement, every seduction, every siren.  Without worship we live manipulated and manipulating lives.  We move in either frightened panic or deluded lethargy.”  Just stop and think about that for a few minutes.  Ask yourself, “Is that me?  Is that my life?”
Throughout Scripture we find the people of God gathering for public worship.  In the Old Testament God called His people to gather in Jerusalem at least 3 times each year for a national worship celebration, a time of centering on His goodness and mercy.  The “exodus” story was told again and again, passed from one generation to another.  In the New Testament we find Jesus Himself going to the synagogue on a regular basis for worship and faithfully attending the required celebrations in Jerusalem.  In His hour of greatest need He turned to His disciples for support and found Himself alone (Matthew 26:36-46).
COVID 19 has convinced far too many that live-streaming is the answer to worship.  In the case of those who are confined to assisted living facilities or full care facilities or are recuperating from illness live-streaming is a gift from heaven.   But God calls His people to come together for worship and praise.  Worship is that moment when, with other believers, we lift our voices, sometimes our hands, always our hearts in praise together to God for His saving and sanctifying and  keeping grace.
The “church” is a “gathering people” who gather in His name.  It’s more than a social club or shared-interest group, the church is the Body of Christ!  Following Christ is not only deeply personal, to follow Christ is also corporate in nature.  The early church gathered daily, “ . . . day by day they continued with one mind . . . together . . . .” (Acts 2:46).
If not Parkview, find some local Christ-centered Bible teaching congregation in which to celebrate and center your life in Christ.  
It’s time . . . really!
On the journey . . .
Pastor J K

“Along the way . . .”

That’s what she said.  Actually, she said, “Along the way, I began to love . . . .”  We’re just beginning to get to know one another.  Actually, I am just beginning to get acquainted with her.  I am reading her book, “The Ministry of Ordinary Places.”  Her name is Shannan Martin.  I feel pretty ordinary, myself, and feel like I live in a pretty ordinary place, so the title grabbed my attention.  Someone else I was reading quoted her and I’m a sucker for a good quote – so I got her book . . . good decision.

Surprising things happen along an ordinary way in ordinary time in ordinary places with ordinary people.  I think I am safe to say that it is extraordinary what can happen along an ordinary way!  This season for the disciples – this post-resurrection-pre-ascension-pre-Pentecost season – was, at the first anything but ordinary, but the passing of time, and the waiting I think turned the days rather grey and grim.  Waiting for the promise is a dangerous season.  

Dangerous in this way:  Waiting for something, longing for something, praying for something I find myself apt to not pay enough attention to each day entrusted to me.  We generally measure our lives in terms of significant moments – marriage, children, the special Christmas, a loss, a windfall, a glorious vacation, the trip of a lifetime – but in doing so we actually fail to take note of the “along the way” seasons of our lives.  Life is lived mainly here . . . “along the way . . . .”  Before marriage, at some point “along the way” someone fell in love with someone else!  Before that glorious vacation someone saved and planned and dreamed “along the way.”

She said, “along the way I began to love.”  Three brothers were fighting outside her house.  She knew the family, was more acquainted with the mother, and stepped in to stop the scuffle, invited the boys in, gave them a Granola bar and a good lecture.  Done.  They would be more careful and treat each other better.  One more deed checked of the “to do” list.  And then it happened.  She began to “fall in love” with these three boys.  I don’t yet know the final outcome, but she fell in love with these boys.

As I sit here this morning, my mind wondered back to the times when Patty and I felt we needed to “step up” for a particular situation – Done.  “Good Deed” box checked – and then, well then, we “began to love.”  “Along the way . . . “ God brought a Bill, Bob, Pam, Alphonso, Nick, Paul, Carol, Lamont, Curtis, Ann, Pam, Ryan, Brad, Beth – among others - and so on and so on into our lives and “. . . we began to love.”  This love has brought us disappointment and delight.  Good times and bad times.  Inconvenient interruptions to our lives and moments of great joy!

As I think about the disciples, in this season of waiting, I want to tell you more about some of our “along the way” stories and the people who have taught us about love and loving, laughing and crying, celebrating and grieving.  It’s part of the “. . . along the way, I began to love . . .” stories of life, of our lives.  It’s the best and the worst of the times, this “along the way” season.

Once upon a time there was a man travelling to Jericho and “along the way” he saw a stranger, “stripped . . . beaten . . . half dead . . .” and he . . . . (Luke 10:30-37)  well, I guess you could say, he “. . . began to love “ and . . . .”

Along the way . . .

Pastor J K

“The Discipline of Waiting”

The promise . . . that’s really all they had.  Of course, then the resurrection.  There is that!  The promise was given in John 14:16,17:  “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that he may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth . . . .”  A promise.  The promise.  In John 20:22, Jesus “. . . breathed on them . . .  and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’”  The promise.  It would be several weeks before Jesus would repeat the promise in Acts 1:8: “. . . but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  The promise.  That’s really all they had.  And of course, the resurrection!  There is that.

But, what now?  Power, when?  Faith is often tested in the “waiting.”  27 times in the Psalms we are called to wait for the Lord, or we are admonished to wait upon or for the Lord.   “Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).  “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him”  (62:5).  It is to say that it takes courage to wait for the Lord.  Silence and courage.  Hope and courage -  renewed while waiting.

Sometimes we feel that our waiting is wasted time.  Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “Our waiting is not nothing.  It is something – a very big something – because people tend to be shaped by whatever it is they are waiting for.”  If we are shaped by what or for whom we wait, then to wait upon the Lord is to be shaped by the Lord.  Indeed, the disciples were shaped by the interlude between the resurrection and the ascension of Jesus.  Faith was tried.  Character was forged.  Patience was learned.  A new camaraderie was established.  The disciples learned to listen to one another and, it would seem, to trust more deeply in one another.  This seems evident by their behavior after Jesus ascended.  (Acts 1:12-26)

So, a promise.  An interlude.  A wait.  A company.  They waited.  They obeyed in waiting and refused to act precipitously.  Wait.  Through the 40 day.  Through the 10 days after the ascension.  Have you ever felt that way?  Waiting and more waiting?  Here is an anchor verse:  “. . . those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength (renew their strength); they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” (Isaiah 40:31)

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Absence makes . . . “

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder,” we say.  Really?  Where did that come from?  With just a little research I discovered that it was first noted in 1602 in a less direct way.  But, “. . . many believe that it was Thomas Haynes Bayly who brought the notion to life in his poem titled Isle of Beauty which appeared in his two-volume work Songs, Ballads, and Other Poems in 1844.  He wrote:                                                             ‘What would not I give to wander
Where my old companions dwell?
Absence makes the heart grow fonder;
Isle of Beauty, fare thee well!’                                                                                         (Your Dictionary)

After Jesus’ resurrection, His appearances were unexpected and seemingly rare.  There were 40 days between His resurrection and His ascension and only a few appearances are recorded in Scripture.  Perhaps there were more, but we don’t know.  As I have been saying, we know very little about the disciples’ activities during those 40 days.  I think I would be safe in suggesting that they stayed rather close to one another – sometimes fishing, perhaps at other times reminiscing - if for no other reason, than out of a 3-year habit formed as they followed Jesus.  Good habits are good!  I would assume that they spent some time trying to make sense of His last words to them and the most recent conversations after His resurrection.  I am sure they talked openly about His questions to Peter and whether he really loved Jesus.  

I’m just thinking out loud again . . . what if they kept leaning into the hope of Jesus’ promise in John 14:16-18:  “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you”  “I will not leave you . . . .”  Suppose that during the times of His “absence” they kept reassuring one another by saying, “He promised the He would ‘not leave’ us and that He would ‘come to’ us?”  One of Jesus’ followers later wrote, “. . . He Himself has said, ‘I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,’ so that we confidently say, ‘THE LORD IS  MY HELPEER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID.’” (Hebrews 13:5-6)   Well . . . .

As a part of my daily prayer time, my personal time to worship the Lord and to align my will with His, consists of these verses from Lamentations 3:21-24:                                “Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:                                                                                         22 Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,
    for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, “’The LORD is my portion;
    therefore I will wait for Him.’”
I have decided to believe that the disciples spent a lot of time saying something like this, “. . . I have hope:  The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”
We should never again struggle as if He is absent!!  He has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you.”

So, we be saying:  “I have hope . . . The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”  Here’s an old chorus we used to sing (Haldor Lillenas – 1928):
How can I be lonely when I've Jesus only
To be my companion and unfailing guide?
Why should I be weary, or my path seem dreary,
When He's walking by my side?

Never alone . . . on the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Old Paths and New Ways”

If “the hopes and fears” of all the years were met in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ, it must be said that the “worst of hell” and the “best of heaven” were met on the Cross of Christ.  And -  I’m thinking out-loud now - if Christ carried the day at the intersection of hopes and fears – and He did - , He most certainly carried the day at the intersection of the “worst of hell” and “the best of heaven” – and He most certainly did!  To come to believe this is to be “truth,” is to be on the way to becoming a follower of Jesus.

After the resurrection of Jesus, it’s evident that the disciples had hopes that the He was “. . . restoring the kingdom to Israel” (Acts 1:6).  I can only imagine their disappointment when it dawned on them that they were going to be empowered in the world “as is” to witness to the lordship of Jesus.  Let me say it this way, they were to walk on the old paths in new ways.  The same dusty roads, the same neighbors, the same Roman rule, the same hypocrisy Jesus had faced, the same fickle crowds that loved all that Jesus did but balked at most of what he taught . . , this was to be their world!  They were soon to be commissioned to live among this unruly and deceitful people who lived under harsh Roman rule and they were to do so in a “new way.”  This has been the challenge of the people of God since the beginning of time.

One of my daily my devotional disciplines is to remember that Jesus is “The Way.”  For me it means that He is the “Road” on which I travel, He is the “Way” (habits or mannerisms) with which I walk along this road, and He is my “strength” as I walk along this Way.  I trust Him for a “wide place for my steps” (Psalm 18:36) and the courage to take the next necessary step.  I trust Him to help me walk “old paths” in “new ways.”  A Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) kind of way, a Pentecost kind of way (Acts 1:8, 2:1-4; 42-47), an Upper Room Discourse (John 13-17) kind of way.

Our daily paths, routines, habitus (“knowledge that is not taught but inhaled; it is learning that we acquire without being aware that we are learning” – Alan Kreider) are not necessarily immediately changed when we come to faith in Jesus Christ, but we learn, are empowered, to adapt the way we walk our daily paths, manage our routines, and live “in” our habitus so that they will conform to the character of our Lord.  “Old paths in new ways.”  “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).  “Old paths in new ways.”

This is what Paul was talking about in Philippians 2:12-13:  “. . . work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and work for His good pleasure.”  In the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to work into our daily lives what we are learning in His Word.  So, we walk on the same sidewalks, live in the same neighborhood, work with the same people, go to the same school, have coffee with the same friends, drive the same streets . . . but not in the same way!  “Old paths in new ways!”

Many of these adjustments are immediate.  We immediately leave behind sinful practices, but we are often unaware of some of the less obvious changes that need to be made.  As we follow Jesus, we begin to see  these things and we then surrender them to His Lordship and His grace.  “Old paths in new ways.”

Jesus is coming back someday.  We long for that day.  We wait for that day.  Between now and then, we are called to be His witnesses in the middle of the “same old same old” routines and patterns of life.  We drive the same car, wear many of the same clothes, spend time with the same people, get our mail at the same place, pay our taxes and buy our groceries as always . . . but we do all of this in a new grace-filled way!  “Old paths in new ways!”  

Welcome to the Kingdom of God!  We are walking on some “old paths in some new ways” . . . all because Jesus is alive!

On the same journey in new ways . . .

Pastor J K

“Just This Much”

While there are few hints in the Bible about the 40 days between the resurrection of Jesus and His ascension, I cannot help but think that the disciples were remembering and trying to understand, processing if you will, all that Jesus had said to them.  It would seem to me that the last words of Jesus would have been most on their minds.  What we call the Upper Room Discourse (John13-17), then His interaction with Peter at the lake, and of course, some of His main teachings like the Sermon on the Mount.  Had I been one of them, I think I think that these would have been uppermost in my mind, at least that’s true of me today.

Statements like, “You have heard . . . But I say . . .” (Mathew 5); “. . . you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48);  “As You have sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John17:18).  And there are so many more teachings of Jesus that were/are so challenging.  Some writers speak of the “hard sayings of Jesus,” of which there are many!

So where does one start?  How do we begin?  Barbara Brown Taylor writes, “It is not necessary to take on the whole world at first. Just take the three square feet of earth on which you are sitting, paying close attention to everything that lives within that small estate.”  In other words, start where we are and do what we can.  

Let me think out loud for a moment:  I should learn about where I am.  I should always remember where I am.  I should stop and learn from what I hear and see right where I am, in other words, pay attention.  And then I am to do what I can, that is, what God enables me to do, to transform the “three square feet on earth” that, in a sense, belong to me, into a place that Jesus could call home.

Please never forget that Jesus did not/does not expect us to do this alone.  He said to His disciples (Acts 1:8), “. . . you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  There is a Holy Spirit anointing and power for “here” for “there”, wherever “here” and “there” happen to be!

Here’s some good news:  God has not called us to engage every problem in Washington or London or Columbus or Cincinnati or even Dayton.  God has called us to first become engaged in our “here,” our families, our circle of friends, our neighborhood, our work – the “three square feet of earth” right in front of us . . . just this much.  Remember the saying, “by the inch it’s a cinch!”  Now there is that other one, “no pain, no gain,” but that’s for another day!  

So, maybe, just take a walk around your neighborhood.  Listen.  Look.  Pray.  Sit on your front porch or in the swing in the backyard.  Listen.  Look.  Pray.  Pause in your workspace.  Listen.  Look.  Pray.  While grabbing a quick lunch, pause:  Listen, look, pray.

The “three square feet of earth” where we are – just that much.  Don’t over- complicate or over-think this.  Simplify:  “The three square feet of earth” where you are!  Stop.  Listen.  Look.  Pray.  Then, ask God to help you transform this “three square feet of earth” into a place that Jesus could call home.

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Come and See”

This from Earlham College in Richmond, IN:  “Earlham College is inviting admitted students and their families to participate in a first-of-its-kind interactive driving tour of campus.
The ‘Experience Earlham: Living and Learning for Good’ tour is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 10. The event is an opportunity for students to taste test the College’s dining services menu, meet current students and faculty, and learn more about Earlham’s nationally recognized classroom experience. A rain date is scheduled for Saturday, April 17.”

One of my aunts would probably have said, “Well, I never!”  She would have meant, “Well, I never heard of such!”  At the least it is an opportunity for prospective students to have one last look before making the final decision to attend Earlham and at the most it is the hope that students will fall in love with what they see.
Earlham is saying, “To see, you will have to come.  To come is to see in a way that a brochure cannot offer.  “Come”, first.  “See,” and when you come, “pay attention to what is here.”  It’s a good idea and an old idea.  

Take Psalm 66, for instance.  It begins with a call to worship, this Psalm 66:  “Shout joyfully to God, all the earth . . . Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your works!’” (Psalm 66:1, 3). It goes on, “The earth will worship You, and will sing praises to You; They will sing praises to Your name” (Psalm 66:4).  Perhaps there were some who doubted so the invitation is extended both to the doubters and the worshippers:  “Come and see the works of God, Who is awesome in His deeds toward the sons of men”  (Psalm 66:5).
“Come and see.”  (Isaiah 66:18):  “They shall come and see My glory.”  (Matthew 28:):  “Come, see the place where He was lying.” (Matthew 28:6)  “He [Jesus] said to them, ‘Come and you will see . . .’” (John 1:39)  Phillip said to Nathaniel, ‘Come and see.’” (John 1:46)  I like that even Jesus extended the same invitation to a couple of John’s disciples!  John goes on to say, “So they came and saw where He was staying; and they stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour” (John 1:39).  They came.  They saw.  They stayed with Him that day.

The invitation of Jesus was/is always open and clear.  "Come follow Me."  Sometimes, as was the case with a very rich young man, it involved selling every possession and joining His small group (Matthew 19:16-22) and sometimes, as was the case of the demoniac in the land of the Gerasenes, it meant going back to one’s home and bearing witness to God’s love and power (Mark 5:1-19).  The invitation to “come and see” calls for the same level of commitment for all but it often calls people to live out their faith in different ways.  For some, it may mean giving everything up, leaving it behind and following Jesus; for others, it may mean learning to steward one’s possessions more carefully, leveraging them for the Kingdom of God, all while following Jesus.

There is no “small print” in the agreement to follow Jesus.  He is open and clear in His call to us as individuals.  I have to believe that the disciples were processing their own call during the “betwixt and between” time after Jesus’ resurrection and before His ascension.  Perhaps this a good time for all of us to once again remember what it meant when we “came” and “saw” and then responded to Jesus’ call in our own lives.  Just a thought.

Well, I’m not sure how the  “Experience Earlham: Living and Learning for Good” tour will work out for the college.  I am sure that when one accepts the invitation of Jesus to “come and . . . see” the possibilities are beyond our imagination!  And . . . the longer you stay with Him the more clearly you can see!  

Just ask those first disciples!

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Betwixt and Between”

Sometimes I get to thinking about things for which there seem to be no definitive answers.  I won’t go into all of them lest someone accuse me of some untoward theological aberration, but I will venture to put this one before you today:  What did  Jesus and the disciples do between His resurrection and His ascension?  Ever thought about that?  It seems that it was a sort of “betwixt and between” kind of time for the disciples.  They had heard the prayer of Jesus in John 17:18 that “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”  With all that was pending on that evening they must have had cold chills as they thought about that!  Yikes!

And there they were, Jesus was alive and with them from time to time still talking about that sort of thing and, had I been one of the disciples, I might have asked, “Could you clarify to whom we are being sent and when will the sending take place and what are Your expectations of us?”  We have no record of anyone asking any questions except in Acts 1:6 someone asked if He was now “. . . restoring the kingdom to Israel?”  That, obviously, was not the right question!

You see my point?  What was going in this “betwixt and between” time?  I mean, I can think of a lot of questions I would have for anyone who was buried for three days and was then raised from the dead – wouldn’t you?   We know that Jesus appeared to a lot of people before His ascension, but He mainly focused on preparing His disciples for their future.  He taught them, encouraged them, challenged them, empowered them, and promised them, again, (John 13-17) the Holy Spirit.  His intermittent appearances seemed designed to further prepare them for His absence.  That’s really about all we know for sure.  Some of speculated throughout history but the Bible is pretty unclear on this particular time.

That being said, we live in something of a “betwixt and between” time ourselves.  The King has overcome, and His Kingdom has come in the form of His church – His Body.  Our task is no greater than that of the disciples and no less important to His purposes.  And the same Holy Spirit that filled them, empowered them, and cleansed them is available to us in the same measure . . . yes, in the same measure!  They were not “super saints,” they were real people just like your next-door neighbor or the person who sits next to you in church.  Real people . . . Holy Spirit filled people . . . people pursuing “peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14).  I think I will join them!

In pursuit and on the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Unfamiliar Places”

Scripture reveals that Jesus made 10 appearances to the disciples and others between the time of His resurrection and His ascension.  Perhaps the most intimate of those appearances is recorded in John 21.  That day began with His feeding some of the disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee and ended with His personal conversation with Peter.  It seems that it was a lengthy time together and one can only wonder at the gist of all the conversations that took place.

However, we do know about His conversation with Peter.  Yesterday I shared my thought that perhaps Peter went fishing because it was a natural thing for him to do, and it was while he and Andrew were fishing that he had his first conversation with Jesus and began to follow Him.  A lot had happened since that time and much had changed in Peter’s life.  The resurrection of Jesus is not only the “watershed” event of all of history, but it also marked the beginning of an entirely new life for Peter and, of course, all the other disciples.

If, as I surmised yesterday, Peter possibly went fishing because it was a familiar activity in a familiar place where he first became familiar with Jesus, perhaps John 21 marks the beginning of a life of unfamiliar places and responsibilities.  In John 21:18 Jesus said to him:  “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.”  Commentators suggest that Jesus was speaking of the kind of death that Peter would experience.  Perhaps so.  But I am intrigued by the phrase, “. . .  you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished . . . .“    “Used to . . . “ conveys the idea of a pattern, something familiar.  This has to do with the way one lives.  Now, that’s my kind of life!  I love the familiar!  Perhaps, you as well?  Things were about to change for Peter and . . . maybe for us as well.

The 3 questions Jesus asked Peter about his love for Him and this verse point to unfamiliar places and assignments.  Peter was to be thrust into a leadership role hardly expected of one who had so vehemently denied Jesus only days earlier.  Peter, the often caustic and too outspoken one, was to become a leader, one who would mentor Paul, and a symbol of strength in the church.  He would later give us two short letters to encourage those who had been suffering for our Lord.  He would find himself in places not of his own choosing; unfamiliar places where the Lord had placed him.

We all naturally seek out the people with whom we are familiar, the places with which we are familiar, the situations in which we are familiar; and left to ourselves we would enjoy the rhythm and comfort of those familiar  places and people without interruption.  But God is callings us, even as He called Peter, to “Tend My lambs,” “Shepherd My sheep,” and “Tend My sheep.” (John 21:15-17)

Peter responded obediently to Jesus’ challenge.  The question is, “Will we?”

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“After these things . . .”

Scripture Reading – John 21:1-14

It is eight days, at least, (John 20:26) since Jesus was raised from the dead.  The passing of time is not all that clear at this point, but we at least know that much.  Perhaps more time has passed as we come to the events in John 21, one of my favorite post-resurrection stories.  

“After these things . . .” it begins.  Almost like a “once upon a time . . .” kind of story.  After the resurrection to be sure.  After seeing Jesus on two separate occasions, it seems like there might have been a few days with no contact with Him.  And then, “after these things . . .”

Peter, apparently having regained his place among the other disciples, says that he will go fishing.  There is no indication that he actually invited others to join him, but we are told that Thomas called Didymus (the Twin), Nathaniel (in whom Jesus found no guile), James, John, and “two others” said they would go with him.  Who doesn’t like fishing!  They fished all night and caught nothing.  

I used to think it was good enough for them!  After all, Jesus was alive, and they went fishing . . . surely there was something more worthwhile than fishing!  Going back to the family business so soon?  I just couldn’t believe it!  And then it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, Peter remembered his first real meeting with Jesus as he and Andrew were casting their nets – fishing – near the shore of this same lake.  What if that was the case?  What if Peter was hoping to see Jesus again in some familiar and meaningful place?  Did you ever think about that?  Now, I can’t say that was the case but . . . just think about it with me.

Peter met Jesus when he was a fisherman.  What if he hoped to find Him again, like maybe, for the first time ever?  A fresh encounter.  After a night with no catch, they saw a vaguely familiar person on shore, near a fire.  Peter then heard a familiar voice, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?  . . .  cast your net on the right side of the boat and you will find a catch.”  That voice?  He was not yet sure exactly who it was but there was something so familiar about that voice.  After they discovered their nets full of fish, John said it, “It is the Lord!”  It was just like Jesus to do something like this!  Peter, being Peter, put on his outer garment and dove into the water!  It was the Lord!  Astonished, throwing caution to the wind – that’s Peter! Abandonment.  Losing oneself in love.  That’s the Peter we all love and admire!

I have often found myself going to familiar places – an altar, my devotional place at our breakfast/dining room table, the church sanctuary, a much-loved place of my past – looking for some new encounter with my Lord.  Some new vision.  A new passion.  Some of you have heard me tell of my astonishing encounter with the Lord on December 11, 2017.  It was at a revival.  Sunday morning.  I responded to an invitation to come forward, to stand at the altar as an act of declaring that I wanted “more” of my Lord.  It was to be the closing prayer.  To my utter dismay, I was then overwhelmed by a new touch of His grace and a call to seek ever more of Him in my life!  I would go back there again and again if I could experience that moment!  A familiar place.  A place where God made Himself present in an almost visible manner.  Almost like an epiphany - but not quite.

Heavenly Father, lead me to such a place again and again where I might lose myself in my Lord Jesus.  A familiar place where I will “see” and experience His glory again and again!  Amen.

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“News Break . . .”

Acts 2:14-36

We interrupt our regular programming with this from our reporter in Jerusalem:  “A Galilean Jew named Jesus was executed by crucifixion for alleged crimes against the state by the Roman government; three days later God raised him from the dead, and he is now the world’s new emperor.” (Brian Zahnd. “Beauty Will Save the World.)

“He is now the world’s new emperor!”  Wow!  Talk about newsworthy!  Actually, as we all know, it did not happen that way.   But think about it now, had Jesus had a “manager” or a “publicity” guru in His corner it might have been done more professionally.  Jesus would have marched up the Pilates home and made Himself known.  He would have entered the temple and faced the High Priest who orchestrated His murder.  Rome, the world would have capitulated to this once dead Messiah.  

But Jesus appeared to only a few people at a time except for His one appearance to more than 500 people according to 1 Corinthians 1:3-8.  It was a rather unconventional way to launch a new “brand” but there is nothing conventional about a resurrection.

I have been struck this year at how easily “He is risen!” rolls off our tongues, almost as if it is “old hat” kind of stuff.  We’re talking about the most significant moment in the history of the world . . . a resurrection . . . a one-of-kind-sort of event!  The resurrection is at the very center of our faith.  The death of Jesus would be more or less like that of Mother Theresa without the resurrection.  Just another well-meaning individual who did some good and got killed for it.  End of story.

But Jesus is alive!  Today.  Right now.  Jesus lives!  I am not sure how we can recover the power behind this most transformational truth.  Nearly 3 billion Christians will gather on this day to celebrate that He is alive, that “He is risen!”  Maybe that’s the most powerful witness to His resurrection there could ever be.  Billions of people across the centuries, an estimated 2.5 billion in 2021, have confessed and/or confess Jesus Christ as Lord.

And it happened with no add campaign, no powerful sponsor, little strategic planning . . . it just happened under the leadership of the Holy Spirit!  On this resurrection morning, perhaps we should be looking ahead to the promise of our Lord that we can be filled with His Holy Spirit to the extent that we will “. . . receive power . . . to be [His] witnesses . . . “ whenever and wherever the opportunity presents itself.

Newsbreak:  “A Galilean Jew named Jesus was executed by crucifixion for alleged crimes against the state by the Roman government; three days later God raised him from the dead, and he is now the world’s new emperor.”

“Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
and He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!”  (Robert Lowery)
             
Jesus Christ, the world’s new emperor . . . !

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K

“Hope!”

Scripture Reading - Matt. 27:62-66

Even the chief priests and Pharisees remembered Jesus words, “After three days I am to rise again.”  Odd, isn’t it, that His disciples seemed not to remember?  Jesus spoke of both His death and resurrection several times on a number of occasions.  Indeed, He promised to rise from the dead.  There are at least 10 Scriptures in which Jesus predicted His resurrection or referred to it metaphorically - Mark 8:31; Matthew 17:22; Luke 9:22; John 2:19; Mark 14:58; Matthew 26:61; Matthew 12:39; Matthew 21:42; Matthew 27:63.  The chief priests and Pharisees remembered His words well.  But His disciples . . . .

The conspirators would ask that Pilate put the seal of the emperor on the stone so everyone would know that it had been secured.  Pilate, the representative of the emperor had so ordered.  The most powerful ruler on the face of the earth had guaranteed that the body would remain in the tomb.  To be safe, guards would be posted.  But His disciples . . . .

While all of this was going on they were presumably huddled in that Upper Room where they had last met with Him.  They were, by all accounts, afraid.  Disappointed and afraid.  Despondent.  It was now the Sabbath but there is no record of them going to the synagogue.  Years ago, we would sing, “Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior.  Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord.”  The disciples seemed only to remember that He was dead and forgot much of what He said.  

If Jesus was dead, and He was, then everything He said was pointless.  1 Corinthians 15:17 says, “. . . if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless . . . .”  Whatever faith the disciples had once confessed was now worthless to them.  Jesus was dead.  Dead!  The tomb was sealed.  Plan B.  What was Plan B?  There was no other plan.  Everything that was anything was, for them, now nothing.

I find it sad that almost anything can erase from our minds the words we read in our Bibles.  Someone special dies and faith sometimes takes a holiday.  We get a bad diagnosis, and our faith is drained.  We rehearse again and again the words spoken to us in a moment of disappointment or loss and sometimes remember them for the rest of our lives!  It seems so easy to remember words spoken by a doctor or friend or enemy or stranger and so hard to remember the promises of God we find in His Word.

Several years ago, God gave me a promise regarding a great need in our family.  It was in a committee meeting of the church board at College Church in Olathe in 2005.  He chose a layperson to bring a word of hope to me!  Wow!  Patty and I received confirmation of this promise in a worship service at a district assembly on the Metro New York District in 2008.  The preacher, Jim Cymbala, spoke from Psalm 119:49:  “Remember your word to your servant, for you have given me HOPE.”  

That layperson in Olathe had said to me, “O, pastor, there is always HOPE!”  I have never forgotten that word from God.  I have it marked in my Bible.  I have noted in my daily prayer list the date when that promise came to pass!

Sometimes all we have is His Word!  It is enough.  The disciples would recover their faith once they saw the risen Lord.  On this Black Saturday I am believing that our Lord wants to give to each of us a promise; a promise on which we can stand in very uncertain times.  Perhaps a life verse to guide us along the way and to inspire us to believe for the best!  My life verse is Colossians 3:17: “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”

I have a promise for the “black Saturdays” of life and I have a plan, a life verse, that gets  me through those dark days.

On the journey . . .

Pastor J K