What Have You Seen?

Simeon and Anna are the first people whose names are mentioned, besides Jesus parents, who make their way into the story of the baby Messiah. I wonder if this is because of their faithful watching. The shepherds aren't named even though they are the first to be told about the wonderful thing God was doing in the world, but they hadn't dedicated their lives to watching for it either. The wise men aren't named either, maybe because they thought they were looking for a king but had no idea what the king they were looking for was really about. 

Simeon and Anna know what they are looking for, watch for it every day, wait for the spirit to point them in the right direction. They have their fading eyes focused on God's promises to the people, on God's salvation.

This Sunday is the last day of the year. We will gather to take stock of the past year, to look at where God has blessed us, and to refocus ourselves on watching for God at work in, and around, our community.

At the Edge of Christmas

We're standing at the edge of Christmas 2017. This Sunday will be Christmas Eve, one day away from the celebration of the birthday of a King. We'll be one day away from the angels and the shepherds. One day away from the stable and the star and the wise men. One day away from the notes of "Glory to God" wafting in the air. 

The Young People's Illustrated Bible History

We sometimes forget how difficult smuggling God into the world must have been for the primary players in our Christmas drama; the difficulty Mary and Joseph had; the trust and faith it must have taken for Mary to have said to Gabriel, months before, "I am the Lord's servant, may your word to me be fulfilled."

This Sunday, as we anticipate Christmas morning, we're going to spend some time thinking about Mary and her encounter with an angel, and how she is a model for us centuries later.

The Hidden Messiah

The third Sunday of Advent takes us back to the Jordan river, back to the crowd surrounding the odd preacher that has emerged from the desert calling for repentance. this preacher, John the Baptist says that right among them there is someone who is greater than him. this someone is right there in full view, but they don't know him. 

John has come to be a witness, to point out this greater one, the Messiah, to make him clear, make him known.

Join us this Sunday as we wonder about John's message in our context. Is Jesus still hidden in full view? Do we have a role to play in pointing him out? Is anyone even looking for him?

Good News...Without a Manger

Last week we started Year B of the Revised Common Lectionary. The liturgical year begins with Advent,  the beginning of the story, the waiting for the Messiah.

Year B uses the book of Mark as its foundation, which seems like a bit of a problem when it comes to telling the story of Jesus because Mark doesn't tell the Christmas story. He begins his gospel with John the Baptist, the wilderness, and an adult Jesus ready to go out and preach. There are no shepherds and angels, no wise men from the east, no murderous kings, or refugee trips to Egypt. Mark starts with ministry and by the middle of his writing is already talking about the cross.

This week, we'll celebrate the second week of Advent,  the second week of waiting and wonder together just what it is we are waiting for, a manger or a cross?

Sheep and Goats

In the final parable of  Matthew 25, Jesus uses the picture of a shepherd, separating sheep and goats, as a metaphor for his actions, his judgement, at his return. 

Sheep and goats have many things in common, size, diet, etc. In this parable, they also share a sense of surprise. Neither  recognized that ministering to the downtrodden around them was, in fact, ministering to Jesus himself. 

Patheos.com

Our attitude toward those around us says a lot about our relationship with Jesus. The sheep were following their shepherd (that's what sheep do) while the goats were less affected by the shepherd's leading, and, in their reply, seem to say they would have benefited from a bit more direction (typical of goats).

This Sunday we will spend some time reflecting on this passage in light of our own interaction with the world around us.

Bags of Gold

Another parable this week, another illustration of the time of Jesus's return and how his followers should be acting during the wait.

This time, it's a rich man going away, leaving three of his servants in charge of his wealth returning to find that two out of three have been excellent investors and have given him a big return on his investment, while the third digs the money out of the ground where he had hidden it and returns what he had been given with no return.

Two are rewarded, one is punished.

This is a troubling parable (as are the other two in Matthew 25) because it seems to imply that there is something more required for our salvation than the five solas (grace, faith, scripture, Christ, to God's glory) that so many are celebrating this year, the 500th anniversary of the beginning of the Reformation. The parable doesn't seem to refer to any of these foundation statements but does seem to put a lot of emphasis on work and being rewarded for  hard and smart labour.

Is this really the teaching here?

Join us Sunday morning as we unpack this parable and its application to our lives and for our community.

Ladies and Lamps

Being prepared is important. The Boy Scouts know this. Their motto, since 1907, has been "Be Prepared". Robert Baden-Powel,  wrote the handbook "Scouting for Boys" in 1916. There he explains that being prepared means "you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your DUTY."

Jesus tells the parable of the ten bridesmaids, found near the end of Matthew's record of Jesus' ministry. Its a story of being prepared, being in a state of readiness. Five of the bridesmaids had come to the meeting place prepared with extra oil for their lamps and five had not. Five were prepared for a long wait, and five were not. All ten fell asleep, but only five woke up ready to go to the wedding party. 

We might wonder though, what we are to be ready for? Is this a parable about end times, about Jesus return, or is it a teaching about how we are to live our lives every day. 

This Sunday we'll spend some time in this parable wondering what it really looks like to "Be Prepared"

The Wedding Banquet

Whenever it think of Jesus parable about the wedding banquet a song pops into my head, gets stuck there really, an ear-worm.

I cannot come to the banquet, I cannot come to the banquet,
don't trouble me now.
I have married a wife; I have bought me a cow.
I have fields and commitments that cost a pretty sum.
Pray, hold me excused, I cannot come.

You might know the song too (here's a Lego version). It was composed in the mid 1960's by Sister Miriam Therese Winter and was a favorite  at our youth group in the mid 1970's. We sang it a lot. We loved the music, and we knew what the parable meant. We knew that we were the ones who had been found along the highways and byways, the blind and the lame, the broken, and that we had been invited, welcomed, into the celebration that was going to take place, the wedding banquet. The song was uplifting, warm, and uncritical. It simply said, be ready to accept the invitation.

The song is likely based more on Luke's account of the parable than Matthew's. Matthew's version has a lot more death and destruction, a lot more judgement, and ends with the confusing account of a guest being tossed out for not wearing the right clothes. It seems like Matthew might have a different reason for recording the parable than Luke had.

This Sunday, we'll spend some time with Matthew's wedding banquet, unpacking what it means for us as we are invited to participate in the celebration.

Thanksgiving

Our Thanksgiving tree. Come and add your leaf of thanks.

This weekend, Canadians will celebrate Thanksgiving. Many will gather with family and friends to share a big meal together. Some will head out for one last camping trip. Others will use the day off work to tidy yards, put away summer things and prepare for the winter to come. For most of us though, the day will at least mean an extended weekend, an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the gift of time. 

We do have much to be thankful for. Our service at the Fruitland CRC, this Sunday morning, will focus on thanks. Using the words of Psalm 103 we will come together in blessing our God for care, providence, healing, forgiveness. We will recognize, with thanks, the source of all the good that comes into our lives in words, prayers, and songs.  

We'll spend some time, as well, in the story of Jesus and the ten lepers and wonder if maybe being thankful is only one step in our response to God's care and love for us. What was it that made that one leper, the Samaritan turn back to thank Jesus for healing, and how does Jesus respond to him?

Getting Along

We have a hard time getting along with each other sometimes, don't we? It often even seems that our difficulties in relationships are more painful, and more divisive inside the church, where we should all be on the same page, working toward the same kingdom, trusting in the same Savior, than they are outside of it, in the larger world.

We have to wonder why that is? Why is getting along as Christians so hard?

Matthew records what at first glance looks like a recipe for reconciliation or separation. It seems to say that there is a formula that we might use which will either result in getting back together or purposefully walking away.

This Sunday, we'll look at dealing with sin in the church. We'll wonder together about dealing with division, healing separation, and seeking reconciliation in Jesus kingdom.

Get Behind Me.....

We sometimes forget that discipleship is not an out front, take charge, give direction, role. We sometimes forget that being disciples means following, being disciples means working toward someone else's goals, someone else's plan for the future, building someone else's kingdom.

Peter forgot that. He was riding a wave of exuberant certainty after Jesus had praised him for his testimony, and told him that the kingdom  would be build on the rock of his witness. He had done well, and now, he felt he had gained the standing to be able to question Jesus' mission, to be able to act as Jesus' adviser, set the course of the coming kingdom.

Jesus quickly, even harshly, puts Peter back in his place, reminds him that he is a follower, needs to be a follower, needs to be behind Jesus.

This Sunday, we'll spend some time thinking about how Jesus words to Peter might apply in our lives today. Are we willing to follow, to take up our crosses, to give up our lives, or are we chasing our own vision of what God's kingdom should look like?

Who Do You Say Jesus Is....

Its pretty easy to answer the question of who Jesus is when we are in church. The Apostles Creed likely gives us the most concise definition recognizing Jesus birth, his life, his death, resurrection and ascension. Its easy to agree on these things when we are in church, with other Christians, with people like us.

But what do we say in the workplace, at the mall, at the beach, at the campsite, at the block party, when we are not with, and among people with the same beliefs and understanding as we have? Is our profession the same? Do we say the same thing? Do we echo Peter's words: You are the Messiah, the son of the living God?

Join us this Sunday, as we look more closely at Peter's testimony, and at how we can, and should emulate it.

Crumbs for....

Racial tensions have been in the news a lot lately. The horror of Charlottesville is still very fresh in all of our minds even though we watch from the other side of the border. Words spoken, and left unspoken, fill our newscasts and our social media feeds. The words and actions of white supremacists and neo-Nazis show us that hate and sin are alive and well in our world.

The Lectionary, this week, brings us to the story of the Canaanite woman and her interaction with Jesus. Its a puzzling piece, because, initially anyway,  Jesus seems to support sense of superiority the Israelites held over the Canaanites, seems to join in with the culture of name calling, and division. Yet, by the end of the interaction, Jesus commends the woman for her "great" faith. Nowhere else in Matthew's gospel is this level of praise offered by Jesus. I wonder what Twitter would have had to say about that. 

This Sunday, we'll spend some time wondering about this narrative, wondering how it relates to our walk as Jesus disciples in a world that is very different, and yet, so much the same. 

Only Five Loaves and Two Fish

All of the gospels tell the story of Jesus feeding a huge crowd with a miserably small amount of food. It was a miracle. Jesus preformed many other miracles, some of which are not even recorded, but this one the gospel writers recognized as so important  all of them make it part of their gospel account.

Matthew records Jesus telling the disciples that they should feed the crowd of people. They are incredulous,  hold up the little bit that they have, five loads and two fish, not really even enough for themselves, and suggest that sending the people away was likely the best idea. They feel they just don't have the resources to carry out the task  put in front of them.

"Really Jesus? You must be kidding...we don't even have enough for ourselves!"

How often don't we look at the overwhelming needs around us, hear Jesus words: "Feed them" and react in the same way while holding what we feel are meager resources in our hands.

This Sunday we will continue to look at what discipleship looks like in a world where our resources and efforts seem too small to do anything to solve the problems around us.

The Kingdom is Like.....

If someone asked you to describe what the Kingdom of Heaven (or of God) was like, what would you say? Would the question set you back a bit on your heels? Would you actually be able to come up with some concrete ways to describe this kingdom, ways that your neighbour might be able to relate to?

Someone must have asked Jesus the question. In Matthew 13 we read a whole bunch of short parables that try to get at the answer. We seem to find out that the kingdom is hidden, but invasive; it's very valuable but also all encompassing; it's not easy to see, but once you do see it, you have to have it.

Jesus' examples may have worked for the people of his time, at least they used everyday pictures, but I suspect they still came away puzzled, and maybe that was Jesus point.

This Sunday, join us as we struggle with what the kingdom looks like in our world. Is it still hidden, still of great value, still all encompassing?

Koinonia

Koinonia is not a word that most of us would use every day. There's good reason for that. The word is Greek, not a language most of us use very often. It first appears in the New Testament in the book of Acts to describe the fellowship of Christians, the way they gathered together, took care of each other, loved each other, shared what they had as brothers and sisters in Christ. Its a word that says a lot about relationship and community, authentic community. 

This coming week, the Fruitland CRC, with assistance from neigbouring congregations, will be hosting a Special Needs SERVE. Young people from across the country will be coming to Fruitland to share the love of Christ by being his hands and feet in the community around us.  Participants and mentors  will work together, play together, laugh together and cry together. They will become a community together, a community that worships God together, and also supports each other in very intimate and special ways. 

Sunday morning we will look at how Jesus begins to form this sort of authentic community, the people he calls into it and the bond that hold it together. 

Come and join us as we celebrate the beginning of a week of SERVE and as we grow deeper as an authentic community. 

A Light Burden

We all try to find ways around hard work, don't we?Our homes are filled with labour saving devices, we travel with ease and in comfort, and many of the most labour intensive jobs have been automated to the point that they are not really hard work anymore. We sometimes find ourselves being more physically active on holiday than we are in our regular day to day lives.

When Jesus promises an easy yoke and a light burden, I don't think he is talking about the physical work. He is talking about the burden of being right with God, the burden of being good enough, checking off enough of the boxes, to be able to be in relationship with God.

The religious leaders of Jesus time made getting close to God difficult. Being good enough was hard work.

This Sunday we will discuss the ways that Jesus lifts the burden, gives us an easy load in our quest to be right with God.

Welcoming and Being Welcomed

The Fruitland Christian Reformed Church is a welcoming congregation. I've been on the receiving end of their welcome and I have watched them welcome visitors on Sunday mornings. The people of the congregation do welcoming well, introducing newcomers to others, explaining how we do things, making sure that they can navigate our facilities. Being welcoming is important to any congregation wanting to get to know its community and have an impact outside of its walls.

How are we at being welcomed though?

This Sunday we will focus on Jesus words in Matthew 10:40-42. A first, quick reading, may leave the impression that Jesus is talking about our calling to be welcoming, but after a closer look, we come to realize that he is really talking about accepting the welcome of others, particularly the welcome of those we are sharing the gospel with.

Somehow, accepting welcome, hospitality, a cup of cold water, from others is more difficult than getting into welcome mode toward others. There is a different posture involved, a different position on the power scale, and yet, Jesus seems to be saying that part of the job of being a disciple is to make ourselves open to being welcomed.

Join us this week as we worship. We'll welcome you warmly as we think about how to be better at being welcomed.

Do Not Be Afraid

Its so easy for us to fall into a sense of fear. The world around us, magnified by the media seems to be a very frightening place with danger at every turn. We fear for our safety, we fear for our children, we fear for our security, we fear the health issues that lurk around every corner, we fear people who are different from us.

As Christians in an ever more secular environment we tend to be fearful as well. We feel like we are losing something we once had. We see our political and social power waning. We feel like our voices are being drowned out, that we are being pushed to the sidelines. The changes in our world, and in our country, make us fearful.

This Sunday we will worship with our friends and neighbours from Ebenezer Reformed Church and we will consider our fears in the light of Jesus words in Matthew 10 "don't be afraid". Jesus urges us not to be afraid, points out that we are of value even to the point that the hairs on our heads are numbered.

As we look forward to Canada Day, celebrating Canada's 150th birthday, Jesus tells us not to be afraid, not to hide from the world, not to isolate ourselves, but to pick up our crosses and follow him.

As a special treat, after this combined service, we will enjoy strawberries and  ice cream together. What could be more Canadian?

All Means Everything, Right?

Shortly after Jesus' resurrection, following instructions he gives to Mary, the disciples make a trip to Galilee. Matthew records Jesus' words to his followers as the closing words of his gospel. His words are recorded in the last three verses and one word stands out over and over, the word all.

Jesus wants his disciples to know that his was not a partial victory, it was total, it was all. He has gained all authority, not just some of it. We are to share the news with  all of the world, not just the friendly parts; share all Jesus' teachings, not just the parts that support our agenda.

This Sunday we'll spend time in Matthew 28:16-20 wondering what all means for us, for the way we live and interact in the world, for the way that we live into the promise the Jesus will be with us always.

Spiritual Surprises?

Surprises aren't usually our thing, are they? Most of us like to live our lives in an ordered way. We like to know what is coming next, what might be expected of us, how we need to prepare ourselves, where we need to be. Surprises mess with the order of things, throw our plans into chaos, unsettle our digestive systems. We don't like surprises.

Illustration by Jessamyn Rubio

This Sunday we celebrate and remember a surprising day, Pentecost. The disciples had settled into a bit of a routine, a comfortable routine of prayer and just hanging out together, when suddenly, with the sound of wind and accompanied by fire, the Holy Spirit makes an appearance and nothing is ever the same again. That day, over 2000 years ago was an exciting one for the early church, a day full of surprises.

We sometimes wonder if the Holy Spirit is still active in the same surprising way, or was that power reserved for the first century church?

Join us this Sunday as we struggle with this question and wonder if the Holy Spirit might still have surprises for us as well.

Are You Ready to be Surprised?

Surprises aren't usually our thing, are they? Most of us like to live our lives in an ordered way. We like to know what is coming next, what might be expected of us, how we need to prepare ourselves, where we need to be. Surprises mess with the order of things, throw our plans into chaos, unsettle our digestive systems. We don't like surprises.

Illustration by Jessamyn Rubio

This Sunday we celebrate and remember a surprising day, Pentecost. The disciples had settled into a bit of a routine, a comfortable routine of prayer and just hanging out together, when suddenly, with the sound of wind and accompanied by fire, the Holy Spirit makes an appearance and nothing is ever the same again. That day, over 2000 years ago was an exciting one for the early church, a day full of surprises.

We sometimes wonder if the Holy Spirit is still active in the same surprising way, or was that power reserved for the first century church?

Join us this Sunday as we struggle with this question and wonder if the Holy Spirit might still have surprises for us as well.

You Will Be My Witnesses

A number of years ago, I saw an accident happen. Someone turned left in front of an oncoming car and both cars ended up off the road, damaged. Jocelyn and I stayed at the scene of the accident until the police came so that we could tell them what we had seen. We were witnesses. We were able to tell someone who wasn't there when the accident happened, how things went, who did what. From our words, the police were able to make some decisions about the chain of events that led to the mess they were now seeing.

Witnesses are important in bringing out the truth of any situation. There is no "I think this is what happened" or "From the way things are piled up now this is what might have happened". Instead a witness can clearly say, "This is what happened, I experienced it"

Jesus ascends into heaven, but, before he does, he points at his disciples, gathered around him, and says, "You are my witnesses". They had seen what he had done, had experienced it. They had heard his words, and even though they didn't necessarily understand everything, they had heard him with their own ears. They were first hand witnesses. What they were able to tell was not hearsay.

Are we still witnesses? Join us this Sunday as we remember Jesus' ascension and also consider how it is that we continue to be his witnesses to a world so in need of some good news.

The Way

Yesterday, while visiting over coffee, in front of the fake fire at Tim Hortons, my friend and I were approached by an elderly man, wanting to know the way from there to Port Colbourne. He had been turned around by construction, stopped for a breather (and maybe the bathroom), and now didn't know how to continue on his journey. It wasn't hard to give him directions. We knew the way back to the highway, and the way to his destination. He left us, thankful.

Sometimes, finding our way with the larger questions of life is much more difficult. When Jesus is asked by his disciples, how they are supposed to get to where ever it is that he is going, his answer just seems to add to the confusion and maybe even controversy.

"I am the way....." says Jesus "No one comes to the Father except through me"

To our post-modern culture, Jesus' answer is offensive. For some Christians, his answer has been misunderstood and has become a source of arrogance and pride.

What does Jesus mean when he says he is the way? How does one come to the Father through Jesus?

Join us this Sunday we look at Jesus words to realize the promise, hope, and challenge found in them.

Abundant Life

What does it mean to live an abundant life? 

We may have many different answers to that question. For some of us having an abundant life means gathering stuff, getting the best toys, the biggest house, the fastest car, the newest gadgets. For others, an abundant life has to do with people and relationships, children, family, and friends. Others may define abundance in terms of security and safety, that sense of comfort in knowing they are out of harm's way. 

Jesus, in our scripture reading for this Sunday, promises abundance for his followers when he says that he "came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." (NRSV). He prefaces those words with a picture of a shepherd and sheep and then describes himself as the gate to the sheep fold. 

Jesus uses word pictures to describe what that life is like, pictures of a shepherd, and a gate, 

Join us this Sunday, as we consider Jesus words and the abundant life he offers today, here and now.  

GEMS Sunday, Love Overflowing

This Sunday we will be celebrating our GEMS.

GEMS is an acronym for Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior. GEMS Girls Clubs are found across North America and in other parts of the world as well. Girls, and counselors, meet together weekly to build relationships, to learn about Jesus, to develop skills, and most of all, to have fun together.

Our congregation is blessed to have an active, excited, GEMS Girls Club, with dedicated leaders interacting with an enthusiastic group of girls.

This week we will celebrate this program and involve the girls in leading us in worship. We will focus on their theme "Love Overflowing" and take a close look at their theme text for this year, Thessalonians 3:12: 

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

Join us this week, at 9;30, as we join with the GEMS to worship the source of love,  to recognize that love overflows from him, to us, and into the world. 

He is Risen!!!

Of all of the happenings that are reported by the writers of the gospels, the empty tomb is likely the most extraordinary.

Many of us have, at one time or another, stood beside a grave and been hit with the finality of the words "dust to dust, ashes to ashes". There is a sense of hopelessness in the grave, the final end of something from which there is no return. As we walk away from the final resting place of that loved one, we find ourselves forced to go on, knowing that person will not longer be part of our journey.

The grave seems like the end.

I seemed that way for the disciples as well. The amazing things they had seen and heard, in their time with Jesus were a thing of the past. The grave, the tomb, everyone knows, is a final stopping place.

And yet, the women find the tomb empty! They are told that Jesus has risen! For the first time there is hope beyond the grave. The cemetery isn't the end of the story. The grave couldn't hold Jesus and it doesn't hold us either.

Join us this Easter Sunday morning as we celebrate victory and new hope.

We Remember: Good Friday

Friday evening, at 7:30 we will come together to remember and reflect on the sacrifice made for us through the cross.

Icon of the Crucifixion, 16th century, by Theophanes the Cretan

Our service will begin with a celebration of the Lord's Supper as we "take, eat, drink, remember and believe, that the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ was shed for the complete forgiveness of all of our sins.

We will reflect together, in scripture,  on the events of that day, as the darkness comes closer, and closer, until with a final cry we hear Jesus' words "It is Finished"

All are welcome, and invited, to join in this service commemorating the lengths God goes to demonstrate love for us.

Hosanna!!!

This Sunday we will mark Palm Sunday, remembering Jesus' entry into the city of Jerusalem, riding a donkey, down a mountain, through a crowd of Hosanna shouting, branch waving people. These are excited people, they've seen what Jesus can do, and are sure that his coming will usher in a new time of prosperity for their country. He causes a great stir as he arrives. 

James Tissot Created between 1886 and 1894

Hosannas though, soon turn to angry shouts of "crucify", are soon replaced with the sound of nails being hammered, the anguished cries of the condemned, tears at a tomb.

But, we're getting ahead of ourselves. For now we'll spend some time with that jubilant crowd. We'll join our children singing Hosanna. We can because we know the story doesn't end in that tomb, it doesn't end in sorrow. With the word's "It is finished" Jesus will mark the end of his task on earth, a battle won, victory gained.

Hosanna!!!

Dead Man Walking

John writes his gospel with the expressed purpose of relating the story of Jesus so that the reader might believe. By the time we get to John's account of the raising of Lazarus, Jesus has already fed five thousand people, walked on water, healed a man born blind and a man who couldn't walk. Over and over he describes himself as God's son. John of course has described him as God himself, the word made flesh.

One would wonder why John needs to add the story of Lazarus. It certainly is likely the most spectacular of Jesus' miracles. Raising a man who had been dead, (and lots of people knew he was dead) after he had been in the grave for four days, seems like overkill. Shouldn't the other stories have been enough? All through the passage though, there seems to be a background of skepticism, an underlying "but". Maybe raising someone from the dead is not enough to inspire belief.

This Sunday we will look at what Lazarus' raising means for us today.

Great News at the Well

The third Sunday of Lent brings us to a Samaritan village and a conversation beside a well. This, like the conversation Jesus had will Nicodemus in last week`s text, is an odd conversation. It`s odd, not so much because of it`s content, but because of the people who are talking together. Jesus, a Jewish teacher, and a Samaritan woman. 

Jesus and the Samaritan woman, 12th century
C.E. Illuminated manuscript from the Jruchi Gospels II

While their social standing could not be further apart, Jesus does initiate conversation, makes himself vulnerable to this woman in his need for water. The conversation moves to deeper water as Jesus really ``sees`` the woman, her life, her struggles. Jesus forms a bond with her and in so doing is able to share the good news of the gospel with her.

This week, we will continue our Lenten journey thinking about how we can use the example of this exchange to change the way we communicate the gospel, share our faith, with those around us.

 

In the Darkness (John 3:1-17)

Jesus and Nicodemus by Crijn Hendricksz, 1616–1645

Nicodemus comes to see Jesus during the night. He likely does this so no one will see him meeting with this upstart teacher. He doesn't want anyone to know about the meeting but he feels he must go because he has questions that he really wants answered. Jesus is saying things that demand more investigation and Nicodemus is truly curious.

He arrives in the dark of night, and likely leaves just as much in the dark when it comes to having any clarity about who Jesus is and what it is that he is teaching. Their exchange, reported by John, seems quite unsatisfying. Their conversation just doesn't seem to meet, the questions and answers don't seem to match. Nicodemus, I'm sure, left frustrated.

Jesus was talking in heavenly terms while Nicodemus was trying to bring the conversation down to earth, down to his level. He needed to think bigger, think higher.

This Sunday, we will listen in on this dark of night conversation and see how it applies to us and our lives.

For God so loved the world.......

Into the Wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11)

We begin the season of Lent this Sunday, by going back to the beginning of Jesus ministry, pre-ministry really. After his baptism, Jesus is led to go into the wilderness. He spends 40 days there, fasting and praying, and while he is there is tempted by the devil. He's tempted to turn his face away from God, to set down his trust in the promises of the Father, and to take what appears to be an easier road.         

When we find ourselves in the wilderness of life, we often find ourselves tempted as well. We find ourselves tempted to accept the quick solutions presented to us rather than hanging on to the promises of the gospel. We find ourselves willing to take short cuts of our own design rather than following God's design. 

This week, we will spend some time considering how Jesus time in the wilderness is a model for us as we struggle to find our way in our own desert places. 

Be Perfect (Matthew 5:38-48)

Over the past couple of weeks we've worked through the idea of being salt and light in the world, and then Jesus'  re-interpretation of the words of the law  seemed to raise the bar out of reach for most of us. This week,  Jesus apparently raises it even further with his instruction to turn the other cheek, and carry the extra mile. He tops it all off in the final verse of Matthew 5: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

We're left wondering what Jesus really means here? Is he really expecting that we can deliver perfection? Is this a ploy to make us feel like failures, to reinforce the fact that grace is the only way out for us? Or is there something else here?

Join us Sunday morning at 9:30 for worship as we struggle together with what it means to be perfect both as individuals and as a community. 

You Have Heard it Said (Matthew 5:21-37)

Our society is governed by rules. We have rules for driving our cars, rules for running meetings, rules for how we build buildings, rules for how we raise and educate our children. sometimes we feel hemmed in by rules, but usually we accept them as essential to being able to live together in our communities and country. We accept them because they help us to know how to act. 

There are times when we keep rules just because they are there, without ever trying to understand the underlying reason for the rule or law. Jesus spoke about this type of rule keeping as he introduced the new kingdom, the kingdom of God, in the Sermon on the Mount. Over and over he says "you have heard it said", or you have been told, that one of God's laws can be fulfilled in a particular way, "but I say" here's what it really means.

Jesus points us in a new direction in our understanding of God's laws.

Join us Sunday morning as we look at how God's law points us toward relationship with God and with our neighbours.

An Introduction

About a week and a half ago, I began my work as the interim pastor of the Fruitland Christian Reformed Church. It's been a smooth, but busy, beginning with a move to a new area, many new faces to match up with names, new places to explore, and new ways of doing things, of being community, to understand.

I'm excited about beginning this new challenge. I've realized this is a church that is dedicated to Christ, working to live out what it means to be God's ambassadors to their community. I've come to  a church that loves the Lord and values the support they find here. There are struggles  as well, worries about how to continue to be effective in a rapidly changing world, but, those I have met so far are prepared, even eager, to face the challenge.

I'm glad to be part of this adventure. Over time I'll use this space, this virtual keyboard to share what's happening at the Fruitland CRC and to invite you to become part of what God is doing with us here.

Pastor Ken