Uncomfortable Truth

In the weeks after Pentecost, right up to the first Sunday of Advent, the Revised Common Lectionary focuses on discipleship. What does it mean to be a follower of Christ? What does it mean to be a disciple? Using readings largely from the book of Mark (Year B) interspersed with some from John, the lectionary uses this time of the year to focus on these questions, most often through Jesus words and actions.

Reading these passages, hearing Jesus words, seeing him in action, often leaves us feeling uncomfortable, maybe even convicted.

In this week's reading Mark takes us to two instances where Jesus seems to condone breaking the Sabbath laws. These laws were part of the foundation of the culture of Israel, made them unique in the world and were often rigidly held and enforced. Jesus shows himself to be the king over the Sabbath, shows his anger over the inhuman application of the laws and makes the leaders so uncomfortable that they go away to begin to plot his death.

This Sunday, we'll wonder together about Jesus words and how we too have turned some of our ways of living into something other than discipleship.

Walking In His Steps (GEMS Sunday) Take 2

Back in April, we had to cancel our service because of an ice storm. That Sunday was meant to be a service aimed at celebrating our GEMS (Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior) club focused on their theme for the year "In His Steps". This Sunday we will take up this theme and this celebration again. 

The text that the GEMS have chosen this year, as their theme text, is 1 John 2:6 where John writes that whoever claims to live in him (in Jesus) must live as Jesus did. We might use the analogy of walking through our lives in Jesus footsteps, following the path that he set out in his life. Jesus provides the example to us, but how can we follow it? How does it apply to our lives over 2000 years later? Jesus was holy, he is God can we really walk in his steps?

We'll spend some time with these questions this Sunday morning in a service led by our GEMS.

Out Into the World

Sometimes it's exhausting interacting with the world around us. Everywhere we look we see things that we are sure don't match up with God's plan for a new kingdom.  Politicians say one thing and do another. Poverty continues all around us. We recognize the evils of discrimination and the entitlement that seems to be a part of our society. We see that what passes for justice is not always fair, or right. We also recognize the pain of rejection when we do stand up for the ideals we hold when we stand against wrong when we stand for God and God's kingdom. 

In all of this, it seems that the simplest, easiest path is to withdraw, to move into safe enclaves. Christians have done this for centuries gathering in monasteries,  communal living, retreats, all created to make a space that is unencumbered by the troubles of the world, a quiet and peaceful space without the noise and stresses of the world outside.

Jesus speaks against this isolating tendency in our text for Sunday morning. Jesus prays for God's protection of his disciples not their removal from the world in John 17. Join us this Sunday as we spend some time thinking about what these words mean for us.

Love One Another

Love, love, love. love..... Jesus talks a lot about love, demonstrates love through the way he lived, the way he interacted with those around him. Love is his theme and through his life, Jesus shows who God is, how much God loves his people. 

This week we are going to talk about love, but the passage is not so much about God's love for us as it is about our responsibility for those around us.

"Love one another" Jesus says, "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love. this is my commandment"

Suddenly, it seems that there is a job for me, work for me in my salvation, a command I need to keep. I wonder what happened to grace. I thought it was all about grace and that Jesus had done it all.

We'll struggle with this conflict on Sunday morning, struggle with what this command to love means in the light of Jesus sacrifice for us.