January 26, 2014 Third Sunday after Epiphany

Matthew 4:12-17  (The Promise)

12 When Jesus got word that John had been arrested, he returned to Galilee. 13 He moved from his hometown, Nazareth, to the lakeside village Capernaum, nestled at the base of the Zebulun and Naphtali hills. 14 This move completed Isaiah's sermon: 15 Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, road to the sea, over Jordan, Galilee, crossroads for the nations. 16 People sitting out their lives in the dark saw a huge light; Sitting in that dark, dark country of death, they watched the sun come up. 17 This Isaiah-prophesied sermon came to life in Galilee the moment Jesus started preaching. He picked up where John left off: “(Repent) Change your life. God's kingdom is here."



Repentance is a positive not a negative word.  It means ‘change from within’.  It has to do with opening life up, changing ones mind, being open to new possibilities; being open to live from the heart.  It is a180 degree turn.

“Repentance is a180 degree turn.”

Picture:  Lyle Feisel

January 19,’14 Second Sunday after Epiphany

John 1:35-39, 41-42  (The Promise)
    35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. 36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
   37 When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. 38 Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”
   They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”
   39 “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”
  41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Faith in Jesus as the Son of God is not something which happens in isolation.
It is not something we do by ourselves; it is something which happens in the human encounters of life.

It is something we walk into more than create by ourselves.
And we help each other believe what is otherwise too incredible to believe.

"He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lake side, He came to those men who knew Him not.  He speaks to us the same word: "Follow thou me!"  and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time.  He commands.  And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is."
Albert Schweitzer-"The Quest for the Historical Jesus”

“He speaks to us the same word: "Follow thou me!"  and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time.” Albert Schweitzer


Picture:  Sarah Pearson

January 12,'14 Baptism of Our Lord

Matt.  3:13-17  (The Promise)

13 Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. 14 John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized, not you!" 15 But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it. 16 The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit - it looked like a dove - descending and landing on him. 17 And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."

Jesus baptism was uniquely different from all other baptisms.  For Jesus knew no sin.
It identified who he was and what he was all about.

A suffering servant who “ will bring forth justice to the nations.”
A humble servant who “will not cry or lift up his voice...”
A gentle servant, “going about doing good and healing all who were oppressed...”

Baptism is not so much about what we get as it is a sign of who we are to become.
It is a sign that we are to be something more then we dare to think we can be.





Picture:  Carolyn Pearson


.

January 5, 2014 Christmas 2

John 1:14, 16
 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God... the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth...From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.”


What a text for the first Sunday of a new year!  .
With broad, powerful strokes of the pen John sets the stage for what is to come, not only in his gospel, but in life itself.  .

And the TRUTH is, that God is LOVE.
And the GRACE is, that this if for ALL.

Not just those who know it, accept it,  cherish it, believe it.  But for ALL - even those who don’t know it, accept it, cherish it or believe it.  God loves them too!

Grace is inclusive!






“The worst word in the english language is exclusive."  Carl Sandberg