A Word From John

Confession is good for the Soul.

John — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 18:30:22 +0000

We don't like words like repent or confession or sin anymore. , They sound like words from a time past and from a theology that sounds more angry than joyful. Like an unwelcome intrusion of Old Testament into the New. The only problem is, if we throw out these words than most of the message of the Bible gets thrown out with them. In my Lutheran tradition the liturgy suggests; "we are in bondage to sin and cannot free ourselves. We have sinned against you (God) in thought, word and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone...". That just about covers it. We are by our very nature a people who are rebellious against the One who created us. The story of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 is a story of rebellion. Much like the Adam and Eve story in Genesis, it's a kind of original sin in the new body of Christ. Ananias and Sapphira lie about their gifts and Peter suggests that it isn't human beings your trying to deceive it's the Holy Spirit. And both Ananias and Sapphira pay for their deceit with their lives. It just sounds like that Old Testament wrath of God stuff to our modern ears. We don't give the church or our community everything, why the extreme punishment? I think the point of this story is that there is one thing that's inherent in our discipleship and that is our willingness to be honest with God. Without that honesty God's desire to transform us and conform our lives to His is hindered. We want a relationship with God and the church and our community, but, we want it on our own terms. This lesson suggests that there is no part time or half way discipleship. What's required is a willingness to surrender ourselves to the One who gives all to us. That means being radically honest and open so that God can do God's transforming work in us. Do we do that perfectly? Of course not. But, as we fail we know that the antidote to sin and evil is our willingness to confess our sin to God and to hear God's word of forgiveness and grace. Confession is most often talked about today as a private matter - "we don't need for some priest to hear our confession". True enough! But, we sin both individually and corporately and to stand before God and one another in a posture of confession and humility is something that can define us and our relationship to God. We are dependent upon God for grace, forgiveness and every great and perfect gift. Confession is part of the cure that God offers us from those things that seek to prevent us from being open and honest with God. On Sunday we'll explore that gift - we hope you'll join us.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

The Shaping of a Community

John — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:23:54 +0000

I often wonder what the world thinks about the church? What do people in our community think about the church as a whole or our Congregation? The more I speak to people who are not part of the church, the more I hear that the world doesn't think about us at all. We've become so irrelevant that the world goes about its business without any idea of what we're about. We exist on the periphery of our respective communities. As I read the book of Acts (the source of our next sermon series - "By the Power of the Spirit") what I am struck by the most is that no one in their community could have missed what the church was doing, because what they were doing was all for the benefit of the community of which they were a part. People were becoming part of the kingdom of God because the church existed for the benefit of those who did not yet belong to it. The disciples devoted themselves to healing, to sharing faith, to caring for the needs of their community. The church today sits aside from the community and hopes beyond hope that people will come to us. What Acts teaches us is that the church needs to be turned inside out. We need to be so outward directed that the community will have to go out of its way to miss us. I have this image of a church in New Jersey on route 22. It happens to be a Lutheran Congregation, St. Timothy Lutheran. What's interesting about this church building is that it literally sits in the middle of the road. The building is on a large median that divides the highway. I don't know much about what St.Timothy is doing in that community but to be sure you can hardly miss it. Most of our Congregations will have to work a little harder to get noticed. What the Spirit is up to will have to be so evident that people want to come and find out what all the commotion is about. It's my great hope that efforts like "Christ Together" and our efforts through the Lamb House and our food ministry will continue to grow, not so that we get noticed, but, rather that Christ may be seen and our community transformed. That's what the book of Acts teaches me. That the church needs to be at the very heart of our communities, seeking its transformation by the power of the Spirit. The first step may be to pray that the Spirit will transform the church and then we can be about the Spirit's work in the world.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Quiet Healing

John — Sat, 29 May 2010 23:09:32 +0000

Sam Wells(Dean of the Chapel at Duke University) suggests that there are two kinds of healing; 1) Loud healing - which usually involves a lot of shouting, loud prayers, over the top hand gestures and the elongation of words(i.e.Jeeeeeezus). And 2) Quiet healing which uses more subtle words like wholeness and journey. Tomorrow True North will take a plunge into the waters of healing. I trust we'll be more about the quiet sort of healing Sam Wells describes. In this effort we'll take a look at Matthew 8 which has a series of healing episodes back to back. The most interesting one involves a Centurion and his paralyzed servant. Jesus promises to go and heal him but the Centurion suggests that Jesus' can do it without having to go to the house. Just as the Centurion commands people to do this and that and it's done, so Jesus' can just say the word and the healing will be accomplished. What's interesting about this story is that there is no account of the servant being healed, just a promise on Jesus' part that it will be just as the Centurion believes. In my mind the story is all about the Centurion and his faith and very little about the servant who needs healing. That's the thing about healing services too. We may come hoping for healing in mind, body or spirit for ourselves or someone we love. But, what happens in that encounter with God may have a lot more to do with the faith that's given to us as we come into the presence of God and healing being the kind of sideline to the story. We all want healing when someone we love is hurting. What God seems to want for all of us is the healing that comes through the forgiveness Jesus' offers and the future he came to open up for us all. A future that is good and gracious and with God.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

If you want to set someone on fire you have to burn a little yourself

John — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:28:51 +0000

Sunday is Pentecost Sunday. Unlike Easter, with all of its secular aspects and folks who come once a year, Pentecost is hardly noticed by the outside world. It's the festival, not of the occasional Christian, but, for the fully immersed. This is the great festival of the Spirit. I think perhaps the difficulty with American Christianity is that it is a church that is largely uncomfortable with the things of the Spirit. We're fine with the notion of God as Father (those who have lousy human father would argue) and we're very comfortable with Jesus. But, the third person of the Trinity leaves us feeling a little itchy. We associate the Spirit often with those within the church who are very expressive in their worship styles and in their God talk. Mainline Christians are aghast at such showy displays. But, perhaps in this aversion we've become what William Willimon suggests; "a people who have been inoculated with a small dose of Christianity to avoid getting the real thing". The church is growing faster in this new century than at any other time, but, it's not happening here in America. The Spirit is spreading like wildfire in Africa and in some Latin American countries. There's even a growing movement in China where being Christian makes you a criminal. Yet, I still believe a kind of Pentecost is about to take place here. All it takes is the Spirit moving among us and our willingness to catch fire. While denominationalism may be on the decline, the church is on the rise. The Spirit is moving to make the light of Christ burn in the hearts of people throughout the world. What will it take for we Americans to experience it? Well, someone once said; "if you want to set someone on fire you have to burn a little yourself". That sounds like a good way to start. We'll chat more about that on Sunday evening!

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

There's Love And Then There's Love!

John — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:29:46 +0000

My apologies to Monica for throwing a wrinkle in our sermon series. We decided that John 21 should really be broken up into two segments - breakfast on the beach and Peter's conversation with Jesus about love. Three times Peter is asked; "Do you love me?" by Jesus. Three times, the increasingly frustrated Peter responds "yes Lord you know that I love you". Several possibilities here; many scholars believe that the threefold confession of Peter's love for Jesus is Jesus' way of undoing the threefold denial of Jesus before the crucifixion. My colleague Jeff Cannon believes that the reason for the threefold questioning is that Jesus is talking about a different kind of love than Peter. It goes something like this; "Peter do you love me?" "Yes Lord I really admire you". "Peter do you love me?" "Yes Lord you know that I think your special". "Peter do you love me?" "Lord you know everything, you know my love is the best I can offer". It's a compelling idea. I've yet to find it in any scholarly opinion, but, it works for me. However, what's more compelling for me still is the response of Jesus' to Peter's affirmation that he indeed loves Jesus. "Feed my Sheep". In other words, saying it isn't enough. Love is a verb. It's a love put to work for those whom Jesus' calls "least of these". So, why do we feed hungry people? Because, they're hungry and we love with a love that's more than sentimental. It's a love that seeks to fill and transform and lift up. I think perhaps many people feel that my preoccupation with outreach is overboard and borderline fanatical. We're all for doing good deeds, but, lets not get too crazy about this. But, this lesson fuels me because if we are to tell the world that Jesus is in love with them, we can't say it and do nothing. Our actions will surely speak louder than our words. When we are about caring for the needs of others we're about the love of Christ flowing through us to the world that Jesus is indeed in love with. The work that we do is more than being nice, it's being the body of Christ who lives to show love and loves to reach out. The old Christian camp song said it well; "They'll know we are Christians by our Love".

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Arguing with the Gospel of John

John — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 02:23:49 +0000

The "doubting Thomas" story is one that I love. But, I think it's only because I love to argue with it. I think I know what John wants to tell us. "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe" refers to you and me. We didn't have the advantage of Thomas. But, I would argue with that. I believe, not because I'm brilliant or because of some accomplishment of my own. I believe because others have believed before me and have "shown" me the risen Christ plain as day. I believe because God has gifted me with a faith that doesn't come from within. Faith comes by hearing the Word and by the Spirit's work within me. I believe because I "see". When a woman who's faced abuse from the church can still find the faith to care for those whom Christ called "least of these" - I see the risen Christ plain as day. When a pastor creates a ministry in another city just because the need is there and for no selfish reason whatsoever, I see the risen Christ as plain as day. Thomas had to see to believe. So do I. We call Thomas "doubting Thomas" but for me he's believing Thomas. He offers the last confession of faith in the Gospel of John "my Lord and my God". Is Thomas' faith less than our own because he demanded proof? I don't think so. I do too. Fortunately, that prayer is one that Jesus chooses to answer everyday.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

What Kind of a Church Is This?

John — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:07:08 +0000

Sometimes I get discouraged about the church. I've been hurt by the church (as so many have been far worse than me), I've been disillusioned on many occasions. Most often I feel like we're just pretending, like we really don't mean what we say. We like Bible studies and church picnics but we really aren't so keen on giving up control of our lives to the one whom God raised from the dead. So, when I get discouraged I like to read this text we're looking at for this Sunday. John 20: 19-25 shows the disciples hiding behind locked doors, even after Jesus' resurrection has been reported to them. What kind of a church is this? The very disciples who followed so closely behind Jesus, who heard first hand his promise to return and to gift them with his Spirit, these disciples are cowering behind locked doors. That's no way to respond to Easter. You can't have a church like that! But, that's where they were on that first Easter evening. And Jesus' response is not like mine would have been. No smacking them on the wrists, no brow beating, but rather a word of grace; "peace be with you". That's the way of this God of ours. Just when you think they'd be given the boot Jesus' gifts them with his peace and even more importantly with his Spirit. Breathing the Spirit of the Risen Christ into their bodies and souls. Even locked doors couldn't keep Jesus' from bringing them his peace. Even locked hearts and crushed faith. I need to hear this story when I get so cynical and am tempted towards self righteousness. The church is flawed, it's too self protective, it's too concerned with rules and regulations and not enough with grace and forgiveness. It's filled with bureaucrats and it's more eager to serve itself than the world. But, it's still for all it's flaws the body of Christ. It's still the apple of Jesus' eye. It's still, despite all of us flawed and fallible members, the church that I love and have been loved by. So to all of us who are walking through this maze of life, trying to figure it out and stumbling along the way - Jesus has a word for us; "peace be with you".

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

What is God up to?

John — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:44:02 +0000

I visited along with my wife Oneita today a mission called The Breakthrough Center in Buckroe area of Hampton. They offer lunch to anyone who would like to join them, clothing and emergency food, computer classes and resume writing. Most of all they are always ready and eager to pray. In meeting with the founders of this Center we were talking about future plans and what a vision they have! They were talking about the schools in Hampton that are going to be closed down and how wonderful it would be to get a hold of one of those buildings and put it to use for the benefit of the community. To be able to house folks who are without a home, to feed people, to mentor people, to do a host of things that are not being done through all the churches and agencies who help those in need. What a vision! I want to invite you to pray for this vision and to be a part of it. Volunteer your time, pray for the mission, tell others about it, make a donation - whatever it is that you can offer. It really feels like God is about to do some amazing, community changing things with all of the faithful folks that have been introduced to us at True North. The Lamb House, Breakthrough Center, Share Heart in Africa, Godparents for Tanzania, the Foodbank. I'm so excited to be a small part of the amazing work that the Spirit of the risen Christ is doing in our midst. I'm not sure exactly what God is up to - but I believe it's going to be even greater than we can dream of today!

Original post blogged on b2evolution.