Worship - Being One With God

We Worship God
A Guide for Worship Leaders

Hebrews 8:6-12 (The Message)
 ^6-13But Jesus' priestly work far surpasses what these other priests do, since he's working from a far better plan. If the first plan—the old covenant—had worked out, a second wouldn't have been needed. But we know the first was found wanting, because God said,

   Heads up! The days are coming
      when I'll set up a new plan
      for dealing with Israel and Judah.
   I'll throw out the old plan
      I set up with their ancestors
      when I led them by the hand out of Egypt.
   They didn't keep their part of the bargain,
      so I looked away and let it go.
   This new plan I'm making with Israel
      isn't going to be written on paper,
      isn't going to be chiseled in stone;
   This time I'm writing out the plan in them,
      carving it on the lining of their hearts.
   I'll be their God,
      they'll be my people.
   They won't go to school to learn about me,
      or buy a book called God in Five Easy Lessons.
   They'll all get to know me firsthand,
      the little and the big, the small and the great.
   They'll get to know me by being kindly forgiven,
      with the slate of their sins forever wiped clean.
By coming up with a new plan, a new covenant between God and his people, God put the old plan on the shelf. And there it stays, gathering dust.

For Reflection
The central focus of worship is the feeling of being one with God.  The new plan about which Isiah speaks breaks the tradition of treating humanity as a corporate entity and focuses on the individual; moving from a corporate relationship to God to a personal relationship.  The Christ event confirms this shift in focus.    Many have felt from time to time the fleeting presence of God.  Such experiences confirm the movement of the Spirit in our lives. The function of the Church, then, is not to stand as a gatekeeper between God and humans, but rather to facilitate the path for a personal relationship with the living God.

  Worship can take place any where, any time.  We worship alone and in the company of others.  Think of a time when you have felt the presence of God.  Do you think you could sustain that feeling and confidence in God's presence for more than that short peak experience?

Pray
deeply and often.  Pray that you will become more open to the guiding force that is God.  Pray to strengthen your relationship to God.  Pray that you will seek the hand of God in your life.

Our Savior Reigns

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Mark 13:14-27 (The Message)

Run for the Hills

 ^14-18"But be ready to run for it when you see the monster of desecration set up where it should never be. You who can read, make sure you understand what I'm talking about. If you're living in Judea at the time, run for the hills; if you're working in the yard, don't go back to the house to get anything; if you're out in the field, don't go back to get your coat. Pregnant and nursing mothers will have it especially hard. Hope and pray this won't happen in the middle of winter.  ^19-20"These are going to be hard days—nothing like it from the time God made the world right up to the present. And there'll be nothing like it again. If he let the days of trouble run their course, nobody would make it. But because of God's chosen people, those he personally chose, he has already intervened.

No One Knows the Day or Hour

 ^21-23"If anyone tries to flag you down, calling out, 'Here's the Messiah!' or points, 'There he is!' don't fall for it. Fake Messiahs and lying preachers are going to pop up everywhere. Their impressive credentials and dazzling performances will pull the wool over the eyes of even those who ought to know better. So watch out. I've given you fair warning.  ^24-25"Following those hard times,

   Sun will fade out,
      moon cloud over,
   Stars fall out of the sky,
      cosmic powers tremble.
 ^26-27"And then they'll see the Son of Man enter in grand style, his Arrival filling the sky—no one will miss it! He'll dispatch the angels; they will pull in the chosen from the four winds, from pole to pole.


For Reflection

Our world is always in turmoil.  It is the repeating pattern of  history.  We suffer greatly.  But, in our suffering is found the essence of Godliness.  We manage to rise above the chaos.

The Son of Man has shown us the way.  Truth, justice, and the end of fear mark our Savior's reign. He brought and brings a message of hope and salvation.  He comes again, to each of us here and now.   We are asked only to keep the faith and abide in God.  How are you doing?

Pray
Keep us watchful for glimpses of God's grace.  Keep us focused on the Way, the Truth and the Light.  Remind us that we live in the hollow of God's hand.  Keep us safe from false prophets.  Keep us in the service of the Lord.

Be Aware

2 Peter 3:11-18 (The Message)
 ^11-13Since everything here today might well be gone tomorrow, do you see how essential it is to live a holy life? Daily expect the Day of God, eager for its arrival. The galaxies will burn up and the elements melt down that day—but we'll hardly notice. We'll be looking the other way, ready for the promised new heavens and the promised new earth, all landscaped with righteousness.
 ^14-16So, my dear friends, since this is what you have to look forward to, do your very best to be found living at your best, in purity and peace. Interpret our Master's patient restraint for what it is: salvation. Our good brother Paul, who was given much wisdom in these matters, refers to this in all his letters, and has written you essentially the same thing. Some things Paul writes are difficult to understand. Irresponsible people who don't know what they are talking about twist them every which way. They do it to the rest of the Scriptures, too, destroying themselves as they do it.
 ^17-18But you, friends, are well-warned. Be on guard lest you lose your footing and get swept off your feet by these lawless and loose-talking teachers. Grow in grace and understanding of our Master and Savior, Jesus Christ.
   Glory to the Master, now and forever! Yes!

For Reflection
It is the natural way.  Things begin and things end.  One is born and one dies. But to God, past present and future are one.  The beginning of life is not the beginning and death is not the end.  The universe expands and grows and uses up its energy and some day it will decay.  But for believers, it is not the end.  God continues and our place with Him is unending.

The end of the world is not the end of God nor the end or our souls.  Live with hope and anticipation of what is to come.  Grow in Grace.  Know that the Son of Man is with you.

Pray
Sing songs of adoration and praise for the living God.  Pray and listen for God's word.  Pray that you follow your call with confidence.

Be Aware of the End of Time

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Mark 13:1-13 (The Message)

Doomsday Deceivers

 ¹ As he walked away from the Temple, one of his disciples said, "Teacher, look at that stonework! Those buildings!"  ²Jesus said, "You're impressed by this grandiose architecture? There's not a stone in the whole works that is not going to end up in a heap of rubble." ^3-4Later, as he was sitting on Mount Olives in full view of the Temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew got him off by himself and asked, "Tell us, when is this going to happen? What sign will we get that things are coming to a head?"
 ^5-8Jesus began, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities claiming, 'I'm the One.' They will deceive a lot of people. When you hear of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history, and no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Earthquakes will occur in various places. There will be famines. But these things are nothing compared to what's coming.
 ^9-10"And watch out! They're going to drag you into court. And then it will go from bad to worse, dog-eat-dog, everyone at your throat because you carry my name. You're placed there as sentinels to truth. The Message has to be preached all across the world.
 ¹¹"When they bring you, betrayed, into court, don't worry about what you'll say. When the time comes, say what's on your heart—the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you.
 ^12-13"It's going to be brother killing brother, father killing child, children killing parents. There's no telling who will hate you because of me.
   "Stay with it—that's what is required. Stay with it to the end. You won't be sorry; you'll be saved.


For Reflection
My mother told me that her brother, Charles, was a doomsday preacher.  Standing in the late 1930's on the corners of streets in Pittsburgh, PA, he loudly proclaimed repentance, forgiveness, salvation and the end of time.  Time out lived him. But, I suppose, his heart was in the right place.

I also suppose he was ridiculed for acting on his belief.  He played his part.  Who am I to criticize?  For that matter who in this world was in a position to discredit him?  No, we cannot predict the end of the world.  However, we can prepare for it.  Maybe, just maybe, God spoke through Charles and someone listened.

Pray
that someone is listening.  Pray that you are someone who either knowingly or unwittingly brings another to God.  Pray that "the Holy Spirit will make his witness in and through you."

Peril in Distressing Times

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

2 Timothy 3:1-9 (The Message)

Difficult Times Ahead

 ^1-5Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God. They'll make a show of religion, but behind the scenes they're animals. Stay clear of these people.  ^6-9These are the kind of people who smooth-talk themselves into the homes of unstable and needy women and take advantage of them; women who, depressed by their sinfulness, take up with every new religious fad that calls itself  "truth." They get exploited every time and never really learn. These men are like those old Egyptian frauds Jannes and Jambres, who challenged Moses. They were rejects from the faith, twisted in their thinking, defying truth itself. But nothing will come of these latest impostors. Everyone will see through them, just as people saw through that Egyptian hoax.

For Reflection
Don't you sometimes worry about the hundreds of self-proclaimed Christian ministers who raise millions of dollars and promise outragious outcomes?  Or look around you and see hundreds of godless folks blundering their way through life infecting like a deadly virus many who come in contact with them?

Put your worry aside. They can't beat God. Furthermore, you can't beat them!  Others will see them as they are.  Keep the faith.  Continue to work in your call as a Christian.  God will win in the end.

Pray
for those that seek justice.  Pray for all to see God's power in this world.  Pray that you will influence those who will heed the word.

Terror for the Proud and the Lofty

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Isaiah 2:5-12 (The Message)

Climb God's Mountain

 ^1-5 The Message Isaiah got regarding Judah and Jerusalem: There's a day coming when the mountain of God's House
Will be The Mountain—
   solid, towering over all mountains.
All nations will river toward it,
   people from all over set out for it.
They'll say, "Come,
   let's climb God's Mountain,
   go to the House of the God of Jacob.
He'll show us the way he works
   so we can live the way we're made."
Zion's the source of the revelation.
   God's Message comes from Jerusalem.
He'll settle things fairly between nations.
   He'll make things right between many peoples.
They'll turn their swords into shovels,
   their spears into hoes.
No more will nation fight nation;
   they won't play war anymore.
Come, family of Jacob,
   let's live in the light of God.  ^6-9God, you've walked out on your family Jacob
   because their world is full of hokey religion,
Philistine witchcraft, and pagan hocus-pocus,
   a world rolling in wealth,
Stuffed with things,
   no end to its machines and gadgets,
And gods—gods of all sorts and sizes.
   These people make their own gods and worship what they make.
A degenerate race, facedown in the gutter.
   Don't bother with them! They're not worth forgiving!

Pretentious Egos Brought Down to Earth

 ¹⁰Head for the hills,
   hide in the caves
From the terror of God,
   from his dazzling presence.  ^11-17People with a big head are headed for a fall,
   pretentious egos brought down a peg.
It's God alone at front-and-center
   on the Day we're talking about,
The Day that God-of-the-Angel-Armies
   is matched against all big-talking rivals,
   against all swaggering big names;
Against all giant sequoias
   hugely towering,
   and against the expansive chestnut;
Against Kilimanjaro and Annapurna,
   against the ranges of Alps and Andes;
Against every soaring skyscraper,
   against all proud obelisks and statues;
Against ocean-going luxury liners,
   against elegant three-masted schooners.
The swelled big heads will be punctured bladders,
   the pretentious egos brought down to earth,
Leaving God alone at front-and-center
   on the Day we're talking about.


For Reflection
If the intimate truth were known, I guess we all from time to time wish for the Holy Gotcha -- especially if we are not the one that has been caught.  Perhaps Isaiah would like the unbelievers and the critics and the false profits to get what they deserve.
But is it true that the God of the Angel Armies is the God of terror, eager to punish the unbeliever?  Surely, God has punished, but is that his main function? 

I think not.  God is strong and we may lean on His strength.  The Christ event changed our role.  Leave the judgement to God.  Wish not for vengence.  Love your enemy. Serve your fellow human. Sacrifice your secular desire for an eye for and eye justice and embrace mercy.

Pray
that you will replace fear of an apocalypse with hope, mercy and compassion.

An Example Set

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

John 13:3-16 (The Message)
 ^3-6Jesus knew that the Father had put him in complete charge of everything, that he came from God and was on his way back to God. So he got up from the supper table, set aside his robe, and put on an apron. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with his apron. When he got to Simon Peter, Peter said, "Master, you wash my feet?"
 ⁷Jesus answered, "You don't understand now what I'm doing, but it will be clear enough to you later."
 ⁸Peter persisted, "You're not going to wash my feet—ever!"
   Jesus said, "If I don't wash you, you can't be part of what I'm doing."
 ⁹"Master!" said Peter. "Not only my feet, then. Wash my hands! Wash my head!"
 ^10-12Jesus said, "If you've had a bath in the morning, you only need your feet washed now and you're clean from head to toe. My concern, you understand, is holiness, not hygiene. So now you're clean. But not every one of you." (He knew who was betraying him. That's why he said, "Not every one of you.") After he had finished washing their feet, he took his robe, put it back on, and went back to his place at the table.
 ^12-17Then he said, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You address me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. I'm only pointing out the obvious. A servant is not ranked above his master; an employee doesn't give orders to the employer. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life.

For Reflection Question.  If one part of us is dirty, does it mean that the whole of us is dirty?  Perhaps one way to look at this familiar passage is to washing the dirty part to preserve the cleanliness of the whole body.  Is it true that we will always have dirty feet even if our body is clean?  Is Judas's failure to be cleansed much different from Peter' dirtiness in denial?  Jesus cleanses everyone's feet.  Cleansed by the cross and by His resurrection.

Pray
help us to wash each others feet as Christ has shown us.  Help us to offer again and again the cleansing sanctuary that is Christ our Lord.

The Paradox of Servitude

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

John 12:20-26 (The Message)

A Grain of Wheat Must Die

 ^20-21There were some Greeks in town who had come up to worship at the Feast. They approached Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee: "Sir, we want to see Jesus. Can you help us?"  ^22-23Philip went and told Andrew. Andrew and Philip together told Jesus. Jesus answered, "Time's up. The time has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
 ^24-25"Listen carefully: Unless a grain of wheat is buried in the ground, dead to the world, it is never any more than a grain of wheat. But if it is buried, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over. In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you'll have it forever, real and eternal.
 ²⁶"If any of you wants to serve me, then follow me. Then you'll be where I am, ready to serve at a moment's notice. The Father will honor and reward anyone who serves me.

For Reflection One must lose one's self before he can find him/her self.  One must die in order to live. You can probably think of other biblically based recommendations for Christian discipleship. Death of self has no sting when we are resurrected into a transformed Christ-like self.  Can you believe that?  Can you accept the Divine Mystery that defines our transformations?

Pray
give us reckless love, faith and hope.  Help us to accept the death of our old selves.  Help us to accept the holy transformation which enables us to walk with Christ.

The Sacrifice of Servitude

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Mark 10:17-22 (The Message)

To Enter God's Kingdom

 ¹⁷As he went out into the street, a man came running up, greeted him with great reverence, and asked, "Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?"  ^18-19Jesus said, "Why are you calling me good? No one is good, only God. You know the commandments: Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, don't cheat, honor your father and mother."
 ²⁰He said, "Teacher, I have—from my youth—kept them all!"
 ²¹Jesus looked him hard in the eye—and loved him! He said, "There's one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me."
 ²²The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and not about to let go.

For Reflection
Is your commitment to righteousness as strong as you knowledge of righteousness?  The man had the knowledge of what was expected righteous behavior.  He lacked the commitment. He only had one foot in righteousness.  The next step was selflessness.  What are you holding on to so tightly that it keeps you in your comfort zone and interferes with acts of righteousness?

Pray
help us to let go of all those things and notions of self that inhibit full and complete servitude.  Help us to accept the death of our old selves and discover the selves as transformed by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Gratified in Service

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Luke 10:38-42 (The Message)

Mary and Martha

 ^38-40As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."  ^41-42The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

For Reflection

When my wife prepares for company, she is a changed woman. Fierce focus drive her to cook and clean.  It is almost always best to stay out of her way.

Martha had high expectations for her own servitude.  She also assumed (as my wife does of me) that Mary shared her presumption of urgent need and that Mary should share her labor.  Martha had a bad case of the shoulda-beens.  Mary shoulda-been working at Martha's side.  That's the proper service to Christ!  Was Martha jealous?  Did she see Martha's role as one of privileged?  When serving the Master what is essential?

Pray
help us to strike a balance among those things while necessary are not essential.  Help us to find time for the essential things.  Help us to see that our need to please is not clouded by false expectations of our action and the action or others.  Help us not to see our selves in comparison to others or others in comparison to ourselves.  Help us to understand our selves as you understand us.

Serving Selflessly

Luke 15:25-32 (The Message)
 ^25-27"All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day's work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him, 'Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.'
 ^28-30"The older brother stalked off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn't listen. The son said, 'Look how many years I've stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!'
 ^31-32"His father said, 'Son, you don't understand. You're with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate. This brother of yours was dead, and he's alive! He was lost, and he's found!'"

For Reflection
Did you ever feel taken for granted?  Perhaps that is what the stay-at-home brother felt.  But at the core, had the brother let go of the image of himself, he may not have reacted that way.  What did the brother fear that would have motivated this reaction?  Even if his father did little to communicate in a way that would have influenced the brothers confidence, faith and trust, what could the brother have done to understand his father's intention for him?  Death is never easy, even when it is the death of self-centeredness.

Pray
help us to accept the necessary death or denial of our alone selves.  Help us to live transfigured into servants, confident, hopeful, faithful followers who unwaveringly trust in you.

Seeking Comfort in Community

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Ruth 1:1-7 (The Message)

  ^1-2Once upon a time—it was back in the days when judges led Israel— there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem in Judah left home to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. The man's name was Elimelech; his wife's name was Naomi; his sons were named Mahlon and Kilion—all Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They all went to the country of Moab and settled there.
 ^3-5 Elimelech died and Naomi was left, she and her two sons. The sons took Moabite wives; the name of the first was Orpah, the second Ruth. They lived there in Moab for the next ten years. But then the two brothers, Mahlon and Kilion, died. Now the woman was left without either her young men or her husband.

^6-7 One day she got herself together, she and her two daughters-in-law, to leave the country of Moab and set out for home; she had heard that God had been pleased to visit his people and give them food. And so she started out from the place she had been living, she and her two daughters-in-law with her, on the road back to the land of Judah.

For Reflection  In those days no one was more alone, left to fend for herself than a husband-less woman.  And yet, Ruth seems to recognize the promise of God's community and returns with Naomi.  Risky business this!

The risk payed off, of course.  God's Grace is found in the community of believers.  Christians, like the early Jews, are incomplete without the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit, found in the community of believers.

Pray
that you will act on the promise of God's grace.  Pray that you will be confident in that Grace that you will assume risk in the name of God.  Pray that you, like Ruth, will live in the hollow of God's hand for ever.

Restoring Community

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Genesis 50:15-21 (The Message)

^14-15 After burying his father, Joseph went back to Egypt. All his brothers who had come with him to bury his father returned with him. After the funeral, Joseph's brothers talked among themselves: "What if Joseph is carrying a grudge and decides to pay us back for all the wrong we did him?"
 ^16-17 So they sent Joseph a message, "Before his death, your father gave this command: Tell Joseph, 'Forgive your brothers' sin—all that wrongdoing. They did treat you very badly.' Will you do it? Will you forgive the sins of the servants of your father's God?"
   When Joseph received their message, he wept.
 ¹⁸ Then the brothers went in person to him, threw themselves on the ground before him and said, "We'll be your slaves."
 ^19-21 Joseph replied, "Don't be afraid. Do I act for God? Don't you see, you planned evil against me but God used those same plans for my good, as you see all around you right now—life for many people. Easy now, you have nothing to fear; I'll take care of you and your children." He reassured them, speaking with them heart-to-heart.

For Reflection
See? Not even Joseph, who had hard reasons for holding a grudge, for vindictive retribution, responded to the urge for vengeance.  In a God-like response, Joesph forgives his brothers.  It is as though their deeds never occured.

The evil the brothers conspired and carried out in the end was used by God.  This is the Divine Mystery.  Why do bad things happen to good people?  Why are we made in the image of God, yet imperfect?  Because we are human, Not God. Made by God, perfect in our imperfection by God's Grace.

Like Joseph we do not act for God. God acts through us.

Pray
that you become a perfect channel for God's grace.  Pray to forgive your own imperfection.  Pray that you forgive imperfection in others.

Seeking Unity in Community

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Romans 14:1-9 (The Message)

Cultivating Good Relationships

 ¹ Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.  ^2-4For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ's table, wouldn't it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn't eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God's welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
 ⁵Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
 ^6-9What's important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God's sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you're a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It's God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That's why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

For Reflection
"Freed from the petty tyrannies of each other."  Paul offers good advice to an emerging church.  If all of the believers in a community don't think or act exactly the same or as one expects them to, so what?  They are guests of God -- children of God.  Why do some people fear others who see things differently?  If God invited them both to the table are they not of equal value?  Our strength as a community lies not in the fact that we are all arms or legs or eyes.  The strength of the community is that we are together arms and legs and eyes and hands and feet and noses and and and.

Pray
that we in Christ realize our unique place in the Kingdom of God.  Pray for the strength to appreciate the different talents that each offers to God.  Pray to be freed from participating in petty tyrannies in the name of Christ.

Bound Together in Christ

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Romans 12:3-8 (The Message)
 ³I'm speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.
 ^4-6In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn't amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't.
 ^6-8If you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else; if you help, just help, don't take over; if you teach, stick to your teaching; if you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy; if you're put in charge, don't manipulate; if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond; if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them. Keep a smile on your face.

For Reflection
We live in the hollow of God's hand.  Paul says, "Living...in pure grace."  God's goodness, it seems, does not depend on our "enhancements of God."  Whodathunkit?

What we do for Him does not make him a better god, nor does it make us better followers.  As Christians we first give up the old guiding principle of self.  As Paul points out, the only way to understand our transformed or re-born selves is by what God does for us not what we do for him.  Takes the pressure off doesn't it?

We can relax and not worry about who we are in relation to others.  We can just be.  That, I think is what God wants.  Being a servant means playing your role even imperfectly.  God will perfect it.  It's that Grace we talk about that does it.

Pray
that God will take your imperfect action and an use it perfectly to the glory of His Kingdom.  Pray that you will continue humbly at Jesus side listening to His praise and His gently correction.  Pray for patience.  Pray to expect nothing in return for your service.  Pray to be surprised at God's grace flowing through you.

The Lord of All

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Romans 10:5-13  (The Message)
 ^4-10The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?

   The word that saves is right here,
      as near as the tongue in your mouth,
      as close as the heart in your chest.
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
 ^11-13Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help."


For Reflection
As a child, following the rules was essential.  As a teenager we discovered that following the rules was more difficult.  As an adult we questioned the rules.  The only way to survive Christianity is to let God shape the right living for us.  Trust and hope are essential.  We must bear our own cross and walk with Christ.  Cry for help and it will be there.  How much do you trust God?

Pray
That you will live the life god intends for you by trusting in Him to show you the way -- to hold your hand-- to complement you and to instruct you.

The Messiah Disclosed

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

John 4:16-26 (The Message)
 ¹⁶He said, "Go call your husband and then come back."
 ^17-18"I have no husband," she said.
   "That's nicely put: 'I have no husband.' You've had five husbands, and the man you're living with now isn't even your husband. You spoke the truth there, sure enough."
 ^19-20"Oh, so you're a prophet! Well, tell me this: Our ancestors worshiped God at this mountain, but you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place for worship, right?"
 ^21-23"Believe me, woman, the time is coming when you Samaritans will worship the Father neither here at this mountain nor there in Jerusalem. You worship guessing in the dark; we Jews worship in the clear light of day. God's way of salvation is made available through the Jews. But the time is coming—it has, in fact, come—when what you're called will not matter and where you go to worship will not matter.
 ^23-24"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship. God is sheer being itself—Spirit. Those who worship him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their true selves, in adoration."
 ²⁵The woman said, "I don't know about that. I do know that the Messiah is coming. When he arrives, we'll get the whole story."
 ²⁶"I am he," said Jesus. "You don't have to wait any longer or look any further."

For Reflection She was simply and honestly herself.  While Christ refused to answer the Priests and Scribes, He responded unhesitatingly to this outcast  woman.

Like the woman at the well, we have to wait no longer for salvation.  The one who offers salvation is here.  We have "the whole story."

Pray
Thank God for Jesus Christ.  Disclosed to you.  Sacrificed so that you are forgiven of sin.  Praise God for second chances at living in the Way of the Lord.

Are You the One?

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Luke 22:66-70 (The Message)

 

 ^66-67When it was morning, the religious leaders of the people and the high priests and scholars all got together and brought him before their High Council. They said, "Are you the Messiah?"
 ^67-69He answered, "If I said yes, you wouldn't believe me. If I asked what you meant by your question, you wouldn't answer me. So here's what I have to say: From here on the Son of Man takes his place at God's right hand, the place of power."
 ⁷⁰They all said, "So you admit your claim to be the Son of God?"
   "You're the ones who keep saying it," he said.

For Reflection They knew it. They knew it. They knew it!   And, it scared them.

What happens when the core of what you believe is threatened.   Do you do as the Jewish leaders, and become defensive?  How much fight would you put up when your view of the world is turned on its head?  What if you, like those Jewish leaders, had all of your material and spiritual investment at stake?

Pray
God, help us to accept the unexpected.  Help us to understand that our ways are not your ways.  Help us to avoid boxing You in to human perceptions.

The Messiah Sought

Assuring Hope
Jesus, the Promised Servant-leader

Matthew 2:1-6 (The Message)

Scholars from the East

 ^1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem village, Judah territory— this was during Herod's kingship—a band of scholars arrived in Jerusalem from the East. They asked around, "Where can we find and pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews? We observed a star in the eastern sky that signaled his birth. We're on pilgrimage to worship him."  ^3-4When word of their inquiry got to Herod, he was terrified—and not Herod alone, but most of Jerusalem as well. Herod lost no time. He gathered all the high priests and religion scholars in the city together and asked, "Where is the Messiah supposed to be born?"
 ^5-6They told him, "Bethlehem, Judah territory. The prophet Micah wrote it plainly:

   It's you, Bethlehem, in Judah's land,
      no longer bringing up the rear.
   From you will come the leader
      who will shepherd-rule my people, my Israel."

For Reflection
The story of the three wise men speaks to the universal impact of the Christ event.  A little village, Bethlehem, was hardly and expected birth place worthy of God's son.  And yet, the village and the event attracted visitors of the high station from an unknown "Eastern" area  Observant of the confluence or astrological and astronomical signs and perhaps myth or story passed on through countless generations, these men responded to the call of God.  How much mystery are you willing to accept as a foundation for your beliefs?

Pray
prayers of confession. Admit to God that you are unsure of many things.  Ask him for the patience and wisdom to accept the great mystery that is God.  Pray for trust in the promise of Jesus Christ.

Out with the Old

Luke 3:7-18 (The Message)  ^7-9When crowds of people came out for baptism because it was the popular thing to do, John exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to deflect God's judgment? It's your life that must change, not your skin. And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as 'father.' Being a child of Abraham is neither here nor there—children of Abraham are a dime a dozen. God can make children from stones if he wants. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire."
 ¹⁰The crowd asked him, "Then what are we supposed to do?"
 ¹¹"If you have two coats, give one away," he said. "Do the same with your food."
 ¹²Tax men also came to be baptized and said, "Teacher, what should we do?"
 ¹³He told them, "No more extortion—collect only what is required by law."
 ¹⁴Soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
   He told them, "No shakedowns, no blackmail—and be content with your rations."
 ¹⁵The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, "Could this John be the Messiah?"
 ^16-17But John intervened: "I'm baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I'm a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."
 ^18-20There was a lot more of this—words that gave strength to the people, words that put heart in them. The Message! But Herod, the ruler, stung by John's rebuke in the matter of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, capped his long string of evil deeds with this outrage: He put John in jail.


For Reflection John chides the people not for being curious about his baptizing or the fortelling of the arrival of the Messiah, but rather for having false expectations.  His observations point out how dependent the people had become on ritual and behavior uncommitted to the glory of God.  Put your money where your mouth is, he says.  Make you ways consistent with God's ways.  It is not what robe you wear or what church you attend. It is what is inside you that counts.  Take account of yourself.  What trash could you collect and burn to put you in a more proper place before God?

Pray
That the sacrifice Christ made for you frees you to act according to the way of your soul.