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FROM WORDS TO GOD'S WORD - from January 24, 2016

1/26/2016

To a person without faith, the Bible is simply a book, like any other book, only a rather strange one. In our tradition, God's Word is not simply the words of the Bible. There is more to it.

Words strung together form communicable thoughts. Our minds interact with the arrangement, defining context, deriving meaning. But what interaction occurs to create revelation, the transformation of mere words into spiritual revelation?

The Nehemiah text describes how the reading and preaching of scripture brought out tremendous emotion. It showed the people of God getting connected to the promise of God for them once again. They were awakened from a spiritual torpor to discover the Spirit of God active in their lives anew. God's Word came alive, even though those same words had been there all along. What happened?

In the Luke passage, Jesus preaches in his hometown synagogue from Isaiah 61. It is a declaration of his ministry's mission, and his personal calling. At first, all is positive. But then Jesus gives them more, reminding them how God's servants have found their support and success in other places and from other people. They proceeded to run him out of town. It seems that God's Word can say things you don't want to hear, too.

Find out more about this dynamic and understand the elements involved in turning mere words into God's Word by checking out the sermon video below, and note the downloads below the video panel.

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01-24-16-from_words_to_god_word.pdf
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A DATE WITH A NAME - from January 17, 2016

1/19/2016

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Everyone has a name, but you may be known in other terms. Pastor, husband, father, brother, uncle, son, activist, big guy, big mouth - okay, those are a few of mine ... that I can print. Is there another name for you waiting to be unveiled?

We discover in scripture that God has names for his people, very different names from what the world uses for God's people. Does God have a name for you? Do you have any idea what it may be? If you think about it, I'll bet you would have a pretty good idea how the Father names you, God's child.

We also find out from the wedding feast in Cana in John 2 that disclosing your sacred identity may not get noticed in the world. The world still sees you as it does, no matter what God names you, even when it seems that you've turned water into the finest wine.

So, do you live into the definition that the world has, or follow the name God has for you, hopefully fulfilling your promise that God gave you?

Take the journey in this week's scriptures and sermon with the sermon video below, and note the downloads below the video panel.

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01-17-16-a_date_with_a_name.pdf
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PASSING THROUGH - from January 10, 2016

1/11/2016

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Just passing through? As in a rather meaningless piece of a journey to a destination? Passing through mean much more in scripture, and we look at two instances.

We need to contradict any theological notion (or ontological notion?) that this life is an irrelevancy, just passing through, to the true life after death in eternity with God. If this life was so meaningless, one would have to wonder why there is so much energy and effort dedicated to our experience in this life within the biblical record. Yes, this life matters.

Passing through is noted in Isaiah 43 as God recounts past experience with God's people, passing through the waters, through the fire, through the wilderness. God assures his people that God will be with them no matter what comes.

In Luke 3, we have John the Baptist denying that he's the Messiah, and the baptism of Jesus. As Jesus passes through the waters of baptism, he is met with the sacred voice declaring him as Son.

What all of this means for us, and how we should reckon with passing through a new year is why you may want to check out the sermon video below, and note the downloads below the video panel.

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01-10-16-passing_through.pdf
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GIFTS AND THREATS - from Sunday, January 3, 2016

1/4/2016

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While we celebrate the gifts and blessings of God, like the Magi who seek the Promised One of God, there is the other response to the acts of God from those like Herod. Gifts for some are threats to others. When God acts, things change, and some will resist violently.

Let's be sure we understand first off that the gift-giving Magi are not given imitation by the Buying season that precedes Christmas. The Buying season may follow the calendar roughly for the Advent season, and both might be termed seasons of preparation, there is no real similarity. The Buying season is about acquiring. Even when it's for the purpose of giving, it's prerequisite is acquiring. The Magi are moved spiritually, seeking to celebrate and honor the new life promise - totally different.

God's gift of a child is usually seen as a blessing. Yet both scriptures show God providing the gift which others see only as a threat.

In Exodus, the amusing subversiveness of the midwives in dealing with Pharaoh who wants male Hebrew babies killed shows how God uses the faithful over against the arrogant, insecure, and powerful. We see in Pharaoh how the gift of God for his covenant people produces fear as the gift - God's act - is seen as threat.

In Matthew, the naive Magi seek the new "King of the Judeans" in Jerusalem, setting off alarm bells in the court of King Herod. Scheming to use the Magi to identify the potential threat, it backfires. Herod dispatches a death squad to simply kill all the male children in and around Bethlehem under 2 years old. (The painting pictured above is titled "Massacre of the Innocents" by Leon Cogniet.)

When God acts, things change, and the disruption can disturb the folks who like things just as they are, who created the conditions of their comfort and security, the wealthy and powerful.

Check out the whole sermon in the video below, and note the downloads below the video panel.