finding authentic life

John 6:24-35

For Sunday, August 2, 2009

Proper 13

Whenever I read John 6 I think back to a series of meeting we held in Irkutsk, Siberia called "New Community" (новое сообшество). The idea wasn't anything new - I think Willow Creek Church had used this and I'm sure others. Our purpose was to invite unchurched people to hear and discuss the gospel in four chapters.

We rented a beautiful but affordable wooden building called the "House of Architecture." The building itself typified all that was best about Siberia with its welcoming wooden paneling and ornate metal gutter work. Many people came the first night and had a wonderful time. We served tea and sweet rolls - the Russian equivalent of the bread and fish Jesus was offering here.

While we were excited some of the local religious leaders were less so. They said, "You are hiding the gospel under chai and boolichkee (tea and sweet rolls)." I later recounted the story to a ministry colleague of ours from Australia, who replied, "Well, Jesus hid his gospel under bread and fish, so I think you'll be okay." Always leave it to an Aussie to set things straight with some humor wound in.

Bread and fish were good news to hungry first century unchurched people just like tea and sweet rolls are to hungry Siberians. In this passage Jesus uses bread and fish as pointers to authentic life. Yet he doesn't stop there for authentic life itself is a pointer to something beyond it: the source and sustainer of authentic life. Jesus.

If you are a believer, may this prompt you to take a moment to thank God our Father for the new life he has given us in Jesus. May this also prompt you to think about contemporary equivalents to bread and fish that could draw others to the good news of Christ.

If you are not a believer, ask yourself, "Am I hungry?" Like a wonderful conversation over Russian tea and rolls, Jesus offers you the authentic life for which you hunger. All you need do is ask and the bread of life will be yours.

There is no God?

Psalm 14

For July 26, 2009

Proper 12

"The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." This is how Psalm 14 begins. The Psalm then continues, not to provide justification for believing in God but rather to provide a diagnosis of Man's condition. The diagnosis is stated this way:

"The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."

What is our greatest problem as human beings? That we haven't submitted to Allah as suggests Islam? That we haven't acknowledged that the spiritual world is a farce as suggests secularism? That we haven't come to acceptance of the oneness of everything as suggests Buddhism? No. Our greatest problem is that we are alienated from God as evidenced in our lack of interest in God, our corruption both corporately and individually, and our utter inability to do anything good out of completely pure motives.

What is the solution? Simple: "Call on the Lord" (v. 4), "for God is in the present of the righteous." We do not become righteous because we will ourselves to righteousness but because God in his grace implants his righteousness within us through Christ's death on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins.

"Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion when the Lord restores the fortunes of his people." Salvation has come out of Zion in Christ and this offer stands today for you and me. I invite you today to join me in calling on the Lord that our fortunes might be restored together.

building a house for God's name

2 Samuel 7:1-14a

For Sunday, July 19, 2009

Proper 11

Have you ever wondered whether in view of what other people are living in your house might be too nice?  This was the dilemma King David was facing in 2 Sam. 7, only the neighbor he was worried about was none other than God Himself.  "Here I am living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."   Ah, sorry God, little oversight here, but I think we can rectify this.  

God's response is to chuckle.  "Ah David, what makes you think you can build me a house?  I didn't need a nice house to deliver your nation from Egypt.  Did I ever request a house?  No, you aren't going to build me a house, but I am going to build you one far grander than anything of which you can conceive."

The house of which God is speaking is of course not a physical house, estate, or palace, but rather a grand plan to reconcile the whole world to Himself.  "The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you . . .  I will raise up your offspring to succeed you."  "Ah," thinks David, "I will have a son who will succeed me.  Wonderful."   Well . . . yes, there was Solomon but he was only a foreshadowing of another son to come, and God intended to  "establish the throne of his kingdom forever (v. 13)."    

Did Solomon build a house for God's name?  Well... yes, he built a grand temple.  But that temple was destroyed, so that couldn't be the house that would last forever.  Then to what in the world could God have been referring?  

One place that provides an answer is the Book of Hebrews which makes clear that the house to which God is referring is neither earthly tabernacle nor temple, but rather "a greater and more perfect tabernacle (house) that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation" (Heb. 9:11).  "Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people . . . and to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him (Heb. 9:27)."  

Are you waiting for him?  Then you are already living in the house built for God's name.  Rejoice.

a kingdom movement

I commend for your reading, reflection, and planning for action a paper called 'The Movement' by T.M. Moore.   

spiritual royalty

Eph. 3:3-14

For Sunday, July 12, 2009

Proper 10

If the circumstances of life are at the moment making you sad, overwhelmed, confused, or depressed, this passage is a marvelous place to turn.  It starts off by saying that as believers we are blessed in the heavenly realm with every spiritual blessing in Christ.  Think about this: we are not blessed with many spiritual blessings, but with every spiritual blessing.  We already possess, in Christ, everything we need, not only to cope with life, but to thrive, no matter the circumstance.

The passage goes on to enumerate a number of these spiritual blessings.  We are chosen in Christ before the creation of the world (v. 4).  We are predestined to be adopted as God's sons (v. 5).   In Christ we have redemption through his blood, which means the forgiveness of our sins (v. 6).  I could go on, but you see the point.  Even in these three verses we have more spiritual riches than we could ever know what to do with.  

Let us then not live our lives as harried paupers but rather let us live in a manner appropriate to the riches which we have inherited in Christ.