What I Meant to Say

We know love this, that he laid down his life for us—and we out to lay down our lives for one another. How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and God knows everything. 1John 3:16-20

That was our scripture passage for Sunday. I did something I normally do not do. I preached without notes or a manuscript. It wasn't very good. I was trying to speak from the heart but I struggle to find the words when I do. I was prepared but if I was grading me I would have thought I was unprepared. 

This passage in 1 John is a passage I believe speaks to the church. I believe it speaks to ministers and pastors. I believe it speaks to us as Christians. I believe it even speaks to those who do not claim a faith. To speak of love is to speak of something we have each known or long for. It is something that resonates with us. Something we hold dear and important. Love shapes and forms and sustains relationships. Love for a follower of Christ is vital, "No greater love has a person than laying down their life for their friends." Love is a big theme in all things related to John (the Gospel and Epistles). Love is all around John.

It was one of those weeks where the thoughts in my head wouldn't translate into words. What words did find themselves on the paper sounded worse than a middle school love poem. So, I read my books and reviews and went up to the pulpit with no notes to speak from the heart. I do not think I said what I meant to say.

Love is a popular topic among churches. It encompasses a wide range of specifics from open and affirming; to the poor; to the family; to the friend; to how the church functions and relates to one another. The truth is love is important to the church. The church's foundation is built on the love of Christ. The scriptures testify to the importance of love within the church and of the members. Being of one heart and soul means to love one another as Christ loved us. The greatest commandment is, "LOVE the Lord, God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And LOVE your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these."

Again, I am not even sure I'm saying what I mean to say.

Church is messy and complicated. It's hard to be in community with a group of people who are not exactly like you. It's hard to love people who you may not really know. It's hard to be a part of a church. Church is people. You cannot have it without people. You can attempt to do church on your own but even the Monks lived in community with one another in some form. People are complicated and at times frustrating. We're human. We're good people who try hard. We wake up every morning, go to work, come home and do the best we can each day with what we have and with what we are given. I minister to a community that does not have a lot. What they do have they've worked hard for. They're causalities of an economy designed to help only those who can afford it. Some struggle day to day to make ends meet. Others do not struggle as much; yet they all gather in this small sanctuary and do their best to love one another.

My biggest concern in ministry is not the people of the church but the ministers. My fear rests in the lack of love shown by ministers towards their congregations. I understand and know first hand how tough ministry can be and how hurtful some church experiences are (my wife and I were literally ran out of town once). When I get frustrated and want to throw in the towel I remember my ordination. I remember the hands that were laid on my head. I remember the people who prayed for me. I remember at the beginning of my name is Reverend. I remember my ordination because my ordination is my promise to the church. A promise to love them the best I knew how as Christ loved them. I love them with all their flaws and all their goodness because it is the same love Christ has continually showed to me. It is the love of Christ I try and fail at times to emulate because I am called to do so.

Still not sure I'm saying what I mean to say.

Love for a church and for our community is something we give. We give out of our love like the widow gave out of her poverty. We show love not in speech but in action because love demands action; love causes action. Love gives us 20 seconds of courage to change the life of a neighbor. Love is not easy. In his letter, Paul doesn't call love easy. He says that love is kind, patient, not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But love is never called easy.

It takes work to be in community with one another. It takes time and patience. It takes compassion, love, will, and hope to stay in community with one another. Church is hard. If church was easy then we would only have the gospels and parts of Acts. Church only works when we're together. Love only works when it is shared with others. By our love towards one another we show the world our gospel to be true.

I'm not saying what I mean to say.

I once told that is impossible to love everyone. It was impossible to feed, clothe, visit, care for everyone. It is impossible if I was trying to do that for everyone; but I'm not. I'm not trying to love the whole world. I'm trying to love my whole community. I'm trying to love my neighbor and help as he searches for a job. I'm trying to love my neighbor and care for her as she takes care of her sick mother. I'm trying to love the members of my congregation. I'm trying to love those who in area. I am not trying to save the world. I am trying to save my community.

It may be impossible to love everyone but it's not impossible to love those who are placed in my care. My ordination reminds me of that promise. The promise to love God with all my heart, my soul, my mind, and my strength; and love my neighbor as myself. If I forget that promise, if I forget my ordination then I forget how to love.

I don't think I've said what I meant to say.

Where Death Lurked

I sat in a room where death lurked listening to the stories of life and the sadness of sickness. I did not feel evil with death's presence instead death was kind and gentle and patient.

She cried.

Terrified it was all coming to an end. She thought she was ready but as death's gentle hand rested on her shoulder she discovered she was not.

Her illness, she says, will one day claim her life. The hard road of recovery is filled with set backs and the reality death comes. So we did what we could in the time we had.

We read.

We prayed.

We read the psalmist walk in the meadows of the shepherd. We read of the storm being calmed. She focused on words that drew her in. Words that spoke to her.

She felt her soul restored for she was fearing she lost it.

She was drawn to the other side.

Listening she heard, "Peace. Be still."

Tears rolled down her cheeks. We read a few more but the words did not feel the same. Her belly had been filled.

So we stopped, opened the blinds to let the light in, prayed for peace and hugged goodbye while death remained behind.

Death, no longer evil or wicked or feared, but a friend sitting on the bed preparing a friend to crossover to the other side of the sea into a lush land of green.

Unsolicited Advice

Dear Seminary Student,

Normally I am not one to offer unsolicited advice. Sure, I'm one to talk about my time in seminary when you mention a class or a paper or an issue but rarely do I give unsolicited advice. However I think I will today. I think I will offer a suggestion that may or may not help in the future. After all, I'm not really somebody special or well known or someone you name drop to people, at least those who wouldn't turn their noses up at you if you did. But I think I have something that might help you as you leave or prepare to leave seminary and enter the real world of ministry. I know...I know...you've been doing real world ministry while in seminary but when the safety of the community is removed and you are exposed in to the realness of the church you will understand what I mean.

I normally do not group things in three or simplify life to three things; yet, I offer you three things to you as you begin post seminary ministry: 1) Grace and Forgiveness 2) Humility 3) Love. I believe these things will sustain you in ministry. I believe these three things are important to any minister. I believe these things are important to any church and congregation. I believe the gospel is alive in these three things.

Grace and Forgiveness


You and your congregation are human. I know that surprises you like a teenager is surprised by how bad Justin Bieber's music is. But you are and so are they. Each of you will make mistakes during your ministry. Each of you will get angry at the other but you both deserve grace and forgiveness. Church is made up of people and people are bound to make a mistake, say ignorant things, cause some pain, and so are you.

You will make a mistake. If you're lucky you will make several mistakes. You will stumble and fall but with grace and forgiveness your congregation will help you back up. Likewise you will be able to walk beside your congregation helping them up with they stumble and fall. Ministry, like a lot of things in life, require us to forgive and show grace to others even when it seems impossible.

Grace and forgiveness help sustain a church through the rough patches. I believe that to be true. I believe that is what the gospels and epistles speak to you in many ways. I believe it will help sustain you as you minister. I believe it will help you move forward. I believe it will help you see others the way Christ sees them.

Humility


We're fortunate to be one of the few called by God to serve others through congregational ministry. It is a privilege to be allowed to stand beside others and invited into their special life moments. We fortunate because we have the privilege to get paid to minister to people. Our jobs are a gift given to us by the congregation. It is humbling to be allowed into the intimate spaces of people's lives. It is humbling given a responsibility to love all of those placed in our care. It is humbling to stand up on Sunday mornings and lead them in worship. Ministry is truly a humbling experience.

I understand that we may think we know everything. We leave seminary believing we've read everything on every possible situation that will arise in a church setting. You believe you have the answer to every problem. The truth is you don't. None of us do. If pastors and ministers were honest with you they would tell you they are learning as they go. Just like parenting, it is all learned with experience and not everything works the same way for every congregation.

Each congregation is unique and what worked for one may not work for another. Take your time learning about your church and your congregation. Always remain thankful they allow you to minister to them. If you are thankful they in turn will be thankful. Stay humble because in a flash it can all be gone. An instant you can  be digging a hole.

Love


Paul writes that the greatest of these is love. Love conquers all things, at least that's what Cory Matthews would have us believe (Boy Meets World).  Love is mentioned in the scriptures 697 times in some form. It seems Jesus summed the gospel up with: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself. Love is a big part of being a Christian so it would stand to reason that love be a big part of being a minster. Simply put, love your congregation.

Love them when they do good. Love them when they miss up. Love them when the frustrate you. Love them when they anger you. Love them no matter what.

Faith is an emotional part of our lives. We're tied to it in every way so in our humanness will sometimes do things that bring harm to others. Love them when they do. Love them when they come after you with pitchforks and torches. Love them when you preach. Love them when you sit beside them. Love them when you listen. Love them.

There is no guarantee they will love you. I believe if you love enough and show them that love through the way you minister to them they will love you in return. But there's no guarantee. This isn't late night infomercials. This is reality and this is church. Church is people and people can be fickle. You are still called to love them. You are still bound to them through your ordination. You are bound by your call to love them. You are bound to them as Christ is bound to you. Love them the best you know how.

That's my unsolicited advice. Give lots of grace and forgiveness. Show humility in all things. Give love until you cannot love anymore then love just a little more.

Jesus In Our Midst

As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him: and he vanished from their sight. Luke 24:28-31

I have hidden an egg in the sanctuary this morning. It looks just like the one I am holding in my hand. Take a moment if you will and look around your pew or the pews beside you and see if you can find it. Seriously, take a moment and look. Have you found it yet? Keep looking. It looks just like the one in my hand. It's purple, it's an egg, and it's somewhere in this sanctuary. No luck? Hmm...let me give you another clue. It's purple, it's a plastic egg, and it's possible right where you were looking. Do you see it yet? Have you found the egg?

It's in my hand.

How often do we miss what we're looking for when it's been right in front of us the whole time? If we were Molly Ringwald or the star of any 80s-90s rom-com, it would be more times than we'd like to admit. The truth is we miss what we are looking for because we do expect to see it when we see it. It catches by surprise or we're so focused on looking for it we simply glance over it, like the shoes you were looking for this morning.

The same can be said about Jesus.

Part of my call requires me to ask this question: Where's Jesus? When planning an event, organizing an outing, making a visitation, planning a wedding, funeral, or a worship service, the question I must always ask is: Where's Jesus? Part of our responsibility as Christians and as the church is to ask that very question. On the commute to work where's Jesus? On the way home, where's Jesus? When we spend time with our children, where's Jesus? When we fix dinner or watch TV or in our quiet alone time the question we are to ask is: Where's Jesus?

Mike Yaconelli, founder of Youth Specialties once wrote:

“I was recently hit with that very question during a meeting with a well-known evangelist. After an hour and a half of his very organized presentation on a new, nationwide program for spreading the gospel, he stopped and asked some of us to respond.
I started to speak, but the words caught in my throat. My tears ambushed me, and I was unable to respond. Taken by surprise, I wondered what my tears were all about. Instantly I saw the following mental picture: A man was leaning against the wall a few feet from us. He seemed lonely and sad, like a wallflower at a dance. One look at his eyes, and I could tell he desperately wanted us to notice him, to pay attention to him, to talk to him—but we just went on with our business and ignored him.

That man was Jesus, of course. There he stood in the midst of our long conversation about strategies, programs, and target markets, and we didn’t even notice the very reason why we have these meetings in the first place!” (Yaconelli, http://www.youthspecialties.com/articles/wheres-jesus).”

The disciples in our story, like us, were caught in the recent events. They were caught in all that happened and in the loss of their friend and teacher. They had heard the proclamation of his resurrection from the women but they had not seen him. Caught up in their own mourning and confusion they do not recognize the person who meets them on the road. Walking they share the story of the death of the Messiah with the risen Messiah. It is not until they sit down for supper and the bread is broken that their eyes are open and they notice he has been with them the entire time.

The walk to Emmaus is a story that should resonate with us. Instead of ragging on the disciples for not seeing we should put ourselves in the story and ask: Where's Jesus? Is Jesus in our midst? We are not that different than the disciples. We walk, glide, run, whatever metaphor works for you, through life seeking something or someone to help bring us closer to Jesus or to have an experience with Jesus that we miss seeing him right before our eyes. We miss seeing him at our table. We miss seeing him in the face of our neighbors, strangers, and our enemies. We miss seeing him in the blessings and the heartaches. We miss seeing him because we are not looking for him. Like the disciples we are on our walk to Emmaus with no expectation to meet the risen Lord. We expect to see him in the grandness instead of the ordinary.

Every summer when I was a teenager I would attend Falls Creek youth camp with my church. I would go expecting to see Jesus the way I saw him the year before. I expected to have an experience that drove me to my knees, that made me cry, that made me repent. Every year it was the same. I'd leave with the group with the belief God was going to meet me in the Arbuckle Mountains. I would return a child who was coming down from a sugar high after eating the giant chocolate bunny. I would be satisfied for a day or two but by the time I got home Jesus had disappeared and I thought I would have to wait until June to see him again. But nothing happens the same way twice.

We attend church the same way. We expect the music to lift us to the mountaintop. We expect the sermon to raise us to another place. We expect the Sunday School lesson to sweep us away. We expect more than what these services can do so when those things do not work we look for the experience somewhere else. We turn on our TVs and hear preachers babble and shout. We turn to conferences and camps. We turn to old experiences forgetting that nothing happens the same way twice. Our eyes stay closed and blind to the one true shepherd in our midst.

The Road to Emmaus is not a story of a spiritual experience. It is a story of seeing with new eyes the risen Lord in our midst. A spiritual experience indicates that it only happens once, a special moment that transcends place and time. The disciples did not have a spiritual experience. They experienced reality. They experienced the resurrection in the most real sense and in the ordinary way, on a walk down a road to a town. You and I have these same experiences. We take our walks. We drive our cars. We share stories with one another. But we do not expect to see Jesus in our midst. We do not expect to hear him speak. We do not expect him to touch us, to breathe on us.

Several years ago, I took a group teenagers to the Ozark Mountains outside of Eureka Springs, AR. One afternoon one the boys told me he was going for a walk and I said I would go with him. We hiked for over an hour and found ourselves on the shore of a river enclosed by the walls of the mountainside. We sat for several moments. We sat in silence looking over the water at the walls of rock. As we sat there I began to see someone in between us. I shook my head thinking I was going crazy, something bound to happen. We got up and the person stayed. He smiled and waved good-bye and it wasn't until we returned to the cabin that I realized who it was. An ordinary moment beside an ordinary spot opened my eyes to the truth of the resurrection.

“Edmund stared hard for a while and then said, “No. There's nothing there. You've got dazzled and muddled with the moonlight. One does you know. I thought I saw something for a moment myself. It's only an optical what-do-you-call-it.”
“I can see him all the time,” said Lucy. “He's looking straight at us.”
“Then why can't I see him?”
“He said you mightn't be able to.”
“Why?”
“I don't know. That's what he said.”
“Oh, bother it all,” said Edmund. “I do wish you wouldn't keep on seeing things. But I suppose we'll have to wake the others.””

I believe we've seen the risen Lord. I believe we see him everyday in our lives. I believe we experience his presence. I believe he is here. But like the egg, we keep searching for something like it blind to the one right in front of us. Like the disciples I believe our eyes will be opened. Like the disciples I believe once they are open we will see Jesus in our midst and ask ourselves, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road...” I believe Jesus is in our midst.

Midnight at the Lost and Found

It's late and I'm Meatloaf is stuck in my head making it hard for me to fall asleep. My mind is racing and I cannot seem to shut it off. Funny how these things go. Nothing comes to you during the day bu the minute you try to fall asleep you suddenly have every brilliant idea or thought in the world. If I did everything my mind came up with while I was trying to fall asleep I would have 15 books, a screenplay, a novel, and a song written. I would have become a crime fighter, built a Batcave, and a time machine. I guess that's the way these things go. The thoughts or ideas come at the most inopportune time so you are faced with a decision: go to bed and hope you remember the thought or get up and get to work. Either be tired in the morning or finish your project.

I am not a night owl. I lost my taste for it when Connor was born and we were living off of 3-4 hours of sleep a night for 8 months. Yes, we had one of those babies that wasn't perfect and that you never read about on Facebook (You're only allowed to post good stuff about your kids. It's part of the rules). Now however we do have one of those toddlers who is perfect. Just kidding. Though he doesn't fuss now when he has to go to bed and lately has been trying to put himself to bed. Honestly, he's a great kid and I am truly a fortunate soul.

Lately my mind has been focusing on that the fortunate side of my life. Overall I have been a very fortunate man. Life's been good even with the bumps and bruises. I have been a fortunate man.

I accomplished every goal I set when I graduated high school. I have a great group of friends. I am blessed to have a job that I love at a church that I love. I am blessed to have ministered at 3 churches that have cared for me deeply and have shaped who I am. I am fortunate to have parents and a brother who truly care about me and my family. I am fortunate to have in-laws who care about me and my family. I am fortunate to have a wife who truly loves me for me. I've felt these blessings over the past few days and I am grateful.

Life is tough and I know a storm is off on the horizon somewhere but I trust that I'll survive because I've survived before. This isn't a post on bragging or saying, "be like me" or blah blah blah blah. This is just me reflecting on these blessings and they truly humble me. They show me grace. They show me kindness. The show me love. They show me forgiveness. They show me tomorrow is worth waking up for. They help me hold on when I want to let go. They are my lightning rod. They ground me and help me fly all at the same time. They help me face life's arrows with a grin and arms wide open.

Tonight I am just thankful and I think it's okay to sometimes just be humbled by it all.

A Wedding and A Banquet

My friend Zane Ross passed away Thursday and celebrated his life Sunday. To say he was a good or great man is really an injustice to who he was. Special would be the appropriate word. He was special because he cared deeply for others. He spent his time at the hospital and nursing homes ministering to everyone he met. He would often say, "When you go to make your rounds at the hospital, take a book with you because you end up staying longer than you think."

I met Zane 6 years ago when we moved to Richmond and I remember the first thing he ever said to me was, "Well, I know you're not a politician cause you've got your hands in your own pockets." He taught me the importance of caring for people and for your congregation. He taught me the beauty of enduring the trials of ministry and of life. He taught me to laugh and see the brighter side of life. I believe Zane knew the secret to life and he shared that secret everyday. For that I am grateful.

I am going to miss my friend. When Connor asks why his middle name is Zane, I won't tell him of Billy Zane's cameo in Zoolander or as the Phantom. I will tell him the stories of Zane Ross. I will share the memories and the laughter. I will tell my son about my friend.

My friend is at a wedding and a banquet today. I believe Jesus greeted him as a friend and when he asked, "How are you today?" Zane replied, "If I was doing any better I'd think I was someone else" and Jesus laughed, took him to his seat at the table and they joined the others laughing, drinking, eating, and singing.

I will see my friend again.

One day.

One day I will take my place at the table in the seat prepared for me and I will laugh when Zane tells me about his brother Yimmy who went Yale.

I will see my friend again at a wedding and a banquet. Until that day I will be forever blessed and grateful to call this dear old man my friend.

Of One Heart and Soul

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”). He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. (Acts 4:32-37)

We've experienced 40 days of waiting, a day of celebrating, a day of mourning, and a day of resurrection. Like a good season finale or season premiere of your favorite show, the question asked is, what now? Where do we go from here? The grave has been open, the body has been risen, the Lord Jesus walks among the living, we cannot go back so where do we go from here? What now?

The simplest answer is we become of one heart and soul. We become a church of those who believe of one heart and soul. Much has been said about the unity of the church. The scriptures stress that unity is a gift of Christ to his church. He provides it, and so the Bible speaks of the unity of the church as something that is. In John's gospel Christ prays, “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that they world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” In Ephesians Paul writes, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and in all.” Seven times Paul uses the word one in one sentences. Likewise, in his letter to the Corinthians Paul explains that the unity of the church is characterized by wide diversity, “For just as the body is one, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” Similarly Paul says in Romans, “We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another” (Vanderwell, pg 19).

The unique character of this unity is found in the fact that the members of this unified body were so different. Some are Jews with a long history with God; some are Gentiles who were once seen on the outside of God's love. Some serve in major roles, others serve in minor roles. Some are strong; some are weak. Some are slaves; some are free. Some are children; some are adults. The scriptures teaches us what unity is. It exists because Christ has bound us all together. Christ in the unifier of the church. Yet the scriptures also teach us that this unity must be preserved because it is fragile and easily lost; which is why Paul stresses we are to make “every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Therefore we cannot answer, “what now?” without addressing the need for unity and how to maintain unity.

In the Acts of the Apostles we are told that this early church movement were of one heart and one soul. Luke takes time to tell us early on this important detail because there are stories in Acts of great highs: “And great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them” (Acts 3:33b-34a). “Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). And there were times of great lows: “But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him (Stephen). Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him” (Acts 7:57-58).

I believe Luke tells “they were of one heart and soul” because he wants to know the importance of unity within the church. Luke tells us in Acts 5 that those who seek to wrong the community or use the community for selfish gain will be removed from the community because he wants us to know that this church survived because they cared for one another deeply and gave deeply so that none were ever without. Great conflict will bring people together or it will tear people apart. The conflict that takes place in Acts and in the epistles, the early church could have fallen apart and the faith could have died out. Luke is providing us an insight to how this group of people cared for another and the importance of being of one heart and one soul.

One day, a little boy received an invitation to his friend's fourth birthday party. Bursting with anticipation, he was most excited about finding his friend a birthday present. Finally the great day arrived. His parents drove him over to the little boy's house, took him to the door, met the hosts, and then said good-bye with assurances that they would return to pick him up right after the party was over.

They arrived back a few hours later and quickly saw a much less enthusiastic boy get into the car. They could tell right away that something was up. They asked, “How was the party, son?”

“Oh, all right, I guess.” the little boy answered.

“Why? What's the matter? Didn't you have a good time?” they asked.

“Yes...but I didn't get any presents!”

“But...er, son, it wasn't your party.”

Unconvinced and unconsoled, he sat for the rest of the ride home generally depressed by the seeming injustice of it all.¹

Church is not about what we receive but what we give. It is not about the gifts we receive in worship, from the music or out of the sermon; instead it is about the gifts we give of our time, our energy, our prayer, our faithfulness, and yes our money too. Being of one heart and soul is the willingness of the community, of the church to set aside it's individual wants and take on the community's, the church's needs. Being of heart and soul is the willingness to let go of ourselves, to deny ourselves and follow Christ. Meaning, the people in the pews around us are not just a church family, they are our family. For many of you that is literally true; yet because of Christ we move past a primitive understanding of family (immediate and extended) to a cosmic understanding of family that includes everyone who is a child of God.

Like the early church, we function best as a body of believers, as a family being of one heart and soul. This does not mean that we will always agree and not argue. Anyone who says they attend a church where there is never any disagreement is trying to sell something. It does not mean that we are of one heart and soul on the issues. It means we are not divided because of our differences. It means we are a family doing its best to live faithfully with one another and caring deeply about another so that none may go without.

The beauty of the Baptist faith is that we uphold the uniqueness of the local church and the uniqueness of those who attend. Each Baptist church is supposed to be allowed to unique and different. Baptist, at one time, celebrated their uniqueness and were honored by local, state, and national conventions. Unlike other denominations Baptist believe that the local church should have the power to govern themselves because each one was different. Of course that soon changed with the fundamentalist takeover of the Southern Baptist Convention in the 80s and 90s and even up to today. Each convention or fellowship that has been birthed out of the controversy has struggled to maintain this Baptist freedom of autonomy and uniqueness. Baptist were once united not in theology or politics or controversial issues but in the understanding that we were not a creedal people but a missional people.

I speak of this part of our history because it showcases the fragile state of a faith community. Our ancestors of our faith understood the fragility of this new faith. They understood being of one heart and one mind did not mean to be united in our similarities but in our differences. Today church is divided up on similarities. If you are black there is a church for you. If you are white there is a church for you. If you believe in a literal reading of the scriptures there is a church for you. If you are open and affirming there is a church for you. If you like rock n roll worship there is a church for you. If you prefer liturgical worship there is a church for you. I think you get my point. We are no longer united in our differences and a faith community based on caring. We are a faith divided into like groups of like minded people caring for only the people who are just like us. We are not of one heart and one soul.

You and I are unique people. We're different in someways and in someways not. We may have voted differently, hold to different theological viewpoints, dress differently, have different hair, be of a different race or of a different age; but you are my brother and my sister and my duty is to care for you. We are not united because our similarities but through the belief of the resurrection. If we are to live faithfully into this new act God is writing then we are to live it being of one heart and of mind.

Friday I was helping my friend Ben work on his garden. At lunch we started talking about we each were preaching on Sunday and he said, “I'm preaching the Thomas passage and the Acts passage. I mean we look at the Thomas story and get on to him for not believing and we believe in this resurrection but we can't believe in this Acts' story? We think God can resurrect the dead but we can't believe that the church was once of one heart and one soul and gave deeply so that none went without?”

He's right. We do not struggle believing God is powerful enough to raise the dead but when it comes to being of one heart and soul we do not believe it to be possible. We start to think that if we are not around people who like us and allow the right people in the story will cease to continue, the church will no longer be. God is powerful enough to raise Christ from the dead but not powerful enough to keep this story going? If the scriptures teach us anything, it teaches us that God is more than powerful enough to keep the story going because of God's faithfulness to the church to God's people. The church will survive even the harshest trials because God is faithful. That is what Easter teaches us. That is what Luke teaches us with the stories of the early church. That is what the Apostles remind us of in the letters. We have nothing to lose and nothing to fear of being one heart and one soul and giving so that none go without because we serve a faithful God. If we are not of one heart and one soul and united in our differences and giving so that none go without we tell the world our gospel isn't true.

If we are to continue on with the story then being of one heart and soul and giving so none go without is essential to the what now.

1Nordling, Robert. “Whose Party Is This Anyway?” The Church of All Ages. Howard Vanderwell, ed. 2008

What Now?

The day after Easter is an odd day for me filled with a mixture of relief and curiosity. I am relieved that the Easter has come and gone, it was a joy to watch everything that was planned from Ash Wednesday to Easter come to fruition. Every sermon, every worship service, every Bible study were planned to bring it all together on Easter morning and create a sense of participation in the resurrection of Christ. I am curious, now that I sit in the quiet of my office, of the "what now" feeling.

For some pastors, Easter is a break in their thematic sermons or sermon series. For others it is just a part of the lectionary process and next Sunday is just a continuation of that process. But I am sure I am not alone in wondering, "What now?" What do we do now?

It's not like we can go back. We cannot backtrack and pretend Easter didn't happen. We cannot really go back to our sermon series and pretend those series are more important that what just took place. If we do, doesn't that mean the resurrection, like the birth of Christ, is just a pause in the schedule? If we do not keep moving forward from the point of resurrection doesn't that mean we haven't been transformed by the resurrection?

What now?

I have spent the morning asking that question as I stare at upcoming passages and a blank calendar. I have stared and stared and the question keeps blaring its voice at me, "WHAT NOW?"

So far, I've only been able to respond, "I guess we keep moving." It's not much of an answer but I think that's what is being spoken to me this morning, "Keep moving. Point the ship towards the horizon and keep moving." I think that will have to suffice for an answer right now.

We're headed somewhere but the where is still shaded by the fog. I just know we cannot go back. The resurrection is happening. That changes everything including the "what now".

I'm good with that.

For today.

Easter Journal: What We Need To Know

“They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid” Mark 16:8.

That is how Mark ends his gospel. “They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” It wasn't until years later that someone decided Mark needed a longer ending. So they added to the story. A few years later someone decided that ending wasn't long enough so they added another. For whatever reason, the writer chose to end this gospel with, “They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” It's not a bad ending. If anything, from a story point of view, it is excellent. It leaves us with a cliffhanger. It leaves us wondering. It leaves us a little confused. It leaves us in the perfect place on this resurrection Sunday.

I am not a fan of drawn out endings. At the end of the Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, I began to clap as Frodo and Sam were rescued by a giant hawk. I started to gather my things and started clapping when my brother said, “It's not over.” “Not over? What do you mean? They won. What else do we need to know?” Turns it, we needed four different endings to know what happens. We learned more than we needed about Frodo, Sam, Gandolf, and the others. The second the ring was destroyed, we were told all we needed to know. They won and Sauron lost and Middle Earth would survive.

We are not comfortable with short endings or abrupt endings. We want to know more. We feel entitled to know more. Mark doesn't give us more. He gives us what we need to know, nothing more, nothing less. These short 8 verses give us exactly what we need to know this Easter morning.

Last week I talked about the way we've viewed this story in the past as a three act play. The first act is Palm Sunday, the second act is Good Friday, and the third act is Easter. I talked about how Christ was introducing a new act and how the story was changing into a five act story in which we have a part to play. Act 1 was creation, the formation of the cosmos. Act 2 was the rise and fall of Israel. Act 3 is the life and death of Christ. Act 4 is the Church. Act 5 is the Eschaton. Today, we hear from the young man in white everything we need to know about Acts 3-5.

The three faithful women come to the tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week, and they find the stone rolled away. They see a young man in a white robe, and he says three things to them. The first thing he says is about the past: “You are looking for the Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him” (Mark 16:6). This is telling the everything they need to know about the past.¹ He has been raised. Everything we need to know about the end of Act 3 is this: Jesus was crucified and he was raised from the dead, not as a ghost or a spirit or a metaphor or an idea, but as a body. Act 3 has ended but the past tells us this is not the end of the story.

The second thing the young man tells the women is about the present: “He is going ahead of you to Galilee” (Mark 16:7). This is telling them, and us, everything we need to know about the present. Jesus' resurrection is not a finished thing, a completed historical event with no further implications.² Jesus is doing something now. He is going ahead. He is on the move. He is leading the action of God. He is setting an example, giving direction, defining purpose, pointing the way. He is starting a new act. Act 4 begins the moment Jesus moves. The Church has started and Jesus is giving us a direction, a purpose, and we are shown the way.

The news of the past tells us that Christ changed everything we took for granted about the disaster of the cross, and the tragedy of our own failures. Now the news about the present tells us that Jesus is effecting that change in our very homes. Everything we need to know about the present is that Jesus is on the move. Our story has not ended. Our part in this story is only beginning. We have been given a purpose, a job to do, a role to play in this epic drama. And everything we need to know about the church right now is that Jesus is on the move and we cannot stand still.

The third thing the young man tells the women is about the future: “There you will see him” (Mark 16:7). The young man tells the women everything they need to know about the future. Jesus' resurrection changes not just the things you thought you knew about reality but the resurrection is going to transform you.³ You will see him. You are going to find yourself in Jesus' presence. This is the destiny of your life. And there isn't any other news. This is the last word. Act 5 is summed up with, “There you will see him.” There are no details given on how that will work; we are told what we need to know, “There you will see him.” So we can presume that it means we will be forever in his presence.

We get stuck in Act 5, the church gets stuck in Act 5. We are so captivated and mesmerized by what it will be like when see him that we forget the job we've been given to do. We are told all we need to know about the future, “There you will see him.” That should be enough; yet, we're afraid because we do not know what that looks like or how that will be. We go and sit under the cross learning all we can about the future and we forget about our mission, our story.

All we need to know about the future is what the young man tells us, “There you will see him.” The resurrection frees us from our fears of the future. We are free to live and participate in this exciting story God is writing for us. We do not need to worry about what it will it be like, look like, smell like, taste like or when it will be like. We are told all we need to know about Act 5: “There you will see him.” Easter Sunday reminds us that Christ has taken care of the future.

You have to admire Mark's resurrection story. He's not telling us everything he knows. Surely the women did tell someone, else how would Mark know about it? We cannot domesticate Mark's resurrection account. We cannot ask him to tell us everything so we can sit on the couch and admire from afar. Mark tells us all we need to know about the past, “Christ was crucified and has risen” and about the future, “There you will see him.”; about the present, Mark is telling us we have a story to tell, a job to do. We have a mission. Jesus is on the move and so are we.

Act 4 has begun. The church's life has begun and we have been given a purpose. We have been given role to play. Like the women, we are afraid and bewildered. Like the faithful women, we wonder if we would have the courage to trust that Christ is truly risen and he has truly gone ahead and that we will see him there. Like the faithful women, we will rise up because the story has just begun.

Let us rise up from the foot of the cross, marvel at the empty tomb, dream of the day we will be there with him, and go forth into the world today proclaiming what we know about the past, the present, and the future. Let us trust that we've been told more than enough.

1Wells, Samuel. “In Three Tenses” Speaking the Truth: Preaching in a Pluralistic Culture, pg 124

2Wells pg 124

3Wells, pg 125

Palm Sunday Journal: Think of a White Horse

When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. Mark 11:1-2

The best remedy for the hiccups is to think of a white horse. If that doesn't work then think of a white horse carrying Barbra Streisand in a bikini on the beach. If that doesn't scare them out of you then drink some water. White horses are a part of messianic lore. In Revelation Jesus is pictured as a rider on a white horse. The white horse is a king's horse. Roman generals rode white horses. The Lone Ranger rode a white horse, “Hi-ho Silver away!” When we think of knights, we think of a white knight on a white horse. When we think of a hero, of a savior, we think of a white horse.

As much as I like the Lone Ranger, Zorro was cooler and he rode a black stallion so it is hard to imagine a king who rides into town on a donkey. Surely, no good honorable king would ride into town on a donkey or be seen riding a donkey. If a king lost his horse in battle or on the way to town, a knight would either give up his horse or a peasant would lose their finest horse. The horse was a part of the king's identity. When you saw the white horse, you knew your king was almost there. If you saw a black horse, you knew the Black Knight was coming. If you saw a king riding into town on a donkey, you knew...well you're not sure what to know. Palm Sunday offers us a moment to redefine our expectations and images of the messiah.

We have come to the end of our Lenten journey. Last week we sat up on the mountaintop with Jesus. We listened as he told us he was only here for a little while longer. We sat on the mountaintop and watched the sunset. We sat with Jesus, looking out towards the distant cross. Now, we've started our descent into the valley. Today, we open our doors and we sing hosanna to a king who comes without his white horse. We take a moment and ask, “Has Jesus redefined our expectations of a messiah?”

For many of us, we've grown up accustomed to these stories. We know the Palm Sunday story, the Good Friday story, and of course the Easter story. Through the years these stories have been presented in a way that allows us to be bystanders. These stories have been presented in the form of a three act play. Act 1 is Palm Sunday, the entrance of Christ. Act 2 is Good Friday and the death of Jesus. Act 3 is Easter. The story is structured and presented in a way in which there is not room for our participation. Since these stories have already happened, we are simply asked to listen and respond. The beauty of the complexity of this story is reduced to a salvation experience that does not leave room for new discoveries and new life.

My hope, since September, has been to introduce us to a new way of seeing and hearing these stories. Every sermon and every scripture has been a slow attempt at engaging us in a story that extends beyond three acts. My hope on this Palm Sunday is for us to see the beautiful five act story God is writing. In the five act story, Jesus' life is the third act. The first two, creation and Israel, have helped shaped the story of today. The story of creation and the story of Israel's rise and fall invite us to see with big eyes the strangeness of the messiah riding in on a donkey.

Imagine hearing the stories as a child of act 1 and 2. Imagine hearing stories of how God created the world out of chaos. Imagine hearing stories of God's chosen people rising to glory under King David and their fall into Babylonian exile. Imagine growing up hearing stories of God's promise of a messiah. Imagine what those stories would do for you as a child of Israel under the foot of the Roman Empire. Imagine what type of messiah you would picture. Imagine, standing out in the streets as the third act slowly reaches its climatic point. Imagine seeing Jesus, the one some say is Elijah or John the Baptist but his disciples say is the Christ. Would the man you see on the back of the donkey be the same image you had in your mind as a child? Would you see him and say, “I thought he'd be taller”?

It's not that hard to imagine is it? Many of us have been imagining what Jesus would look like since we were children. Many have painted different portraits of a man they have never seen. We have imagined what it will be like when we get to see Jesus face to face. Will he live up to our images and expectations? Or will we look at him and say, “I thought you'd be white”?

We are invited to see the donkey carrying the messiah as message to us, a message from God. A message that takes Acts 1 and 2 and says, “You expected my messiah, my chosen one to bring with him my vengeance on my enemies. You expected him to ride in on a war horse, instead he rides in on a donkey and on that donkey he brings to you my peace, my grace, and my love.” This image of the messiah is an image of God. A God who is not absent or bent on retribution but a God who wishes to bring peace to creation, to the nation of Israel, and to us. There is no white horse.

Palm Sunday allows to be free from images that bind us and trap us. We are free to use our imagination and imagine a messiah that is greater than the one we've created in our minds and in our dreams. Palm Sunday offers us a chance to reconcile our images with the image presented to us today. The white horse has become a gray donkey.

Churches have split over the images of Christ. Christians have split over the images of Christ and it is not hard to see why when we've been trapped in a story that does not have room for us. Palm Sunday begins to open up a fourth act. Today starts the slow transition from the life of Christ to the life of the Church, to the life of Act 4. Today we have the opportunity to be honest with one another and honest with our images of Christ. Today we have the opportunity to become a full church, a united church.

When pastors speak of a united church, they normally do not speak to the image of a messiah on a donkey. They think of a white horse. They think of a church united in one mind on the issue of homosexuality, the poor, the sick, the elderly, the young, the widowed, the divorced, the saved, the unsaved, abortion, politicians, the rich, atonement, and worship style. Unification means to be in agreement on all of those issues, and I am sure I have left several out. Palm Sunday offers us a new meaning, or an old meaning of unification.

The messiah who rode in on a donkey inspired a community of faith who became one in mind, body, and spirit but they were not of one mind, body, and spirit on issues. They were of one mind, body, and spirit concerning who the messiah was, the fulfillment of the prophecy. They were of one mind, body, and spirit in proclamation of Jesus as the Christ, the messiah, the Son of God. They were unified thinking of a gray donkey.

Palm Sunday is more than the Sunday before Easter. It is the start of something new, something grand and epic. It is the moment God begins to rewrite the story; renewing the characters, renewing the plot, renewing the theme, renewing the minds and hearts. Such a process is painful, that is why we have spent the past 2 months preparing for this week so that we might be able to stand together as we are renewed and made whole, as our image in Christ is made complete.

Such a process is tough. The chief priests, the Pharisees, the elders, and the scribes struggled with this change. The messiah did not fit with their images. The message of God's kingdom did not fit with their ideas and theology. The cost of following Christ was too much, so they crucified him.

In many ways we do the same.

I once asked a pastor, someone I deeply trusted on how you know you are saved or if you can ever fall out of God's grace and this is what he told me, “Every time you wake in the morning you are given two choices, you live for yourself or you live for Christ. Each time you decide to live for Christ and pray, “Lord, today let live as you did.” The resurrection becomes real and Christ comes down from the cross and you go up on the cross. Each time you decide to live for yourself, Christ stays on the cross and waits for you. In other words, each time you live for Christ you experience the resurrection. Each time you live for yourself you receive salvation.”

Palm Sunday is the beginning of God changing the world. Act 3 is coming to an end and Christ is making the way for Act 4 to begin. We are being invited into this story so that we might truly know that this room for everyone of every walk of life at the banquet table in God's kingdom. We are being invited to a wedding and a banquet. This invitation unifies the church, it brings all of us together because Christ is tearing down the walls of hostility. We are been given the power to stay in the room together even when deeply disagree because the gospel is true.

Palm Sunday offers us a new way to be the Church. A way that includes, accepts, and loves because it is not we that exist but Christ who exists in this place. Palm Sunday makes the gospel true because it is the beginning of a new story, a new chapter, and new act; and we are being given a part to play and are being asked to play it together. This is not a one person show.

Let us cast aside the thought of a white horse. Let us taste the sweet water of life and let us watch as the king who brings us peace, grace, mercy, and love enters into our church and our lives riding on a gray donkey.