Dear Family,
It has been a wild week in the Bowen household, a truly wild week. We welcomed beautiful Reyna Mae into our home, and what a blessing. Mommy and Reyna are doing well, and the adjustment to a crying baby, all hours of the night, begins once again. This time, though, i know it lasts but for a short while. Just like the song, "IT wont be like this for long..."
Thank you all for your prayers, thoughts, cards, gifts, and visits. We feel loved and incredibly blessed to be a part of this church family.
As much as we could talk about how beautiful Reyna is, she doesn't exactly make, not yet anyway, good fodder for the message, so we must shift gears and focus on Matthew 8. This is a powerful chapter about ministry in action, and i find a lot of irony in this chapter as well.
First of all the first healing Jesus does, in this chapter, involves a man with leprosy, someone unclean, someone unworthy of affection, and someone who would have to walk on the other side of the road, from society, and yell "UNCLEAN!" It isn't enough that this insidious disease rob this man of life, but society is robbing him of dignity too. This man, this unclean, disease ridden man, becomes Jesus' first testimony of grace, healing, and love. Not how powerful, "right," ministries begin.
Second healing miracle involves a centurion, the enemy. So let's recap: Jesus begins his healing ministry by healing an unclean leper, someone society relegated to the margins a long time ago, and Jesus' second healing miracle involves the occupier, the enemy, the people most hated? And we wonder if Jesus is radical?
All too often, what i have found, is that we want to minister to people that look, that think, that act like we do, because they are safe. There is little risk in ministering to someone from the same neighborhood, with the same political views, or someone who you know well. There is little to no risk. But what happens if we choose, like Jesus did, to minister to those outside our social circles? What happens if we choose to, like Jesus did, minister to our enemies as well as our friends? What happens if our minister resembles more of the radical nature of Jesus than the comfortable, complacent nature that many resemble? What happens?
Could we feed more people? Might our churches be breaking at the seams with people wanting, needing help? Would we experience the power of the Divine? Marriages saved? Children rescued? Diseases healed? Addictions cured? Darkness blinded out by light? Could this, would this be possible, real, if we would only minister to those on the margins, instead of those we feel safer with? I dont know.
But i do want to find out. What about you all?
Shalom,
Jerry
Friday, September 24, 2010
Thursday, September 16, 2010
I remember
Dear Family,
One of my favorite hobbies, growing up, was cooking. Yes. It's true. I loved to cook. Well more specifically, i loved to baked, especially cookies. I looked forward to Home Economics, because it meant that i could and would get a chance to practice new recipes at home. I would make sure the cookies were perfect, and in all the years, of home ec, i don't remember earning any grade lower than an A. I loved to cook.
As much as i loved to cook, and as much as i loved making stuff with my hands, one would think that i would have a better knowledge of all things cooking related. Not so.
One evening, as i was preparing for another round of chocolate chip cookies, i rummaged through the freezer door, looking for the normal bag of chocolate chips that i would use to embellish my sweet concoction. Without really reading the bag of chips, i grabbed them. They looked like chocolate chips. The bag was the same. They might have been, as far as i can remember, toll house, my favorite. But when i opened the bag, grabbing my handful of delicious treasures before cooking, throwing the dark morsels into my mouth, i discovered a painful truth.
Not all things are as they appear, and i should always read the package before rushing to judgment about any foods i throw into my mouth. These weren't "semi-sweet" chips, which i love. No. These were those dry, bitter, abomination for chocolate chips we call, "Dark chocolate."
We often take care to know fully what we are eating before we chow down, don't we? We look for calories and fat content. If we are organic folks, we strive to find those foods that are wholesome and pure, without any added preservatives. If we are bargain shoppers, we study, hard the cost per oz or unit, hoping to get the best deal possible. When it comes to our food, our money, our health, our cars, or our houses, we take our time, doing due diligence of research before we invest. We want to make sure the real deal is the real deal.
If that is how we treat that which is material and without a lot of true value, why do we rush, so quickly, to judgment when we are dealing with people, the most valuable of God's creations?
Jesus speaks to this reality when he says, from his place on top of that big hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged." And yet, this is so hard to do, isn't it? How many of us, truly, avoid judging others, before we truly get to know them? Or more than that, how often do we find ourselves pointing our noses up at other people, while ignoring the fact that to do that act, to "snub" someone is less Christlike than any sense of morality we claim to adhere to? To be Christlike, it seems, requires something other, something deeper, something holy, right?
If chowing down on chips, which i thought were "semi-sweet" caused a bitter taste in my mouth that took a lot of water to wash out, how much more bitter will the taste be, in our mouths, if we continue to judge all books, God's children, by their covers? Im careful to read the labels before eating any more "chips," let's hope i/we can do the same when we meet those who are different. Amen.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace...
Jerry
BTW: another book that i not only highly recommend, but as i posted on my facebook, i think this book should be in every home library: Bill Moyers, "Moyers on Democracy." Get it. Read it. And let the truth set you free...
One of my favorite hobbies, growing up, was cooking. Yes. It's true. I loved to cook. Well more specifically, i loved to baked, especially cookies. I looked forward to Home Economics, because it meant that i could and would get a chance to practice new recipes at home. I would make sure the cookies were perfect, and in all the years, of home ec, i don't remember earning any grade lower than an A. I loved to cook.
As much as i loved to cook, and as much as i loved making stuff with my hands, one would think that i would have a better knowledge of all things cooking related. Not so.
One evening, as i was preparing for another round of chocolate chip cookies, i rummaged through the freezer door, looking for the normal bag of chocolate chips that i would use to embellish my sweet concoction. Without really reading the bag of chips, i grabbed them. They looked like chocolate chips. The bag was the same. They might have been, as far as i can remember, toll house, my favorite. But when i opened the bag, grabbing my handful of delicious treasures before cooking, throwing the dark morsels into my mouth, i discovered a painful truth.
Not all things are as they appear, and i should always read the package before rushing to judgment about any foods i throw into my mouth. These weren't "semi-sweet" chips, which i love. No. These were those dry, bitter, abomination for chocolate chips we call, "Dark chocolate."
We often take care to know fully what we are eating before we chow down, don't we? We look for calories and fat content. If we are organic folks, we strive to find those foods that are wholesome and pure, without any added preservatives. If we are bargain shoppers, we study, hard the cost per oz or unit, hoping to get the best deal possible. When it comes to our food, our money, our health, our cars, or our houses, we take our time, doing due diligence of research before we invest. We want to make sure the real deal is the real deal.
If that is how we treat that which is material and without a lot of true value, why do we rush, so quickly, to judgment when we are dealing with people, the most valuable of God's creations?
Jesus speaks to this reality when he says, from his place on top of that big hill overlooking the Sea of Galilee, "Do not judge, so that you may not be judged." And yet, this is so hard to do, isn't it? How many of us, truly, avoid judging others, before we truly get to know them? Or more than that, how often do we find ourselves pointing our noses up at other people, while ignoring the fact that to do that act, to "snub" someone is less Christlike than any sense of morality we claim to adhere to? To be Christlike, it seems, requires something other, something deeper, something holy, right?
If chowing down on chips, which i thought were "semi-sweet" caused a bitter taste in my mouth that took a lot of water to wash out, how much more bitter will the taste be, in our mouths, if we continue to judge all books, God's children, by their covers? Im careful to read the labels before eating any more "chips," let's hope i/we can do the same when we meet those who are different. Amen.
Shalom, Salaam, Peace...
Jerry
BTW: another book that i not only highly recommend, but as i posted on my facebook, i think this book should be in every home library: Bill Moyers, "Moyers on Democracy." Get it. Read it. And let the truth set you free...
Friday, September 10, 2010
9/11
Folks,
We stand before September 11, a day that has changed the face of American history, forever, like DDay, Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, and the Oklahoma City bombing. This day will forever be linked to airplanes, twin towers, and a new, anonymous enemy: terrorists that mask themselves as religious zealots. We all can tell someone where we were when that first plane chose a tower as its final resting place. It is a dark day in our history, but one that we have been given to carry and honor.
The question, for us, is what do we do with this piece of history, our national albatross? Will we continue to endorse violence and a war against a few, enabling our government to bomb, without discretion, innocent persons, in the name and just cause of "war on terror?" Will we question our neighbor because she wears a typical Islamic prayer covering? Will we refuse to let our Arabic friends come into our homes, because we fear their intentions, their religion, their last name? Or will we choose the way of faith?
To live lives of faith we must accept the challenge God has given us. We live in our context, facing the reality of an ongoing war on terror, knowing that our reality, our story, our narrative is a violent one, in this context we are thrust to the forefront asking tough theological questions. What do we do? In a typical marketing campaign: WWJD?
If we are disciples of Jesus, we must choose the road less traveled.
When revenge is the standard answer, we must forgive. When violence becomes easy, we must offer peace. And when fear knocks on our door, doing all it can to handicap and destroy us, we must find faith. Faith knows no fear. Faith knows and chooses God, above and beyond any other choice. The God who provides. The God who accepts. The God who loves. And the God, yes even this God, the forgiving God, the God who forgives even the most heinous act--even planes flown into towers and our pentagon.
Godly people refuse to burn a holy, righteous, and sacred text as a pastor in Florida wants to do. Godly people choose to accept, listen, and open the door for further conversations. Why? Because the God of creation, the God who says, "It is good," still demands we honor that which is good. Godly people welcome the stranger, love their enemies, and forgive those who hurt them. But not only that, Godly people add bricks to the kingdom, making sure that which was good, remains good and will always be good. And they do it, pointing to THE ONE, the only ONE, who sees what they do and honors that which is good.
Tomorrow is a dark day in our story, but as people of faith, we can use it as a springboard into the light of God. Amen..
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
Jerry
We stand before September 11, a day that has changed the face of American history, forever, like DDay, Pearl Harbor, Kennedy assassination, and the Oklahoma City bombing. This day will forever be linked to airplanes, twin towers, and a new, anonymous enemy: terrorists that mask themselves as religious zealots. We all can tell someone where we were when that first plane chose a tower as its final resting place. It is a dark day in our history, but one that we have been given to carry and honor.
The question, for us, is what do we do with this piece of history, our national albatross? Will we continue to endorse violence and a war against a few, enabling our government to bomb, without discretion, innocent persons, in the name and just cause of "war on terror?" Will we question our neighbor because she wears a typical Islamic prayer covering? Will we refuse to let our Arabic friends come into our homes, because we fear their intentions, their religion, their last name? Or will we choose the way of faith?
To live lives of faith we must accept the challenge God has given us. We live in our context, facing the reality of an ongoing war on terror, knowing that our reality, our story, our narrative is a violent one, in this context we are thrust to the forefront asking tough theological questions. What do we do? In a typical marketing campaign: WWJD?
If we are disciples of Jesus, we must choose the road less traveled.
When revenge is the standard answer, we must forgive. When violence becomes easy, we must offer peace. And when fear knocks on our door, doing all it can to handicap and destroy us, we must find faith. Faith knows no fear. Faith knows and chooses God, above and beyond any other choice. The God who provides. The God who accepts. The God who loves. And the God, yes even this God, the forgiving God, the God who forgives even the most heinous act--even planes flown into towers and our pentagon.
Godly people refuse to burn a holy, righteous, and sacred text as a pastor in Florida wants to do. Godly people choose to accept, listen, and open the door for further conversations. Why? Because the God of creation, the God who says, "It is good," still demands we honor that which is good. Godly people welcome the stranger, love their enemies, and forgive those who hurt them. But not only that, Godly people add bricks to the kingdom, making sure that which was good, remains good and will always be good. And they do it, pointing to THE ONE, the only ONE, who sees what they do and honors that which is good.
Tomorrow is a dark day in our story, but as people of faith, we can use it as a springboard into the light of God. Amen..
Shalom, Salaam, Peace,
Jerry
Friday, September 3, 2010
Quick
Folks,
Sure i am two days late, and i am still trying to figure out my schedule, but the blog is up and going, this week. Funny thing happens when we read, pray, and tune our hearts to the power of the Divine, we begin to experience new insights to the biblical story, and that is happening to me. I am, actually, finding it hard to put to words my reaction to Matthew 5. But i will do my best, and in the interest of sanity, keep it short.
I mean really short.
Like almost finished short.
But not quite.
Before i say goodbye, this week, i want to ask you all a question. Have you ever had your world turned upside down? If so, how did it feel? How did you react? Was it positive? Negative? Are you still recovering? And if you haven't, be ready, because God always finds ways to upset our normal cycle of life.
Having our world turned upside down is godly work, it truly is. It could be tragic, so where is God? Sitting with us through our pain. Not just God, but when the church sits with us, God becmoes so real, so tangible, we survive. When it is a blessing, well that's an obvious answer. What does this have to do with Matthew 5?
Jesus came to turn the world upside down. He addresses the old paradigm that all of the people lived by, and then he turns it on its rear. He empowers the powerless. He calls the weakminded and sinner. He protects women. He demands forgiveness and mercy. He requires his disciples to love, just as He loves. That, folks, is turning the world upside down, and that folks, is what we are required to do.
Jesus calls us to stand against oppression, to demand justice, to live peace, and to no longer turn a blind eye to that which destroys life, whether that is a literal/quick destruction of life or if that is a slow/metaphorical descent into the abyss. God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit calls us, as disciples of Jesus, to stop the damage and build a kingdom, God's Kingdom: one of love, peace, forgiveness, acceptance, empowerment, and community. Anything else, anything that deters from this kingdom, is not of God and must be ignored.
To do this, folks, requires sacrifice, major sacrifice. So. What are we willing to give up? If not everything, we will accomplish nothing. But if we leave the world behind, well we will do more than experience a new life, we will build a kingdom, and kingdom building is always great work. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Sure i am two days late, and i am still trying to figure out my schedule, but the blog is up and going, this week. Funny thing happens when we read, pray, and tune our hearts to the power of the Divine, we begin to experience new insights to the biblical story, and that is happening to me. I am, actually, finding it hard to put to words my reaction to Matthew 5. But i will do my best, and in the interest of sanity, keep it short.
I mean really short.
Like almost finished short.
But not quite.
Before i say goodbye, this week, i want to ask you all a question. Have you ever had your world turned upside down? If so, how did it feel? How did you react? Was it positive? Negative? Are you still recovering? And if you haven't, be ready, because God always finds ways to upset our normal cycle of life.
Having our world turned upside down is godly work, it truly is. It could be tragic, so where is God? Sitting with us through our pain. Not just God, but when the church sits with us, God becmoes so real, so tangible, we survive. When it is a blessing, well that's an obvious answer. What does this have to do with Matthew 5?
Jesus came to turn the world upside down. He addresses the old paradigm that all of the people lived by, and then he turns it on its rear. He empowers the powerless. He calls the weakminded and sinner. He protects women. He demands forgiveness and mercy. He requires his disciples to love, just as He loves. That, folks, is turning the world upside down, and that folks, is what we are required to do.
Jesus calls us to stand against oppression, to demand justice, to live peace, and to no longer turn a blind eye to that which destroys life, whether that is a literal/quick destruction of life or if that is a slow/metaphorical descent into the abyss. God/Jesus/the Holy Spirit calls us, as disciples of Jesus, to stop the damage and build a kingdom, God's Kingdom: one of love, peace, forgiveness, acceptance, empowerment, and community. Anything else, anything that deters from this kingdom, is not of God and must be ignored.
To do this, folks, requires sacrifice, major sacrifice. So. What are we willing to give up? If not everything, we will accomplish nothing. But if we leave the world behind, well we will do more than experience a new life, we will build a kingdom, and kingdom building is always great work. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Saturday, August 28, 2010
In the Nick of Time
Brothers and sisters,
I know that this comes a little late, well two days late, but hey its better late than never, right? When life becomes predictable it loses its flavor and excitement, i think. So its really a gift that we never know when i will post a blog, right? At least thats my story and im sticking to it. No but seriously i have worked out my class schedule, and i am making a weekly work schedule, so that this doesn't happen again. And i will be posting the blog on Wednesday mornings, before ten. Hope that helps.
What about this week? I know that we dont have much time to dive into the text for this week, but maybe this last minute blog will keep the text fresh, so when we talk about it in the morning, it will be an engaging, stimulating, empowering conversation. Plus i want to see how many, though i dont expect many to read this, because it is so late, read the blog, because the message will begin to quote the blog, share stories, and just be a continuation of the blog.
But i will keep it short and sweet. Or i will do my best...
In the spirit of the text, i could say that Satan was tempting me to avoid the blog, to see who actually reads, but that would be a cop out that too many Christians have used to justify their behavior, and it would be a lie. No. But temptation does come, a lot, and i have, all too often caved to the tempter, which only stands to make Satan stronger, me weaker, and Jesus less audible.
How? I have shouted/lost my temper. Not sure that honors Jesus. I have gone on binges where i buy a lot of CD's, many which i dont need or use, that doesn't honor Jesus. I have succumbed to the need to draw attention to myself, even manipulating people, often times without the results i wanted, only to push Jesus further away from my heart. And i have done so many things, all too often, that have silenced the author of my faith, the sustainer of my faith, and the reason for my faith, to the detriment of my faith and my whole being.
I wish i could give a great excuse, but i dont have any. I even know how to ward off the temptations: Scripture. But in those moments, i close my mind, my ears, and yes my heart to whatever and however, God wants to free me. Why do i do this? Why do i, like Paul, do what i shouldn't? Why does temptation have such a hold on me? And how does caving to temptation interfere with my ability to fulfill God's call for me?
Temptation steals. It steals my heart and attention and power away from God and empowers the enemy, who has no desire to offer me abundant life. Every cross word, weakens the cross. Every lustful thought, weakens Jesus. Every purchase that is not needed but serves an emptiness enables the evil one to only attack more. And with every failed choice, Jesus fades further into the darkness and Satan becomes that which i serve, even if only unknowingly.
I realize how dark and disturbing this blog is, but folks the truth is this: The TRUTH: Jesus, came to give us life and if we do not serve Him, fully serve Him, we will serve something, or worse, someone else. And more than that, when we give our lives to Jesus, wholly, Satan steps up the attacks. When we don't employ the weapons God gave us to stand against the enemy, we will succumb to the enemy. And that is a road that leads to hell. Not just the place of eternal anguish, but in this world. When we serve temptation, cave to temptation, we become slaves to that hell which becomes our lives. And that, friends, is not what Jesus wanted.
Jesus wants us to have life, abundant life. He wants us to open the door for others to experience that life. And He wants to free us from the pitfalls of this world, of the tempter, which only serve to destroy and rob us of life, true life. So we must battle against the principalities, and we must take up our cross and confront the evil one, face to face, with the weapon of Jesus: Love, Truth, Scripture, so that we can and will put Satan where he belongs: in the pit of Hell...
Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
\
I know that this comes a little late, well two days late, but hey its better late than never, right? When life becomes predictable it loses its flavor and excitement, i think. So its really a gift that we never know when i will post a blog, right? At least thats my story and im sticking to it. No but seriously i have worked out my class schedule, and i am making a weekly work schedule, so that this doesn't happen again. And i will be posting the blog on Wednesday mornings, before ten. Hope that helps.
What about this week? I know that we dont have much time to dive into the text for this week, but maybe this last minute blog will keep the text fresh, so when we talk about it in the morning, it will be an engaging, stimulating, empowering conversation. Plus i want to see how many, though i dont expect many to read this, because it is so late, read the blog, because the message will begin to quote the blog, share stories, and just be a continuation of the blog.
But i will keep it short and sweet. Or i will do my best...
In the spirit of the text, i could say that Satan was tempting me to avoid the blog, to see who actually reads, but that would be a cop out that too many Christians have used to justify their behavior, and it would be a lie. No. But temptation does come, a lot, and i have, all too often caved to the tempter, which only stands to make Satan stronger, me weaker, and Jesus less audible.
How? I have shouted/lost my temper. Not sure that honors Jesus. I have gone on binges where i buy a lot of CD's, many which i dont need or use, that doesn't honor Jesus. I have succumbed to the need to draw attention to myself, even manipulating people, often times without the results i wanted, only to push Jesus further away from my heart. And i have done so many things, all too often, that have silenced the author of my faith, the sustainer of my faith, and the reason for my faith, to the detriment of my faith and my whole being.
I wish i could give a great excuse, but i dont have any. I even know how to ward off the temptations: Scripture. But in those moments, i close my mind, my ears, and yes my heart to whatever and however, God wants to free me. Why do i do this? Why do i, like Paul, do what i shouldn't? Why does temptation have such a hold on me? And how does caving to temptation interfere with my ability to fulfill God's call for me?
Temptation steals. It steals my heart and attention and power away from God and empowers the enemy, who has no desire to offer me abundant life. Every cross word, weakens the cross. Every lustful thought, weakens Jesus. Every purchase that is not needed but serves an emptiness enables the evil one to only attack more. And with every failed choice, Jesus fades further into the darkness and Satan becomes that which i serve, even if only unknowingly.
I realize how dark and disturbing this blog is, but folks the truth is this: The TRUTH: Jesus, came to give us life and if we do not serve Him, fully serve Him, we will serve something, or worse, someone else. And more than that, when we give our lives to Jesus, wholly, Satan steps up the attacks. When we don't employ the weapons God gave us to stand against the enemy, we will succumb to the enemy. And that is a road that leads to hell. Not just the place of eternal anguish, but in this world. When we serve temptation, cave to temptation, we become slaves to that hell which becomes our lives. And that, friends, is not what Jesus wanted.
Jesus wants us to have life, abundant life. He wants us to open the door for others to experience that life. And He wants to free us from the pitfalls of this world, of the tempter, which only serve to destroy and rob us of life, true life. So we must battle against the principalities, and we must take up our cross and confront the evil one, face to face, with the weapon of Jesus: Love, Truth, Scripture, so that we can and will put Satan where he belongs: in the pit of Hell...
Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
\
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Rest
Dear Family...
I am going to do something i havent done, ever. I am truly going to keep this blog short and sweet. Why? Because it is at the heart of the message.
Sunday's text is Luke 10: 38-42, and it rehearses the story of Mary and Martha, when Jesus comes over to visit. Martha, being a great host, works, works, and works some more, to make sure Jesus, who is her guest, has an amazing experience while Jesus is at Martha's house. Mary, well she just sits down and listens to Jesus. Martha gets upset, but it is Jesus who says, (paraphrase), "Martha, its all good. Mary is doing what is right. She is showing me respect and honor by just sitting here and listening to what i have to say."
All too often, especially in our culture, we think the more work we do the greater reward. There is no day that people simply do not work. We celebrate 24 hour stores and burger joints. We love that on Sunday, when it used to be hard to find a place open, we can go anywhere and have a good meal. It is any wonder how the family is becoming more and more stressed and affected because we have lost the art of dining and sitting and just being with one another, just as Mary just sat and enjoyed being in Jesus' presence? What can we do?
Well we can do what we should. We are going to have worship and fellowship at PJ and Jerry's house, and all you have to do is bring a dish and just enjoy the day. No need to go to Applebees or Ruby Tuesdays for lunch, we will serve you. No need to worry about what to do, we will have plenty of stuff to do. And no need to worry about who to call and meet, because your entire church family will be there. You and I will have plenty of friends to eat with. So join us on Sunday and simply be. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
I am going to do something i havent done, ever. I am truly going to keep this blog short and sweet. Why? Because it is at the heart of the message.
Sunday's text is Luke 10: 38-42, and it rehearses the story of Mary and Martha, when Jesus comes over to visit. Martha, being a great host, works, works, and works some more, to make sure Jesus, who is her guest, has an amazing experience while Jesus is at Martha's house. Mary, well she just sits down and listens to Jesus. Martha gets upset, but it is Jesus who says, (paraphrase), "Martha, its all good. Mary is doing what is right. She is showing me respect and honor by just sitting here and listening to what i have to say."
All too often, especially in our culture, we think the more work we do the greater reward. There is no day that people simply do not work. We celebrate 24 hour stores and burger joints. We love that on Sunday, when it used to be hard to find a place open, we can go anywhere and have a good meal. It is any wonder how the family is becoming more and more stressed and affected because we have lost the art of dining and sitting and just being with one another, just as Mary just sat and enjoyed being in Jesus' presence? What can we do?
Well we can do what we should. We are going to have worship and fellowship at PJ and Jerry's house, and all you have to do is bring a dish and just enjoy the day. No need to go to Applebees or Ruby Tuesdays for lunch, we will serve you. No need to worry about what to do, we will have plenty of stuff to do. And no need to worry about who to call and meet, because your entire church family will be there. You and I will have plenty of friends to eat with. So join us on Sunday and simply be. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
Friday, August 13, 2010
Prepare the Way!
Dear Family...
How many of you have been to a concert? Then you know that when they introduce the headliner, you know the band you really came to see, they hype it up. The announcer, usually a local dj, comes out and proclaims all the wonderful music that the artists has done, in an effort to get you ready. The dj might even yell, get excited, hoping to entice the same kind of energy with you, letting you know it is time to get ready to "rock." The lights go out, and bam the music starts...
And if the band is big time, like U2, well their entrance is going to be memorable. The one U2 concert i went to, i cant afford their tickets now, they came through the crowd playing, "In the Name of Love..." It was amazing to be standing, with the audience, and see Bono and the Edge walk right past me, only six to ten feet away. They had me at that moment, and i was a fan for life.
The larger the band, the larger the show, the more outrageous the introduction, and that is how it should be, right? I mean they earned the right to have their name at the top of the billboard. They earned the great introduction. And they earned the right to enter with thousands of screaming fans, waiting for Bono to burst into a classic song. That's how famous people take the stage, in the real world. But not Jesus.
Jesus' introduction comes through a wild man, a man dressed in camel's hair and eating honey. That's odd. U2's introduction draws you in. John the Baptist, the one who was called to "prepare the way," he has a tendecy to push people away. Its a different approach to introducing royalty, a messiah, or even a popular figure. But it is just the path God takes.
But more disturbing, at least from the perspective of what great people do and expect, instead of walking out to applause and people bowing before Him, including John the Baptist. Jesus walks up to John, knees down, and invites John to baptize Him. Talk about scandalous. The King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the Messiah, chooses to humble himself and be baptized. That's beyond worldly. That's. That's. Well that's nonsense really. And yet, it is what Jesus does.
In fact, isn't most of what Jesus teaches and commands nonsense? Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you. Blessed are the poor. The last shall be first. Sell everything you have and give the proceeds to the poor. Peace and mercy and grace over revenge, justice, and right. Jesus is countercultural, so it makes sense that his entry into the world and his ministry, would stand opposed to what most people expect from greatness.
But that's Jesus. And that guy with the camel's hair, he is John the Baptist. What's that got to do with us? EVERYTHING! John wasn't just a zealot preaching repentance, he was a faithful man of God doing what God called him to do. Even if it meant making a fool out of himself. Why? Because John understood that the work John was doing, baptizing and calling people to turn around, was the beginning work of ushering in God's Kingdom. Folks, God and Jesus and the Holy Spirt have called us to do the same: usher in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Are we doing it? Are we willing to make fools of ourselves? Are we giving up our need to be recognized and honored so that we can honor the author of our salvation? If we aren't, we will not experience the fullness of God's Kingdom. But if we are, well we might just find ourselves knee deep in a rushing river, calling people to repent. John did, and look how it turned out for him... He baptized Jesus. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
How many of you have been to a concert? Then you know that when they introduce the headliner, you know the band you really came to see, they hype it up. The announcer, usually a local dj, comes out and proclaims all the wonderful music that the artists has done, in an effort to get you ready. The dj might even yell, get excited, hoping to entice the same kind of energy with you, letting you know it is time to get ready to "rock." The lights go out, and bam the music starts...
And if the band is big time, like U2, well their entrance is going to be memorable. The one U2 concert i went to, i cant afford their tickets now, they came through the crowd playing, "In the Name of Love..." It was amazing to be standing, with the audience, and see Bono and the Edge walk right past me, only six to ten feet away. They had me at that moment, and i was a fan for life.
The larger the band, the larger the show, the more outrageous the introduction, and that is how it should be, right? I mean they earned the right to have their name at the top of the billboard. They earned the great introduction. And they earned the right to enter with thousands of screaming fans, waiting for Bono to burst into a classic song. That's how famous people take the stage, in the real world. But not Jesus.
Jesus' introduction comes through a wild man, a man dressed in camel's hair and eating honey. That's odd. U2's introduction draws you in. John the Baptist, the one who was called to "prepare the way," he has a tendecy to push people away. Its a different approach to introducing royalty, a messiah, or even a popular figure. But it is just the path God takes.
But more disturbing, at least from the perspective of what great people do and expect, instead of walking out to applause and people bowing before Him, including John the Baptist. Jesus walks up to John, knees down, and invites John to baptize Him. Talk about scandalous. The King of kings, the Lord of Lords, the Messiah, chooses to humble himself and be baptized. That's beyond worldly. That's. That's. Well that's nonsense really. And yet, it is what Jesus does.
In fact, isn't most of what Jesus teaches and commands nonsense? Love your enemy. Pray for those who persecute you. Blessed are the poor. The last shall be first. Sell everything you have and give the proceeds to the poor. Peace and mercy and grace over revenge, justice, and right. Jesus is countercultural, so it makes sense that his entry into the world and his ministry, would stand opposed to what most people expect from greatness.
But that's Jesus. And that guy with the camel's hair, he is John the Baptist. What's that got to do with us? EVERYTHING! John wasn't just a zealot preaching repentance, he was a faithful man of God doing what God called him to do. Even if it meant making a fool out of himself. Why? Because John understood that the work John was doing, baptizing and calling people to turn around, was the beginning work of ushering in God's Kingdom. Folks, God and Jesus and the Holy Spirt have called us to do the same: usher in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Are we doing it? Are we willing to make fools of ourselves? Are we giving up our need to be recognized and honored so that we can honor the author of our salvation? If we aren't, we will not experience the fullness of God's Kingdom. But if we are, well we might just find ourselves knee deep in a rushing river, calling people to repent. John did, and look how it turned out for him... He baptized Jesus. Amen.
Shalom,
jerry
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