Wednesday, February 29, 2012

John 1:29-51 "A Whole New World"

How do you actually view the world? If you are anything like me, you are fascinated by the visions we get from the Hubble telescope, which has been passively collecting data for years. Websites like this one give us a unique picture of our universe from Hubble's lens. And so we are accustomed to seeing ourselves as a small fragment of a much larger universe. And yet we human beings still often consider ourselves the center of the universe (if not literally, at least metaphorically). Not only do we live in an us-centered world, but also in a world where the spiritual and the material are distinct and separate.

Here is a phrase that I use pretty often, and it betrays a world divided into spiritual and material, "God breaks in" or "the Kingdom breaks in." What that assumes is a world in which God is separate from creation, rather than very involved in it. In the ancient world, it was believed that God was constantly at work sustaining and re-creating. The people would not look for places where God was involved, but where God was "especially" involved. In other words, where the presence of God was manifest.

The word manifest is one that has been trickling through my vocabulary in recent weeks, and I can't help but read the word "manifest" when John talks about Jesus, then Jesus talks about Himself. First, John talks about the manifest grace of God, the human being who would remove the sins of the whole world. Then Jesus refers to Himself as the living Jacob's ladder, with angels ascending and descending on Him.

When Jesus was present, the presence of God was manifest there. It was especially there. Christians are a people of "especially." While the world is sacred and a means of grace, we have "especially" gracious events like communion and baptism. And while we are supposed to love one another, we are to "especially" love our enemies and those who would persecute us. Doing this is manifesting the love of God.

How can you manifest the love of God today?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

John 1:1-28: How is Jesus Different?

I have heroes. I have heroes in the faith, heroes who do incredible things, and even heroes on the big screen. In fact, my biggest fear is not that I will never be a hero to anyone, but that I already am a hero to someone and that I will fail that person. Being human can be difficult.

John 1:1-28 gives us two different pictures. One is of the Word, the One who co-exists with God and even shares some of the divine perogative of God. Namely, the Word of God shapes the world.

The next picture is of John. He's a hero. People are coming out to him in droves. He's a kooky, stark, counter-cultural and charismatic prophet who attracts the masses with a simple message of repentance. And the leaders don't like him... which only helps his prophetic street cred. No prophet is ever liked by people with vested interest in the status quo.

And here's the tricky part- John is asked if he is the Messiah, the real Hero, the liberator and the one sent by God to set things right. To say "yes" would be an instant ticket to influence, power and the ability to make a positive influence in the world. Just imagine the possibilities...

But John says "no." He acknowledges that Jesus is different, that Jesus is beyond even the most obedient prophet. We will see in the next installment that John recognizes Jesus' ability to take away the sins of the world, something no human being has ever been able to do.

So when you think of Jesus, how is He different than the heroes of your life? What makes this one person so special that we would dare call Him Lord of the universe?

A Different Direction for Lent

Sorry that I have not been posting. My computer has faced seven days of going through a complete restart. Now that it is back, I hope to catch up on my Lenten promise- to blog through the book of John going through Easter. So... let's begin!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

"I am the True Vine" (John 15): The Fruitfulness of Rest

It is no coincidence that I write this on a Tuesday. Mondays are my day off. Here is what my Monday looked like. I woke up and headed to Art's Tavern for one of my favorite breakfasts- Biscuits and Gravy, with a healthy compliment of fresh-brewed coffee. Then it was off to the shanty for a couple hours of fishing. The fishing wasn't great, but the time was. This has been a weird winter... anyway, I went home and changed for Meijer, where I wandered around getting groceries (including a breading mix for the fish I caught for my lunch today, I can't wait!). I got home in the early afternoon and headed out to the Leelanau School to lift some weights and help teach a class on weightlifting class. If there is anything I enjoy more than lifting, it's telling other people to lift. And it was a good lift. There are few things I enjoy more than watching someone who is motivated to lift discovering a new exercise that will do what they want. Weightlifting is a lot like discipleship... but you can hear more about that this summer.

After my weightlifting, I was able to enjoy a sit-down dinner with my wife... the first in a week. That's weird for us. Our lives have been pretty divergent in the past seven days, and this opportunity to eat together was a delight. Then it was time for House, my favorite TV show of all time.

All in all, my day was full of rest. It had a slower pace to it, even though I was often on the move. When I went somewhere, I stuck around for a while. I stared into a fish-less ice hole for a long time. The grocery store on President's Day was busier than usual, leaving me to wait in long lines. My gym time was longer than usual with the additional teaching. I remained.

John 15 has stuck out to me in its use of the word "Remain." The word remain sounds like a plea, as though I am one foot out the door, and the soft "remain" beckons me to stay. And so to remain, in my mind, is to turn around and stick around for a while. And so remaining is an act of repentance (turning around is the best translation of the Hebrew word for repentance). Remaining, or resting, is an act of repentance from a life out of control. Rest is an act of self-control when my "to-do" list still has stuff on it. Rest is an act of joy when circumstances would suck the life out of me. Rest is an act of resistance to a culture that claims that the body is good for two things: 1) transportation of one's brain, and 2) a shiny object with which to attract potential mates. Rest is the declaration that I don't take myself too seriously, since I find meaning in laughing at bad movies on Netflix or debating the genius of House with my dad.

My day off bore a tremendous amount of fruit. I would encourage you to find some "remain" today.

Saturday, February 18, 2012

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14): Doing What Jesus Did...

The end of the passage from John 14 is a telling one from Jesus: "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:12).

So... should I quit my job, grow a beard and walk around barefoot all the time? Probably not, although I have picked up on two of the three requirements. :) There are things I have done that Jesus never did. I am married, Jesus was not. I live in one place, Jesus was homeless for sections of His ministry and was constantly on the move. I do not generally get confronted by demons, Jesus exorcised demons frequently. In short, I am doing a pretty poor job of doing the things that Jesus does.

That is, if I take His words hyper-literally. I would argue that taking Jesus' words seriously means an imaginative application of Jesus' life into the here and now. If we believe that Jesus just handed His work off to us, then it seems that Jesus is done working, which is fundamentally not true. Jesus doesn't expect us to mimic, but manifest (Leonard Sweet, I am a Follower pg 142).

So what is manifesting Jesus all about? For one, it implies that Jesus is at work within you. By the Spirit, Jesus reminds of the Gospel of His Lordship, Jesus continues the pruning work that takes place in all of us, Jesus replaces the barrenness of disobedience and sin with the Fruit of the Spirit, and calls us to greater love of God and neighbor. As that is happening, the life of Jesus will manifest in your own life. You will participate in the reconciliation of all things, the very mission of the Triune God, and great things will be seen. I pray that all of us pilgrims on the Way, as we become refreshed in the Truth, will manifest the Life of Jesus in our daily walk.

Friday, February 17, 2012

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14): On "Engaging"

We all do it. We have words that fill up with meaning for us, and so we use them whenever possible. For example, you will find me using the word "transformation" all the time. Why? It's full of meaning.

One of the words that still brings a smile to my face is the word "engage." When I was at Cornerstone University, we used the word "engage" all the time. We were supposed to "engage" our minds and imaginations, "engage" the culture around us, and yes, we often celebrated people getting "engaged" on campus. Eventually, people didn't want to hear any more about "engaging" anything.

And yet, there is something inherently engaging about the word "engaged." It means to connect. There is something amazing that happens in connection, especially in human relationships. It seems that there is something inherently life-giving about relationships. They encourage, they challenge, they sometimes even cause pain and anguish. But the life that comes from relationships far outweighs the cost.

Jesus was a constantly engaging fellow. While Paul sometimes got shrugged off, Jesus never did. He always provoked life and energy in people. For some, the energy was to follow; for others, the energy was to oppose. Either way, Jesus brought life wherever He went.

In the past twelve months or so, I have been discovering the engaging life of following Jesus. I have been a follower for longer than six months, but during this time, Jesus has really invited me in a closer walk. And it can be tough to manage. The closer I get to Jesus, the more I see my own faults. But it's also true that I have experienced more life.

Following Jesus isn't always like the rush of skydiving or an adventure like "Lord of the Rings." But sometimes it involves the rush of joy following a time of prayer or the adventure of a new and messy relationship with someone who needs the healing grace of Jesus Christ. The mystery of this life is something I can't explain, nor can I measure it. Some would say that I have reached a level of higher self-actualization, or am feeling the rush associated with the youth/maturity boundary I find myself in (at 26 years old).

I humbly disagree. Frankly, following Jesus is the thing that matters most. I believe that Jesus is Lord and that the lordship of Jesus both enacts blessing on my life and makes demands of my life. And if that means I get engaged in the tough and the good, then bring it on.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

"I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14): "Unarmed Truth and Unconditional Love"

Truth is a powerful thing. Truth can shatter the most powerful systems and oppressors in the world. Therefore, there is nothing more terrifying than the truth.

When Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was accepting his Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, he uttered these words: "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

Unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. These are important words for the disciples, and important for us today. Jesus was preparing the disciples for His death on the cross, and for the resurrection to follow. He even prepared the disciples for Pentecost and the sending of the Holy Spirit. It brings to mind the echo of MLK: "Right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." The disciples were about to see evil triumphant. They were about to gaze on Jesus as He was crucified and pierced in the side (John 19). They were going to watch soldiers take His clothes and gamble them away. They were going to watch soldiers and officials and priests and people alike mock Jesus as He died. Evil was indeed gloating in its triumph.

We today live in a world that seems, at times, to have a triumphant evil. Our technology, once heralded to save lives, has churned out the bloodiest century in human history. We have made attempts at global unity and we have had global war. We have seen unprecedented economic prosperity and nation-crippling poverty. Indeed, evil seems to have achieved some victory.

But just as the cross gave way to the empty tomb, Truth has not had His last word. The Good News is that it doesn't end like this. And so we, the followers of the Way, the Truth and the Life are united in the mission to walk with nothing other than unarmed Truth (the Gospel that Jesus is Lord) and unconditional love ("This is my command: Love one another" - John 15:17).

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14): One of my Favorite Songs

"We're pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road..."

So begins one of my favorite hymns, "Find Us Faithful." It speaks pretty directly of the Way and those who travel with us on the Way. (Click here for full lyrics) When I think of Jesus as the Way, I am reminded that Jesus calls us into faithful community.

Sometimes we want the faithful, but not the community. This was especially true in past generations, when faith was considered a private matter and not to be discussed with others. Many people have been discovering (in the past 20 years) the joy of building their faith in relationships with other people.

But now a new phenomenon is arising- community without the faithful. The small group movement, which took off in the 1990's, sought to undo the solo Christianity which plagued the USAmerican Church. In doing so, they put relationship-building at the forefront. And what followed was a gradual loss of vision for making disciples. It came to the point where people getting together for dinner and discussing politics was considered discipleship. And there is a place for this kind of community, just like there is a place for personal/individual faith practices.

I want to invite us back to the "Find us Faithful" community, which is made up of mentors, peers, and mentees. In other words, we need mentors. Timothy had Paul, and we need our mentors too. We need peers, people with whom we are on an equal footing. Accountability groups are good for this kind of discipleship. And we need mentees. We need to be making disciples. Jesus told His disciples that anyone who believes will keep doing Jesus' work (John 14:12). Making disciples was that work.

So we are all pilgrims on the journey of the narrow road, and those who have gone before us light the way. May those who come behind us find us faithful.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

"I am the Way, the Truth and the Life" (John 14): And then I came back

John 14 has a special place in my heart. God led me into the mysteries and the wonders of John 14 about a year ago.

A year ago today, I was sitting in airports and sleeping through inflight movies. In fact, I developed the skill of falling asleep on an airplane before the safety speech (much to the chagrin of the TSA, I would imagine). That may have been less of a skill and more a manifestation of sleep deprivation.

But anyway, the reason I was on an airplane a year ago was because I was returning from a three-week trip to Kenya. It was the longest trip I had ever taken, and one of the most fully-alive "vacations" in my life. In Kenya, I was brought to the very edge of my faith. In fact, I was probably led a few steps beyond faith. On my second full day in Kenya, I was walking with a pastor and an evangelist, sharing the Gospel with the people of Kenya. I talked to the elderly and the young, the receptive and the drunk, and sometimes the receptive while drunk. I looked into the hollow eyes of the child gold miners, even while wearing my gold wedding ring. This was the edge.

And so what do you share with people while feeling like a hypocrite? How do I speak of God's love when my expression of romantic love pushed them into the mines? Believe me, the day that tension goes away is the day I cease being human.

God guided my trembling hands to John 14, the print blasting forth from the pages. "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me."

How do I say that? How do I say "Don't be troubled?" How do I say "Trust in God," when money (with "In God We Trust" on it) has caused so much pain for these kids?

To be honest, I have no idea what else I said. John 14 became as much of a confession as it is a passage of comfort to others. Never before has "Do not let your hearts be troubled" troubled me so much.

And then I came back. One year ago today, I was in the Netherlands, where most of our jewelry is funneled from Africa to the US. I followed the gold back to my home. And I am still troubled. Things could be so different. Perhaps the Way led me to these kids not to speak, but to be spoken to. Perhaps it is I who needed the Gospel that day, just as I need it each and every day. Perhaps staring into hopeless eyes was necessary for the fire of hope to be rekindled within me.

You see, I am naive. Literally, the MMPI rates me with a high naivete. I tend to believe against reason. And while some would see this as weakness and denial, I would argue that I have seen some of the depth of suffering in the world. I am not in denial about it. In fact, I wrestle with it constantly. Where I get naive is that I believe the Way, the Truth and the Life has the last word- not suffering. And I believe that the last word will not be "Let suffering continue," but "Let healing commence." Come, Lord Jesus.

Friday, February 10, 2012

"I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11): A Well-Managed Faith

I have a fairly well-managed faith. Years of study and reflection have given me a pretty solid understanding of the Bible and what it says about God. I know, pretty well, where my spiritual gifting lies and how that fits into God's greater mission. I have a sense that I am growing in my obedience to Christ; if not daily, at least monthly. In other words, I am like many of the characters in the New Testament- the rich young ruler from Luke (who rejected Jesus at the command to sell everything and give it to the poor) and Martha come to mind.

Martha, in John 11, has a well-managed faith too. She believes without a doubt that Jesus is God's Son, the Christ, and the One prophesied about in the Old Testament. She knows that Jesus has a unique relationship to God and that He performs miracles. She knows that Jesus has a role in the end of all things, when the resurrection happens. She even knows that Jesus has the power over death.

But she is reluctant to open the tomb.

Risk is not glamorous, no matter how you share it. At the end of the day, risk looks a lot less like skydiving and a lot more like uncertainty and vulnerability. It involves coming to the boundary of faith and doubt on a regular basis. Risk comes a lot more in the faith than we would like to think. After all, faith assumes that we are putting trust in something or Someone, and trusting involves risk.

Martha opened the tomb. She took the risk. It was the only way that she would experience God's glory, as promised by Jesus. And when her brother rose from the dead, she knew the risk was worth it. And her faith became a little less managed, and a little more adventurous.

I pray for an unmanaged faith for all of us today, that we would be brought to take risks and see God's glory. And I pray that we will all be filled by the grace of Christ to face that risk with the same boldness as Martha.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

"I am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11): Christus Victor

The cross and resurrection of Jesus is the central event of Christian faith, and the human experience. And as the central event, the cross and resurrection of Jesus bears talking about. And when we look at the cross, in many ways, we see ourselves coming to Jesus. In other words, we see the cross from different perspectives.

The Reformation gave us one dominant view- legal penalty/penal substitution theory. It followed a very simple line of thought. We are guilty, we cannot properly handle our guilt, the penalty of sinfulness is death and separation from God, Jesus took that on Himself (being guiltless) and the resurrection proves that the penalty is over. And it is a Scriptural description of the cross and resurrection of Jesus. It is also one that soared in the Reformation because the primary drivers of the Reformation (Luther and Calvin) were trained as lawyers. Reading the Bible through a legal lens would quickly give you this view of the cross. There are others, though, that are also pretty neat.

One is called "Christus Victor," and it is primarily lifted up in the Eastern Orthodox church. Christus Victor is a Latin phrase for "Victorious Christ," or "Christ the Winner." It takes very seriously the passage in 1 Peter that Jesus went triumphantly to the grave and the passage from Ephesians that Jesus went into the grave to rescue people. It also drives home the image from Revelation that Death itself will be bound and cast into hell.

Christus Victor highlights the central truth of the incarnation- that the Son of God emptied Himself and became a man (Philippians 2). When Christ emptied Himself, He stepped into a world ravaged by death and the fear of death (somewhere in Hebrews). And every work Christ did, from healing to teaching to exorcism to the cross, was all part of a calculated invasion of death. And a new world broke free- a world of resurrection and life, embodied by the victorious savior, Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

"I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11): The shortest verse in the Bible

"Do you know the shortest verse in the Bible?"

Ever since I was in Sunday School, I tried to learn as much as I possibly could about the Bible and its stories. And so Bible trivia in Sunday School was my favorite activity. Until this question came up. What is the shortest verse in the Bible? How is anyone supposed to know that?

The answer is John 11:35, a short verse that packs a big punch. "Jesus wept" tells us more about Jesus than some books I have read. It tells us of the full humanity of Jesus. Jesus is not stoic- even though He knew that Lazarus was going to die, and even though Jesus knew Lazarus' resurrection was right around the corner, Jesus breaks down at the thought of His friend's death. But weeping doesn't only refer to Jesus' humanity, but also His divinity. We do not have a compassionless, stoic God. The God of the Old and New Testaments is full of compassion and emotion, even if that emotion is different from human emotion. God, the creator of emotion, experiences emotion as well.

"Jesus wept" also tells us the urgency of Jesus' mission. "Christus Victor" is a phrase used by Christians throughout the centuries to describe Jesus' mission as the defeat of death. Jesus weeps at more than the death of one person, Jesus weeps over the toll of the kingdom of death. Those tears motivate Jesus toward His own death and resurrection, when the tomb will be plundered and Jesus will rescue the captives from the power of death (Ephesians 4:7-11, 1 Peter 3:18-22).

My takeaway from all of this is that my mourning has divine companionship. When I weep, it is only an echo of the weeping of Christ. And so I know that my tears have an end date, when death itself is put in chains and will hold power over us no more. Maranatha, come, Lord Jesus.

Friday, February 3, 2012

"I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10): One flock and One Shepherd

"I have other sheep not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." - John 10:16

In the middle of this great passage about Jesus and His death and resurrection, Jesus utters this mysterious verse. And it is an amazing verse. It speaks to the great nature of our Shepherd, who calls out to a flock greater than our understanding.

Revelation paints a picture of a worship service where every tribe and language will gather together under the throne of God (Revelation 7:9). What does this worship service, and Jesus' words, mean for us today?

We are united by the Shepherd and the Shepherd's voice. Even though we come from different sheep pens and different stages of life, it is the Shepherd who brings us together. In only a few chapters, Jesus will pray for the unity of all believers, all in one flock. Jesus prays that the unity that He experiences with God will be expressed in the Church.

And yet, we don't often seem so united as Christians. Sometimes, it seems that we find our opinions about the Shepherd more important than the Shepherd. On Sunday, we will be taking communion, where we believe that we are united with all believers past and present in the way that Jesus intended. I hope you will join me in prayer for the Church that we will express the unity that we already have in Christ.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

"I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10): Who's the Shepherd?

Here's a confession. I get jealous of other pastors. Not of their churches- frankly, I am in a place that I love with people whom I love doing ministry I love. I get jealous because they are published. Often. I hear about how they get podcasted and invited to speak at conferences and think "Why can't I be invited to speak at big conferences?" TED could use a couple innovative pastors to speak, right? When does my book deal come?

Here's the thing. That makes this whole journey of ministry all about me. I take the Shepherd's place. Even the title "pastor" is a little worrisome. Pastor is just the Latin word for shepherd. I am not the shepherd. I don't even work for the shepherd. I'm a sheep. We all are. (Maybe I should change my title... what would you call me, I wonder?)

There is a battle for identity that goes on the human heart all the time. At the center of this battle is the source of our identity. Is it me, or is it Christ? I have seen firsthand, sometimes experienced, the dangerous toll a self-centered identity can cause. Life becomes about comparison- who am I compared to the people around me? Am I good enough?

The jealousy I experience, in a self-centered identity, is a good thing. Jealousy motivates me to beat them and to become the pastor du jour, wielding influence and power over other people. Of course, it is assumed I will use that influence for good and not for evil, so it's a good thing. But that's a desire to, ultimately, become the shepherd. People need to hear my voice if my identity is based on me. But if my identity comes in that I belong to the Shepherd, then people do not need to hear my voice. They need to hear Christ's voice. They need to hear the Shepherd's voice.

And so I will probably not be on the stage at TED (although it would make for a great vacation to go to TED- I already live in a vacation destination doing what I want to do). People all over the world will not read my books or watch my videos. But hopefully, at least someone will hear the Shepherd's voice through me today.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

"I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10): A Shepherd and a King

Abraham was one of the main characters of the Old Testament. It was Abraham who was called by God out of early Babylon to become the father of the nation of Israel. Abraham is the model for faith, according to the book of Romans, and certainly is a model of discipleship. Abraham left everything familiar to follow a God he didn't know toward a land he had never seen. But Abraham didn't just pick up and move to the Promised Land. As with most journeys of faith, Abraham wandered a bit. But in his wanderings, Abraham became a shepherd-king, powerful enough that he was summoned by the kings of cities to join with them in military alliances (Genesis 14).

So what do we learn about the Good Shepherd from this shepherd-king?

We learn the journey of faith from these two shepherds. Abraham and Jesus both followed God for the long haul. Although the main mission of Jesus was the cross, He didn't head there right after baptism. Jesus ministered for three years after His baptism, moving around and visiting small villages. Jesus called His disciples to follow Him around for a few years and pick things up as they went. In other words, neither Abraham nor Jesus were particularly effecient with their time.

The life of faith is not a formula or a ten-step program. It's a process. Eugene Peterson calls it a "Long Obedience in the Same Direction," in his book by the same name. We can't always plan that process, nor can we predict where it is going. All we can do is take a step of faith and trust that the Good Shepherd will lead us the rest of the way.