Fruit

Luke 6:43-49 (The Message)

"You don't get wormy apples off a healthy tree, nor good apples off a diseased tree.

The health of the apple tells the health of the tree.

You must begin with your own life-giving lives. It's who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.

"Why are you so polite with me, always saying 'Yes, sir,' and 'That's right, sir,' but never doing a thing I tell you?

These words I speak to you are not mere additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundation words, words to build a life on.

"If you work the words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who dug deep and laid the foundation of his house on bedrock.

When the river burst its banks and crashed against the house, nothing could shake it; it was built to last.

But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a dumb carpenter who built a house but skipped the foundation. When the swollen river came crashing in, it collapsed like a house of cards. It was a total loss."

Yesterday I had a lunch meeting in Douglasville and conversation with a friend. I have another one today (and the restaurant has free internet --- I'm writing to you from my eating meeting via laptop while I wait).

As I re-filled my drink at the fountain yesterday, I heard a voice: "Check that house lately?"

Admittedly, I couldn't put that sentence in context, or really figure out why the large, deep-voice man who spoke it might be directing it at me.

Then I saw him. He was seated, alone, at the booth just next to me. I'd never seen him before, but I recognized the white and red uniform, and the tie. An "Orkin" man.

"Termites?" I said...

"Yeah, termites," he said...

"Yes, I've got a service...the one we were set up with when we bought the house."

"Oh," he said, dejected. "Everybody's got a service."

I didn't really know what to say, so I said something silly. "Well...there are a lot of termites out there to kill. Good luck."

And with that, our encounter ended. But somehow, I swear, looking back 24 hours later, it reminds me a lot of Jesus in this passage.

"Check that house?" "How's the foundation?" "What are you building on?" "Could something be eating the structure from the inside while you don't even know it?"

Or perhaps I could have encountered a fruit farmer instead of a termite man.

Jesus uses that analogy, too. A tree will be known by its fruit.

As I sit in this restaurant today (and I do other things than just go to restaurants, hang out and eat, I promise), I can't help overhearing a conversation.

An older woman sits with her friend. I can't make out every word, but I can hear enough, and I can definitely get the tone.

She's angry. She's complained about kids that run through her grass. She's complained about her family. She's pointing and gesturing to drive home her meaning. She's said, "I'll tell you what..." more than once.

Is that fruit? Perhaps.

What would a stranger think or perceive if they overheard our conversation?

Would they see the fruit of peace, love, joy and happiness?

Would they feel anger and frustration, depression and loss?

How can we become a different kind of tree? ...Well, we're going to need good roots. It's the foundation, you see.

"Your true being brims over into true words and deeds."

Connection to God, "the roots," of who we are...the foundation of the house...that is the way that we stand in storms, and produce fruit worthy of harvest.

"If you just use my words in Bible Studies, and don't work them into your life..."

Ouch. Those are my toes Jesus is stepping on. So I hope I can learn to connect to him, to have real roots, to find the bedrock foundation, and to work his teachings through and through the pages of my life story.

Prayer: Father, we want to know you...and work your words into our lives. May we produce fruit in keeping with the trees of your orchard, and build spiritual houses upon the real rock that doesn't change.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Smudge

Luke 6:39-42 (The Message)

He quoted a proverb: "'Can a blind man guide a blind man?' Wouldn't they both end up in the ditch?

An apprentice doesn't lecture the master. The point is to be careful who you follow as your teacher.

"It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt?

It's this I-know-better-than-you mentality again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your own part.

Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Jesus tells us to choose our teachers carefully. The best teachers I've ever known have been people of deep humility.

Sometimes, we all want to become teachers before we've really learned the subject. That's a recipe for disaster.

The temptation, of course, is to quickly fix that which we can see to be wrong.

I can see the "smudge" on someone else's face much better than I can the "sneer" on my own. Maybe that sneer has been there so long that it's grown comfortable, and seems normal.

Imagine a sneer-faced, crazy-eyed person coming at your face with a moist towelette. How would you react?

Exactly. We would run, and we'd be right to do just that.

Why, then, do we sometimes feel license to inflict our own needs and projections on the people around us?

I am so deeply convinced that the world would be a more beautiful place if we each spent some time considering our own contorted places...and asked God to heal our own brokenness.

A hand of friendship, offered from a place of real peace...is rarely rejected. Jesus is our teacher, and time spent with him can show us the path of self-reflection and lasting health.

Prayer: Forgive us for our fascination with others, when there is much we could learn about ourselves. We invite you into our broken places, ask for your healing presence, and pray that you would teach us all as followers of Jesus, to be loving and not hypocritical.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Easy

Luke 6:37-38 (The Message)

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment.

Don't condemn those who are down; that hardness can boomerang.

Be easy on people; you'll find life a lot easier.

Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing.

Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity."

There are a couple of ways of interacting with the people around us. We've probably all encountered someone who builds themselves up by tearing other people down.

We've probably all been guilty of that ourselves, as well.

Really, that self-promoting action is what's at the heart of gossip. Under the guise of care and concern, I have heard church folks just eviscerate their brothers and sisters, to make themselves feel better about their own faults and shortcomings.

Jesus gives us some good advice: "that hardness can boomerang."

In fact, it almost always will. Negativity and destruction is not the path to peace, love and community. Folks can get enough of the bad stuff other places. They're looking for something different from their fellow Jesus-followers.

What would it mean to "be easy on people?"

Immediately, we worry about "accountability," "standards," "honesty," and "excellence."

Are we just supposed to let everything go, regardless of the consequences to ourselves or others?

Here's what I know about accountability and standards: while those conversations do have their place, they only work in the context of real, trusting, relationship. Relationship doesn't come through criticism.

If we really want to change ourselves and the world around us, we could start by lightening up. 99% of our critique of other people has to do with reinforcing some image of ourselves that we want to believe in.

This isn't about us. Generosity, approval, softness...let's pray for those things, and try them on today. Maybe they'll "boomerang" back our direction.

Prayer: God our Father, we pray that today you would help us to be patient with others. Help us to see things from their perspective, to relax, to soften, and to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. Forgive us when we jump on others' faults and overlook our own. We need your grace and peace as our way in the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Ready

Luke 6:27-36 (The Message)

To you who are ready for the truth, I say this:

Love your enemies.

Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.

When someone gives you a hard time, respond with the energies of prayer for that person.

If someone slaps you in the face, stand there and take it.

If someone grabs your shirt, giftwrap your best coat and make a present of it.

If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.

"Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them!

If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden-variety sinners do that. If you only give for what you hope to get out of it, do you think that's charity? The stingiest of pawnbrokers does that.

"I tell you, love your enemies. Help and give without expecting a return.

You'll never—I promise—regret it.

Live out this God-created identity the way our Father lives toward us, generously and graciously, even when we're at our worst.

Our Father is kind; you be kind.

Are you "ready for the truth?" Can you handle it?

We can't until we're ready. Until we've tried it our own way for long enough, and hurt badly enough, it's tough for us to open up to this radical way of life that Jesus teaches.

Something's gotta give. There are cycles of hurt, violence and enemy-making that perpetuate themselves endlessly until someone decides to change.

Jesus has a wonderful, world-changing idea about enemies: "Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst."

Why should we pray for our enemies? Well, because we should want the very best for all people. Yes, I agree with that.

But even deeper, we should pray for them because that's the only way to be freed of the power that they hold over us.

When I pray for my enemy, the possibilities of empathy and understanding begin to unfold, even just a little bit.

It's difficult to spend time with God in prayer for an enemy and maintain our seething hatred.

Enemy-loving is probably the best gift we could ever give ourselves. It frees us, it lowers our blood pressure, reduces our stress and just generally makes us a much better person all the way around.

Can't let go yet? The choice is ours, and God will allow us to hold onto our pain and anger until we're ready to let it go...until we've had enough.

Try living generously. "You'll never -- I promise -- regret it."

Prayer: We need your help and guidance to see the places in our lives where anger still smolders and threatens to burn us up. We consider our "enemies" in these moments, and spend time with you in prayer. Teach us empathy, understanding, and let peace be our way in the world.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Approved

Luke 6:24-26 (The Message)

But it's trouble ahead if you think you have it made.
What you have is all you'll ever get.

And it's trouble ahead if you're satisfied with yourself.
Your self will not satisfy you for long.

And it's trouble ahead if you think life's all fun and games.
There's suffering to be met, and you're going to meet it.

"There's trouble ahead when you live only for the approval of others, saying what flatters them, doing what indulges them.

Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.

Here's a basic truth of life...no other person, no place, no time, no thing, no situation can make you "happy."

The faster we learn that, and the faster we take it into our lives, the better off we are. I really think that truth is what Jesus is trying to teach us.

Please don't misunderstand: there's nothing wrong with "happy." "Happy" is wonderful, and we should all experience it. But as long as we look to the world to "make us happy," we're in for a bumpy ride.

It goes like this, you see: "when I get that job, that spouse, that car, that baby, that fill-in-the-blank, then I'll be happy."

And then, eventually, even when you've gotten that job, spouse, car, baby, fill-in-the-blank, you find out that there are still things to complain about after all.

Even more dangerous still is living for approval and accolades from other people. People themselves change, and their opinions change like the breeze. And, approval may be one of the most addictive drugs going, because it feels so very good when we have it.

There's only one right, healthy, way to move through this life with peace and love.

Seek first relationship and love from God. Connection with God begins to change it all. When you know that God loves you and that you're "right" in that relationship, you begin to learn to love the people, things, and even situations that surround you.

That is a peace that passes the world's understanding. That's the path of becoming a disciple.

Prayer: Our Father, we pray today that you would truly help us appreciate our daily bread as a pure and generous gift from you. Draw us closer to you, so that all of our relationships begin and end in you. We yearn for real connection with you because it changes everything else. Protect us from the approval of others and bless us with your own.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Plain

Luke 6:17-23 (The Message)

Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon.

They had come both to hear him and to be cured of their ailments. Those disturbed by evil spirits were healed. Everyone was trying to touch him—so much energy surging from him, so many people healed! Then he spoke:

You're blessed when you've lost it all. God's kingdom is there for the finding.

You're blessed when you're ravenously hungry. Then you're ready for the Messianic meal.

You're blessed when the tears flow freely. Joy comes with the morning.

"Count yourself blessed every time someone cuts you down or throws you out, every time someone smears or blackens your name to discredit me.

What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and that that person is uncomfortable.

You can be glad when that happens—skip like a lamb, if you like!—for even though they don't like it, I do . . . and all heaven applauds.

And know that you are in good company; my preachers and witnesses have always been treated like this.

Just as Jesus has called his disciples, and they stroll (or maybe skipped like lambs) victoriously down to the crowd...we arrive at the plain.

The sermon on the plain. Perhaps it should more appropriately be called, "the good news of the plain life."

Because this message is all about a radical re-ordering of priorities.

Jesus himself is pretty plain about what he's trying to tell us:

If you seek the Kingdom, the Messianic Meal, and Joy that won't end, you're going to have to follow a path of loss, tears and hunger. It's the straightest shot to real life.

We are taught by this world to see our failures as reason for despair. If we have loss, if we experience disappointment, if we don't obtain the "right" material possessions, we believe that we are of little worth, and that our whole life's story is a failure.

Nothing could be further from the truth. The biblical message is all about embracing so-called "failure" as opportunity. The Old Testament is littered with stories of "heroes," who were really nothing but "failures" on their own.

The Apostle Paul teaches us to embrace failure and weakness because it's really the one-and-only way that God's power and strength can shine through. The path of real, lasting joy.

This is a deeply counter-cultural message.

And when you swim upstream, expect resistance. Jesus has told as much. Resistance from within, and without, will work to focus our attention and desire on the wrong things.

But nothing is as good as dependence on God. Nothing touches real peace and joy. And nothing that happens...not hunger, pain or tears can take the real thing away from us.

Prayer: Show us how to embrace the "plain" life of dependence on you. Steer us away from trouble and the temptation to prove our own worth through pride and worry. Thank you for your presence with us today.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Congregation

Luke 6:12-17 (The Message)

At about that same time he climbed a mountain to pray. He was there all night in prayer before God. The next day he summoned his disciples; from them he selected twelve he designated as apostles:

Simon, whom he named Peter,
Andrew, his brother,
James,
John,
Philip,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
Thomas,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Simon, called the Zealot,
Judas, son of James,
Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

Coming down off the mountain with them, he stood on a plain surrounded by disciples, and was soon joined by a huge congregation from all over Judea and Jerusalem, even from the seaside towns of Tyre and Sidon.

So, today I started to use facebook. I went to a seminar over the weekend about "reaching out to young adults." The presenter, a good friend of mine, told us what a great networking tool this site can be.

Now, this is not news to any of you who either are young adults (how do you define "young?" Depends on how old you are), or who know them well.

I'm hardly cutting edge by finally filling out the facebook page that I set up over a year ago.

But I finally did it.

And my friend was right --- it feels great to be "confirmed" as a friend.

You get a wonderful little email: "_____" has confirmed you as a friend!

I wonder how these 12 felt when Jesus confirmed them as disciples (a term for all Jesus-followers), but as apostles (a stronger designation of these 12 plus Paul, as witnesses to the Gospel).

I think they must have felt pride and excitement. They must have felt that their worth was confirmed. Of all the folks in the crowd, Jesus chose them.

There were all kinds in that crowd of 12. Even Judas, "who would betray him."

Jesus takes all kinds. He calls the most unlikely folks, which is really good news for us.

I just have to wonder what they felt, these twelve, as they surrounded Jesus in this huge congregation that joined them.

How would they sort out their roles? How would this all end? Power? Money? Fame?

Stay tuned...because following Jesus always changes a life.

And, if you're a facebook person, invite me to be your friend!

Prayer: Father, we pray that we might become true disciples, following the path of this man named Jesus. Help us to be students, and witnesses to what we have seen.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Grain

Luke 6:1-11 (The Message)

On a certain Sabbath Jesus was walking through a field of ripe grain.

His disciples were pulling off heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands to get rid of the chaff, and eating them.

Some Pharisees said, "Why are you doing that, breaking a Sabbath rule?"

But Jesus stood up for them.

"Have you never read what David and those with him did when they were hungry? How he entered the sanctuary and ate fresh bread off the altar, bread that no one but priests were allowed to eat? He also handed it out to his companions."

Then he said, "The Son of Man is no slave to the Sabbath; he's in charge."

On another Sabbath he went to the meeting place and taught.

There was a man there with a crippled right hand. The religion scholars and Pharisees had their eye on Jesus to see if he would heal the man, hoping to catch him in a Sabbath infraction.

He knew what they were up to and spoke to the man with the crippled hand: "Get up and stand here before us."

He did.

Then Jesus addressed them, "Let me ask you something: What kind of action suits the Sabbath best? Doing good or doing evil? Helping people or leaving them helpless?"

He looked around, looked each one in the eye.

He said to the man, "Hold out your hand." He held it out—it was as good as new!

They were beside themselves with anger, and started plotting how they might get even with him.

This story is pretty amazing when we break down its pieces, and very instructive for all of us who would seek to follow him and make our allegiance known in the world.

Jesus and his disciples...they're hungry and they eat grains of wheat.

The religious people...they knit-pick the rules and can't wait to see this man make a mistake.

Jesus and his disciples...honor the sabbath, but understand it in the right perspective...as a gift given to us by God to enhance our life, not to enslave us.

The religious people...they know the law inside and out and make sure they keep it to the letter...but they kill its spirit.

Jesus sees a man in physical need...and heals him!

The religious folks in the story...see the same man and just get angry because a "rule" has been broken!

2,000 years later, we "religious people" need to let this story speak into our lives. It's so very easy to become a defender of "what's right," and then do what is wrong. I know where I want to be in this story: standing with Jesus, celebrating a healing, not stewing in anger over "rule-breaking."

Think it sounds impossible that any one of us could wind up on the wrong side?

Really pay attention today to the things that make you mad? Why do they? What's really at work inside of us?

Jesus will change us, teach us and move us if we allow him the space.

Prayer: Father God, we ask with humble hearts that you put us on Jesus' side when there are choices to be made. We seek the side of truth and healing that puts people ahead of rules.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Celebrate

Luke 5:33-39 (The Message)

They asked him, "John's disciples are well-known for keeping fasts and saying prayers. Also the Pharisees. But you seem to spend most of your time at parties. Why?"

Jesus said, "When you're celebrating a wedding, you don't skimp on the cake and wine. You feast. Later you may need to pull in your belt, but this isn't the time. As long as the bride and groom are with you, you have a good time. When the groom is gone, the fasting can begin. No one throws cold water on a friendly bonfire. This is Kingdom Come!

"No one cuts up a fine silk scarf to patch old work clothes; you want fabrics that match. And you don't put wine in old, cracked bottles; you get strong, clean bottles for your fresh vintage wine. And no one who has ever tasted fine aged wine prefers unaged wine."

I remember the first non-Protestant wedding reception I ever attended.

This Methodist boy hadn't ever really seen a wedding celebration that didn't happen in the church fellowship hall with sherbert-and-sprite punch.

Wow, was it a whole new world.

Nobody skimped on cake or wine. The whole family and the hundreds of other invited guests had a true celebration.

Even the groom's elderly grandma got on the dance floor and just flat cut a rug.

It was really great stuff. A celebration.

Some folks have the gift for parties, and some folks don't. There are those who would prefer a good book and a cozy fire to bunches of friends, loud music, dancing and celebration.

I can be that way myself sometimes. Often, in fact. But the great truth is that there's a time and a moment for both.

Jesus was reminding the stuck-in-the-mud religious that his presence was cause for celebration. Perhaps they were addicted to bad news, or afraid of what might happen if they cut the people loose with jubiliation.

At any rate, they didn't know how to party. Jesus did. And that is such a great reminder to us.

He seeks good, "clean bottles," for his excellent, "vintage wine."

What if the bottle test is whether we can appreciate a good celebration? There will never be a test that's more fun pass. Jesus reminds us...life is good, and there is reason to smile.

Prayer: Remind us today, over and over, that life should be a celebration. Your good gifts abound throughout the earth. May we never find ways to have your goodness overshadowed by our determination to be uptight. Father, give us hearts of celebration today!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Worship with us this Sunday at SOTH! 9 & 11 AM with Sunday School for the whole family at 10:15. We'll be honoring this year's graduates at our 11 AM worship service. Congrats to them all and our prayers are with you!

Doctor

Luke 5:27-32 (The Message)

After this he went out and saw a man named Levi at his work collecting taxes. Jesus said, "Come along with me." And he did—walked away from everything and went with him.

Levi gave a large dinner at his home for Jesus. Everybody was there, tax men and other disreputable characters as guests at the dinner.

The Pharisees and their religion scholars came to his disciples greatly offended. "What is he doing eating and drinking with crooks and 'sinners'?"

Jesus heard about it and spoke up, "Who needs a doctor: the healthy or the sick?

Men don't like going to the doctor. Ever try to get one to go? Well, I am one...and I can tell you, things have to get pretty bad before we'll admit we need help.

Why are we that way? Who knows?

It's got something to do with not admitting weaknesses, or some craziness like that. It's a good way to end up really sick, or worse...when things could have been made well.

So, who can you ask for help?

Levi (Matthew) saw this man Jesus and decided in an instant that this was his chance. Why not? As a tax collector in the world of ancient Judaism, it was clear to him and everybody that his soul wasn't well. That's just how it was for tax collectors. They worked for Rome, and they made their living through fraud and extortion.

Jesus called this man?

Yes. Maybe because this man was the most likely to follow. He was willing to become workable clay in the hands of the master.

The "religious" folks in the crowd didn't understand. They knew they didn't need a doctor.

"What's he doing eating with those kinds of people?"

Where do you want to be in that story? Outside, feeling good about your standing, or inside -- seeing the soul's doctor?

The choice is clear. And it's the kind of Jesus people, friends, and church that we want to be.

Prayer: Help us to admit our need, and to follow the example of Matthew. Forgive us when we judge others, and give us humble hearts.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Forgiven

Luke 5:17-26 (The Message)

One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and religion teachers were sitting around. They had come from nearly every village in Galilee and Judea, even as far away as Jerusalem, to be there. The healing power of God was on him.

Some men arrived carrying a paraplegic on a stretcher.

They were looking for a way to get into the house and set him before Jesus.

When they couldn't find a way in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof, removed some tiles, and let him down in the middle of everyone, right in front of Jesus.

Impressed by their bold belief, he said, "Friend, I forgive your sins."

That set the religion scholars and Pharisees buzzing. "Who does he think he is? That's blasphemous talk! God and only God can forgive sins."

Jesus knew exactly what they were thinking and said, "Why all this gossipy whispering? Which is simpler: to say 'I forgive your sins,' or to say 'Get up and start walking'? Well, just so it's clear that I'm the Son of Man and authorized to do either, or both. . . ."

He now spoke directly to the paraplegic: "Get up. Take your bedroll and go home."

Without a moment's hesitation, he did it—got up, took his blanket, and left for home, giving glory to God all the way.

The people rubbed their eyes, incredulous—and then also gave glory to God. Awestruck, they said, "We've never seen anything like that!"

Healing really is a miraculous thing.

When the people in the story saw it, they "rubbed their eyes," and said, "we've never seen anything like that!"

And they hadn't. It was a miracle, this man getting up off of his stretcher and walking home.

But that wasn't the only miracle. We really need to notice Jesus' priorities in this passage. Seeing the faith of the man and his good friends who would not take no for an answer, Jesus said, "Friend, your sins are forgiven."

Blasphemy in the eyes of the religious experts who filled the room. "Who does he think he is?"

Jesus knew exactly who he was. And he didn't care what they had to say.

The real question becomes, "who do we think we are?"

Forgiveness of sins is just as miraculous as the healing of the body. We only inhabit the body for a time, but forgiveness...reconciliation with God...is eternal.

I do not mean to downplay the possibility of physical healing, or its meaning for those who hurt and are in need. But I have also seen lives turn completely around through faith in Jesus. And that is an amazing thing. It's eye-rubbing, jaw-droppingly miraculous.

What healing miracle do we each need to ask for today?

Prayer: We pray for good friends, like these who lowered the paraplegic right down through the roof. Forgive us, heal us, and give us the gift of healthy life and relationships. Help us to believe so strongly that we will not take no for an answer, settling for a broken life when you can bring healing.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Cleansed

Luke 5:12-16 (The Message)

One day in one of the villages there was a man covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus he fell down before him in prayer and said, "If you want to, you can cleanse me."

Jesus put out his hand, touched him, and said, "I want to. Be clean."

Then and there his skin was smooth, the leprosy gone.

Jesus instructed him, "Don't talk about this all over town. Just quietly present your healed self to the priest, along with the offering ordered by Moses. Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done."

But the man couldn't keep it to himself, and the word got out. Soon a large crowd of people had gathered to listen and be healed of their ailments.

As often as possible Jesus withdrew to out-of-the-way places for prayer.

Word had gotten out. This man could do the impossible. He could heal the sick. He could do miracles.

The leper fell down before him...full of faith, and maybe mostly hope.

That was enough. Can you imagine how sweet the words sounded to his ears?

"I want to."

Cleansed from leprosy, it wasn't just his physical ailment that was healed. He could be restored to the community. Leprosy meant exile. It meant every kind of loss.

Jesus knew that the man would want to go and tell everyone. That the crowds would intensify. That the possibility of people hearing his message might be compromised by the huge volume of those desperate to use him for their healing.

"Your obedient life," Jesus said, "will bear witness to what I have done."

What about us? Should our words or our deeds bear witness to what following Jesus means in our lives?

Both.

Our lives should be able to speak...not because we're "good," and certainly not because we're "better" than anyone else...but because God is alive within us and we are led by the Holy Spirit.

But if we really believe that we've been cleansed...that life is different now than before...then there has to be words, too.

That part is hard and awkward for us sometimes. We get scared of rejection, or of being offensive. But the truth is that folks are pretty open to hearing what somebody else's experience has been.

There's a real difference between, "this is what you should do," and "let me tell you about this amazing experience."

The former leper just couldn't help himself. He couldn't be contained.

And the people came. May it be the same in our lives, church, community and world.

Prayer: May we humbly ask for the help that you want to give us. Change our hearts each day, to more closely resemble your own. May our lives and our words show God at work within us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tabernacle

Luke 5:5-11

The Miraculous Catch of Fish

Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets."

It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining the nets past capacity. They waved to their partners in the other boat to come help them.

They filled both boats, nearly swamping them with the catch.

Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus.

"Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself."

When they pulled in that catch of fish, awe overwhelmed Simon and everyone with him. It was the same with James and John, Zebedee's sons, coworkers with Simon.

Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women."

They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

What happens when we humans have a truthfully transcendent encounter with the divine?

Based on Biblical accounts, it seems that we become very aware of who we are...and who we're not.

Our shortcomings seem to come into clearer focus than ever before.

At least this seems to have been the case for Peter...and he was not the first.

When the prophet Isaiah encountered temple-shaking, fiery seraphim during his call to speak on behalf of God, he had the very same reaction.

From Isaiah 6:

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Master sitting on a throne—high, exalted!—and the train of his robes filled the Temple. Angel-seraphs hovered above him, each with six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two their feet, and with two they flew. And they called back and forth one to the other,

Holy, Holy, Holy is God-of-the-Angel-Armies.
His bright glory fills the whole earth.
The foundations trembled at the sound of the angel voices, and then the whole house filled with smoke. I said,

"Doom! It's Doomsday!
I'm as good as dead!
Every word I've ever spoken is tainted—
blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way,
using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I've looked God in the face!
The King! God-of-the-Angel-Armies!"

The setting for Peter was very different...but perhaps not so much.

His fishing boat had become a temple...in fact, it had become the tabernacle of the living God.

Simon Peter, when he saw it, fell to his knees before Jesus.

"Master, leave. I'm a sinner and can't handle this holiness. Leave me to myself."

I wonder if you've ever said those words to God, in one subtle way or another.

I know that I certainly have. Realization of the power and holiness of God makes us want to hide sometimes. It makes us afraid...of God's judgment, or of what God may ask us to do in his service.

The truth is that there is never reason to be afraid.

Isaiah 6

Then one of the angel-seraphs flew to me. He held a live coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. He touched my mouth with the coal and said,

"Look. This coal has touched your lips.
Gone your guilt,
your sins wiped out."

Luke 5

Jesus said to Simon, "There is nothing to fear. From now on you'll be fishing for men and women."

The rest, as they say, is history...but it's a living history, that includes you and me.

And then I heard the voice of the Master:
"Whom shall I send?
Who will go for us?"
I spoke up,
"I'll go.
Send me!"

They pulled their boats up on the beach, left them, nets and all, and followed him.

Prayer: Somewhere today, in this world that you have made, we will encounter and realize your divine presence. Our instincts will kick in, and we may want to run. Help us know that we are safe with you, that you will always take care of us, no matter the calling. Hold our hands as we leave both boats and nets on the beach to walk with you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.


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Deep

Luke 5:1-7 (The Message)

Once when he was standing on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, the crowd was pushing in on him to better hear the Word of God.

He noticed two boats tied up.

The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was Simon's and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd.

When he finished teaching, he said to Simon, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch."

Simon said, "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I'll let out the nets."

The fishermen were going about their work. Minding their own business. Scrubbing out their nets.

This scene reminds me of something from a cheesy 70's police movie. I've always wanted to "chase the bad guy," by running up to a helpful citizen (who just happens to be driving a porsche), flash my badge and commandeer their vehicle for the public good.

"Police business!" Then shove the unsuspecting owner out of the way, jump in and floor it. Cue the black smoke and screeching tires.

Jesus does something like that with the fishermen's boats. He needs a pulpit, after all.

Only he doesn't leave them in the dust, he takes them along for the ride. And then thanks them for their faithfulness in a way all his own.

"Put out into the deep water."

Peter had reasons not to...he was tired, they'd been at it all night. There were no fish out there to be had.

But here's the thing...he did it anyway. He knew enough of Jesus at this point to know that, "if you say so," that's good enough for him.

What does Peter teach us about obedience? What resource do we have that Jesus might commandeer today? Let's hope he does...because giving what he needs, and doing what he says, always comes with a blessing. We don't want to miss it.

Father God, we pray that you would take whatever we have today that can further the building of the kingdom. Give us hearts that trust, even when we don't understand what you're doing.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Open

Luke 4:38-44 (The Message)

He left the meeting place and went to Simon's house.

Simon's mother-in-law was running a high fever and they asked him to do something for her.

He stood over her, told the fever to leave—and it left. Before they knew it, she was up getting dinner for them.

When the sun went down, everyone who had anyone sick with some ailment or other brought them to him. One by one he placed his hands on them and healed them.

Demons left in droves, screaming, "Son of God! You're the Son of God!" But he shut them up, refusing to let them speak because they knew too much, knew him to be the Messiah.

He left the next day for open country.

But the crowds went looking and, when they found him, clung to him so he couldn't go on. He told them, "Don't you realize that there are yet other villages where I have to tell the Message of God's kingdom, that this is the work God sent me to do?"

Meanwhile he continued preaching in the meeting places of Galilee.

Why wouldn't the people try to hang on to this amazing man?

Look what he had done for them: the sick were made well, demons driven out...you would never want someone like that to leave your side.

But Jesus headed out for "open country." ...And they tracked him down.

It's so easy as followers of Jesus to look primarily, or perhaps exclusively at what Jesus can do for us. It's still much tougher, these 2,000+ years later, to hear the truth that the real question is about what he can do for us all.

How do we follow Jesus, love him, and "cling" to him without being "clingy?" Somehow, it is possible. In fact, it's the only way.

We are invited to share Jesus' message with the people around us. We are asked to trust him for the healing that we need in our own lives and communities , and to share him freely with everyone else.

Christianity in our country could go so much further if Christians really believed in this idea. Our "Jesus" is not better than somebody else's...and following him means more than wrapping him up around ourselves like a security blanket.

The big question is this...how can I let Jesus out into "open country" today, and what would happen if we went along for the ride?

Help us to learn that your healing is for everyone, and that disciples shouldn't "cling to you so that you cannot go on." We thank you for an invitation to the journey.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Words

Luke 4:31-37 (The Message)

He went down to Capernaum, a village in Galilee. He was teaching the people on the Sabbath. They were surprised and impressed—his teaching was so forthright, so confident, so authoritative, not the quibbling and quoting they were used to.

In the meeting place that day there was a man demonically disturbed. He screamed, "Ho! What business do you have here with us, Jesus? Nazarene! I know what you're up to. You're the Holy One of God and you've come to destroy us!"

Jesus shut him up: "Quiet! Get out of him!" The demonic spirit threw the man down in front of them all and left. The demon didn't hurt him.

That set everyone back on their heels, whispering and wondering, "What's going on here? Someone whose words make things happen? Someone who orders demonic spirits to get out and they go?" Jesus was the talk of the town.

Right in the middle of his teaching, the demons that filled a man in the congregation couldn't sit still any longer.

This scene is powerful and mysterious. We watch it unfold, probably much like the people did who were actually in that place as eyewitnesses.

With a mix of shock, horror and fascination.

A demon-possessed man, flailing on the ground, screaming threats against Jesus.

With quiet authority, Jesus handles the situation: "Quiet! Get out of him."

And it did.

The response of the people? This man's words, "make things happen."

As Jesus' followers, ours do too. Somewhere today, we will encounter evil. It probably won't look very "evil" on the surface.

Negative conversation, opportunities to tear down rather than build up...all the ways we humans have of feeding our own personal demons.

Our words could be used for good....for casting out...for raising up.

The next time you're tempted to participate in gossip, slander or negativity, remember this story. Our words have power to make things happen. Especially words like, "Quiet, in Jesus' name," to the demons of our world.

Father God, we pray that today you would show us the path of Christ that heals and casts out evil wherever we may encounter it.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Hometown

Luke 4:22-30 (The Message)

All who were there, watching and listening, were surprised at how well he spoke. But they also said, "Isn't this Joseph's son, the one we've known since he was a youngster?"

He answered, "I suppose you're going to quote the proverb, 'Doctor, go heal yourself. Do here in your hometown what we heard you did in Capernaum.' Well, let me tell you something: No prophet is ever welcomed in his hometown. Isn't it a fact that there were many widows in Israel at the time of Elijah during that three and a half years of drought when famine devastated the land, but the only widow to whom Elijah was sent was in Sarepta in Sidon? And there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha but the only one cleansed was Naaman the Syrian."

That set everyone in the meeting place seething with anger. They threw him out, banishing him from the village, then took him to a mountain cliff at the edge of the village to throw him to his doom, but he gave them the slip and was on his way.

Who out there just won't let you overcome your past?

Your mom and dad? Siblings? Old classmates and friends? You?

I have no idea what it's like to have a true hometown.

My dad is also UM clergy, and my family moved from place to place throughout my childhood, never really staying anywhere more than 3 or 4 years, sometimes much less.

It hasn't been a bad thing for me...in fact, moving around has its advantages.

But it does leave you without geographic roots. But from what I can tell from other folks, and from the example of Jesus, that's not necessarily too bad a thing.

Folks who knew you "back then," have a hard time remembering you any other way.

What are the chances that the Messiah could have come from their own little village?

The people of Nazareth rejected Jesus more completely than any other group.

Two lessons for us:

1) Don't let others define you by your past...and don't do it to yourself, either.

2) Don't overlook the miracle that God might be working right in front of you. Our little towns are just as likely a setting for the handiwork of God as any other.

And maybe there's a (3) as well...if we stiff-arm Jesus, he'll "give us the slip" and move on to somewhere more inviting. Don't miss him.

Father, today we ask for eyes to see, and hearts that don't judge. We need these gifts from you.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Free

Luke 4:14-21 (The Message) Jesus returned to Galilee powerful in the Spirit.

News that he was back spread through the countryside.

He taught in their meeting places to everyone's acclaim and pleasure.

He came to Nazareth where he had been reared. As he always did on the Sabbath, he went to the meeting place. When he stood up to read, he was handed the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

Unrolling the scroll, he found the place where it was written,

God's Spirit is on me;
he's chosen me to preach
the Message of good news to the poor,
Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
To set the burdened and battered free,
to announce, "This is God's year to act!"

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the assistant, and sat down.

Every eye in the place was on him, intent.

Then he started in, "You've just heard Scripture make history. It came true just now in this place."

Last night I watched a fascinating documentary about a Presbyterian pastor from Texas named Carroll Pickett.

The movie, "At the Death House Door," was all about his life and ministry during tragedy within his own congregation, and then as death-row chaplain at a Texas State Penitentiary in Huntington, Texas.

Rev. Pickett served as spiritual guide to 95 men who were on their way to execution. He was present with them during their final hours.

Although he is now deeply engaged as an anti-death penalty activist, that really wasn't the main thrust of the presentation.

Primarily, the film-makers dealt with his faith, his struggles to walk with the condemned and to share their pain, as well as the pain of victims' families and the families of the executed.

His new memoir, "Within These Walls" would likely be a fascinating read, and it is a study of how the grace of Christ goes everywhere...even inside the "Death House."

"God's Spirit is on me," Jesus said, reading scripture and claiming his identity as that scripture's fulfillment.

His work? "To announce pardon to the prisoners..."

I was most touched by a particularly poignant scene in the movie. Rev. Pickett sat with the sister of executed prisoner Carlos DeLuna.

DeLuna is now widely considered innocent by many in the legal system of Texas. He almost certainly died for a crime that he did not commit.

"Why didn't God answer our prayers? Why did God fail us?" his sister cried out to the Pastor.

Rev. Pickett was quiet. Such questions don't have easy answers. As she quietly sobbed, he said, "Jesus didn't fail your brother in the death house. Your brother knew that God was with him."

And then he was quiet. She stopped crying, and they sat together.

That is ministry.

Jesus spoke these words from the Old Testament into a world filled with as much pain and injustice as our own. There are many questions that remain unanswered on this side of the veil.

But we can always know that God's justice does not fail. Jesus' mission is the same today, and he invites his followers not to lose heart...but to be present with the least, last and lonely.

Prayer: We give you thanks for the joy that fills our hearts today, and pray that you would guide us to walk in joy and peace. We pray for those who struggle and are in pain today. We pray for those who suffer from injustice. May you teach us your ways, and may we see the blind regain their sight, the prisoners pardoned, good news proclaimed to the poor, and the battered and burdened set free.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Hungry

Luke 4:1-13 (The Message)

Now Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wild. For forty wilderness days and nights he was tested by the Devil. He ate nothing during those days, and when the time was up he was hungry.

The Devil, playing on his hunger, gave the first test: "Since you're God's Son, command this stone to turn into a loaf of bread."

Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to really live."

For the second test he led him up and spread out all the kingdoms of the earth on display at once. Then the Devil said, "They're yours in all their splendor to serve your pleasure. I'm in charge of them all and can turn them over to whomever I wish. Worship me and they're yours, the whole works."

Jesus refused, again backing his refusal with Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God and only the Lord your God. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."

For the third test the Devil took him to Jerusalem and put him on top of the Temple. He said, "If you are God's Son, jump. It's written, isn't it, that 'he has placed you in the care of angels to protect you; they will catch you; you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone'?"

"Yes," said Jesus, "and it's also written, 'Don't you dare tempt the Lord your God.'"

That completed the testing. The Devil retreated temporarily, lying in wait for another opportunity.

A few minutes ago, it was just a little past lunch time.

I felt hungry. Really...I was ready to eat.

"Hungry" is a physical response. It's our body's way of letting us know that we need some attention. We need some fuel for the fire. It's a reality, a need.

Hungry leads to irritable. Irritable leads to trouble.

Now, it had been all of 4.5 hours for me since my last meal (I've since taken care of my hunger problem).

For Jesus, it had been 40 days.

40 days!

The devil played right upon that physical weakness. Jesus was hungry. And the devil tempted.

What Jesus teaches us is incredible.

In spite of the clear reality of his physical need, a bigger Truth overrides.

"It takes more than bread to really live."

This is only the second time in the Gospel of Luke that we've heard Jesus' voice. It's the first from him as an adult, baptized and about the work of his ministry.

From this beginning point, we learn what he is about.

...his father's business...more than bread...single-hearted worship...don't dare tempt...

The devil retreated temporarily...and waited. Weakness would come around again, but so would God's strength.

Prayer: May your strength be at work in our lives this afternoon, this evening...in our work and in our homes...and protect us from temptation.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.

Tomorrow's Scripture: Luke 4:14-30