John 12 – Mary Anoints Jesus (a $40,000 pedicure?!?)

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John 12 – Mary Anoints Jesus (a $40,000 pedicure?!?)

Mary’s actions were her way of honoring God’s presence in her life. Her extra-ordinary generosity celebrated Jesus’ life of extra-ordinary service to others AND symbolically prepared Jesus for His extra-ordinary execution and resurrection.
Two questions for us today should prod us to consider how we utilize the resources we have.

  • In what ways can we sacrificially give as an act of acknowledging and worshiping God’s presence among us?

  • In what ways can we serve those in need while we confront the systems that neglect and oppress others?

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John 11:1-44 – “Lazarus, come out!”

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John 11:1-44 – “Lazarus, come out!”

“Lazarus, come out!” These may be the most powerful words in the entire Bible. In the previous chapter, Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepard who leads His sheep with His voice, a voice the sheep recognize, trust, and obey. Lazarus heard and responded. This story challenges all of us, myself included, to listen for, to trust, and to obey when God calls us to do something.

God desires to be in relationship with humanity which means including us as key participants in God’s healing, restorative, transformational work in the people and the world around us. Of what tombs and bondages do we need to come out?
Do we need to give up a vice – something that is causing harm to ourselves or others? What is holding you back from being all God created you to be?
Do we need to start doing something that is life-giving to ourselves or others?

Who can we invite to join us as we nervously step out of our tombs, lovingly unwrap each other, and joyfully begin living resurrected lives?

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John 10:1-21 – The Good Shepherd Calls Us to Abundant Living

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John 10:1-21 – The Good Shepherd Calls Us to Abundant Living

In verse 10, Jesus says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Remember the Great Commandments? Love God, love yourself, and love others. What if we used that as a guide and a measure of abundant living?

  • If you felt like you had a direct, personal, intimate, conversational relationship with God, would you describe that as living abundantly?

  • If you loved yourself – loved who you are, if you could look in the mirror and say, “I like that person!”... would you describe that as living abundantly?

  • If you found it easier to love other people – even people you don’t enjoy being around... would you describe that as living abundantly?

If we trust Jesus and believe that He’s telling us the truth, then we can follow the words of our Good Shepherd and begin living more abundant lives.

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John 9 – Seeing with New Eyes

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John 9 – Seeing with New Eyes

Awaken... It’s an action-oriented word. It’s a word focused on looking forward, not back. It’s a word that calls us to be intentionally mindful of our immediate surroundings. When Jesus healed the blind man, his newfound eyesight awakened him to new realities, new possibilities, and a new understanding of God’s presence and power.
To what is God trying to awaken each of us?

Make no mistake, this whole eye-opening, awakening stuff can feel overwhelming – much like seeing color for the first time. Once God reveals something to us, we can’t unsee it. This is when the power of a faith community is so important. We NEED to discuss what we hear and see (what God “puts on our hearts,” to use churchy language) so that, together, we can better understand the world around us and how we should respond to it.

Consider adding this simple request to your morning prayer, “Lord, help me SEE Your presence around me more clearly today. Help me SEE Your presence in other people. And help me BE Your presence to people who need to hear, see, and feel Your love, Your grace, and Your peace.”

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John 8 – Dignity Instead of Shame

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John 8 – Dignity Instead of Shame

Without naming the crime, Jesus acknowledges the woman’s transgression and immediately offers her God’s love, grace, mercy, and compassion. When I read verses that talk about God judging us, I think about this brief exchange between Jesus and the woman. Today’s story is a powerful reminder of God’s ceaseless, tireless efforts to deliver us out of shame and into dignity, out of despair and into renewal, out of judgement and into blessing. Surely this is how the redemptive Kingdom of God operates. Surely this is the theology, the philosophy... the way of living into which God invites us.

The only question for us today is how can each of us offer the people we meet God’s love, grace, mercy, and compassion? IF each of us sincerely makes an effort to share those aspects of God’s nature with others, we will become better and better at loving God, loving ourselves, and loving others.

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John 7:1-39 – Looking & Living Beyond the Superficial

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John 7:1-39 – Looking & Living Beyond the Superficial

Jesus directly and bluntly challenges superficial thinking and judging. His words prod us to consider what stereotypes or prejudices we have within us and how those thoughts and feelings prevent us from seeing God’s Spirit within people we meet and – even worse – prevent us from sharing God’s love with others.

It is SO easy to judge. And we all have 100 reasons to judge everyone we meet – for better or for worse. But can we dig deep to find one or two reasons to put aside our assumptions for the chance to see God in others and share God’s love with others?

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John 6:47-60 – Flesh & Blood, Power & Life

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John 6:47-60 – Flesh & Blood, Power & Life

If our sacred texts – the Hebrew Bible and the Christian New Testament – provide the bones of our faith, and Jesus’ ministry of words and deeds provide the flesh, the Holy Spirit that ran through Jesus and runs through us today is the life-giving blood we all depend upon to live from one moment to the next. The skeleton gives structure; the flesh gives power; the blood give life.

Our Sunday worship services are a spiritual meal shared among friends, a time together meant to be savored and shared, like the steak and wine meal.

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John 6:14-35 – Peace in Storms

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John 6:14-35 – Peace in Storms

When we live into the Great Commandments of loving God, loving ourselves, and loving others (Matthew 22:36-40), we create space for Jesus to show up unexpectedly. Much like Jesus announced Himself and God’s presence to the disciples with “I am here,” we can announce ourselves and God’s presence – through word and deed – with “We are here for you. We are here with you in the middle of life’s storms. We’ll get through this together.”

We began this proclamation of God’s compassionate, healing presence this past Thursday when we gave hundreds of people smiles, laughs, and yes, food.

  • How will we continue our proclamation?

  • How will we share words of encouragement in checkout lines?

  • How will we show exceptional generosity to those in need?

  • How will we extend words of invitation to refugees who need to hear and know that they are welcome, wanted, and needed in the Kingdom of God?

These are not rhetorical questions; these are prayers to God. “Lord, show us how to be Your hands and feet! And give us the faith and trust to follow Your lead.”

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John 5:16-30 – Embracing Eternal Life Here and Now

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John 5:16-30 – Embracing Eternal Life Here and Now

Despite all that’s wrong with the world around us, despite all the ways our bodies and minds ache, despite all of our faults and failings... despite the long list of items we could choose to complain about, the GREAT News Jesus proclaimed is that we have the opportunity here and now to enjoy being in a loving relationship with the Creator of the Universe.

The new life Jesus speaks about is God’s invitation – here and now – to let the living water of God’s love flow, nurturing and growing the Kingdom of God, heaven on earth, by loving God, loving ourselves, and loving others. The questions for us today and every day are this: How can we stir that water within us? What can we say or do to share that water with someone who is wilted or parched? Answering these questions with our words and actions are just one way we can embrace the eternal life Jesus spoke about here and now!

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John 4:1-30, 39-42 – The Woman at the Well: A Community Transformed

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John 4:1-30, 39-42 – The Woman at the Well: A Community Transformed

By shining the light of our faith, we too can offer people the hope and courage they need to face the challenges in their lives.
Know that God’s light is and always has been inside you.
Know that the world needs to hear and see God’s light through you.
Know that everyone can share God’s love in some way, shape, or form.
Every person has a role to play in growing the Kingdom of God.

If you and I genuinely want to be a light of God’s love to others, then we must work to achieve what we want to become. Jesus went out of His way, into potentially hostile territory, just so He could shine some light into people’s lives. Can you and I today go out of our ways and out of our comfort zones to share the Good News of God’s love with others? I think we can. And I think people need and want us to do so.

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John 3:1-17 – Born Again, into a New Life

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John 3:1-17 – Born Again, into a New Life

Share the following with God in prayer this week:

  1. Lord, what do I need to let go of so that you can lift me to higher places. (Imagine dropping weights from a hot air balloon so you can take off. Your journey can’t continue if you don’t let go of what’s holding you back.)

  2. God of new life, delivery me into a new relationship with you.

  3. God of peace, like baby Jesus in the manger, wrap me in Your love so that I have no reason to feel alone or afraid.

I sincerely believe that if you seek a deeper relationship with God, like a good mid-wife, God will guide you and nudge you into new births and new spiritual growth. With God working in us and around us, all of us can be “born again,” born and reborn into the Kingdom of God where we can live, love, and serve bigger and better than ever before.

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John 2:1-12 – Transfiguring the Common into the Amazing

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John 2:1-12 – Transfiguring the Common into the Amazing

Our lives are not just about us and what makes us happy or not, comfortable or not. God offers us opportunities to bless others, to solve other people’s problems as a continuation of how God blesses us and solves our life problems.

When God calls us into action, even if we don’t feel like it, even if we don’t understand why... we need to respond with obedience.

Wherever you are in life, no matter what you have or have not done, God can take you as you are – raw and unfiltered – and make you pure, healthy, and spectacular, NOT for your own benefit or glory, but so that you may be an abundant blessing to others.

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John 1:1-18 – Called to Be Light in the Darkness

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John 1:1-18 – Called to Be Light in the Darkness

2,000 years ago, God poured Himself into human flesh and became a source of light and life in a time and place dark with corruption, abuse, neglect, and suffering. Jesus focused on and shared the joy of a profoundly personal relationship with God. Through His words and actions, Jesus was light in dark places.

Today’s verses press us to ask questions that may make us uncomfortable.
How ARE we light for others?
How CAN we be light for others?
How can we be “full of unfailing love and faithfulness, full of grace and truth” to others?

As we share our faith with others through word and actions, like Jesus, we too can be light in dark places. Like Jesus, we too can be signs of the new life God offers all humanity. This is what it means to be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community. This is what it means to grow the Kingdom of God.

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2 Corinthians 8:1-14 – Margie Meserve – Happiness is the Joy of Giving

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2 Corinthians 8:1-14 – Margie Meserve – Happiness is the Joy of Giving

Paul’s letter centers on financial giving as a mean of sharing God’s grace. Financial giving can be expanded to include other areas in how we give. There are numerous ways to be good stewards. When we join the church, we promise to contribute our prayers, presence, gifts and service to benefit our faith community.

In 2 Corinthians 9:7 Paul writes, “We all should give what we have decided in our hearts to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” A “cheerful” giver is one who give out of love. The Macedonian churches and the Corinthian church were happy to give all they could, and they did so because they loved God. Giving and serving from love brings happiness. In giving financially and of ourselves we extent God’s blessings and grace to others. Our resources are not infinite, whether it is money or time, but everyone can experience the joy and blessings of generosity; because everyone has something to give.

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1 Samuel 17 – David and Goliath

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1 Samuel 17 – David and Goliath

David used the word “rescued” several times in today’s story.
The God who rescued the Israelites from Egyptian slavery can and does rescue us.
The God who rescued Daniel from the lions’ den can and does rescue us.
The God who rescued David from a terrifying opponent can and does rescue us.
The God who rescued Jesus from the powers of death can and does rescue us.

Thank God, we have been rescued, we are being rescued, and we will be rescued in our future. Knowing this, we can confidently step into God’s leading with David’s youthful boldness, the same boldness which enabled him to overcome his problems – and his failures – and lead his people into greatness. Embracing such bold faith will enable us to lead ourselves, our neighborhoods, and our communities into moments and places reflective of God’s Kingdom.

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9 Readings – God’s Voice OR Our Imagination?

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9 Readings – God’s Voice OR Our Imagination?

How to tell if God is calling / drawing / tugging at / communicating with you:
#1: God’s message / communication with you will sound like it comes from a place of love.
#2: God’s voice will help you understand how to better love God, love yourself, & love others.
#3: God will lead you to places of need where you can serve others.
#4: God will draw you to be a light of justice, kindness, and humility.
#5: God’s leading often appeals to our “natural” (i.e. God-given) interests and abilities.

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Mark 16:1-7 – Peter’s Call-Back Story

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Mark 16:1-7 – Peter’s Call-Back Story

Peter’s story of being called back is living proof of God’s amazing grace. Peter’s call-back story presses us to ask two questions about our own lives.
1 - How have we received the Good News of God’s love?
2 - How can we share the Good News of God’s love with others?

Let’s go find the Peters in our community – the people who think they are unworthy of God’s love and remind them that they are worthy of God’s love and our love. Let’s remind them that they are welcomed, they are invited, they are called back to – and needed – in this big, messy family we call the Kingdom of God!

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4 Readings – Mary Magdalene’s Call Story

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4 Readings – Mary Magdalene’s Call Story

If you read the stories surrounding the 13 verses that include Mary Magdalene’s name, you will find that...

  • She’s the last to stay with Jesus at His execution.

  • She’s the first to discover the empty tomb.

  • She’s the first to hear about His resurrection.

  • She’s the first to see, talk with, and touch the resurrected Jesus.

  • She’s the first to be called and sent to tell others about the Good News of His resurrection – thus making her the first apostle to the disciples who would become apostles. She has often been called “the apostle to the apostles” and even been described as the 13th disciple.

As one of our greatest role models, Mary Magdalene’s life presses us to ask several good questions about our own commitment to our faith.

  • How have we experienced God’s transformative presence in our lives?

  • How are we staying close to God?

  • How are we serving God?

  • How are we searching for Jesus?

What better way to live our faith than listening and looking for God’s call so that when God say GO, we can quickly respond with joyful commitment?

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Jonah 1:1-17 – Jonah’s Call Story

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Jonah 1:1-17 – Jonah’s Call Story

The questions to us today – individually and as a faith community – are ones of critical (analytical) self-reflection:

  • Are we somehow resisting God’s leading? If so, how? Why?
    The answers to those questions are the beginning of healthy discussions and prayers.

  • Is God calling us to do or say something that, for whatever reason, forces us outside our comfort zones? Are we willing to be uncomfortable for the sake of helping others connect with a God who dearly loves them?

  • When we look at Jesus’ life of reaching out to the outcasts, of touching the untouchables, of sharing meals with society’s rejects, do we say, “Sorry Lord, that’s not for me.” If that’s the case, what are we willing to do for God? Our loving Creator will journey with us wherever we are willing to go.

Where is God leading you? Consider starting each day telling God, “Help me see where you’re leading me today, and give me the faith and strength to follow.” As we follow, God will provide and blessings will come.

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Esther 4:13-17 – Esther’s Call Story

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Esther 4:13-17 – Esther’s Call Story

Esther saved an entire community of Jews because 1) she was sensitive to God’s leading and 2) after much prayer and fasting, she was willing to risk her title, her status, and even her life to speak for and defend people unable to speak for and defend themselves. Following God’s call was not “safe” for Esther, but she trusted her faith and her loving Creator.

Esther’s story pushes us in several ways. I encourage you to spend this week thinking about her story and how you connect with it. Think about how God has blessed you with resources, with skills and abilities, as well as with the relationships and influence you have with others. Even if you don’t audibly hear God’s voice, how is God leading you, calling you, to use these skills and resources to benefit others?

Using who we are and what we have to bless others is the work of being the hands and feet of Jesus; it is the work of building the Kingdom of God in our homes and in our community.

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