"The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but
the men said to them "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He
is not here but has risen" (Luke 24:5)
I admit than
I am not great at math. Oh basic math I do fine, but once it begins to
get a bit advanced, I begin to lose interest. Knowing thisn some years
ago asked me about eh 40 days of Lent. "Pastor, I didn't want to say
anything but in the sermon you kept talking about the 40 days of Lent.
And I've counted. It's more than 40 days. I don't think you are
counting correctly."
This is one of the times though,
I knew my math was correct. We do not count Sundays in our coutn fo
teh days of Lent. Why/ What possible difference could it make to not
count Sunday as a day of Lent?
It's because Sunday
is always Easter in the church. Granted we will have a huge celebration
in church on Easter Sunday. But isn't that what we do every Sunday? We
gather as the church to celebrate the actual, bodily resurrection of
Jesus.
The resurrection of Jesus, for the church,
isn't just a nice story of how the good guy wins. It's not a story that
reminds us of how in nature winter invariable turns to Spring and the
world experiences, in some measure new birth. The resurrection is an
actual event. Not just an event, but the event that changes everything.
The resurrection of Jesus is the lynch pin of everything we do in the
church. Jesus went around saying He was God. How do we know He was who
he said he was? because of the empty tomb. He told used to live in a way
that is the almost complete opposite of how most of us live. All that
"Don't be anxious, turn the other cheek, go the extra mile , forgive
everyone" stuff. It so goes against my nature I might even be tempted to
wonder why should I do any of it? Because of the empty tomb. The Empty
tomb goes authority and authenticity to the teachings of Jesus. Why
should I believe Jesus can still forgive, heal, lift up , answer, love
comfort and performance miracles? Because he rose from the dead.
The Resurrection of Jesus changes our frame of reference for our
values and how we view the world. We see that rather than the
resurrection being a nice "spring" Story it's the exact opposite. Spring
is a fore teller of what God was going to do on that first Easter
morning.
I for one am glad that every Sunday we
celebrate Easter. Because this is not the only Lent I'll go though this
year. I'll have days and weeks of Lent. The times when I'll see my sins
glaring before me. The times I'll be in the desert. The times I'll
walk a road of pain and sorrow. I need to be reminded every week that
lent does not last forever. Good Friday does not last forever. It's as
if every week, God whispers, "Hold on. Easter is right around the
corner. I'll lift you back up. Jesus is alive."
Yes
the season of Lent is vital to our spiritual lives. But it's not the
finish line. We celebrate the Risen Christ, the one who calls us to Rise
with Him. So please use the season of Lent well. Just don't forget to
count on Easter.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><
Monday, February 25, 2013
Monday, February 18, 2013
An Inconvenient Faith
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost?" Luke 14:28
For good or bad you find all sorts of things on the Internet, especially concerning the church. For instance last week was Ash Wednesday. I saw that a pastor and friend of mine did something incredibly creative. He went out into the streets of his city, in his clerical robes, and set up a sandwich board which read "Get Your Ashes here". That's correct. He went out to the people to offer them the Imposition of Ashes.
It was an effort to get the church outside of it's four walls. His church went to the broken, the hurting people of his city and offered them a chance to repent, and a chance to remember their place in the world. Not that there is anything magical about receiving the sign of a cross on one's forehead. But the gesture itself very well may have opened many pathways for conversation and an offer of a relationship with Christ.
However, not every idea is a good one, no matter how innovative it is. On that same day I saw an article about a church that was offering drive through imposition of the ashes. That's right you drove up to the church roll down your window and someone would mark you with a cross. Roll up the window and drive away, no muss, no fuss.
So how is this idea different than the first? It would seem that the first was motivated by a desire to touch those outside of the church with the Good News. The second is motivated by convenience. As if to say "We know you are busy, and this whole Lent and church thing is an inconvenience. I mean go to church on Sunday AND Wednesday? We'll make this as easy as possible for you. In fat we don't even need to have a conversation." So the cross merely becomes another thing to check off our list on a busy day.
While I never want to speak bad about another church, I wonder how one rectifies this with Jesus statement that we are to "count the cost"? Jesus says, "If you want to be my disciple, you need to know what you are getting yourself in for. It's going to cost you something." Being a disciple doesn't just cost us something, it cost us everything. We are asked to give Jesus everything in our lives. We are to put it all under His feet.
Many years ago theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned the church about cheap grace. Grace that doesn't cost you anything probably isn't worth very much.
Maybe that's why Lent is such an important part of the church year. It's a season of inconvenience. We are asked to slow it down a bit and be reflective. We are called to ask ourselves the difficult questions of life. Are we as close to God as we should be? What sins must we confess? What great work must Jesus do in our lives? Have we counted the cost? We are asked to give something up for Lent. Some even Fast. Is it because God enjoys it when we are uncomfortable?
Not really. We are asked to do it because a little inconvenience is good for the soul. It allows us to take our eyes off of ourselves and spend more time thinking about Jesus. It's a way for us to give God all of the good things in life, not just the bad. It's a chance to count the cost.
However you choose to observe the season of Lent, I pray it is a blessed one. I hope you are inconvenienced, at least a little bit. I hope you learn to count the cost. The Blessings you receive will be worth it.
In Christ,
Dr. Brian Jones <><
For good or bad you find all sorts of things on the Internet, especially concerning the church. For instance last week was Ash Wednesday. I saw that a pastor and friend of mine did something incredibly creative. He went out into the streets of his city, in his clerical robes, and set up a sandwich board which read "Get Your Ashes here". That's correct. He went out to the people to offer them the Imposition of Ashes.
It was an effort to get the church outside of it's four walls. His church went to the broken, the hurting people of his city and offered them a chance to repent, and a chance to remember their place in the world. Not that there is anything magical about receiving the sign of a cross on one's forehead. But the gesture itself very well may have opened many pathways for conversation and an offer of a relationship with Christ.
However, not every idea is a good one, no matter how innovative it is. On that same day I saw an article about a church that was offering drive through imposition of the ashes. That's right you drove up to the church roll down your window and someone would mark you with a cross. Roll up the window and drive away, no muss, no fuss.
So how is this idea different than the first? It would seem that the first was motivated by a desire to touch those outside of the church with the Good News. The second is motivated by convenience. As if to say "We know you are busy, and this whole Lent and church thing is an inconvenience. I mean go to church on Sunday AND Wednesday? We'll make this as easy as possible for you. In fat we don't even need to have a conversation." So the cross merely becomes another thing to check off our list on a busy day.
While I never want to speak bad about another church, I wonder how one rectifies this with Jesus statement that we are to "count the cost"? Jesus says, "If you want to be my disciple, you need to know what you are getting yourself in for. It's going to cost you something." Being a disciple doesn't just cost us something, it cost us everything. We are asked to give Jesus everything in our lives. We are to put it all under His feet.
Many years ago theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer warned the church about cheap grace. Grace that doesn't cost you anything probably isn't worth very much.
Maybe that's why Lent is such an important part of the church year. It's a season of inconvenience. We are asked to slow it down a bit and be reflective. We are called to ask ourselves the difficult questions of life. Are we as close to God as we should be? What sins must we confess? What great work must Jesus do in our lives? Have we counted the cost? We are asked to give something up for Lent. Some even Fast. Is it because God enjoys it when we are uncomfortable?
Not really. We are asked to do it because a little inconvenience is good for the soul. It allows us to take our eyes off of ourselves and spend more time thinking about Jesus. It's a way for us to give God all of the good things in life, not just the bad. It's a chance to count the cost.
However you choose to observe the season of Lent, I pray it is a blessed one. I hope you are inconvenienced, at least a little bit. I hope you learn to count the cost. The Blessings you receive will be worth it.
In Christ,
Dr. Brian Jones <><
Monday, February 11, 2013
Setting Your Face
"And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" Luke 9:51
There are some journey's we love to take. Trips to see family, Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. Trips to the Zoo, or the Amusement park. Or those treasured, long planned out family vacations. They are the journeys to which we look forward. We keep the date circled on the calendar. we tell all of our friends and can't wait until you can send them pictures or post them on Facebook.
And then there are the other journeys. The trip to the doctor when you don't want o hear what they have to say. The meeting about your finances, the summons to speak with your boss. The walk down the school corridor to see the principal... not that it ever happened to me of course. These are the journey's we don't want to travel. We avoid them. We pull the covers back over our heads. These are the journeys we don't talk about because they can be painful.
Advent has always stuck me as a joyous journey. Its so joyous in fact that even the secular world joins in. It's common for us to complain that they are beginning their Advent too early. "Honestly Christmas decoration in October!" But how can it not be a joyous time? It's about a miraculous birth, and infant in a manger. Peace and Goodwill for all mankind.
This week we will begin a different journey. The Journey of Lent. It's, well, one of those "other" journeys. It's not pleasant. It's painful. It's the opposite of Advent. In Advent we celebrate life in the dead of winter. In Lent we remember a death in the time of Spring and renewal. Advent's about joy and eating. Lent's about contemplation fasting, looking at the painful parts of our life. We drag our heels on this journey, perhaps because we know full well what awaits us at the end. A cross. The broken body of the Son of God.
We don't want to go there because in the end we know why Jesus is on that cross. I, you, we put Him there. It was for the atonement of our sins Jesus went to the cross. To pay for our sins. To free us from the pain of sin, and to heal us of our own woundedness in life.
Maybe that's why this verse is so important to us. It says when the time had come, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. Newer translations say he "went resolutely". But I like the image of Jesus "setting his face." He knew what the stakes were going to Jerusalem. He knew how unpleasant this journey would be. But He also knew that at the end there would be resurrection. Life and hope. Reconciliation. So Jesus Set His face.
You may be going through your own personal Lenten season right now. You are walking a hard road. You're in the midst of some tough times ahead. The road is so dark you 're not even quite sure what's at the end. Do not fear. God is walking with you through this valley. You are not alone. The one walking with you knows a thing or two about painful journeys. And he knows about life and hope as well.
So have courage. Set your face toward Jerusalem this Lent. take the journey. It may not be a pleasant one. There may be some lean times ahead. But you do not walk alone. He who conquered the grave walks with you and He will conquer all your fears as well.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><
There are some journey's we love to take. Trips to see family, Thanksgiving at Grandma's house. Trips to the Zoo, or the Amusement park. Or those treasured, long planned out family vacations. They are the journeys to which we look forward. We keep the date circled on the calendar. we tell all of our friends and can't wait until you can send them pictures or post them on Facebook.
And then there are the other journeys. The trip to the doctor when you don't want o hear what they have to say. The meeting about your finances, the summons to speak with your boss. The walk down the school corridor to see the principal... not that it ever happened to me of course. These are the journey's we don't want to travel. We avoid them. We pull the covers back over our heads. These are the journeys we don't talk about because they can be painful.
Advent has always stuck me as a joyous journey. Its so joyous in fact that even the secular world joins in. It's common for us to complain that they are beginning their Advent too early. "Honestly Christmas decoration in October!" But how can it not be a joyous time? It's about a miraculous birth, and infant in a manger. Peace and Goodwill for all mankind.
This week we will begin a different journey. The Journey of Lent. It's, well, one of those "other" journeys. It's not pleasant. It's painful. It's the opposite of Advent. In Advent we celebrate life in the dead of winter. In Lent we remember a death in the time of Spring and renewal. Advent's about joy and eating. Lent's about contemplation fasting, looking at the painful parts of our life. We drag our heels on this journey, perhaps because we know full well what awaits us at the end. A cross. The broken body of the Son of God.
We don't want to go there because in the end we know why Jesus is on that cross. I, you, we put Him there. It was for the atonement of our sins Jesus went to the cross. To pay for our sins. To free us from the pain of sin, and to heal us of our own woundedness in life.
Maybe that's why this verse is so important to us. It says when the time had come, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. Newer translations say he "went resolutely". But I like the image of Jesus "setting his face." He knew what the stakes were going to Jerusalem. He knew how unpleasant this journey would be. But He also knew that at the end there would be resurrection. Life and hope. Reconciliation. So Jesus Set His face.
You may be going through your own personal Lenten season right now. You are walking a hard road. You're in the midst of some tough times ahead. The road is so dark you 're not even quite sure what's at the end. Do not fear. God is walking with you through this valley. You are not alone. The one walking with you knows a thing or two about painful journeys. And he knows about life and hope as well.
So have courage. Set your face toward Jerusalem this Lent. take the journey. It may not be a pleasant one. There may be some lean times ahead. But you do not walk alone. He who conquered the grave walks with you and He will conquer all your fears as well.
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><
Monday, February 4, 2013
Segmented Spirituality
"From His abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another." (John 1:16)
By now you've probably seen a photo of the bill left for a patron at a restaurant. Apparently the patron of this restaurant was in a dinner party of at least five people. The restaurant has a policy that any dinner party five or more is automatically charged an 18 % tip. Instead of getting her 18% the waitress found the bill with this written on it "God gets 10% of my money. Why should you get 18?" it was signed, "A Pastor"
I have no interest in beating down a colleague in the ministry. and I certainly don't know what his (I'm assuming its a he) financial status is. He may not make much money. Most clergy don't. I don't know what his family status is either. And I've certainly made enough mistakes in my life to know I have no right to point fingers at anyone else.
That disclaimer being made, it would at least appear that this pastor is guilty of something we all are guilty of at times. Segmenting our spirituality. When poled most people, certainly most Christians, would label themselves as "spiritual people". But rarely does that spirituality, or their faith effect how they live day to day. Mind you faith has its place and purpose. Just not in my day to day decisions.
The pastor was referring to his tithe he gives to the church. "God gets 10% of my money." But that's not exactly a Biblical understanding. Biblically we understand that everything we have is a gracious gift from God and that we are to use all of it to glorify Him. He asks that we use 10% to glorify Him through the church. But what about the rest? If it all comes from God should we not assume that its all to be sued to glorify Him? And wouldn't one of those ways be to be gracious to a waitress at a restaurant?
But as I said before we are too quick to point a finger at the pastor, aren't we all guilty of this? We tithe our time to God. We give Him an hour (sometimes even two) on Sunday morning. Maybe another hour in the week. And the rest of it is ours to do what we wish. Or is it? In truth while God does want us in worship and fellowship with Him through the body of Christ, He expects us to glorify Him with all of our lives. Let me say that again. All of our lives.
Consider how different your life would be if that were your mindset. Not making any decisions at work or taking any actions that don't glorify the lord. Not engaging in any activity or participating in a conversation with friends that doesn't glorify Him. Seeing ones relationships not a as place where we are to be pleased but as opportunities to glorify God?
Am I saying we all must become pious "holy rollers"? Well, not but I wonder if that would be so bad. No, glorifying God doesn't mean using His name in every other sentence. Rather it's about developing a state of mind where we ask ourselves, "Would what I am doing bring honor to Jesus?"
Why not try it this week? Just for a week try not segmenting your spirituality. Turn all of your life over to God, attempt to glorify Him in all that you do. My hunch is you won't want to stop. You'll find yourself happier, more joyful, more at peace. You'll feel as if you did something that really mattered. He has given us so many gifts in His graciousness. What have you given Him?
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><
By now you've probably seen a photo of the bill left for a patron at a restaurant. Apparently the patron of this restaurant was in a dinner party of at least five people. The restaurant has a policy that any dinner party five or more is automatically charged an 18 % tip. Instead of getting her 18% the waitress found the bill with this written on it "God gets 10% of my money. Why should you get 18?" it was signed, "A Pastor"
I have no interest in beating down a colleague in the ministry. and I certainly don't know what his (I'm assuming its a he) financial status is. He may not make much money. Most clergy don't. I don't know what his family status is either. And I've certainly made enough mistakes in my life to know I have no right to point fingers at anyone else.
That disclaimer being made, it would at least appear that this pastor is guilty of something we all are guilty of at times. Segmenting our spirituality. When poled most people, certainly most Christians, would label themselves as "spiritual people". But rarely does that spirituality, or their faith effect how they live day to day. Mind you faith has its place and purpose. Just not in my day to day decisions.
The pastor was referring to his tithe he gives to the church. "God gets 10% of my money." But that's not exactly a Biblical understanding. Biblically we understand that everything we have is a gracious gift from God and that we are to use all of it to glorify Him. He asks that we use 10% to glorify Him through the church. But what about the rest? If it all comes from God should we not assume that its all to be sued to glorify Him? And wouldn't one of those ways be to be gracious to a waitress at a restaurant?
But as I said before we are too quick to point a finger at the pastor, aren't we all guilty of this? We tithe our time to God. We give Him an hour (sometimes even two) on Sunday morning. Maybe another hour in the week. And the rest of it is ours to do what we wish. Or is it? In truth while God does want us in worship and fellowship with Him through the body of Christ, He expects us to glorify Him with all of our lives. Let me say that again. All of our lives.
Consider how different your life would be if that were your mindset. Not making any decisions at work or taking any actions that don't glorify the lord. Not engaging in any activity or participating in a conversation with friends that doesn't glorify Him. Seeing ones relationships not a as place where we are to be pleased but as opportunities to glorify God?
Am I saying we all must become pious "holy rollers"? Well, not but I wonder if that would be so bad. No, glorifying God doesn't mean using His name in every other sentence. Rather it's about developing a state of mind where we ask ourselves, "Would what I am doing bring honor to Jesus?"
Why not try it this week? Just for a week try not segmenting your spirituality. Turn all of your life over to God, attempt to glorify Him in all that you do. My hunch is you won't want to stop. You'll find yourself happier, more joyful, more at peace. You'll feel as if you did something that really mattered. He has given us so many gifts in His graciousness. What have you given Him?
In Christ,
Rev. Dr. Brian Jones <><
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