Sunday May 10, 2009

Well, this Sunday is Mother's Day. So, do your duty and have fun!
We will finish up our study arc we started on Easter. We discussed the Risen Christ, The Indwelling Christ, the Eternal Christ, and this week we conclude with Following Christ. Our Scripture is Matthew 16.13-26. The worship bulletin is here.
On this subject (vaguely), I read a great post by Michael Spencer over at internetmonk. This quote is one of many that stuck out to me:
This is where I’m surprised that the pundits commenting on this situation aren’t willing to connect the dots. A big reason that the average evangelical isn’t evangelistic is the focus on the issues and tactics of the culture war. According to the culture war advocates, “those unbelievers” are the enemies of Christians and the kind of Christian culture we believe we are supposed to fight for. Are atheists, gays, Democrats, progressives and non-evangelicals in America actually people evangelicals are looking at as potential Christians? Give me a break.

We can get sucked into thinking that our position on "culture wars" issues equals following Christ. WRONG. Following Christ is a lot harder than that, a lot trickier than that, and a lot more exciting (sometimes) than that.

Bishop Spong (who I agree with extremely rarely) said something good in an email newsletter I read today: "...for most people religion is not a search for truth, but a search for security." And that is how it often is. We seek safety and security from God, when Jesus is calling us to something different.

Sunday May 3, 2009

This Sunday, we consider the second of our series of studies loosely dealing with the implications of Easter. If Jesus is the Risen Christ, what does that mean? Two weeks ago, we examined Jesus as The Indwelling Christ. This week we will consider Jesus as The Eternal Christ.

I would recommend reading Frank Viola's post What's Wrong with Our Gospel? .

The Scriptures for this week are:
Genesis 2.1-7
Genesis 1.26-31
Genesis 2.18
Ephesians 1.3-13
Colossians 1.13-20

The worship bulletin is here.

Sunday April 26, 2009

I don't have much to say about this Sunday, mainly because I'm short on time this week, but also because I'm not preaching! We are privileged to have Dwight Withers as our guest this Sunday. Dwight did vocals with Cornerstone a few weeks ago, and he is returning as our preacher this week. I was originally scheduled to be out of town, but that changed. So, I will be hanging around Catalina looking for something to do Sunday!
Another big change is this: my son, Tyler (Cornerstone percussionist) will be doing our children's talk!
Worship bulletin is here.
Dwight's Scripture is John 17.1-3.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

This will be a different Sunday at the Refuge. We will have only ONE SERVICE: 11am. There will be no 9:30 service. We do this so we can participate in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure each year. You can still sign up to be part of our team. Go here for info. The Race for the Cure is an awesome community event in Tucson, and it benefits a great cause.

If you want to catch up with us at the RACE, we meet around 7:45 at our regular location. If you face the stage at the amphitheater, we meet over by the trees directly to the left of the stage.

For worship, we begin a 3 (or more) week series that is really a VERY loose series of studies. I called Easter Sunday study "The Risen Christ" and this Sunday will be "The Indwelling Christ". I will not be preaching on April 26, but then on May 3 the theme will be "The Eternal Christ", and May 10 will be "Following the Living Christ". These topics all are sort of a "so what" about Easter: so what that Christ is living? How does that effect my life? How can I live in light of that? These are topics that I have been working through in my own spiritual journey recently.

The Scriptures for this week are:
John 14.15-18
John 15.1-17
John 16.7-8
Romans 8.9-11
Colossians 1.24-29

The worship bulletin is here.

The Meaning of Easter

There is usually much discussion in December about "the true meaning of Christmas", and there is not usually much discussion about the "true meaning of Easter". I think that is because Easter is very misunderstood. Christians are good when it comes to talking about the cross, but Easter turns into a muddle usually. Often the only real import given to Easter is that it demonstrates that God accepted Christ's sacrifice on the cross. In other words, the resurrection is a sort of "told you so" about the cross. I think there is MUCH MORE to it than that. This quote from NT Wright that I found on Mike DeVries' blog makes a good point about the resurrection.

As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus and its meaning for this world...

For them [first century Jews], the idea of "resurrection" had, up to that point been quite simple. It was, they would have said, what would happen to everyone at the end - when everyone got through the tunnel to the other side, if you like, or when the day finally dawned and the Old Time was abolished for ever. Only gradually, and particularly when they met Jesus, with his body fully alive, indeed, more alive than it had ever been, because it had been through death and out the other side - only gradually did the realize what had happened. In his death, Jesus had taken all the sin and death and shame and sorrow of the world upon himself, so that by letting it do its worst to him he had destroyed its power, which means that now there is nothing to stop the new creation coming into being. Jesus' resurrection body is the first bit of the new creation, the sign of the new world that is to come. In terms of Good Friday as the sixth day, and Holy Saturday as the seventh day, the day when God rested after creation, the day when Jesus rested after redemption, Easter Day is the eighth day, the first day of the new week. This isn't the end; it's the beginning.

[Tom Wright, Christians at the Cross: Finding Hope in the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus, pp. 76-77]

Prayer for Easter Sunday, April 12

Easter Sunday

Scripture for reflection: Mark 16:1-8

Reflection – Early in the Morning
The world is broken −
Darkened by the deeds of twisted hearts and vengeful hands.
The tears of God flood the earth and
Heart-break thunder roars in echo to the lightning.
The cry of ‘It is finished’ resounds across the hill
and funnels its way through the gates of the city wall.
‘It is finished,’ but it has only just begun.
Early in the morning, while mist lingers long,
Before the sun has chased the night away
Creation starts to sing, ‘The tomb is empty!’
Trees clap their hands, rivers gurgle with delight.
Birds chirp, ‘good news, good news!’
Redemptive creation has come to the world.

Prayer: Easter God,
I join today with others who praise you for the joyful message of resurrection. Thank
you for the unparalleled gift of Jesus, for the unquenchable love that you have
expressed through him. May I daily grow in knowledge of Jesus, the true Emperor
and Son of God. I also give thanks for the Lenten journey shared with you and
others. May the changes you have begun in me continue throughout my life. May the
kingdom you announced in Jesus continue to come nearer, through the movement
to overcome extreme poverty in our world. I pray that the money raised by Lent
Event will touch the lives of many in tangible and transformational ways. Amen.

For Holy Saturday

Consider the readings in Cheryl Lawrie's When Hope Goes to Hell.

And consider this prayer quoted from Jesus Creed blog (Scot McKnight):
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on this holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Saturday, April 11

Day 40 : The ‘in between’ day

Scripture for reflection: Luke 23:50-56

Prayer: God of all,
I wonder if we jump too quickly from the cross to the resurrection? Do we forget
the Saturday of grief and confusion? Today I pray for all those who grieve. I pray for
all those who cannot see any end to their pain and grief. And I pray for those who
are struggling to hope for something better around the corner. May they all, may
we all, know your undying love for us. Amen.

Prayer for Friday, April 10

Day 39 : Good Friday

Scripture for reflection: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Some time in your life, hope that you might see one starved man, the look
on his face when the bread finally arrives. Hope that you might have baked it
or bought it or even needed it for yourself. For that look on his face, for your
hands meeting his across a piece of bread, you might be willing to lose a lot,
or suffer a lot, or die a little, even. --Daniel Berrigan

Reflection – Good Friday
God is dead!!
The sky darkens –
Lightning strikes –
The earth trembles –
The curtain is torn –
Graves open –
Hearts break –
God weeps.
But be at peace,
Sunday is coming.

Prayer: God of transformation,
Through the crucifixion of Jesus, you transformed the cross. You took a symbol of
coercion and destructive power and changed it into a symbol of love and grace. I pray
for such transformation in my life and in the lives of all throughout the world. Amen.

This beautiful image is of Christ washing the disciples' feet during The Last Supper episode of his life, which took place on Thursday of Holy Week. Thanks to the Faith and Leadership blog for sharing this image with us.

Easter Sunday April 12, 2009

Well, Holy Week is here again. It's almost Easter again. This is a mixed bag for me. Working at a church, that means MUCH more work. There's the traditional Good Friday Hike with the youth and the Sunrise Service. So, Easter is a LLLOOOONNNNNGGGG day. Sort of like Christmas Eve. Hmmm. I think I see a pattern here.

By the way, check this post at Palabras de Deb. The photos are beautiful, but the story is also pretty interesting. The plants were planted almost 15 years ago and the yard has been neglected. Yet the flowers come up in the spring. Does this tell us something about the inevitability of resurrection?

This image from the stations of the cross is awesome. It is from Cheryl Lawrie's blog.

Christine Sine makes some thought-provoking comments about NT Wright's thoughts on the resurrection:
In his recent book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, NT Wright asserts that Christianity’s most distinctive idea is bodily resurrection. After his resurrection, Jesus was a flesh and blood person and Wright contends that we will be too. He further argues that if we truly believe this than it will impact the way we live our lives now. If God intends to renew all of creation and all of life in order to bring a new kingdom of love and wholeness into being - a process already begun in the resurrection of Jesus - then our responsibility as Christians is to anticipate this renewal by working for hope and healing in today’s world. So how can we learn to live as wide-awake people, as Easter people?… In particular if Lent is a time to give things up, Easter ought to be a time to take things up…. If Calvary means putting to death things in your life that need killing off if you are to flourish as a Christian and as a truly human being, then Easter should mean planting, watering, and training up things in your life (personal and corporate) that ought to be blossoming, filling the garden with color and perfume and in due course bearing fruit” (Surprised by Hope p293)

The good news of the gospel is that we don’t need to wait to see this new world of God’s wholeness and love come into being. As NT Wright asserts, the point that all the gospels make is that : Jesus is risen, therefore God’s new world has begun. Jesus is risen, therefore Israel and the world have been redeemed. Jesus is risen, therefore his followers have a new job to do. And what is that new job? To bring the life of heaven to birth in actual, physical earthly reality.”

Christine also gives a good post explaining how Jesus spent 3 days in the tomb, when the crucifixion was on Friday, and the resurrection on Sunday. Check it out.

Easter worship at The Refuge will feature great music and what I think will be a meaningful message and meditation time. Join us at 9:30 or 11:00. The worship bulletin is here.

Cornerstone music from last Sunday (April 5, Palm/Passion Sunday) is here.

Prayer for Thursday, April 9

Day 38: Maundy Thursday : the arrest −

Scripture for reflection: John 18:1-14

Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ,
Thank you for bending your will and submitting to arrest in the Garden of
Gethsemane. You could have chosen to walk away but you didn’t. I offer my
thanks and praise for your willing and obedient sacrifice for the sake of all of
creation. Holy Spirit, be present in power in my life so that I too might be willing
to love the world that much. Amen.

Prayer for Wednesday, April 8

Day 37 : Prayer for the people of Mwandi, Zambia

Scripture for reflection: Psalm 139:13-18

Prayer: The warm love of people who care is one of your most precious gifts, great
God. In fragile years, when we are just beginning, that love forms us. We pray
for children where disease has taken the ones to whom they looked for love,
in whose cradling arms they were cherished, from whose eyes they learned to
smile. We are sad because that gap will never fill. Bring among them people
who value them, people who listen, attend and love. We remember the maturing
of your Son, and we ask you to provide support for young people to grow in
wisdom and stature, spirit and grace. We pray for the end of HIV/AIDS, the
knowledge to end it and care and thoughtfulness that honours those who live
with it. Where care reverts to grandmothers or grandfathers, uncles or aunts,
sisters or brothers, or others in the village, sustain them. You number every hair.
You notice every falling sparrow. So we ask again, notice those who fall or who
are in danger of falling. Make us and your church part of your noticing. Through
Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for Tuesday, April 7

Day 36 : A battle between kingdoms

Scripture for reflection: Matthew 27:11-26

Prayer: God of forgiveness,
There are times in my life where I have the chance to choose Christ over the
‘Pilates’ of this world. Just as Jesus had the opportunity to bow to Caesar’s
representative, so I am tempted to bow to the ‘emperors’ of materialism. Forgive
me, holy God, for the times when I have failed to stand the test. Empower me to
stand fast in the future in the face of such temptation. Amen.

Prayer for Monday, April 6

Day 35 : Eyes to see and ears to hear

Scripture for reflection: Matthew 13:1-15

Prayer: God of Light,
By faith I have hope that your Kingdom will win the day. I believe that it is breaking
into this world all the time. Give me the eyes to see the signs of it. Give me the
ears to hear its sound. I want to rejoice in it and lift my voice in songs of praise.
May it break into my heart. I pray for the inner warmth of your Spirit. Amen.

Prayer for Sunday, April 5

6th Sunday : Palm Sunday - Who is this Jesus?

Scripture for reflection: Mark 15:1-39

Reflection – Announcing the Kingdom.
The King approaches –
Not on a stallion but on a donkey.
Not with battle cry but with tears.
So is announced the upside down kingdom,
the feast of fools, the banquet of the outcasts.
Let us not replace the crown of thorns with a wreath of empire.
Let us not replace the cross with a bejewelled throne.
The land of milk and honey will come.
It will be all-encompassing rather than oasis.
The wilderness will be flooded out by springs of living water.
Streams in the desert will blossom flowers that for too long
have been bent over in the withering glare of drought.
Hearts broken by shame and grief will beat healthily again,
and a smile will creep across the tear-stained face of the outcast.
Guns and mortars will be smelted into the tools of the garden.
Funeral dirge will turn to praise
and the bent and downtrodden will find themselves dancing.
Maranatha! – ‘Come O Lord’
May we speed the day.

Prayer for the Lent Event project : Zambia

Scripture for reflection: Matthew 9:35-38

The church must participate with energy and commitment in Africa’s
reconstruction and development. . . faithful to continuing the mission
of Christ, the church must also continue to raise the collective public
conscience about the ethical choices that lie at the heart of the current global
financial, trade and political systems.
--South African Council of Churches

Prayer: Even a cup of water offered in your name honours you, loving God. Even a
widow’s tiny gift, humbly given, receives your praise. Even a prayer privately
offered is upheld by you. We confess that in the face of overwhelming need, our
responses seem so miserly, so useless, so inadequate. Touch our spirits, we pray,
that the little we offer may reflect your generosity and be helpful for people. You
lavish your world with love. Trouble us with its unequal distribution. Some have too
much food while many die of hunger and thirst. Some have rooms to spare while
many shiver in the cold. Some have power and many have no voice. Overturn
this world. Establish your rule. And as we look to your coming in fullness, may
the deep bowels of our being be stirred with your compassion. When we grab
breakfast, catch lunch or dine out for dinner, connect us with those who lunch in
Mwandi in Zambia, for whom a simple meal means salvation. Bless those who
offer cups of water there, and those who fetch the water, those who provide
meals every day, and those who eat them. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for Saturday, April 4

Day 34 : ‘Threading the needle’

Scripture for reflection: Luke 18:18-30

Prayer: Holy God,
Jesus taught us that to find real life we must die. Such death makes way for
new beginnings. You are the God of eternal new beginnings, the one who
transforms and recreates. Merciful God, show me those things that must
die in me, those things on which I must loosen my grip. Help me to be truly
honest with you and with myself about what it is that enslaves me. Help me to
experience your abundant life. Amen.

Prayer for Friday, April 3

Day 33 : People of hope

Scripture for reflection: Psalm 33

Prayer: Though we live in testing times O God, they are also times of opportunity.
I pray that in the midst of change and concern, I would be able to hang on
to hope. May I not be weighed down by those who proclaim a ‘doomsday’
message, but may I always seek opportunities to make this world a better
place. May I trust in your promise to bring new life and make all things new.
Grant me a hope-charged vision of the future. Amen.

Sunday April 5, 2009

This Sunday is Palm/Passion Sunday in the Christian church. Formerly, the Sunday before Easter was strictly Palm Sunday, but then a lot of churches did not offer formal Good Friday services, so on one week you had The Triumphal Entry (Palm Sunday) by Jesus into Jerusalem, and the next week you celebrated the resurrection, and the crucifixion was omitted. To remedy this without doing violence to the Holy Week chronology, a liturgy of the Passion (Christ's death) was added to the liturgy of the Palms.
In The Refuge this week, the children will march through waves palm branches, but our main emphasis will be on the crucifixion. We will offer experiential meditations around Christ's passion and the stations of the cross. There is some history of the stations of the cross here. The images we will use are local artist Ted DeGrazia's series called The Way of the Cross.
Our worship this week will be interactive, participatory, and experiential.
The worship bulletin is here.

Prayer for Thursday, April 2

Day 32 : Prayer for people of the Solomon Islands

Scripture for reflection: Isaiah 55:10-13

Wondrous God, with the guidance of your Spirit, the renewing gift of your Son
Jesus Christ and the abiding care of your parental love, your church in all places
is in the process of being born. We pray for the United Church in the Solomon
Islands and the Uniting Church in Australia that they may continue to grow
and develop in living out your love. You braid them among the strands of their
nations’ histories and cultures, to pray with and for those among whom they
live and to point people towards the life Jesus offers. Rid lands of unsustainable
timber-felling, toxic dumps and destructive mining. Reconcile diverse peoples to
draw forth from each other the richness of their cultures. Establish communities
that respect all people, especially those whose voice is weak. Build nations with
justice and mercy. Raise up leaders of integrity and character. And as you do
this, provide for such basic needs as health, training and financial support. We
look to you to draw us into your kingdom where creation is restored, people
cherished and your way upheld. Through Jesus Christ. Amen.