Sunday, July 5, 2009

I will be in inner city Los Angeles with our high school youth on our missions trip this Sunday. We will be serving with Center for Student Missions. Seth will be preaching. The worship bulletin is here. You can get updates about our trip at www.facebook.com/richardleejones.

Sunday June 28, 2009

This Sunday, we continue our studies in Mark, this week we consider Mark 5.1-20, the story of the demon-possessed man (called "Legion") living in Gergesa. Here is a map that will show you where this happened. You will notice it is diagonally across the Sea of Galilee from Capernaum, Jesus' adopted hometown.
Speaking of maps, there are a couple more here and here. These highlight the area called The Decapolis ("Ten Cities"), which is where this story happened, and it is where the man formerly known as Legion was commissioned to spread the Gospel by Jesus.
The name "Legion" is not the man's name. When Jesus asked his name, the man responded, "My name is Legion; for we are many." Legion was the name of a Roman military group (we would say battalion or company)--the basic unit of the Roman army. A legion consisted of thousands of soldiers, cavalry, and support personnel.
Notice the "symptoms" Legion exhibited: he was isolated, his life was out of control, he was not at peace, he was self-destructive, and he was fragmented. Does this sound like anyone you know? Does this sound like YOU? If there was hope for Legion, there is hope for you. When did his demons leave him? When he came to Jesus. Where was he inexplicably drawn (like a moth to a flame)? To Jesus. I think his healing was not so much the absence of the demons as it was the presence of Jesus.

The man was conflicted about Jesus. He was drawn to Jesus urgently, but he was also afraid of Jesus. I think he was afraid of Jesus for the same reason that the people in the city were: Jesus brought change. This man mirrors our attitudes: we know we need help; we know we need change; we know we need Jesus in our lives; but we avoid him. We are often [usually] content to live with our pain and struggles than to risk change by going to Jesus.

What do we see in this story?
We see the human condition.

We see the healing power of Jesus.

We see the power of a changed life.

We see the purpose of God: to advance his kingdom.

How do I deal with my demons?

I must come to Jesus just as I am.

I must come to Jesus with all that I am.

I must come to Jesus in surrender.

Spend time meditating on the words of Jesus in Revelation 3.20: "Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

When considering this story, the poem Crazy Bill: The Gerasene Demoniac Revisited by Tim Melton is very much worth reading.

Read this story in Mark 5. Think about what it means. Think about where you find yourself in this story.

The worship bulletin for Sunday is here.

Sunday, June 21, 2009

This Sunday is Father's Day. It is a little sad for me that my daughter Bethany has to work 12-5, so she will miss the traditional Father's Day lunch. She will come over for games and festivities after she gets off work.
This Sunday we continue our study in Mark, with Mark 4.1-20, the Parable of the Sower. Jesus often told parables--stories with a spiritual lesson behind them. This is one of those stories.
The worship bulletin is here.
In this passage, the people listening did not understand the point of his story. In order to explain why he spoke in parables, Jesus quotes from Isaiah 6.9-10:
And he said, “Go and say to this people: ‘Keep listening, but do not comprehend; keep looking, but do not understand.’ Make the mind of this people dull, and stop their ears, and shut their eyes, so that they may not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and comprehend with their minds, and turn and be healed.” ¹⁰
Bible scholars point out that in Hebrew literature, consequence is often portrayed as purpose. In other words, God did not want the people to not understand his word, he was pointing out to Isaiah that the people WOULD misunderstand his message. Jesus, in quoting this passage, is saying that just as the people in Isaiah's day misunderstood his message, so the crowds misunderstood Jesus' message. But Jesus explained it to his disciples. Why? Why explain it to the disciples and not everyone? It seems that to really understand what Jesus is saying, you need to commit to being a follower first. It's sort of like in The Matrix when Morpheus promises Neo that he will have the answers he is seeking if he takes the blue pill(is it the blue pill?), and if not, he can just go on with life as is.
Why does it take a conscious choice? Why does it take effort? v11 “To you has been given the secret..." Why? Because they had left all to follow him. They had demonstrated their dedication. They had made the effort. Are you a casual follower? Or a committed disciple? Commitment is more important than comprehension. You can't wait until you understand everything and have all your questions answered. This makes the prayer "Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief." sound a lot better.

I Followed the Crowd

A few days ago Twitter was all-a-twitter with people rejoicing that they got their new Facebook urls. I didn't even know what they were talking about. I did know that it is a weakness (maybe a strength, depending on how much you like your privacy) that you cannot view someone's Facebook unless YOU sign up for Facebook. Now you can. Facebook allows you to pick your url and then anyone can type in the address and go to your Facebook.
Mine is http://www.facebook.com/richardleejones

I'm Back!

Sorry I've been away for so long! Very busy times!

Sunday, May 31, 2009

This Sunday is Pentecost. Click on this link to check out the worship bulletin. It's got an article about Pentecost.

This is also Confirmation Sunday at Catalina. Seth will be preaching so I can participate in the confirmation service (in the sanctuary at 11am). I will be around Sunday, but Seth is doing the heavy lifting! We have three confirmands this year: Andrew Hoskinson, Chris Nellett, and Lauren Melcher. I plan to bring them over to the Refuge to introduce them after they are confirmed.

BUT THE BIG NEWS THIS WEEK IS THE CORNERSTONE CONCERT after the 11am service. It will kick off around 12:15. Don't miss it!

This is an email I received today from the Save Darfur Coalition. I responded. You should, too.

*****************************
Make sure the Obama administration will hold Sudan accountable if necessary.

Khartoum must know they have a choice between a real peace process and real consequences.

Sen. Kerry: hold a hearing on Sudan to make sure President Obama has a plan.
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/kerryhearingfb/i8kbg3ura7xmn5i3?

*****************************

Dear Richard,

Sudan's Bashir doesn't think there are consequences for not committing to peace - and so he's growing bolder by the day, even scuttling a peace conference for Darfuri civilian leaders earlier this month.

But the people of Darfur can't wait for peace. We have to make sure the President takes the lead in creating an opportunity for peace.

Two weeks ago, I met with Senator John Kerry to discuss his recent trip to Sudan. Today, we need his help.

Ask Senator Kerry to hold a hearing on Sudan and make sure the administration sets forth a bold agenda for bringing peace to Darfur and all of Sudan.
http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/kerryhearingfb/i8kbg3ura7xmn5i3?

The path to progress for peace is clear. It lies in offering Khartoum a choice: behind Door One, restoring aid groups and committing to the peace process which would lead to improved relations. Behind Door Two: continued obstruction which would lead to real and meaningful consequences.

Months after Sudan expelled 13 vital aid groups from the country, the government of Sudan has still not been confronted with this choice.

That's where the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee comes in. The committee should call on the Obama administration to adopt a policy that combines incentives for peace with consequences for continued obstruction and violence.

We've set a goal of sending at least 50,000 messages to Senator Kerry and Ranking Member Richard Lugar by June 13 - one month since my May 13 meeting with Senator Kerry, and with plenty of time for him to schedule hearings in June. Please act today.

Tell Sens. Kerry and Lugar to demand the Obama administration outline its blueprint for peace in Sudan. http://action.savedarfur.org/campaign/kerryhearingfb/i8kbg3ura7xmn5i3?

Don't wait to send a message to Sens. Kerry and Lugar - they need to hear from you today. Thanks for your hard work.

My best,

Jerry Fowler
Save Darfur Coalition

Pew Research

One more gem from Internet Monk: this post is from guest poster Michael Bell.

Michael Bell: How To Stop The Hemorrhaging: A Follow Up To The Pew Forum Data

Grace is dangerous

Internet Monk (Michael Spencer) has done it again: he has written another excellent and thought-provoking article (some people would just refer to him as "provoking"). Over at Steve Brown's blog, read "Grace Is As Dangerous As Ever".

I remember a quote that claimed that Jesus never got in trouble for being too strict or too hard on anyone. No, the things that caught Jesus in trouble with the authorities were his mercies, his healings, his inclusions, his giving of grace to those who others thought were unworthy. When is the last time that you or I got criticized for being too gracious or merciful?

Sunday, May 24, 2009

This week I watched a great video online. It is Shaun Groves (a musician I have come to enjoy) sharing about Mark 1.14-15--that's right, our text from LAST SUNDAY! Shaun does a great job explaining about the GOOD NEWS of Jesus; much better than I did. Watch the video. Please. You can also download his song "Kingdom Come" for free here. I don't agree with everything Shaun says, but I agree with SO MUCH.

The worship bulletin for this Sunday is here.

This week, we discuss one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It is not a famous story, but to me it paints a wonderful picture of what our God is like. It is the story of the healing of the leper in Mark 1.40-45. I like the way the NIV reads better than the NRSV (the previous link).

Please read Internet Monk's article "What Was Jesus Like?". This article is REALLY GOOD, especially the part about grape kool-aid. I think it should be required reading for everyone who claims to be a Christian.

Well, there is much more to say, but I'm going to save it for Sunday!

Sunday, May 17, 2009

This week, we begin our study in the Gospel of Mark: the Shorter Life of Jesus. The worship bulletin is here, and has lots of introductory info.
Here is the format we will follow: we will focus on reading together a chapter of Mark each week. Then on Sunday, our study will center on one section of that chapter. We are not going to try to teach all of it, I will pick a passage (or sometimes two) from each chapter.
And I am not going to attach dates to our study. We may take time off for special occasions, or when I am not preaching. I have 18 sessions on the Gospel of Mark chosen, but it may take us 22-25 weeks to get through them. There is no hurry!
Each week, the bulletin will contain review/think-it-through questions and/or journaling ideas to deepen your study.
I would like to recommend two online study tools:
1-YOUVERSION online Bible. I recommend that you sign up (it's free!) and try it out. I may experiment with commenting on a chapter of Mark as we read it each week. You can check out my comments and--most importantly--add your own. You can search for richardleejones (my user name) and click to follow me so you can check out my comments.
2-EXAMEN.ME devotional website. You can click around and check out all the features. I think it's pretty good. It's also unique with its emphasis on your own reflection and prayer.

If you want to prepare for Sunday, take a look at Mark 1.1-20.

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.