Baptism, the Holy Spirit and Communal Life

This past Sunday we had wonderful conversations about how Christians should live communally. Many of us had questions as to how this kind of communal life could be lived. We have good reasons to be cynical for many of us have experience the "dark side" of Christian community and it has proven to be no community at all for many others. I will agree that this is the case, that many times we fail each other and God. This does not mean that we are to leave the idea behind and not seek to live like God has called us to.

In Baptism we are empowered by the Spirit to live this communal life. Baptism "grafts us" into Christ and into each other. Baptism is our new birth in the community of faith. So the Spirit makes it possible for us to live communally in the way of Jesus. What would happen if we took this seriously?

I am amazed at how many times we take this idea for granted. We come to the communal meeting not expecting anything. We enjoy each others company but when things do not go our way we bail or (worst yet) we become destructive. Basing our participation in this community as a right we demand out way or else. Is this the way of Jesus? Is this living "grafted into" Jesus? Is this living according to the Spirit?

All of you were right! Christian community is impossible by our own strength. This is why Jesus promised to be with us always. This is why we gather and proclaim our identity as people of God time and time again. In this proclamation we are reminded of who we are and who is Lord.

I invite us to think about this way of life. Are we living in these ways? Are we taking seriously our communal identity as people of God? or Are we in this just for us and what we think is best.

We have been sealed by the Spirit of God in our Baptism. This means that we have the Spirit of God within us allowing us to live this communal life. Claim it and proclaim it in word and deed.

Peace, Juan+

The Bible and Community

The bible is a series of books written by a particular group of people. Its claims are universal and are rooted in the story of a people. Those of us who claim the name "Christian" are claiming to be heirs to the promises made therein. This means that we are also called to live out the covenant.

Covenant making is not popular today. We rather not make commitments, do it on our own and not depend on anybody. Here is where the Christian faith is most counter cultural for it calls us to depend on each other and to proclaim a communal message.

This week we continue our study on Christian community. This time we will look at the marks of this community according to our sacred text, the bible.

We spoke last week about the need for "authentic community." My prayer is that we will all learn the importance of that community to our faith and to our life.

See you Sunday!

Peace, Juan+

Acting with Compassion

11 Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. 12 As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. 13 When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep. 14 Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said, "Young man, I say to you, rise!"15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. 16 Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet has risen among us!" and "God has looked favorably on his people!"17 This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country. (Luke 7:11-17, NRSV)

Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like if Christians carried out the work of Jesus. Healing, feeding, and teaching would be some of the things that we would do. We would also show the way to the father and proclaim that through all of these things God's kingdom is at hand.

In todays gospel we have Jesus responding to basic human need with compassion. Compassion is about being aware and sympathetic for one that is going through some kind of suffering. It is also about wanted to somehow alleviate that suffering. To be sympathetic is to understand the other's suffering and to identify with the ways that it takes over one's life. Jesus understood and brought healing to the brokenness that death brings.

Like it happens often in the gospels the people are "fearful" and bring glory to God. Imagine if people responded like that to our alleviation of suffering, to our compassion. Imagine what an impact we would have on the world if our compassion was such that God was seeing through us by those busy observing.

Christ has given us the task of identifying with those in need. We are to minister to them with compassion and through that compassion we are agents of God's healing work in people's life. Through this work we share the good news and show our communities that God "has looked favorably upon" them.

Peace, Juan+

The Gift of the Spirit

We communicate verbally and in writing, use gestures and other non-verbal clues, and express our cultures and ways of being through language. Without language we would be unable to live fully.

On the day of Pentecost, Christians celebrate the birth of the church through the gift of the Holy Spirit. On that day the disciples received the gift of universal language.

After being given the command to spread the word to all nations, God gave them the tools needed to accomplish the task. Christians exist today because this gift was given. The disciples were able to communicate God's truth to people near and far, similar and different, new and old.

The disciples' fear quickly turned into action. They were ready to proclaim the message to those waiting to hear the proclamation. Passion allowed them to see beyond the obvious into God's vision for the transformation of the world.

Today we have the same task.

As we carry on the work of Jesus, we have been empowered by the Spirit. The sharing of good news is essential in all we do. We share as we work, play, engage in relationships, and respond to needs around us. Doing all of these things takes a familiarity with other languages, other ways of being, other opinions, positions and beliefs. If we are not able to be open to other "languages" then we will not be successful in the work of sharing the message of Jesus.

On this Pentecost Sunday we claim the power of the Spirit to help us engage each other. We live in an increasingly diverse community full of complexity and excitement.

What is the Spirit doing in our midst? I believe that the Spirit is empowering us to see each other as God's own. Speaking the universal language of the Spirit we are able to break down the barriers that separate us and treat each other with the dignity and respect that all us deserve as people created by God.

Every Pentecost Sunday is a new beginning for the church. As we lead in ministries of justice and reconciliation, as we embrace the diversity of gifts and opinions, and as we engage each other in conversation, we are living out the outpouring of the Spirit on all flesh. Let us claim this gift of language for our church and world today.

Peace, Juan+

Ascension

It means to "go up" and in Christian circles is the feast that takes place 40 days after Easter. After walking with his disciples Jesus goes back to heaven and leaves his disciples with instructions for the work ahead.

I struggle with Ascension. Although I know that Jesus needed to "go home" it brings all sorts of questions about its meaning for us today. What part of ascension is "good news" and why is this event in the story of Jesus important for Christianity and more specifically for Christians today.

I believe that essential to the Ascension is the promise of the Holy Spirit. Jesus does not leave us alone he promised to be with us always and the coming of the Holy Spirit is the fulfillment of that promise.

I will continue the conversation on Sunday. See you then!

Peace, Juan+

Preparations

Any time that I travel I have to get ready. Even before I begin packing I normally have to make sure that all my work is completed or has been handed on to the appropriate people. While I am gone the world continues and if I forget to leave instructions then it is very difficult for someone to complete what I have started.

Jesus wanted to leave things in place. Although he had completed a salvific work the job of sharing these good news fell to his disciples then and now. Jesus could not stay and do all the work. He had to go back where he belong yet promised us to be with us in the work of proclamation.

Love & peace are at the center of our proclamation. The Spirit of God is the source of these gifts. In accepting the good news of Jesus we are asking for the Spirit's guidance in proclaiming and keeping these words.

My prayer for you is that you claim the story of Jesus as your own and live out the empowerment of the Spirit in your life. This is not always easy but Jesus promised to be with us.

Peace, Juan+

On Being Sheep

The Bible is full of images about sheep and shepherds. These were common elements of life in 1st century Palestine. Jesus uses the metaphor continually to talk about our relationship to God. In the lessons for this week the image is used in a variety of ways.

Revelations 7:15-17

they are before the throne of God, and worship him day and night within his temple, and the one who is seated on the throne will shelter them. 16 They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat;17 for the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of the water of life, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

John 10:22-30

22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one."

I wonder if we are good sheep. Do we follow, listen, and graze well? Do we recognize the voice of our shepherd? Do we want to go to the "springs of the water of life?"

I am not sure that I want to be a sheep. Being a sheep means letting go, trusting, and vulnerability. It also means accepting the shepherd's leadership. All of this means that I have to let go of my agenda, priorities and control. There is freedom in all of this but there is also fear.

Being a sheep means being in relationship. How else are we supposed to recognize the shepherd's voice? How else can we truly depend on the one that will make our our thirst to go away, our hunger to cease and will shelter us in the "shadow of God's wings?" Relationship takes time, work, attention, and intentionality. Relationship also takes communication and trust.

Being a sheep means being in community. We graze together, drink together and get lost together. We follow together and at times hunger, thirst and suffer together. This is hard work. But as we all know any communal life takes work and it is through the work together, the work of the people of God, that we become more like Christ each day.

God wants to have a love affair with us. I have said this before but will continue to say it because I need the reminder. God loves us, wants to guide us and be in relationship with us. God wants us to be like infants who recognize their parents voice and trust that all will be well.

I pray that you encounter the resurrected savior. I pray that you fall in love with the one who gave us life.

Peace, Juan+

Conversion

For some the word stirs images of manipulation and emotional response and for others assurance of commitment and new beginning. I for one am uncomfortable with the word although not with its connotation. See, conversion is not about manipulation, not about pure emotional response. Conversion is about a response to God, a constant, daily, response to God's grace that transforms us. Conversion means to "change direction" and "a change of character." When we respond to God's grace there is no question that the process of change begins in us.

The reading from Acts (9:1-20) and from the Gospel of John (21:1-19) are both about conversion. In Acts we have the story of Saul who persecuted Christians and encounters the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. This is the most cited example of conversion and unfortunately has been used in many instances as THE example. Yet it is only one of many in the New Testament. What is important to note is that Saul (now Paul) encounters and responds to the risen Christ and is mentored in the faith by a man named Ananias. In John, Jesus joins the disciples for breakfast at the sea side. They also encounter the risen savior and have to respond and have to be transformed. The transformation leads them to let go of the familiar and follow Jesus once more.

We are all called by God. Not all of us are called to the same thing. Not all of us are called to conversion in the same ways. But we are called. The calling to conversion is a calling to new life, to new priorities and to new ways of being. The familiar is left behind and we embark on a journey into "divine life." The journey is at times scary and obscure. Yet we trust and know that we are following the risen Savior empowered by God's Spirit.

God is calling you? Are you going to answer?

I look forward to our conversation this Sunday.

Peace, Juan+

Forgiveness

This season of the Christian year is called Easter or the Great Fifty days. It begins with the Feast of the Resurrection and it ends with the Day of Pentecost. The excitement of the resurrection story continues through this season as we hear about what it means to serve a risen Lord.

This week's readings contain familiar passages. Acts 5:27-32 contains the testimony of followers of Jesus before the Jewish council. Psalm 150 is a song of praise to God. Revelation 1:4-8 takes us to a vision of heaven were Jesus Christ is the beginning and the end.

John 20:19-31 is the most familiar of all. People refer to this passage as the one about "doubting Thomas." Although the latter part of the passage has Jesus' response to Thomas I want to concentrate on the the earlier part of the passage, especially v.22:

"If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any they are retained."

Jesus' whole ministry was about forgiveness. In it we are restored to others and to God. Forgiveness allows all of us to start fresh and let go. Yet forgiveness is not easy nor should it be treated flippantly. In a recent conversation with this SS class we spoke about the importance of penance in forgiveness. When we sin, we break a covenant with God and with other people.

This break of relationship is not easy to "fix." In fact one of the important lessons of Holy week is the extent that God is willing to go in order to restore us into relationship. This restoration took deat, a painful death. Part of being forgiven is acknowledging the wrongdoing and then seeking to make it right.

Forgiveness is difficult. It is interesting to note that before Jesus empowers his Disciples to be a forgiving people he gives them the Holy Spirit. It is because of the Spirit that we can forgive for the Spirit gives us the strength to forgive others and makes us aware when we need forgiveness.
The season of Easter is about proclaiming the risen Lord and his message. The fact that our sins are forgiven is the most important proclamation that we can make.

May you experience God's forgiveness this season. Most of all may you carry the message of forgiveness to all those that God sends our way.

Peace, Juan+

Tridiuum

Three days. The holiest days in the Christian calendar. They begin on Holy Thursday evening and conclude with the Easter Vigil. These services, Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Easter Vigil are parts of a whole. The work of salvation was not just about Jesus' death but began with his life and continues to his resurrection. Death and Life are held in tension as we walk through these days with Jesus. This is not about morbid fascination with spilled blood and gory death. Is about the extreme measures that God is willing to take in order to free us from the "slavery to sin and death." (Word and Table I, UMH 13) The acts of the Triduum are the acts of salvation not just for humanity but for all of creation.

My prayer is that all of you will join us for this commemoration. On Holy Thursday we re-member the meal of love, forgiveness and service that we call Holy Communion, on Good Friday we will gather at noon to re-member the passion of our Lord, Easter morning we gather at 8:15 and/or 10:30 am to celebrate the victory of Christ over sin and death.

Lenten has been a long but wonderful journey. As we prepare to end this season the question is: Is all going to be back to normal? or Are you going to allow the risen Christ to transform you forever?

Look forward to see you on Thursday, Friday and Sunday.

Peace, Juan+

Thirsty

Our bodies need water. Without it we cannot survive. When we lack water our bodies tell us to drink. We need and crave it. Satisfaction comes when we have replenish our bodies.

In Psalm 63 the psalmist tells us "O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (63:1, NRSV)

Just like there is a need in all of us for water there is a need for God. We spend our lives trying to fulfill this "craving." Our attempts always fail us because we try to fill this void with things that we can control and yet those things end up controlling us. We become addicted to the "fix" that these things brings. It reminds me of the times when we confuse thirst for hunger. In the same vein we confuse things for God.

The confession is one that brings repentance and new beginnings. "You are my God" the psalmist says. Not "I am my God" or "let me find a fix for my hunger" instead the psalmist knows exactly what he needs, God. The soul goes from being "thirsty" to being "satisfied." This is real, lasting, satisfaction. Only God can do that.

Have you ever being hungry for God? Are you searching for something and find yourself a slave to "stuff?"

Possessions, money, relationships, the latest, can all be markers of this need. None of those things are bad in themselves. They become a stumbling block when they take the place of God, when they become the source of our satisfaction.

As we continue this Lenten journey remember, in a world full of ideas of what our needs are and how to satisfy them, God is all we need. Thanks be to God!

Peace, Juan

"And He Believed the Lord"

In 1992 my family sold everything and embarked on a unique journey. We packed up some of our belongings on boxes and packed suitcases with our clothes. A plane ride and later a road trip brought us to a new home. We made the journey because we believed that God had called us to do so.

There were many who were skeptical. Family members, church people, and some (maybe most) of dad's colleagues could not believe it. I am sure that all of us had our own moments of doubt and uncertainty. Yet, mom and dad, led us confidently knowing that we were where God had called us to be.

This second Sunday of Lent we face the uncertainty of a journey. This journey is based on a promise, a covenant. For Abram it was about being the Father of a people, for us is about being the bearers of salvation. We do not know where we are going, neither did Abram. Like Abram we are not quite sure how we are going to get there. What we do know is that God has made a promise.

The promise of God is that he will be with us along the journey. God called us and will equip us for what lies ahead. The journey is full of twists and turns, detours and turnarounds, highways and scenic routes.

All we have to do is believe. Believe not as an intellectual exercise but as a movement of the soul. Believing means letting go, giving up the reins, trust. God, the one who called, will not lead us astray. God, the one who provides, will not leave us alone. God will be incarnate in cloud, fire, wrestler, burning bush, still small voice, . . . Jesus. If this is not a sign that God's covenant is trustworthy I don't know what is.

I invite you to continue your Lenten journey. God wants you to let go, to not listen to the naysayers. God has made a promise. The promise is that God will make us whole, will restore us to the fullness that God originally intended, and will take us out of a strange land into the land of promise. Are you ready to go on the journey?

I am sure that Mom and Dad had many questions. The temptation was not to believe the promise. Here we are 15 years later still journeying, still answering and most of all still believing. Thanks be to God!

Peace, Juan+

Remembrance and Confession

Lent is a season of remembrance. We began with Ash Wednesday where we remembered our humanity and acknowledged our need for God. Now we continue on this Baptismal journey. We now need to move from our remembrance and confession to growth in grace. The scriptures for this season help us move along this journey.

The most striking of scriptures has to be the temptation of Jesus. Just reading it makes us uncomfortable, we feel the tension in the encounter. Maybe we remember the many times that we have been tempted ourselves. I for one remember the times that I was not as successful as Jesus was. In remembrance we are able to confess where we have failed and move into grace.

In Deuteronomy 26:1-11 a phrase strikes me "[t]hen you together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house." (26:11, NRSV)

We need to remember that God's blessing and gift of forgiveness is for all people. This is not immigration policy as we know it. On this Lenten season let us reflect upon how our socio-political positions reflect our understanding of the Gospel. At times we have to be reminded and confess that we have not been kind to the stranger.

In the midst of turbulence and celebration God is there. Yet we have to beware of amnesia and always remember where we have been and the promise of where we are going.

Anamnesis is the Greek word for remembrance. For the ancient Greeks and Hebrews it meant more than just intellectual recall, it meant a bringing back into being, a re-membering of events that help us be who we are. This is the word used at the Eucharist where we re-member the sacrifice of grace that God gave us through Jesus. The Sacraments are the greatest antidotes for amnesia. Every time we eat and drink, every time we bring people to the baptismal waters we remember, confess, and are transformed.

Thanks be to God!

Peace, Juan+

Ashes

I remember my first Ash Wednesday. The songs, scriptures, and actions reminded me that I was human. I needed that reminder. I had failed, was failing, and will fail again. In spite of all of the failure God still cared.

Coming forward prayerfully I wondered how it would feel. Then those fateful words came "remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." These were strong words for a young twenty something. The dark crusty cross on my forehead could not be ignored. I could feel it hours later. Even after I washed it off before going to bed I could still feel it. It was a constant reminder that I was human, mortal flawed. Yet I was forgiven, blessed and made new.

This was the beginning of a Lenten journey that still continues. For Lent is about Baptism about preparation for taking on the story of faith. The baptized come to remember and renew their covenant. We come to be reminded of the one who has claimed us. So I still come, I can't wait!

The last year has been full of trials and failures. God has been there the whole time. Because of God's presence and blessing it has been a year full of opportunity, joy and grace. Now I have an opportunity to start once more.

My tool belt is ready. Prayer, reflection, and service are some of the practices that will prepare me to celebrate Easter. What does your tool belt hold? Are you ready for the journey?

I invite you to come tomorrow. Eat a light meal at 5:00 in the Fellowship Hall and then enter the sacred space as if entering a 360 degree mirror. Do you see what I see? Do you see what God sees?

A crusty cross awaits to continually change us and free us. Bread and wine await to be the medicine for our soul.

See you tomorrow @ 6:00 pm, come ready for the journey!

Peace, Juan +

While He was praying . . .

What does prayer do? I have asked and have been asked this question many times. At first it is hard to answer. All kinds of theological and practical answers come to mind. Praying is about God and it is about us. Somehow the two come together in an interesting, yet effective way.

Prayer takes different forms. We pray at church, work , school and home. We pray kneeling, standing, sitting, driving, etc. We pray in the quietness and in the busyness. We pray and that's good!

What if something really happened when we prayed? What if people appeared to give us advice or God's voice spoke audibly when we needed it most? What if we were transformed in a really obvious way because of our prayer life?

"Jesus took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. And while he was praying , appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white." (Luke 9:28-29, NRSV)

Prayer changes us. We give over our burdens and those of others. Prayer is a conversation that strengthens our relationship with the divine. Having this conversation allows us to know God better and through that we are able to deepen our relationship.

In order to have a conversation we need to listen. "Then from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my Son, my Chosen; listen to him!'" (Luke 9:35, NRSV) Imagine not giving God time to speak. Yet we do that all of the time. We talk and talk and talk . . .

As we get ready for Lent let us prepare to listen. Make time to have a conversation with God daily. Reflect on scripture and sit in silence for 10-20 minutes. You will be amazed at how much God wants to say. You will be blessed by the word God has to share.

Peace, Juan

P.S. If you want to know more about listening to God's voice write me a note I would love to hear your story.

All Night Long!

Have you ever stayed up all night? I have many times in my life. When younger I would stay up with friends talking. Now as an adult there are times that the worries of life keep me up. Night times seems like a wonderful time for thinking and reflection.

In the scripture for Sunday (Luke 5:1-11) the disciples had stayed up all night. Their reason was not that they could not but that they would not. They stayed up working, trying to finally get a catch. Without one they would not be able to make a living.

When Jesus told them to go back out and to pull down their nets they were hesitant. "We've done that already. In fact we have spent all night attempting to get a catch and were not successful." Yet, they went out and miraculously they caught more fish than they handle.

We do the same thing. Time after time we try to do things our way and it fails. We think we have it under control. Failure comes time after time. Jesus comes and asks us again. This time is different for Jesus is asking us to trust. If we do we, like the disciples, will be surprised! The catch will be more than we can handle. It is then that we call others on the same journey for help and support. We need them and they need us as we go about being "fishers of people."

Thanks be to God!

Peace,
Juan

The Gift of Love

Just the sound of it places me in a packed sanctuary where two people are making a covenant with each other. Yes, a wedding is normally the event were we are most likely to hear, sing, or both about Love. I Corinthians 13 is one of the most used scriptures to share with couples everywhere. Because of this usage we may think of the text as sappy, sentimental, and romantic. Yet it was not meant to be used exclusively in that way.

I Corinthians 13 is about the love that a community shares with each other. Interestingly enough, it is not about conjugal love (eros) or about familial love (philio) but about the love that mirrors divine love (agape) for us. Self-giving love is the nature of chapter 13.

Love is difficult. Communal love is difficult. It is easy to love when the bells are playing and you are wearing a beautiful dress or a tuxedo. It is difficult to love when things are not going well (a.k.a. like you want them to, or like you dreamed they would) and you have to engage another. It is for these times that I Corinthians 13 was written.

The church needs to love in this way. Baptized people need to love each other in this way.

At first glance this seems like an impossibility. Our humanness gets in the way of us loving. Yet the promise of God trough Jesus is that we are people empowered by the Spirit. So it is the Spirit that helps us and allows us to love in these ways.

The ways can be summed up like this: Love is not about us, its about the way that we relate to each other through God's grace.

This is why "faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and the greatest of these is love." (I Corinthians 13:13, NRSV)

I look forward to see you on Sunday! Peace, Juan