Tag Archives: Disciples

A New Beginning

Acts 4Eastertide
April 6, 2015

Scripture Reading: Acts 4:32-35

Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

Our immediate reactions to radical changes in our lives whether it is a disaster or the blessings of a new child, often is to just respond in any way that might help. This is what Jesus’ followers did following the resurrection. The results are often two much of one thing, like infant size onesies, and too little of other things like clothing for a six month old or a nine month old. Babies do grow fast and new ways of following God move from the exuberance of the change itself to the planning and work necessary to make a new beginning a lasting one. In the Book of Acts we have the history of the initiation of the Kingdom of God that Jesus taught. It is a history of people, like you and me, stumbling at times, but ever moving forward toward the purpose Jesus set out for all of us.

God created all of us with differing skills and talents because the world needs all those skills and talents, but it requires a level of interdependence that can sometimes be challenging because of our diversity in ways of being. The creation of the Myers Briggs* personality types is an attempt to categorize the various combinations of traits that people have and how they fit together. I have found it helpful in my understanding of working with people.

Beyond these pyscho-social aspects of personal interchange we also must deal with interacting within the framework of our own wholeness and the wholeness of others. We do live in a world of fragmented people and thus we live in a fragmented world. John Ortberg in his book Soul Keeping encourages us to care of the most important part of our being, our soul. I think that is good advice. Because unless we can get pasts the hurts that have engrained themselves into our souls we will not be whole and we will be less successful in helping others become whole.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be sensitive to the differences in personalities that my hamper quality communications but more importantly, heal my soul, Lord, heal my soul. Amen.

*http://www.myersbriggs.org/my-mbti-personality-type/mbti-basics/

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

 

Tell It Now

Jesus following transfigurationEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
February 15, 2015

 Scripture Reading: Mark 9:2-9

As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. — Mark 9:9

 This theme of not telling anyone what the first disciples were hearing and experiencing runs throughout Mark. Mark is apparently the first of the gospels in order of writing, but it was written many years after the fact. Mark does convey a certain sense of telling just the facts, getting the story down. But it has always been a puzzle to me why Jesus did not what them to tell others about his life.

I suppose it could have something to do with the timing of Jesus’ mission. He felt a need to accomplish some specific tasks, mainly preparing the disciples to carry on the ministry. I have never thought that it indicated a lack of confidence. He was confident at the age of 12. Perhaps Mark just wanted his readers to gain an understanding of the importance of the mission by telling it in such a full-motion manner.

Whatever the reason, we need to understand that we are engaged in a full-motion ministry that may be 2000 years old but is no less essential today than it was then, perhaps it is even more so.  There is no question about telling the story of Jesus now, however. We have even been commanded to tell it. (Matthew 28:19-20)

Prayer: Lord, write your words on our hearts so that that we can tell your story not only with your words and our words, but also with our actions. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Answering the Call

Called as disciplesEpiphany
Celebration of God
Manifested in the World
January 19, 2015

 Scripture Reading: Jonah 3:1-5, 10

The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, ‘Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.’ So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, ‘Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!’ And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.  — Jonah 3:1-5

 Jonah is everyone. How would you have liked getting an assignment like Jonah did? God asked Jonah to go into one of the wickedest cities around and convict them of their wanton ways. I don’t know about you but Tarshish might have been looking pretty good to me about that time as it did to Jonah. After a few days in the belly of a whale, Jonah saw the error of his way and gave it all he had to turn the people of Nineveh around. God apparently knew what God was doing in the first place.

We really do not know what we are capable of doing until we are put to the test. Many ordinary folk just like you and me have done some extraordinary things when God put them in the right place at the right time and they responded well. Margaret Mead probably said it best, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. Every time I hear that quote I think of the twelve disciples of Jesus.

Our world is in great need of many such small groups making differences in a wide variety of areas. You can pretty much take your pick. Our economic system is upside down, our criminal justice system is overcrowded and understaffed, our education system is failing too many children, our ecosystems are growing more and more unsustainable, terror is an everyday item on our evening news, refugees stream out of war-torn lands, and disease is rampant in some parts of the world. The list is endless. Yet, we, too, are disciples of Jesus called to love as he loved. Called to bring wholeness, oneness, and justice to a fragmented world. What part is God calling each of us to do?

Prayer: Lord, prepare me well for what you are calling me to do and give me the courage to follow the path you set before me. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

God of Wonder

partingredsea08Living in the Spirit
September 8, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Exodus 14:19-31

 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into dry land; and the waters were divided. The Israelites went into the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left. The Egyptians pursued, and went into the sea after them, all of Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and chariot drivers. At the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and cloud looked down upon the Egyptian army, and threw the Egyptian army into panic. He clogged their chariot wheels so that they turned with difficulty. The Egyptians said, ‘Let us flee from the Israelites, for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.’ — Exodus 14:19-25

The second movie I ever saw as a child was The Ten Commandments. Thus Cecil B. DeMille’s rendition of the Israelites crossing the sea will probably always pop into my brain whenever I read our scripture today. I now know that high drama is not reality but in some instances it may speak the truth more than the real situation. The truth is that Moses believed in the God he had encountered in Midian as did apparently at least a fragment of the Israelites back in Egypt. Some were probably revolutionaries itching to fight for their freedom. But for some the tradition of the God of Abraham had remained a vital part of their lives as it was passed down through the generations. The remaining multitudes were hungry for a better life and were willing to follow those who promised it.

The anthropologist Margaret Mead said, Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has. She is describing story after story in the Bible. None more obvious than Jesus and his disciples. That is our heritage in faith and one we must cling to in times like these when God’s love is the only solution to the many evils that we face.

We are called to remember the traditions of the first disciples sent by Jesus into the world to spread the news of God’s love, the salvation given us through Jesus Christ, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We spread that word best by living it.

Prayer: God of Wonder, keep afresh the dreams you planted in us when we first discovered you. Make them our vision for the world today so that we might live into them. Amen

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The Art of Making Disciples

Living in the Spirit
July 12, 2014

 Scripture Reading: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 

‘Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. — Matthew 13:19-23 

It use to bug me for the state legislature to consider only giving pay raise the top say 25% of state employees. I was an administrator in the State Department of Human Services and such pay incentives were counterproductive. Why would you not want those other 75% to do the best they could also? Most of them did not think they would ever be able to break into that top group. It is also very difficult to construct an objective means of measuring quality or quantity of work produced.  Staff became resentful and mutter concerns about favoritism.

Indeed it was my observation that there was usually a bell curve of staff. A few did work at a higher level than others, most did their jobs as was expected, and a few worked below par requiring more oversight. A few of this last group failed to meet even minimum standards and had to be terminated. I don’t know about you, but I want all the people working in this government to do their jobs to the best of their ability. I would think private businesses would want that also.

Jesus’ assessment of the seekers in our parable today falls along similar lines. More than anything else I see it as a guide for turning distracted people, flighty people, and troubled people into disciples. In all honesty all of us fall into one of those categories at one time or another. When my mother was on hospice, I was very distracted and probably only doing the bare minimum at my church.

The challenge for our churches today is to meet seekers where they are and incorporate their skills and talents in the best way we can to enable their transition from seekers to disciples. We must be flexible enough to open ourselves to diverse ways of being church and thus serving God. If someone is seeking God, we can be sure that God is seeking them. We are called to make them disciples.

Prayer:  God, Help us see the potential in each seeker and in each disciples as we grow together in service and in love. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.