fruit

may the holy spirit be with youNow John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:4-10, NRSV)

As I read this after the text from John 15 from yesterday. The connection between the 2 is bearing fruit and abiding in Jesus.

But as I read this I had to stop for a moment and think, was John the first rendition of a Wookie? Wearing camel’s hair, and a leather belt. Now he was wearing the belt around his waist, and Wookies wear them as sashes… So there is a similar look I am thinking. Or maybe John just looked like a fruit!

But here is the thing. People were not afraid of what he looked like. In fact I think the author of Matthew tells us this to paint the picture for us, that John was rooted in Jesus, and because of that no one noticed how different he was. They listened to his message and came to be baptized.

Even the religious leaders were checking him out. They must had heard about the powerful preaching going on, so they came too.

So be connected to Jesus and don’t worry about what the world thinks about you.

And may the Holy Spirit be with you always!

abide

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinegrower. He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes to make it bear more fruit. You have already been cleansed by the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. (John 15:1-8, NRSV)

I read this passage again this year, and this time I was struck by the word abide…

“Abide in me as I abide in you.” Is how verse 4 starts. And in the Greek we have the word μενω 7 times in verses 4 – 7. (3 times in verse 4, once in 5 and 6 and 2 times in 7) It is used once in every verse. Yes you will tell me if you look at it, the word abide is in there 8 times. Yes in the English translations we have the word appears 8 times for it to make more sense. But actually this first part of verse 4 only has the word once. A better translation of “Abide in me as I abide in you.” is “Abide in me as I am in you.”

And that is the point here.

We are to abide in Jesus.

We are to stay in Jesus.

We are to trust in Jesus.

We are to depend on Jesus.

You see Jesus is telling His disciples that they are all intertwined and support each other, but they are only dependent on Him. The image of the vine is a beautiful one, and we can assume Jesus was walking with His disciples through a vineyard as He was telling them this.

You see a mature vine with branches is a wonderful living thing. The branches are all intertwined and they support each other, however the branches are not dependent on the other branches for survival, for that they need to vine. And the branches don’t decide who is not producing fruit and get cut away, or who need a snip here or there to help them produce more fruit, that is the gardener or the vine dresser.

And the thing we have to remember is even when we abide in the vine, we still get pruned. We still get cut back, because uncontrolled growth is not good and the vine dresser knows what is best for the branches.

So stay, remain, live in Christ as He is in you! And don’t worry about the other branches, just support them in their life in the vine, and rest in His grace.

go astray

going-astrayO come, let us sing to the LORD; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker! For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.” Therefore in my anger I swore, “They shall not enter my rest.” (Psalm 95, NRSV)

Do not let your hearts go astray.

We are the sheep of His hand, and He is our shepherd.

If we only listen and follow His rod and staff, His direction for our lives, we will be led to streams of living water and abundance.

We must listen to His voice and not try to go astray from His hand.

Heed the warning and do not go astray. Listen to His voice and let your worship be of Him.

What is the church?

Is the church the building we gather in at 1253 County Road J?

Is the church what we come to every Sunday for worship?

Is the church the leadership?

Is the church the people?

Church is one of those words we use to mean many different things depending on the context in which we use it. We use it for many different things, and sometimes use it in places where it really doesn’t fit, but we do it any how.

The council is reading a book this year called Frogs Without Legs Can’t Hear by David W. Anderson and Paul Hill. Last month’s chapter was on congregation and home a partnership for a total church frog. It’s premise was that the congregation is not full of professionals that can teach people faith without the support of the home and family life. It also stated in many ways that worship not only happens within the confines of the congregation on Sunday morning, but all day every day. Church and faith formation are not things that happen in one place during one morning of the week, but happens every moment of our lives. That parents and family members are wonderful instructors in the faith, and can share the hope that they have with others.

The church is the body of Christ. It has come to mean a building, but we can think of it differently, maybe we will see that worship and faith formation happen more places than one building. We try to tell our kids we are going to worship on Sunday morning. And I will work harder on saying I am going to St. John’s or the congregation. Church is so much more than a building. It is truly who we are when we abide in Christ who told us, He is abiding in us! (John 15:4)

So know that you are the church, and wherever you go, that is where the church is! And join me for worship this Sunday!

Here is a link to a song to help you think on this some more.

springs of water

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels stood around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, singing, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, robed in white, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “Sir, you are the one that knows.” Then he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason 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. They will hunger no more, and thirst no more; the sun will not strike them, nor any scorching heat; 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.” (Revelation 7:9-17, NRSV)

And the Lamb will be their shepherd.

The Lamb will be our shepherd and will lead us to springs of the water of life.

You will get to drink from the spring of the water of life, with the great multitude that no one can count.

We will worship the Lamb for all of eternity and will be guided by Him to water and life and there will be no more tears.

We will not mourn or hurt. We will be in the presence of the Father and all will be beautiful!

what to do

rest areaThe apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. (Mark 6:30-34, NRSV)

Jesus called the disciples to come with Him, to a place where no one was, so they could rest. So they could connect with God.

They had done many things, and Jesus wanted them to gather to rest and reflect.

So they entered the boat, but many saw them and beat them around the lake.

So the plan for rest was not going to happen.

So at that point what do we do?

Do we tell the people to go away, because we were trying to rest?

Or do we help them and tell them the story of love and grace our savior gave us?

Not to say that rest is not important, but if we follow Jesus’ example, we tend to the needs of those gathered, and show them grace and love.

Rest will come, and sometimes we have to seek it early or later than we thought. And rest is important, because Jesus sought His quite time with God.

But rest will come, and the people need to see the love of God.

God will provide your needs, allow Him to use you!

search

For thus says the Lord GOD: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land. I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. (Ezekiel 34:11-16, NRSV)

God will take care of you.

As a shepherd seeks out his sheep and finds them when they have wandered away.

When they think they know the best way to go, and the best places to feed, and the best other sheep to be with.

The shepherd finds them and brings them back to fold. Leaving 99 to go and find one, because you are that precious.

And as sheep we need to look out for the lambs, because as sheep if we stray the lambs will follow.

So do not stray, but if you do, know God will search for you!

 

tended to

jesus-holding-lambGet you up to a high mountain,
O Zion, herald of good tidings;
lift up your voice with strength,
O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings,
lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah,
“Here is your God!”
See, the Lord GOD comes with might,
and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him,
and his recompense before him.
He will feed his flock like a shepherd;
he will gather the lambs in his arms,
and carry them in his bosom,
and gently lead the mother sheep.
(Isaiah 40:9-11, NRSV)

Have you ever needed something and it just showed up?

I remember when we were in seminary for the first semester. We had a little girl who was about 15 months old when we started seminary and we were expecting our second child during the first semester we were there.

And I remember as a father wondering how I would get Christmas presents for my children. I was already strapped for cash paying for my education, and we still owned a home many states away from where we were.

I remember about the middle of December hearing a knock on the door, and when I opened the door, there was a huge rubber made box with wheels. with a bow on it. When I opened the box it had presents inside for all of our family. The presents included presents for our husky!

Now Christmas presents may not seem like much, but I still have a piece of the paper the presents were wrapped in, because to this father, that was what I needed then. A community that saw my unspoken need and was there for that.

And that is exactly where God is, in the community of our gathered bodies, providing for our every need.

Allow God to be your shepherd and you will be tended to!

expectations…

When Israel saw Joseph’s sons, he said, “Who are these?” Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, and he could not see well. So Joseph brought them near him; and he kissed them and embraced them. Israel said to Joseph, “I did not expect to see your face; and here God has let me see your children also.” Then Joseph removed them from his father’s knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right, and brought them near him. But Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. He blessed Joseph, and said,“The God before whom my ancestors Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day, the angel who has redeemed me from all harm, bless the boys; and in them let my name be perpetuated, and the name of my ancestors Abraham and Isaac;and let them grow into a multitude on the earth.” When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; so he took his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father! Since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” But his father refused, and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” (Genesis 48:8-19, NRSV)

Notice there were 2 people whose expectations were not met in this reading.

Israel’s expectation of not seeing Joseph, and then he got to see his grandsons as well.

And Joseph expected Israel to bless the oldest son, and Israel blessed the younger.

Have you ever been disappointed because your expectations were not met?

If it only happens once a day, it is a wonderful day.

But here is the thing. We can expect whatever we want, but if we agree that God is our shepherd and He is leading us, then what we receive will ultimately be better than anything we could ever expect.