God is love

Good morning friends,
There's a lot going on at and around Laurelton this week as we remember the last week before Jesus death. I'll get the schedule of events on the website as soon as I can. Tonight at St. Ambrose (Culver and Empire) there will be an ecumenical tenebrae service at 7:30. In the tenebrae service we tell the story of Jesus' passion with readings and music. As the story moves towards Christ's death, candles are extinguished and the sanctuary grows darker. We've participated in the service the last three years, and it is quite powerful.

Today's reading comes from the Apostle John's first letter. John reminds his readers that God is love, so we should love each other. He also emphasizes that we know God's love best through Jesus' life and death for us. This week is all about entering into the mystery of Jesus' suffering. Try to take some extra time each day to reflect on Christ's love and walk the road with him.

God bless,
Sam

1 John 4:7-21

⁷Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. ⁸Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. ¹²No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. ¹³By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

¹⁴And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world. ¹⁵God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God. ¹⁶So we have known and believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.

¹⁷Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness on the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world. ¹⁸There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear; for fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not reached perfection in love. ¹⁹We love because he first loved us. ²⁰Those who say, “I love God,” and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. ²¹The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.

healing in Jesus' name

Good evening friends,
Today's reading comes from the Book of Acts. After Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven his disciples kept meeting together in Jerusalem. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down on them and filled them with power to speak the good news of God's love through Christ, even in languages they didn't know. Not long after that Peter and John were walking in the synagogue and healed a man who had been disabled for many years. As a crowd gathered to see what had happened, Peter shared the good news in the following way.
God bless,
Sam

Acts 3:12-21

¹²When Peter saw it, he addressed the people, “You Israelites, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we had made him walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate, though he had decided to release him. ¹⁴But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you, ¹⁵and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. 

¹⁶And by faith in his name, his name itself has made this man strong, whom you see and know; and the faith that is through Jesus has given him this perfect health in the presence of all of you. ¹⁷“And now, friends, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. ¹⁹Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, ²⁰so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus, ²¹who must remain in heaven until the time of universal restoration that God announced long ago through his holy prophets.

nailed to the cross

Good afternoon friends,
There are two steps to understand today's reading. The first is that through faith in Christ we become part of him. In baptism we're joined in his death and burial and then in his resurrection. The second part is that through the cross, Jesus sets fulfills and sets aside the record of our sins that stands against us. In other words, the sins we've committed before are nailed to the cross and defeated. The power of hatred, sin and domination are also defeated at the cross. So joined to Christ our sin is overcome, our fear and striving are defeated, and we are set free for new life.

God bless,
Sam

Colossians 2:8-15

⁸See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. ⁹For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. ¹¹In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; ¹²when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

¹³And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, ¹⁴erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it.

surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows

Good evening brothers and sisters,
Today's reading is a beautiful word from the Book of Isaiah about God's suffering servant who is sent to bring Israel back to God. This passage wasn't written about Jesus, but we believe Jesus fulfilled the hope expressed here. God's servant takes the sins of the people on himself and receives the punishment we deserve in our place. It isn't fair, but the servant agrees to "take one for the team" in a big way. In worship today we read this passage once in good Presbyterian intellectual engagement and once trying to let the passage speak right to our heart about God's love and redemption for us in Christ. If you have the chance this evening I'd suggest doing the same thing: read once for "head" understanding and once more to let God's love sink into your heart. Jesus loves you.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 53:3-12

³He was despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity; and as one from whom others hide their faces he was despised, and we held him of no account. ⁴Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have all turned to our own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. ⁸By a perversion of justice he was taken away. Who could have imagined his future? For he was cut off from the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people. ⁹They made his grave with the wicked and his tomb with the rich, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him with pain. When you make his life an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, and shall prolong his days; through him the will of the Lord shall prosper. ¹¹Out of his anguish he shall see light; he shall find satisfaction through his knowledge. The righteous one, my servant, shall make many righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. ¹²Therefore I will allot him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

Revelation

Good evening friends,
We're reading from Revelation tonight, which is a book many of us don't know well. The book as a whole is a vision given to John from Jesus. In the scene we're reading John is standing in heaven. The vision talks about how Jesus conquers the evil powers of the world through his death on the cross. He also talks about redeeming a people for God through Christ's blood. We share that redemption today. Through Christ's death and resurrection we are set free and redeemed.

God bless,
Sam

Revelation 5: 1-12

5Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals; ²and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁴And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” ⁶Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. ⁸When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

⁹They sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; ¹⁰you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.” ¹¹Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels surrounding the throne and the living creatures and the elders; they numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²singing with full voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!”

God's goodness and presence

Good morning sisters and brothers,
This morning is Dominic Gammariello's memorial service at Laurelton at 10:30 am; please continue to keep Dom's family in your prayers. Today's reading is a strange one. Moses craves a greater assurance of God's love and presence. God loves and values Moses, so God does just what he asks. Moses gets to see God in some physical way while God protects him from seeing more than he can manage.

Many of us crave a deeper sense of God's love but won't see what Moses saw. When we feel far from God or worried about anything, we can look at the cross. There we clearly see all God's goodness and God's amazing love for us. Seeing that image of God's goodness we know we have nothing to fear because we are not alone.

God bless,
Sam

Exodus 33:12-23

12Moses said to the LORD, “See, you have said to me, ‘Bring up this people’; but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found favor in my sight.’ 13Now if I have found favor in your sight, show me your ways, so that I may know you and find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, “If your presence will not go, do not carry us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people, unless you go with us? In this way, we shall be distinct, I and your people, from every people on the face of the earth.”



17The LORD said to Moses, “I will do the very thing that you have asked; for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” 18Moses said, “Show me your glory, I pray.” 19And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you, and will proclaim before you the name, ‘The LORD’; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. 20But,” he said, “you cannot see my face; for no one shall see me and live.” 21And the LORD continued, “See, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock; 22and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by; 23then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen.”

to the cross

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today takes us to the depth of Jesus' love for us at the cross. The disciples have fled, sentence has been given, and Jesus is mocked and nailed to a cross. Spend some time with this story and in prayer with Jesus today. Let the reality of Christ's suffering and the truth of his love sink into your heart. If you want to open your Bible for something to read along with this try the first 12 verses of Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22. Jesus took on all this suffering for us to set us free to love God and love others. Thanks be to God.

To help us enter the story, if you're free during the day there is a Good Friday walk that pairs stations of the cross with what God is doing in the city now. The worship walk starts at West Avenue United Methodist (right at Bull's Head, West and Chili) at 8:45 this morning. There's a group leaving from the church at 8:15. We're also worshiping at Laurelton at 12:30. If you work a more traditional schedule, St. Ambrose (Culver and Empire) is sharing the passion story through mime at 8 pm. Whether on your own with prayer and silence or in worship with others, spend some time with the story today. Jesus loves us and this dark day shows us how much.

God bless,
Sam

Matthew 27:32-54

32As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. 33And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; 36then they sat down there and kept watch over him. 37Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.”


38Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. 39Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads 40and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, 42“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. 43He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, ‘I am God's Son.’” 44The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.


45From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.” 48At once one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink. 49But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice and breathed his last. 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. 53After his resurrection they came out of the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. 54Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

I'll cling to the old rugged cross

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Paul explains here how God uses the cross and regular people to show the world God's love and power. Sometimes we worry that we aren't big enough or wise enough, we worry that we don't have the resources we need for ministry. The truth is that God uses our weakness in ministry as much as our strengths. We don't have what we need for ministry in ourselves, but when we lean on God we have everything we need. Sometimes the church strives for human wisdom, and sometimes we're uncomfortable with the stark and ancient story about the cross. The cross doesn't make sense to everyone, and sometimes we struggle with that.

The cross breaks all our pride because God didn't come into the world with obvious power. Jesus didn't make the wealthy and important his priority. Instead he gathered a diverse band of misfits and working people and went with them to the cross. All the money and programs and capital campaigns can't save us from sin and selfishness: only Christ and his cross can do that. The message we take into the world is about a radical, loving God who went to death for us. That message may not play well in beautiful academic buildings, but it has been reaching people, especially people who know suffering, for almost two thousand years. When we trust in Christ and proclaim his cross, God can do incredible things through us.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

18For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart." 20Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling-block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.


26Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31in order that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."

the cross and the kingdom

Good morning and Happy Fourth to all,
Our reading from Luke shows Jesus sending out seventy disciples to prepare the way for his future travels. Like he did earlier with the 12, he gives these seventy disciples his power to heal and cast our spirits and sends them to preach the coming of the kingdom. Notice that the coming of the kingdom is used as both a promise (to those who hear) and a threat (to those who refuse to hear.)

As Paul concludes his letter to the Galatians he gives the church concluding advice, like building each other up and helping each other out of sin. He also returns to the theme of circumcision, emphasizing that nothing matters to Christians but the cross of Christ, even if that cross seems shameful to the world around us. May God gives us the courage to hope for the kingdom and cling to the cross as we work for the good of all.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
1After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' 6And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house.

8Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' 10But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'16"Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me."

17The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" 18He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."

*Sunday Galatians 6:1-18
1My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit should restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness. Take care that you yourselves are not tempted. 2Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. 3For if those who are nothing think they are something, they deceive themselves. 4All must test their own work; then that work, rather than their neighbor's work, will become a cause for pride. 5For all must carry their own loads.
6Those who are taught the word must share in all good things with their teacher.

7Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. 8If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit. 9So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest-time, if we do not give up. 10So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

11See what large letters I make when I am writing in my own hand! 12It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh that try to compel you to be circumcised-only that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. 13Even the circumcised do not themselves obey the law, but they want you to be circumcised so that they may boast about your flesh. 14May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. 15For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! 16As for those who will follow this rule-peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God. 17From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. 18May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.