welcome and challenge

Good morning friends,

I've often been troubled by this part of John's Gospel. The idea that those who don't believe in Jesus has always been hard for me to swallow. The more time I've spent with John, the more I love his message, because John's Gospel means most in longer sections than sound bites. It's easy to focus on words like "condemned," but the invitation is to look at the whole passage. Jesus was lifted up on the cross to welcome us to new life. God never forces us to turn to the light of love, but the invitation is open to everyone. 

The second part of this passage leads into the passage of the woman at the well, which Neil will preach on this Sunday. Jesus saw his calling to the lost sheep of Israel, but in reality it went further than that. In Samaria Jesus has boundary breaking conversations starting with a woman he had never met. What boundaries is God calling you to cross? Who might God be nudging you to invite to a relationship with Jesus?

God bless,
Sam

John 3:13-21, 4:1-8

¹³No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. ¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 

¹⁸Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard, “Jesus is making and baptizing more disciples than John” ²—although it was not Jesus himself but his disciples who baptized— ³he left Judea and started back to Galilee. ⁴But he had to go through Samaria. ⁵So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. ⁶Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. ⁷A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” ⁸(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)

back to the point

Good evening friends,

Today's reading finishes our story from John. Jesus has healed a man and now faces criticism because he healed on the Sabbath. Jesus faced almost constant conflict from the religious leaders of his time because he didn't fit their expectations. Jesus' words here have a lot to say to the church today. How often do we refuse a gift from God because a person or idea that comes in to the church doesn't fit our expectation? Other organizations or companies need to hear the same challenge. Organizations and people tend to lose track of our initial purpose, so when someone new comes along to call us back to that purpose we resist.

God, bless us with flexibility and faithfulness,
Sam


John 5:30-47

30“I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 31“If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true.33You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me.

37And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. 39“You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40Yet you refuse to come to me to have life.41I do not accept glory from human beings. 42But I know that you do not have the love of God in you.

43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him.44How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?”

round 2

Good afternoon sisters and brothers,
We read earlier this week how Satan challenged Job to a bet. In round one, God allowed Satan to wipe out Job's property and family. Despite that, Job continued to worship God. Satan isn't discouraged, but challenges God again. He says property doesn't matter much in the end, but if God attacks Job's health, Job will curse him. Satan never gives up.
God bless,
Sam

Job 2:1-6

One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ²The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ³The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil. He still persists in his integrity, although you incited me against him, to destroy him for no reason.”

⁴Then Satan answered the Lord, “Skin for skin! All that people have they will give to save their lives. ⁵But stretch out your hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” ⁶The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, he is in your power; only spare his life.”

Satan's first move

Good evening friends,
Our story picks up steam here. In yesterday's reading we saw Satan basically challenge God to a bet. Satan alleged that Job worshiped God only because God had been so good to Job. Satan says if God "stretches out his hand" meaning taking Job's prosperity away, Job will curse God. God then allows Satan to attack Job's possessions, but not to hurt Job himself. It's interesting that in this case, children count as possessions. The whole scenario is quite troubling, but it does set up a good story.

For the record, I don't think God actually acts like this.

God bless,
Sam

Job 1: 13-22

¹³One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother’s house, ¹⁴a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, ¹⁵and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”

¹⁶While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you.” ¹⁷While he was still speaking, another came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you.”

¹⁸While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, ¹⁹and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”

²⁰Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. ²¹He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” ²²In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong-doing.

intro to Job

Good evening friends,
Today's reading we start looking at the Book of Job, our sermon focus for last week and this week. It's a fascinating, troubling and beautiful book, so I'll just let the story speak for itself.

God bless,
Sam

Job 1:1-12

There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. ²There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. ³He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east.

⁴His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another’s houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. ⁵And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, “It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.” This is what Job always did.

⁶One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. ⁷The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ⁸The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.”

⁹Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? ¹⁰Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. ¹¹But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” ¹²The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

when clean teath isn't a good thing

Good afternoon friends,
In today's reading Amos attacks the people of Israel for having a mismatch between their worship and their lives. When he talks about tithes and offerings, he suggests that people value their worship highly, but for selfish reasons. The truth is, if our faith and worship don't change our lives to lead us to treat our neighbors with justice, we aren't doing it right.

He also shows God using suffering to call the people back to God. Suffering is a challenge for our faith. The classic question is: "If God is all powerful and loving, why is there so much suffering?" I don't have an answer for that question, but we are going to spend the next several weeks in worship exploring faith and suffering. If suffering is a challenge for your faith, I'd encourage you to be in worship for the series. Since many people have questions about suffering, it would be a great series to invite a friend to. I can't promise answers, but I can promise thoughtful, biblical, honest engagement.

God bless,
Sam

Amos 4:1-13

Hear this word, you cows of Bashan who are on Mount Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who say to their husbands, “Bring something to drink!” ²The Lord God has sworn by his holiness: The time is surely coming upon you, when they shall take you away with hooks, even the last of you with fishhooks. ³Through breaches in the wall you shall leave, each one straight ahead; and you shall be flung out into Harmon, says the Lord. ⁴Come to Bethel—and transgress; to Gilgal—and multiply transgression; bring your sacrifices every morning, your tithes every three days; ⁵bring a thank-offering of leavened bread, and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them; for so you love to do, O people of Israel! says the Lord God.

⁶I gave you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places, yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. ⁷And I also withheld the rain from you when there were still three months to the harvest; I would send rain on one city, and send no rain on another city; one field would be rained upon, and the field on which it did not rain withered; ⁸so two or three towns wandered to one town to drink water, and were not satisfied; yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. ⁹I struck you with blight and mildew; I laid waste your gardens and your vineyards; the locust devoured your fig trees and your olive trees; yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. ¹⁰I sent among you a pestilence after the manner of Egypt; I killed your young men with the sword; I carried away your horses; and I made the stench of your camp go up into your nostrils; yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. ¹¹I overthrew some of you, as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you were like a brand snatched from the fire; yet you did not return to me, says the Lord.

¹²Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel; because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, O Israel! ¹³For lo, the one who forms the mountains, creates the wind, reveals his thoughts to mortals, makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord, the God of hosts, is his name!

justice and repentance

Good evening sisters and brothers,
Amos is a real favorite of mine because he is scorching in his preaching against the injustice he saw in his home country. In 8th century (700-800 BC) the southern kingdom of Judah was doing well economically. The religious and political elite felt favored by God, so they figured they were doing things right. Amos tells them that they are wrong. A society's righteousness is not defined by how wealthy or successful it is, but by how it treats the poorest and most vulnerable. Israel's law (which instructs, but doesn't bind Christians) holds up values of protection and care for the poor and rejects profiting on other people's vulnerability. Amos calls Judah to account for how they treat the poor in powerful language. For Judah then and for us now, this is a call to repentance. I pray that each of us individually and our nation as a whole would hear God's call to repent and invitation to justice.

God bless,
Sam

Amos 2:4-13

⁴Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they have rejected the law of the Lord, and have not kept his statutes, but they have been led astray by the same lies after which their ancestors walked. ⁵So I will send a fire on Judah, and it shall devour the strongholds of Jerusalem. ⁶Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment; because they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— ⁷they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way; father and son go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; ⁸they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink wine bought with fines they imposed.

⁹Yet I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was as strong as oaks; I destroyed his fruit above, and his roots beneath. ¹⁰Also I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you forty years in the wilderness, to possess the land of the Amorite. ¹¹And I raised up some of your children to be prophets and some of your youths to be nazirites. Is it not indeed so, O people of Israel? says the Lord. ¹²But you made the nazirites drink wine, and commanded the prophets, saying, “You shall not prophesy.” ¹³So, I will press you down in your place, just as a cart presses down when it is full of sheaves.

economics and theology

Good afternoon friends,
Today's reading tells another story about opposition to the gospel. In this case the opposition comes from gentiles and its heart is economic. As often happens, the people making the criticism mask their economic concern with a concern about the appropriate worship of the Goddess Artemis. Often when we get upset the real causes can get mixed up with other things. The first step in resolving a problem is figuring out what the real problem is.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 19:21-34

21 Now after these things had been accomplished, Paul resolved in the Spirit to go through Macedonia and Achaia, and then to go on to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have gone there, I must also see Rome.’ ²²So he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed for some time longer in Asia.

23 About that time no little disturbance broke out concerning the Way. ²⁴A man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the artisans. ²⁵These he gathered together, with the workers of the same trade, and said, ‘Men, you know that we get our wealth from this business. ²⁶You also see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost the whole of Asia this Paul has persuaded and drawn away a considerable number of people by saying that gods made with hands are not gods. ²⁷And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be scorned, and she will be deprived of her majesty that brought all Asia and the world to worship her.’

28 When they heard this, they were enraged and shouted, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ ²⁹The city was filled with the confusion; and people rushed together to the theatre, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s travelling-companions. ³⁰Paul wished to go into the crowd, but the disciples would not let him; ³¹even some officials of the province of Asia, who were friendly to him, sent him a message urging him not to venture into the theatre. 

³²Meanwhile, some were shouting one thing, some another; for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³Some of the crowd gave instructions to Alexander, whom the Jews had pushed forward. And Alexander motioned for silence and tried to make a defence before the people. ³⁴But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours all of them shouted in unison, ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’

call to repent

Good afternoon friends,
In today's reading Stephen moves to make his point: Israel's resistance to God is nothing new. He's already talked about resistance to Moses in Egypt and in the wilderness. He's also talked about God's constant presence with the people of Israel through commandments, prophets and a house of worship. He starts this passage by remembering the construction of the temple.

This is an important part of his case because the leaders have accused him of speaking against the law and the temple. He responds by going back to what the Bible says when the first temple was built: God doesn't live in temples. God commanded the tent of meeting to be build for worship, but God has never been confined there. When we choose a place to worship and a way to listen to God, that strengthens our faith, but we should never imagine that God is limited by how or where we worship. God's closeness to Israel and to the church is a gift, but it's a gift that challenges us to greater faithfulness, not one that gives us special privilege. Our closeness means we need to listen more closely when God calls us to repent. Stephen claims that the leaders have used their closeness to God to close their ears, first to prophets and then to Jesus. That's a call to repentance that we need to hear today too. God is still speaking; are we still listening?

God bless,
Sam

Acts 7:47-53

⁴⁷But it was Solomon who built a house for him. ⁴⁸Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, ⁴⁹‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? ⁵⁰Did not my hand make all these things?’

⁵¹”You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. ⁵²Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. ⁵³You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”

opening the scriptures

Good afternoon friends,
First, please keep the people of Boston and all those affected by the terrorist attack in Boston in your prayers. Our reading for today shows us the risen Jesus meeting his disciples. Notice that his first concern is convincing them that he is really risen. From there he moves to getting them ready for their mission. Their mission is to bear witness to Jesus and to proclaim forgiveness in his name. An important part of getting the disciples ready for that mission is helping them understand the scripture. Scripture is still important as we prepare for our mission now.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 24: 36-49

³⁶While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ³⁷They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. ³⁸He said to them, “Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? ³⁹Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” ⁴⁰And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” ⁴²They gave him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³and he took it and ate in their presence. ⁴⁴Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.” ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

the Spirit of the Lord

Good morning friends,
This is a favorite passage of mine from Isaiah. Isaiah reflects on his calling from God to be a prophet of hope and challenge: hope to those who are pressed down by injustice and challenge for those who are comfortable with the way things are. We also see something of a dialogue: Isaiah thinks about his calling and God proclaims that the future will be hopeful as justice grows and flourishes. The setting for the passage is probably when the people of Judah returned from the Babylonian exile to find their cities destroyed. It offers a word of hope for us as we seek to build up our troubles city in the power of God's justice.

One more thing I love about this passage is from the New Testament. During Jesus' ministry we often read that he went into the synagogue on a Sabbath to teach, but we only once hear much about his teaching: Luke 4. Jesus is teaching in his hometown of Nazareth and the beginning of this passage is the one he reads. As the first thing we read about his ministry, it is something of a mission statement: preaching good news to the poor and oppressed and comforting those who mourn. Jesus tells the crowd, "Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." May we follow in his footsteps.

God bless,
Sam

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

1The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; 2to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; 3to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.

4They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.

8For I the LORD love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. 9Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples;

all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the LORD has blessed.

10I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.

God's will

Good morning brothers and sisters,
I just heard yesterday evening from our neighbors at the Fire Department that they are hosting an open house beginning at noon on Sunday. It sounds like a lot of fun, and it would be great for people to go. It also means that if you can, it would be best for you to park at the dentist's office across Helendale Rd from the church to free up the parking lot as much as possible. We'll also be meeting after worship to talk about youth ministry. We're also looking forward to the choir's return to worship led by Dr. Soo Yeon Kim. It's quite a full and exciting weekend.

It shouldn't surprise us that Jesus' tearing up the temple caused some anger and confusion among the religious leaders. They ask him what gives him the right to act the way he does. Rather than answering the question, he asks one of his own. He follows that up with a simple, but challenging question about what it means to do God's will. That's always a good question for us to reflect on: what does God want from us and how are we responding?

Blessings,
Sam

Matthew 21:23-32

23When he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24Jesus said to them, “I will also ask you one question; if you tell me the answer, then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?” And they argued with one another, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ we are afraid of the crowd; for all regard John as a prophet.” 27So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.


28“What do you think? A man had two sons; he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29He answered, ‘I will not’; but later he changed his mind and went. 30The father went to the second and said the same; and he answered, ‘I go, sir’; but he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not change your minds and believe him.”

under God's wing

Good morning all,
This morning's reading is an interesting one because we usually think of the Pharisees as enemies of Jesus and here they are warning him to run because Herod is looking for him. When I was getting ready to preach on this passage a few months ago I looked through Luke and noticed that the Pharisees, while they often criticize and question Jesus, are not the leaders mentioned once we get to Jerusalem and start talking about actually killing him. Maybe for them opposition to Jesus didn't get that radical. Jesus response to the warning is also telling. It doesn't matter who is after him because his work isn't done yet (and in fact, his work includes dying.)

Jesus laments over Jerusalem because this special city of God so often turns away from God's calling and rejects the voices God sends to bring her home. How often is it the same story in the church? We have a special sense of God's calling, but sometimes for that reason we are less willing to listen to challenging voices. Maybe those challenging, questioning voices are God trying to gather us under her wings. I pray that we would keep an open ear for that calling, that we would finally come home and nestle under God's comforting wing.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 13:31-35
31At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” 32He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. 33Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ 34Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 35See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”