greater works

Good evening sisters and brothers,

Jesus tells his disciples that not only will they be able to do amazing things by the Holy Spirit's power, they will even do greater things than he did. Clearly, we don't save the world, but there are many Christians and we're still empowered by the Holy Spirit. So maybe it's time to stop thinking so much about our limitations and find new ways to live out our calling to love.

God bless,

Sam

John 14:12-24

¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

¹⁵”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

¹⁸”I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. ¹⁹In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. ²¹They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.” ²²Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?” ²³Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. ²⁴Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; and the word that you hear is not mine, but is from the Father who sent me.

hardship in ministry

Good morning friends,

In today's reading Paul reflects on the hardships and persecutions that go along with his ministry. It's humbling to see his courage and dedication. It's also worth holding on to that Paul wants to boast, not in his achievements but in his weakness. It's in our weakness that God's loving power comes through most clearly.

God bless,
Sam

2 Corinthians 11:24-30

²⁴Five times I have received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. ²⁵Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked; for a night and a day I was adrift at sea; ²⁶on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from bandits, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers and sisters; ²⁷in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, hungry and thirsty, often without food, cold and naked.

²⁸And, besides other things, I am under daily pressure because of my anxiety for all the churches. ²⁹Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I am not indignant? 30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.

Spirit's power

Good morning friends,
Today's reading is from John's gospel and includes some of Jesus' important teaching on the Holy Spirit. Jesus tells the disciples that they will do even greater works than he has done through praying and his name and through the power of the Holy Spirit. With a promise like that, there's no reason we can't do great things for God's kingdom.

God bless,
Sam

John 14:12-17

¹²Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.

¹⁵”If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. ¹⁷This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

persecution and witness

Good afternoon friends,
As a reminder, we don't have supper and scripture tonight, but we do have a potluck supper and worship tomorrow evening beginning at 6 in Christler Hall for Maundy Thursday. Maundy Thursday is one of my favorite days of the year because it shows us Jesus at his most human. I hope you'll be there for that service. 




In today's reading the crowd asks Jesus about the big buildings of the religious establishment and then about the end of the world. Jesus replies that we don't know when the end will come, but it will be dramatic. More than that, he warns his disciples that they can expect to be persecuted, but that even persecution is an opportunity to spread the good news of God's love. Historically, the church is most successful and faithful when we have the least amount of power. That means times of trouble are also opportunities to be embraced. That's a good word for us as we follow Jesus to the cross this week.

God bless,
Sam

Luke 21:5-19

⁵When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, ⁶“As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.” ⁷They asked him, “Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?” 

⁸And he said, “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them. ⁹“When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.” ¹⁰Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; ¹¹there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. ¹²“But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. ¹³This will give you an opportunity to testify. 

¹⁴So make up your minds not to prepare your defense in advance; ¹⁵for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. ¹⁶You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. ¹⁷You will be hated by all because of my name. ¹⁸But not a hair of your head will perish. ¹⁹By your endurance you will gain your souls.

stronger together

Hi friends,
Often we think about the church, especially a small church like ours, in terms of what we can't do. Fortunately, we aren't alone. We have several local partner churches in the North East Church Cluster (we'll worship together on Tuesday at 7:30 at St. Ambrose to start Holy Week). We also have the broader presbytery and especially Urban Presbyterians Together, so we don't have to do ministry alone. We are much stronger together, as the author of Ecclesiastes (traditionally, King Solomon) reminds us in today's reading.

God bless,
Sam

Ecclesiastes 4:7-12

⁷Again, I saw vanity under the sun: ⁸the case of solitary individuals, without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their eyes are never satisfied with riches. “For whom am I toiling,” they ask, “and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. ⁹Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. ¹⁰For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. ¹¹Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? ¹²And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.

Body of Christ

Good evening friends,
Today's reading is a familiar reflection on what it means to be the community of faith, the church. We are Christ's body. We're not just folks who gather for worship or who use the same hymnal, we are Christ's body together. Each one of our gifts are important and we need each other.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 12:12-27

¹²For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

¹⁴Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹If all were a single member, where would the body be?

²⁰As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²²On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

not the best hiding place

Good morning brothers and sisters,
The last two evenings we read about how Deborah and Barak led Israel against the Canaanite army of King Jabin who was oppressing them. Last night we read how Barak defeated Jabin's army, led by Sisera and how Sisera ran from the battle on foot. Today we see what happens when he looks for a hiding place. Remember that Deborah told Barak that he would win the victory but not the glory, because God was going to give Sisera into the hands of a women.


May you be strong in righteousness today.
God bless,
Sam


Judges 4:17-24
¹⁷Now Sisera had fled away on foot to the tent of Jael wife of Heber the Kenite; for there was peace between King Jabin of Hazor and the clan of Heber the Kenite. ¹⁸Jael came out to meet Sisera, and said to him, “Turn aside, my lord, turn aside to me; have no fear.” So he turned aside to her into the tent, and she covered him with a rug. ¹⁹Then he said to her, “Please give me a little water to drink; for I am thirsty.” So she opened a skin of milk and gave him a drink and covered him. ²⁰He said to her, “Stand at the entrance of the tent, and if anybody comes and asks you, ‘Is anyone here?’ say, ‘No.’”


²¹But Jael wife of Heber took a tent peg, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly to him and drove the peg into his temple, until it went down into the ground—he was lying fast asleep from weariness—and he died. ²²Then, as Barak came in pursuit of Sisera, Jael went out to meet him, and said to him, “Come, and I will show you the man whom you are seeking.” So he went into her tent; and there was Sisera lying dead, with the tent peg in his temple. ²³So on that day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. ²⁴Then the hand of the Israelites bore harder and harder on King Jabin of Canaan, until they destroyed King Jabin of Canaan.

be strong and courageous

Good evening friends,
Since I'll be on the church camping trip this weekend, I figured I'd send tomorrow's reading early and Sunday's late. I'll be out of email touch the next couple of days, but sporadically reachable by phone. As I hope I mentioned, Deuteronomy is sort of Moses' long good bye to Israel. He is saying final things to get them ready for life in the Promised Land without him. In our reading for today, Moses is dead and the torch of leadership has been passed to Joshua. 

It would be easy for Israel to feel really stuck now since they had gotten used to following Moses. It's always easy to look back on the past and think how much better it was. Instead, the leaders of Israel consistently encourage Joshua as he steps up to lead. Over and over they promise to follow and support him as long as he is "strong and courageous" as he follows God and leads Israel. Maybe that's a good mantra for all of us as we face the future. There will be challenges, but we are not alone. So trust in God, and be strong and courageous.

God bless,
Sam

Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ²“My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. ³Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. ⁴From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. ⁵No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. ⁹I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

praying in the garden

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Since we're following the theme of prayer this week, you'll notice we're skipping around a lot. We move way ahead in the story of Jesus to the night of his last supper with the disciples and his arrest. Jesus spent time in prayer before his arrest. He prayed that his path might not go through the suffering and death he was preparing for. His prayer also helped him prepare for that path by allowing him to talk to his father and claim the choice that led to the cross. That way, when the soldiers came to arrest him he felt like he was following a choice rather than being forced into suffering.
May your prayer today strengthen you for the path ahead,
Sam

Luke 22:39-46

³⁹He came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples followed him. ⁴⁰When he reached the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not come into the time of trial.” ⁴¹Then he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed, ⁴²“Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me; yet, not my will but yours be done.” ⁴³Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and gave him strength. ⁴⁴In his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down on the ground. ⁴⁵When he got up from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping because of grief, ⁴⁶and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not come into the time of trial.”

strong and courageous

Good morning friends,
It's with sorrow that I share that Scott Fralick's uncle Glen (Carol's brother) died suddenly yesterday morning. Details of the service are still up in the air, but please keep Carol, Scott, Todd and the rest of the family in prayer. I'll let you know more details when I can.

On Sunday we read about Moses' death and how Joshua, his assistant, took on leadership by God's calling. Today we hear God speaking with Joshua and confirming that calling as well as the promise to bring Israel into the Promised Land. God tells Joshua twice to be strong and courageous, and this is something of a refrain in the beginning of this book. The task ahead is challenging, but God is with them. What do you need God's strength and courage for this week?

Blessings,
Sam

Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ²“My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. ³Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. ⁴From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. ⁵No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. ⁶Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them.

⁷Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. ⁸This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. ⁹I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”