Of all the Ten Commandments, God committed the most words to the 5th. In the KJV, it reads like this: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.”
Imagine chiseling all of that into a stone tablet. He could’ve just said “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” and left it at that. He did so few words for some of the other commandments…. Did He think there might be some confusion as to how “keeping the Sabbath holy” should be interpreted?
Well, He was right, of course. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to how it should be interpreted, especially in our US culture today; or, should I say, it is a commandment that is regularly not remembered nor honored by choice. It’s a choice for parents to allow their children to take to the soccer field at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday morning, who do their “WalMart-ing” and grocery shopping every Sunday, who seem to think that Sunday is the day to catch up on paperwork. And, to the chagrin of all those craft-oriented people in the world, Hobby Lobby is closed on Sunday. The nerve!
God includes in His commandment the fact that He followed it too, when creating the world. If God can rest one day of the week, and actually needs it, then don’t we?
Pastors may have to make their Sabbath, or day of rest, a different day than Sunday. Nurses and doctors may have to work on Sunday, but each has to choose another day of that week to rest: rest their body, and their soul. “Thou shalt not do any work.” In years past, this would even include not saddling up the horse, or not cooking (I’m fine with the latter ;) It might include not mowing the grass on Sunday, (or one’s chosen Sabbath, if necessary). But, instead of focusing on what we shouldn’t do on this day of rest; let’s focus on what we should and can do.
Rest. Worship. Pray. Plan a picnic of food prepared on Saturday and enjoy nature with the family; nature that God created. When do any of us just take time to listen to the birds sing, the frogs croak, feast our eyes on the colors of the sky and field? God created our bodies and our souls to need rest, worship, prayer, and all the benefits of the natural world He created, yet we ignore it regularly and we wonder why we feel so stressed all the time? Or, some of us have felt so stressed for so long that we don’t even realize we feel stressed and consider it normal to feel tense, to not sleep well, and be exhausted by Friday evening and stare at the television until we fall asleep to it.
“But the kids will feel left out. I don’t have time on the other days. My boss expects me to get these done and doesn’t care when it happens. I’ll lose this event and won’t get that gold medal.”
Yes, I’m talking about Olympian Eric Liddel. His best Olympic event was run on a Sunday, so he chose to train for the 400 m instead, an event that was definitely not his best. An American masseur slipped a piece of paper into Liddell's hand as he ran the 400m with a quotation from 1 Samuel 2:30, "Those who honor me I will honor." And he set a record. Does anyone remember the name of the winner in the 100 m, his best event, the one he chose not to run? Does anyone remember the names of the other runners of the 400 m?
God did honor him. And He will honor each of us if we choose to make it a priority to treat the Sabbath as holy, a gift from God, to be used for rest, not to catch up on work, not to shout from the sidelines of a playing field. Try it and see.
Blessings to all,
Brenda Schultz (wife of Patrick)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
The Body Of Christ - A New Sermon Series
The contemporary music group, Casting Crowns, wrote a hit song a number of years ago that asks some powerful, poignant questions. If We Are The Body contains such questions as: “… if we are the body, why aren’t his arms reaching? Why aren’t his hands healing? Why aren’t his words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren’t his feet going? Why is his love not showing them there is a way?”
The song assumes we understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Beginning May 23rd we will launch a new five-week sermon series entitled The Body of Christ. During this time we will explore what it means to be the Body of Christ; how we are reaching out and sharing the Jesus’ message; how we understand what that message is; and even where we are falling short.
The Milton Methodist Church invites you to join us for this series!
May 23rd The Mind of Christ – So heavenly bound that we are no earthly good!
May 30th The Eyes of Christ – How we see the people around us.
June 6th The Heart of Christ – How we love the people around us.
June 13th The Hands of Christ – How we serve the people around us.
June 20th The Feet of Christ – How we go to the people around us.
Please, come and join us for this sermon series. Our church is located at 241 Northside Drive, Milton WI. Our website address is: www.MiltonUMC.org. Our website lists directions and service times. If you are unable to stop by, please visit us at our website where you can also listen to our sermon messages on-line.
Blessings to you!
Pastor Patrick
The song assumes we understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Beginning May 23rd we will launch a new five-week sermon series entitled The Body of Christ. During this time we will explore what it means to be the Body of Christ; how we are reaching out and sharing the Jesus’ message; how we understand what that message is; and even where we are falling short.
The Milton Methodist Church invites you to join us for this series!
May 23rd The Mind of Christ – So heavenly bound that we are no earthly good!
May 30th The Eyes of Christ – How we see the people around us.
June 6th The Heart of Christ – How we love the people around us.
June 13th The Hands of Christ – How we serve the people around us.
June 20th The Feet of Christ – How we go to the people around us.
Please, come and join us for this sermon series. Our church is located at 241 Northside Drive, Milton WI. Our website address is: www.MiltonUMC.org. Our website lists directions and service times. If you are unable to stop by, please visit us at our website where you can also listen to our sermon messages on-line.
Blessings to you!
Pastor Patrick
Friday, May 7, 2010
Giving Around The World
Today I wanted to share one of the ways Brenda and I give outside our local community. I felt prompted to do so when I was standing at the refrigerator the other morning, looking at the many faces children gazing back at me. When you look at our refrigerator you will see faces of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends (mostly young and some older). There is no real order to the pictures – they are a wild, fun, hodge-podge – some hanging straight by magnets, some crooked, and some barely hanging on at all!
There is one picture of a young girl who bears no resemblance to anyone in our family. She is six years old and her name is Cheyla Andrea. We have never formerly met Cheyla, although we have written back and forth. We know her favorite food is French fries (they are up there on my list of favs too!); her favorite color is purple and pink; and she loves to play with her dolls. She lives in the coastal region of Columbia in a small town of 6,000 called Nueva Colonia (New Colony).
We know her through Compassion International. Compassion International is a Christian organization that exists as an advocacy ministry for spiritually and physically poverty stricken children. CI was founded by Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952. It began by providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.
One of the things that drew us to Compassion International was their Christian foundation. Compassion’s mission statement reads:
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.
The people of Nueva Colonia experience tremendous hardships and poverty. Most adults work on plantations and earn an average of $125 per month. And the community as a whole is in need of more schools, teachers, doctors, employment opportunities…
Our support for Cheyla costs us $38.00 per month. This monthly amount is part of our tithe and is one small way we can make an impact on child outside our community. Our meager amount provides Cheyla with medical checkups, health education, Bible teachings, vocational programs and tutoring. It is amazing to think how much good a few of our dollars do in another country. Brenda and I have gone out to a dinner and a movie for more than $38.00 numerous times. Yet, this small amount will provide Cheyla with much of the support she needs to live and grow healthy.
One of the other reasons I like Compassion International is their focus on developing and transforming the lives of children through collaborative effort with the local church. The children are helped to discover their own worth to God and they are disciple in the Word through the local church. This is not an advertisement for Compassion (although it may sound like it ) It is however, a recognition of the work they are doing in Christ’s name.
In addition to the dollars and letters, we support Cheyla through our prayers. Each night Gracie and I say our bed time prayers and we include Cheyla. Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support her. And by praying over her with Gracie, Gracie learns the value of keeping others in her prayer life.
Perhaps you are already supporting someone through a foundation similar to this. Perhaps you have someone else in your life that you support in some way. If you do not, I would ask you to give prayerful consideration to checking out Compassion International. Your decision to do so, and your few dollars every month, may very well change the life of some young child half way around the world! Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to live out the Great Commission?
Blessings to you,
Patrick
There is one picture of a young girl who bears no resemblance to anyone in our family. She is six years old and her name is Cheyla Andrea. We have never formerly met Cheyla, although we have written back and forth. We know her favorite food is French fries (they are up there on my list of favs too!); her favorite color is purple and pink; and she loves to play with her dolls. She lives in the coastal region of Columbia in a small town of 6,000 called Nueva Colonia (New Colony).
We know her through Compassion International. Compassion International is a Christian organization that exists as an advocacy ministry for spiritually and physically poverty stricken children. CI was founded by Rev. Everett Swanson in 1952. It began by providing Korean War orphans with food, shelter, education and health care as well as Christian training. Today, Compassion helps more than 1 million children in 25 countries.
One of the things that drew us to Compassion International was their Christian foundation. Compassion’s mission statement reads:
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults.
The people of Nueva Colonia experience tremendous hardships and poverty. Most adults work on plantations and earn an average of $125 per month. And the community as a whole is in need of more schools, teachers, doctors, employment opportunities…
Our support for Cheyla costs us $38.00 per month. This monthly amount is part of our tithe and is one small way we can make an impact on child outside our community. Our meager amount provides Cheyla with medical checkups, health education, Bible teachings, vocational programs and tutoring. It is amazing to think how much good a few of our dollars do in another country. Brenda and I have gone out to a dinner and a movie for more than $38.00 numerous times. Yet, this small amount will provide Cheyla with much of the support she needs to live and grow healthy.
One of the other reasons I like Compassion International is their focus on developing and transforming the lives of children through collaborative effort with the local church. The children are helped to discover their own worth to God and they are disciple in the Word through the local church. This is not an advertisement for Compassion (although it may sound like it ) It is however, a recognition of the work they are doing in Christ’s name.
In addition to the dollars and letters, we support Cheyla through our prayers. Each night Gracie and I say our bed time prayers and we include Cheyla. Prayer is one of the most powerful ways we can support her. And by praying over her with Gracie, Gracie learns the value of keeping others in her prayer life.
Perhaps you are already supporting someone through a foundation similar to this. Perhaps you have someone else in your life that you support in some way. If you do not, I would ask you to give prayerful consideration to checking out Compassion International. Your decision to do so, and your few dollars every month, may very well change the life of some young child half way around the world! Wouldn’t that be a wonderful way to live out the Great Commission?
Blessings to you,
Patrick
Thursday, May 6, 2010
The Body of Christ - a new sermon series
The contemporary music group, Casting Crowns, wrote a hit song a number of years ago that asks some powerful, poignant questions. If We Are The Body contains such questions as: “… if we are the body, why aren’t his arms reaching? Why aren’t his hands healing? Why aren’t his words teaching? And if we are the body, why aren’t his feet going? Why is his love not showing them there is a way?”
The song assumes we understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Beginning May 23rd we will launch a new five-week sermon series entitled The Body of Christ. During this time we will explore what it means to be the Body of Christ; how we are reaching out and sharing the Jesus’ message; how we understand what that message is; and even where we are falling short.
The Milton Methodist Church invites you to join us for this series!
May 23rd The Mind of Christ – So heavenly bound that we are no earthly good!
May 30th The Eyes of Christ – How we see the people around us.
June 6th The Heart of Christ – How we love the people around us.
June 13th The Hands of Christ – How we serve the people around us.
June 20th The Feet of Christ – How we go to the people around us.
For directions to our church check out our website: www.miltonumc.org
If you are unable to attend, feel free to listen to the messages on-line via our website.
Blessings to you!
Patrick
The song assumes we understand what it means to be the Body of Christ. Beginning May 23rd we will launch a new five-week sermon series entitled The Body of Christ. During this time we will explore what it means to be the Body of Christ; how we are reaching out and sharing the Jesus’ message; how we understand what that message is; and even where we are falling short.
The Milton Methodist Church invites you to join us for this series!
May 23rd The Mind of Christ – So heavenly bound that we are no earthly good!
May 30th The Eyes of Christ – How we see the people around us.
June 6th The Heart of Christ – How we love the people around us.
June 13th The Hands of Christ – How we serve the people around us.
June 20th The Feet of Christ – How we go to the people around us.
For directions to our church check out our website: www.miltonumc.org
If you are unable to attend, feel free to listen to the messages on-line via our website.
Blessings to you!
Patrick
National Day of Prayer
May 6th is our National Prayer Day. Perhaps you have heard some news or seen rumors that President Obama has canceled National Prayer Day. This is decidedly false. President Obama supports our day of prayer and recognizes the necessity of it. In fact he wrote this in support last year:
Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer. In 1775, as the Continental Congress began the task of forging a new Nation, colonists were asked to observe a day of quiet humiliation and prayer. Almost a century later, as the flames of the Civil War burned from north to south, President Lincoln and the Congress once again asked the American people to pray as the fate of their Nation hung in the balance.
It is in that spirit of unity and reflection that we once again designate the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer. Let us remember those who came before us, and let us each give thanks for the courage and compassion shown by so many in this country and around the world.
(for a full reading of his proclamation or release: http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/090507-Proclamation.asp)
This year he continues to support the National Day of Prayer. For us, there are many in our families, our community, our church and around our world that are in need of prayer. In the last week or two alone I have talked with or heard from people close to me who are undergoing: divorce after being married for many years, marital problems (although not divorce), dealing with drug issues, dealing with issues of faith, been out of work since December with no employment in sight, dealing with husbands (or other family members) overseas in the Afghanistan and Iraq war, dealing with hospitalization and possible death, struggling with teenagers who are making poor life decisions, diagnosed with a debilitating disease.... In our own lives, this could be anyone of us and we could be struggling with any number of concerns and issues.
What can we do when we feel so helpless in these situations? Where do we turn? How do we overcome? How do we see light at the end of that dark, dark tunnel? How do we keep our faith, our hope and our spirits up? I want to invite you to a deeper relationship with Jesus through prayer. In our relationship with Jesus we can find answers to our difficulties. Does this mean God will suddenly land us that job? Or remove that cancer? Or bring back our loved one for war? Perhaps not. But in our relationship with Jesus we find a deeper understanding and semblance of peace and know there is a greater reward for us. We can feel a sense of assurance that all will be all right. As we do so, we can share this grace with those around us who are struggling.
On this Day of Prayer would you take some time to pray for those in need whom you know personally? Would you pray for your family, your church, your pastor, our nation’s leaders and for a world peace? Lastly, I ask you to pray for yourself. Let our God shape and mold us into the person God wants us to be, through our prayer.
Blessings to you,
Patrick
Throughout our Nation's history, Americans have come together in moments of great challenge and uncertainty to humble themselves in prayer. In 1775, as the Continental Congress began the task of forging a new Nation, colonists were asked to observe a day of quiet humiliation and prayer. Almost a century later, as the flames of the Civil War burned from north to south, President Lincoln and the Congress once again asked the American people to pray as the fate of their Nation hung in the balance.
It is in that spirit of unity and reflection that we once again designate the first Thursday in May as the National Day of Prayer. Let us remember those who came before us, and let us each give thanks for the courage and compassion shown by so many in this country and around the world.
(for a full reading of his proclamation or release: http://www.presidentialprayerteam.org/090507-Proclamation.asp)
This year he continues to support the National Day of Prayer. For us, there are many in our families, our community, our church and around our world that are in need of prayer. In the last week or two alone I have talked with or heard from people close to me who are undergoing: divorce after being married for many years, marital problems (although not divorce), dealing with drug issues, dealing with issues of faith, been out of work since December with no employment in sight, dealing with husbands (or other family members) overseas in the Afghanistan and Iraq war, dealing with hospitalization and possible death, struggling with teenagers who are making poor life decisions, diagnosed with a debilitating disease.... In our own lives, this could be anyone of us and we could be struggling with any number of concerns and issues.
What can we do when we feel so helpless in these situations? Where do we turn? How do we overcome? How do we see light at the end of that dark, dark tunnel? How do we keep our faith, our hope and our spirits up? I want to invite you to a deeper relationship with Jesus through prayer. In our relationship with Jesus we can find answers to our difficulties. Does this mean God will suddenly land us that job? Or remove that cancer? Or bring back our loved one for war? Perhaps not. But in our relationship with Jesus we find a deeper understanding and semblance of peace and know there is a greater reward for us. We can feel a sense of assurance that all will be all right. As we do so, we can share this grace with those around us who are struggling.
On this Day of Prayer would you take some time to pray for those in need whom you know personally? Would you pray for your family, your church, your pastor, our nation’s leaders and for a world peace? Lastly, I ask you to pray for yourself. Let our God shape and mold us into the person God wants us to be, through our prayer.
Blessings to you,
Patrick
Monday, April 19, 2010
Bear Much Fruit
Now we come to the fourth and final part of our “Discipleship” series. One of the things that made Jesus such a worthy preacher – besides his divine nature – was that he often spoke in such a way that people connected to what he was saying. He used vivid imagery to paint a picture of the message he was giving and the imagery he used was one of both the time and place.
When he described himself as the good shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep, he was speaking to a culture of people in which shepherding was not only prevalent, but was their livelihood. When Jesus spoke of himself as the living water he did so to a desert people who knew the value of water.
In John 15 Jesus speaks of himself as the true vine. The disciples would have been able to identify with this image of the vine and the branches, of fruit bearing and pruning. They would have been able to identify with this imagery because Palestine was the land of vineyards. But more than this Israel has often been referred to as the vine, and even more, as the vineyard of God. This is part of their identity and perhaps it leaves them feeling a bit superior – a bit smug about all of this so, imagine the surprise of the disciples when Jesus tells them, ‘I am the true vine’.
“I am the true vine. And those who love me, not those who are descended of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, not those who have been circumcised, but those who love me, they are the branches. … My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
There are three words in John 15:1-8 that lead us back to bearing fruit for God. These three words that I want you to pay particular attention to are: Abide, Apart and Ask.
The first word, abide, is a word we’ve already explored when Jesus gave us the command to abide in his word. 11 times we see this word in the first 11 verses of John 15. This is a crucial word in Jesus’ faith vocabulary and it’s one we need to pay attention to.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? Dr. Maxie Dunham – a Methodist pastor and former president of the seminary I attended once wrote, “to abide in Christ means realizing his presence; responding to his prodding and probing; and resting in his peace.” How do we abide in him? By first recognizing his presence.
To realize Jesus presence is to make him real in our lives. We make his presence real in our lives through prayer, scripture and through worship. Prayer, scripture and worship are core elements to our Christianity and our relationship to Christ.
How often do we neglect to start our day out with prayer? How often do we say to ourselves – I’m too busy? I guarantee it happens to everyone of us – including myself! Yet, it’s in prayer that we bring our focus to who Jesus is in our lives. We bring our problems to Jesus; we share our celebrations with him. We ask him to guide us, to care for us, to shape us, mold us, and make us into the person he intends us to be. In our prayer we remember his love for us and strive to remember the price he paid for our salvation.
But, sometimes we pray and do not feel the presence of Christ. Sometimes our prayer time might feel dry and barren and nothing happens. We may say to ourselves, I’m not realizing the presence of Christ here!
I believe that a big part of the problem with this is we don’t include scripture reading in our regular prayer time. I want to ask you today, do you have a quiet time each day that you set aside for prayer and scripture? Prayer and scripture reading in a quiet time each day helps us to connect to Christ.
Making Christ’s presence felt in our lives is not something that automatically happens. It takes work. It takes dedication and commitment on our part. It’s something we make happen by what we do and how we respond. So we make Jesus presence known among us by prayer and scripture, but we also do this by worship.
We can have private worship in our daily quiet time. We also have corporate worship when the people of God come together to pray together, to sing together, and to receive the forgiving grace of Christ together. When we come together as a people to celebrate what God has done in our lives we no longer bow before the altar of our job, but rather before the altar of God. We make real the presence of Christ by prayer, by scripture and by worship – and we abide in Christ.
The second word I want to talk about is apart. This word apart is a harsh word. It’s a painful word with a sense of finality to it. Jesus says in the 5th verse of today’s reading, “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.”
Apart from me you can do nothing is to many of us a word of challenge and a promise as well. It is a word of challenge – because we say to ourselves, I can do it – apart from Christ. And we rely on our own strength, our own wit, our own resources to do it – whatever it is for each of us individually. This is our challenge…
Yet, Jesus gives to us a picture of judgment that when we do not abide in him, the dead branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned. Now, that’s not a picture we like to think about is it? But I’m convinced it’s a picture we need to think about. The Bible is certain about this and quite clear to us – there will be a judgment day. We will stand before Christ one day in judgment to account for who we are and what we’ve done with the life he has given us.
We may say to ourselves, God is too loving to condemn any person to eternal hell. If this is our thought we are missing the point. God doesn’t condemn us to hell – we condemn ourselves. Jesus Christ is a loving friend and companion and savior to all of us. He does everything he can do – he goes to the limits, pouring out every last drop of blood, suffering in unimaginable ways for us, dying on the cross for us in order that we might be grafted into the vine, sustained and saved.
It is those who refuse him who fail to receive the love and life that he offers. It is those who are condemned by their own deliberate refusal or failure to act that Jesus is talking about when he says, “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned”.
The third word I want to talk about is ask. In this 7th verse Jesus says if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you. This verse is a sermon in and of itself. This is a phrase from Jesus that even when we muster up all our faith and believe, we are still so baffled by it that we don’t respond to it. We don’t lay hold of the promise he offers us.
For today let this word about prayer stand as it is. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Ask – pray – develop that intimate relationship with Christ as we’ve talked about. Let the rewards of that relationship be a part of your life. Let Christ guide your life into a meaningful, fruitful, fruit bearing daily living.
When he described himself as the good shepherd who would lay down his life for his sheep, he was speaking to a culture of people in which shepherding was not only prevalent, but was their livelihood. When Jesus spoke of himself as the living water he did so to a desert people who knew the value of water.
In John 15 Jesus speaks of himself as the true vine. The disciples would have been able to identify with this image of the vine and the branches, of fruit bearing and pruning. They would have been able to identify with this imagery because Palestine was the land of vineyards. But more than this Israel has often been referred to as the vine, and even more, as the vineyard of God. This is part of their identity and perhaps it leaves them feeling a bit superior – a bit smug about all of this so, imagine the surprise of the disciples when Jesus tells them, ‘I am the true vine’.
“I am the true vine. And those who love me, not those who are descended of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, not those who have been circumcised, but those who love me, they are the branches. … My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.”
There are three words in John 15:1-8 that lead us back to bearing fruit for God. These three words that I want you to pay particular attention to are: Abide, Apart and Ask.
The first word, abide, is a word we’ve already explored when Jesus gave us the command to abide in his word. 11 times we see this word in the first 11 verses of John 15. This is a crucial word in Jesus’ faith vocabulary and it’s one we need to pay attention to.
What does it mean to abide in Christ? Dr. Maxie Dunham – a Methodist pastor and former president of the seminary I attended once wrote, “to abide in Christ means realizing his presence; responding to his prodding and probing; and resting in his peace.” How do we abide in him? By first recognizing his presence.
To realize Jesus presence is to make him real in our lives. We make his presence real in our lives through prayer, scripture and through worship. Prayer, scripture and worship are core elements to our Christianity and our relationship to Christ.
How often do we neglect to start our day out with prayer? How often do we say to ourselves – I’m too busy? I guarantee it happens to everyone of us – including myself! Yet, it’s in prayer that we bring our focus to who Jesus is in our lives. We bring our problems to Jesus; we share our celebrations with him. We ask him to guide us, to care for us, to shape us, mold us, and make us into the person he intends us to be. In our prayer we remember his love for us and strive to remember the price he paid for our salvation.
But, sometimes we pray and do not feel the presence of Christ. Sometimes our prayer time might feel dry and barren and nothing happens. We may say to ourselves, I’m not realizing the presence of Christ here!
I believe that a big part of the problem with this is we don’t include scripture reading in our regular prayer time. I want to ask you today, do you have a quiet time each day that you set aside for prayer and scripture? Prayer and scripture reading in a quiet time each day helps us to connect to Christ.
Making Christ’s presence felt in our lives is not something that automatically happens. It takes work. It takes dedication and commitment on our part. It’s something we make happen by what we do and how we respond. So we make Jesus presence known among us by prayer and scripture, but we also do this by worship.
We can have private worship in our daily quiet time. We also have corporate worship when the people of God come together to pray together, to sing together, and to receive the forgiving grace of Christ together. When we come together as a people to celebrate what God has done in our lives we no longer bow before the altar of our job, but rather before the altar of God. We make real the presence of Christ by prayer, by scripture and by worship – and we abide in Christ.
The second word I want to talk about is apart. This word apart is a harsh word. It’s a painful word with a sense of finality to it. Jesus says in the 5th verse of today’s reading, “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.”
Apart from me you can do nothing is to many of us a word of challenge and a promise as well. It is a word of challenge – because we say to ourselves, I can do it – apart from Christ. And we rely on our own strength, our own wit, our own resources to do it – whatever it is for each of us individually. This is our challenge…
Yet, Jesus gives to us a picture of judgment that when we do not abide in him, the dead branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire and are burned. Now, that’s not a picture we like to think about is it? But I’m convinced it’s a picture we need to think about. The Bible is certain about this and quite clear to us – there will be a judgment day. We will stand before Christ one day in judgment to account for who we are and what we’ve done with the life he has given us.
We may say to ourselves, God is too loving to condemn any person to eternal hell. If this is our thought we are missing the point. God doesn’t condemn us to hell – we condemn ourselves. Jesus Christ is a loving friend and companion and savior to all of us. He does everything he can do – he goes to the limits, pouring out every last drop of blood, suffering in unimaginable ways for us, dying on the cross for us in order that we might be grafted into the vine, sustained and saved.
It is those who refuse him who fail to receive the love and life that he offers. It is those who are condemned by their own deliberate refusal or failure to act that Jesus is talking about when he says, “Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned”.
The third word I want to talk about is ask. In this 7th verse Jesus says if you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish and it will be done for you. This verse is a sermon in and of itself. This is a phrase from Jesus that even when we muster up all our faith and believe, we are still so baffled by it that we don’t respond to it. We don’t lay hold of the promise he offers us.
For today let this word about prayer stand as it is. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask for whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Ask – pray – develop that intimate relationship with Christ as we’ve talked about. Let the rewards of that relationship be a part of your life. Let Christ guide your life into a meaningful, fruitful, fruit bearing daily living.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Bear Your Cross
Two articles precede this one: Love One Another and Abide In My Word. This is the third part of a four part series discussing Jesus’ call to discipleship. My intent in this series is to better understand who Jesus is in our lives. When we begin to understand who Jesus is in our lives I believe we begin to make some changes in the way we think and the way we do things – which is precisely Jesus’ intent.
Perhaps the first thing we must realize is the commands Jesus gives to us as disciples – aren’t something that is easily done or easily followed. In fact I’m sometimes reminded of Mark Twain’s book, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” when Huck Finn says, “Well then, what’s the use of learning to do right when it’s so troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong?”
Ain’t that the truth? It ain’t no trouble to do wrong, but it’s troublesome to do right. It is harder to do right – it is harder to follow the right path, make the right decisions, to live the life Jesus calls us to.
And this is why Jesus tells his followers, if you are going to come to me – to follow me – to be my disciple – you need to be ready to bear your cross.
Jesus doesn’t hide the fact that this is a difficult road to follow. In fact he’s quite straightforward about this with all of his followers. Luke 14:25-35 begins with these words, “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.””
This command of discipleship that Jesus’ gives is a strong one isn’t it? And I wonder if he perhaps trying to weed out those who are less serious about following him? I’m not sure that is the case, but rather I believe he is being straightforward with everyone as to what it takes to be a disciple of his – so they know the cost of discipleship.
I imagine this great crowd who followed Jesus was made up of the same type of people as you and I – we have hurt and sick children in our lives, we doubt who we are at times, we hunger to feel loved. We feel lost, helpless and hopeless, and frightened at times. We too look for answers, need someone to turn to – and Jesus says, hey! That’s me. Turn to me. Be in a relationship with me. Follow me, and I will feed your hunger.
But know this, when you decide to follow me – truly follow me – I will ask you to do things that are not easy. You must love one another – even when it’s not easy to do so. You must abide in my word and know the truth – even though that takes work and sacrifice. And you must be ready to sacrifice. You must be ready to take up your cross.
I believe that there are those in our world who would say I don’t think we should focus on how hard it’s going to be – how troublesome it is to do right. I believe there are those who may say I don’t want to hear the bad news or the price I have to pay – just tell me about how good it will be in the end.
Yet as Jesus says – if you are building a tower – or are embarking on something big – would you not count the cost first? Don’t you want to know how much material you’ll need, how much labor is necessary, how much wages you’ll need to pay so you don’t get stuck after just laying the foundation? You’ll want enough to finish the job. And I am glad for Jesus’ words – he lays out for us just how difficult it will be to follow him so there are no false hopes or expectations or misleading idea that this is a walk in the park.
I think in particular Jesus spoke to this crowd and his disciples about how hard it is to truly follow him because he knew what was coming. He spoke of the necessity of a total commitment – even to the point of death. And he was harsh in his words – wasn’t he?
Hate your mother, your father, your wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes – even your own life if you are going to be my disciple – these are harsh, bold words that would catch anyone’s attention.
Why did he speak so harshly? He knew what lay ahead for those who would follow him. Throughout the history of Christianity we have heard story after story of persecution beginning with the disciples of Jesus.
Andrew (Jesus first disciple) died on a cross.
Simon (the Zealot) was crucified.
Bartholomew was flayed alive.
James (the son of Zebedee and brother of John) was beheaded.
The other James (the son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death.
Thomas (Doubting Thomas) was run through with a lance.
Matthias (who was added to the Apostles after Jesus’ resurrection) was stoned and then beheaded.
Matthew (the wealthy tax collector who made the decision to follow Jesus rather than becoming wealthier) was slain by the sword.
Peter (the rock on whom the church was built) was crucified upside down.
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows.
Philip was hanged.
Only John made it through alive but he was exiled to a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea – the Patmos Island.
The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not a Sunday morning religion. It is a hungering after God to the point of death if need be. It shakes our foundations, topples our priorities, pits us against friend and family, and makes us strangers in this world. When we take on the responsibility of being a disciple of Jesus we are doing more than just making a decision.
The decision is the first part, the first step of this journey, and in that first step we enter in to a lifelong relationship with Jesus. The decision part of this whole thing might be the easiest of it all!
We must understand that Jesus calls us into a relationship and not just a decision. When we first commit ourselves to being a disciple of Jesus we understand that we have a lifetime journey of learning just what this means. I think we have to understand that we don’t take this decision or relationship lightly. Likewise we must understand there is a cost to being in this relationship. It’s not easy my friends.
Perhaps the first thing we must realize is the commands Jesus gives to us as disciples – aren’t something that is easily done or easily followed. In fact I’m sometimes reminded of Mark Twain’s book, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer” when Huck Finn says, “Well then, what’s the use of learning to do right when it’s so troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong?”
Ain’t that the truth? It ain’t no trouble to do wrong, but it’s troublesome to do right. It is harder to do right – it is harder to follow the right path, make the right decisions, to live the life Jesus calls us to.
And this is why Jesus tells his followers, if you are going to come to me – to follow me – to be my disciple – you need to be ready to bear your cross.
Jesus doesn’t hide the fact that this is a difficult road to follow. In fact he’s quite straightforward about this with all of his followers. Luke 14:25-35 begins with these words, “Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.””
This command of discipleship that Jesus’ gives is a strong one isn’t it? And I wonder if he perhaps trying to weed out those who are less serious about following him? I’m not sure that is the case, but rather I believe he is being straightforward with everyone as to what it takes to be a disciple of his – so they know the cost of discipleship.
I imagine this great crowd who followed Jesus was made up of the same type of people as you and I – we have hurt and sick children in our lives, we doubt who we are at times, we hunger to feel loved. We feel lost, helpless and hopeless, and frightened at times. We too look for answers, need someone to turn to – and Jesus says, hey! That’s me. Turn to me. Be in a relationship with me. Follow me, and I will feed your hunger.
But know this, when you decide to follow me – truly follow me – I will ask you to do things that are not easy. You must love one another – even when it’s not easy to do so. You must abide in my word and know the truth – even though that takes work and sacrifice. And you must be ready to sacrifice. You must be ready to take up your cross.
I believe that there are those in our world who would say I don’t think we should focus on how hard it’s going to be – how troublesome it is to do right. I believe there are those who may say I don’t want to hear the bad news or the price I have to pay – just tell me about how good it will be in the end.
Yet as Jesus says – if you are building a tower – or are embarking on something big – would you not count the cost first? Don’t you want to know how much material you’ll need, how much labor is necessary, how much wages you’ll need to pay so you don’t get stuck after just laying the foundation? You’ll want enough to finish the job. And I am glad for Jesus’ words – he lays out for us just how difficult it will be to follow him so there are no false hopes or expectations or misleading idea that this is a walk in the park.
I think in particular Jesus spoke to this crowd and his disciples about how hard it is to truly follow him because he knew what was coming. He spoke of the necessity of a total commitment – even to the point of death. And he was harsh in his words – wasn’t he?
Hate your mother, your father, your wife and children and brothers and sisters, and yes – even your own life if you are going to be my disciple – these are harsh, bold words that would catch anyone’s attention.
Why did he speak so harshly? He knew what lay ahead for those who would follow him. Throughout the history of Christianity we have heard story after story of persecution beginning with the disciples of Jesus.
Andrew (Jesus first disciple) died on a cross.
Simon (the Zealot) was crucified.
Bartholomew was flayed alive.
James (the son of Zebedee and brother of John) was beheaded.
The other James (the son of Alphaeus) was beaten to death.
Thomas (Doubting Thomas) was run through with a lance.
Matthias (who was added to the Apostles after Jesus’ resurrection) was stoned and then beheaded.
Matthew (the wealthy tax collector who made the decision to follow Jesus rather than becoming wealthier) was slain by the sword.
Peter (the rock on whom the church was built) was crucified upside down.
Thaddeus was shot to death with arrows.
Philip was hanged.
Only John made it through alive but he was exiled to a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea – the Patmos Island.
The demands that Jesus makes upon those who would follow him are extreme. Christianity is not a Sunday morning religion. It is a hungering after God to the point of death if need be. It shakes our foundations, topples our priorities, pits us against friend and family, and makes us strangers in this world. When we take on the responsibility of being a disciple of Jesus we are doing more than just making a decision.
The decision is the first part, the first step of this journey, and in that first step we enter in to a lifelong relationship with Jesus. The decision part of this whole thing might be the easiest of it all!
We must understand that Jesus calls us into a relationship and not just a decision. When we first commit ourselves to being a disciple of Jesus we understand that we have a lifetime journey of learning just what this means. I think we have to understand that we don’t take this decision or relationship lightly. Likewise we must understand there is a cost to being in this relationship. It’s not easy my friends.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Welcome to my new friend
A while back I mentioned the passing of my dear friend Bailey. Bailey, a Chessie-Chocolate lab, was my constant companion for the last 10 years or so. Putting him to sleep was a very difficult thing. Now, as spring is upon us, my spirits are soaring once again. The sun has a way of lifting our spirits, especially with the warmer temperatures coming our way. It’s with great pleasure I introduce you to my new friend, Jackson.
Jackson is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Australian Shepherd mix. As my vet said, “So… he’s both stubborn and smart!” Which is true. In a very short time he has learned how to chew shoes – mine only. For some reason he leaves Brenda’s alone. I’ve lost one pair of slippers, and two different pairs of shoes now bear his tooth marks. He knows how to untie knots – especially in one of his chew toys. He sits at the back door and raises his front feet (one at a time) before coming in. This, so we can wipe his paws thereby reducing the amount of dirt or mud he tracks in. He sits, lies down, retrieves (like a mad man!), shakes hands – either paw, and is very, very good with our 2.5 year old girl.
He is smaller, but has great character and is a fearless watch dog over the squirrels and birds and the occasional visitor we have. He loves to be around people, but is content to play by himself at times. Although his favorite thing to do is to go out into our back yard and let me through his ball for him to retrieve. I feel infinitely safer with him in the house. I know when I am gone Brenda and Gracie are still well protected.
Blessings to you,
Patrick
Jackson is a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and Australian Shepherd mix. As my vet said, “So… he’s both stubborn and smart!” Which is true. In a very short time he has learned how to chew shoes – mine only. For some reason he leaves Brenda’s alone. I’ve lost one pair of slippers, and two different pairs of shoes now bear his tooth marks. He knows how to untie knots – especially in one of his chew toys. He sits at the back door and raises his front feet (one at a time) before coming in. This, so we can wipe his paws thereby reducing the amount of dirt or mud he tracks in. He sits, lies down, retrieves (like a mad man!), shakes hands – either paw, and is very, very good with our 2.5 year old girl.
He is smaller, but has great character and is a fearless watch dog over the squirrels and birds and the occasional visitor we have. He loves to be around people, but is content to play by himself at times. Although his favorite thing to do is to go out into our back yard and let me through his ball for him to retrieve. I feel infinitely safer with him in the house. I know when I am gone Brenda and Gracie are still well protected.
Blessings to you,
Patrick
Monday, January 4, 2010
Abide In My Word
In my last article I looked at Jesus’ command to love one another even as he has loved us. Today we look at John 8:31-32 which states, “Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’”
Truth is a word that is often considered paradoxical at best. It is a word both meaningful and simple; straightforward and complex. It is often quoted, often discussed, often argued, and too often disregarded. Authors, poets, preachers, theologians and politicians, moms and dads – all have much to tell us about truth.
One of my favorite quotes about truth comes from the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. In this he talks about truth and hope with these words:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Truth is sometimes hard to come by. It is sometimes brandished like a sword and sometimes hidden like an embarrassing blemish. But in fact, ‘truth’ is something quite more than a mere word that we bandy around. Truth is a way of life and it provides an underlying meaning to what we do and who we are.
On a grand scale John Wesley, our Methodist founder, would refer to truth in social terms calling it social holiness or social justice.
Wesley would teach that people must be Christians in both word and deed and that this expressed the love of God. As we grow in God’s grace we are first prepared to believe – to have faith in God and God’s action in our lives. And then we are motivated and spiritually directed to respond to God in faith through our good works by being involved in God’s mission.
Wesley not only preached this, but he practiced what he preached. He lived modestly and gave all he could to help people who were poor. He visited people in prison and hospitals and gave spiritual guidance, food and clothing. He helped create schools and orphanages and spoke out against the social injustices of slavery.
Truth is recognizing and understanding what is wrong in our lives – both personally and socially. Truth is seeing the suffering around us and not turning a blind eye to it. Truth is seeing through the compassionate eyes of Jesus Christ; it is hearing the cries for help through his sensitive ears and responding to need with his loving heart.
Jesus says know the truth. When we do this we begin to be part of God’s kingdom plan – building a kingdom ruled by Christ in which peace, love, care and concern for one another are foremost in our hearts. This is precisely what Jesus is talking about when he says, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.
Abide means to remain in place, to stay where it is. It is a fixed state – permanent, lasting, enduring and remaining. Jesus says, abide in my word. Be in me, remain in me – be enduring and lasting in this relationship with me (Jesus). But I also believe he is saying – I (Jesus) will be permanent, steadfast, a fixed state in your life.
Abiding in the Word of God – accepting Christ into our lives as our savior, our redeemer and knowing that God is at work in us through Christ – is our hope. Not only is it our hope but it is the realization that this is the revelation of God – God revealed to us. And this is the truth.
Jesus understands we live in a world that repudiates this truth and replaces it with fashionable truths. Sometimes this is my truth; sometimes it is your truth; and sometimes it’s the truth of another person. But what Jesus is saying is that we need to recognize there is only one truth. There is only one hope, and it is God in Christ.
This is the truth. And if we know it, this truth will set us free.
Truth is a word that is often considered paradoxical at best. It is a word both meaningful and simple; straightforward and complex. It is often quoted, often discussed, often argued, and too often disregarded. Authors, poets, preachers, theologians and politicians, moms and dads – all have much to tell us about truth.
One of my favorite quotes about truth comes from the “I Have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. In this he talks about truth and hope with these words:
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”
This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
Truth is sometimes hard to come by. It is sometimes brandished like a sword and sometimes hidden like an embarrassing blemish. But in fact, ‘truth’ is something quite more than a mere word that we bandy around. Truth is a way of life and it provides an underlying meaning to what we do and who we are.
On a grand scale John Wesley, our Methodist founder, would refer to truth in social terms calling it social holiness or social justice.
Wesley would teach that people must be Christians in both word and deed and that this expressed the love of God. As we grow in God’s grace we are first prepared to believe – to have faith in God and God’s action in our lives. And then we are motivated and spiritually directed to respond to God in faith through our good works by being involved in God’s mission.
Wesley not only preached this, but he practiced what he preached. He lived modestly and gave all he could to help people who were poor. He visited people in prison and hospitals and gave spiritual guidance, food and clothing. He helped create schools and orphanages and spoke out against the social injustices of slavery.
Truth is recognizing and understanding what is wrong in our lives – both personally and socially. Truth is seeing the suffering around us and not turning a blind eye to it. Truth is seeing through the compassionate eyes of Jesus Christ; it is hearing the cries for help through his sensitive ears and responding to need with his loving heart.
Jesus says know the truth. When we do this we begin to be part of God’s kingdom plan – building a kingdom ruled by Christ in which peace, love, care and concern for one another are foremost in our hearts. This is precisely what Jesus is talking about when he says, if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.
Abide means to remain in place, to stay where it is. It is a fixed state – permanent, lasting, enduring and remaining. Jesus says, abide in my word. Be in me, remain in me – be enduring and lasting in this relationship with me (Jesus). But I also believe he is saying – I (Jesus) will be permanent, steadfast, a fixed state in your life.
Abiding in the Word of God – accepting Christ into our lives as our savior, our redeemer and knowing that God is at work in us through Christ – is our hope. Not only is it our hope but it is the realization that this is the revelation of God – God revealed to us. And this is the truth.
Jesus understands we live in a world that repudiates this truth and replaces it with fashionable truths. Sometimes this is my truth; sometimes it is your truth; and sometimes it’s the truth of another person. But what Jesus is saying is that we need to recognize there is only one truth. There is only one hope, and it is God in Christ.
This is the truth. And if we know it, this truth will set us free.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Love One Another
This Advent I spent time learning more about who Jesus is through the commands he gives to us as his disciples. There are four times in our gospels where Jesus says – if you are to be my disciples, you will do this.
Today I want to look at his words from John 13:34-35.
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’”
What’s interesting for us to note is this command to love one another is not new. The Old Testament Leviticus 19:8 tells us, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”
We know this command is not recently made. It’s not fresh or unheard of, or unusual but, Jesus gives it to us in a new way. This new way to love is better, superior, and different than the way it used to be.
Recently Brenda and I went to see a movie that showed this model of love – The Blindside – based on the true story of Michael Oher.
Michael Oher grew up in Memphis TN – one of 13 children. His mother, Denise Oher, suffered from crack cocaine addiction. His father, whom he never really knew, was murdered when Michael was a senior in high school. He was separated from his family at age 7 and spent the next 9 years or sleeping on front porch floors at friends and was in and out of foster homes. As a student Michael was failing miserably, but it wasn’t his fault. He had never been taught how to learn. On a cold, rainy day over Thanksgiving break the Tuohy family was driving by his school and saw Michael walking in cutoff jeans and t-shirt, shivering and shaking, on his way to the gym where he could get warm. Collin Tuohy was a classmate of Michael’s and told her mom and dad he was a classmate, he had no friends, no family, no place to live. He was essentially homeless.
They stopped and invited him to their home for Thanksgiving and a warm place to sleep. Now, Michael was unusual in one other way – he was big. He was about 6’5” and weighed 350 pounds.
In a sit down interview Leigh Ann Tuohy said she looked at this situation with Michael and said to herself – we can do more. She looked into his heart and realized he needed more than just food. He needed to be loved. While their first step in reaching out to help Michael was providing food and a warm place to sleep, they would go on to buy clothes for him, provide a tutor so he could get his grades up and eventually adopt him into their own family.
Michael would go on to be one of the most highly recruited offensive linemen for SEC colleges and eventually played for Ol’ Miss. From there he would excel and was drafted in the first round in 2009 by the Baltimore Ravens. You can see him play today – if you catch one of the Raven’s games. He’s number 74 playing the offensive tackle position.
A white, wealthy, conservative Memphis family reached out to a homeless, 6’5” 350-pound black teenager and took him in. And while not many of us will have the opportunity or the means to do something like this – I am struck by how this true story resonates with the love that Jesus is telling us about.
This is a family that made a personal sacrifice – they took a chance, a risk and in doing so went against the cultural rules – a white, wealthy family took in a homeless black boy and adopted him? I think this is an example to us of a sacrificial, caring, serving love.
Jesus reminds us we are to love one another – not as you want to love one another, not as you think you should love one another – but as I [Jesus] have loved you.
It was psychologist John Sanford who wrote that “love cannot be willed. Love must come from the heart if it is to be genuine, it cannot be feigned, not even with the best of intentions.”
And I think this is true. Jesus calls us to look into the hearts of one another – to see the person who is really inside, not just the outside of the person – and to ask ourselves can we do more? Can we love more?
I think we can. In fact, if we are to be disciples of Christ, Jesus would say we must.
Today I want to look at his words from John 13:34-35.
“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’”
What’s interesting for us to note is this command to love one another is not new. The Old Testament Leviticus 19:8 tells us, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”
We know this command is not recently made. It’s not fresh or unheard of, or unusual but, Jesus gives it to us in a new way. This new way to love is better, superior, and different than the way it used to be.
Recently Brenda and I went to see a movie that showed this model of love – The Blindside – based on the true story of Michael Oher.
Michael Oher grew up in Memphis TN – one of 13 children. His mother, Denise Oher, suffered from crack cocaine addiction. His father, whom he never really knew, was murdered when Michael was a senior in high school. He was separated from his family at age 7 and spent the next 9 years or sleeping on front porch floors at friends and was in and out of foster homes. As a student Michael was failing miserably, but it wasn’t his fault. He had never been taught how to learn. On a cold, rainy day over Thanksgiving break the Tuohy family was driving by his school and saw Michael walking in cutoff jeans and t-shirt, shivering and shaking, on his way to the gym where he could get warm. Collin Tuohy was a classmate of Michael’s and told her mom and dad he was a classmate, he had no friends, no family, no place to live. He was essentially homeless.
They stopped and invited him to their home for Thanksgiving and a warm place to sleep. Now, Michael was unusual in one other way – he was big. He was about 6’5” and weighed 350 pounds.
In a sit down interview Leigh Ann Tuohy said she looked at this situation with Michael and said to herself – we can do more. She looked into his heart and realized he needed more than just food. He needed to be loved. While their first step in reaching out to help Michael was providing food and a warm place to sleep, they would go on to buy clothes for him, provide a tutor so he could get his grades up and eventually adopt him into their own family.
Michael would go on to be one of the most highly recruited offensive linemen for SEC colleges and eventually played for Ol’ Miss. From there he would excel and was drafted in the first round in 2009 by the Baltimore Ravens. You can see him play today – if you catch one of the Raven’s games. He’s number 74 playing the offensive tackle position.
A white, wealthy, conservative Memphis family reached out to a homeless, 6’5” 350-pound black teenager and took him in. And while not many of us will have the opportunity or the means to do something like this – I am struck by how this true story resonates with the love that Jesus is telling us about.
This is a family that made a personal sacrifice – they took a chance, a risk and in doing so went against the cultural rules – a white, wealthy family took in a homeless black boy and adopted him? I think this is an example to us of a sacrificial, caring, serving love.
Jesus reminds us we are to love one another – not as you want to love one another, not as you think you should love one another – but as I [Jesus] have loved you.
It was psychologist John Sanford who wrote that “love cannot be willed. Love must come from the heart if it is to be genuine, it cannot be feigned, not even with the best of intentions.”
And I think this is true. Jesus calls us to look into the hearts of one another – to see the person who is really inside, not just the outside of the person – and to ask ourselves can we do more? Can we love more?
I think we can. In fact, if we are to be disciples of Christ, Jesus would say we must.
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