John Chapter 10

Jesus is the gate for the sheep; Jesus is the good shepherd

Here is this week's handout on  John 10, with questions.

Other related passages we discussed that are not mentioned in the handout included Psalm 23. 

The Gospel of John

Last week in class I was asked if I could provide electronic copies of the handouts Dave Ivaska and I have used in the Adult Education class on the Gospel of John.  I remembered that I had access to this blog, and it seemed to be a reasonable place to put links to the files. 

Time is pressing this morning, so let me just cut to the chase: 

1. In week 1, Dave Ivaska handed out an overview to the Gospel of John.   
2. Last week, we covered John 6.   Here is the text of John 6, with questions.
3. Today, we are covering John 8.   Here is that text, again with the questions.

These files are all in PDF format; if you can't view them already on your computer, you can download the free Acrobat Reader. 

Please check for more in subsequent weeks!

A Busy Day 7

by Dave Urban

Wow, Day 7, one full day to go, and then the long slog home on Saturday.

Two parts to today. I will do them in reverse order. The second item of the day was to spend several hours at Sabeel, an Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Jerusalem that Don Wagner is now employed at (in the US).  For those of you who immediately think of South American Liberation Theology which has been described by some as having some  influence of Marxism in it, this Liberation Theology is a completely different strain - more of an indigenous ecumenical Palestinian Theology. The founder Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek, an Anglican priest, is trying to develop a spirituality among all Christians in the region "based on love, justice, peace, nonviolence, liberation and reconciliation." (For more information see http://www.sabeel.org/.)

FYI..at Sabeel Don Wagner was treated as a rock star.

Don Wagner with Rev. Dr. Naim Ateek and Omar Sabari (sp?)  one of the staff. Omar had a great story of being  of a Eastern (Greek)  Orthodox  family whose Christian  history can be traced back to Pentecost, and  yet losing his faith when an American teaching in his school kept telling them that the Jews were destined to take over the holy land as Gods' will. He spent time in prison protesting Israeli policies and eventually came back to faith because he wanted to use the bible to counter some stuff the Jerusalem Patriarch was doing with the Isreali's. As a result he sat down and read through 3 of the Gospels in one night and was struck by the message of Jesus. He has been with Sabeel for about 7 years now. 
 
We showed up at noon for a mass and then lunch and discussion. A couple of CPT (Christian Peacemaker Team) folks were there from Hebron (see my earlier post on that) and I had a very good time talking with them. One of them Inga (from Sweden) was a retired lady who has spent the last 4 or 5 years at Hebron as CPT- 3 months on and 3 months off. Another Tom, was a former Catholic priest who has spent the last 10-12 years at Hebron 4 to 6 months out of the year. Clearly a dedicated bunch of folks.  

Now to the first part of the day. Brian Cox, of our group, has been commissioned by the Missions Committee to produce a documentary about our sister church and our trip. Brian, Jeanne (the Forbes friend from New Jersey who is with us) , and took a taxi this morning up to the wall to shoot some video for the documentary. The main thing I want to do with the rest of the post is to show you pictures -- I do not think I can say anything else. 

Busy Day in Bethlehem

by Peg Forbes

Today was an amazing day. It began with the whole group's first look at the new Dar al Kalima College building, a very impressive and in many ways state of the art institution for applied and performance arts. Our guide was one of the students Jim and I met the last time we were here, 20 year old Wala, a 2nd year Authentic Tourism major.  She was very poised and patient as we oohed over the art on the walls and asked her questions. She led us through the art studios where we got to see students working on ceramics and jewelry making, by offices and the library, and the open second floor central space for large meetings and convocations, where the dedication ceremony took place. We posed by the First Presbyterian Church of Evanston plaque at the Reception Area door and Brian Cox, our videographer got lots of pictures, including Caryl turning over the dozen cameras FPCE members donated to the college along with several music CDs.  The highlight for me was seeing the brand new state of the art 187seat theater now completed.  It is beautiful and Dave Urban says their sound system is top notch as well. 
 
    Then we were on the bus to Hebron to meet with Art, a member of the Christian Peacekeeping Team there. We got to hear his stories and ask him questions (go to their website to get the big picture). We visited the mosque said to be built over the tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Neat experience. Also got in some shopping for ceramics and scarves. 
 
    Back to Bethlehem mid afternoon and then an amazing hour with Munther Isaac, Palestinian Christian instructor at the Bethlehem Bible College and director of the very successful Christ at the Checkpoint conference this past March, bringing together Christian leaders and speakers from many nations to talk and workshop about what Christ would think and say and do about the current situation in Israel and Palestine. See www.christatthecheckpoint.com for videos of the workshops.
    On to what was for me the most challenging and exciting presentation of the day...hearing Sami Awad of the Holy Land Trust tell his story of growing up under the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and his gradual transformation from anger to non-violence to taking Christ's words to "Love your neighbor" to an even higher place of healing, coexistence and transformation.  I have four pages of notes for anyone who's interested. Go to holylandtrust.org.
 

As we walked through Hebron, we encountered friendly salesmen and women who loved not only sales, but photos!

 Enough for tonight....

Visiting the Birthplace of Jesus

by Dave Urban

"We want to hold on to John 10:10- "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly!""  was the introduction to the Diyar Consortium- a umbrella ministry of the Christmas Lutheran Church, our sister church in Palestine. [The best way to get an overview is the Wikipedia Article on Dr. Mitri Raheb, the pastor of the church (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitri_Raheb#The_Diyar_Consortium).] This small Palestinian church is why I am in Bethlehem today. They are trying to live out the gospel in Palestine and give hope and life to those who are suffering. Over the last couple of years, this small church has leveraged donations and hope in the future into a series of cradle to grave ministries in Bethlehem, from health centers, school, art college, and senior programs. I can't begin to cover the depth of the programs. Some of the work is self funding and much relies on donations from overseas. It is amazing to see how much the European churches and governments give to this area, and this ministry.  Today it was a relief to tour a school full of kids from kindergarten to 12th grade, with everyone saying "hello" and full of smiles. Kids do bring out the goodness of innocence. 

This bumper sticker was on the director of the aging program's door. It was a good sign. She told us that in Palestine there is no health care or social security, and that retirement age is 65, so many people feel like they just are waiting to die after that age. She has started groups which have created plays and books to tell the stories of the old days. They are building computer literacy- which is so key because of the diaspora has caused families to often live in many countries, and the mail system to/from Palestine to the rest of the world is very unreliable.  

After lunch, we had a break and I took some personal space time and went off alone to Manger Square to see the "birthplace."  We were in the main Greek Orthodox church the other day and the adjacent Franciscan church, but did not go into the grotto underneath the alter due to the crowds. After a long wait I got down to it.  Below is the official spot where Jesus was born; many bent down to kiss it (I did not).

Later that day we took a tour with a man named Amal Nasser, one of the members of Christmas Lutheran. He is an elderly, spry gentleman who is an Arabic calligrapher and does beautiful art. I am sorry I don't have an example of his work to show you. He showed us around Bethlehem to tell us about the old city. We went into a Syrian Orthodox church, who uses Aramaic (the language Jesus actually used in day to day conversation) in their worship.

Finally we had dinner with a mother and daughter which Don Wagner knows. The daughter is actually a professor at St. Xavier college in Chicago, and has a research agreement with the Oriental Institute of U of C. She is an anthropologist and an archeologist and is doing work both in Jericho and in Qatar. Her mother (Maha Saca)  has spent her life collecting the story of Palestinian culture through the dresses of Palestine. Evidently each village in Palestine has its own pattern of embroidery and in the old days one worked through ones childhood: embroidering panels for your wedding dresses (of which there are 6 for different times during the pre- wedding, wedding, and post wedding). The pattens remind me a little of quilt patterns and are all very distinctive. This woman has been a one person cultural heritage wonder, and has pushed the Palestinian identity all over the world. We spent some time in her office/ museum after dinner.

I spent some time talking to Maha's husband and daughter. Both once again told stories of the difficulty in living in the Palestinian territories. On the way back to the hotel I asked Peg Forbes, who has been here at least 4 times, partially because she and Jim sponsor a scholarship for the college, on what they saw that we needed to do here. In some ways we are just hanging out and visiting people. Are we suppose to do more? Peg said that what people seem to need is to be heard, to know that some one outside of the difficult situation knows that they (the people we visit) are there, and that we care. So maybe just hanging out and visiting is the mission, that we are visiting those in prison. I am struck again by the hope these folk tied to such pain and suffering as they are dying a slow death by strangulation by Israeli policy, and slow taking over the land one hill at a time. Amal pointed out across the hills at one point while walking around Bethlehem and remembered when each one had been taken over by the Israelis to build illegal (UN term ) settlements.  Yet they also keep pointing to the abundant life that they believe that Christ calls them to. It is  humbling to be with such saints.  

"As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people."

by Caryl Weinberg

We can hardly believe it is Monday night. We are halfway through our journey, though it feels as if we've been busy enough to fill three weeks. Our hearts and minds are spinning with the stories we've heard, the people we've met, the meals we've shared, cups of coffee and tea sipped, and words of immense hope, faith, courage and encouragement we've heard again and again from our Palestinian Christian sisters and brothers. This is an amazing part of the world where God is clearly active in the lives of people who love Christ and their neighbor.

On Sunday we worshipped at our sister church, the Christmas Lutheran Church in Bethlehem. Pastor Mitri Raheb preached from 1 Peter 5 (in Arabic), about the need for Elders to shepherd the flocks they've been given charge of, with humility and love. Susan Colten read Scripture and we sang and prayed, some each in English and Arabic. Don and Linda had arrived in Bethlehem during the service. So it was good to finally be all together.

Later on, we visited a Palestian family farm just outside of Bethlehem. Our guide, Alam, (meaning hope), told us of her family which has been Christian since the time of Christ. A member of the Christmas Lutheran Church, she expressed a deep faith through her words of hope and love, and her stories of perseverance and action. Her family farm, theirs since 1916, is now on the Israeli demolition list and is being decided in the courts right now. When Israeli soldiers attempted to overtake their land nearly 20 years ago, as a family they stood for 2 weeks in front of their gates. Through an amazing set of circumstances the Army relented. Alam's father then committed their farm to be a place where people of every race, faith and nation might come to learn about peace and reconciliation. He named the farm the "Tent of Nations".  Today the landscape has changed around the farm as they are surrounded on every hilltop by settlements.  Settlements have running water and electricity, as well as access to good roads free of road blocks. Only eight months ago, electricity was installed on Alam's, after their 98 years of living there. They still have only water in cisterns and are not free to drive from the road up to their home. Despite the difficulties, Alam speaks of the life in abundance that comes through Christ, and the hope that they have for Palestinians and Israelis to one day live in peace. "We are all humans. We are told to know and love our neighbors. The tent of Nations is here to help us do that."

Monday began with a tour of the International Center where we're staying. Angie, who first learned to play the bells as a young girl when the group from FPCE visited some years ago, led us around and told of all the incredible works going on through the ministries of Diyar Consortium of our sister church.  From there we toured several of the ministries located a short distance away. Visiting the Health and Wellness Center, we heard about many ministries including the Parish Nursing program which serves over 1,000 people with one nurse and several community workers. We learned about the older adults ministry and saw the clinics for endocrinology, audiology, psychotherapy, and more. And we met with the principal of the primary and secondary school (all in one), and toured some of the classrooms.

The theme throughout was hope. Whether talking about the need for hope for young Palestinians, or for those over 60, the dynamic, joyful staff and leaders spoke of their commitments to faith, their belief in God though Christ, their love for their homeland of Palestine and for all the people they serve. What we didn't hear were complaints or words of despair or hatred, rather a longing to live in peace and in freedom where everyone has the chance to thrive.

Switching gears, I will say that we just heard the news of Alan Borg's death this morning and were all very sad. We talked and spent some time in prayer for Joan, Peter, Alison and Stephen and all their family. We wish we could be with Joan now....But we trust that many are caring for her.

One thought as I think about the Palestinian situation and even the Borg's right now. Psalm 126 says "As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the Lord surrounds his people." We trust that the same Lord surrounds the Palestinians as well as Joan, even now.

Bethlehem - Day 3

by Dave Urban

Today started with the incongruity of sitting in a totally German Lutheran church worshiping in Arabic. Christmas Lutheran Church was founded by the German Lutherans in the mid 1800s and in the late 1800's built the church. The stained glass (which is beautiful- and has survived both the 1967 war and two Intefadas) has German looking angels, Jesus and other biblical characters and verses in German. The only thing is the local congregation has painted some beautiful Arabic calligraphy in certain parts. I did  not take pictures of the inside, because I was coming to worship.

We hung out at coffee hour (sweet Arabic coffee in little mugs- definitely sipping stuff and VERY good) and talked to a bunch of folk. I got the impression that many folks had been there for generations. Once again the difference between a group of people tied to a place verses us Americans really stood out to me. Once again I heard stories of how Israel is making life difficult to travel, to repair stuff, to maintain a sense of living. I was also struck by the double minority status of these folks- Palestinian in a land in which Israel is working to get them out, and Christian in a Muslim community. Life on the street was a normal life- It is easy to tell the Muslim women from the Christian women, in that the Muslims wear headscarfs. The ratio of Muslim to Christians is easily 100:1 if not greater. 

Later that day we went to the farm of the Nassar family. They have started something called Tent of Nations- www. tentofnations.org. Basically they are Palestinian Christians who have owned a farm outside of Bethlehem since 1916. They evidently have title papers and ownership records going continuously back to that time. Over the last 20 years they have been fighting in the Israeli courts to keep there land, as it is in a zone called the "C" zone, which evidently is a zone where Israel is confiscating (or forced payment for) Palestinian land. The land is surrounded on 3 sides by subsidized Israeli settlements ( the ones the UN has declared illegal) and the Israeli government is trying to have the Nassars leave. They have offered money, taken them to court, cut of the road, water and electricity to the farm, and at one time had it surrounded by bulldozers and tanks. It was only because a Danish film crew happened to come by that kept the bulldozers from tearing it apart. This Tent of Nations has become a  place where people from all over (primarily Europe- I met a German guy who was with the German version of  Mennonite Central committee) come and offer help to maintain the land while these folk work through the court system. This is not an isolated case, but is one of a bunch of actions all over the place. The thing I was most struck by was Amal Nassar kept talking about how she was making this a place of peace, and her big desire was to work for peace. She had amazing stories of peaceful encounters with soldiers and settlers, 

Once again I am struck by the land ethic. We are not rooted to the land, and in some ways I wonder if the rootedness to the land is a millstone about their neck. But it seems that somebody has to be rooted to the land, otherwise it gets misused. Looking at the settlements, it is clear that the settlement builders do not think about natural resources and how to husband them. What they are building is ultimately unsustainable. Since what I do for a profession is land stewardship I think I understand in a way why they are so tied to the land. I also see that they really have nothing else, and no where else to go to. That to me is one of the issues between the Palestinians and the Israelis- they both want the same pieces of land, and they both cant have it.

Later on I eat dinner with another member of Christmas Lutheran (the Nassars are members) who it turns out is actually Armenian and has a Jordanian passport and lives currently in Amman.  We got talking about this land ethic, and he says that he does not have the same feelings, that they are more like the ones I know, he has owned land and sold it, and moved around over time. But he once again pointed out how the Isreali's are squeezing the Palestinians in so many ways that they are dying inside, and that the Palestinians are seeking to preserve themselves in any way they can, and if they are landholders who are being threatened with eviction, they will fight on that front.  Overall I think I am pretty depressed about the whole situation, and don't feel like there is anything that can be done. 

Amal Nassar told a story about how she is trying to work with the local Palestinian Village which lies at the bottom of the hill, because the women there are traditional , ill educated, Muslim women who only make babies and take care of the house. The rates of depression and suicide among these women is huge, and she has been working to get them to talk to each other,to get them some education and to meet the folks who come to the farm so that they can work out their frustrations at the untenable situations in a different manner. 

Jeannie from our group and I were talking while walking back to the guest house about trying to understand what the Isreali's want and if there is a solution to this issue. We understand that all is not clean on both sides of the fence, and that the Palestinians have done aweful things to the Isreali's. But we also understand that when you get down to this level, we are talking about people- who are real and not abstract, and bad things are happening to them. They all seem so glad that we have come to learn what they are going through. I don't know what else to do right now.

This is the photo that I will leave you with. This sits at the gate of the Nassar's farm, and is a testament to their faith and their understanding of what Jesus calls them to be. May I be half as  able to be this grace filled. 

Tourists in Jerusalem

by Susan Colten

We were tourists today.  And if I do say so myself, my feet appreciate it if they do not have to do anymore work for the rest of the evening.  I might be speaking for all of us.

Today was a ‘free’ day; that means we had nothing scheduled, planned or promised. We decided together that we would go to Jerusalem.  To catch the bus we first had to go through the Apartheid Wall.  It was sobering to see: the wall painted with signs of protest, the cement partition separating people from the land, the barbed wire, the queue line, armed guards with bullet-proof vests, showing ‘credentials’ through the glass, watching the checking and recording of each Palestinian who passed through while we merely had to show the front cover of our US passports.  Through the gate we caught the #21 bus to Jerusalem.  Our stop—Jaffa Gate, Old City.

Not far inside the old city we were shoulder to shoulder with others from around the world making their own pilgrimage.  The Dome of the Rock was closed, but we did see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, walk Via Dolorosa, slip out the Lion’s Gate to see Mt of Olives and Basilica of Gethsemane, and contribute our prayers at the Wailing (Western) Wall.  And we did all that before lunch on a delightful rooftop restaurant in the center of it all.

In some way or another today we seemed to be struck with our humanity, or observations on what it means to be human.  For some of us that meant recognizing our different expressions of our faith and its traditions, like the Orthodox Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Wailing Wall.  For some it meant hearing the familiar language of a dear land, Ethiopia (ok, yes, that was Caryl),  and overhearing them ask the familiar question “Do you know where <so and so> is?” not wanting their friends to get separated from the group. For some of us, our humanity was shown when we women each sat with a local woman on the return bus sharing food, aspirations, conversation (even if they were deaf), or directions. 

For all of us in one way or another it was an appreciation of humanity in reflecting on the physicality of Jesus in his life and death. It was so even as we asked if that was really the stone/rock/cave/tree/road of one commemoration or another.  It was so even as we wondered, “Do I kiss/genuflect/stand in line/cry/sit silently?” in these same places.  These were the desires for the reality to be made more real.  These were our desires that our response be worthy.  And so we joined in with the busload after busload of pilgrims—Asian, European, American, African—in our attempt to find, perhaps, the origin of our faith. 

This evening, however, I am reminded of the words of Luke’s Easter story not to look for the living among the dead.  Jesus Christ is indeed alive—in the life of our congregation, in the life of our sister church in Bethlehem, in the life of all to whom this grace has been given.  In the relationships we are establishing here we shall see signs of the resurrection. 

On our way back from the bus stop this evening, Dave and I were passed by a pre-wedding processional.  We reached the church just in time to see the bride alight from her car and enter the church.  She was indeed beautiful.  And for me she represented life and love and hope in the future. 

Tomorrow we worship with our sister church, Christmas Lutheran Church of Bethlehem.  I anticipate enjoying a fuller sense of what it means to be the body of Christ.

First update from Bethlehem

Hi all, 

We all made it safely, on time and with no problems! It was a beautiful day, and we arrived at 9:30 AM after a "quick" 10 hour flight.  We weren't able to get much sleep on the plane.. it was a cultural immersion with animate conversation, prayer, and families.  At least it was entertaining.  We were met with a van and drove to Bethlehem.  A few of us them walked to Manger Square for lunch, overlooking the Church of the Nativity one one corner and the Friday prayers at a large mosque on the other.  Then we even shopped a little, having a tea break at one of the shops.  Peg, Jim, and Jeanne met wit the four students that Kim's scholarships have been given to these past years.  They were right at home coming back here.

Now we've had dinner with Nuha, the Dean of Dar al Kalima College. It's hard to believe the college now has 200 students. And they've started a new degree in Culinary Arts. They are hoping to have several of the programs move from diploma to a university level degree this year. I can't believe that 4 years ago when I was here they were just breaking ground on the college and had 20 some students.

We have a great group of people. It should be a wonderful week. We're at the International Center in Bethlehem which is quite nice.

Hope all is well there.. God has been so good to us here already.

Love,
Caryl

Greetings from Newark airport!

We're on our way across the globe as we speak!

You've come to the right place.....

..... to read about our journey to Bethlehem, Israel and more! We are currently on our journey to visit friends and partners at our sister church (pictured, left), Christmas Lutheran Church

We will be grateful for your prayers and thoughts along the way. Perhaps praying from Psalm 121 might guide you and help you think of us. Just as this Psalm was written for the journey so many years before, we are on our journey too. Our group includes the following fellow travelers: Susan Colten, Brian Cox, Jeanne Easlie, Peg and Jim Forbes, Linda Kateeb, Dave Urban, Don Wagner and Caryl Weinberg. Thank you for going with us in spirit and prayer! Perhaps you'll be part of the journey in person, next time.

May the Lord watch over all of our comings and goings both now and always,
Your friends of Dar al Kalima

The Lord is Risen!

From Peace and Joy to Purpose

When Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem after the resurrection, he stood among them, bid them Peace, showed them his hands and feet and ate with them to confirm that he was not a ghost. As they moved beyond their joy and amazement,

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what was written. The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. I am going to send you what my Father has promised, but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.”
Luke 24: 44-49 New International Version

Yes, they experienced joy and peace – but they were also challenged with a new purpose! They were to be witnesses to all that had happened! A witness is one who sees or knows by personal presence or direct knowledge – one who can attest to a fact or an event. They were to preach repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations, in the name of Jesus, the Christ.

They were not to simply be passive recipients of this great sacrificial gift of an agonizing death on an old wooden cross. They were to be active recipients, by bearing witness to all that had happened so that the Good News would spread to the far corners of the earth. Not by their own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit who would clothe them with courage, endurance and wisdom to witness in the face of persecution. No pain. No gain. No Spirit. No Power!

Our purpose in life is to join the host of witnesses that attest to the Risen Christ of the New Testament, that others may come to know Him as the fulfillment of all that the witnesses of the Old Testament foretold. The Messiah, the King of a new different kind of future, born in a stable, the obedient Son, the Savior on a Cross, the Risen Christ, would send us what Yehwah, God the Father, had promised………… his very own Holy Spirit to walk with us on the path of witnessing to His Presence among us.

Patricia McCann, Elder
for the Adult Discipleship / Membership Development Council

From Psalms to Peace and Joy

Is it any wonder that the Old Testament Psalms are favorite sources of inspiration? These poems or songs of praise, worship, thankfulness and repentance represent a wide range of feelings, emotions, attitudes and interests. Written by so many people, from different time periods, they strike a common chord. They illuminate God’s covenant with Israel. They document His chosen people’s communication with their faithful Yahweh. They capture human dependency on the Almighty across time and space.

But when we step into the world of the Book of Luke, within a specific time period and geographic space, a single author focuses on telling the story of the life of Jesus of Nazareth. It is a book of Good News in which Luke, a highly educated man writing from a Greek background and viewpoint, documents that Jesus loved all kinds of people. Yahweh’s covenant with Israel was now available to all – through the sacrifice of this Jesus who loved children, the poor, and the oppressed.

There is a theme of joy throughout the book. Christ brought joy as well as hope and salvation. When Jesus appeared to the disciples in Jerusalem after the resurrection, he stood among them and said,

“Peace be with you.” They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they
still did not believe it because of joy and amazement.......
Luke 24: 36c-41a New International Version

Yes, they experienced joy – for it seemed too good to be true! Their master Rabbi, their friend, their Messiah was alive! Remember the first time you heard and believed these words and knew the Holy Spirit was speaking to you? Did not your heart burn within you? The Living Christ speaks through the Gospels!

Amazed that this Jesus of Nazareth sacrificed for us on the Cross, we now experience peace and joy, assured that He lives and will return. The witness of the Old Testament affirms God’s faithfulness through the ages; the Gospels teach and inspire us to follow Jesus today; the Holy Spirit challenges, convicts, comforts and guides us as we journey through this life on earth.

Hallelujah! Amen!

Patricia McCann
for the Adult Discipleship / Membership Development Council

Why resurrection matters

Jesus was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, I Corinthians 15:4

In his book, The Reason for God, author and pastor, Timothy Keller tells of people who come to him expressing their struggles with the church’s teaching on the resurrection. They like other parts of Christian teaching, but they simply cannot accept the teaching that Jesus was raised from the dead and lives eternally in heaven.

He often responds to their concerns by saying, “If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn’t rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said? The issue on which everything stands is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.”

If the Jesus did rise from the dead it means that we can’t live our lives any way we want. It also means we don’t have to be afraid of anything: death, cancer, earthquake, recession, or a falling dollar. If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything.

The good news is he is alive! The evidence is overwhelming. Death and the grave could not keep him down. The tomb is empty, the witnesses saw him, the Scriptures prophesied his victory over death, and people’s lives were forever changed by the power of the gospel.

Come celebrate the glorious resurrection of Jesus this Sunday. Services begin at 9:15 and 11:00 AM. Easter is still a revered event in our society, so please invite your friends and family to worship with you during Holy Week and on Easter Sunday.

Pastor Ray 

When Darkness Reigns

Most of us react to approaching harm with self defense. If the threat includes violence, then isn’t violence in self defense justified by law? What did Jesus do when threatened?

After praying alone in anguish on the Mount of Olives that His Father’s will be done, Jesus found his disciples asleep and warned them to pray that they not fall into temptation. Later Judas, one of the Twelve, approached him with a crowd. It became clear that their intent was to arrest Jesus. One of Jesus’ followers, reacting to the threat of violence, struck a servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear! But Jesus healed the servant’s wound and commanded there be no more violence.

Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion that you have come with swords and clubs? Every day I was with you in the temple courts, you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour – when darkness reigns.” Luke 22:52-53, New International Version

Jesus’ enemies, threatened by the Rabbi’s growing influence and popularity, feared his power in teaching the people. Their instinct was to destroy Him. But his instinct (his Father’s will) was not to retaliate.

Jesus transcended the laws of the Torah with the power of a forgiving heart. Violence is darkness. Forgiveness is light and new life, redemption. Sometimes the light of Christ in us threatens others. Have you ever encountered distrust, suspicion or hatred because of your actions that reflected your own Christian values? Intimidated by a code of conduct that differs from their own, or a perceived threat to their own influence, power, or position, others may counter in direct or subversive ways. The potential for darkness and for under-handed retaliation is everywhere. Evil is always at work in the world – all the time!

We must remain alert to temptation and forces working against Christ. There is potential for darkness, in ourselves as well as others. Let us not fall asleep as did the disciples on the night Jesus was betrayed. Darkness can be overcome by the light of forgiveness. May we follow the example of Jesus of Nazareth. May each of us always yield to the Holy Spirit guiding us as He speaks through Scripture, our conscience and our fellow believers.

Then darkness will not reign……..

Patricia McCann, Elder
for the Adult Discipleship / Membership Development Council

Bread and Wine; Body and Blood

When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” Luke 22: 14-20

Sundown has arrived, officially marking the beginning of Passover. Passover symbolized not only the deliverance of the Jews from Egypt, but also foretold of the sacrifice of Christ. Jesus, in these verses, is eager to prepare the apostles for what is to come, things that they will likely not completely grasp, but which will become the centerpiece of Christianity in the years and centuries to follow. Through the bread and the wine, as symbolic of Christ’s body and blood, Christ transforms the Passover Seder into an entirely different kind of ceremony – one which looks back in remembrance of His atoning death on the cross.

C.S. Lewis in The Business of Heaven says it is hard to imagine what the apostles understood as Christ, his body not yet broken and his blood not yet shed, handed them the bread and the wine, saying they were his body. Were they confused by what they heard or did they grasp the symbolic intent of Christ’s statement? What do we experience as we meditate on Christ’s death on the cross? What do we experience as we dwell on the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper? Do we fully understand what Christ’s atoning death did for us? That not only did Christ die and bear our sins, but that we who believe in Christ have also been crucified with and died with him. The new covenant that has been established through Christ’s death and resurrection has restored our fellowship and communion with God – something that we cannot fully comprehend or appreciate. Fortunately, however, as Lewis says, the command to the apostles (and to us) was to “Take, eat: not Take, understand.”

by Greg Lewis
for the Adult Discipleship and Membership Development Council

The Passover Meal from Luke

From the “Gospel According to Luke, Chap. 22, verses 7-13” [NRSV]

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it.” They asked him, “Where do you want us to make preparation for it?” “Listen,” he said to them, “when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, ‘The teacher asks you, Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there.” So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

Luke, the historian, has been telling us how Jesus was born, grew to manhood joined by his disciples while teaching across the land, and now comes to His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. By now the people along His way have heard His teaching, know the parables, have seen the healing, and He has foretold the death of the Son of Man.

Still, what are we to make of this? Yes, we know that the chief priests, the scribes, the elders are objecting to His preaching to the people. Jesus, however, continues on the road, town to town, knowing the wide reception of the people while receiving also the anger and flat rejection of the temple chiefs. What are they all to do, His supporters, followers, His enemies? Jesus is here now, off the roads from so many places, telling the word of God to so many people.

So the time has come then for the Day of the Unleavened Bread, honored by every good Israelite. And here is the group of travelers, away from home, not connected with a temple, and what does Jesus do? How does He do it? Are these places known beforehand, these people already informed? Or have they understood God’s word all the time and how to carry out this word for His presence among them?

by Ken Wylie
for the Adult Discipleship and Member Development Council

From the Gospel According to Luke

Luke 8:4-15

When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the earth and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. Some fell into good soil, and when it grew it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “Let anyone with ears to hear listen.”

Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that ‘looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.’

“Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts so that they may not believe and be saved. The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for awhile and in time of testing fall away. As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.. But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.”

Rabbi or teacher is a title used in the Gospels for Jesus, and in these verses we see that skill exercised so well as historian Luke continues his account of Jesus’ peripatetic ministry. He has been more located in one area but is now out and moving again with his group up to Magdala, a village near the city of Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. The companions are the 12 disciples and several women (including Mary Magdalene) cured of what are called “evil spirits and infirmities.” Knowing He was coming, the local people have gathered, and now Jesus speaks to them.

He will tell them a parable (by definition a story in any of several styles—metaphor, fable, proverb, etc.) It is a story that as people close to the soil, villagers and farmers, they can relate to. He tells the parable, perhaps more clear to some than others, then calls out, Let anyone with ears to hear listen!

Those ready to receive the parable’s message could believe they have received a secret of God about His kingdom and now being given to the people through the teaching of Jesus. Those not ready for this message of the Lord, the ones opposed to Jesus, refusing to receive him as their rabbi, teaching of God, would hear it, understand it in only a vague, indirect or shadowy form. They did not “get it.”

So there Jesus is as the disciples are asking what the parable means, and He is answering with a reference, as often, to an Israelite prophet of centuries before (Isaiah 6:9), To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that ‘looking they may not perceive, and listening they may not understand.

by Ken Wylie
for the Adult Discipleship and Membership Development Council

“I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.” Psalm 143:6

There are terrible, dark times in every life when loss, grief, pain, and fear threaten us. These are serious enemies. We may not be strong enough to battle them and survive. After the battle, even if we continue to breathe, our spirits may be so crushed that we may as well be dead. David recounts in Psalm 143: “The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.”

Depression can feel like this, and with it our spirits flicker and grow dim. Or it can happen in the blink of an eye—suddenly all seems lost, there is no hope.

I remember the very moment our little daughter’s organs began to fail after several days in Intensive Care. By then she was using a ventilator to breathe. It was nearly dawn, and we’d been washing her small body for long hours with ice water, trying to reduce her fever. Her eyes were half closed, unfocused. For the last hour I could barely rouse her, and then I realized she wasn’t responding at all. In a moment her body suddenly turned yellow, as if a yellow shadow passed over her, and she was utterly still.

I remember watching, numb, disbelieving, and then searing pain, and helplessness. This dear child, so loved, at the edge of death. And all I could do then was spread out my hands and fall onto God’s mercy.

David cried out: “Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit. Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.”

God doesn’t reward us for being righteous. No one is righteous. We are not worthy of his attention.

But God loves us tenderly, and He has promised to listen to our prayers--and not only to listen but to answer them. He loves us; he is merciful. He will catch us when we fall on him. He will rain his mercy on us, and we will live.

God gave us our daughter back, from the very brink of death. And so He brings us all, through Jesus Christ, to eternal life.

“Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble. In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.”

By Lisa Russell