Jesus: The One True Vine

Sermon: The Vine and the Branches
February 20, 2022

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

I am not a gardener, just ask my mother. She learned how to garden from my grandpa…but I simply was not interested in learning. My daughter Courtney took up gardening last year which meant that we had to learn a little bit about it. I still don’t know much but I have learned a few things or being reminded of things that I already knew.

Plants must be watered, pruned, and protected. Much like the plants, in order to live a productive Christian life that is pleasing to God we must be nurtured, pruned, and protected.

Over the last few weeks with have talked about the I AM statements of Jesus: I Am the Bread of Life-John 6:35, I Am the Light of the World-John 8:12, I Am the Gate-John 10:7, I Am the Good Shepherd-John 10:11, I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life-John 14:6.

The last of the I AM statements is I Am the True Vine-John 15:1

Jesus says the first four “I AM” statements to large crowds and the last three were are said to the disciples in the upper room at the last supper just before his crucifixion-including today’s scripture about Jesus being the one true vine. Through the first eight verses of this text Jesus talks about bearing fruit which includes bearing no fruit, not being able to bear fruit by yourself, bearing fruit and becoming disciples, and finally bearing fruit that lasts in verse 16.

There's a great progression in Jesus speaking about the one true vine. The first four verses speak to God being the gardener and Jesus aligning himself with God. We have the opportunity to align ourselves with the mission and ministry of Jesus. In verses 5-6, Jesus speaks about himself being the vine and being the source of fruit. Jesus invites the disciples (and us) to place their trust in Him. He also warns them that they cannot go it alone. On their own, they are cut off from the vine. Jesus is the vine and WE are the branches. Verses 7-8 close with a promise, "Remain in me and God will be glorified by this and YOU bear much fruit and produce much fruit as my disciples."

It's about connection. Here's a practical way to look at connection. Most of us have probably played with legos in our lifetime. LEGOS are varied in size, colors, shapes, and sizes but they are designed to connect at both the top and bottom. God designed us to connect both with God and with one another. The church fulfills its mission as it faithfully makes these connections. (~from The Lego Principle) 

The fruit metaphor is so good that Paul later uses this familiar example of fruit:

The metaphor is so good that Paul later uses this familiar example of fruit:

22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. ~Galatians 5:22-23

It’s his final “I Am” statement in his final discourse. This words are meant to give the disciples strength for what lies ahead. He invites them to enter into a deeper relationship with him. Vines have to be tended to in order for the branches to bear fruit. There is no fruit yielded if it doesn’t come from the vine. In John’s mind (and in Paul's) there are branches that do not produce fruit. They fail to live in love and are concerned only with themselves. It is all about them and not the community. 

Thus, Jesus takes the common everyday image of the vine and transforms it into a symbol of community, mission, and love. This community is characterized by interdependence, mutual respect, and the ongoing presence of Christ. The vine and the branches is a reminder of the communal and relational nature of our Christian faith. It’s a challenge for us to do better to continue to grow and produce fruit as a growing community. Jesus is not just saying this last I AM statement to his disciples, he’s saying it to all of us as well.

So let me ask you, in what ways are you connected to the vine? How are you producing fruit? How are you branching out?

Pillars of Faith: Diligence

Here are sermon notes from my last sermon:

Psalm 139:1-6; 14 (NRSV)

1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;  you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.

Sometimes I’m not what some would call a smart person. When I found out I was going to be preaching on “diligence” as a pillar of faith, I was pretty sure I knew what it meant, but it’s a big word for me so I had to make sure. Here’s what I found:

Cambridge dictionary: the quality of working carefully and with a lot of effort

Careful and persistent work or effort

Steady, earnest, and energetic effort: devoted and painstaking work and application to accomplish an undertaking

Have you ever thought about how your work ethic is important and applies to scripture? Well think about the prophet Jeremiah when God tells him that before his birth God had called him to be a prophet, for his whole life.

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”    ~Jeremiah 1:5 (NRSV)

God is at work in ourselves and at work in one another. So God knows us before we know ourselves and God knows our every move, every day, so why not do something with that knowledge? As I looked at the Psalm 139 and diligence I boiled to down to being diligent meant being:

1. Constant
2. Attentive
3. Hard Working

First, diligence must be Constant

The core of Psalm 139 assures us that God is with us every moment of every day. God’s omnipresence means that God knows us completely. So God is with us every moment of every day. God knows we are hard-working and when we are being lazy. As some of you know I am not a fan of Dallas sports teams. As far as the NBA goes, I’m a Spurs fan so bear with me. The Spurs recent history has really boiled down to constants. A constant leadership model. Winning five titles and being in the playoffs for 22 years leading up to last year speaks to a leadership model of consistency. They have had the same head coach for 24 years and have also had pillars (see what I did there) in the middle such as David Robinson and Tim Duncan for so many years provided consistency. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. That consistency of leadership. An official Spurs blog is titled Pounding the Rock which in basketball terms means pushing the ball down inside in the paint closer to the basket. But is has a deeper meaning when you read the sign in the Spurs locker room:

When nothing seems to help, I go look at a stonecutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it…yet at the hundred and first blow it will split in two and I know it was not that blow that did it, but all that had gone before.

This statement is referred to as the stonecutter’s creed and it speaks to consistency and continued work when trying to complete a task. Practice after practice, day after day, they work. Getting better every day. The first 100 blows may not yield the outcome they hope for but eventually the work pays off. Having to work hard to complete a task. A stonecutter splitting a rock has to be an arduous task that times time and effort.

Second, diligence means being Attentive

Take a look at the first three verses of Psalm 139: O, Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.

God is diligent in knowing us. God is so diligent that he knows every detail for every single one of us. God knows every detail, down to the number of hairs on our head. I don’t even know how many hairs I lost in the shower this morning. But God knows the count of every hair on every one of our heads. God knows us so well that he knows our actions and our thoughts. We have the time, the opportunity, and the capacity to do so much with our lives. God knows this. The core of the psalm assures us that God is with us every moment of every day. God’s omnipresence means that God knows us completely. 

Third, diligence involves hard work.

My grandpa (along with my mom) was the person who taught me the value of hard work. I wanted to share a story with you about him. Grandpa and Grandma lived in Aurora, Colorado which is a suburb of Denver.  In the picture, if you get past the colorful shorts, bright orange Broncos shirt, and dog Blecka you can see a garden. Grandpa had a huge backyard and in the very back was this garden that he worked on constantly from the time he retired from the Air Force until he moved to assisted living. And every time we visited we would play baseball in that backyard and lose baseballs in that garden that had tomato plants that reached over our heads. And every time we visited we had to “earn our keep” by helping in that garden. If we wanted to play baseball out there and trounce around and step on vegetable plants and such we had to help with the upkeep of the garden. My grandpa taught me many, many lessons but none was as important and reinforced as much as teaching me the value of hard work. 

These three points lead to God. Think about that. 

1.  God is constant because God is always with us
2.  God pays attention to detail
3.  God gives us the ability to work hard

The power of Psalm 139 is its honesty. The psalm is like a mirror revealing us as we are: “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (v. 14) So if we are fearfully AND wonderfully made what does that mean for us. It means, we are fearfully made because God has created us and not we ourselves. We are fearfully made, and we are wonderfully made: we have unique capacity for so many things: love, relationship, restoration, and redemption. We have to capacity to do so, so much BECAUSE God created us. It is clear that the author of Psalm 139 believes that God knows all about him. God has looked deeply into the psalmist and knows him. God knows the very thoughts of the psalmist: “Even before a word is on my tongue, O LORD, you know it completely.” (v. 4)

God knows our movements and thoughts intimately. Not only does God surround us but God is involved in our very existence, so why not let God work through us?

So how does diligence apply today?

We as individuals are perhaps less known than at any point in history, especially with COVID over the last fifteen months. We have more online communication than usual, our attention is divided between family, work, recreation, etc. We now have the more meetings via zoom which doesn't allow for much time to talk before or after meetings-hence less personal connection.

As we continue to get back to normal and see COVID on the decline we are going to have to be diligent in our relationships. Because that is where God starts with us, with a relationship. We can restore relationships and build new ones. After all, if God knows us truly in and out then shouldn’t we give our very best. Humans want to belong, to share lives with others, to love and be loved, to feel valued. This psalm shows a sense of belonging: being search and known by God. The speaker in Psalm 139 seems to know he belongs to God. God watches over us from the moment of our being made until we die and God knows us better than we know ourselves. 

So back to work ethic and think about this verse from Proverbs

3 Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established. ~Proverbs 16:3

This is one of my favorite and most straight forward bible verse. Commit your work to the Lord and your plans will be established. To me it means that if we commit our own work and work ethic to the Lord, the plan will take care of itself. Just remember that means our plan is in sync with God's plan.

I was trying to think of an example of how diligence was important. Last week I had a conversation with Julio Casablanca and a friend of his and I wanted to share what we talked about.

So if you can’t tell this is a guitar, or at least the makings of one. A friend of Julio’s gets pieces and parts of old guitars and then takes the time to fixed them and restore them. Julio and I met with his friend Lynn to talk about a connect group centered around the restoring old guitars.

Making these guitars is a process. These are some pictures of the process from start to finish.  As we talked it was such a cool conversation centered around restoring guitars and applying meaningful biblical concepts throughout the entire process of restoration. 

The group will meet this summer to go through the entire process of restoration and as we go to write a curriculum of talking points that can be used when we have this group available for youth in the Handley neighborhood and Trinity community to fellowship with one another and work on the restoration process. The point is that we have to be diligent and that takes consistency, being attentive, and a strong work ethic. Rebuilding guitars or building relationships takes diligence. During the process of building the guitars we will be building relationships with those who are working with us. We will see where the conversations take us but I have a sense we will be able to bring God into the conversation on ideas such as brokenness, making mistakes, working hard, and restoration. I can't wait to see where these conversations lead. (Feel free to contact me at kevin@trinityarl.org if you want more information)

Below is the finished product from the first picture that you saw. Now how long do you think it took for Lynn to restore this guitar from start to finish? Any guesses?

It took him seven months to finish this particular guitar. Well you know how some musicians name their guitars. Well Lynn gave this one a name and I thought it was very fitting. It’s name: Lazarus-because he brought the guitar back from the dead.

As we begin this connect group it will be really cool to see guitars "brought back from the dead" but that's not why we are doing it. We are doing it so we can bring some relationships with others and with God back to where they need to be.

Grace & Peace
Kevin

The Book of Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, 2 “My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. 5 No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. 6 Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. 8 This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. 9 I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”   ~Joshua 1:1-9 (NRSV)

(As we continue reading through the bible in 2021, we wrapped up the book of Joshua leading up to Palm Sunday and here are my sermon notes-edited for blog purposes.)

My son Carson had a track meet a couple of weeks ago. And as Will and I were talking he brought up how a relay race being a good metaphor for the Israelites on their journey to the promised land. In a relay race the baton is passed from person to person from the start of the race to the finish. The baton had been passed from generation to generation for God's people. Through generations they had seen the ten plagues (and how they were spared). They had seen Moses part the Red Sea, and they had defeated armies they had no business defeating. They had witnessed miracle after miracle and despite this they doubted God time and time again. They didn't trust in God fully. They made this amazing comeback and on the last leg of the race (reaching the promised land) they looked back toward Egypt and dropped the baton, they tripped at the finish line. They were so close to the promised land but generations didn't make it there. Moses got so close that he saw it but didn't cross the Jordan River into the promised land. This is where we pick up the story.

The book of Joshua begins very definitively with God saying: "Moses my servant is dead." God doesn't waste any time helping Joshua deal with the immediate reality of his new leadership position. Moses is gone and it's Joshua's turn to step up and lead the people into the promised land. Although Joshua has been Moses' assistant he will lead differently that Moses and there is a lasting legacy of Moses. Moses' name is mentioned 57 times in the 24 chapters of Joshua. And remember that Joshua is leading the people into an unknown land, now it may be the promised land, but they are human (which means they doubt) and they are not sure what awaits them when they get there or what life will be like. They have been wandering in the desert for a long time and to top it off they have a new leader leading them into uncharted territory. Put yourself in the position of those people now following Joseph. After wandering for years and having seen an entire generation die off they are finally there...with new leadership. But what they had to do was trust Joshua and more importantly trust in God and follow him into the promised land. He was taking them into uncharted territory.

Joshua is obviously not as well known as Moses but he is qualified. In fact he has quite the resume: 

1. He accompanied Moses up the Holy Mountain where the tablets were received (Exodus 24:13-18)

2. He stood watch at the tent of meeting before the tabernacle was built (Exodus 33:11)

3. He was one of the two spies of the twelve spies who gave a positive report to Moses believing they could take the land with God's help (Number 14:8-9; 26-34)

4. He was God's chosen servant and divinely appointed by God (Deuteronomy 34:9)

And more importantly he believed that God was all powerful, that God keeps promises and that God would always be with him (Joshua 1:5;9). The book of Joshua is a story of the fulfilled promise of God for the people of God. After wandering for the desert for forty years, Israel claimed their inheritance and enjoyed the blessings of the land that God had prepared for them.

Have you ever heard of Lewis and Clark? You probably have. They were the two men commissioned by Thomas Jefferson to find a water passage from the Louisiana purchase territory straight through all to way to the pacific Ocean. There’s a moment when Lewis and Clark and their expedition reach the top of a mountain hoping they would find water passage to the pacific ocean (even though the notes from the expedition noted more mountaintops in the distance as much as three months earlier) One of the historians wrote this:

“He was approaching the continental divide-the spine of the Rocky Mountains. No American citizen had ever been there before. This he believed was the Northwest Passage: the goal of explorers for 300 years. It was expected to be the crowning moment of his life. Instead there were more mountains.” 

As the group went up the Rocky Mountains they held onto hope of their previously held assumptions. Once at the top there is the realization that there is no water passage to the Pacific Ocean, only more mountains. History is defined by this moment. They could turn around and go home or adapt and move forward into the unknown. We could turn around and go back or push forward in uncertain times.

The Israelites had the same choice when Moses died. Their leader of 40 years had just died and they were not yet where they wanted to go. They’d been complaining about and even talked about going back to Egypt into slavery. Their divinely appointed leader of 40 years dead. Moses died at 120 years old and Joshua was a only 59. Now I don’t know if those are their exact ages but just know that Moses was twice as old as the Israelites new leader. At this moment, they had a choice to make: push forward or go back. As Christians we have a choice to make. We can turn around and go back or we can push forward in uncertain times. Lewis and Clark decided to adapt and push on. Joshua and the Israelites decided to push on as well. We need to push forward into an uncertain future.

Which brings me to Jesus and some of the similarities between Joshua and Jesus:

1. Joshua and Jesus come from the same Hebrew root word meaning salvation

2. God commissions Joshua just as God commissions Jesus in Mark's gospel

3. Both of them brought the people of God deliverance from the enemies of God

4. The both led (or lead) the people of God into the promised land

Not to take anything away from Joshua but there is a slight difference between the journeys of Joshua and Jesus:

Joshua crosses the Jordan river and leads God’s people into the Promised Land; Israel had to fight to retake the Promised Land.

Jesus leads us into the promised land, which he has already conquered for us.

So how can we step forward in our commitment level to God? Well how about we look at perhaps the most well known part of the book of Joshua:

3 You shall march around the city, all the warriors circling the city once. Thus you shall do for six days, 4 with seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, the priests blowing the trumpets. 5 When they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and all the people shall charge straight ahead.” 

(Joshua 6:3-5 NRSV)

So they march around the city for six days and then on the seventh day they march around the city seven days and the walls magically came tumbling down because of their marching? The walls came down because of their obedience to God.

So let me ask you this: what walls in your life would come down if you were obedient to God and put your whole faith and trust in God like Joshua did? And later, like Jesus did? There is no way that Joshua could have become the leader of Israel after the death of Moses if he hadn’t put his trust fully in God. There’s no way that Jesus would have rode into Jerusalem in triumphant celebration on that Palm Sunday knowing that he would suffer and die just a few days later if he did not obedient to God’s plan.

You see none of us are capable to lead in these difficult times if we are not trusting in God. There’s too much going on, there’s too much hurt, too much anger, too many issues to deal with in this uncharted territory. We’ve never been here before. But we must be strong and courageous and trust completely in God like Joshua did. If you step forward in faith and trust in God fully, there is nothing that can stop the message of Christ. A message of hope, even in uncertain times. And don't forget, God will be with you wherever you may go.

And I'll end with something my wife pointed out after I preached this sermon that I thought was a cool insight. In the first chapter of Joshua God says "for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." In the last chapter Joshua says "but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." It's a cool way to start and finish the book. So Joshua is assured of the Lord being with him as he begins his leadership and at the end of his life he tells others that he will serve the Lord. It offers a nice wrap up to the book of Joshua.

Grace & Peace,

Kevin

Day 41

I don't know how you are calculating days as to when we started this whole shelter in place/stay at home/quarantine or whatever you want to call it but for me if I had to pick a start date it would be March 15, since that was the Sunday that we didn't have in person worship for the first time. The schools began "at home learning" on March 16th, or at least that is the first day the kids didn't go to their campuses as scheduled. I'm no math major but starting with March 15th, then April 24th would have been day 41. If you start with when we "officially" began to shelter at home then day 41 would have sometime last week.

You may know that 40 is a rather significant number in the bible and occurs time and time again. In the story of Noah it rains for 40 days and 40 nights. The people wandered in the desert for 40 years. In the story of David and Goliath, Goliath taunts the opposing army for 40 days. The devil tempts Jesus for 40 days. Jesus is with the disciples after the resurrection for 40 days. Do you since a pattern here? And in each of these forty day periods there were challenges and tough times for people. Much like there are challenges for us right now, maybe you can relate. What has been challenging for you?

For me and my family there have been challenges, it has not always been smooth sailing all the time. For instance when it was announced the kids would not go back to "in person" school this spring I was so frustrated that I actually got on to Carson rather harshly for chewing his food too loud. I guess I simply had a bad day or the day-to-day "new normal" finally got to me. It's been difficult not being able to see family, friends, and church members and to have many face-to-face conversations. And the entire family is at home which makes it more difficult to get work done. Not to mention my limited mobility the last few days due to my unfortunate biking accident. Those are just some of my frustrations over these 40 days and I'm sure you have some frustrations to speak of as well.

But what about what follows? I began reading a book entitled 41 Will Come and it brings up the idea of the day after the 40th day. It rained for 40 days and 40 nights but on the 41st day the rain subsided.  God's people roamed the desert for 40 years but in the 41st year they entered the promised land. Goliath taunted the Israelites for 40 days but on the 41st day David stepped up to challenge him. Jesus is tempted by the devil for 40 days but on the 41st day Jesus began his public ministry. Jesus is with the disciples for 40 days after the resurrection but on the 41st day Jesus leaves them with the promise of the Holy Spirit.

I don't believe the number 40 is a literal number in all these cases but the significance is not lost on me that the number 40 is important. And what comes after 40 is important as well. There were struggles for the people in those 40 days (and 40 years) in these biblical stories just as there have probably been struggles for you during the 40 days of this pandemic. The good news is that God always sees us through turbulent times. The people struggled and had doubts and that is okay. There's God's promise on the other side of this. I truly believe that.

I believe that this time, although difficult and different, will help us to be more aware and be better at many, many things. I believe we will check on people we care about more often because of this. I believe the ways we have reached out to everyone during this time will continue. I believe that the new, creative, and necessary ways we have done ministry during this time will help us to do ministry better in the future. And maybe most importantly, I believe our relationships with family, friends, loved ones, and our relationship with God will be stronger. So here's to day 41 that will come after these "40 days." In the meantime, make the best of this time to grow in your faith and your personal life!!!

Grace & Peace
Kevin

Uncharted Territory

Matthew 26: 17-20 (NRSV)

On the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Where do you want us to make the preparations for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The teacher says, My time is near; I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.'" So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, he took his place with the twelve;"

John 13:5-17 (NRSV)

Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was tied around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus answered, "You do not know now what I am doing, but later you will understand." Peter said to him, "You will never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no share with me." Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!" Jesus said to him, "One who has bathed does not need to wash, except for the feet, but is entirely clean. And you are clean, though not all of you." For he knew who was to betray him; for this reason he said, "Not all of you are clean. After he had washed their feet, had put on his robe, and had returned to the table, he said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord-and you are right, for that is what I am. So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you. Very truly, I tell you, servants are not greater that their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them."

A friend and mentor of mine (who happens to be the District Superintendent of the West District, named Lisa Neslony) recommended a book to me well over a year ago and in typical Kevin Anderson fashion it went near the bottom of my "to read" list. I finally picked it up and began reading it in February.

The book uses the example of the Lewis and Clark expedition and how they were tasked to find water passage through the western part of the United States all the way to the pacific ocean. But this territory was uncharted and they ran into a little roadblock called the Rocky Mountains. The book uses this as an example to bring up reframing the church strategy and going from a sanctuary-centered, membership based, religious service provider to a local outpost for furthering the kingdom of God in a changing world. (Canoeing the Mountains, page 96). The book is titled Canoeing the Mountains: Christian Leadership in Uncharted Territory.

Well if that isn't relevant to what's going on right now in our church and our world then I don't know what is. Of course the uncharted territory spoken about in this book is about a changing culture where the church and church leaders are becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Taking that title and looking at it through the lens of church during this pandemic it takes on a whole new meaning, doesn’t it? Church pastors, leaders, staff, Sunday school leaders, and church members are having to learn a new way to do church and how to adapt. As a church and as a society are truly in uncharted territory.

Since this pandemic started and things changed so suddenly we have all had to adapt. As a the church we are having Sunday school, bible study, youth meetings, children's activities, and worship all online. In fact, I am preaching right now not to a room of people but to a camera so people can see it in their own homes.

As a society lot of things that may have been unfamiliar to us are becoming more familiar. We have had to adapt and learn better ways to live our lives day-to-day. Simple things that we took for granite are now different. Human interaction face to face is very limited. Going to the gym, or school, or a restaurant to sit down is non-existent. Everybody is in a sense learning as they go.

But there is hope moving forward. We must ask ourselves what is absolutely essential for our faith and our life as Christ followers. To me these two scriptures just before Jesus death and resurrection of him dining with the disciples and washing the disciples feet bring a clear focus on two things that are essential: connecting through fellowship and serving one another. These are two symbolic examples for us to model.

So confession here. Last Sunday was the first day EVER that me, Kathy, and the kids sat down for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the same day as a family-just the four of us. Courtney is almost eight years old and it’s the first time we all four shared three meals together on the same day, just the four of us. I googled it and that is 2871 days it took for us to do that. Yikes!! What this “shelter in place” order has blessed us with is the opportunity to eat together as a family way more than we ever have. We have been able to stay connected through fellowship.

Our first scripture of Jesus dining with the disciples is an example of staying connected through fellowship. We come to Holy Thursday wanting to understand what Jesus was “trying” to tell his disciples, his friends, as he was eating with them. I say trying because they didn’t quite get what he was saying to them. After all, he did come back and spend 40 days with them after the resurrection. He was still trying to tell them. Imagine what the meal was like back then. They wouldn’t have a meal at a house and then go home or pick up fast food on the go. They would be sitting around talking while preparing the meal and talking while eating the meal. A meal was fellowship: a time to interact, a time to talk about what was going on, a time to connect.

Prior to the quarantine, I suspect that most of us did not always take the time to have a meal like Jesus did. So right now more than ever I believe we can relate to that way of sharing a meal as Jesus did with the disciples. Today we are together at our own houses eating together with those closest to us. There’s no more eating out where we have all the distractions of other people around us. We are paying attention to those in our immediate vicinity. Hopefully, connecting in such a way that we will never be the same. I believe we will emerge from this crisis as changed people in how we interact not only with our loved ones closest to us but how we interact with everyone.

We must engage and learn together so that we may take on the challenge that is before us.

  

Our second scripture speaks to being in service to one another. Jesus’ act of washing feet is one that first century people would have understood as an act of humility and service. And it still speaks to us today as this huge act of service and humility.

Speaking about humility? Have you ever washed anyone’s feet? Have you ever washed someone’s feet who has been walking around in the desert in sandals? It would not have been a pleasant experience. Jesus introduced a new commandment to love one another and expressed this in the act of foot washing.

Jesus washes the disciples feet and in doing so becomes the servant of all. And Jesus act of foot washing is for all the disciples, includes Judas-the one who will betray him. Think about that for just a second. Jesus humbly bows, bends down, and washes the feet of his betrayer. I wonder how alone Jesus might have felt at that moment. But Jesus doesn’t exclude even Judas. Jesus includes everyone. The worldly standards are done away and this is how we are called to follow the life of Christ. The disciples are meant to follow Jesus’ example. Jesus’ words explicitly indicate that they ought to "wash one another’s feet." He also qualifies the command to “love one another” with the words “just as I have loved you.” Christian love emulates the love of Jesus, and in chapter 13 that love centers on the foot washing. The act of foot washing is an act of humble service and love, one that disciples of Jesus should both receive and perform. So to respond to what Jesus has done for us, we need only look at what Jesus did for the disciples. We don’t simply "wash one another’s feet" but we love one another as Jesus loves us.

This love that we show for others in being shown right now in our world. Numerous examples of people reaching out to show love for others. Here are a few examples:

-School teachers learning new ways to teach their students simply because they care about them.

-Healthcare workers putting their own health at risk so that those who are sick can get the care they need.

-Essential personnel working so we can still get the necessities we need

-People calling to check in on others during this time

-Leaving notes on neighbors doors asking if they need help with anything

In a real sense, these acts of love are akin to Jesus being humble, kneeling down, and washing the disciples feet in an act of service and humility.

I wanted to read what for me was the most impactful quote I read from Canoeing the Mountains:

“We are at an exciting crossroads. We are entering a new day and a new adventure. We are not alone. The Spirit of God goes before us. The mission of Christ will not fail. The next steps are going to be demanding. Find the courage and develop the capacity for a new day. We are heading into uncharted territory and are given the charge to lead a new mission where the future is nothing like the past.” (Canoeing the Mountains,page 32)

Our tendency as humans is to go back to what we were doing before because it works for us, even when it doesn't work as well as it could. My hope is that the future is nothing like the past. I know it can’t be and more importantly I know it won’t be. We will come out of this crisis reflecting on what worked and understanding that what we were doing was not nearly as effective as what we had to do during this pandemic. We found new ways to be connected and fellowship together that have and will continue to make our relationships stronger. And we have and will continue to serve one another in humility as Jesus did with the disciples.

Jesus did things a certain way not because he was forced to but because he loved God and loved God’s people. We may be forced to live and do things a certain way right now but we can continue to love God and others through this and beyond this.

Grace & Peace

Kevin

That Dude Jesus

Philippians 2:1-11
Being Imitators of Christ
1 If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, and compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,    8 he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God also highly exalted him and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.


So I'm sitting at a table at McClung Middle School and I hear very loudly from the table behind me: "I love Jesus because...DUDE DIED FOR MY SINS."

A little backstory to this: In an effort to better get to know the students we are helping at McClung Middle School we gave each student a questionnaire that asked things such as their favorite color, favorite food, what you like to do in your free time, and most importantly finish the statement: "I love Jesus because." Nineteen students filled out the form and we got answers such as: He gave his life to save me, He created me, He's the reason I'm here, He's my savior, He loves and forgives me, He always has my back, He helps me get through crazy things, and as stated above- the excited shout of DUDE died for my sins. Interestingly enough everyone answered the question and no two answers were the same. Their answers were all different but they were also correct. This despite the fact that the students are primarily "unchurched." If they are unchurched how do they know these things about Jesus?

I'm guessing it's similar to what Paul says to the church in Philippi that we must strive to be imitators of Christ. I believe these students have seen examples of people being Christlike throughout their lives: in their families, loved one, daycares, etc. They have heard of Jesus and seen Christ modeled for them. They have at least seen small examples of lives lived that are worthy of Christ's gospel of self-emptying love.

I know of one specific example of this and that is the teacher in charge of the after school program, Mr. Conderway. During our volunteer orientation we had to discuss and figure out the whole separation of church and state thing. Simply put we couldn't force our beliefs on the students, but if they asked we could share. While talking with Mr. Conderway about how we could share about our faith with the students he said (and I'm paraphrasing): "I've been doing that for 11 years so why wouldn't you? It's exactly what they need to hear. It's exactly what they need to see modeled." How freeing. How uplifting. This teacher in a real sense has been risking his job for 11 years to share his faith. It shows that you don't have to be theologically educated to reach others for Christ. Sometimes we can make it to complicated.

Paul tells the church in Philippi that they must empty themselves as Jesus did and we can do that by being entirely open to reaching them in any way that we can by sharing Jesus' message of love. We can model our lives by showing Christ's self-giving love. Our desire must be, as Paul says, that we love others more than ourselves.

While serving at McClung I have seen that time and time again. I've seen teaching that involved division by using fruit roll up wrappers. Throwing a football with a student for an hour to the point where you let me know on Sunday morning (three days later) that you are still sore. It's as simple as living a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus and sharing it with others, no matter the differences in age, race, and upbringing. Moving forward we can reflect Christ and help these young people understand that God is doing something special within each one of them.

As long as we continue to reflect Christ in this new endeavor, I believe everything else will take care of itself. Just think, if we live a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ-people will see that DUDE JESUS in us.

Grace & Peace
Kevin

Climbing Without a Rope

This is my "abbreviated" sermon manuscript from my sermon on Sunday

Luke 22:14-23 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

14 When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. 15 He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; 16 for I tell you, I will not eat it[a] until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” 17 Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; 18 for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” 19 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.” 20 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.[b] 21 But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. 22 For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!” 23 Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this.

There's a rock climber named Alex Honnold who decided he was going to climb El Capitan, a 3000 foot cliff, in Yosemite national park. Not only was he going to climb the cliff but he was going to "free solo" climb the cliff. If you don't know what free solo means it means to climb without a rope or any other safety equipment. He trained for this climb for almost ten years. When he was interviewed after completing the task he said things such as: everything needs to feel automatic, I couldn't allow doubt to creep in, and it's as much about the spiritual effort as the physical effort. While he was practicing (in his living room) he said this: "it may have felt silly but it still had to get done, everything had to be perfect if I was going to climb the route without a rope. When asked why he wanted to do this he simply said: "I didn't want to be a lucky climber, I wanted to be great. His story brings up a lot of questions for me but they really can be boiled down to one question: why on earth would someone do something like that? The rope is his lifeline and he chose not to use it for help.

Luckily we don't have to go through life without a lifeline. We have that lifeline in Jesus Christ who paid the price for our sins long ago by dying on the cross so that we are redeemed. When Christ calls out from the cross: "Father forgive them; for they know not what they do," I believe that statement is not just for the people present at the cross, or just meant for those who deserted him, or even just for the people alive in the first century. I believe it's for all people for all time. This is key to Christ's gospel and it is our lifeline.

It's important to note that even though we have that life line it doesn't give us permission to act stupidly. We are asked to do the same thing that Jesus' friends were asked to do so long ago. While reading the scripture for this week a couple things really stuck out to me that I would like to share.

When the hour came, he took his place at the table and that he eagerly desires to eat this Passover meal with them before he suffers. The last supper is a pivotal moment in the life and ministry of Jesus and as the moment of his resurrection is approaching Jesus chooses to have this simple meal with his disciples. He calls them his friends and eats with them and gives the meal new meaning by teaching them by example about was it means to show sacrificial love. He redefines the meal by having the bread and the wine represent His body and His blood that are given and poured out for you. He did this willingly and eagerly.

The one who betrays Jesus is with Jesus and his hand is on the table. Judas is there and has already made a deal to turn Jesus over for a payday. Jesus knows Judas will betray him and Jesus still breaks bread with him. Jesus welcomes the person who will turn him over to suffer and be crucified. It's significant to me because Jesus shows what it means to forgive and that EVERYONE is welcome at the table.

I was given this stole for my commissioning from a mentor and pastor friend of mine named Dixie Robertson. She served as an associate pastor and youth director at my home church in Lubbock while I was in junior high and high school. The stole is a communion stole and it's a reminder that we are all God's children and we are all welcome at God's table, no matter what. Even Judas was welcome at the Lord's table. Remember that just because we are forgiven and the price has been paid, that does not give us permission to act stupidly. In John's gospel Jesus says this:

13 No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.  ~ John 15:13-15 (NRSV)

So to be a friend of Jesus means that we are to be in relationship with Jesus. For us today that means that we are called to do as Jesus did and lay down our lives in service to others. It's about sacrificing our wants and sometimes our needs for the betterment of others. We are to be in relationship with Jesus and take on those characteristics for ourselves which means we are to love others as God loves us. Jesus gives us a pattern for showing Christian love to others. The example is given to us by God giving us Jesus and Jesus giving himself up for us.

So Alex Honnold decided to climb El Capitan without a rope. A rope similar to this one pictured that I was given at a sports conference in April by a friend of mine, Bob Schindler. This rope sits in my office but this rope is no longer a useful as a climbing rope. It has a different meaning for me. As you can see, it's black, red, and white. The black represents our sin or the mistakes we make. The red represents Jesus blood which was spilled for us for the forgiveness of our sins. The white represents us having been redeemed by the blood of Jesus. The black always has the opportunity to be present but the red is always there. When we celebrate Holy Communion we remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us. Our sin is washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus so that we are redeemed.

I was listening to a podcast this week and the lead singer of the Christian rock band Skillet said this about his reasoning for writing the song Hero about his #1 hero, Jesus Christ: "I read about this guy who did have the power to lay his life down to save other people: the desperate, the downtrodden, the weak, the needy, the poor, the outcast came to Jesus because they needed help. And Jesus being the greatest hero of all time gave his life so that all of us could live."

Or to put it another way: there is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends.

Jesus took a simple meal with a simple gathering of friends and gave it new meaning when he broke bread with the disciples for the final time. He laid down his life for us and that is what we remember and celebrate communion. Communion is a reminder that we are called to lay down our life for others. Remember that today and "lay your life down" for others in simple ways today.

Grace & Peace
Kevin