Nothing Else Matters

Today we visited the River Jordan, the place of Jesus’ baptism. I had the opportunity to remember my baptism thanks to Lisa being willing to go in the water with myself and Steve. 

There were a lot of people there and we were a little pressed for time before going to our next destination. We quickly put on the robes and went straight down to the river Jordan. It was busy and chaotic and we had to rush. There were people of many nationalities present to remember their baptism or be baptized. They were all disciples of Christ-as Tim so eloquently pointed it out in our devotion time. Did I mention there were a lot of people there? 

As we got into the water and Lisa said words for us to remember our baptism, everything else went away. As Steve put it at devotional tonight, in that moment nothing else matters. And it was true. We didn’t notice a small child sitting and watching at the edge of the water the whole time. We didn’t notice others taking pictures. We weren’t thinking about how we would have to rush and change and be back on the bus in ten minutes. In that moment it was simply the three of us and God. I’m not surprised that being in such a meaningful place that we were able to block everything else out.

Such an amazing experience to be in the presence of the God we serve. I know many others have had a similar experience in such a special place. 

Grace & Peace

Kevin

Magdala

Sometimes I go into something with preconceived notions and expectations of what I think is going to happen or what I’m going to experience. I try my best to not have have these expectations when I venture to places I have never been. But as I journeyed to the Holy Land I couldn’t help but look at the itinerary and see what sites we were visiting each day. I looked at the first day and got excited about visiting the Sea of Galilee, the Mount of Beatitudes, and the church of the fishes and loaves-which is the traditional site of the feeding of the 5000. The site on the itinerary about visiting the town of Magdala was really an afterthought when up against those other powerhouse locations from scripture. Well I should have known that it would be the most powerful because i didn’t think it would be that meaningful.     

Don’t get me wrong, all the sites were amazing but Magdala really stood out for a variety of reasons. We saw the ruins of a relatively newly discovered first century synagogue which included a rectangular stone from when the temple was standing. The chancel area in the chapel had a boat (yes-a not) that was uniquely positioned with a view of the Sea of Galilee behind it so it looked like the boat was on the water. It’s almost like it was placed that way on purpose. And the church on site was made in honor of Mary Magdalene, Old Testament women, New Testament women, and most importantly women of today. What a powerful message and representation of such a magnificent church.

My point is that sometimes we need to simply let go of our expectations and simply BE. Be in the presence of God and hear what God has to say through us through creation.

As Psalm 46:10 says: “Be still and know that I am God.” Do that and you might be surprised how God will speak to you.

Grace & Peace

What is Your Value?

Take a look at the picture of currency from different countries. They are from the United States, Kenya, New Zealand, and Fiji. Notice a couple things about them. First, the money has pictures of well known people on them such as presidents, gold medal winning rugby players, and of course-cool animals. Second, you'll notice two different looking Kenyan schillings. The 200 bill is almost out of circulation so it will have no value and is being replaced by the newer, fancier, cooler looking bill (which is shown by the 500 bill). Third, as awesome as the $7 Fiji bill is-it has no monetary value here in Texas. Likewise the Kenyan schillings have no value here. By the same token (pun intended)-the $2 bill would hold no monetary value outside of the United States. The $2 bill is worth two bucks but I value it more than someone else would because it includes a stamp on it that is the logo of a musician friend of mine. Years ago when I ordered one of his cds he sent the stamped $2 bill in the shipment as a thank you. Now the bill is my favorite bookmark. It begs the question, what is the value of money? It's all in the eye of the beholder. Here's a scripture that helps me understand value.

"Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?" But he perceived their craftiness and said to them, "Show me the denarius. Whose head and whose title does it bear?" They said, "The emperor's." He said to them, "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's and to God the things that are God's" And they were not able in the presence of the people to trap him by what he said; and being amazed by his answer, they became silent.    ~Luke 20:21-26

When Jesus is questioned about taxes he places value on the money but not much value on it. He recognizes something far more valuable than money. The people are trying to trick him into saying something that can get him arrested. When asked if it is lawful to pay taxes to the emperor (who was viewed as God by some) Jesus seemingly has two ways to respond. If he says yes it is lawful to pay to the emperor then he will lose credibility with his followers because as the son of God why would he be paying someone else who claims to be a God. If he says no it is not lawful then he could be arrested for going against the emperor. So naturally, Jesus cleverly comes up with a third better option. He simply asks whose face is on the coin and they respond by saying "the emperor's." Jesus then says to give the things to the emperor that are the emperor's and give to God the things that are God's. He has cleverly subverted their expectation with his answer and we all learn from it.

But what exactly does he mean when he says give to God what is God's? It's in direct opposition to giving money to the emperor. So what are we to give to God? We are to give ourselves to God. We are to give every fiber of our being to God. God doesn't want us to offer all the money and materialistic things we have, God wants us to offer ourselves and all that we are. And God values each and every person more than anything else and none of us can ever be replaced. Just my read on what Jesus is trying to say here.

Grace & Peace

Kevin

Why I'm United Methodist

I have been United Methodist since I was a child and I plan on remaining United Methodist. My experience in the United Methodist Church interacts with scripture and informs my understanding of what it means to be a follower of Christ. I appreciate the connectionalism of the UMC. There's a great metaphor from a book called The Lego Principle that speaks to this: 

"While LEGO bricks are so varied, they all have one purpose: to connect at the top and at the bottom....This is the LEGO principle: Connect first to God and then to one another." (The Lego Principle, page 3) 

I feel like sometimes we focus so much on connecting with God we forget to focus on connecting with others. As I said on Sunday, as a youth and college student I drifted away from attending church on a regular basis. During that time in the wilderness, I never missed an opportunity to go to summer camp at Ceta Canyon Methodist Camp. I struggled with the local church but unbeknownst to me-going to the Ceta Canyon kept me plugged in to my faith as I struggled with my own local church until a mentor invited me back. My struggle is more of a reflection on me than on the church I attended but being able to stay connected through conference camp ultimately helped keep me in the fold. I connected with other youth and other camp counselors and that helped to sustain my faith. I witnessed this as a youth director when busy schedules and excuses got in the way of youth regularly attending Sunday and Wednesday activities but they wouldn't miss a chance to go to summer camp or on a summer mission trip with youth they had met from other churches.

My reason informs me that I don't know or understand everything (as much as I might like to) and that I must witness and live out the gospel in a way that is thoughtful and respectful to everyone. I appreciate the diversity of the United Methodist Church. Not just a diversity of of race, and culture but a diversity of opinions. This diversity and difference allows for discussions with those different than ourselves. These discussions and relationships are how we learn and come to appreciate other people and other points of view. Although we are different "United Methodists as a diverse group of people continue to strive for consensus in understanding the gospel. In our diversity, we are held together by a shared inheritance and a common desire to participate in the creative and redemptive activity of God." (BOD paragraph 105) We don't have to be of one mind but can and should be of one heart and that heart is to lead everyone to follow Christ. We learn and grow when we are in conversation with those who are different than us. The church should be the model we see at the birth of the church in the book of Acts and that church is a church of diverse people.

Jesus tells us that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second greatest commandment is to love our neighbor. And our neighbor is everyone. One of our foundational beliefs as United Methodists is our believe in grace. We are given grace as a gift from God-it is undeserved and unmerited. God gives us grace before we even know God and God loves us so much that God sent Jesus to die for us to atone for our sins. This grace is something we need to extend to everyone. Jesus didn't shut people out and neither should we. Jesus even gathered with his betrayer Judas knowing that Judas was responsible for his death. If we are to be like Jesus then we must show grace to everyone-even those we don't agree with.

Grace & Peace

RevKev

To the Ends of the Earth

Acts 1:4-8 (CEB)

To the Ends of the Earth

4 While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: 5 John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6 As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?” 7 Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has set by his own authority. 8 Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

At the airport as we prepared to leave for Kenya, I told our team that my hope was that I would be able to bless the Kenyan people as much as they would bless me. Well, once again I failed at this goal-maybe. The Kenyan people are such a blessing. They welcomed us wherever we went. They smiled, they waved, they sang, they even danced. I wondered out loud to Steve (who was a team member) how the church in America could grow if we welcomed guests and people that were different than us like the Kenyans welcomed us? What would happen if we treated outsiders the way the Kenyans treated us.

One of the major projects we did while we were in Kenya was to build an AIDS orphan home. Building the home takes some adjustment as they are not built in the typical way we would expect. It’s a 10x20 house with two rooms, one for the males and one for the females.

The AIDS orphan homes are built through a partnership with the Maua Methodist Hospital and are put in the name of the youngest child, whether it's a boy or girl. The hospital even petitioned the government to allow land and homes to be in a females name. To date, over 300 homes have been built through this partnership. We built a home for a 13 year old boy named Tecklus and his grandmother Ruth. He has lost both of his parents. He was overcome with emotion at the house dedication because he was sad that his mother never had a house of her own.

So why is it important to do international missions when there is plenty to do close to home? When Jesus leaves the disciples he says they “will be his disciples in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” To put that in context for our time: Jerusalem (Joshua), Judea (Texas), Samaria (US), and of course the ends of the earth is the ends of the earth. The disciples were given instruction by Jesus himself to be disciples to the entire earth.

I think a major reason that missions outside of our own community is so important is not only about the work of service but also gives us the opportunity to be disciples of spreading Christ’s messages while at the same time experiences a perspective and culture that is different than our own.

For example, these homes cost 3 million Kenyan schillings to build which converts to $3000 US dollars. This amount includes the materials for the house, the pay for the foreman Charles and his team, insurance for the entire family for a year (which costs only $60 a year), two mattresses, two blankets. As I said before, it’s a 10x20 house with two rooms and has concrete floors, and four two windows on each side of the house for airflow. The US dollar goes a long way in Kenya-quite frankly-$3000 can change the lives and fortunes of an entire family in Kenya. And we can always send money, in fact St. John the Apostle gave $6000 (3000 of which was donated by the youth group) so that two homes could be built. We built one last week and another home will be built in the offseason when mission teams don’t visit Kenya by Charles and his team. Had we just sent money we would have missed out on so much more.

Charles continually had to tell me: pole, pole-which means slow down. Had he not told myself and the team to slow down from time to time we would not have been able to get to know the homeowner (who is 13) and others in the small community as well. During this pole, pole times I could be found building structures with the small pieces of wood or playing soccer with the neighborhood children.

 

You probably can’t tell by this picture but their soccer ball was a cloth bag stuffed with other cloth and plastic bags tied together with twine. In fact while playing the kids occasionally had to rewrap the twine. It didn’t matter that the kids didn’t have a soccer ball to play with-they made due with what they had and still had a lot of fun. It’s simply amazing how resourceful the Kenyan people are with their resources. They have Jesus and faith in their lives and continually praise God for what they have (no matter how little that is).

One instance of this praising God was when we were welcomed at the Karurune school where we assisted the hospital with a medical camp. The medical camp involved us giving the 900 plus people there deworming tablets as well as screening them for blood pressure, malnutrition, and checking their eye sight. When we arrived at this school we received a welcome like no other. We were welcomed with a young child singing a poem she had written about being an orphan and being rescued by God through the help of the Clark Early Education Center School which I have visited all three of my trips to Kenya. This school actually celebrated their 10 year anniversary yesterday and this young girl sang at the celebration to sing of her gratitude.

In fact there was a nine year old boy that visited the medical camp who had lost one eye and was couldn’t see well out of his other eye. He was able to get an appointment at the hospital on Monday and due to a $48 donation from the church was able to get screened and receive a specialized pair of glasses. Did I mention the American dollar goes a long way in Kenya?

There were so many moments that struck a chord with me and I’ll be sharing those on my blog over the next couple of weeks-I wasn’t able to do that on the trip due to spotty and often no WiFi but maybe that’s because God was telling me to chill, be in the moment with friends, and wait to share the stories once I got home. But I’d like to end with this.

The day we were finishing the house I was slowly carving my name into a block of scrap wood with my pocket knife. Tecklus looked me straight in the eye, smiled, and quickly ran off into a small house in the community and returned about a minute later with this tree branch that was hot to the touch that had a charcoal tip. It’s really a primitive pencil when you think about it. I quickly wrote my name on the piece of wood and gave it to Tecklus, he in turn gave me this small piece of wood from his house with his name etched on it.

Anytime I look at the small piece of scrap wood that Tecklus gave me, I will be reminded of three things:

1. The resourcefulness of the Kenyan people and

2. The time I got to spend getting to know Tecklus

3. Tecklus saw I was struggling and provided an easier and different solution for a problem.

I can only hope that each of us can reach out and show God’s love to people who might be struggling. To be able to reach out to those who are different than us. That’s what I would have missed out on had I just sent money and not gone “to the ends of the earth.” It’s important for us to serve those in and around Joshua AND throughout the world. When you have the opportunity to travel 1/2 across the world on a mission trip I encourage you to do so. Go so you can see how other cultures live and experience the blessings that other cultures have to help you grow as a disciple.

Grace & Peace
Kevin

Finding the Joy

Lisa told the team this morning that today we shouldn’t worry about anything else but instead to focus on the joy. So today I did that.   

One of the bests parts of the trips to Kenya for me is when we have the opportunity to go to church and worship with the Kenyan people. So I knew that finding joy wouldn’t be difficult but I decided to pay closer attention to it because after all…I am Lisa’s favorite pastor  it was in the middle of a humorous conversation but I contend her comment still counts.

We went to the New Hope Church this morning and sat in on the childrens Sunday School lesson. They begin with singing and the first song had verses with the following lyrics:

I want to clap, clap, clap.

I want to jump, jump, jump.

I want to dance, dance, dance.

Followed by the chorus of: When people see me, they see Jesus.

We attended the youth service which was primarily in Swahili and although we didn’t know the words they were singing in was still powerful because the singing was led by three youth and their hearts were truly into their praise and worship of God. Stanley Gitari introduced the team and was so joyful when sharing about the many blessings the water well, which provides clean water, has brought to that entire community. 

In the afternoon we visited the Sodzso Boys Rescue Center. We heard about the amazing work done there to provide help for the children from the street. My first thought was how young the boys were who there and how sad and tough that was to hear. But my thought quickly shifted to how amazing it was that they were being rescued because of the thoughtfulness, kindness, and generosity of others. And then we got to play football (American soccer) with the boys, which for me was the most joyful part of the day. The boys patiently and expectantly waited for us so we could play with them. While playing I didn’t think once about how dumb it was that didn’t bring a change of clothes so I had to play in a polo, dress slacks, and dress shoes. The laughter and smiles on the faces of the boys and those adults playing was definitely joy filled. They were laughing and smiling even when getting hit in the face of with the ball or running full speed into each other and getting knocked down. 

There is so much negativity that we can choose to focus on when there is SO MUCH MORE that can bring us joy. I admit that I struggle with finding it sometimes because I spend time worrying about what is to come instead of looking at what is right in front of me. God truly wants us to be a joyful people. As the song we heard this morning said: “When people see me they seeing Jesus,” how cool it would be for them to see the joy and love of Jesus in you? We were made for it but we have to get out of our own way and look for the joy. Thanks for the direct and not so subtle reminder, pastor Lisa. I am so grateful for you and your heart.

So those of you reading this-where did you find joy today or where will you find joy tomorrow? I’d love to hear about it in the comments on Facebook-so others can hear about it too!!

Grace & Peace & Joy

Rev Kev

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?