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Archive for the tag “Lent”

04 Apr 2012

Lenten Reflections – David Sessions

They asked the son of God, “Who do you think you are?” That’s my rendering at least. The NIV’s “By what authority are you doing these things?” seems to be a kind, passive-aggressive way of asking the same thing, “Who do you think you are?” Jesus was an affront to the Chief Priests’ very way of living. In the last day and a half, Jesus has ridden into Jerusalem (the City of Kings) as though he were a newly coronated king, turned over the money tables in the temple (a major source of their income), and compared them to a fig tree he cursed and killed. Jesus didn’t want to change their religion. He wanted to destroy their comfortable, self-righteous place in society. So, even if the Chief Priests posed the question politely, they wanted to know, “Who do you think you are?” Jesus wants them to ask a better question.

Jesus’ parable of the tenants is simple allegory. God, the man who planted the vineyard, put tenants, the Jewish leaders, in charge of the vineyard. Soon, the tenants, who should have expected to owe the land owner something, beat two of the owner’s servants and kill a third when they come to collect. At this point the parable is reflective, that is, looking back on the way the Jewish leaders have treated God’s prophets. However, the parable turns prophetic when the land owner sends his son, clearly Jesus, and the tenants kill him so they could steal the son’s inheritance. In a matter of days the Jewish leaders will kill Jesus. But, lost in the tragedy of Jesus’ death, is the evil motive of the tenants. They wanted Jesus’ heavenly inheritance.

We have to remember the first Easter was a struggle of power over God’s inheritance. God’s people killed God to steal what was his. All God wanted was his people to give him what he was owed, the place of ultimate power and authority in their lives and society. When God sent his son to collect their devotion, they killed him because they couldn’t stand the thought of losing power: even to their God. So they ask Jesus, “Who do you think you are?”

Jesus’ parable begs them, and us today, to ask a different question. Can we, who hold places of power in our society, who live quite comfortable lives, who have contributed to the imbalance of wealth in the world, who have contributed to suffering, give Jesus what is his? Are we willing to become poor? Are we people who ask, “because Jesus is God, who are we?” Or will we be religious leaders who, when Jesus calls us to love people more than money, ask Jesus, “Who do you think you are?”

May we be a family who joins King David in singing Psalm 55 before The LORD.

Cast your cares on the LORD
and he will sustain you
he will never let the righteous fall.
But you, O God, will bring down the wicked
into the pit of corruption
bloodthirsty and deceitful men
will not live out half their days.
But as for me, I trust in you.

Posted by Jesse Baker in Dave's Musings, Musings and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
03 Apr 2012

Lenten Reflections – Jesse Baker

“The bath of baptism gathers up the tension between sacredness and vulnerability, for baptism is not a pleasant soak in a tub but an immersion in death. As anyone who has ever felt the pull of an ocean undertow knows, water not only has the power to support and comfort us, it has the power to destroy us as well. Waters that close over our head might never open again. Naked and unguarded, we are vulnerable when we bathe.” - Stephanie Paulsell

Reflection:
A friend once told me that when he baptizes someone, he makes a point of emphasizing the power of death in the cleansing water. After taking a new believer’s vows, he does something ever-so-slightly unique to what many of us are used to seeing, something that some may not notice, but others still may even find uncomfortable, something so simple, but so symbolic… He lets the believer lie in the grave for a moment.

More than just a splash in a tub, he allows a sinner to attend the funeral of their own earthly nature. In that brief moment, which must feel longer than it actually is, a new creation has the opportunity to look Death in the eye, and tell it that it no longer reigns.

It’s such a simple and beautiful description of Lent.

In this season, we’ve had the chance to lie in the grave and face the chains of Death, flesh, self-centeredness, and earthly desire…
In fasting, we have tested their hold.
In prayer, we have questioned their authority.
In acts of redemption, we have proven them powerless.
In turning to Christ, we have overcome.

For more than just a moment, we have immersed ourselves in reflection upon our humanity.

For nearly forty days, we have sacrificed our vices, our time, and our selfishness to turn towards God and await the moment when he will lift us from the water towards completion.

Lent pulls on us like an ocean, asking for more, overcoming us with mystery and power. Somewhere, God controls the tides, and He invites us to risk the waves. He wants to take us out to sea, because He knows, when we finally submit to the rhythms of the ocean, we will truly be free.

In this Holy Week, my prayer is that we would allow ourselves to be swept out to sea. The shore is comforting and familiar, but we’ll never find Life on the shore. God is calling us to something deeper, something far more mysterious, something that is vast, beyond our imaginations. God is calling us deeper… and, as we go deeper, we turn our eyes to Jesus, and wait for what mystery the end of the week may hold.

Prayer:
Father, in the waiting, and in the suffering…we cling to you.
Teach us to die to ourselves and submit to the rhythms of your ocean. Let us drift further and further into you. May we cast off our old selves over and over again, every day, so that each day we can be covered by your mercies as if for the first time, each morning.
We love you Father, and we patiently await your return.
Amen.

Posted by Jesse Baker in Jesse's Musings, Musings and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
30 Mar 2012

This Coming Wednesday Night

We started the Season of Lent with Woodmont’s College students by celebrating Ash Wednesday way back on February 22nd. I thought it was a really terrific experience and the people I talked to afterwards said the same thing. Well it seemed appropriate to end the Lenten Season together with the College students the same way we started it.

Holy Thursday, also called Maundy Thursday, is a worship service that remembers the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples before he was arrested later that night when Judas betrayed him. It is typically a more solemn service; more like Ash Wednesday than Easter Morning, but not necessarily a depressing service. When we remember that we, just like Jesus closest disciples, often turn our backs on Jesus, it reminds us all the more powerfully of his indescribable love for us. It also seems to make Easter morning make more sense.

While we will be celebrating Holy Thursday on Wednesday night, I hope you guys who came on Ash Wednesday will come to this too, and bring your friends. So, this Wednesday at 6:30 in room 205 be there and step into the story of Jesus with us.

Posted by davesessions in Announcements, Wednesday Nights, Worship and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
26 Mar 2012

Lenten Reflections – Jesse Baker

Text: Mark 9:30-41
They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ”The Son of Man is going to be delivered over to human hands. He will be killed, and after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, ”Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”He took a little child whom he placed among them. Taking the child in his arms, he said to them, ”Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”

Reflection:
What if Jesus was everything?

Ever the patient teacher, Jesus took time to stop, even on the road to his crucifixion, to give his disciples a lesson. The disciples were dense… and Jesus was painfully aware of it. How frustrating it must have been to teach them over and over again, only to have them argue about which one was the ‘favorite.’ But I believe there must have been a part of Jesus that got a laugh out of the disciples’ awkward spiritual growing-pains.

Some part of the identity of Christ must’ve contained his fatherly view of these boys who were plodding along through the countryside with him. Something about him must’ve looked at them as they teased one another and thought, “You boys are ridiculous, and I love you more than you’ll ever realize.” Sure they must’ve gotten annoying at times, but I bet he loved watching them “grow up” and mature into relationship with him.

I think this is why he showed them his love for the children. It was as if he was saying, “Boys… what if I was everything?” “What if you stopped bickering about who I love and started remembering what it’s like to love without boundaries, prejudices, conditions, or restraint?… What if all you really wanted, was your Father?” “What if just knowing me… was everything?”

The road to Jerusalem must have been a long and heart-wrenching one for Jesus, and he needed them to know why they were walking it. He wasn’t walking towards a throne. He was walking towards a cross.

It’s not about me or my desires… It’s about submission. It’s about dependence.

To be like children, we must remember that we don’t depend on our bank accounts, reliable sedans, neighborhood watch, job security, romances, report cards, or retirement plans. We depend on our Father, Guardian, and Protector; The one who formed us and breathed life into our lungs.

Lent is a falling back into dependence, and a time to remember that we are but children in the arms of a loving and providing Father.

May we trade our earthly maturity for a spiritual one… one that makes us young again.
Posted by Jesse Baker in Jesse's Musings, Musings and tagged , , | Leave a Comment
24 Mar 2012

Lenten Reflections – David Sessions

Text: Exodus 2:23-3:15, Mark 9:14-29 and Psalm 107

Who is God and what does he do?

“I am who I am,” and “All things are possible for those who believe.” The word of The LORD, thanks be to God. But hold on. Thanks for what exactly? These words are puzzling. Why is God so often cryptic?

They are as perplexing to us as they were to Moses and the man with a sick son, respectively. We hear ourselves in their responses when Moses asked, “Who am I” and the nervous father interrupts Jesus with, “I believe! Help my unbelief.” We too have encountered God with desperate needs mixed with the overwhelming sense of inferiority. But isn’t that all the more reason for God to be clear and concise? Shouldn’t an all-knowing God meet us in our anxiety and helplessness and tell us exactly who he is and how he’s going to fix it? Why the riddles?

In the moment, there are no good answers. Sometimes, we must simply live within a mystery, confused and overwhelmed.

While we cannot read the next chapter of our stories, we are blessed to know something of the way a mysterious God conducts himself. We know he used a stuttering, silver-spoon, murderer to deliver his people and we know Jesus healed that man’s boy even though his faith was complicated at best. We too have seen God work in spite of and even through our ineptitude. We know the story of a God who acts mightily on behalf of children who only barley comprehend their father’s name.

We can only barely begin to answer the question, “Who is God?” That is a mystery. But we are rich with answers to those who ask, “What does he do?” If we answer simply, we might just say, “God does everything and will do anything for his people.”

This is the season to live within the confusion and mystery. It is good to confess our bewilderment of God and we should not jump too quickly to the next chapter where God delivers us. We can, however, join our ancient brothers and sisters as they testify,

They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
He brought them out of the utter darkness,
and tore off their shackles.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!
For he shattered the bronze gates,
and hacked through the iron bars.
They acted like fools in their rebellious ways,
and suffered because of their sins.
They lost their appetite for all food,
and they drew near the gates of death.
They cried out to the Lord in their distress;
he delivered them from their troubles.
He sent them an assuring word and healed them;
he rescued them from the pits where they were trapped.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his loyal love,
and for the amazing things he has done for people!

Posted by Jesse Baker in Dave's Musings, Musings and tagged , , | Leave a Comment
21 Mar 2012

Lenten Reflections – Ethan Harris


Text: Mark 6:4-6
Then Jesus said to them, ‘Prophets are not without honor, except in their home town, and among their own kin, and in their own house.’ And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.

Reflection:
I, like many others, have probably read this text with the mindset that this is a story to show how miracles can only be displayed to those who believe, and this story certainly delivers that message candidly. Earlier in the chapter it even states that the people of the town were “offended” by Jesus’s actions. What would cause people to be offended by the miracles of Jesus? Don’t miracles help other people?

I think it is very similar to the observance of the Lenten season. I remember when I was a very young child, and I first heard about Lent. I thought it was weird, and in fact, I was upset when my mother told little old me to give up something for 40 days. I mean, when you are a young boy, 40 days might as well be 40 years. At first I didn’t see any point, and I must admit, that I even cheated a little when I would sneak a cookie I knew I shouldn’t eat (Since I had given up desserts for Lent). But as I got older, I learned more about the purpose of Lent, and it began to hold a special meaning, and now I look forward to Lent.

But to hearken back to my earlier days, the whole idea of Lent was silly and annoying; much in the same way Jesus probably was received for his miracles in his hometown. I mean, I was a good little Christian boy, and why would Lent be something I should do when I already knew all about this “Jesus stuff”. So I didn’t understand why it was important. I feel like one of the problems the people of the city had, was not that they didn’t believe in God, but that they thought they already knew Jesus, and so they couldn’t, in their minds, understand his miracles. In the same way, I felt like I knew Jesus enough, so there was no need to understand him more by giving up stuff I enjoyed. So I hope over this Lent season that I don’t allow what “I think I know” about Jesus, get in the way of really believing in him. Because as soon I as I think I know the answer to the question, I have already missed the point.

-Ethan Harris

Prayer: 
God, I pray that you grant us the insight to put away what we think we know, and to focus what you wish for us to understand.

Posted by Jesse Baker in Musings, Student Submitted and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
15 Mar 2012

Lenten Reflections – David Williams

Galatians 5: 19, 22-23
It is obvious what kind of life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage; [and] all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied wants … But what happens when we live God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard-things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity.

Reflection:
Prayer is at the center of Christian life. Because it is our way of communicating with God, Christians have a duty to pray much and often. The form is simple and very familiar to most Christians: We lift up to God our concerns, our desires, our questions, and our praise, and God answers us as only he can. This is the way it has been since the pre-Davidic era. The only trouble is the space between our prayer and God’s response. Sometimes, it seems that we wait forever for an answer that isn’t coming. We can get so caught up in getting what we want that we miss out on what God wants to do in us.

Much of the time, Christians celebrate the season of Lent by giving up something enjoyable until Easter. One person might give up chocolate, another might forgo watching primetime television. But the spirit of Lent is not so much that we should stop doing the things we like, but rather that we should reorient our lives around God and give him room to work in us by relinquishing something relatively unimportant in our lives.

Lent is good spiritual training because it teaches us that God’s plans and desires should come before ours. God’s will for us doesn’t change depending on our satisfaction, and we shouldn’t live so that we need to be pleased before we listen to God. And more often than not, Lent teaches us that when we put God first in our lives, we don’t have trouble finding joy in our everyday lives-even if we don’t have everything we want.

Practice:
Today, let this Lenten attitude spill over into your prayer life. Draw your focus away from what God can do for you, and spend time listening for what you can do for God. Maybe God is waiting for you. Maybe he wants you to take the next big step in your relationship with him so that he can finally bless you with his plans for the next part of your life. Don’t stop asking God for good things, and don’t stop expecting God to answer your prayers, because he will. But don’t get so caught up in getting what you want from him that you miss what he wants you to have in the here and now. Put God first, and everything else will fall into place.

Posted by Jesse Baker in Musings, Student Submitted and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
13 Mar 2012

Lenten Reflections – Courtney Carpenter

Text: Genesis 50: 15-26
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.  His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.  But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.   Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten years and saw the third generation of Ephraim’s children. Also the children of Makir son of Manasseh were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees. Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oath and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”  So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Reflection:
In this passage the father, Jacob, left it to Joseph to forgive the sins of his brothers. While Joseph did forgive them, he asked “Am I in the place of God?” He knew they must ask God to forgive them. Joseph brought the focus back to God. He made the evil work for good, He will forgive, He will provide. Joseph only focused on God while the brothers were seemingly still focused only on their own saftey.

In our world, we tend to focus on ourselves. What we want and what we need is the focal point. We focus on what God can do for us. I’m not very old but my generation is very self-centered. We are like the brothers, only searching for things that will make us feel better. What if we practiced and strove to be like Joseph? What would it look like if we turned the focal point back to God? What if instead of complaining and being victims in bad situations, people realized that there is growth and goodness in pain and brokenness. What if instead of people trying so hard to please other people, they tried that hard to please God. What if instead of harsh words, anger and revenge you said to your enemy, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, don’t be afraid.” This world is not our home. Heaven is home, because Jesus died and rose. What if we lived in a way that showed how much Jesus loves us? Simply, let go of our human selfishness and put on love.

-Courtney Carpenter

Prayer:
Lord, open my eyes. I want to see you in everything. I want to see you in my life and I want to be a reflection of you to those around me. Lord, give me strength to focus on you and not myself. Guide me Lord, to let go of my selfish nature and put on love.

Posted by Jesse Baker in Musings, Student Submitted and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment
22 Feb 2012

Ash Wednesday 2011

A wonderful service to honor the beginning of Lent along with the college students.

Posted by Jesse Baker in Photos, Worship and tagged , , , | Leave a Comment

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