First let me apologize for the lack of blogging that has happened during this Lenten Season. We have been really busy and excited about studying the spiritual disciplines and christian personal relationships during this Lenten Season.
I began the Season by celebrating this "spring" which is what "Lent" means by urging fasting, prayer and study, the first three disciplines we studied. I have heard from some that during this Lenten Season they have found that doing a full fast (3 day), partial fast and Daniel fasts (21 days) have been helpful. Many have given up something in order to spend more time in prayer for the Lord's will to be done in our lives as individuals and together as our Cross and Res family. I have been enjoying the study of God's Word and Service during this time of Prayer and Fasting. We are very thankful for the successful trip to Petal Mississippi for the Tornado Relief that we did with Samaritan's Purse. I know the group had a good time of serving. We met some enthusiastic people of God and were able to grow. I am thankful to Norma for coming along and leading. Next year we are going to go to Waveland MS for spring break.
The spiritual disciplines we studied thus far: Prayer, Fasting, Study, Worship, Service, Solitude and Silence, Discernment are all leading us to grow as disciples. These are not laws which have to be obeyed because we are saved by Grace alone! But these are ways that we change our habits and patterns to grow as Children of God. We hear St. Paul's desire for us in Phil 1:6 "he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus!" May we grow as we BELONG, BELIEVE AND BECOME!
This week we continue the spiritual disciplines study with "Evangelism and Celebration." Why do we put evangelism with celebration? I put these together because I believe the best evangelism is not a program approach but a personal relationship approach. "Come and See Jesus" might be the refrain which best describes the hope I have for us in reaching out. I think of John 1:43-51
43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45 Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
50 Jesus said, “You believe[h] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[i] you[j] will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’[k] the Son of Man.”
Can we be Philip to our family, friends and neighbors? I think we strive at Cross and Res to be submissive to our Lord in Worship and let the Holy Spirit lead. We want the PRESENCE, POWER AND PROMISE of Christ to be felt by all. We trust in Matthew 18 that Christ is present when two or more are gathered. We believe in uniting in prayer and in celebrating the true presence of Christ in the Means of Grace through HIS LIVING WORD AND HOLY SUPPER! It is our opportunity then to seek our our Nathanaels and find ways to invite and bring people. I chose the Matthew 10 passage of Jesus sending His Disciples out to underscore how we move into Evangelism by the POWER of the Holy Spirit as Covenant people who the father has chosen to name as his own, our identity, and therefore in obedience we fast, pray and study so that we may in solitude and silence meditate and discern when, how and to whom we share the celebration we experience in worship. We have referred to the people who are our Nathanaels as "People of Peace" which we hear of in Matthew 10:
10 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These
are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called
Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother
John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[a] drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.
9 “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts— 10 no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. 12 As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13 If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
We also recognize from this scripture that we operate as Kingdom people whom the King of Kings has given Authority and Power to live as evangelists, even if this is not our Ephesians 4 "office" gift.
Notice how Jesus instructs his disciples in verse 7 to proclaim "the kingdom of heaven is near" and how they are to share the gospel with words and signs: "heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons." We should, as Kingdom people live lives as evangelists.
I know that setting up evangelism committees and outreach programs causes a lot of anxiety and frustration for some. I have to confess that I have experienced this myself. We are living in a different time when packaged programs do not work and just quoting the Great Commission is received by many as LAW and Guilt. I did not chose Matthew 28:18-20 "18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” as the Gospel lesson this week for this reason. Although there is a huge amount of Gospel there, such as "ALL AUTHORITY HAS BEEN GIVEN TO CHRIST AND THROUGH HIM TO US!" HE IS WITH US ALWAYS! Yes!
Evangelism is a part of who we are and we start as witnesses to what we have heard and seen. Our experience of Celebrating the forgiveness of sins, new life in Christ, healing, joy, hope, power and PEACE are what we share in our lives in "Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth." This is our sermon lesson from Acts 1:4-8
4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with[a] water, but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
This is awesome news again because of the fact that we are expected to start at home discerning those "people of peace" in our lives and by the POWER of the Holy Spirit share with them as St. Peter says in 1 Peter 3:15 "15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." My prayer for us this Sunday is that we not fear or despise evangelism but see it as a discipline which simply means keeping a sensitive spirit to the people whom the Lord our God is calling to himself by the Holy Spirit which we believe, teach and confess as Lutheran Christians in the Third Article of the Creed: "By the Holy Spirit He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies."
May we grow in Celebrating who we are as Covenant and Kingdom People and be as the quote in our Spiritual Discipline pamphlet shares from Donald S. Whitney's Spiritual Discipline for the Christian Life: "Evangelism is a natural outflow of the Christian life." Are we willing to discern who the Lord wants us to invite and bring to the celebration? May the Lord impress upon our hearts HIS WILL and PLEASURE.
Please check out the BIBLE on History Channel. It is too much for the children because it is so realistic, but I think adults may grow from the experience. Please join us on Wednesdays and Sundays for the Christian Personal Relationships class, it has been great. Also please pray for the UPWARDS Basketball program that we sponsor as it winds down and NEXT Sunday at 4 will have the Closing Celebration at the EMU Convocation Center. Please join Vicar Paul and all the volunteers who make this program possible! Also Next Sunday we will have our Palm Saturday Family celebration on Palm Sunday at 9 this year. Please bring your family and friends to this wonderful family event!
Holy Week and Easter Services are coming up in two weeks. Please plan to be at the Seder Meal and Stripping of the Altar on Maundy Thursday starting at 6, Tenabrae Service on Good Friday at 7 and Easter Sunday at 7:45 for Sonrise and 9 for Breakfast and 10:07 for Resurrection Celebration. (We are taking orders for Easter flowers until tomorrow.)
Love in Christ our gracious and loving Savior,
Pastor Bryan
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