GO: Lenten Devotion Day 30

Lenten Devotion Day 30

GO

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, 

baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 

and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. 

And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20

Go! It is a simple word. We are doing it constantly as we go to work, go to the store, go to school, go to church, go to the movies...well, you get the point. We "go" a lot. I sometimes wonder how many times in a week I pick up those keys and "go."

As I reflect on my Lenten journey I am also encouraged to stop and wonder how many times I pick up my cross and go. My keys are simple tools to allow me to "go" at a quicker and more efficient pace. Picking up a cross on the other hand...well...there is nothing seemingly quick or efficient about that. To pick up the cross and "go" is burdensome, slow, intentional, and troublesome. So, as I think about the mission of the church - "Go therefore and make disciples" - I am overwhelmed all over again with the impact of that simple word "go."

It isn't just about the mode of which you go (plane, train, automobile) but it is also about the purpose of why you go. It is about the attitude of how you go. "Go, therefore and make disciples..." calls us to live a life that is indeed burdensome, slow, intentional, and sometimes troublesome. It calls us to indeed pick up the cross and not the keys. It calls us to a lifetime of self-denial and seeking others. For some, this seems too much to bear and perhaps that is why Jesus ends it with a promise..."remember, I am with you always..."

As I think of this promise I think of Jesus, stumbling through the streets of Jerusalem. Beaten and abused he is struggling to carry his cross when Simon of Cyrene comes forward to help ease the load. Jesus says, "Take up your cross and follow me" (Matthew 16.24) but to that costly task he says, I will be your Simon of Cyrene - I will be there with you. In Matthew 11:29-30 Jesus says "Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

To "GO" is a frightening thing for many of us. To answer that call seems an overwhelming prospect. Just remember, when God calls us to go - God gives us the way.

GO

And remember

He is with you always

NO: Lenten Devotion Day 23

Lenten Devotion Day 23

NO

He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, 

and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 

He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff;

 no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 

Mark 6:7-8

It would appear that "NO" has become one of the most dreaded words in the church today. In these economic times we are cautious and fearful of dwindling bank accounts and half empty offering plates therefore "NO" has become our answer to most questions. Can we start a new ministry? NO, it will cost too much. Can we give our staff a much need raise? NO, we can't afford it. Can we go into the poorest sections of town and invite them to come to church? NO, we need people who can give to the church. It is sad but I've heard each of these excuses over the past 20 years of being involved in churches. I believe our Bishop said it best last year when he said our churches are operating in a spirit of scarcity - always afraid they will run out or not have enough and therefore they are doing nothing, or a least the bare minimum they can get by with.

I wonder then, as a church, what we are to make of Mark 6:7-8. Jesus is sending his Disciples out into the world for ministry. Did he worry that there weren't enough of them? NO, he send them out only two in a group. Why then do we say we can't do ministry with only 25? Did Jesus worry that they didn't have enough resources? NO, he send them with no food, no facility to store their "stuff" because they had no stuff to store. Did he worry about lack of funds and decreased giving? NO, he sent them with not a dime in their pockets. There they went, two by two, with nothing but a staff and the clothes on their body. Did they go with a spirit of scarcity?

NO

They went with the Spirit of God. They went with the faith to believe Jesus when he said, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?" (Matthew 6:25) They went forth with nothing and yet expecting everything....expecting God's blessing, expecting God's provision, expecting God's Spirit to take them where the needed to go and do with them what needed to be done.

NO is a powerful word and like all things powerful it can be used for good or for evil. Take some time to examine how your church has used that word lately. It is a word employed by fear of not having enough? Or is it a word embracing the power of God to provide all you need? 

Jesus said NO when sent his Disciples out to fulfill the mission of seeking the lost and healing the sick - NO - to worry about what they had, NO - to trying to protect themselves, NO - to doing it their way....and in return they said NO thing and NO one will stop us from doing as you say Jesus.

NO

How does your church use that powerful word?

1...2...3...RED LIGHT!!

Did you ever play that childhood game? It was one of our favorite in the cool mountain evenings of summer. One person (It) turns their back to the other children who are lined up some distance away. Then "It" begins to count...1...2...3...and then yells "Red Light" as they whip around and try to catch someone in motion.  Those in line are trying to take as many steps as they can toward "It" while he/she is counting but when they hear "Red Light" they must freeze before "It" turns and catches them.  If "It" sees you move you must return to the beginning - but if you can manage to freeze every time then you will eventually sneak up and tag "It" and win the game.

Let's be honest, as Christians we are told conflicting messages - "Go therefore..." and "Be still and know..."  Do I go? Do I be still? Sometimes it feels like we are caught up in a cosmic game of 1...2...3...Red light - trying not to get caught moving when we should be still and yet still expected to get somewhere!!  It can be quite difficult to navigate at times can't it?  Listening to God seems to be a fine balance in knowing when to move and when to stay still - knowing when to go fast and when to proceed with caution.  So how do we navigate the playing field with skill?

John 14:15-31 details the promise of the Holy Spirit: "...and he will give you another Advocate, to be with your forever....the Advocate will teach you everything..."

The Holy Spirit is indeed our greatest Advocate and teacher in knowing just when to "Go" and just when to "Be Still."  There are times when the Spirit drives us forward in boldness and courage.  There are times when the Spirit gently tip-toes us through a situation. There are also times, and honestly I find these the hardest, when the Spirit says "Be still, sit down, and watch me work."  Yes, that is the hardest because honestly, we humans would really rather keep control of things ourselves wouldn't we? And yet, in those glorious and amazing moments when I obey and simply sit still - I am awed by what God does.  Somehow, even in following the command to "be still," we are moved forward to victory - for we have obeyed and followed God's will.

Too often Christians have neglected the power of the Advocate in our daily lives. This is a shame since the Holy Spirit was promised to us by God and sent to us for a purpose - to help us "Go" and "Be Still."  The Holy Spirit is the one who abides in us and directs our steps as we follow God's will. The Spirit is the one who whispers to us when we pray and provides the words and answers we need to go on. To ignore the Spirit is to ignore the part of God that abides in us. And when we ignore the Spirit? Well, that is when we get caught moving when we should have stood still - and we end up back at the beginning, having made no progress at all.