Pruning, Cutting and Downsizing

As I read John 15, I see 4 points I would like to highlight:

·         Jesus is the vine

·         God is the Farmer

·         Unfruitful branches are cut off

·         Fruitful branches are pruned  so that they will bear more fruit

It always begins with God, more specifically; humanity begins with Christ, who poured out His life so we could get to God. God is the Farmer. A farmer is hoeing and tilling up the ground, preparing it for seed and then caring and tending to what is growing.  The farmer prunes every branch that is producing so that it will bear more fruit and cuts off every branch that doesn’t bear fruit. He tells us how he prunes – nothing is left to our guessing. He says we are already pruned back by the message he has spoken. When we hear, really hear these words, it does something to our hearts. That’s the living action of the Word of God. Pruning and cutting off are the main actions of these few verses, not the being fruitful. Actually it says we are to be more fruitful. The fruit in this chapter is maturity, “maturing as my disciples”. Most of the action is in down-sizing! There is a bon-fire that burns up the deadwood; those branches that are not connected to the vine, to Jesus who is the source of life, which literally is love.

 Verse 5 says, “when you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. I don’t think God wants us to use a ‘how to’ manual to get some fruit growing so we can be fruitful. The fruit just grows out of this relationship in the vine, this wonderful, intimate, organic love affair that matures. I suppose, if you have to have a manual, it would be a manual about having a relationship with eternal love. Not a manual about getting saved, but the everyday, living, breathing, being transformed into the image of God life of a disciple, who is maturing. There is no work on our part to salvation – it was completed on the cross, but the maturing as a disciple is the work in John 15. So get ready for those pruning sheers and enjoy the new look!

Holy Communion - Remembering Christ’s Death

     For many years I have tried to grasp the magnificence of such a gift God has given to mankind by presenting His son to the world, who dwelt on this planet in skin like us that was ripped apart - sinew, bone and ligament;  severed from His father, racked in the severest of pain, to die broken in body and maybe even in  His spirit. He was fatally pierced for something He never did.  For many years I have pondered, thought about, and even at times anguished over my inability to grasp the very essence of this cruelty that changed the very course of humanity from damned death to life. I’ve had such remorse at times to know that I lack the intimacy needed to feel and be moved at depths worthy of this magnanimous action of will on the cross. Will I ever be provoked by such a willingness to choose what seemed, can I say it – ridiculous, audacious?!

     I have yet to fulfill what I am called into, but I drink deeply in anticipation, racing to the call. I was asked to serve communion, but I’m just beginning the licensing process, with several months of preparation and lack credential.  I’ve put myself under the authority of this process outlined in the church discipline, submitting myself to the process. And then I saw something. When Christ said He only did what the Master told Him to do, that’s what He did. He wasn’t moved by someone’s whim or wants, and yet, because He was God, we see in the scripture that when He was moved with compassion, He acted.  Now this is quite a mystery for me. It’s enough to chew on for a lifetime, maybe forever!

Post 9/11

    

 Yesterday, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, our morning routine was shattered by a loud bang. Our hearts broke when we saw and heard the ambulance taking the victim of a gun shot wound to the hospital. It was a reminder that we live in a world, hostile to grace, filled with war and divisions. I don’t know what caused an individual to pull the trigger and shoot someone a block away from me, and neither do I understand the complexities and the tyranny of judgment someone has against another because they have different lifestyles, beliefs and cultural norms. It’s the breeding ground for hatred and animosity. God really doesn’t need our help in judgment. If anyone had the right to retaliate and take matters into His own hands against the humanity that bludgeoned Him and hung Him on a cross to die, it was the Christ - there was no sin in Him. He was perfect, and yet His life was offensive to those who didn’t believe. It’s hard to keep weapons of anger, hate and suspicion in the face of love. In this post 9/11 world, we can be the first to offer peace.

What Can I Fulfill?

     Fulfill is to bring to realization, or satisfy requirements or obligations, to bring to completion, or develop the full potential. The King James version says in Matthew 5:17 that Christ came to fulfill the law. I never questioned the completion of His suffering on the cross. What He did was complete. So complete that I couldn’t add to it or diminish it by what I do or don’t do. But then I heard another scripture Sunday morning from Romans 13:8b, in that same translation that says, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. I had to think about that. The Message translation says we have a huge debt of love we owe each other, and when we love others, we complete what the law has been after all along. This has really challenged my way of thinking! It seems clear to me that Christ hanging on the cross and spilling His blood and life over and over again for my tendency to sin was not the only act that fulfilled the law. I do have a clean slate and don’t have to carry around my sins, but I do have a debt. I thought all was forgiven? Yes I believe that is correct, but as I enter into that forgiveness, I also have a debt. What comes to my mind is the National debt, which is a few trillion dollars and increasing by the minute. If we divide that debt among all of us, financial experts say, that would be $23,000.00 per person.

     It’s not that kind of debt. This debt of love is not something I take out of the bank or store in a vault. Because I have been forgiven much and I’m forgiven again and again, over and over, I owe a debt. A debt to love in a way that I have been loved when I have been forgiven. It really is exciting to know that I do walk with a clean slate and have been forgiven for my continual weakness’, but it’s still a pretty big mystery to me – and I suppose you may have to ask yourself, what does that debt of love mean to me?

“Love From a Full Tank”

Romans 12: 9-21

You just had to be there to get the full effect and to feel the energy and sweetness that was among us.  That’s how it was on Sunday. It all began when we pulled into Starbucks for our ‘caffeine charge’- bold African that morning, but when we were ready to head out to our first ‘gig’ (Harley preaches at 2 locations every Sunday) we couldn’t start the car.  We had a full tank of gas but it wouldn’t even turn over. We opened the hood to stare at the big dark masses, like we know anything about them?! We immediately start calling for a ride, trying not to fret about the car stalling (after we plunked down $5000 for a rebuilt engine 3 months ago.)

Pretty much, nothing happens without the Pastor, so Harley was getting kind of anxious and nervous about being late, or missing the first service entirely. But he heard this small voice inside say, “Are you going to trust me?”

 It was an unforeseen predicament – he didn’t plan this untimely breakdown, nonetheless Harley started to get anxious trying to figure his way out of our predicament.  He called Bob from church who came right away to our aid after he called John (church soundman) to let him know what was going on. Now John was still at home because he woke up late and just told his wife that he was probably going to stay at home because it would be too late by the time he got ready.  When he heard the pastor was running late, he revved up his engine and headed to church. The jumper cables worked like a charm on our car, and we headed down the road to church.

So Dan happens to be the illustration for his sermon. He really doesn’t like to be the living sacrifice, but it was a good example! But I have to back up, because it wasn’t the first time he heard that question this past week-end.  Dan worked a shift at the motor GP in Indianapolis, and Friday morning he miscalculated his time and set his alarm for the time he should leave, arriving 45 minutes late with high octane anxiety running through his nervous system. But it just so happened he walked in right behind the other worker in his booth! Everyone was running late.

You can trust me! That’s what the small voice said to him over the week-end! He even got a free ticket for his wife (that would be me) to attend Motor GP Sunday afternoon. Everyone at church was chatting about the sufficiency of God during the preliminary activities before the sermon, which almost turned into the sermon due to the time factor; but the conversations were pertinent, illustrating and reminding us of God’s sufficiency.

I am still amazed at how much God cares for us, even down to the smallest of details. How much turmoil is in the world? Who’s going without food today? How many are fighting and what are they fighting about? God knows and cares - down to the smallest detail. Nothing escapes His attention.

Parade People -Matthew 21:1-11

Why was it such a surprise for some? Parades usually aren't a surprise, and not everyone was happy about the whole outdoor procession.  Others were asking, "What's He doing?" Jerusalem should have known the Messiah was coming - but they didn't like the 'interruption'. They were irritated. This King interrupted their plans. But often we plan poorly. It's heart-breaking that what could have been a lavish, victorious celebration, became an upheaval. It was a divided experience.

What do we have to do to celebrate God's way? Expect God to interrupt our plans regularly. Let God give us His ideas. Crucifixion looked like a bad choice! The worst choices we humans can make will not mess up God's intentions or the Son of God being King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Welcome interruption as God's hand - believe that God has the upper hand. Follow Him in joy and get in the front of the parade! The Kingdom of God is 'already upon us' so let's prepare for the parade because we're parade people!

Excerpts from Harley's sermon April 17, 2011
http://www.fifthstreetumc.org/
eaglesridethewind.blogspot.com/

Bones

Ezekiel describes his vision in chapter 37, of a valley of dry bones that were not buried, but scattered, picked clean and destroyed. They were dismembered bone chips. There was no skin on those bones for protection. We can't live without skin, it keeps boundaries. It's also a barrier that allows for absorption. Neither was there a spine or backbone. They weren't standing for anything in that dry desert. Muscle was long gone from those bones indicating perhaps, a lack of spiritual strength. And most importantly, there was no breath, or spirit, God's Spirit.

How did this happen? Long before Ezekiel had this vision, God told him to eat 'this book', eat the Word of God. We are consuming all the time - feeding on something. When we feed on God's Word - feast on it, we are nourished. This dead jumble of bones, or army as some commentators call them, had starved themselves to death.

Instead of digesting God's Word, there is the temptation to eat 'bad food' or just fill up on junk food. We have access to plenty of stories, teachings and prophesies in the bible that are true and pertinent to the world we live in today. We live in a devastated world. Where are God's people in these times? We don't ignore the chaos, but believe in resurrection for Egypt, Syria, Japan, Libya, Afganistan, Ivory Coast and the list goes on and on. Ezekiel saw a picture of resurrection power. And this is the kind of power we need today.

Excerpts from Harley's sermon 4.10.11 Ezekiel 37:1-14
http://eaglesridethewind.blogspot.com/
fifthstreetumc.org