Tag: John

Let Your Light Flood In (September 10, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

Look upon me, O Lord, and let all the darkness of my soul vanish before the beams of your brightness. (Saint Augustine of Hippo)

…Listening In…

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…What came into being through the Word was life, and the life was the light for all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness doesn’t extinguish the light. (John 1:1, 3b-5; context)

…Filling Up…

This week we are going to talk about light. And by extension that means we’ll also talk about darkness. These are two images that appear over and over again throughout the Bible. The Gospel according to John uses them quite a bit to talk about people who are living the way that Jesus teaches (those who walk in the light) and to talk about people who are not (those who walk in darkness). Often, people are confused into thinking that light and darkness are equal, but opposite concepts. But John sees it differently – in the poetry of the prologue to the Gospel (part of which is quoted above), John says that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness can’t really do anything to stop it.

This poetic use of light and darkness illustrate a more complicated theological point about good and evil, which boils down to this. Good wins. It may not always look like the mostly likely outcome, but this is the claim that John is making. Think about these two examples.

First, you walk down a dark hallway and stop in front of a door. Inside the room all the lights are on. You open the door. Now, what happens? The darkness moves from the hallway through the open doorway, and enters the room, right? Of course not. The light from the room always floods into the dark hallway. Darkness doesn’t extinguish light. In other words, evil doesn’t win in the end.

Second, lighting a candle in a dark room provides a sphere of dancing light around the flame. Have you ever seen a ball of dancing darkness in a bright room? Of course not. Light always triumphs over darkness. John uses the language of light to talk about Jesus Christ because of light’s power to brighten the dark places of the world and of our lives. Stay tuned for more about light in the days ahead.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you bathe us in the light of your grace. Help me to open the doors of my soul and let your light flood in. Help me to ignite my spirit with your fire and take it to dark places; in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, knowing that you are a light that never goes out. You are always shining on the path that takes me home.

Practicing Peace (May 11, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

The purpose of the worship of God is to help us see our dependence on God and the vast resources that God wants to lavish on our lives. (Ian S. Markham)

…Listening In…

“I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you. Peace I leave with you. My peace I give you. I give to you not as the world gives. Don’t be troubled or afraid.” (John 14:25-27; context)

…Filling Up…

Our eighth moment in the typical worship service is something that wasn’t part of a typical worship service until a little more than thirty years ago. Well, let me rephrase – the passing of the peace of the Lord is one of the oldest traditions in the worship of the Christian church, dating back to the “kiss of peace” in the earliest days of Christianity. Then at some time over the centuries, it fell out of practice, only to be recovered in the Book of Common Prayer that we use now in the Episcopal Church. (Other denominations pass the Peace, as well.)

The Peace is the fulcrum of the service, the pivot point between the liturgy of the Word (everything we’ve been discussing up until now) and the liturgy of the Table (everything we will discuss following this). We have praised God, listened to scripture and interpretation, said what we believe, prayed, and confessed our sins. Soon we will partake of Holy Communion. But first, we pause to practice greeting one another with the peace of God.

Peace is not just the absence of conflict. In a greater sense, peace is the abiding presence of God. When we greet one another with the peace of God, we express our desire that the other may forever be held in the palm of God’s hand, may forever abide in God’s presence. During our worship, we practice this greeting in the safe space of the church among those with whom we feel comfortable. It becomes easy to bring God’s peace to our fellow churchgoers.

But the challenge is taking the peace of God out into the world where it is sorely needed. Just imagine how different we could make the world if we brought with us into every handshake and high five and wave and embrace, the peace, which passes all understanding. God’s abiding presence exists with or without our awareness of it, but when we move through our lives wrapped in the peace of God, we will affect everyone we encounter for the better.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are the source of all peace; help me to dwell in the ocean of that peace whenever my heart is troubled so that I may know that I am in your presence and have nothing to fear. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, glad to have the opportunity to worship you freely and to bring my weekend worship into my weekday life.

Live the Good News (May 7, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

The purpose of the worship of God is to help us see our dependence on God and the vast resources that God wants to lavish on our lives. (Ian S. Markham)

…Listening In…

Jesus did many other things as well. If all of them were recorded, I imagine the world itself wouldn’t have enough room for the scrolls that would be written. (John 20:25; context)

…Filling Up…

Our fourth moment of our typical worship service is really several moments stitched together. In a standard service, we read several items from the Bible, and then a preacher delivers a sermon inspired by something in one of the readings. Rather than giving the sermon its own moment, we weave it together with the readings because the two shouldn’t be separated. We call the readings “The Word of the Lord,” and we hope to hear a message that is a word from the Lord. Faithful preaching is a mysterious mixture of study, prayer, listening, and proclaiming, all wrapped in trust that the Holy Spirit is present in the spoken word so that the lowly words of the preacher might be elevated into lofty inspiration from God.

But let’s back up a step and look at the readings. In a typical service, we read a lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures (often called the “Old” Testament), a portion of one of 150 psalms (which were basically the hymnal to the ancient Hebrews), a lesson from the New Testament (usually part of a letter written to a church or a person), and a lesson from one of the four accounts of the Gospel. We bring the Gospel into the midst of the people as an example for what the Gospel calls us to do; that is, to bring the Good News (which is what “Gospel” means) out into the world through our proclamation, our service, and our love.

The sermon follows the readings not only because its purpose is to elucidate them, but also because the sermon shows that the Word of God is still alive. The sermon takes the passages from the Bible, which have been set for nearly 2,000 years, and shows what happens when the Holy Spirit encounters us through the text. In each sermon, the Holy Spirit breathes new life, new interpretation, new interactions between us and the Word. Every sermon, therefore, is a life-giving engagement with God’s Word, with God’s Good News.

Thus, our fourth moment is about meeting God in the ancient text, which is just as alive now as it was 2,000 years ago. Because it is alive, it can seep into our beings and dwell within us, animating us to be God’s messengers to a world sorely in need of good news.

…Praying For…

Dear God, your Son Jesus continues to move in our lives and continues to write his good news on the vellum of our hearts; help me to be one of the scrolls that he is writing, that the world may be filled with your message of love and hope. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, glad to have the opportunity to worship you freely and to bring my weekend worship into my weekday life.

Do You Love Me? (April 20, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. (N.T. Wright)

…Listening In…

He asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was sad that Jesus asked him a third time, “Do you love me?” He replied, “Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17; context)

…Filling Up…

Day five of our celebration of the Resurrection brings us to one of the most stirring conversations in the whole Gospel. Jesus and Peter sit on the beach following a nice breakfast of roasted fish. And Jesus asks Peter a question: “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” Peter respond, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.” Jesus says, “Feed my lambs.” With small variations, Jesus and Peter repeat this dialogue two more times. A total of three times Jesus asks Peter if Peter loves him. And Peter responds in the affirmative each time. And then Jesus commands him to feed and take care of Jesus’ sheep.

Upon first reading, this is quite the odd passage. Why the threefold question and answer session? Why does Jesus ask Peter such a thing? By the end of the questioning, Peter is hurt because Jesus knows that Peter loves him. Why isn’t Jesus getting it through his head, I head Peter wondering.

What Jesus is doing is slowly sucking poison from a wound. With the threefold question and answer, Jesus renews his relationship with Peter, which Peter had forsaken on the night before the crucifixion. Three times Peter had denied being one of Jesus’ followers. He even went so far as to say, “I am not,” which is the exact opposite thing that Jesus says over and over again in the Gospel: “I am.”

With this dialogue, Jesus washes away the poison that Peter’s denial had sent coursing through Peter’s veins. I can’t imagine how guilty Peter felt about abandoned the one person whom he swore never to abandon. By allowing Peter the chance to say three times how much he loves him, Jesus gives Peter the forgiveness and reconciliation that Peter seeks. And then Jesus gives Peter a mission.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are always ready to forgive my sins and welcome me with open arms into your fold. Help me to accept your openness as a sign that you are always more ready to reconcile than I am to be reconciled to you. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, rejoicing that you raised your Son from the dead and showed me that nothing in all of creation can separate me from your love.

Words Outside of Time (April 19, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. (N.T. Wright)

…Listening In…

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. Look at my hands. Put your hand into my side. No more disbelief. Believe!” Thomas responded to Jesus, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus replied, “Do you believe because you see me? Happy are those who don’t see and yet believe.” (John 20:27-29; context)

…Filling Up…

Day four of celebrating the Resurrection with statements from the Risen Christ. Today we fall to our knees with the disciple Thomas who, upon seeing the Risen Jesus, makes the most extraordinary statement of Jesus’ divinity in the entire New Testament: “My Lord and my God!”

This happens following Jesus telling him to believe. I love this. Jesus invites Thomas to fulfill the criteria for belief that Thomas had set out to the other disciples (the finger and hand stuff), but the text never says that Thomas goes through with the examination. Rather, it seems that Jesus’s command that Thomas believe is enough to bring out Thomas’s exclamation of Jesus’s divinity.

“No more disbelief. Believe!” So says Jesus – and Thomas obeys. This immediate, face-to-face encounters contrasts with the next words that Jesus says: “Do you believe because you have seen me? [Blessed*] are those who don’t see and yet believe.”

Here Jesus is no longer talking to the people in the room. He is talking to the readers of the Gospel – back when it was written and today. Jesus is not taking Thomas to task for his need for physical proof; rather, Jesus – through the pen of the writer of the Gospel – is encouraging all those who believe in him and yet have never seen him. This is dialogue that takes place outside of time and speaks to people of all times.

We who have never seen Jesus might think that his first followers are the blessed ones because they got to walk around with him, hear him teach, see him perform miracles. But Jesus says the opposite. He says that we are the blessed ones (not that they weren’t – Jesus just makes a point to say that we are). This encouragement to believe with no proof is the basis for the life of faith. Jesus commands Thomas to let go of his disbelief and believe. Jesus says the same thing to us. And he blesses us to actually be able to do it.

…Praying For…

Dear God, in the quiet of the night you knit your faith into my very being. Help me to hold onto your promises when I feel myself slipping away from you, that I may hear Jesus calling me once again to believe, and in hearing him, follow his voice. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, rejoicing that you raised your Son from the dead and showed me that nothing in all of creation can separate me from your love.

* I put the word “Blessed” here instead of “Happy” as it is above because, while I love the CEB translation, I think “happy” is a poor choice here. “Happiness” in today’s context is just too shallow for what Jesus is really talking about.

Peace be with You (April 18, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. (N.T. Wright)

…Listening In…

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.” Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” (John 20:21-22; context)

…Filling Up…

We are celebrating the Resurrection by looking at the words of Jesus. You may recognize some of the following from my sermon from last Sunday – but I thought a refresher a few days later might be a good idea – for me as well as all of you.

The peace that Jesus brings the disciples is a standard greeting and so much more. It is a greeting like “Shalom” or “Salaam” are today. It is also an antidote for fear. Think about the disciples on that day of the Resurrection. They are afraid, confused, uncertain. And into these things, Jesus comes and says, “Peace be with you.” He comes to them even though the door is barricaded. He comes to them even though three days earlier he had died an excruciating death on the cross. He comes to them even though they aren’t expecting him, even though they haven’t understood what he told them about who he is. And when Jesus gives them peace, their fear turns into joy.

But let’s not stop there: let’s go a level deeper. When the Risen Christ offers the disciples peace, he is also offering them “the abiding presence of God.” This is how a friend of mine described what “peace” means to her, and I adore her definition. Peace is not simply the absence of conflict. Peace is “the abiding presence of God.” Peace happens when we tune ourselves to God’s abiding presence. Peace happens when we resonate with God’s movement in our lives. Peace happens when we discover the inner serenity that God provides in the midst of the maelstrom of activity that marks our lives today.

And “Peace” is also a mission, which is why Jesus sends the disciples out with Peace on his lips and his breath filling their lungs. As the spiritual descendents of the disciples, we have the same mission. So let’s bring the peace of God into every handshake, every embrace, every nod of the head, every greeting we participate in today and everyday.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are the source of all peace in my life. Help me to breathe in your Holy Spirit and know in my deepest parts that your presence abides and I meet you wherever I might go. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, rejoicing that you raised your Son from the dead and showed me that nothing in all of creation can separate me from your love.

Saying Your Name (April 17, 2012)

Published on by Adam Thomas1 Comment

…Opening To…

Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. (N.T. Wright)

…Listening In…

Thinking he was the gardener, she replied, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him and I will get him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabbouni” (which means Teacher).  (John 20:15-16; context)

…Filling Up…

Today is day two of our celebration of the Resurrection, in which we are looking at the words Jesus says following being raised from the dead. Yesterday, Jesus asked Mary Magdalene two questions. She thinks he is the gardener, so she accuses him of stealing Jesus’ body. Something blinds Mary from seeing Jesus for who he is – grief, fear, expectations that are too small?

But then Jesus says the all-important word: “Mary.” And she turns and her sadness vanishes in an instant of delight. And new hope, new life surges in to fill the void. “Teacher!” she shouts, and I imagine her jumping into his arms. Then Jesus gives her a task – to be the first to proclaim his resurrection.

So why does Jesus saying her name change the story? Why is this the pivotal word? Saying Mary’s name proves Jesus’ relationship with Mary. Her name is the outward sign of her inward identity. In this way, names are quite sacramental. Know a name and you know something of the person. Who among us didn’t feel elation when we found out our high school crush did, in fact, know our names?

Saying Mary’s name is Jesus’ shorthand for saying that he has returned just as he promised and that life would never be the same again because their relationship would never end. This is the good news of the resurrection: Christ rose from the dead to show us that nothing, not even death, has the power to keep him from remaining in relationship with us. Christ knows each of our names. They are written in the book of life. They are written on his heart, just as his name is written on ours. As Jesus called Mary to deeper relationship by saying her name, he calls to each of us. He calls to each of us, speaking our names, and thus ourselves, into being.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you knew me while I was still in my mother’s womb; before my own parents even knew my name, you were speaking it, and thus speaking me into being. Help me to draw closer in my relationship with you, that I may hear you calling my name every day of my life. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, rejoicing that you raised your Son from the dead and showed me that nothing in all of creation can separate me from your love.

Two Questions (April 16, 2012)

Published on by Adam Thomas1 Comment

…Opening To…

Jesus’s resurrection is the beginning of God’s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. (N.T. Wright)

…Listening In…

As soon as she had said this, [Mary Magdalene] turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she didn’t know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” (John 20:14-15; context)

…Filling Up…

Over the next two weeks of devotiONEighty, we are going to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection. I know I’m a week late – last week I celebrated Jesus’ Resurrection by taking a week off of devo180 – but that’s okay, because in the church we celebrate Easter for seven weeks. Well, we celebrate the Resurrection every Sunday, but we celebrate it with special focus during the seven weeks after Easter. So, how are we going to celebrate on devo180? Glad you asked. Each day over the next two weeks, we are going to look at something Jesus said in one of the four accounts of the Gospel in the chapters that follow his Resurrection. We’ll start with John. (You knew that was coming right?)

The first time Jesus speaks after the Resurrection is to Mary Magdalene in the garden near his empty tomb. He asks her two questions, but he already knows the answers. (Isn’t that how it always is when Jesus asks questions?) “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” Leaving aside the bad grammar (For whom are you looking?), I wonder why Jesus asks these particular questions.

The first is more obvious – Mary is distraught that his body is gone, and apparently the angels she saw in the tomb did nothing to alleviate her anxiety. And so she is crying when Jesus, whom Mary mistakes for the gardener in the next verse, approaches her. He knows why she is crying, but he also knows that in a moment she will completely forget her tears. Thus, his question, I think, is less “What are you crying about?” and more “There’s no need for tears.”

His second question is one that reaches out of the Gospel and grabs me by the front of my shirt. “Who are you looking for?” This is a question each of us should be listening for Jesus to ask us every single morning when we wake up. I doubt the first time we hear this question, will we respond, “You, Lord.” Nor the second time. Nor the third. But as we follow Jesus, as we walk closer in his path, perhaps over time, we will come to seek Christ daily. And when we hear him ask the question, we will respond with his name.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are the one whom I seek. Help me to seek you all the days of my life, so that I may know that you turn my tears of sorrow into tears of joy. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, rejoicing that you raised your Son from the dead and showed me that nothing in all of creation can separate me from your love.

The Sixth Word: “It is completed” (April 5, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle; of the mighty conflict sing; tell the triumph of the victim, to his cross thy tribute bring. Jesus Christ the world’s Redeemer from that cross now reigns as King. (Venantius Honorius Fortunatus, from The Hymnal 1982)

…Listening In…

When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed.” Bowing his head, he gave up his life. (John 19:30; context)

…Filling Up…

For the last seven devos of Lent: last week and during this Holy Week, we are encountering Christ’s seven last words from the cross. These “words” are actually full sentences, and there are three in Luke, three in John, and Matthew and Mark share one, as well (though with a slight variation). For each of the words, I have written a song; now, the songs may or may not include the sayings themselves. Rather, think of them as my response to Jesus speaking out from the cross, a place of vulnerability, shame, and torment – that Jesus turned into a place of majesty, love, and salvation.

For each song, I gave myself no more than two hours to write and one hour to record it. These are by no means polished songs; they are the responses of my heart to Christ crucified. I hope that they enrich you on your Holy Week journey as they have enriched me. What follows is “Ten Years,” my response to Jesus’ fourth word from the cross.

(If you can’t see the music player, download the song here.)

I was sitting in the back pew on a Sunday morn
Pondering the sermon when my heart felt strangely warm
Whispers of grace set my life ablaze
And I heard you say, “I’ll be with you for all of your days.”

In the spring the next year I was reading from your saints,
And I saw my life clear as a brilliant artist paints.
The plan of your call there for me to see,
But the path was never as clear as I wanted it to be.

I’ve followed you for ten years,
Sometimes near and sometimes far;
You gave me courage when fears
Told me you’re not who you say you are.
But I wonder what you finished
On that cross at Calvary;
Is it just a faint wish
To believe you saved me?
‘Cause I’ve followed you for ten years
and the journey’s long and rough;
Sometimes I waver then hear
Someone say your grace is good enough.
But the fear still pulls me under,
The light seems far away.
Forgive me that I wonder
What did you finish that day?

I was saying healing prayers for teens one summer when
The Holy Spirit flowed through me and brought new life to them.
When we were done, I just sat and cried;
I was unprepared for how much God I could keep inside.

Nearly two months into first year classes at my school,
I was reading prayers at chapel, felt like such a fool.
Called you by name, but no prayer was found:
How could I be praying everyday and forget you’re around?

How come I can hear your call and ignore it just the same?
How come I can know you heal, yet pretend that I’m still lame?
You never said that this life I chose
Would be easy but you promised to be with me till the close.

…Praying For…

Dear God, help me to know that doubt is a part of faith. Help me to know that the good work you have started in me is far from complete, but is ever moving towards fulfillment. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, kneeling at the foot of the cross and feeling Christ’s arms of love reaching out to embrace the whole world.

The Fifth Word: “I am thirsty” (April 4, 2012)

Published on by Adam ThomasLeave a comment

…Opening To…

Sing, my tongue, the glorious battle; of the mighty conflict sing; tell the triumph of the victim, to his cross thy tribute bring. Jesus Christ the world’s Redeemer from that cross now reigns as King. (Venantius Honorius Fortunatus, from The Hymnal 1982)

…Listening In…

After this, knowing that everything was already completed, in order to fulfill the scripture, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” A jar full of sour wine was nearby, so the soldiers soaked a sponge in it, placed it on a hyssop branch, and held it up to his lips. (John 19:28-29; context)

…Filling Up…

For the last seven devos of Lent: last week and during this Holy Week, we are encountering Christ’s seven last words from the cross. These “words” are actually full sentences, and there are three in Luke, three in John, and Matthew and Mark share one, as well (though with a slight variation). For each of the words, I have written a song; now, the songs may or may not include the sayings themselves. Rather, think of them as my response to Jesus speaking out from the cross, a place of vulnerability, shame, and torment – that Jesus turned into a place of majesty, love, and salvation.

For each song, I gave myself no more than two hours to write and one hour to record it. These are by no means polished songs; they are the responses of my heart to Christ crucified. I hope that they enrich you on your Holy Week journey as they have enriched me. What follows is “The Well is Deep,” my response to Jesus’ fourth word from the cross.

(If you can’t see the music player, download the song here.)

As the deer longs for the water-brooks
So my soul longs after you.
My spirit is athirst for God,
Athirst for all that’s good and true.

But I have no bucket and the well is deep:
I see the water down below
Could life eternal gush up like a spring
The well begin to overflow?

The desert is a place of emptiness,
But God makes it a place of springs.
The sand will be afire with blossoms;
The desert shall rejoice and sing.

But I have no bucket and the well is deep:
I see the water down below
Could life eternal gush up like a spring
And the well begin to overflow?

From the throne of God a river flows,
Bright as crystal, fresh as birth.
The river waters trees of healing;
God rain grace upon the earth.

Now I know I need no bucket though the well is deep,
And though the water’s far below.
For life eternal gushes like a spring.
The well will always overflow.

…Praying For…

Dear God, you are the source of all refreshment and renewal. Help me ever to drink from your love, that I may remain nourished by your grace and ready to serve. In Jesus Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

…Sending Out…

I leave this moment with you, God, kneeling at the foot of the cross and feeling Christ’s arms of love reaching out to embrace the whole world.