"We are all called to be followers of Christ. Being a follower brings wonder and insight, comfort and peace, but it also brings challenges and encourages us to see the world in new and startling ways.
Following is a daily decision to join our risen Lord on the path to which we are invited. It is a decision to open ourselves to both the wonder and the challenge.
Now is the time to decide. A new, startling view of the world awaits."
SATURDAY, July 6, 2013 "Hold Hands"
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| Original Psalm 16 Scribble from Make a Joyful Scribble Unto the Lord |
Psalm 16:7-8,11 (MSG)
The wise counsel God gives when I’m awake
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go....
is confirmed by my sleeping heart.
Day and night I’ll stick with God;
I’ve got a good thing going and I’m not letting go....
Now you’ve got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I’m on the right way.
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I’m on the right way.
All week we've read how hard it is to truly follow. The way is sometimes confusing and choices can be difficult. We are often met with hostility or even persecution. But Psalm 16 reminds us that it is all worth it! To follow Christ is to be constantly recharged with the Spirit of God.
When hiking, if our guide gets too far ahead, it is often much more difficult to follow. The path becomes confusing and the rough places appear much more intimidating. If we follow close behind our leader, the way is much easier to navigate. Daily contact with God-Christ through constant prayer, devotion time, and service is like holding hands with God all the way! We can't get lost if we are holding on! This reminds me of the 'power squeezes' Rick used to give toddler Luke on the trail. They would hike hand-in-hand and when Luke needed energy, Rick would squeeze his hand for power! If Luke hadn't been close and in touch, he couldn't have been recharged.
Hold hands with God. Stay close and in touch. Get a power boost. Don't let go. And FOLLOW, filled with expectant joy and love of the Spirit!
― Scot McKnight, One Life: Jesus Calls, We Follow
BENEDICTION.... d365.org (Jenny Clamon)
Following means commitment to a way that is sometime clear,
And sometimes vague.
There is no assurance that you will always know certainty,
But you will surely know this:
And sometimes vague.
There is no assurance that you will always know certainty,
But you will surely know this:
The One you follow will always be with you,
Just ahead of you, offering in every moment,
In darkness and in light,
The invitation.
Just ahead of you, offering in every moment,
In darkness and in light,
The invitation.
FRIDAY, July 5, 2013 "CHRIST-Clothing"
Galatians 3:26-29 (GNT)
It is through faith that all of you are God's children in union with Christ Jesus. You were baptized into union with Christ, and now you are clothed, so to speak, with the life of Christ himself. So there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles, between slaves and free people, between men and women; you are all one in union with Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are the descendants of Abraham and will receive what God has promised.
When we attend a Baker High School football game, we pull on our Bulldog sweatshirts and join hundreds of others clan in the purple and gold to cheer on our team. The crowd is filled with individuals: ranchers and businessmen, men and women, toddlers and retired, affluent and struggling. Yet we are bonded together in unity as follower-fans of our Bulldog community. We mark ourselves as such with our attire. We feel a bond simply through our clothing.
When, through faith, we clothe ourselves in Christ, we are all God's children together, called to the single purpose of love for one another and God. To follow Christ means to pull on our Christ-clothes and celebrate the unity we share through the various strengths we bring in our differences. But our clothing can't be of the FAN nature - to pull on and off as we feel like it. To be a FOLLOWER means to garb ourselves in Christ permanently AND to experience the common unity that comes with seeing our brothers and sisters dressed the same.
What am I wearing today? Are my Christ-clothes hanging in the closet, clean and waiting for the 'next game'? Or are they ragged and dirty from constant wear? Does the condition of my clothing mark me as FAN or FOLLOWER?
THURSDAY, July 4, 2013 "Now, No Excuse!"
Luke 9:61-62 (GNT)
Someone else said, “I will follow you, sir; but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “Anyone who starts to plow and then keeps looking back is of no use for the Kingdom of God.”
Again, Jesus reprimands one who seeks to follow, yet shares a prior responsibility. Again, at first glance, it seems harsh. Yet in this next verse, Jesus reiterates the urgency to move forward. Peterson, in The Message, writes verse 62, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day." We can't wait getting started! It is so easy to make excuses: first I need to do this.....I'll get to church once such and such is over, etc. The Kingdom of God must be FIRST priority!
Family is important. No doubt about that. It is the heart of where we learn how to be people of God. But Jesus has expanded that family to one much larger: the church family, the Christian family, brothers and sisters in God we have yet to meet. It is somewhat like the love that keeps growing every time a new sibling is born. A mother doesn't divide her love smaller, rather it multiplies to include another.
In Idleman's book Not a Fan, the idea is also seen. A fan is one who is easily distracted, who attends the 'game' only when the weather is nice and there isn't something more important to do. A follower is always present, through thick and thin, no matter what.
In Idleman's book Not a Fan, the idea is also seen. A fan is one who is easily distracted, who attends the 'game' only when the weather is nice and there isn't something more important to do. A follower is always present, through thick and thin, no matter what.
Celebrate the ever widening family of God and continue to follow and proclaim the Kingdom! Be a follower, not a fan! Make no excuse!
WEDNESDAY, July 3 2013 "First Things First"
Luke 9:59-60 (MSG)
He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.” Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”
Wow! At first, Jesus' words seem harsh and cold. Where is the compassion? But Jesus is feeling the urgency of the coming days: an end to his teaching, the crucifixion and resurrection. He knows the Kingdom is at hand and the message important. Choose life. Choose to act upon that
which will transform. Sometime we can spend half a lifetime on 'burying the dead', on dwelling in the past rather than seeking a new future. To follow Christ is to put 'first things first' - Christ and the message of Good News. This kind of following is a daily decision as we make choices about our actions. May we choose wisely.
which will transform. Sometime we can spend half a lifetime on 'burying the dead', on dwelling in the past rather than seeking a new future. To follow Christ is to put 'first things first' - Christ and the message of Good News. This kind of following is a daily decision as we make choices about our actions. May we choose wisely.
TUESDAY, July 2, 2013 "Roughing It"
Luke 9:57-58 (MSG)
On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said. Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”
E. Peterson gets to the heart of this well-known line from scripture. Verse 58 more traditionally reads, "Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest." (GNT) This isn't going to be an EASY follow! There will be very human discomforts along the way. No five-star motels, often no motel at all. Remember, the Samaritan town had just made them feel very unwelcome. To follow Jesus means to accept the conditions as they come. No pick and choosing when and if. Commit.
This isn't easy. We mess up every day in trying NOT to 'rough it'. While Christ lived a very human life while here on earth, we sometimes think following Christ will excuse us from the same. Our assurance? God is with us; Jesus continues to walk with us, regardless of the quality of accommodations!
Pastor Kyle Idleman's book Not a Fan describes the difference between following Christ and just being a fan of Christ. In the following, belief is put into action. When a fan, we believe, but don't want that belief to 'interfere' with our life. Fans don't like to 'rough it'.
More comments and notes to come later from Idelman's Not a Fan book. Interesting read.
MONDAY, July 1, 2013 "Unwelcome"
Luke 9:51-56 (MSG)
When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?” Jesus turned on them: “Of course not!” And they traveled on to another village.
Following Christ does not always mean
The path is clear
Or the welcome
Filled with hospitality.
There are roadblocks,
Moments of indecision,
Hostility or persecution.
Following means courage:
To turn the other cheek;
To take the 'high road' and
Walk away.
Following means maintaining focus
On the ultimate goal,
On the final destination.
Follow, with determination and dedication...
And faith in the one we follow.
SUNDAY, June 30, 2013 "Look at God"
Psalm 77:11-14 (MSG)
Once again I’ll go over what God has done,
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.
lay out on the table the ancient wonders;
I’ll ponder all the things you’ve accomplished,
and give a long, loving look at your acts.
O God! Your way is holy!
No god is great like God!
No god is great like God!
It is a God-moment in itself that today's d365.org devotion is on 'God Moments". D365.org author Jenny Clamon titles them "Look at God" moments, those experiences that we usually credit to luck or coincidence, moments of intense natural wonder, moments when God seems so close we can touch hands with the Almighty. I wrote just a few days ago of chronicling my God-Moments this month, and here it is...practically the start of that new month. Good timing, God.
It is far easier to follow a leader when we can see him or her at the front of the line. Our God is there, marking our way God-Moment by God-Moment. Each time we have a Look-at-God moment, we are reminded of who is in control, we see the quality of our leader. Following becomes second nature. Are we paying attention? Most of the time, God-Moments are NOT pillars of fire or sea- parting waters. They are quiet, subtle changes in our life that blaze our trail. LOOK AT GOD! Look back and remember what God has done. Look forward for seek the amazing hike God is blazing ahead of us! Look at God at work!! Follow!
SERMON NOTES: 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 Rev. Katy, Baker City TRANSITIONS
- It is easy to think we are the only ones left to do the work of the Lord.
- It's hard to pass the torch; to loosen our control.
- Perhaps God takes Elijah up in chariot of fire to get him out of the way for Elisha.
- Sometimes we have to give up control to the Spirit in our midst.
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