Tag Archives: love

The Easter Story

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sunrise with rainbow effectEven though it’s evening on Resurrection Sunday, I still want to wish you all a Happy Easter. Below is a collection of scripture passages that tell the Easter story.*  I compiled it to be read at the Community Easter Celebration my church held outdoors this morning. I thought I would share it with you here. This blog post is dedicated to Giovanni Serrato and Stacey Hamilton for their willingness to read it before the gathering this morning with next to no advance notice.
Enjoy! He is risen!

Grace and peace,
Brook

In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.
The Word was with God in the beginning.
Everything came into being through the Word,
and without the Word
nothing came into being.
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.

The Word became flesh
and made his home among us.
We have seen his glory,
glory like that of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.
(John 1:1-5, 14)

God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life.
(John 3:16)

This is how the love of God is revealed to us: God has sent his only Son into the world so that we can live through him. This is love:it is not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as the sacrifice that deals with our sins.
(1 John 4:9-10)

Christ Jesus: Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
(Philippians 2:5-8)

That evening a man named Joseph came. He was a rich man from Arimathea who had become a disciple of Jesus. He came to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate gave him permission to take it. Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had carved out of the rock. After he rolled a large stone at the door of the tomb, he went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting in front of the tomb
(Matthew 27:57-61)

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they could go and anoint Jesus’ dead body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they came to the tomb. They were saying to each other, “Who’s going to roll the stone away from the entrance for us?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away. (And it was a very large stone!) Going into the tomb, they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right side; and they were startled. But he said to them, “Don’t be alarmed! You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised. He isn’t here. Look, here’s the place where they laid him. Go, tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you.
(Mark 16:1-7)

It was still the first day of the week. That evening, while the disciples were behind closed doors because they were afraid of the Jewish authorities, Jesus came and stood among them. He said, “ Peace be with you.” After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. When the disciples saw the Lord, they were filled with joy. 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 20:19-22)

After his suffering, he showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom.
(Acts 1:3)

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Jesus came near and spoke to them, “ I’ve received all authority in heaven and on earth. 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, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.”
(Matthew 28:16-20)

All scripture passages are from the Common English Bible.

* I am completely aware that this collection of scripture passages deals very little with Jesus’ earthly life and is thus not fully narrative. For the sake of time and poetic/literary license, I moved quickly from the pre-incarnate logos to death on a cross with only a quick glance toward Jesus’ earthly life. Thank you for understanding, and I hope you enjoyed the reading.

A Picture Is Worth…

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Bible and coffee cup on a weathered picnic tableWhen I first saw this picture, the congregation I attend (Valley Life Center) came to mind. There are three elements in this photo that seem to characterize VLC as a community. The first is that God’s word is vitally important to us. The second is that the cup of fellowship is central to our gatherings. And lastly, the table, which is weathered and worn, reminds me that there is a common ground on which we all stand. We are all students of Jesus, children of God, and one in the Spirit. For these reasons I love being a part of VLC. Sometimes you just have to give a shout out!

Grace and peace,
Brook

Loving On Purpose

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Recently I read a number of accounts of restoration and resurrection in the Bible. Surprisingly, none of them were in the Easter story. What I was reminded about, though, is that God has always been in the business of restoring and resurrecting.

The_Raising_of_LazarusThe account that stood out to the most was the story of the resurrection of Lazarus. Yes, Jesus waited until Lazarus was dead to make his way to Bethany, but when he got there he fully entered into the situation, listening to and comforting Lazarus’ sisters, Martha and Mary. Jesus allowed his grief to align with their grief, since he dearly loved this family. It was from this place of empathetic union that formed an environment where healing could flow, even resurrection.

Jesus wasn’t the disaffected physician or the practitioner seeking to simply fix their problem. He loved them on purpose. Yes, he knew that by bringing Lazarus back from death would cause many to believe in him, but that didn’t stop him from loving his friends because they were his friends.

It is interesting that this resurrection story occurs just weeks before the Easter story, and is but one of many instances that Jesus brought people back from death. This speaks to me that resurrection and restoration are vital aspects of the mission of God’s kingdom and are, as Jesus exampled, an outcome of love. As a mission of God’s kingdom, it is also a mission of the people that make up that kingdom.

Looking forward to Easter, the purpose behind our many Easter events is to bring about an environment of love where restoration and resurrection can take place. May this be a vital part of all our preparations and planning. It is only fitting for the people of God’s kingdom.

Grace and peace,
Brook

When Jesus saw her crying and the Jews who had come with her crying also, he was deeply disturbed and troubled. He asked, “Where have you laid him?”
They replied, “Lord, come and see.”
Jesus began to cry. The Jews said, “See how much he loved him!”
John 11:33-36

Bearing Witness

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My five year old son rode his bicycle without training wheels for the first time today. The moment he did it was joy-filled and exhilarating. It was also nerve wracking and a bit terrifying.

No more training wheels!

No more training wheels!

As he wobbled down the sidewalk, he veered into the yard, nearly missing a tree. Within the span of ten minutes, he is zooming around the block with a sense of accomplishment and a taste of freedom. Another milestone in the life of an American boy has been crossed, and I, his father, bear witness to it.

As I write this on a Sunday evening in March, Easter is three Sundays away. Over the last few weeks I have been thinking about Jesus and his disciples as they journeyed toward Jerusalem for the Passover and the events of Holy Week. Along the way, Jesus asks his disciples about himself.

When Jesus … asked his disciples, ”Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. ”Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”     (Matthew 16:13-16)

This was a watershed moment that informed the rest of their journey toward Easter. Peter bore witness to Jesus’ life and ministry as the Messiah. It was as if the training wheels were taken off and the road ahead would become increasingly challenging for both Jesus and the disciples. At the same time, though, there was an empowerment that happened. The disciples had been brought into the life and economy of the kingdom of God. They were no longer an entourage of tag-a-longs, but associates, agents, and participants in Jesus’ ministry, which was to bring about the realization of the kingdom of God.

Opportunities to bear witness are more regular than we might realize, and do not always have to be as significant as Peter’s to be worth our while. We may see that in bearing witness to God’s faithfulness, to a loved one’s accomplishment, to a friend’s thoughtfulness, or to a random act of kindness, we just might empower those around us, setting them free to take the risks necessary to embark on the next leg of the journey they find themselves on. It’s just loving our neighbor as ourselves.

Grace and peace,
Brook

All We Need Is Love

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I trust you are having a wonderful Valentine’s Day with your family and friends. In our culture today Valentine’s Day is a day for celebrating love. Of course, this has strong romantic overtones, but it doesn’t need to. As Christians, we can celebrate love in all its forms (including romantic love), but most especially the unglamorous love, the unconditional love, the love that compels us to serve others even when we don’t feel like it.

I think John Lennon was onto something when he wrote the song, “All You Need Is Love.” A quick read through the lyrics will show he wasn’t talking about love as a feeling, but rather the necessity of relying on the power of love, deep caring that motivates action, to navigate life, creating positive change along the way.

heartLove is patient, love is kind, it isn’t jealous, it doesn’t brag, it isn’t arrogant, it isn’t rude, it doesn’t seek its own advantage, it isn’t irritable, it doesn’t keep a record of complaints, it isn’t happy with injustice, but it is happy with the truth. Love puts up with all things, trusts in all things, hopes for all things, endures all things. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8, CEB)

This isn’t a guilt trip or a to do list. It’s just an encouragement to follow Jesus in loving others the same way that we love ourselves. (Mark 12:31) This love is not something we have to muster up but is rather an outflow of the Spirit’s presence in our lives. The Apostle Paul refers to this in his letter to the Ephesians.

I ask that [God] will strengthen you in your inner selves from the riches of his glory through the Spirit. I ask that Christ will live in your hearts through faith. As a result of having strong roots in love, I ask that you’ll have the power to grasp love’s width and length, height and depth, together with all believers. I ask that you’ll know the love of Christ that is beyond knowledge so that you will be filled entirely with the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:16-19, CEB)

Loving your neighbor as yourself is the convergence of making space for the presence of God in our lives and making space in our heart for the concerns of someone else. The fullness of God rooted in love connects within us to the need of another, which empowers us to love as Jesus loves. This is just the flip-side of “we love God best when we love others well.” We love others best when we love God well. All we need is love.

Grace and peace,
Brook

Love as Generosity

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Quite often when I write these devotional articles, I am dealing directly with something that I am wrestling with. This week is no exception. In fact, it might be one of my biggest challenges ever, being generous.

A young hand touches and holds an old wrinkled handLast week I wrote about love in action through responsibility. Being responsible is more than just making sure we did our part, that we took care of what was entrusted to us. Being responsible also entails the ability to respond well. To respond well we must be willing to make ourselves present to others. Being present is an act of generosity. Generosity is an act of love.

New Oxford American Dictionary
generous
adjective
(of a person) showing a readiness to give more of something, as money or time, than is strictly necessary or expected

As I was thinking of the realms of generosity, I realized that there are at least three: resources, time, and consideration. Generosity is most often attributed to resources, especially money. Secondarily, we think of generosity in terms of time. Lastly, generosity through consideration is probably the most difficult to recognize and realize. When we consider someone we give careful thought concerning them. It is an internal act of generosity. We must make space within ourselves so that we can make a person to person connection on the outside.

Jesus seemed to do this quite well. The story of the Samaritan woman in John 4 comes to mind. First off, Jesus was not put out by her presence. Secondly, he was willing to engage her in conversation, even following her lead. By the end she felt that she made a connection with him. “He told me everything I’ve ever done.” (John 4:39) Jesus’ generosity toward an outcast woman ended up changing her life, not to mention an entire town.

As we think about love, I pray we will also be able to realize the impact of a little generosity, especially when it comes to being present to those around us. As I mentioned above, I am taking this to heart as well.

Grace and peace,
Brook

Responsibility: Empowering Us to Be Present

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Over the month of January, I wrote about presence and the act of being present. I addressed being present to God, ourselves, and one another. My main point was that presence is a place of mutuality where life is lived and shared. When we are present to God we find our point of reference from which we can navigate the rest of our lives. For God is our ground of being and in God “we live, move, and exist.” (Acts 17:28) This reference point in God empowers us to be present to ourselves, or have a healthy sense of self awareness. We know our limitations and motivations. We know our context and what it is that contributes to the way we are feeling. We don’t need to be afraid of ourselves, but it is through self awareness that we can be present with others in full humility and honesty. Lastly, it is in being present to others that the “rubber hits the road.” It is where we live and move and express our existence. It is my prayer that we can do this responsibly or with the responsiveness that comes from God’s presence in us. Like I often say, “We love God best when we love others well.”

mountain vista of valley belowFor me, the month of February is the Month of Love. My hope is to write about love as action throughout February. The first thing I want to explore I already mentioned above, love as responsibility. Being responsible empowers us to live responsively, to be present to those around us.

Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
(Psalm 15, NIV)

I first heard this passage of scripture in youth group when I was 16 years old. The youth pastor asked us what we thought it meant. I replied, “It describes someone who lives responsibly before God and others.” As you can tell, I’ve never forgotten that. Being present and responsible before God and others is not so much a progression, but a concurrent process. I pray that God’s grace would empower you to love responsibly.

Grace and peace,
Brook

Embracing the Next Step

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Over the last few years I have utilized annual themes in writing these devotional articles. It started in 2011 by focusing on Community. From the theme of Community came Building Bridges in 2012. This last year was focused on Embracing. These themes put together create a long trajectory. When we begin to understand ourselves as a community and as individuals within a community, we can then begin to build bridges to that community, understanding that we are actually the bridges themselves. A bridge is a connection between two places that do not immediately meet. A bridge touches, or better yet, embraces both sides of its span. An embrace is an introduction, a discovery, and the beginning of what possibly lies ahead. The embrace leads to a next step.

Sacagawea by Robert Schoeller

Sacagawea by Robert Schoeller

Recently, my family was listening to an audio book chronicling the adventure of Lewis and Clark as they set out to discover a water way from the upper Midwest to the Pacific Ocean. Some distance into the journey, Sacajawea, their Native American guide, introduced them to her people, the Shoshone. The Shoshone had a custom of greeting one and all with a hug. Lewis and Clark humorously referred to this greeting as the “national embrace!” Sometimes this ritual would last for hours.

Lewis and Clark, and as well the Shoshone, discovered that after their embrace there were decisions to be made. Would they continue together or not? To what degree would they support one another? Would they share resources materially, socially, or politically? As they discovered, the embrace was only the beginning. As it turned out, the Shoshone became a vital part of the success of the expedition. This success was based on each party choosing and sticking to the next step.

2014 is a year of next steps. A year of making decisions and taking action. This trajectory we are on is a continual trajectory. Community, bridge building, and embracing will happen concurrently with and will even be the grace to empower us in our journey into the next steps. There is much that lies before us, but we are not alone on this expedition. God has given us the Holy Spirit, the Scriptures, and one another. Just as Sacajawea introduced Lewis and Clark to the “national embrace” that led to a successful alliance, may we as a community continue in the love that chooses to embrace and takes the next steps of loving God by loving one another, so that the influence of God’s kingdom would extend beyond our wildest dreams.

Grace and peace,
Brook

Embracing Jesus

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I trust that you had a wonderful Christmas! This is the final installment in the Embracing Advent devotional series. We walked through embracing hope, peace, joy, and love. Now, we conclude with some thoughts on embracing Jesus.

She Shall Bring Forth a Son, by Liz Lemon Swindle

She Shall Bring Forth a Son, by Liz Lemon Swindle

We see in the Christmas narratives in Matthew and Luke that all along people needed to make a choice to embrace this child, Jesus, and his family. As each one did, they realized that it would be a tremendous blessing and as well and a serious cost.

Let’s take Mary as an example. The angel promised her a son as her first born, which in and of itself is a great blessing in her culture. This son would also be the Messiah. She was overjoyed! So overjoyed, in fact, that she burst into song over it! (Luke 1:46-55) She also knew that she would be judged and misunderstood as bearing an illegitimate son, even though Joseph embraced Jesus as his own. At Jesus’ birth his arrival was announced by angels and proclaimed by shepherds, but she also stored up all these events and announcements, pondering what they could mean, questioning, even arguing with herself, as she came to terms with the future of her son and her family. This was confirmed for her at Jesus’ dedication at eight days old when Simeon, a righteous and devout man, broke into praise at the sight of the baby Jesus. His words were concluded with the warning that Jesus would bring about significant change religiously and politically, that he would be the object of opposition, and that, spoken to Mary, “a sword would pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:35) The beautiful thing about Mary is that it seems there is no cost too high in her obedience to God and in her caring for those God has given her.

As the Christmas spirit continues with us in our holiday celebrations, what is it that we can take away from Mary’s example? What does it look like for you as you embrace Jesus this Christmas and in the new year? The blessings are numerous, such as God’s active presence in our lives through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and through the people we live and gather with on a daily and weekly basis. The challenges are no less numerous as we embrace Jesus, taking seriously the command to love God by loving others. The blessings and challenges are as unique as each individual that considers them. I pray that you take a few moments to reflect on the blessings that are afforded you as you embrace Jesus, and that you seriously consider the challenges that come your way as well. The kingdom way of Jesus is the do the hard work of embracing Jesus through the challenges, allowing the God’s Spirit to empower us so that we can become the reflection and presence of Jesus in our world.

Grace and peace,
Brook

Embracing Love

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One of my favorite themes for Christmas is “love came down.” It is something I visualize in moments of worship and spiritual reflection. It is the enactment of John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,” Jesus. This is at the heart of the Christmas story, but only part of the story.

Give Love (temporary body art)

Give Love (temporary body art)

You have undoubtedly heard me say the phrases, “Love God by loving others,” and “We love God best when we love others well.” This is the other side of the story, and I see it exemplified in the lives of Mary and Joseph. It was Mary’s love for God that empowered her to say, “Yes, I will love this child that will be given to me by God.” This act of love ultimately turned out to be an act of love toward the whole world in giving life to the Savior. Likewise, it was in Joseph’s love for God and for Mary that he said, “Yes, I will raise this child as my own son.”

Embracing love isn’t always pretty. When we truly love we take risks, saying yes to others before ourselves. Even though Jesus became our example in this, I believe he also followed the example of his earthly parents.

We hold up love as the highest virtue and plumb its depths for glimpses of beauty. This beauty is rarely found in airbrushed romantic vignettes, but in the nitty-gritty rub of everyday life when we are pushed to give just a little more than we thought possible, that is where we find beauty in love. I know that is what Mary and Joseph would say as they embraced love to become Jesus’ parents. In the counter-intuitive nature of the God’s kingdom, love given is love received and love received empowers us to love yet again. It is from God that love came down, and “we love because God first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

May you experience God’s love as you love one another this Christmas!

Grace and peace,
Brook