What if you were truly free….what difference would it make today?
Think about our brothers, sisters and siblings across the world right now….in Palestine…in Haiti…at the borders…those dealing with abuse…or racial or gender discrimination. Think about those that are battling cancer or substance abuse or mental health challenges.
What if any of them were free from all that? How great would that be?
Whether you are reading this and battling one of those challenges or something a little less acute or intense, I want to remind you that Reformation Sunday is coming. This is the weekend in church that we get to hear the text from John where Jesus says: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
And guess what? Spoiler alert….. He did. And therefore, you are!
Because of that news, the challenges we battle on a daily basis are NOT the final answer for us and DO NOT define our freedom. Our freedom comes from God’s grace through the power of the cross. A cross that defeated death itself and can also defeat the power that any adversary claims to have over us.
Freedom for you. No matter what.
The power of that proclamation doesn’t promise an easy path for sure. Ask anyone battling the issues I named above or the issues that you are battling right now.
But that freedom is a gift to hang onto. It’s a reminder of the bigger picture. It’s a reminder of the bigger champion. It’s a reminder of the bigger Truth that you are a child of God and nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. NOTHING.
May this upcoming Reformation weekend remind you of that. May the battles you face be conquered by the power of Christ within you. And may you know you are not alone because you are connected to the wider Christian community and to the faith that is within you.
May you know that you are free because of Christ. Free indeed.
Lord, thank you for the freedom that conquers all. Amen
ps from ps Who is your lead blocker? Have you thanked them?
And who are you blocking for? Is there someone that needs a lane cleared?
I’m thinking about preaching on Isaiah 45 this weekend. It’s a great story of God telling Isaiah to anoint this guy Cyrus to be the leader of the chosen people and get them out of exile. It’s a big role. God elevates Cyrus to a messiah-like level….like a Miley Cyrus-like level but different! But then, God reminds Isaiah, Cyrus and the chosen people, that God will be their lead blocker!
(Obligatory football reference because we’re in the middle of football season). On the football field, the lead blocker is a huge need if the ball carrier is going to be successful. They do the hardest work. They find the first obstacle and move it out of the way. They take on the toughest stuff and clear the path.
The Isaiah 45 story goes on to tell the people that God will be that blocker! Gcd as Lead Blocker will: subdue nations, open doors, break walls into pieces, form light and more. God will “go before us to show us they way.” Take on the hard stuff. Do the hard work. Defeat the first obstacle. Remove things from the path.
Let me fast forward from Isaiah 45 to the tail end of every gospel where we learn that Jesus has done that for us on a cross and through the celebration of Easter morning. Taking on that hard cross. Doing the work of redemption. Defeating death and the Devil. Removing any separation from us and God eternally. Lead blocking for our success.
Now let me be clear, God is no Snowplow Parent. That’s different. (Google that if you’re unsure of the reference). There will be (mix of football and Bible references coming up…) dark shadows, unexpected tackles, fumbles, crosses to bear and valleys to move through. God doesn’t promise a snowplow in front of us. We will feel the hardships and they each have an opportunity to teach us. And good news, God does promise to tackle those challenges together.
So if God is our macro-Lead Blocker….who is our micro one? Who has helped us in the toughest of moments and cleared the way, helped remove obstacles and more? Have we taken a chance to thank them for that? Can we reach out to someone this week?
And who can we block for? Maybe for one play or a whole series? Who can we set up for success or walk with as they battle the toughest stuff?
Thank you God for Lead Blocking for us. May we share in that share role for the world around us. Amen
ps from ps Been awhile since I wrote one of these, eh? So long that Mailchimp has changed the platforms, etc. So we’re starting from scratch…or maybe halftime or the third quarter.
Halftime. It’s that great gift during a football game to breathe, use the bathroom, go get some fresh snacks and refill your pop. But for the players, it a wonderful time to rest and reconnect with their Coach.
This Sunday, we’re adding an extra worship time before the Bills game in London. Basically it’s for people like me with screwed up priorities. However, if you live in WNY, you know that churches can’t “beat” the Bills. So it’s another week that we audible and take church to where people will be: bars and restaurants!
We’re going to have a service at 8:30am at the Tavern at Windsor Park on Transit Rd in Williamsville. And the shape of the service will be similar to the flow of the game:
Gather and Put On The Uniform – This will be our time to get together, name who God is and who we are. We’ll recognize what team we are on, that we’re all going to give it 110%, but most likely will get a penalty of two. But we’ll also hear the Coach’s forgiveness and grace. (Confession)
Game Plan – We’ll hear what Coach wants for us, the plans he has for us, the victory that has already been won and our invitation to live into it. (Scripture)
Coach’s Halftime Speech – Coach will gather us together to refuel and redirect. How has our first half gone? What tweaks do we need to make for the second half? (Sermon)
Hail Mary Prayers – When the game gets close to the end and things are tight, we realize it’s out of our hands and into the Coach’s love and care for the whole team. (Prayers)
Post Game Handshakes – We meet and greet others on the team. Pat them on the back. Lift them up. Congratulate and console. (Sharing the Peace)
24-hour Rule – No matter what happens, we leave the time with a little celebration or disappointment and we go into the world ready for the next. (Blessing and Sending)
Join us if you’re free (please call the restaurant for reservations because we are almost full – 716-689-6600) or maybe your local church will have the same format in their church too.
Either way, I’m just wondering – what would Coach say to you at Halftime? What do you need to hear? Both to motivate you or correct you? The gospels are full of speeches from Jesus to the disciples. How does that team respond?
This concept has been growing in recent years across the country but especially in Buffalo. “Slow Roll Buffalo” (SLB) is a group of people that come together and ride bikes slowly together. Riding bikes as a group is wonderful but when you’re going 18-20mph on the roads during the Ride for Roswell or a local triathlon race, it’s a little hard to talk with one another and be fully connected. So SLB has invited any riders of all shapes, sizes and experience levels to come together and slow down together. Slow down to reconnect with friends. Slow down to see the things around them better. Slow down to relax. Slow down to enjoy the experience differently.
This summer, I’m going to slow roll. But not just on bikes. Hopefully, slow roll mentally, physically and spiritually. In this summer of renewal at St. Paul’s, I’ll be away from St. Paul’s, in town and out of town, slowing down. My hope for the summer is to reconnect with my family, my self and God’s creation around me. I’ll be on the west coast in National Parks, visiting family on the east coast, away in the Adirondacks and over in Ireland as well. I’ll be on new bike paths and running on different streets in WNY. I’ll be reading and meeting with my counselor. I’ll be slowing down and rushing less. And my desire for the summer is, through those experiences, find new ways to slow roll as I come back in September. Because God has big plans for St. Paul’s over the next few years and I’m stoked to be a part of them.
My prayer for you this summer is that you’ll take some “slow roll” time wherever you are. Slow down from the things that cause you to rush or race. Slow down and reconnect with family and friends. Slow down and see what God has blessed you with that is right in your midst.
St. Paul’s is blessed to have a TON of great leaders, led by Pastor Kristen over the summer. I am thankful for their faithful leadership, gifts and commitment. This weekend, along with the Solidarity Slow Roll Ride on Saturday at 9:30am, we will celebrate our leaders in worship on Saturday and Sunday, along with welcoming new missionaries on Sunday morning.
This summer, may we slow roll. Wherever you are and whatever that can look like for you. As you do, may God’s blessings pour over you and may they be super easy to see!
Lord, thank you Lord for the invitation to slow roll. Amen
Still in One Peace, ps
++++++++
“ps from ps” will pick back up in the fall of 2023
ps from ps I posted this picture last Wednesday afternoon on St. Paul’s Facebook page. It wasn’t just an empty room. But more accurately, it was a Waiting Room.
Not the traditional doctor’s office type waiting room, but a room that was waiting for people to gather for God on Tap. Discussions. Conversations. Prayer. And in only a couple hours after I took and posted that picture, the waiting was over and it became a room of restoration.
A Restoration Room.
It was a room where black, white, brown, Haitian, German, Christians, Jews, AME, Lutheran and more came together to restore one another. One of the definitions of restore is to “bring back; reinstate.” And that’s what we did. We wrestled with life, community, racism, love and so many other things that are on our radar as we approach 5/14 one year later. We were able to “bring back” helpful conversations, prayer together and restorative, reinstating moments of tangible hope. We prayed together over the hour in English, Creole and Hebrew. Because none of us on our own has all the answers.
When I left, I felt restored. We didn’t fix anything or guarantee hatred and racism isn’t going to show up in our home town again. But we returned to God again together and asked for help and for us to be part of the continued healing.
A Restoration Room.
I’ve been thinking about that sort of space more and more since that evening. A space where we reconnect with God. Where we’re honest with ourselves and others. Where we admit we need guidance. Where we feel tangible hope, grace and love.
Sometimes I’ll sit for a few minutes in the church sanctuary during the day when I’m flying between this and that. And when I take the time and pause, I feel God’s restoration. Or a walk on a beautiful day alone or with another missionary as we wrestle with life. And I feel God’s restoration.
Where is your Restoration Room? Where do you or can you go to breathe, to talk, to connect and feel God’s restoration? We might not figure everything out while we’re there, but we will feel God’s presence if we create the space.
I encourage you to make space in your day and the space in your life to transition the waiting rooms around you into life giving, life reinstating Restoration Rooms.
Lord, thank you for those moments of restoration. Amen
ps from ps “After he rose from the dead, Jesus showed up in the upper room where the disciples were hiding, not once but at least twice, walking through locked doors and walls to get there. The disciples were amazed.
And then seven of them went back fishing.” – Biegner version of the end of John 20 and the beginning of John 21
They went back fishing.
I’m wrestling with their response. Seems like it’s one of two things: 1. They see, believe, are amazed and have had their lives changed for good and they wanted to get back into their vocation and integrate this new good news into their daily work. -Or- 2. They have the spiritual attention span of a boat oar and didn’t know quite what to do with a resurrected savior and were scared to talk with anyone about it and just wanted to retreat to a preconceived comfort zone.
Or I guess there could be a third that maybe they just really liked fishing.
I’m leaning into #2 at this point in the text because A. They show zero reactions that these interactions with Jesus made any difference at all. And… B. They seem to stink at fishing because they aren’t catching a thing and the carpenter/rabbi who is standing way off on the shore (maybe he’s staying that far away because he is concerned why Peter is fishing naked! John 21:7) has to direct them on where to throw their nets.
So that leaves us back at the dreaded #2.
Doing nothing. Going back to the same ol’ thing. Not letting the power of God over even death itself matter at all.
So, we are ten days post-Easter morning 2023.
What did you do?
If I had a dime for every time we said on Easter morning: “Christ is Risen. He is Risen Indeed. Alleluia!”, then I’d have a lot of dimes! But has it changed us, or did we just crawl back into our old boats?
The rest of chapter 21 tells of Jesus calling the boys to shore after they bring in a big haul of “Jesus-inspired” fish and they break bread and share a sacred meal around the fire on the beach. He keeps showing up, despite their lack of change and movement based on this newly discovered resurrection event.
He keeps showing us.
Despite the disciples underwhelming response, he keeps showing up.
My prayer for you as we continue through the church’s Easter season but move further away from Easter morning is that you (and I) lean into #1…that we let the powerful news of a resurrected Lord carry us back into our vocation and vacations and have it change every interaction we have with the world. That’s us living out our best discipleship! But I know from my own first hand boat oar-like spiritual journey, I’ve just crawled back into plenty of boats, returned to the same ol’ thing and haven’t let the good news change me.
However, whatever our response to Easter, Jesus keeps showing up. For us and despite us. To remind us 10 days out and further that the quieter, less frequent “Christ is Risen’s” are still there. Still directing our fishing. Still inviting us to a meal on the beach.
So go and fish today. But fish today as a changed disciple, listening for Jesus’ fishing tips and readying yourself to be invited over and over to a sacred meal on the beach.
And for the love of all the is good, right and proper, if you’re fishing with other people in the boat, keep your clothes on!
Lord, help me to fish differently because of Easter. Amen
Recent Comments