Halloween & the Nature of God

What would it be like if you walked up to God's door on Halloween?

What would it be like if you walked up to God's door any day of the week?

What Is the Big Deal about Jesus?

Lots of religions have a god.  Some have several gods or even many.  In the United States, most people say they believe in God (88%).*  What's the big deal about Jesus?

I remember when I was young(er) thinking that Jesus was a pretty nice guy.  He helped the sick (Mt 9:20-31). He fed them (Mt 14:15-21).  He took care of his friends (Luke 8:22-25).  He talked about loving God others (Mt 22:35-40).  But, Jesus as God?  Really?  How does that even work?!

When we look at the Bible, especially the New Testament, we see two things.  Jesus recognized as the Messiah & The Son of God (or Man).  The Messiah, or Savior, was the person that the Jewish people thought God would send to save them from oppression.

At the time, the Romans were in charge.  The Jews were expecting that the Messiah would no only save them from the Romans be all other oppressors in the future.

Jesus is also referred to as "The Son of God" and "The Son of Man."  Both of these titles could be used to describe the Messiah.  It also indicated someone with a special connection with God.

Christ the Pantocrator at Mt Sinai

Ultimately, the people, who were with Jesus and watched him do these amazing, miraculous, things, came to think that he was more than a mere man.  When he was executed by the Romans, his friend, his followers, his disciples thought it was the end.  They left mourning their friend and disappointed that they had put their faith in the wrong person.  Then, Jesus came back.

This is no zombie movie.  Nor, was Jesus someone who was revived by some kind of ancient CPR.  Jesus defeated death.  Friends and family saw him as well as 500 other people (1 Cor 15:3-6).  He came to let them know that they had not failed.  It was not the end.  It was the beginning, and it is still going on over 2000 years later.

Jesus told his followers they needed to teach other people the lessons he taught them.  These were lessons about loving God, loving each other, and taking care of each other.  They are really the opposite of what the world tells us we need to do to succeed.

The world tells us things like it is good to get money at any cost, to have as many things as possible, to have sex with as many people as possible whether we love them or not.  The funny thing is that even if we have all of that, we still feel empty inside.  Life has no meaning beyond maintaining what we have.

By following the way of Jesus, being his student or disciple, we have a life that is full of love and full of meaning.  We can feel like we are making the world a better place.  We are helping to make the world the way it was meant to be where we love one another and take care of each other.

Part of the reason that Jesus is considered the Son of God is that Jesus acted and taught the way God would if God were human.  Eventually, leaders in the Christian church concluded that it was because Jesus was God.  And, that's what the big deal about Jesus is.


* Religions.PewForum.org

Don't Be a Donkey

Following is a sermon I delivered on August 18, 2013 at Pocatello First United Methodist Church.

Psalm 32

All year long, I've been participating in a Bible verse memorization project. It involves memorizing two verses of the Bible a month … theoretically. I say theoretically because I am terrible at memorizing things. I can barely remember my phone number, and then half the time, I transpose two of the numbers.

So instead, for my Bible verse, I write it on an index card and place it on my desk at home. I meditate on it for a couple of weeks. And believe me, the concepts sink in, even if I can’t recite it back. However, back in July, I came across a verse that I don’t ever think I’ll forget, and I hope to have it firmly planted in your mind before you leave here today. A version of it appears as a part of our Scripture passage for today.

Psalm 32: 8-9 reads, “I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Do not be like an unruly horse or mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle.”

That is from the New Revised Standard translation. Of course, all of this was originally recorded in Hebrew, and if most of us are going to read it today, we need an English translation, of which there are many! I personally own six or seven, and online, I can access at least 20. I love the way the New Century Bible sums up this Scripture passage, “Don’t be a donkey!”

But Wait, There's More ...

What Does It Mean to Be a Disciple of Jesus Christ?

The mission of The United Methodist Church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. However, that begs the question, “What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?”

At our church we illustrate the discipleship process to help us grow in our Christian faith by connecting with God, connecting with each other, connecting in ministry, and connecting with the world.

The foundation of that cycle is Connecting with God. How do we do that? Through prayer and worship. Prayer is talking to God. Is it that simple? Well, yes and no. Many people are familiar with The Lord's Prayer or the Our Father. While many memorize this prayer, what it is most useful for is as a guide of how to pray to God. It is a way to connection with God, and there are many other acceptable forms including just talking to him like you would your best friend.

The other vital aspect of connecting with God is through worship. Why is worship important? Why is it important to participate in it regularly? It gives us a chance to show our adoration to the Lord to express our thankfulness for creation, for our very lives, and for the forgiveness God provides through Jesus. We do it in song, in prayer, and as a group. There is a power in raising our voices together in praise of our God, a power that we can feel in the connection.

Worship is also a chance to hear back from God. As we get beaten down during the week, we can be refilled with the Holy Spirit. We can be inspired and reinvigorated. As forgiven children of God, we have a chance to feel the light of Christ within us to grow brighter.

In this Easter Season (which continues into May), I encourage you to take advantage of the many opportunities to connect with God through worship, not as a duty but as a joy! It is an important step in being a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Peace be with you!

Families Called to Hope

Following is a sermon that I delivered on May 13, 2012 at Pocatello First United Methodist Church.

John 15:9-17

How many of you read the newspaper today?  Watched the morning news?  Looked at headlines online? It seems that we are inundated with bad news.  The world looks hopeless. Every day there is a new crisis. A new reason to panic.

Was it always like this? Is there really more bad news than there used to be, or are we victims of a 24 news cycle, where everything is an emergency … but it will wait until the top of the hour or until after “a few words from our sponsor.”

If there is good news, it usually gets tagged onto the end, almost as an afterthought.  And yet, there are terrible things that are going on in our world every day: Financial markets just reported a 2b dollar loss at J.P. Morgan. Who can tell what will happen in Greece? Or Spain?  But that’s only money right?  What about war?  There are new reports of increasing violence in the Middle East. Unfortunately, there’s nothing surprising about that.  But, just a few weeks ago, there was a rocket test in North Korea. The good news is that it was unsuccessful, but does anyone think that they’re quitting?

But Wait, There's More ...

The Lesson of Abraham:

Going Off into the Unknown

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you ...' So Abram went, as the Lord had told him..." (Gen 12:1, 4 ESV)


I have always have been up for an adventure. Coming from an Army family, we moved quite a lot. My dad got orders. We packed up our stuff, and we went. At the time, the Army had a three year cycle. Routine as clockwork, after three years, we'd be moving again.

When I went out on my own, the pattern continued, but it was more of a five year cycle. It wasn't so much that I wanted to move, but after five years I found myself moving someplace new. The most dramatic was my move from Charleston, SC to Odessa, TX.

This one was a little different. I felt called to go to West Texas ... the desert. I felt a little like Abraham. Unlike with the Army, I had no guarantee of a job when I got there. In fact, the economy there was terrible at the time. But God was my general, and God said, "Go ..." and, like Abraham, I prospered.

With my move to Texas, I broke my moving cycle. I actually stayed there for over a decade, but just a few weeks ago, my General cut new orders. God said, "Go to Idaho." So, I got to explore a whole new section of the country in a U-Haul truck.

And now, I'm in a new land ... Idaho. Do I know what will happen? Will I prosper? Only time will tell. Abraham did not always prosper where he was told to go. Sometimes God had different work in mind for him. But I am here, and I am pleased to feel that I am where God wants me to be.

What has God been asking you to do?