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May 17th, 2016

5/17/2016

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After an all-day Presbytery meeting on church governance, someone rose up and stated that reform was impossible. The old structures were too entrenched, he complained. People are just too slow to change, he continued. Et. cetera. Finally, in exasperation, he asked those of us in the room, “What gives any of us any hope that something new would be accepted?” We sat in silence for a moment. Then a voice from the back of the room yelled, “THE HOLY SPIRIT!” We all had to say, “AMEN!”


Yesterday was Pentecost Sunday. We read in John that Jesus would provide an Advocate, a Counselor, the Holy Spirit to accompany us in His absence. Thank God we aren’t forgotten! And thank God that we are not left to our own devices and schemes to get things done. 


In Acts 2, the Pentecostal test for prophecy is how many people the church has produced who are able to say no to evil, who can speak the truth to power, and who can dream dreams and have visions, no matter how young or old they may be (And who don’t mind telling the world about them!). 


On Pentecost, God promised that the Holy Spirit would descend on all. Everyone would receive the power to speak and to tell the whole world what had happened in Jesus Christ. My question: Have we been letting God’s Spirit work in us? Have we been speaking up for Jesus? We are all God’s prophets. Now, let’s get out there and prophesize! 


Pastor Gary
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Monday Musings     May 9, 2016     Pastor Gary

5/9/2016

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On Sunday we listened to Jesus pray. Quite a moment!  The welfare of his disciples…you and me…was on his mind in John 17. What a person prays for can say a lot about that person. What a church prays for can also say something about that church!
 
Jesus prays in John 17 that we might all be one; that is, united in mission with him. As we eavesdrop on Jesus, we get a better sense of his nature and purpose. We also learn something about his will for us, too. We all believe that Jesus listens to our prayers. Ought not we also listen to his prayers? I’ve often said that when we sing “What a Friend We Have in Jesus,” we better hope that Jesus sings back “What a Friend I Have in You”! So, yes, it’s necessary to listen to Jesus pray.
 
Prayer, specifically Christian prayer, arises from the character of God in Christ. The church may be thought of as a kind of school for prayer. Jesus is constantly teaching us the practices of intimacy with God; an intimacy that reflects some of the Son’s intimacy with God. It’s been said many times before…God wants our availability and not just our ability. God wants all of us. How sweet!
 
When Jesus takes his leave from the disciples after John 17, he doesn’t just say goodbye and forgets about us. Oh no. He prays for us and never stops talking to God about us. In other words, Jesus’ prayer for us has been, is being, and will be answered. In order for unity to be completed at any level of Christian enterprise, we need help! Thus Jesus prays for us.
 
  In His Name,
Pastor Gary
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Monday Morning Musings     May 2, 2016     Pastor Gary

5/2/2016

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From Gary:
​
  The public ministry of Jesus starts to wind down by John 14, the text for yesterday’s sermon. He is now in a lengthy discourse with his disciples. Here we see Jesus saying goodbye. The goodbye covers nearly 5 chapters! Some have said this is proof that Jesus was Norwegian, since the goodbye takes so long. In no other Gospel is so much made of the absence of Jesus. Listen to the heartfelt honesty in Jesus’ words. Yes, Jesus will be risen, and will return. However, when he returns, he said, it will not be in a way they are used to. 
  The disciples are frightened! Who will watch over them? Who will give them direction? Thus John 14 gives them (us) a promise of a very specific, utterly essential gift…the Companion, the Holy Spirit, will come and teach everything necessary. The disciples of Jesus will be reminded of all that Jesus said. 
  All this says to me that Jesus doesn’t expect us to know everything or remember everything. We need some external help! That help is the Holy Spirit. I’ll be the first to admit that Jesus commands us to venture forth with courageous, countercultural, demanding lives. But the point is this…he does not expect us to do the demanding tasks and live the godly life by ourselves. Christ gives us what we need to be, in order to accomplish what he calls us to do. Little in the Christian faith is self-derived. None of it can be completed all on our own.
  We’ll hear more about the Holy Spirit in a few weeks when Pentecost begins. For now, just know this…we aren’t abandoned and we will be instructed by Jesus. Peace he gives us. Amen! Sing when the Spirit says sing, I say. Pastor Gary
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