The Vine with Chris Green

Maybe if Peter hadn't walked with Jesus and instead grew up in 21st century, New England Protestantism, his call at the end of the gospel message would have been different. But he did walk with Jesus. He knew this was more than a new, pious perspective on how to achieve inner peace. This is reality. Jesus is the Son of God, crucified because of us, raised to again from the dead, seated at the right hand of God the Father, and poured out His Spirit on all who believe.

And the people that day in Jerusalem were "cut to the heart" with the truth of that message. They were left with one question: "What should we do?"

In a day when churches have fallen into a type of "chronological snobbery" where the relevancy of such ancient practices as preaching are called into question, Peter's sermon, the first sermon of the church, reminds us what the soul of preaching ought always to be.

Now that we have a basic understanding of the identity and history of the Holy Spirit, what happened on the day of Pentecost there in the upper room? The key to understanding this lies in Genesis 11 and the story of the Tower of Babel. Pentecost was the reversal of Babel.

As we read we begin to understand: we still need Pentecost because we still have Babel.

When they gathered together because of Jesus and devoted themselves to prayer, their eyes were no longer fixed on their differences. They didn’t feel they had the luxury of time in which to debate theological points. They knew Jesus had spoken, had told them that they would be witnesses to him, had commanded them to wait for the promise from the Father. So they did. 

Uncommon, radical unity was not formed for some idealistic principle, or some pragmatic need. Uncommon, radical unity was formed around devotion to Jesus, expectation of the promise, and waiting in prayer. So must it be found in our day.

Renewal doesn't mean stepping back in time or trying to recreate the "good ol' days." Renewal is the discovery and radical recovery of first things. The book of Acts is the story of the "first things" of the church. Today we begin a journey of discovering those first things. Oddly enough, this journey doesn't begin by taking steps. It begins by waiting.

Today on the podcast, I want to share with you a story from our time in the Netherlands that I will remember till the day I die. It is a powerful lesson for me on prayer and how God is at work where God's people say, "amen."

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Lent is all about making room for more of God in our lives. Of course, Lent includes Sundays too. During this season, in addition to the devotionals inspired by Henri Nouwen, we're going to include our Sunday morning messages as well. Here's this week's bonus episode, "Get Back".

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Lent is all about making room for more of God in our lives. Of course, Lent includes Sundays too. During this season, in addition to the devotionals inspired by Henri Nouwen, we're going to include our Sunday morning messages as well. Here's this week's bonus episode, "The Voice of the Shepherd". 

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff.

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Join us as we journey through Lent with Henri Nouwen. Every day during Lent there will be a short scripture, an excerpt from one of Henri Nouwen's writings, and a devotional written by Christopher Kloff. Let's lean into this lenten season together.

Unless otherwise noted (or in excerpted text), Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, All rights reserved.

Reflections and prayers by Christopher Kloff. 

© 2020 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust and Creative Communications for the Parish, a division of Bayard, Inc., 800-325-9414. 1564 Fencorp Dr., Fenton, MO 63026. www.creativecommunications. com. All rights reserved.

Lent is a period of time in which we make room for more of God in our souls. Join us here on the podcast as we walk through the devotional, "From Suffering to Salvation" with works inspired by the late Catholic priest and spiritual writer, Henri Nouwen.

When we are stewards who put our God’s gifts to work generously, a whole world of true blessing is opened up to us.

My friends, my prayer for your life, my prayer for this church family, is that we would abound more and more in the kind of stewardship that sets us free, that blesses God, that blesses our neighbors, and that bears “fruit that remains”. That our stewardship will mean that our family and friends and neighbors and strangers encounter the life-changing, love of God.

Our sovereignty is limited but there is One who claims absolute sovereignty over all things. The sovereignty he claims is of the purest form because he created all things. He alone has the authority over all that has been made.

Abraham Kuyper (one of my heroes from Dutch history) said it most poignantly,

Now there are some who upon hearing that cosmic claim of “Mine” feel like little Susie or Jimmy who just got their toy snatched from their hand. “Wait,” they say, “It’s mine! I have the right to claim my life as my own. We, the human race, are surely sovereign over our lives, our possessions, our world"

But to those with eyes to see and ears to hear, we are overjoyed to hear Christ’s claim of “mine” ringing throughout every square inch of the cosmos. We see in it something worthy of our awe and our worship; something worthy of our work, our vocations, our service in society, our love for our neighbor; something worthy of our intentionality at home, of becoming great husbands and great wives, of becoming great parents; something worthy of our generosity, of the giving of ourselves, our time, our abilities, our resources. 

The foundation of the covenant has been made. It isn’t in Israel’s worthiness, it is in God’s mercy.

‌What does mercy look like?

‌When mercy comes it looks like the blessing of God

You can cooperate with grace.

‌You see the same things everyone else does. You see that God has a purpose. You see that He has the authority to accomplish that purpose but instead of responding in fear, you respond in humility. We find this man in Mark 5, not running from Jesus, but sitting with him, not begging him to leave but begging to go with him wherever he goes, not resisting his will but trusting and doing whatever he says. This is what it means to cooperate with grace. 

And this is the time of mercy! Oh how we hold on to so much because we don’t know what kind of God He is and what time it is. If we knew, we would ask. We wouldn’t carry around our needs as if asking Him was some kind of burden or inconvenience to Him. We wouldn’t avoid asking Him because deep in our hearts we don’t feel we deserve it or that others need it more. We don’t ask because we don’t understand who He is. You cannot ask more than what He is able to give. When God gives to you, it does not mean he can’t give that same thing to others. How many loaves and fish were there? How many ate that day? If we know Him, we will ask Him.

That Jesus announced that he had come to bring the "year of Jubilee" is not some obscure, biblical trivia. It means:

Nazareth. Jesus’ hometown southwest of the Sea of Galilee. A little town where nothing good can come from. Nazareth: where skepticism is strong, doubt is good-looking, and the level of condescension is above average. Would you ever want to be in a place like that?

‌What if I said to you that you and I go there more often then you think?

If we are to grow, we have to acknowledge the presence of our skepticism, our doubt and, in some cases, our condescension towards the things of God. I’m not talking about pretending like we don’t have questions or like we have everything figured out. We all have questions. None of us have arrived at the end of our journey of faith.

I’m talking about heart position that accepts at its foundation that Jesus couldn’t possibly be who he said he is, God couldn’t possibly do the things the scriptures say He does, and faith has no other goal than my own personal comfort and inspiration.

None of us have arrived at the end of our journey of faith. But if Nazareth is a place where skepticism is strong, doubt is good-looking, and the level of condescension is above average, We have to leave Nazareth behind if we’re going to follow Jesus into a growing life of faith.

Immanuel, this prophetic name meaning “God with us”, was shot like an arrow through the mouth of Isaiah, flying through the centuries, finally finding its mark, its full resting place in Jesus Christ. What does this mean? That Jesus is the proof. Jesus is the sign. Jesus himself is “God with us.” He is God come close to us. Not far away, not unfeelingly distant, not untouchable. He is God right here. Not waiting up in the sky somewhere, demanding that you climb up there to Him. Not waiting in some deep, dark depths, waiting till you die to meet your Maker. He meets us in this place, right here, somewhere between heaven and hell.

As we walk through the wilderness experiences of life and read the words in Isaiah 35, we catch a prophetic vision for what will happen here, in this very place. We begin to understand, or perhaps remember, that God even now offers spiritual life to us, even when everything around us looks like a desert.

The desert wilderness is always a low, low place on life’s journey but God’s mercy, like water, always flows to the lowest part. Like streams in the desert.

"Then a shoot will grow from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit." (Isaiah 11:1) What is this? This is mercy. Yes, the stump of Jesse is the proof of our own failure. But there is mercy even here, especially here. God delights to bring hope from hopeless situations, to bring life where no one thought it could possibly happen. Mercy is the outpouring of God’s abundant love on people who haven’t done anything to deserve it. Mercy is a shoot growing from the stump of Jesse. Mercy is waiting for you and me.

The birth of Jesus Christ is the beginning of this new reality, heaven meets earth first in his person. The Kingdom that is coming breaks through in the night cry of a baby. His life, his teachings, his miracles, his sacrificial death on a cross, his resurrection his commissioning of his disciples, all of them the breaking in of this new reality, all of them glimpses of the kingdom that is here… but only in part. 

We’re leading our world the best that we can, but even with all our good will, knowledge, influence and wisdom combined over centuries, well, this is what we’ve done with the place. Somehow, despite the whole of human history and experience to prove that it isn’t possible, we still long for something that we haven’t seen yet.

‌Whether we realize it or not, we’re truly waiting for a kingdom we haven’t yet seen, we’re waiting for the king we were promised

Providence means God finely tuned the entire universe. He’s had the whole world in his hands from the very beginning. And providence means he’s still got the whole world in his hands, that nothing happens outside of his sight and outside of his governance. Just as all things are finely tuned in the universe, so is God even now finely tuning everything according to his plans. Joseph trusted in the providence of God, even when he could not see it. And ultimately, Joseph rejoiced in the providence of God, when God’s purposes were at last (partially) revealed.

We are so accustomed to doubting faith. What if we tried something different? What if we doubted our doubts instead? I want you to be like Pharaoh so that one day you can be like Joseph.‌ Pharaoh trusted the word that came from God enough to stake everything upon them. Joseph trusted God himself enough to stake everything upon Him

‌Joseph wasn't playing for short term gains. Joseph was playing the long game of moral integrity and courage, of walking with God in all his ways. His loving loyalty to God was not situational; he didn’t lay his loyalty to the side when the circumstances would have allowed it. Joseph played the long game of faithfulness, what some have called “a long obedience in the same direction”. Remember: 

‌

Have you ever been disappointed with God? Disappointment assumes that this is where the story ends, that everything significant that could happen has already happened and now this is the reality I have to live in. Disappointment stops reading in the middle of the story because it cannot see how what I once thought was true could somehow still be true in the middle of this dark night of the soul. But the word “yet” is a word of hope. Its an affirmation that even you cannot possibly see how this all ends. Its a word of hope that you don’t necessarily have to “feel”. But the more we say it, the more we acknowledge that the story isn’t over, that The pen is still in the author’s hands.

Like Joseph when we meet him in Genesis 37, your story is still being written. Even when disappointment has settled in and you can’t see a way forward. If you’ll look, you’ll see, the Lord is with you. Your story will be the story, not of your struggles alone, but of God’s faithfulness to fulfill all his promises.

Imagine we’re all there at a table right in front of the pathway. And we’re all having a great time eating and serving and helping and talking. In fact, we’re having such a great time that more and more people are walking by and are stopping for a while because, well, who doesn’t want to have a great time? Everything is going well there at the entrance but then we remember, there’s a pathway. The pathway was given as a gift to us and it leads to even fuller and longer lasting pleasures than what we are experiencing now. Even as we walk the pathway, we’re told that there is an abundant life of joy and peace and strength and purpose and power. But we won’t experience any of that as long as we just hang out here by the entrance. We won’t get to the eternal life and home that’s been prepared for us by staring at the path. If we want it, we’ll have to walk it.

This is where the step of belief comes in. The step of belief is the step onto the pathway.

Jesus was compelled by a greater joy, greater than having friends, than building his movement, greater than full pews and vibrant programs. This greater joy was the joy of what was lost being found again, of the lost one coming home. He saw the world as lost. Jesus knew he had come to seek and save the lost and so, everywhere he went, in every way he could, he extended the invitation to everyone, “come home.”

How was Jesus moved by Joy?

• invested disproportionate energy in seeking outsiders

• served humbly, skillfully, giving of himself

• invited others to imagine his joy and to share in it

So what does it mean for us to be a place of belonging in Jesus’ name?

• a disproportionate amount of energy will have to be invested in others, especially outsiders

• a greater level of humility and service will have to be shared by all

• a greater imagination of heaven’s joy will have to be grasped

A singular passion has always been the center of the authentic life of faith, but it is always at war with a thousand lesser things. When this passion is restored to us, everything else falls into its rightful place. We begin to discover life and love and belonging and adventure as it was all meant to be from the day of creation. From the day of your creation, you were made to know and love God. Augustine said “Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in Thee.” Every human person on the face of the earth was made to know and love God. Not in a far-off, phony-religious way. Not in a self-serving, self-centered spirituality kind of way. In a way where He Himself is our greatest passion.

It is the rediscovery of that passion that will reorient our lives, reignite the embers of faith in our heart, and puts us on the path of becoming who we were created to be.

Anxiety dominates life in the modern world. Jesus invites his followers to a better way; a way of trust and of giving yourself away.

Jesus’ admonition, his instruction to you and me, is to give and to pray and to fast and to daily practice this better righteousness of the Kingdom in every facet3, not for the praise from an audience of our peers but for the praise from an audience of One. He is the one who sees all that is done, both in public and in secret.

In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus challenges his followers to break the cycle of anger and payback. He calls us to surprise the world with grace in, well, surprising ways.

When there's so much talking all around us, when everyone is speaking about what they claim is the most important thing, when promises are made and broken, when there's so much noise, how do we keep from adding to it? How do we let our words be meaningful and true? Jesus shows us that, in the Way of the Kingdom, to tell the truth means to (1) say it straight, (2) say it simply, (3) say what you mean, and (4) say no more. 

The Way of the West operates by two principles when it comes to love and sexuality: (1) Do what feels right (2) as long as you have the consent of the other. Then here comes Jesus and pretty much says, “Nope, you weren’t made according to those principles. In fact, that’s pretty much the exact opposite of the principles of your creation.” In Matthew 5:27-31 we see that Jesus holds us to a higher principle; the highest, in fact. 

To love is to will the good of the other. Jesus shows us that on the opposite end of the spectrum from love are two things that are equally evil: murder and anger. Yes, Jesus equates the evil of murder with the evil of anger by exposing the same heart of both. Martin Luther King said that we should "avoid not only violence of deed but violence of spirit." How do come out from under the powerful influence of anger?

Jesus calls his followers to a righteousness that's better that that of the religious professionals; one that isn't just on the outside but that goes all the way to the heart. It's a little like heart surgery. That means this better righteousness requires a better doctor.

The Way of the Kingdom is a Way that cuts through the ins and outs of our everyday lives. We live in a world that needs us to be the people of faith God has called us to be. We ought not try to find some "golden middle" for our faith. We are not salt shakers and we are not dimmer switches. We are the salt. We are the light. And the world needs us to be who we are. 

Every culture has a vision for what "the good life" means. A nice house. 2.3 children. A healthy 401k.

When Jesus begins teaching what some have called "the Ted Talk of Jesus," he lays out a vision for "the good life" that is, well, different.

This week we're launching into a new series on the Sermon on the Mount called "The Way of the Kingdom". It'll take us several weeks to get through chapters 5-7 of Matthew but I know you'll see, it will be worth it. 

The podcast takes a new turn... hopefully for the better. Here's what's up. 

A devotion inspired by Henri Nouwen, from the booklet, "From Suffering to Salvation".

A poem by John Donne with a reflection by Malcolm Guite in his book, "The Word in the Wilderness." 

A devotional from Henri Nouwen in the booklet "From Suffering to Salvation". 

What is Lent and what's the point for you and me? Join me for this month's episode as we explore that question. 

September and October have been busy months here in Etna and Hanover Center. We've been asking big questions and talking together to find the answers to them. Today, Chris shares with us some pastoral perspective on the journey thus far and where he believes we're headed. 

Since the beginning, followers of Jesus have had to walk a way that has been hard for others to categorize. An ancient letter written to a roman official named Diognetus sheds some light on what that looked like then, and it shares some encouragement with us! 

“They live in their own countries, but only as aliens. They have a share in everything as citizens, and endure everything as foreigners. Every foreign land is their fatherland, and yet for them every fatherland is a foreign land....Yet, although they live in Greek and barbarian cities alike, as each man’s lot has been cast, and follow the customs of the country in clothing and food and other matters of daily living, at the same time they give proof of the remarkable and admittedly extraordinary constitution of their own commonwealth.” The letter to Digonetus as quoted in Gerald L. Sittser, Resilient Faith

This week, as we're looking at how the Way of Jesus leads through the world we're living in, we're finding a few clues from history. What we'll find truly has the potential to change, well, everything. 

The Pilgrim's Song is a podcast sponsored by the Church of Etna & Hanover Center. Find out more by visiting www.etnahanovercenterchurch.org 

Here's where we're headed this season!

Fingers in the ears, 

fingers on the tongue, 

miracles in the air, 

everything he does

is wonderful

What do Sting and the Old Testament book of Malachi have in common? Glad you asked...

What do the movie "The Never-ending Story" and the Bible have in common? Turns out its something pretty significant. 

You ever read the words "the kingdom of God" in the New Testament and wonder what that means? Well, let me tell you, its pretty incredible.

We've got some struggles and some questions when we read the Old Testament. Today we're looking at one of them: does God play favorites or does he treat us all equally? 

Did God set us up for failure from the start? How are we supposed to understand sin and the brokenness of our world? 

An excerpt from a course we're doing on How to Read the Bible, every Sunday night at 7pm. 

When things get crazy, remember this. 

Romans 14 and what that means for diversity of thought/opinion in the local church

1. Live out of conviction

2. Don't judge

3. Don't trip

Adjusting your rhythms and habits to encourage new growth. 

When the next unexpected, unwelcome thing comes your way, how will you respond. Here's 2 important truths you should know now before that moment comes. 

You are on the inside what you show on the outside. 

What is the relationship between crisis or disturbance and fruitfulness? 

A postlude to our series on the Lord's Prayer. How can this prayer help you to pray every day and for those prayers to become more meaningful? Take a listen. 

The story that just didn't make the cut.

Wendell Berry, "the Biggest Little Farm" and Calvin & Hobbs. Lessons from the Lord's Prayer.

(music: Where I Belong by Plàsi)

It's not just about getting the good stuff, it's about walking the good way.

"Where I Belong" by Plàsi

What the Bible editors missed, in my humble opinion...

when things just don't seem to be going the way you'd hoped...

What's the one thing at the heart of this pilgrim journey? 

Going one verse further in Psalm 84, there's an insane idea that drives these pilgrims.