Category Archives: Ministry

March 9, 2018 · 11:19 am

Lifted Up

There are three places in the Gospel of John where “lifted up” sayings appear.  Each of these are quotes from Jesus.  Here they are:

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up”  – John 3:14

 

“When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.” – John 8:28

 

 “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” – John 12:32

 

This “lifted up” wording may sound strange to us, but Jesus and his contemporaries knew exactly what he meant.  In first century Palestine the primary way a person was “lifted up” was by crucifixion.  Jesus is forecasting his death, and the means by which he will die, in these sayings. Continue reading →

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March 2, 2018 · 2:27 pm

Ask, Search, Knock

Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. – Jesus (Mt 7:7 NRSV)

Jesus’ words in Matthew 7 are very familiar to me.  Mostly I know them as part of a chorus we used to play and sing at church camp.  When sung in parts and with the descant, that simple little chorus could transform a campfire experience into something special.

It’s funny how such familiar words can be found fresh again.  At least that was my experience early this week, when in the course of reading Matthew 7 I stopped to consider the words anew.  I no longer hear them as a teenager or young adult camp counselor.  I hear them as a middle-aged pastor, husband, father, and recently new granddad, who has been wrestling with God in prayer for the past several months. Continue reading →

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February 22, 2018 · 8:36 am

A Pastoral Response

In the aftermath of yet another school shooting, which has ricocheted into multiple copycat threats throughout the nation – including our local community, I would offer the following pastoral reflection.  In doing so I realize that not all will agree with me, and it is not my intent to pick a fight or cause more division.  However, there are times in life when, as a pastor, you feel something of a kinship in grief with the things that grieve the very heart of God.  I have felt this burden for our homeland, it’s current state of political discord, and the spillover of all such things into the life of the church, for quite some time now.  Perhaps the events of recent days have served as something of a tipping point for me.

So, what’s a Christ follower to do?  What’s a Christ follower to think?  How do we respond?  I offer the following as a contribution to dialogue, thoughtful discourse and prayerful action: Continue reading →

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January 31, 2018 · 4:34 pm

Jesus’ Prayer

We are in the midst of a 30 Day Prayer Challenge at First Baptist – Columbus, the congregation I am blessed to serve as pastor. This blog is addressed to that challenge and its participants, but I hope might speak to others beyond our faith community as well.

Most of us, if asked to identify Jesus’ prayer, or The Lord’s Prayer, would quickly think of the prayer he taught his disciples, found in Matthew 6 or Luke 11.  But there’s another, longer prayer of Jesus’ found in John 17.  In this prayer Jesus prays for us.  And he prays for all “those who will believe in me” through the witness of his followers.

Get that – Jesus is praying for our witness to others in his name.  He is praying that we who claim his name and the identify of Christ follower, will be purposeful in sharing the good news we’ve come to know and understand with others.  He is praying for the multiplication of the church, for the growth of his Kingdom, on earth as in heaven.

What does that do for you?  Does it give you courage to know that Jesus has prayed this prayer for you and I?  Does it inspire you to pray this same thing for yourself, for others, for your congregation?

Sharing faith, witness, evangelism . . . whatever “churchy” word you choose, is too often neglected in our prayers.  We are called to pray for those who are without Christ.  We are called to pray for our witness to, with and for them.

Will you join me in this prayer?

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January 24, 2018 · 7:07 am

30 Day Prayer Challenge – Surrender

We are in the midst of a 30 Day Prayer Challenge at First Baptist – Columbus, the congregation I am blessed to serve as pastor. This blog is addressed to that challenge and its participants, but I hope might speak to others beyond our faith community as well.

A Prayer of Surrender to God’s Will

“. . . not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36b).  These are the words of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane after he prays that the cup of suffering that awaits him might somehow pass from him.  It’s a prayer of surrender and obedience.

Are we able to pray this prayer?  Might we pray it for the church?  How about for our family?  Or, for a loved one? Could it become a prayer of our heart for a perplexing problem we are up against?  Might it become something of a “life prayer” for us?

Before you too quickly agree, consider this.  It’s a prayer of complete surrender to the will of God.  It assumes and believes that God is sovereign and knows what it best.  It is a prayer of trust and total faith.  But it is also a prayer of continued engagement.  In other words, you don’t pray this prayer in an attitude of abandonment – “Whatever, Lord!  Whatever you think best!”  No, we don’t give up on God and fade into a passive stance upon praying this prayer.  We stay engaged – searching for God’s will, listening for it, when we pray this prayer.  And when we recognize God’s will, we respond to it by becoming obedient to it.

Yes, it’s a hard prayer to pray.  It’s the stuff of complete faithful obedience.  Will you dare to pray this prayer today?

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