God's Glory in the Unexpected

Our tendency is to measure someone's status by the way they do things. Important people (or those who would have you think they are important) drive "important people" cars, live in big, "important people" houses, eat at expensive, "important people" restaurants, go to "important people" events, and like to hang out with other important people. There is almost a code of practice for being an important person.

HENRY OWASSA TANNER, “THE ANNUNCIATION” (1898)

You would think that God might be characterized as an "important person"; God the creator of all things, the ruler of everything. There is no doubt that God deserves the title, but the way God comes to be one of us, the Emmanuel, makes us wonder about that status. God chooses an unknown girl whose reputation is about to be destroyed, from an unknown village in a depressed part of the country to smuggle him into our world. Why would God do that when there were lots of other, more flashy, ways an entrance could have been made?

This Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Advent, we will spend some time thinking about God's less than flashy entrance into humanity and what that means for us.

Preparation

This Sunday is the second week of Advent. Last week we lit the candle of hope. This week the candle of preparation. Preparation makes hope real. When we prepare for something hoped for, the thing becomes more real, closer. Hope without preparation in dreaming.

John the Baptist made the coming of the Messiah real for the people of Israel. He is credited with making straight the road for Jesus who would baptize with the Holy Spirit rather than water. John heralded hope for the people, and for us.

This Sunday we will celebrate the Lord's Supper, a physical reminder of the hope we have as we prepare for the coming of the kingdom.

Our service this week is a combined service with our Presbyterian hosts at 10:00 am

Of Sheep and Goats

In Matthew 25, Jesus uses the picture of a shepherd, separating sheep and goats, as a metaphor for his actions at his return. Sheep and goats have many things in common, size, diet, etc. In this parable, they also share a sense of surprise. Neither of them recognized that ministering to the downtrodden around them was, in fact, ministering to Jesus himself. 

Patheos.com

Our attitude toward those around us says a lot about our relationship with Jesus. The sheep were following their shepherd (that's what sheep do) while the goats were less affected by the shepherd's leading, and, in their reply, seem to say they would have benefited from a bit more direction (typical of goats).

This Sunday we will spend some time reflecting on this passages in light of our own interaction with the world around us. 

Practice what you Preach

In the first verses of Matthew 23, Jesus seems to lose his cool. The previous chapters had recounted the priests , Pharisees, and Sadducees working to trap Jesus, to undermine his authourity. In every case he shuts down their questioning, to the point where they are afraid to ask anything else. Now here in chapter 23 Jesus tells us what he really thinks about these folks and people like them, people who preach and teach the truth, but don`t live it themselves.

challengeofabigman.com

This Sunday, we will consider how Jesus words, coupled with those of Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2, impact our lives.

It has been said that a theology that does not equip you to live is not a good theology.

What  do our neighbours learn about God by watching us?

Love

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We call it the golden rule.

 Jesus identifies two laws which are the most important in answer to a question from a lawyer out to stump him. Love God and love your neigbour. He says every other rule or law in life hangs off of these two principles.

While Jesus' words seem to be common sense, they are actually very radical. This Sunday we will spend some time considering just how radical they are, how life changing they can be.

Join us at 9:30 as we worship at the Lucknow Presbyterian Church

Is it About Authourity?

Jewish rabbis have a long history of debate. They were really good at it. They will often counter questions with another question to draw their opponents out before establishing their own position on an issue. In this week's Gospel reading (Matthew 21:23-32) Jesus uses this technique as he in drawn into a debate about where his authourity comes from. He really turns the question around and leaves the chief priests and elders scrambling to cover themselves.

The whole interaction reveals the type of God followers these folks really are and the way they look at other people. Through this interaction, Jesus shows us again how the kingdom of heaven is surprising and unexpected. He says something about how we act as members of the kingdom.

Come out this Sunday as we unpack this debate and the short parable that is part of it.

Forgiving

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How often to I need to forgive that person who keeps messing with my life? There must be a line, a limit, to my patience. There must be a point where I can walk away, turn my back, and refuse to forgive, refuse to try to maintain a relationship.

Peter thought there should be, and quite extravagantly suggests that forgiving someone seven times should be enough. Jesus, in typical Jesus fashion, is much more extravagant, much more generous and uses a story about a king and a couple of servants to illustrate his point.

Join us for worship this week. We continue to meet at the Presbyterian Church in Lucknow at 9:30 as our church is repaired following a fire in the sanctuary.