Meeting Jesus in the Gospel of John

Some of us are meditating upon the book of John in our Bible Study. It’s super helpful to read a book all the way through in one sitting when you study because it gives you the big picture. You get to see Jesus’ life fully on display and not broken into small pieces. It enhances worship. I had a friend who didn’t preach a book until he had read it through at least 50 times!

Here are a couple tools to help you read through John in 1-2 sittings. And when you’re done — I’d love to hear what you discover about Jesus from the book of John!

Gospel of John Observation Worksheets

Anticipating the Christ

At least I am trying to anticipate the Christ when today feels like a normal day, another Monday, another day of work and meetings and gatherings with friends. But I am trying not to miss this week. This week before Christmas, this week to anticipate the Christ. Six days to the celebration of the birth of God.

I still find the incarnation absolutely mind-boggling. The physical, earthy, inconspicuous coming of God. A zygote. An embryo. A fetus. A baby. A child.

Mary the virgin wasn’t praying for a miracle or looking to be a part of history. She was merely present in a very small and obscure town when an angel came and said to her, “Do not be afraid . . . You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you will give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:30-33).

A Week for Adoptions

This is a week for adoptions. Today I have multiple friends throughout Africa grabbing hold of their sons. They are facebooking and blogging and rejoicing and crying. Their joy is arresting, disarming. There are no caveats or disclaimers. There is no talk of future challenges. Today is a day for undisciplined delight. I want to crawl into it and feel every feeling they feel.

I envy this experience – of knowing exactly what the Father feels on the day he adopts us into his family. There is no hesitation. No crossed arms waiting for us to meet his expectations. No marching orders. Like my friends who are overwhelming their sons with toys and t-shirts and stuffed bears, he gregariously pours out gifts – the Holy Spirit, his presence, his word, his unabashed affection.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”  The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.” [Romans 8:14-16]

“God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,Father.” [Galatians 4:4-6]

“God predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.” [Ephesians 1:5-6]

Hearing the Voice of God

I’m trying to grow in listening to God– in not running ahead of him nor running behind him. How I do I run with him? How do I hear what he is saying and not just what I want him to say? Jesus says that he only does what the father tells him to do, that he only says what the father tells him to say. I want to know what that could look like in my life.

So, I’d love y’all to help me! How do you hear the voice of God? What does that look like in your life?

Put your comments here and lets get the conversation going!

A Prayer for Going to Target

Dear Father in Heaven who provides all that I need. I am going to Target and I need your guidance and protection.

Guide me to just the three things on my list (toilet paper, dishwasher detergent and tampons). Please protect me from the bathing suits, dresses and shorts. Do not let that $9.99 T-shirt leap into my cart. Remind me that I have too many T-shirts and no room for this one—even if it is the perfect color, size and texture. Do not let my fingers grasp another quick-wicking workout shirt or a pair of oh-so-light-and-colorful running shorts even if I am training for a race that is six months away. Put blinders on my eyes as I pass the candles and lamps and bowls and vases — especially the purple ones that would add that perfect touch of color to my guest room. Keep me from the shoes and remind me how uncomfortable they will be in just a week and that your perfect will for me is at Nordstrom Rack. Keep me from the eyeliner and mascara and blush and lipstick and lip balm. And you know the enemy brought food to my Target—please bring to mind all the Ranch Dressing that already lines my refrigerator shelf. I will memorize these truths: my dog does not need another bone; I don’t need another journal that feels so perfect in my hands; I don’t need lavender body wash; and Diet Coke is cheaper at Ralph’s.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Amen.

The Day Between Death and the Unknown

Today is the day between death and the unknown. At least that’s what it was that first Easter for the followers of Jesus. Yesterday was a crucifixion, the common torturous death of a criminal. But, the man they looked at on those crosses wasn’t a criminal—he was a friend, a teacher and something more. He was hope.

But today it feels like hope is dead. They don’t know about tomorrow. I wonder what it was like not to know. The grieving. The weeping. The questions. The remembering. Oh, the remembering. Stories of storms ceasing, hands un-shriveling and demons retreating. Reminiscence of  revolutionary teaching on breaking the Sabbath and loving an enemy.

The day between death and the unknown. Silence. Loss. Fear. Isolation. The foreshadowing of victory — a curtain torn, a centurion’s testimony — are only recognized tomorrow but not today. Today is for loss. Today is the day in the middle, the day between death and the unknown.

Till He Appeared….

The meaning of Christmas expressed in nine simple words: “’till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.”Christmas is about the glory of the Father swaddled in the goodness of his Son who appeared because no one else could appear and do what he could do. No one else could contain the redeeming fullness of God in flesh and blood and life and death and resurrection (Col. 1:19-20). And no one else could do as the angel said he would do — “save his people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). No one else could perfectly possess grace and truth, justice and mercy, holiness and compassion. No one else could tell us more profoundly that we matter.

“My worth is what I am worth to God,” says Arch Bishop William Temple, “and that is a marvelous great deal, for Christ died for me.” But, Christ also lived for me—a life of humility and misunderstanding and betrayal and obedience and forgiveness—and that too is a marvelous great deal.

Singleness. Ugh.

I spent the weekend with a large population of single men and women who I love. I am one of them, but I’ve been at it far longer than this group of “young” adults. I suppose this makes me an expert in a field I wish I had failed miserably at somewhere around 27. But, such is my lot.

Inevitably, I had a lot of questions  this weekend about this dreaded state and I felt completely inept to answer most of them. Pathetically I referred everyone to a talk that I gave 100 years ago. I don’t particularly like this talk but others have found it to be helpful and have asked me to make it more accessible. It’s on this  blog under the listen tab. You have to scroll down quite a ways. I buried it in some subconscious mode of avoidance. So, I’m sticking it right here for all the bloggasphere to see. Here you go. Eat your heart out. Enjoy. Ugh.

Singleness – Thriving Not Just Surviving

Busy

I’m busy and everyone I know is busy. I know single moms who are busy. I know stay-at-home moms who are busy. I know executives who are busy. And I know 10 year olds and somehow they too are busy.

I was reading an article last week called, Buried by Busy, and the author said, “Busyness is a modern status symbol, the currency of social capital. We lament this situation and yet still brag about it—even while it overwhelms us.” Basically, we like to be busy.

For some busyness is unavoidable. It’s a season of life. How can a new mom not be busy? But for me busyness is not usually a condition of my calendar as much as it is a state of my soul. I’m busy because it affirms my identity—if I’m busy, I must matter. I’m busy because I’m afraid—afraid that if I slow down I might have to face my loneliness and regrets and unmet longings. I’m busy because I’m insecure—if I say “no” perhaps I’ll be rejected or no one will ever ask again. I’m busy because I’m proud—when I’m busy I feel important and needed. I’m busy because I like control—I’d prefer to do it myself and I’d prefer that others do it my way. I’m busy because I’m not completely convinced of the gospel (that God loves me, period)—somewhere deep in me is a place that is sure that I’m best if I’m performing for God, earning his approval, displaying to him my loyalty.

And so, I commit to not be busy. I determine to say “no” to everything, to stop running in circles like the greyhound bent on the metal rabbit. But, then I wonder if that is the answer. Is it about having a busy life or a not-so-busy life? Maybe it’s really about living a life of listening? How do I listen to God? Maybe he wants me to be more-busy or perhaps he wants me to be less busy. I know that he doesn’t want me to be afraid or insecure or proud or in control or pathetically performing for him. But, I do think he wants me to listen. And he wants me to listen to him.

Over and over Jesus says, “I only do what the Father tells me to do” and “I only say what the Father tells me to say.” How do I live like this? How do I listen? How do I create the quietness of soul to hear?

James the Just

We’re starting a Bible Study through the book of James in our Women’s Bible Study. You can get the study guide under the “Bible Study Materials” link and listen to talks as they come up under “listen”.

I’m excited to walk through a book of the Bible and excited to explore this practical, yet sometimes confusing book. It’s practical because it’s written to Christians explaining what true faith looks like on a day-to-day basis (perseverence, love, mercy, the reality of suffering and temptation, wisdom, submission to God, patience, prayer and so much more). And it’s confusing because at one point James seems to be contradicting Paul by saying that “a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” — but we’ll find that he’s not contradicting Paul but supporting Paul. But, that’s confusing since Paul says that we are justified by faith alone. Anyway…that will be fun to explore.

And it’s written by James who was Jesus brother but did not come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah until after his resurrection. I think that’s interesting. So, obviously Jesus wasn’t levitating or turning teachers into toads when they were kids. Jesus must have looked like any regular ol’ brother to James. Which is important to our understanding of Jesus being 100% man as well as 100% God. And that’s important because for Jesus to be the perfect substitutionary sacrifice for our sins he needed to live as a man — a perfect man. That’s why Satan kept trying to tempt Jesus to call on his divine powers when facing temptation rather than responding simply as a man. Satan was fine with Jesus being divine — but he didn’t want him to also be human. But, for our sake, Jesus needed to face Satan as a man, and he did. He lived the life we couldn’t live so that he could die the death we couldn’t die so that we could forever be free from sin.