May 20, 2012

“They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” John 17:16-18

“Can I get a witness?”

“What?”

“Can I get a witness?”

“Huh?”

“I said…can I get a witness?”

“To what?”

“Oh for heaven’s sake! Can I get a witness to the authenticity and validity of these words?

“Sure. I mean, I guess. They’re in the Bible, right?”

“Of course they’re in the Bible. They’re part of this week’s gospel lesson.”

“Oh, yeah. That stuff that’s printed in the bulletin.”

“Well…?”

“Well, what? What do you want me to do about it?”

“Be a witness! Take your mission into the world and share the good news of Jesus.”

“You’re kidding, right?

And then you wake up. Whew! It was only a dream, one of those bad Saturday night dreams prior to preaching. You know, the kind of dreams where your worst fears about mission, ministry, and proclamation go leaping through your limbic system like a flock of confused and bleating sheep. Even though your sermon is carefully crafted and printed, you still wonder way down deep in the recesses of your pastoral little heart how in the world the lesson and sermon that follows will connect with the everyday lives of the congregation. How indeed can you get a witness?

You and I both know, of course, that it really isn’t about us. We who serve in worship leadership roles are merely the strings on which God’s message is played. The Spirit works through us and in spite of us. We do our homework, pray a lot, prepare to the best of our ability, pray some more, and tell ourselves that we trust the process. It is after all a holy work in which we are involved and a divine calling to serve and love God’s people. It is also messy work. It can even be discouraging work. We want so much to make a difference, to inspire, equip, and motivate the disciples in our faith communities to experience and share the amazing and radical love and grace of God.

So, dear friends, this week preach to the choir, preach to the congregation, and most of all preach to yourselves. Let Jesus’ prayer wash over you and flow deeply into your spirit. This prayer is for you. It is prayed for you by the master himself. He has given you the words, or as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message, the “consecrating truth,” so that you will be “truth consecrated” in your mission to witness to the good news of Jesus Christ.

Yep, we swim against the current of culture as disciples and servant leaders. Sometimes it is hard to keep our heads above water long enough to breathe and simply “be.” We fall into the traps of doing and achieving and defining our success in numbers and dollars and building programs and other such concrete measurements. We forget too easily that we are not defined by this world, and in doing so we also forget the freedom we have in Christ, the joy, the completeness, and the wonder of it all.

No matter which way the lessons and the Spirit lead you this week, remember that Jesus’ prayer is for you, too. Be strengthened by the words. Repeat them often as you go about your daily work and ministry. Let the love of Christ and the presence of God nurture and sustain you. Remember,  those beloved people of God will see in you the reflection of what it means to be a disciple more than they’ll ever remember the clever way you weave your words and craft your homily.

Can I get a witness? Yep. You are that witness. I am that witness. We are the witnesses. Preach it brother. Say it sister. Most importantly, live it in love and in faith in each and every breath of your life.

Photos by Ashley Campbell, KatrinaL, Cross Lutheran Church, and Deb Nystrom used under Creative Commons License. Thanks.

*Not familiar with this term outside the 1963 hit song recorded by Marvin Gaye? Witnessing and testifying are two practices that emerged from the Black Church. Rosetta E. Ross writes “By identifying oneself as a witness, a believer asserts that she has personally experienced God’s provision or other intervention. Moreover, emerging from some traditions in early Christianity and developing along with the Black religious practice of testifying, the term witnessing has arisen as a complementary way of naming the believer’s ordinary moral practice–way of living–as religious practice” (pp. 14-15 in Witnessing & Testifying: Black Women, Religion, and Civil Rights, Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003).

May 20, 2012

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may kn0w that you have eternal life.” 1 John 5:13

Remember the famous Got Milk ad campaign? Created in 1993 by the advertising firm Goodby Silverstein & Partners, it is one of the most successful brand recognition campaigns ever launched. Featuring an array of celebrities and cartoon characters sporting milk mustaches, the highly successful campaign claims over 90% awareness in the United States (gotmilk.com). The church would do well to craft an evangelism campaign even half as successful as this one.

It’s not like we don’t have an amazing story or a recognizable personality; we even have a three-in-one and one-in-three eternal superhero. If that doesn’t trump Spiderman, I don’t know what will. Sure, the Holy Trinity is a little difficult to pin down, but we have Jesus as the walking around embodiment of God on earth. Plus, we have a host of witnesses to the real life effects of a lasting relationship with God and the reality of life abundant.

John writes that “whoever has the Son has life” (1 John 5:12a). So, having Jesus means we have life–life here and now, life abundant, and life eternal. Furthermore, according to John, we have the testimony in our very hearts (5:10). It is written inside of us, deeply embedded in our DNA and in every fiber of our being.

But that’s not all; it gets even better. Not only do we have real life, we have real love, too. This is wondrous love, amazing love, and grace-full love. This kind of life and love is a potent combination when expressed fully in the life of disciples. The thing is that you can’t have real love without God, and you can’t have God without experiencing and expressing love in a new and complete way.

In his introduction to John’s three letters, Eugene Peterson writes, “If we want to deal with God the right way, we have to learn to love the right way. If we want to love the right way, we have to deal with God the right way. God and love can’t be separated” (p. 1799, The Message//Remix, NavPress, 2003). A person can’t really have one without the other; they are, in effect, a package deal, a two-for-one spiritual special. Surely we who have experienced the love of God and the gift of grace offered in Christ ought to be able to share this story in a way that draws others to the discipleship life.

How can it be that we have yet to find a way to effectively communicate this life-giving message in our 21st century pluralistic society? Do we lack confidence? Are we using tired, stale marketing models? Maybe it’s time to take another lesson from the business world and the writing of Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide of Ideas Company Saatchi & Saatchi. In his wonderful book Lovemarks, Roberts identifies mystery (great stories; past, present, and future; taps into dreams; myths and icons; inspiration) sensuality (sound, sight, smell, touch, and taste), and intimacy (commitment, empathy, and passion) as the three defining aspects of a great love (77). For a product to transcend brand and become a “lovemark,” these three aspects are needed. Do you see any parallels between how we present the “greatest story ever told” and how one creates a “lovemark”? I sure do!

As you step into that classroom or step before the congregation to lead worship and preach, remember that we have the greatest love and the truest “lovemark” of all in the Lord of the universe. Our world is desperately in need of something and someone to cling to that is real and that won’t let them down. Got life? Got love? Then you have God. Spread the word so all may “get a life.”

(Photos by Eric Steuer , Kate Ter Haar, Dave Ceasar Dela Cruz, and James Thompson used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!)

Visual

Pass out large paper hearts with the words “I have Life!” written on them, along with 1 John 5:12. As people enter the worship space, have digital cameras ready to snap their photos holding the hearts. If you have someone who is tech savvy and have a screen, have that person download the pictures into a slide show to accompany the hymn of the day. Choose a hymn that proclaims this theme.

With Youth

Work on a “branding campaign” for your youth group focusing on the theme “Got God?” or “Got Life?” Using a video camera and whatever simple props the youth want to use (signs, hearts, crosses, etc.) invite them to create a video or PowerPoint presentation about what it means to have God in their lives. If possible find a way to share the finished product with the congregation. Youth are amazingly creative, so ground them in scripture, cover them in prayer, and let their spirits soar with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. You may just be amazed at the results.

With Children

Remind children about the importance of prayer. Tell them that lots of people pray for them–their parents, grandparents, baptismal sponsors, members of the congregation, pastor, Sunday school teachers. Tell them that Jesus prays for them, too. Jesus prays for all his disciples, and we have a record of that prayer in today’s gospel lesson. Jesus prays for their protection and for their walk as disciples, as children of the heavenly father. Consider singing “Jesus Loves Me” as a reminder of that wondrous love.

Photo © Keller, Fotolia.com

(Photo © saje - Fotolia.com)

May 13, 2013

You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit. – John 15:16

Ever heard the term “frozen chosen”? It’s a descriptor that faithful folk do NOT want applied to them or to their communities. It implies an unwelcoming, change-fearing, stick-in-the-mud, stuck-in-their-ways church, a place where the cold shoulder is the most visible part of the Body of Christ. Oh, no! Surely that’s not us!

If it isn’t—hallelujah! If is it, well, there’s no reason it has to stay that way. You see, Jesus chose us, but he never froze us. Quite the opposite; in fact, he chose us and appointed us to go and be active in the world. We’re called not to be institutional ice but rather to allow ourselves to be ignited by the fire of the Holy Spirit in order to move our feet (and hands and hearts and resources) into the world.

Many things can freeze Christians into ineffective ministry and mission: fear, tradition (i.e. doing things “the way we’ve always done them”), conflict, and lack of vision are a few common “faith freezers.” Many congregations fail to move forward, do not live into their potential as the Body of Christ, and cling for dear sweet life to the life raft of the past when, like Peter, all they need to do is keep their eyes on Jesus.

We are chosen. This is good news we cannot keep to ourselves. We must proclaim it from our pulpits, instill it in God’s people, and share it with the world. Jesus loves us so much that he calls us friends, bringing us into real relationship.  Jesus loved us so much that he willingly laid down his life for us. Who does that kind of thing today? What kind of radical, unconditional love is that? Dear friends, we are loved, chosen, appointed, and sent into this world in the name of Christ to flourish—to grow, blossom, and bear fruit abundantly. Connected to such a  life-giving source how can we fail to thrive? How dare we be frozen into place and relegated to our own fears and doubts?

Chosen or frozen? The answer is right here in the verses of the gospel reading. It all boils down to love. As God’s chosen people, we are dearly loved, and we are called to abide in that love. Think of it as a plant whose roots grow deeply into the soil of God’s love and purpose. With such nourishment and encouragement we cannot help but grow. When the church, the Body of Christ, in whatever context it is planted, is active in the business of cultivating disciples to love, serve, and know Christ intimately, then the church will flourish in its call to abide in love with joy.

Maybe it is time to forecast a “thaw” in your faith community. Perhaps the winds of change will bring a rain of prayer, a season of discernment, and the tools to dig into scripture and forge strong, vital relationships that will lead to a generous expression of joy and service that defines God’s chosen people as those who love. This world needs to know that we are Christians by our love. May we work to express it to one another and to all corners of creation. After all, this is not an optional activity; this is a command that will lead to our growth and fulfillment. Blessings on your teaching and preaching this week.

Photo by dominiqs used under Creative Commons License. Thanks!