03/18/2024
One more thing about Pastor Jessica's message:
To Be Jesus’ BFF
There are Bible scholars who have come to believe that Lazarus was probably the best friend Jesus had—outside his family and disciples. He is often in the home of Mary, Martha, and their brother Lazarus. When there, it feels like Jesus is in a place where he can let his hair down among friends.
What an incredible compliment: to be the place at which Jesus feels most welcome and at home. To be a friend who doesn’t want something or need something or expect something from this extraordinary man. To be able to enjoy Jesus for who he is without an agenda other than to appreciate all the things that made him unique—wow—how fantastic would that be?
One of the undersold aspects of prayer is a kind of Listening Prayer in which we simply invite ourselves to come into the presence of Jesus on his terms, with no expectation of getting anything other than the gift of his presence. There is great satisfaction in simply ‘being’ in a kind of reverent companionship with our Master. In fact, Jesus goes out of his way in John’s gospel to say that he doesn’t regard us only as his disciples, or servants, or heralds—but that he welcomes us as friends.
As we get closer and closer to Easter, I’d encourage to try and find new and creative ways to appreciate and enjoy the friendship Jesus is offering you. Take a short ten minutes every day to come into the presence of this amazing man and let him set the agenda. Just be in the presence of he who is in so many ways “the ground of our being.”
What a friend we have in Jesus, the great, old hymn proclaims. It’s time to step into the shoes of Lazarus and learn once again what it means to move through life with that kind of companionship and friendship.
Archived Posts
Matthew 24: One More Thing...
I sometimes stumble on old documents I’ve created but have completely forgotten about. I cannot remember why I created them or what purpose they were originally supposed to serve....
Keeping the Church Doors Unencumbered
Sunday, we considered Jesus’ disruptive actions in the Temple in light of his frustration with keeping gentiles from worshipping in their designated courtyard. We then reflected on how we still tend to throw up roadblocks to those who don’t normally attend church. I found the following, but didn’t have space for it in the sermon. It’s provocative and worth chewing on for a while.
What Was the Crowd Celebrating on Palm Sunday?
I came across this list which feels a little like a "Greatest Hits of Jesus' Ministry". I share it with you today for your inspiration and edification. Enjoy!
The Best Kind of Trouble-maker
While working on this last week’s sermon I was looking through Phillip Yancey’s excellent book—The Jesus I Never Knew—when I came across a section that I found profound. It didn’t quite fit my sermon, but it caught my eye enough that I copied it down.
Practical Tips To Avoid Judging Others
When I research a sermon, such as Sunday’s message on judgmentalism, I always try to think through some practical steps or tips in how to implement God’s desire for our lives. I rustled together a herd of ideas this week and I offer them to you.
The Shepherd, the King, and the Rescuer
God has got a long list of names, but some of those names are better than others. There is a small child who thought God’s name was Harold since the Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “Hallowed be thy name.” When you think of all the scriptures that are most likely to be memorized you would have to include Psalm 23, The Lord’s Prayer, and John 3:16. The danger for us is our tendency to focus on the wrong thing.
Old Jokes Are The Best Jokes
Sunday morning, we took a look at Jesus’ command to make our enemies into neighbors and loving our neighbors as ourselves. One of the obstacles to doing this is our growing sense of tribalism—whether it’s a political, socio-economic, or even theological tribe.