Month: April 2020

Solo Marco Polo: Rose Rumery

Hello!

Hi!

What is your name?

Rose Rumery

What is your middle name?

Frances.

Is there a story there?

It’s kind of in the family. But also on my birth certificate it’s Rose Frances Challa Rumery. So I have my mom’s maiden name there, too.

Four names, like a British person.

Yeah, and I’m the only one who got Challa in there somehow.

Nice. So Rose, what’s some of the most interesting food you’ve made in the past two weeks?

With the help of Eden, we’ve made lots of interesting things- my favorite being our sweet potato tacos. We always have some guace, some spicy sweet potatoes, and we added some bacon, and jalapenos- those are my favorites. We also bake a lot of things, whether it’s bread or pretzels or cookies.

If someone wanted to find these recipes, are they available?

Well, we do have an Instagram you can follow. Also, trying to convince Eden to make a cookbook- that would be fun. But, you can always hit me up for a fast recipe.

What’s the name of the Instagram account?

I think it’s @edenroseeatz, which I have been told should be changed to “@edencooksroseeatz”

 

(short intermission where we comment on finding a single child’s shoe during our walk)

 

So, how did you find Agape+Ecclesia?

I think I went to FaithFest- I knew I wanted to get involved right away as a freshman, so I know I went there and tried out an Agape right away.

Do you remember the first person you met?

I do not- I do remember there being a lot of people. It was in Damen Den. I met a lot of people because I was a freshman. I specifically remember being overwhelmed because it was a lot of people, leaving quickly, and forgetting my water bottle which is a classic Rose move. So I waited out in Damen until I thought everyone had left, and then I went back and of course, Mike Moore was still there. We had a conversation where I was like “okay, he seems pretty chill.”

What would you say draws you into the community?

I think the authentic relationships. Everyone is really different, which is really cool; it’s not just one culture of people, or some classic Christian culture. I think we bring lots of different backgrounds and experiences. Even just our student personalities are different around the board, and so its fun to come together and have something that unites us in that way.

Do you remember how you became a Christian?

I grew up in the church, and- it was a Catholic church, and I would always play the bells in the choir and cute things like that. I remember not really understanding what a relationship with Jesus was until middle school. I went to camp- Camp Geneva. That was a turning point in my faith, just realizing “oh, this isn’t just a Sunday tradition, but something that I can let drive my life.”

What draws you to Jesus?

This is a tough question, but I’d say just the way that he acts in relationships. How he sees the people who aren’t seen, and is always uplifting the broken and marginalized. That’s a really cool thing to see in what we consider the person to worship in our faith. That’s very different from a lot of the people in power. Just that relationship thing, again.

Do you remember the last time you laughed really loud?

I feel like I laugh a lot, but specifically me and my cousin Josie will send Marco Polo videos to each other, and we will just cry-laugh over video to each other. She has such a contagious laugh. So technically I’d be alone laughing hysterically, but it’s been fun and cool to still have those conversations and a relationship with her.

What breaks your heart?

I think it’s probably hate in general- whenever I have friends who are hurt by hate and when I see it in the world. It makes me really sad to have division in any way, and have those things driven by human prejudice and hate. It doesn’t make sense and it wouldn’t make sense to anybody if you knew these people had that real love for people, so that breaks my heart.

What gives you hope?

So many things- especially lately, I’ve seen hope in a lot of places, but something I’ve come back to is how I see God in nature and in the ways that He has created this earth and sustains it. You can just look anywhere, whether in an animal or plant or tree, and see how there is resilience in them. I look at them and think “wow, we are loved even more than that” and are created even more resilient than that.

I like that word “resilience”. So, what is keeping you sane, or resilient, in COVID-19?

I think I’ve been findinga  lot of fun outlets- I’ve gotten back into running some longer miles since I have the time. Also getting to see different parts of the neighborhood. Doing a lot of art again- getting back into things that I’ve missed doing. I also like to write letters to people.

Is there a book or piece of art or podcast or music that you think everyone should experience?

I feel like I could do a whole talk just on this, but, I really love Mary Oliver- she writes some amazing poems. I would look into her writing, because it’s really beautiful- it’s spiritaully driven but she writes a lot about nature, too.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to folks listening?

I would say, just really try to fight the culture of college. It’s really worth it to try to be present and to combat the culture of anxiety. That’s something that I’ve thought all throughout college. I want to remember the little moments rather than how hard I prepared for my future. We all know that, as hard as we’ve prepared, those things can be ripped out beneath us.

//

 

Eggs and Bunnies Taste Better: Jeffrey Lillard

Hello!

Hi.

What is your name?

Jeffrey Michael Lillard the 1st.

The first of his name.

Well, probably not.

Are you much of an Easter candy guy?

Yeah, I think so- my favorites are Reese’s. They taste better when they’re in egg form or bunny form. I guess that’s the go to, as well as, what are they called, Canterbury?

Cadbury.

Cadbury! Those are good as well.

When did you find Agape+Ecclesia?

I found A+E over the summer before I transferred- I was looking on the Loyola campuis ministry website. I think that was the time I was getting into greek words and Christianity, so I saw Agape and I don’t know where I went from there- I just remember getting put on the Facebook page before the semester started. I remember meeting (Tyler) and Alec and Faith Fest. I’d reached out to you, but I can’t remember what I said.

What draws you into the community?

Very energetic, passionate, loving, affirming. That’s what I really remember. My first Agape was weird. People were so nice and friendly; I remember Joshua Webb and Krista Smith. The significant moments in that first Agape were where I noticed “these people really care about me and want me here.” I think that continues to draw me in, as well. Because that drew me in, it made me want to have more of an impact on these other people like they did for me. 

Why are you a Christian?

I am convinced that Jesus Christ is pretty cool; utterly amazing. And that giving him my life and following him is worth every bit of it. I have been convicted of that.

What draws you to Jesus?

His compassion; his love for all people, for people who I have a hard time loving. His teachings, his parables are amazing. His passion, of course, is remarkable- the way he fulfilled this amazing narrative that we find in the Bible. It’s hard to ignore.

What gives you hope?

An easy Christian answer would be Jesus and what he did on the cross. His victory over death is pretty hopeful for all of us. 

What did he do on the cross that we couldn’t do for ourselves?

He took on sin and he bore our sin. Even saying that sounds very theological so I want to explain it better- he took the punishment that we deserved because we’ve all done pretty awful things. That unfortunately deserves a punishment that we aren’t able to bear, and that God doesn’t want us to bear. So he his son to bear that for us.

What has God done for you that you couldn’t do for yourself?

I think he’s given me hope; I can’t give myself hope. I’ve had points where I feel hopeless in my own abilities. Jesus’ love and his reaching out to me at my lowest and most in despair moments, he’s given me hope that I never could have gotten for myself.

Is there a book that you think everyone should read or an album they should listen to? I know you’re a book guy and a music guy, but I feel like people know less about your music guy side.

Yeah, can I do both?

Sure.

Album is tricky- I’d have to go with a King’s Kaleidoscope album, but which one? I might have to do Zeal or Becoming Who We Are. I have too many books, but one book that everyone should read? I’ll say Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

What do you love about it?

The humor strikes me at the same time as the power and importance of the topic. There is such a heaviness to every part of that book. To be able to listen to what the devil wants you to think is pretty powerful, but you can find yourself having these “aha!” moments and saying “oh that makes sense.” A lot of feelings.

What words of wisdom would you give to yourself from three years ago when you were starting Loyola?

I think I was trying very hard to be someone; I was sort of in a hurry to become someone that I thought I wanted to be, but really I had no idea. I didn’t even know why. I would tell myself to not be in such a hurry to become someone that you think you want to be, because you’re probably gonna find out that that person isn’t what you want. My advice would be to take the future person you want to be to God and give that over to him- not think about it too much, but think about the present and how you can become more Christlike.

Lukewarm Takes on Running: Jamie Jacobsen

What’s your name?

My name is Jamie Jacobsen.

Jamie- I saw on your gmail that your middle name starts with “D”- can you elaborate?

Hm. Yes, funny that ask that, Tyler. My middle name is Dawn, and when I was born, someone came up to my parents and said “Jamie Dawn! You name your daughter after both of you!” and my parents were like “what?” , but “Jamie” is another name for “James”, so I’m named after both of my parents unintentionally.

That’s awesome. I love that. Jamie, what have you been doing to stay sane during quarantine?

I’ve been trying to figure that out. I’ve been running a lot, and I hate running. But I’m so desperate to go outside, so I go running and it does the job.

How did you find out about A+E?

I found out about A+E through my friend Sydney Lach, who went to church here- she was actually the reason I went to Loyola. She was 3 or 4 years older than me, and she would always talk about A+E because we went to the same church back home, and my first memory was a dance party with Alec (Kenny) and Sydney and I thought “This will be a fun church to go to if you’re one of the pastors.”

What would you say draws you into the community?

A lot of things- I’ve been thinking about this a lot, actually, and I mentioned it to you the other day. I’ve never been a part of a church that is more authentic and real, and there’s no feathers to fluff, no faking it. It’s like “this is who we are- we have limited resources, but we love Jesus and each other a lot. It’s very community-based, and that’s the foundation because it kind of has to be the foundation. From that flows authenticity and a genuine spirit, and it’s just great.

That is true, we do have limited resources, yes. So, why are you a Christian?

I’m a Christian because Jesus, although it’s a crazy concept and he’s a crazy person, is the only thing that makes sense to me. I grew up in the faith, but I’ve definitely done my own searching and every time I come back to Jesus. I’ve never experienced life like I have in the body of Christ. It’s something unexplainable that I haven’t found anywhere else and I don’t think I ever will. Also, I’ve seen God work in my life in ways that are unexplainable. I also believe in everything Jesus stood for and stands for.

What about Jesus makes sense to you, or what draws you to Jesus?

Our world is so broken, and people are so broken, but the life of Jesus completely restores that in a way that humans would have never thought to do. We’ve tried again and again to fix a system that is broken, and yet it will still never be fixed by us. Jesus comes and fixes it in a way that we never would have, and in that, we have life. That makes sense to me, even though it doesn’t make sense. It doesn’t make sense that Jesus becomes a child, and born out of wedlock- these things are so crazy, and yet are so relatable. In order for a king to be followed by his people, he needs to know his people at the deepest level. So it makes sense.

What breaks your heart?

I think when people aren’t given dignity and respect, no matter who they are. No matter if you disagree with their lifestyle or whatever. Inequality breaks my heart and is infuriating to me.

What gives you hope?

People. Especially in a season like this, I know it’s so difficult because people can be hurtful and mean, but also I think humanity’s inclination is always towards the good. It’s in our pursuit of the good that we can mess up sometimes, but I believe that people are good, and I think that’s a reflection of how God created us- we make mistakes and can become bad, but yeah.

It’s Holy Week so I’ll do one I usually do, but put a spin on it- I usually ask “What did God do for you that you couldn’t do for yourself?”  But today I’ll ask- what did Jesus do on the cross that we couldn’t do for ourselves?

Wow. Reconciliation. Fulfillment of a law that we could never fulfill. I think it’s really summed up in redemption- it’s a sacrifice that we can try to do every day and strive for, but we couldn’t do it. Jesus is God and God died for us- that’s something we’ll never come close to.

In closing, what would you say as parting words of wisdom to folks who are new to the community, or who will be here for a while?

I would encourage people to continue to love the church, and the people of God, no matter what happens. Things can happen in the church that are really hard and difficult; you can have disagreements. But this is the presence of God on earth. Expressed through broken people, and it’s a hard relationship because it’s so beautiful and broken, but that’s the essence of what Jesus did for us, so continue to love the church- work for the church and for the church you want to see. Know that grace must be given and it’s a beautiful thing.

 

//

 

(We Can’t) Count the Graces: Eden Young

Hello! What’s your name? 

My name is Eden Young.

What’s your middle name?

Grace.

Wow, how many Grace’s do we have in this church?

A lot. I joked at one point that I would go by Grace.

Okay- Eden Grace Young. If someone were visiting your hometown, where would you take them first?

My hometown is Laguna Beach, CA, and I would make a whole day of it- I’d start with a morning hike behind the house I used to live in. It’s about an hour and a half, and you get the best views over our whole town.  From there, we would go get nectar juice to refuel, and then we’d go to the beach for the middle of the day- go stand-up paddle-boarding. And then maybe go to Active where they do frozen yogurt bowls because those are delicious.

That sounds like a great day. Eden, how did you find out about A+E?

I went to…either Faith Fest or the other fair, but I went to one or both of them- I’d known about Cru through my parents, and then I heard about A+E. Y’all had the first of the events, so that’s what I went to and I fell in love with the community and stayed with it. I went to Sunday Sundaes in Palm Court.

I remember that!

Yeah- that’s where I first met Mike, and he talked to me the whole time and I was like “wait- the pastor is gonna talk to me the whole time? I feel so special!”

Did Mike tell you who you looked like that night?

I can’t remember if it was the first time, but they always tell me every time, and they’ve drawn both of us together at events and been like “you look like the exact same person!” What’s her name?

Mary Williams.

Mary Williams- yes! So fun.

What draws you into the community?

I think a big part was the student leadership- I’d always been a part of leadership at my church back home, but it wasn’t as structured or guided, and these were student leaders that were intent on discipling each other and growing together. There was direction for how to do that, because we always wanted to do that at my old church but it just never really worked out. The intent behind the building of the community is what drew me in.

Why are you a Christian?

That is a great big question! I’m a Christian because I’ve known and seen God work through my life- the blessings he’s given me and the trials he’s walked through with me. The purpose he’s given me to live my life, knowing that without Him, I’m walking through this world for myself, but with Christ, I’m able to live for and with others.

So related to that, what draws you to Jesus?

I think it’s just- it’s like what Alex always says, we were made to live in community and how God doesn’t want us to be our best just for ourselves, but for the world. I’ve always been a very future-oriented person, wanting my life and work to have meaning. Not just to live for myself.

What breaks your heart?

What breaks my heart is when people are labeled and they become that label in a negative way. I’m in education, and I thin one of the most heart-breaking experiences I’d had there is when this kid I’d been teaching for a year came up to me, and we’d seen his behavior change. I asked “what’s wrong?” and he said “I’m a bad kid!” – he’d done some bad things, and people told him he was a bad kid, and he started to become that. So yeah- just seeing people hurt each other and label each other as bad, rather than as God’s children.

What gives you hope?

What gives me hope is that there are so many amazing people out there that are able to love so fearlessly and almost effortlessly with Christ. The way they can give themselves and how that changes their lives and the lives of those around them.

What has God done for you that you couldn’t do for yourself?

So many things. He’s given me a purpose- to see the world in a new light and appreciate it for the way it is, but als the way that it can change and become more his kingdom on earth.

What are your tips for staying sane in quarantine?

Staying sane- definitely not watching more than three episodes of something in a row. Getting up and moving around, whether that’s yoga or taking a walk. Talking to the people that live with you- even if there is a physical connection, you need an emotional connection. Rose and I make dinner together every night- we try to make a fun creation to bring beauty to our day.

What’s a book that everyone should read?

I love C.S. Lewis- I love Weight of Glory and Screwtape Letters. It’s so different, but so convicting.

Any closing words of wisdom?

Pour into the people around you. Even when you think you don’t have time- make time for your community, because you don’t know when a pandemic is gonna hit and you won’t get to see them for a while.

Reading: Psalm 22

//

It was the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter of my senior year at Loyola. I was in Florida surrounded by family and loved ones. In stark contrast to the sunshine and palm trees, the mood was uneasy, tense, and somber. Our hearts felt hollow, and numb. Instead of mourning the death of Jesus, we were mourning the loss of my 23-year-old cousin Connor who had died by suicide several days earlier. Flooded with grief and sorrow, we spent our time sharing memories, asking hard questions, and wondering why. Why did this happen? How could this have happened? Why did God forsake us?

That morning before the visitation began there was time set apart specifically for family members to walk up to the casket and say goodbye. As I made my way through the double wooden doors that led way to the sanctuary, I was greeted by a sharp crispness in the air, one that was defined by finitude, grief, and the pains of human reality. Alongside one of my cousins, I made my way to the front and said my tear-filled goodbyes before taking a seat in one of the pews. 

As I sat down, I heard the doors open from behind us and turned to see my aunt, Connor’s mom, walking through the doors into the sanctuary. She was flanked on both sides by my cousins, her remaining son and daughter. As she walked towards the front, she stumbled with almost every step, my cousins holding her up to keep her from collapsing. It took everything in her to make what seemed like a mile-long walk to the casket. To see the pain, the sorrow, the agony at the loss of her son… it was unbearable. Worse than saying my own goodbyes was seeing the grief of a loving mother say goodbye to her son.

Looking back, I can’t help but imagine that is how Mary the Mother of Jesus felt on the day her son was crucified. And not just Mary, but God the Father as well.

Sometimes it can feel like God has forsaken us, that he is far away, and does not answer our cries (vs 1-2). When I wonder where God is in the suffering, I am reminded that he knows suffering all too well. God has not ignored us or turned his back on us, but instead he has heard our cries for help (vs 24). He responds with a story of redemption and resurrection that none of us deserve, but could only hope to be true.

While my cousin’s death didn’t have the same resurrection ending as Jesus’ did, we know that death does not have the final word and we trust that we will see our sweet Connor again in heaven.

And so, we wait. We sit in the already but not yet of death and resurrection. We have hope. Hope that comes when the new day dawns. But until then, we lament the pain and the hardships of this life. We turn to God in our confusion and unknowns. We ask ourselves “Why oh God have you forsaken me?” and we sit and wait, knowing that our God hears every cry and every prayer. And through it all, he has resurrection and new life waiting for us on the other side.

 

 

Reading: John 18+19

If you haven’t had a chance to read John 18 + 19 yet, pause on this reflection and go do so. Take some time to read these chapters in full. Don’t rush, don’t skim. Place yourself in the moment of time as these scriptures narrate Jesus’ journey to the cross. Notice the moments of tension, disbelief, and sorrow. Imagine how Jesus might be feeling in these situations. Notice how you yourself are feeling as you read.

//

If you grew up in the church like I did, you are probably very familiar with this story. Jesus is in the garden with his disciples when he is betrayed by Judas and arrested by the soldiers and temple guards. He is questioned by the high priest and tried before Pilate meanwhile Peter denies Jesus three times. Pilate finds Jesus not guilty yet on behalf of the people, releases Barabbas instead of Jesus and turns Jesus to the crowd to crucify him. Jesus dies a painful death on the cross but is resurrected 3 days later paving the way to salvation and new life for those who believe in Him.

Pretty straight forward, right? Maybe but maybe not. I think the narrative of Jesus’ journey to the cross can easily become “just a story.” A repetition of what Christians have always heard and always known. When we take the time to sit in the scriptures, though, we realize that Jesus’ death is much more than just a series of historical events. It’s a traumatic narrative of betrayal, abandonment, loneliness, injustice, and mockery that ends in the beating, flogging, and murder of our sinless Savior.

As I read our scripture passage for today, feelings of unease and discomfort quickly rose to the surface of my heart and spirit. I was tempted to brush them off and put up a wall between me and the traumatic nature of Jesus’ death. What a paradoxical luxury to be able to separate myself from the discomfort and pain of the man who died so that he would be able to meet me in my pain and my discomfort and take away the death penalty of my sin.

Isaiah 53:3 says that “He was despised and rejected – a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.”

I wonder if that’s sometimes how we respond to Good Friday. We turn our backs and look the other way. We skim over the events of the day and dissociate ourselves from the pain that Jesus endured on our behalves so that we don’t become uncomfortable. I have been convicted today of the harsh reality of Jesus’ suffering and subsequently have been invited to sit in Jesus’ pain, knowing that He is always ready and willing to sit with me in mine.

Jesus understands pain. He understands loneliness. He understands abuse and mistreatment and injustice. Whatever situation you’re in, Jesus understands. Will you set aside time today to try and understand his?

As we read and reflect on these passages of John, would we be reminded that we follow a Jesus who can relate to us; would we recognize that the death of Christ is just as important as his resurrection; and would we respond to the suffering and pain of Jesus as he does ours.

So, on this Good Friday, we sit. We mourn. We acknowledge the pain and suffering Jesus experienced. We repent of our own apathy. And we wait…

//

Reflection Questions:

• In this passage or reflection, where did you notice moments of tension, confusion, sorrow, or other emotions?
• How do you imagine Jesus might have felt in these situations? How does that make you feel?
• How does Jesus meet you in your own pain and suffering? What does it look like for you to reflect upon his?

Reading: John 13:1-17, Jesus Washes the Disciples’ Feet

The story of the Last Supper is one of my favorite passages in Scripture. Every time I read it I am given the sense I am at the movie theatre watching a really important scene unfold. The story opens with suspense by telling us that Jesus knows the hour has come for him to leave this world and go to the Father… We think this means he is going to die, and many of us know this, but we are still left hoping for a different outcome every time… What follows are beautifully poetic words noting how Jesus has loved this motley crew of disciples until the very end… His disciples don’t know what the reader knows: this will be their last supper.

The suspense builds as we find out that Judas has been prompted by the devil to betray Jesus. What will our Lord, our hero, our Messiah do next? If we have any familiarity with traditional heros, we know he must do something. What follows is the extraordinary claim that Jesus knew the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God (v. 3). We are led to believe that Jesus is getting ready to punish evil and stand victorious over the evil doer in his midst. But does that happen? No. Instead, what happens next is Jesus gets up, removes his garment, and instead of wrapping a towel around his fists, Jesus wraps a towel around his waist. He puts on the appearance of the person with the least authority in society and the lowest authority in the room. He lowers himself, he fills up a basin of water, and he begins to wash his disciples feet.

At this point, we are given a dialogue between Peter and Jesus, of which much can and has been said over time. But this is not the dialogue I want for us to focus on today. Instead, I want to focus on a different disciple. The disciple who the story tells us is the villain. I want to focus on Judas. The question I want you to think about is whether or not Jesus washed Judas’ feet? Read the story again. Does it say Jesus washed his feet?

I contend that Jesus washed Judas’ feet, and it is perhaps one of the deepest images The Bible can offer in our spiritual lives. I contend that Jesus washed Judas’ feet because the first verse tells us, “loving his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” Judas was one of Jesus’ own. This is a Biblical fact. We know that Jesus was not afraid to call out Judas for his betrayal (“What you are about to do, do quickly.” John 13:27), but he was also not afraid to love him. Jesus also says to Peter, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” And in Jesus’ mind, Judas had a part in Jesus, until the very end. Without a doubt, Judas had his feet washed.

But even though Judas had his feet washed, something went wrong. Something interfered with the outward washing from Jesus that carried the power and possibility of so much more. Judas was outwardly clean, but even Jesus did not choose to dictate the decisions of another person’s heart. Jesus loved Judas enough to give him the dignity to choose. Jesus loved Judas enough to choose to love him anyhow, no matter what was going on and no matter what was about to happen. Jesus loved Judas enough to offer him freedom. And if we are honest with ourselves we are probably more like Judas at times in our life than we care to admit. Maybe this is why even Jesus ends this scene with his disciples by reminding them that now that they know these things they will be blessed if they do them. For Jesus did his part in loving us and loving his disciples, and until he comes again he is patiently waiting for us to do the same.

I chose to focus on Judas because all too often I do not do the right thing. All too often, I struggle with questions of suffering and brokenness in the world and they significantly interfere with my actions towards God. But today, I chose to focus on Judas because even Judas was washed. Even Judas was loved by Jesus until the very end. Our Teacher and Lord does not deal with disobedient students the way the world or the movie theatre does. Instead, Jesus loves us in the most powerful way that any Father can. He loves us by being completely vulnerable. He loves us as he washes us with the gifts of life and mercy. In doing so he gives us the freedom to decide how these good gifts will be received. Will we let the significance of God serving us penetrate our hard and selfish hearts? Do we have faith that as long as there is breath in our lungs that God is waiting on us to let him truly wash us, and for us to know we are forgiven?

The story of Judas ends in tragedy. And not because Jesus could not forgive him. The story of Judas ends in tragedy because Judas could not forgive himself. Our story in John reminds us that Jesus had already forgiven him for what he had done and what he was going to do. Jesus washed Judas’ feet because he needed him to know that. The story of our Christian faith proclaims the dignity and freedom that it is up to us to decide how we will respond to God’s love. My prayer today is that we may see ourselves in Judas. And may we allow God’s forgiveness to wash over our hard and stubborn hearts when we do.

 

Reflection questions
As Jesus was washing Judas’ feet, what might Jesus have felt? How might Jesus have prayed? What allowed Jesus to do this?
Is the same power that was given to Jesus in the role of a servant available to you? What would that look like? What people has Jesus placed next to you at the table?
As the semester comes to a close, what does it look like for you to be faithful like Jesus until the very end?

 

With servant love,
Alec

Reading: John 16:16-28, Your Sorrow Will Turn Into Joy

Two things stick out to me in this passage.  The first comes from the first verse in this section: Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”  Upon hearing this, and upon a certain familiarity with the events that are about to unfold, it is easy for me to think that all this means is that Jesus will be crucified and that Jesus will rise again.  But when I read this story again this morning, I can’t help but wonder if this is the only meaning for us in these words. It is clear that when Jesus was taken from the cross and placed in a tomb he was with his disciples no more.  But what about many of us today who pray to God and God remains silent (Mark 15:34)? Have you ever felt or questioned if God is really with you? Isn’t the honest Christian the one who can say that more often than not, our eyes do not see and our ears do not hear?

“In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”

As Christians we contend, if you can’t see God you are living into the experience that Jesus is preparing his disciples for…  And if you can’t see God, you are living into the experience that Jesus experienced on the cross…

And if you can see God, you are living into the experience that Jesus prepared his disciples for AFTER a time where they could not see Jesus…

Those who praise Jesus are not the ones who have lived without doubt or without need, but those who have persisted through a time of not seeing Jesus, until after a little while, they have seen and encountered the RESURRECTED LORD!

Second, I wanted to point to verse 22, “…Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.”

I want to put these words (borrowed from a Pastor in Philadelphia) alongside our current cultural moment:

“According to the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, this week will nationally be the worst week for Covid-19 infections in the US.  Any situation, good or bad, has its peak just before things change. As a wise person once reminded us, “It’s always darkest before dawn.” Things always seem worse just before they get better. This was also the worst week for Jesus. Arrested, denied, tried, betrayed, beaten, accused, lied on, abandoned, mocked, scourged, questioned, nailed, flogged, stabbed, laughed at, crucified, dead, and buried. But I will remind you, that on the first day of the next week…….”  -Pastor Cean James, Grace Christian Fellowship

I don’t claim to know that our curve will flatten starting next week or on Easter Sunday, but I do know that Christians have a story that knows a thing or two about grief and loss.  Christians, as far as I am aware, are also the only ones who can claim that our God came and EMBODIED pain and grief. For most gods, God is supposed to be above death, and above suffering…. But our God is the God of heaven AND earth!  Of grief, and JOY! A God of death AND resurrection–for how could resurrection even be possible without DEATH….

So church, this week may we journey with Christ through HIS story in a world that is more similar to our own than our midwestern niceness would often admit… May we earnestly grieve and earnestly pray so that we may see God, and so that no one may take away our joy (John 16:22).  Our cultural moment couldn’t line up much better with the story of our Christian faith this week. May God give us the strength in life’s trials for a little while longer so we may have joy in the day when we see Jesus more clearly.

Reflection Questions:

In this moment or season can you see God?  If so, how have you seen him? If not, pray that the words of this Scripture that in a little while (however long that may be) you will see Jesus just as he promised his disciples.

Are there areas of your life or our cultural moment you are grieving?  Is it possible that sitting with our grief, confessing to God and one another, might be a necessary step towards joy?  Even if this sounds hard or crazy, would you do it if Jesus asked you?

Reflection song.  It’s REAL good 🙂 LaShun Pace – I Know I’ve Been Changed

Christ’s love,

Alec

 

Reading: John 14:1-14, The Way, the Truth, and the Life

If you could ask Jesus one question right now, what would it be? That’s a tall order, for sure, but we have them, don’t we? They might be the kind of “why” questions we encountered yesterday- “why the virus?” “why my family?” “why is the world this way and not some other?” Or perhaps you are drawn to those questions much less angsty and existential; much more practical and grounded: “how should I spend my day?” “what effect will the fallout of the virus have on my plans next year?” “how can I get through another day stuck inside with these people?”

Thomas’ question in today’s text sounds an awful lot like our own: “Lord, how can we know the way?” The questions the disciples ask Jesus are filled with uncertainty, earnestness, curiosity, and deep practicality- they have followed Jesus, some of them for years, as he has healed, preached, and announced the coming of a new kind of kingdom, and now it’s coming to an end they cannot see. If Jesus were going away, and you did not know where, wouldn’t you want to know how to follow him?

But if we learn well that Jesus wants us to ask him questions- he welcomed Thomas’, didn’t he?- then let us learn all the more that he has given us an answer, and it is the same answer that he gave Thomas: I am the way, and the truth, and the life.

An oft-quoted line from The Fellowship of the Ring is appropriate here: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” Or perhaps it’s ironic, given the current social distancing guidelines (in all seriousness, do stay home!). But the sentiment still fits: we do not know where following Jesus will take us. A life shaped by enemy-love, patience, reconciliation, truth-telling, preaching the good news to (and with) the poor, forgiveness, and worship of a new kind of King, will often take us where we never thought we would go. It will lead us outside the bounds of American values; it will take us across the lines of conservative and progressive ideologies (and back again, for all the Tolkien folks still with me); it will introduce us to friends we never thought we’d have; it may also produce enemies we never thought we’d make (you should bless them anyway, though). It may take us into assisted living facilities, onto welfare lines, into prisons, down roads we’ve been told are unsafe, or into homes we’ve been told are disreputable. It may take us, as it does in our current moment, back into our homes for the very sake of those we have been called to love.

We do not know where following Jesus will take us, but we know the way. He is the Way, and we must follow in it. Yesterday we spoke of worshiping Jesus; today we speak of following him. It will not be easy; it will mean giving up control, as he did. It will mean giving our lives away in love, as he did. It will mean suffering, as he did. It will mean taking up our crosses, as he did (he was actually pretty explicit about that one).

But what we know, what we have seen and what we testify to is this: this Way is the way to life.

//

Reflection Questions

1. Do you identify more with Thomas here- curious, anxious, confused? Or with Phillip- confident (maybe overly so); perhaps often not totally aware of everything you, in fact, don’t know?
2. What questions do you have about this text? Where do you find comfort? Where do you find challenge?
3. Where is Jesus calling you to follow him in this current moment, even as we are physically restricted? Given that you, like so many others, are bound to a particular place, what is Jesus calling you to follow him in? Is it the way you are spending your time? Your thought patterns? Your attitude towards those in your immediate space? 
4. What “ways” are you asking God to make clear for you right now? Future jobs, opportunities, or financial situations? Potential crises, uncertainty or anxiety? Take five minutes right now and ask Jesus about these things, but once again, do not rush towards an answer- allow him to bring comfort to you here; consider the ways this passage may be speaking into that situation.

Reading: John 12.1-11, Jesus is Anointed at Bethany

A question that makes its way around seasons like these with alarming regularity is the question of “why?” That is, “Why is this happening?” “Why me?” “Why them, and not me?” The question of “why” is often put towards God in times of suffering and uncertainty. This is to be expected and totally appropriate: we assume, if anyone is to have answers, surely it must be God. And as quickly as difficult questions are asked in a time such as this, so too do we often provide quick and simple answers. In the midst of something as widespread and devastating as the coronavirus, we can rush to blame God, or to defend God; to blame people or to defend people. The question of “why” is a deeply relevant one right now, and I would encourage each of you to sit with it; do not rush to answers, especially those answers which seek not the truth, but only security.

Holy Week walks us into an even deeper whirlwind of “why?”- why did Jesus have to die? Why did Judas betray him? Why was this the kind of death he had to die? Here again, often we are offered a myriad of answers, some deeply matter of fact- Jesus upset the political order; he offended the religious establishment; so on. Some other answers are deeply theological- we often call these “atonement theories”- and some say that Jesus died to absorb the wrath of God against sinners; others say that Jesus died to defeat the power of sin and death; still others say that Jesus died as a demonstration of how far one must go in loving one’s enemies. Here again, my suggestion would be: do not rush to answers. Pray and meditate on the scriptures; talk about them in small groups; come to the Lord with and open mind and heart; study those who have already worked to interpret these texts.

So as you begin the walk towards the cross with Jesus this Holy Week, my encouragement to you would be this: do not rush to easy answers; walk patiently and slowly with the Gospel narratives throughout the week; do not blow past your questions, your own “why?”, but meditate on them, ask God about them, and wrestle with them. Our current moment has shown us plainly that easy answers will not do; neither will easy answers do as we walk with Jesus towards his crucifixion.

Before we rush to these different “why” questions, another “why” I was drawn to in the text above was “why do we worship?” Mary worshiped Jesus for a reason quite simple to understand: Jesus raised her brother Lazarus from the dead in chapter 11. She had experienced the power and compassion of the Father brought together firsthand in the person of Jesus. This extravagant worship, as Mary lavishly pours out perfume on his feet and dries them with her hair, is in response to this extravagant grace that Jesus has shown- in Alex’s words from last night, she has had “an encounter” and this encounter has led to worship. My question to you, then, is this: why do you worship Jesus? What has Jesus done for you that you could not do for yourself? What has drawn you to Jesus? Ask these questions frequently this week; chew on them, and give them time.

 

Questions for reflection from the text:

• Do you identify with Mary? Or does her display come across as “over the top” as it may have seemed in her day? Why or why not?
• Verse 8 can often strike some as harsh; how does it strike you? What follow-up questions would you ask Jesus about this verse? Pray those questions today.
• An echo of the question above: why do you worship Jesus? What has he done for you that you couldn’t do for yourself? Why have you chosen to follow Jesus with your whole life?