Beatitudes: 1

We just launched into a new Sunday School study of the Beatitudes. I have enjoyed getting reacquainted with what are quite possibly the first words of Jesus to his disciples as a group.

1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2and he began to teach them saying:
3″Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
7Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
9Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God.
10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11″Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:1-12)

Eight simple sentences that are the foundation for discipleship. Today, in class I tried to stress that sometimes what we hear or what we’ve heard or even observe in the example of others who are trying or at least think they are following Jesus can and often lead us astray. So, the hamster wheel of discipleship continues. But, is a hamster wheel what Jesus had in mind?

No!

That is where the Beatitudes come in. The Beatitudes are the road where we meet Jesus. You would think that for his opening words, Jesus would do something better. Like, “excuse me, I am Jesus…I am the creator, the alpha and omega. I am the son of God. Listen to me,” cue thunder and lightening. But, no Jesus begins his introduction to discipleship by speaking to his disciples about them.

So, my challenge to my teens this morning was to memorize these words. To read them over and over this week. Let them become to them a constant reminder, or an entry point to a life time of following Jesus.

The best thing about all of this is that no matter where we may be in our walk, because of the cross we can get off the hamster wheel, and start over.

LTC Devo: Light, Life and Word

Sunday night we had a devotional with our teens here was my devotional talk:

· That’s the theme of LTC, this year

o John 1:1-5

· How is Jesus the Word?

o He is God’s word made flesh

o He is the fulfillment of OT promises

§ Of a God who cares and God who can

§ Of a God is present and faithful

o He is God’s final answer

§ For the problem of sin, and the empowerment for holy living now

· How is Jesus Life?

o Jn. 3, the promise of a brand new start;Jn. 14:6 – the way, the truth, and the life

o The universe was created through him (Col. 1; Jn. 1)

§ He is the creator, sustainer, holds everything together – Laminin illus.

o He is the victory over death

§ Jn. 11

§ Jn. 19

o How has Jesus given you life?

o What has he defeated in your life? (if time permits and no one did it last time for life groups do white sheets, with markers, describing a problem and a victory

· How is He Light?

o What does light do? (pushes away darkness)

o We don’t catch it in the NIV, look at 1:5 it reads, that the light shines in the darkness, but the light hasn’t understood it –

o A better translation here is that that the darkness has not overcome the light

o We are engaged in a battle:

§ Between the forces of darkness and the forces of light

§ While in the ancient world other cultures saw this battle going like this:

· Sometimes the darkness looked like it was winning, and then sometimes the light looked it was winning

· But because of God’s decisive victory at the cross, we understand the battle this way:

o Because Jesus has come and conquered death, hell and the grave, the darkness does not, nor can it win. It has been defeated fully, finally, and fatally in and through Jesus

· This is not just a cute LTC theme, this is our journey of faith (Light, Life and Word) or in other words, victory

LTC ‘09: MS drama

Misunderstanding of the theme: Life-Light-Word

Setting: In a Sunday School MS class room, studying the Gospel of John. The Youth Minister is desperately trying to convey what John is about, and the kids don’t get it, or do they?

Brandon gets quiet!

-YM: Okay, guys as I was saying, John 1 opens up with Jesus being presented as Life, Light and Word. What do you think this means?

-Michael: I got it. (pulls out a flash light), look Jesus is the light. He helps me see when it is dark. I can turn it on and turn off whenever I want. I don’t need it on now, so I guess I don’t need Jesus

-Kristin: Oh, Jesus is a light? My cell phone has a light, look! Jesus is like my cell phone light, right? He gives off just enough light to be a little helpful?

YM: Yes, Jesus is the light, but not a flashlight or like the cell phone light. He doesn’t just help a little, he helps us see in the darkness, he pushes the darkness away. He has defeated the darkness (John 1:5).

Okay, let’s move on. Jesus is the Light. He is also Life. What do you think this means?

-Ty: Oh, I know, he is like a defibrillator. He shocks people into life (Grabs a defib.) and runs towards Michael), like this watch…

-YM: No, wait, Ty. Um, thanks, but your not quite right there. Let me see, as I was saying…

-Spencer: (pulling up a box of LIFE cereal), look, here is what Jesus is like, a box of LIFE. Right? Jesus is life, this cereal is life, so Jesus is a box of cereal?

-All Kids: yeah, Jesus is a box of cereal. Let me have some of that!

-YM: Not exactly what I was thinking. Yes, certainly does sustain us like food does, and he does wake people up. Let’s move on…

Sarah: Wait a minute…Mountain Dew. Yeah! Jesus is like Mountain Dew!

-YM: and why is that?

-All kids: because mountain dew is the elixir of life

-Jordan: (prayer ) thank you God for mountain dew and beautiful women

-YM: Oh brother, um not quite what I had in mind. Um, Okay, so we read, in John 1 that Jesus is Light, Life, let me see here, oh yeah, he is the Word.

-Jordan: (stands up and begins to hit everyone with a Bible) Jesus is the Word, you need to believe in Jesus or else…

-YM: STOP! Jordan, that isn’t what I meant either.

-Jackson: (grabs a dictionary and begins to hit everyone again with the dictionary) Jesus is the Word, the word, the word.

-YM: Jordan, sit down. Jesus is the Word. Yes, but not a book of words to hit others with.

-Chris: Wait a minute, you said Jesus is Light, he is Life, and Word. But all the things we’ve tried to use to help you out, aren’t helping.

-Kaden: So, what exactly are you saying?

-YM: Listen, Jesus is the Light. He illuminates the darkness in this world, exposing sin and the need for change in people’s lives. He helps us to see God’s work in the world, especially to see how God worked through Jesus and is now working through the church.

He is Life. Yes, he does wake people up, but he is also the author of life. The creator of the universe. He gives everyone their breath. He gives and takes away. Life begins in Jesus, and his promise of rebirth through water and the spirit (John 3:5-8).

He is the Word. He is God’s final revelation. God makes known his intention through Jesus, His Son. He is guidance, truth, wisdom, power. His Word is our hope, our source of encouragement, our rock.

-All kids: so, we were off?

-YM: A little. But do you see now?

-Danyelle: Yes, I think I got it this time. You mean, that Jesus is all these things, and he expects us to be these things as well? Or at least point others towards Jesus as Light, life and word?

-YM: YES!

-ALL: (Sing This Little Light of Mine…) [optional]

-End Drama by reading John 3:16-21:

Kristin: 16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Spencer: 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

Jordan: 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

Kaden: 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

Sarah: 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Jackson: 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

LTC ‘09: Rogers, AR

Our congregation has a long history of involvement in LTC, Leadership Training for Christ. A program for students in grades 3rd-1th, to learn to use different gifts and abilities in the context of church leadership. Well, Easter weekend is our annual trek to Rogers, AR (We used to go to Tulsa, but the convention site moved), so Friday at 8:15 we will roll out of our parking lot some 73 strong and then the craziness begins.

I have been our congregation’s LTC coordinator in addition to being the full time youth minister. Those two years were among the toughest of my tenure here at CTCOC. I have been blessed with the desire of a willing couple to take the reigns and be our coordinator. Thank you Reed’s!

So, as one who is no longer our coordinator I am still intimately involved. This year is my second year coaching the MS and HS dramas. Below is our HS drama:

Through Their Eyes: Life-Light-Word

Setting: Meet a couple of characters in the Gospel of John who were forever changed by the encounter(s) with Jesus. He is to them, life, light and word!

Nicodemus: I was at one time, one of Israel’s teachers. I was respected and devoted to our religion. I was curious to learn more about this Jesus and his teachings. I had to go under the cover of night, for fear of my brothers and their harsh judgments of Jesus. I wanted to meet him, to learn more about him. Instead he taught me of my need to be reborn from above. Now, mind you, know the Scriptures backward and forward, and nowhere does God indicated that one is to reenter his mother’s womb a second time. I had Jesus there. So, I thought. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:6), and then I’ll never forget these words, “16“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. He is light, life and word.

Adulterous Woman: I still don’t like big crowds. But, I guess this one is a little different than the one I was thrown into the day I first met the love of my life. You see, I have had a rough past. I wasn’t exactly Ms. Jerusalem, if you catch my drift! Anyway, I was caught in the act, and was terrified for the law demanded that I be stoned. Well, there he was standing on the other side of this angry mob. He bent down and began writing in the dirt. Angry words and accusations coming from the mob. Jesus stood up and spoke, “he has not sinned can throw the first stone.” I waited for the pain. One by one I heard the rocks drop, but they weren’t coming at me. Jesus stood up again, and asked me if any one condemned me. I told him no, and he said, “neither do I condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin.” I was awestruck. He was the first man to love me, not for my flesh, but for my heart. He is Light, my life and word!

Martha: My brother, he was so sick, and I was afraid he wasn’t going to make it. He didn’t after all. We called for Jesus, but he was so long in coming. I was so upset. I believed if Jesus was here, he could some how keep Lazarus from dying. Jesus finally did come, and he reassured me that even death was not the final word. He said, he was the resurrection and the life. We showed him where the tomb was, and he wept. I will never forget what happened next. He asked that the stone sealing the tomb be removed, and he called out my brother. Out he came! Grave clothes and all. Jesus is Light, Life and Word!

Guard/Malchus: I was there in the Garden the night Jesus was arrested. Two things stand out that night. The first one, when the detachment of soldiers and us Jews came to arrest Jesus it was dark so naturally we were carrying torches, he came forward and used God’s name, all of us fell to our knees. Could this be? Could this be YAHWEH? I was terrified. What were doing? Then, one of this man’s followers, drew a sword and lunged at us. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The next thing I remember I was lying in the grove, with my hands over my head, blood seeping through my fingers. My ear was missing. Another couple of inches lower and I would have been a goner. Jesus scolded his disciple Peter, and bent down and touched me. Me, one of the guards come to arrest him. He took time out for me to heal me. I still can’t believe it. He is my Light, my Life and Word!

Pilate: A king? Really?! He had no kingly exterior. No, he was brought me to chained and charged with violating Jewish religious law. I didn’t want there to be a Jewish uprising, so I thought I could appease the religious leaders. I couldn’t find any basis to charge him. I tried to let him go, but instead of releasing Jesus, they crowds asked for Barabbas a real criminal. Barabbas was an insurrectionist, and Jesus well, he was innocent. Jesus spoke with such authority and even claimed that his kingdom wasn’t from this world. I had Jesus flogged, again to appease the Jews. I was shocked that they demanded that he be crucified. My obligation is to Rome, and to keep the peace. I can’t have an uprising on my hands, so I washed my hands of this man. What have I done?

Mary: I never guessed that anyone would ever believe my story. Who would believe the word of an unmarried, pregnant teenager? Exactly. But, this baby I carried wasn’t an ordinary baby. He was from God. Joseph didn’t hardly believe me either, but somehow he trusted my words. The baby came, and grew up and began to speak of His Father’s business. The day came that he left us to begin his ministry of healing and announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God. He healed the sick, restored the sight to the blind, raised the dead. He was no ordinary child. Sometimes, I can still see him hanging on the cross, in agony and yet somehow at peace. He knew his mission, God’s plan all along was to sacrifice the Lamb. My son really is the Light, Life and Word!

Victoria: (modern day) My life was a mess a couple of years ago. That is until I met Jesus. He has turned my life around. I was hanging out with the wrong crowd, going to the wrong places. I never would have guessed that Jesus would have showed up on the wrong side of the tracks. He met in my mess and I have never been the same. I follow him because He illuminated the darkness, and allowed me to leave it. I follow him because he has given me new life, and I have been given a second chance. I follow him because he is faithful and true, and his Word is perfect. Jesus, he is my everything!

retooling youth ministry

Our congregation is moving towards doing small groups on Sunday night. I am excited about this change and the direction that we are moving in. I feel like this will be a positive thing for our people.

Because of our movement towards small groups, as the Youth Minister I have been making changes in the program to prepare and prep. our teens and their families for this change. Here is a run down of my youth program changes and proposals:

*youth devos on another week. I really struggle with this. See our congregation is involved with LTC, hosts a Bible Bowl, and for 6 months of the year we are focused on those endeavors. Some of my teens and parents have observed before that Sunday becomes a very busy day and devos after church make for a long long day. Yet, another night of the week isn’t a great solution either because our families are stressed out, and busy and now the youth calendar has added one more thing on their plate. But, I have done all of this with the aim of giving Sunday nights back to the family! This change has worked fairly. My teens miss Sunday night devos. I do too!

*student small groups will continue, but under our new plan we will do them once the school year starts up again in the Fall, one Wed. night a month. Our small group leaders will need to give up their adult class for that evening to spend time with their group. We are doing it this way, so that our small groups can meet at whatever time they can and want to on Sunday night. I believe small groups for our students also are a way for them to make healthy adult relationships. If youth ministry is to be successful it must be intergenerational!

*Our LTC and Bible Bowl will continue, and as of right now our plan is to move these things to Wed. night as a part of our Wed. night education, possibly Sun. afternoon for LTC practices depending on what time and where your small groups meet. Hmm, not real sure what to do, but praying for God’s guidance.

*tinkering with the notion of encouraging our students to attend our church small groups with their families. I believe Deut. 6 is foundational for youth ministry and well, teens and parents need to be together doing church things, serving the poor, talking about their faith whenever and wherever they go.

Revelation 16: Armageddon

I knew little prior to this class about Armageddon. What I did hear always centered around Armageddon a place of the decisive end time battle, the place where evil would make its final last stand and good would ultimately triumph. Now, after studying this section and seeing how our authors have treated this word, my understanding is enriched. Reddish and Boring note the etymology of the word, “har,” meaning mountain and Megido or Magedon “an ancient city that guarded the pass through the central Highlands at the Jezreel Valley” (Reddish, 312). Megiddo was in a strategic location and as such was an important military outpost. Reddish notes the history of the area and the association of the town with warfare, “Near Meggido was where Deborah and Barak defeated the armies of Jabin… (Judg 5:19). When King Ahaziah…was attacked by Jehu, he fled, wounded, to Megiddo where died (2 Kgs 9:27). Megiddo was also the place where Josiah…was killed in battle against Pharaoh Neco of Egypt ( 2 Kgs 23:29)” (Reddish, 312).

The problem with the etymology of Mt. Megiddo is that there is no mountain there, the city was in a valley (Jezreel). Reddish, provides a couple of interpretive summaries for understanding Megiddo. He frist draws upon the work of H.B. Swete, who “explained the designation of Megiddo as Mount Megiddo based on John’s desire ‘to bring the final conflict into connexion with Ezekiel 29:2, 4,’ a text that describes the eschatological battle against Gog of the land of Magog as a battle that occurs in ‘the mountains of Israel’ “(Reddish, 313). Another way to understand the etymology of the word, is by considering “har megiddon is a variation of har-mo ed, meaning ‘mount of assembly,’ the mythical mountain of the gods in Isaiah 14:13 that the king of Babylon boasted he would climb in order to exalt himself” (Reddish, 313-314). We must not lose sight of the fact that Revelation is a high symbolic book, and here as else where John is using symbolic language. What we are meant to see, think, feel, and hear is a place of final battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil. Armageddon is a place of victory for God.

*Mitchell Reddish. Revelation, Smyth and Helwys: Macon, 2001.

Exodus imagery in Revelation 15-16

OT images and allusions in the book of Revelation are everywhere. I had noticed the Exodus motif before, but was blown away by the heavy reliance on this imagery. John uses the Exodus motif and makes it his own to convey the tension and ultimate victory of God’s people in his day. Here’s what I found going back through Rev. 15 and 16:

The sea or a sea of glass (Exodus imagery), God’s people stood on the shore of the Red Sea with Pharoah’s army coming behind them, and the Red Sea before them. They would have to trust that God would act! He does, and delivers them. The next image of the sea in Rev. 15 is the ones who had been victorious/martyred. God had seen them through!

Fire, reminiscent of the pillar of cloud and fire by night that represented the presence of God in the wilderness. The victorious ones are pictured Singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb, again Exodus language.

Temple/tabernacle of the Testimony, the tent was the place where the Israelites met with God in the wilderness. Here in Rev. 15 is a visible reminder of the presence of God, and the place from which the judgments stem is from God. Smoke of God’s glory, his presence, also points back to Sinai!

John doesn’t stray to far from the Exodus imagery, “the eschatological woes are plagues (16:2 sores, Exod. 9:10-11; 16:3-4 sea and rivers become blood, Exod. 7:17-21; 16:10 darkness, Exod. 10:22; 16:12 drying up the waters, Exod. 14:21-22; 16:13 frogs, Exod. 8:3; 16:18, 21 thunder, fire and hail, Exod. 9:24)” (Boring, 173).

Armageddon/Mt. of Assembly or Mt. of Magedon? John is using military imagery to paint a picture, not so much concerned with geography in Palestine, but showing the defeat of the forces of evil.

I think John’s usage of the Exodus imagery is helpful for us not only as readers, but also as fellow sojourners. We see the continuing application and reapplication of God’s great rescue throughout history. We too are drawn into this story, because likewise we have at one time or another been stuck on the bank of the Red Sea and being pursued by the enemy, waiting for God’s intervention. We likewise have tasted victory and have shared in the singing of the chorus of the Song of Moses and the Lamb. And while we sing in victory now, we also know that we haven’t full arrived yet.

*Eugene Boring. Revelation. John Knox: Louisville, 1989.

Josh Graves posted a great qoute from The Jesus I Never Knew:

“The might of the world, the most sophisticated religious system of its time allied with the most powerful political empire, arrays itself against a solitary figure, the only perfect man who has ever lived. Though he is mocked by the powers and abandoned by his friends, yet the Gospels give the strong, ironic sense that he himself is overseeing the whole long process. He has resolutely set his face for Jerusalem, knowing the fate that awaits him. The cross has been his goal all along. Now, as death nears, he calls the shots,” from The Jesus I Never Knew (241).

I am reminded over and over again that true victory comes by what appears to be utter defeat. The Son of God broken, humiliated, alone, crucified. He wins, and because He won the victory all of us who have journeyed to Calvary, have likewise won the victory.

Easter is coming, and may we relish in our journey and our  place in the story. A story that is continually transforming the lives of people. This defeat/victory of Christ paves the way for the defeat of despair, darkness, and brokenness in the world.

I am reminded of Chris Tomlin’s song, “I Will Rise.”
There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well”

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

There’s a day that’s drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
“Worthy is the Lamb”
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
“Worthy is the Lamb”
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
“Worthy is the Lamb”
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
“Worthy is the Lamb”

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise