1^st Sunday in March (Romans 12; Acts 27 and 28:1-16) 

Just at the time when people in the southern hemisphere are “getting serious” about studies and work, people in the northern hemisphere seem ready to take a break. This rhythm of work and holiday, study and break, concentrate and relax, has taken a different turn in modernity. In all other centuries, rest was a time of preparation, focus, and renewal of purpose. In recent times, rest has become an end in itself, a time of retreat, flight, and surrender of purpose. Retirement has come to imply with uselessness. People emerge from rest or vacation with resignation and despair. Companionship with Jesus Christ restores a sense of purposefulness, whatever one’s age or condition, because the mission of Christ is unceasing, the pleasure of Christ’s company endures.

Team Meditation: Acts 27 and 28:1-16

There are times in mission when we proceed with due planning, taking responsibility for tactics and strategies, anticipating developments, and measuring results. There are also times of seeming reckless abandon, when we do not know what will happen, and take life as it comes. It is these times that test one’s radical trust in God’s grace. Paul was always known for his passionate extremes, but in these last stories of his journey to Rome he seems remarkably complacent and calm. He was being carried away by dubious friends and possible enemies and had no control over his course or surroundings. As if to accentuate his helplessness, he is shipwrecked far from his anticipated destination. Yet through it all he seems to react with extraordinary confidence. Even when a snake fixes itself to his arm, he seems to “shake it off” with hardly any interest. And when he heals a whole village, he does not think it unusual enough to deserve comment. Spiritual leaders are tested, so they might radically trust in God.

Worship Design: (Romans 12)

Beyond the rhythms of work, leisure, family, and personal interests, there is a constancy about the Christian lifestyle that sets the Christian apart from other people. Make a list of the behavioral attributes of a Christians, and compare that with a list of common behavior patterns in the world, and we understand why Christians stand out. Other religions may rely on certain clothing or specific rituals, but Christians identify themselves simply by the way the habitually behave.

• Sober judgment;
• Service;
• Teaching and mentoring;
• Encouragement;
• Generosity;
• Zeal
• Mercy
• Cheerfulness
• Family affection;
• Honorableness;
• Aglow with the Spirit;
• Constantly hopeful;
• Patient in trial;
• Constant in prayer;
• Empathic;
• Peaceful;
• Humble;
• Forgiving;
• Sincerely loving;
• Adamant against evil;

It is not difficult to contrast these behavioral habits with what is practiced, and even valued, in the rest of the world. Most importantly, all this is centered on the imitation of Christ, “³⁶ For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen. Romans 11:36   

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2^nd Sunday of March (Isaiah 52 and 53; Luke 21:7-19 and 22:1-6) 

One of the things that most perplexes the outside observer is that Christian faith should actually find hope through suffering. Surely this is irrational. Suffering should lead to despair … or at least, that is how it normally functions. Yet in the Christian, suffering not only is endured, but it generates actual hope for the future. It is extremely difficult to stamp out Christianity … as many secular agencies have discovered. Consider that after years of persecution by communist or ultra-materialist societies, Christian churches not only have endured but multiplied exponentially.

Team Meditation: Leadership Vindication (Luke 21:7-19 and 22:1-6)

Christian living is not a “walk in the woods” or a “bed of roses”. The apostles do not try to deceive us, and Jesus himself was quite honest. “If you follow me, you will get into trouble with the world.” Christian faith is not necessarily the road to advancement and prosperity. In fact, it is eventually going to increase your stress.  Therefore, Jesus’ advice is to “endure it” … just as He “endured it”. You can then overcome it … just as He overcame it. Why is this possible? Because of your closeness or unity with Christ.

The early Christians took to heart the words of Jesus, “not a hair on your head shall perish”. This was not mere metaphor about the details of divine redemption. St. Augustine wrote to Christians who had very fresh memories … personally, from parents, and from grandparents … of persecution, torture, and martyrdom. “Putting aside all unbelief,” he preached, “consider how valuable you are!” (Sermon 214.11-12). Real death has nothing to do with heart-failure. It has to do with soul-failure. And only God has power over the soul.

Worship Theme: (Isaiah 52 and 53)

Isaiah 52:1  Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion!

A person should get what they deserve. Our society may be incredibly selfish and pragmatic, and people may doubt that there is any eternal truth or consistent moral standard, and yet that saying just won’t go away. Many is the man or woman who suffers, and genuinely believes “they don’t deserve it.” And if we are really honest, many is the man or woman who does not suffer, and realizes in their inner heart that they have escaped justice. Indeed, having escaped justice over and again, watching others suffer who are innocent, and knowing full well that we deserve worse than we are getting, there is a rather natural fear of death. What lies on the other side of death? Whatever it is, it is implacable and death-less. And if whatever lies on the other side of death has anything remotely to do with justice, we may well be terrified. For what person doubts that, when the balance is weighed, and we compare the times we suffer in innocence against the times we escape to indifference, we have been overly lucky.

We deserve a lot worse than we get; and there are a few innocents who deserve a lot better than they received. But if we are all to find redemption, we need a very peculiar kind of savior. This is the Man of Sorrows anticipated by Isaiah. If you are suffering and innocent, he guarantees hope. Yet if you are not suffering and in fear of future judgment, he can rescue you. He is willing to take your punishment in your behalf … erasing not only the reality of your guilt, but also (and this is perhaps ever more generous!) the feelings of your guilt. He is willing to let you be guilt free … free from the feelings as well as the fearings. Why would He do this? Because He loves you so much. Why does He love us so much? Because he is Father and Brother and Friend.

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3^rd Sunday of March (Matthew 16:24 – 17:23; Luke 18:31-43 and 19:28-44)        

Why do you believe something to be true? There are two ways.  

The modern way is that you will believe something to be true because it has been scientifically proven to be true. The factual evidence is conclusive. The logical proof is convincing. One cannot help but believe something to be true, because it has been demonstrated irrevocably. There really is no belief about it. It is simply, obviously, undoubtedly, and demonstrably true. Unfortunately, fewer things can be proven true that we like to think. How does one “prove” that we are in love? Or that one ethical choice is better than another? Or that one state of being is better than another? 

The ancient way is that you believe something to be true because a highly credible, believable, person in whom you have absolute confidence bears witness to the truth. In some ways, this is the foundation of all jurisprudence. There is a witness … and the witness is “believable”. This is the method of truth on which the Gospel relies. Since we are talking about eternal things … things beyond reason and evidence … science fails us. We have to trust the word or witness of believable people. Thus we understand the emphasis of scripture on the apostolic authority … the witness by credible people that extraordinary events (which are neither proved or disproved by science) are true.

Team Meditation: Luke 18:31-43 and 19:28-44

Jesus often did things that will filled with meaning … symbolic acts … unusual behavior patterns intentionally designed to focus your thoughts and reveal hidden implications. This is certainly true regarding his odd choice of transportation when entering Jerusalem on his final journey to the cross. The faithful Christian has no choice but to think that Jesus really knew what was going on, where all this would end, and that coming events would have universal and eternal significance.

St. Ambrose was the first to articulate and preach about the significance of riding on a donkey. “The mystic Rider therefore could cover the inmost places of our mind with the hidden mystery. He would take his seat in an inward possession of the secret places of the spirits, as if infused with the Godhead, footprints of the mind and curbing the lusts of the flesh. Those who receive such a Rider in their inmost hearts are happy. A heavenly bridle curbed whose mouths, or else they would be unloosed in a multitude of words” (Exposition of the Gospel of Luke 9-9).

The mystic Rider is ready to enter your heart … filling you with exponential satisfaction … leading you to unknown destinations … guiding you to bless the world. Are you ready?

Worship Theme: Matthew 16:24 – 17:23

One cannot help but think about tabloids that “tell all” or “reveal hidden secrets” when reading the story of Jesus transfiguration before the disciples. Tabloids delight in the scandalous, and there is something scandalous in the transfiguration. For Jews, it would be the notion that John was Elijah returned, and that Jesus must therefore be the expected Messiah … and neither are what anyone expected them to be. For non-Jews (Gentiles), it would be that a lowly person like Jesus could be divine (since after all, only important and successful and powerful people like emperors and movie stars should be divine.) Jesus says “don’t tell”, but obviously the disciples did “tell”, and the resulting controversy helped seal Jesus fate to be crucified.

The question, of course, is whether or not the tabloids are right … or whether they exaggerate or even fabricate the truth. Sometimes you can prove it through an examination of the facts. More often, you can only decide based on the credibility of the witnesses. So now we have to read the Acts of the Apostles, epistles, and ancient history, to decide if the witnesses are “believable” or not. No matter how hard we try, that is inconclusive. So next, we have to go to the source … ask God … explore God … open ourselves to the Spirit, or event he possibility of Spirit … and listen for an answer. That is all we ask of you, the seeker. Listen to your heart. Really surrender your limited demands for “proof”, and decide based on the credibility of witnesses.

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4^th Sunday in March (Luke 24:36-53 and Acts 1:1-11; Mark 14) 

No matter how popular or secular the calendar, usually you still see “Easter” clearly marked. Some wonder why … and some wonder what it implies … and wonder if it has any meaning beyond references to Ground Hog Day from last February. Yet there it is on our calendar. In the northern hemisphere, we have happy ideas that it refers to spring and new life; in the southern hemisphere we have comforting memories of loved ones who have died. The ancient association with Easter, however, is that people might repent and be forgiven, return and be accepted. It is a time of reconciliation with those we have hurt or who have hurt us, and with God.

Team Meditation: Acts 1:1-11

There is a difference between a world full of “spirits” and a world full of “Holy Spirit”. Pagans believe in many spirits. Had Jesus appeared to everyone in Jerusalem or to the general public, many would have seen an apparition, a ghost, and a proof of supernatural things and shadowy forces. Yet “spirits” are vague, purposeless, perhaps scary, and generally irrelevant to the course of history. On the other hand, Luke makes it clear at the start of the Acts of the Apostles that Jesus does not appear as an apparition, but as himself in the flesh, and that he does not reveal “spirits” but rather releases a single, potent, pervasive Holy Spirit loose in the world. The Spirit is not scary, but hopeful. It is not irrelevant to history, but the shaper of history. Everything that follows the resurrection is guided by Spirit, and the more we are “in the Spirit” the more confidence we have in aligning ourselves with God’s purpose in history.

John Chrysostom (Bishop of Constantinople in the last years of the 4^th century) was the first church leader to recognize the importance of the Acts of the Apostles. He points out that the apostles tried to cling to the risen Lord, and could not bear to leave him, and that Jesus reassured them that it was in fact to their advantage that he go away. Then the Holy Spirit would fill them and use them as agents of destiny. Do you see yourself as just such an “agent of destiny”?

Worship Theme: Luke 24:36-53, Mark 14

“It’s really me!” The Gospels go to great lengths to stress that Jesus emerged from the grave completely himself. His flesh was the same, his spirit was the same. Death changed nothing … absolutely nothing … about Jesus. This is why later Christians began to use the metaphor of “sleep” to describe death, because after awaking the individual united to Christ would also be “just the same”. How could this be? How can this be today? Our rational minds boggle at the inference. Yet the Gospel is clear that the identity of Jesus did not change … and implies that our identity will not change.

That’s good news and bad news. If one dies united in Christ, with the Spirit at work bringing us to perfection, then being the same after death is a good thing. One expects to be praised and received enthusiastically into the love of God. If one does outside of Christ, having denied and resisted the Spirit at work within us, then what should we then expect after we “wake up” from death? Of course, most of us are somewhere in between … neither good nor bad now, neither good nor bad later … and therefore we can only fling ourselves before God seeking forgiveness and acceptance. Is there any good reason to think repentance will work? Yes … first because Christ has promised this in his life before death, and second because in his life after death Christ has released the Holy Spirit to be our advocate and comforter.

Salvation is an extremely intimate meeting between ourselves, as we really are, and God, as he really is. Jesus greets us with a holy kiss and says with great affection “It’s really me!” On our part, we accept his kiss with incredulity and shame, and respond “It’s me, it’s me, it’s me O Lord, standing in the need of prayer!” 

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