Seeker Cycle: October

Week 40
Team Meditation: Stress reduction - Luke 12:22-34

Don't worry, be happy. That's the theme for the day. For the week. For your life. It's easy to say, or sing as the case may be, this is one of those "Easier said than done" kind of admonitions. We live in a day and time when our culture makes it hard to make ends meet. Our parents nearly brag that they went to college, worked full-time, and came out debt free or nearly so. That isn't even possible for most students today, so we leave college with some serious debt. And it's no easier for those who forgo college and go straight to work. To not live with your parents these days almost takes two incomes, and even with that many scrape by. And here comes Jesus saying, "Don't worry about eating or any of the other necessities of life." To live with that attitude would take more than a shift in our worldview. It would take a radical adjustment in our values and in our lifestyle. Life would never be the same. Of course, that's the point isn't it?

Worship Theme: God is in control - Ecclesiastes 3

Trust comes hard these days. There's so much betrayal, so many half-truths, and outright lies. What can we believe? It seems every "scientific" study contradicts another, and the media … well, need we say more. There's been this rumor going 'round that says, "God is in control." But with wars, poverty, crooked politicians, less than moral ministers, and the rest, it's no wonder we question even this. And yet, throughout the scriptures we read over and over that God's eye is even on the sparrow—how much more does he care for and watch over us.

But trust comes hard these days. The writer of Ecclesiastes is an odd character, when it comes to Bible writing. He acknowledges the tough stuff in the world and says to go ahead and live your life. Do the best you can. Realize the world is going to "happen" with or without you. So work hard at work you love. Eat and live well with people you love. And remember, God really is in control.
                       

Week 41
Team Meditation: Look for the Kingdom now - Luke 17:20-37

Why is it that from the very beginning the church has looked for the Kingdom of God as if it was a movie "Coming soon to a theater (or church) in your town!" Denominations have been created based on predictions of "when" the Kingdom would come. And we far too often confuse "church" with "Kingdom," as if somehow there's some semblance of synonymy between the two. It sometimes looks like we're no farther ahead than the religious professionals of Jesus' time. We're waiting for something that's already among us.

Literally.

… "The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:20-21 NIV). The Kingdom only comes when we live in there. It's not a place. It's now a worship service. It's not something that's "coming." It's within us when we live it. In fact, the Kingdom isn't even something that Christianity has to "create," since it exists here and now. The question is, are we living in it or not? Kingdom living is different that non-Kingdom living. We prioritize differently. We spend our money differently. We work at our jobs differently. We treat people differently. We laser in on our daily tasks, and prayers, and good deeds, and … with precision focus.
The Kingdom is here. Now. In you … or is it?

Worship Theme: What happens when he returns - Revelation 21:1 – 22:7

One of Christianity's contemporary best sellers has been the Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. And one of Christianity's all-time favorite Bible studies has been the book of the Revelation. It seems from time in memoriam that the "end times" have been one of our most fascinating obsessions.

What does the end look like? When will the beast be slain, death be put into chains, and every tear wiped away? Good questions. Interesting questions. Great conversation starters (or stoppers!). The fact is, though, the Bible paints pictures that have paint-roller details. Metaphor, analogy, symbol, and time cloud the issue so badly we don't really have a clue.

However, there are few things we do know. We know that death has no hold on us because Jesus beat that one for us. We know that this life is not the end-all, be-all. And we know the Kingdom of God isn't something "out there" somewhere. It's here now – the only question is whether or not you choose to live there.

Week 42
Team Meditation: Imitating Jesus - Luke 14:1-14 and 25-35

Jesus said some harsh things to folks during his recorded time on earth, but none of what he said probably has caused so much consternation in the Modern church. Over the past several hundred years of so there has been an increased emphasis on the family. Not a bad thing, really. In fact a very good thing. But with the rising awareness of familial needs, Jesus' words about hating family before one can be a disciple is, well, disturbing at best.

And so we've taken to soften what he said. "What he really meant was …" You've read the commentaries and heard the sermons and how people have tried to "fix" what Jesus said.

But what if he was serious? What if he really meant what he said? What if self-love and familial love and all the rest really must take not just a back seat to following Jesus, but they can't even be in the same vehicle? What if denying yourself for the sake of the Kingdom of God really means to deny yourself, not simply to be a "nicer" person? What if we had to take seriously Jesus' commission to "count the cost" first? How many of us are willing to be faithful?
 
Worship Theme: Radical justice - Amos 5

Last week, the book of the Revelation played well in the congregation. There's always great interest in the here-after. Indeed, many churches have taken to adopt John's closing words from Revelation to end their services: "Maranatha: Come Lord Jesus." We sometimes seem in a big hurry for the second coming, the sounding of that final trumpet, etc. It all sounds so exciting. Not much has changed in the past 2,500 years or so. The people in Amos' time were all hot and excited about the end times back then, but this time instead of preaching about how glorious it will be, Amos stepped up and began to preach:

"Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD! Why do you long for the day of the LORD? That day will be darkness, not light. It will be as though a man fled from a lion only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him. Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light-- pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?" (Amos 5:18-20 NIV).

Not exactly comforting words. But the point of what Amos is saying shouldn't be lost on us today. The Israelites were pining for a glorious future … anything to deliver them from the doldrums, the pressures, and the anxieties of today. Amos reminds them, though, that tomorrow is tomorrow. What's important is today and how we respond to God in the here-and-now. There is nothing more important, says he, than to "Seek good, not evil, that you may live."

Week 43
Team Meditation: Extreme love - Luke 6:27-49

Jesus was quite concerned about how his followers would treat those who were outside of the Kingdom. "Love your enemies" and so on. Traditionally, the church has done an adequate job (though not a good job) of doing this. Indeed, we often do much better at loving our enemies than we do in loving one-another. Which of course, is what the bulk of this passage is about. Treat those outside the Kingdom with love, but then Jesus gets pretty specific about how we're to treat one-another. Don't judge one another (even those who have different theologies than you). And he doesn't just say it and move on. He takes a hammer and drives the nail home with analogies, parables, and metaphors. Maybe he was serios.

Worship Theme: Real life morality - Galatians 5:1 – 6:10

How do you measure your spiritual life? Most of us would be baffled at the question. We go to church—when it's convenient and there's nothing else going on (like family dropping in or a great football, baseball, basketball, soccer, NASCAR, tennis, golf, bowling, darts, or poker match). We can find our Bible and maybe even read it now and again. And we pray regularly, particularly when someone cuts us off in traffic.
Paul, however, gave the Galatians a measuring stick. He states it both in the negative (also known as the fruits of the flesh) and in the positive (the fruits of the Spirit). Look at the list. How do you stack up? Add the rest of the admonitions of the passage such as giving up conceit, envy, and provoking one-another.

"Each one should test their own actions" (6:4). How are you doing? What will you be doing differently this week?

Week 44
Team Meditation: Pointing to Jesus - Luke 7:18-35

Paul called the church "The Body of Christ" for good reason. He expected the church to take seriously Jesus' commission that they would do "greater works than these" (John 14:12). When John the Baptizer's disciples came to Jesus to check him out, he responded that they should judge their query by the works they saw. That's not so different that a guest exploring the church and the faith today. They judge it first and foremost by the works they see. They're less concerned with the nuances of your theology. If you're doing good and lives are being changed, they're willing to give you a hearing. Indeed, it's that very phenomena that is growing the LDS Church by leaps and bounds. I wonder when we'll learn that people are more concerned with fruit than they are with orthodox theology?

Worship Theme: What prophets really do - 1 Kings 17, 18, 19

There seems to be an ebb and flow of confidence, even in the greatest and most faithful leaders in the faith. We so often expect our church leaders, and by extension, all those of the faith, to be on-fire, on-stage, and on-the-way all the time. But expectations like that only set us up for failure on the magnitude of the Big Dig Tunnel in Boston.

Elijah experienced a Heisman moment when he challenged the prophets of Baal to a duel by fire. In the next moment, however, we find him hiding in a desert cave for fear of his life. Ebb and flow. In and out. Real life.
If that's the way of Elijah, it will be the way of us as well. We need to take seriously the need for Sabbath rest, to hide in the cave, and to listen for the word of God—not because we fear death, but because we must protect our fragile spirit that is under siege by unseen forces. And when we take seriously the time for rest and to hear the Spirit's whisper, then we can emerge from our cocoon of protection to boldly face the world.