NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 80 Offering: $6,300

ON NOW!! A small short term small group on “worship”. Meets Sundays immediately following worship at Sanctuary office above the WAMU Bank on 85^th and Greenwood.

Welcome Aboard: Congratulations to Summer Mohrlang as she joins our ministry staff! Summer is a Fuller Seminary graduate, an officer in the USAF, a gifted teacher and someone you should get to know.

PRAYERS –

Lord, in your great mercy, look after all those who are struggling with serious depression and mental health issues, particularly one young mother.

Christ, may your kingdom of peace rule over the shattered and violent kingdoms of this world.

God, we pray for wisdom as we consider how to vote in the coming elections.

Spirit, comfort those who have suffered losses, particularly the family and friends of the students at the University of Northern Illinois who were hurt and killed this last week.

REFLECTIONS on: Mark 6:6-13 “All Together Now!”

A number of years ago, well know author Henri Nouwen, wrote about a spiritual cycle he described as Solitude to community to ministry. This is an essential rhythm that weaves in our values of WE PRAY, WE BUILD AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY and WE TALK ABOUT JESUS IN WORD AND DEED.

Solitude – learning to be silent both alone and with others … learning to pray by both speaking to God and listening for God.  I had a great 4 day solitude experience during a very painful time a few years ago at the Downing House in Denver. Prayer. Questions. Conversations with spiritual director. It was extremely instructive – bring your needs to God. Physical health. Strategies. The need for friends to “play with”. I came out of this time determined to work on my health which was out of control. I weighed 400 pounds, was deeply depressed and had a good number of serious problems including out of control diabetes. This all led to my gastric bypass surgery 5 years ago on Feb 18, 2003. I am now 236 pounds lighter, healthier, and way more committed to playing with friends in my life.

Community – learning to live life together with others in love and unity with God as Father and all of us together as family. We are each God’s workmanship, and together the Family of God…and, God is the head of the household, guiding us in our relationships, our growth and maturity, our chores. I have told you numerous times that Nancy and I have been part of a couples group for over 18 years. The membership hasn’t changed in that time. THE ROWLAND’s may have had a  number of transitions in life, but we have community where there is love and unity… and the Scriptures shared among us, wherein we know we are loved, accepted, forgiven and grounded in lifelong, covenant relationships. We are family to each other. We’re doing that here at Sanctuary in small groups, brunches and other opportunities to build meaningful relationships…

MINISTRY – is the final movement in the three part rhythm of life. WE ARE MADE TO LIVE WITH OTHERS AND FOR OTHERS … our LIFE TOGETHER unavoidably becomes our LIFE FOR OTHERS as we all discover and gives ourselves to ministry.

As we move from SOLITUDE TO COMMUNITY TO MINISTRY, let’s take a look at a wonderful example of this movement and rhythm in the life and ministry of Jesus and His disciples…I’m going to read from Mark 6, beginning at the 6^th verse.

Mark 6:6-13 (NIV)
 
Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town.

And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”

They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.

I want to make a few observations about this very important text:

Jesus calls people to himself to know Him and to participate in the very life of God….and we do that together and on behalf of others. To know Christ is to grow in embodying HIM. To Embody Christ means Christ-like acts of love, forgiveness and mercy in both formal and informal settings. Formal = ministries of the church. Informal= work, or even an example like Mr. Skillings from Adams Elementary School in Ballard who paid dearly for intervening in the harassment of a woman at a bus stop. He was beaten into critical condition, and is recovering slowly.

The community of the Trinity becomes the model LIFE that God offers us. The life of God demonstrated in the Trinity profoundly unified and loving and open and vulnerable. The relationship of the Trinity is unquestionably permanent. The life of the Trinity is so overflowing with love, passion, creativity and a desire to GIVE LIFE AND LOVE AWAY that the very EXISTENCE OF GOD and COMMUNITY OF GOD becomes the mission of GOD. God’s mission is CREATION. God’s mission is to include everyone in God’s loving family and for everyone to experience God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness. God’s mission is TO REDEEM AND RESTORE EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE CREATION TO ITS ORGINAL STATE OF BEING wherein God said, “IT IS VERY GOOD” and rested.

The life of God is given to you and me in the LIFE, DEATH and RESURRECTION of Jesus Christ is at work in IN YOU AND ME TOGETHER LONGING TO RESTORE A FALLEN AND BROKEN WORLD…seriously…can you feel it??? And as we share in the LIFE OF GOD – a literal dance of love and beauty and reconciliation – we are compelled by the life of God within us to reach beyond ourselves and share the love of God where it is not known.

 So, while God in Jesus Christ call us together with Him, he also SENDS US TOGETHER in and with Him. The mission of God is the Trinity in action. The mission of the church is the Community in Action. It is never “MY MINISTRY”, it is always “God’s ministry that he has called ME and __BOB__ and __DONNA__ and __MARK__ to participate in. There is a power of us going together in UNITY and LOVE.

Ministry can be easy -- Even as simple as last week when we distributed marketing materials for our Green Bean Mission to Greenwood. And, it is in the going that we find unity and love…Paul’s letter to the Ephesians tells us that the church achieves unity and maturity when we fully “equip the saints for acts of service”. And, we go empty handed. Not with budgets, programs, gospel marketing plans…but with love. God is pure, white-light-love, many people respond to God’s love for them by accepting Christ and by embracing you and me and all Christians as brothers and sisters in Christ…by becoming adopted members of the family, just like you and me.

At the same, time God also gets rejected. Not all of our efforts to love and include work.  Just like God, we get blown off sometimes. Other times, in spite of our best efforts we stumble over each other … or even hurt or disappoint those who we are seeking to serve. None of that is an excuse to not try…or to stop working for the kingdom. Don’t be discouraged by rejection or interpersonal problems with your kingdom co-workers. These are part of the business. Rejection and problems with others are powerful in bringing us back to solitude and then to supportive community. These issues alert us to our needs. We have to learn to dust off our sandals and move on when we hit snags in community and in ministry. That’s not an act of blame or retribution, it’s just a reality check.

In the end, the Mark’s story tells us that the DISCIPLES went out in TWO’s and that many did believe the message of God’s OUTRAGEOUS and EXTRAVAGANT LOVE … and that people were healed left and right. The proof of solitude’s value and the authenticity of community is not INTERNALLY found. The proof is in the SIGN AND WONDER OF Divine Love coming through you and me in ways that DRAW OTHERS INTO THE LIFE OF GOD. How powerful is your solitude? You can tell by how effective your efforts in ministry are. How authentic is a community? Check and see the percentage of those who are going in ministry and CHECK THE FRUITS of their ministry. Jesus said very clearly of his followers,

“You shall know them by their fruits”. And our fruit will never show unless we go. All of us are in a transition in our lives here at Sanctuary. Some are hurt and confused by issues in life. Some feel under-informed and somehow not yet able to dig into ministry and leadership. Some are fearful about the future and finances and time crunches and family. NONE OF THOSE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WILL EVER BE ADDRESSED OR EVER GET FIXED BY SITTING AROUND AND PROCESSING HUMAN EMOTIONS. THE ONLY WAY TO MOVE ON IS TO MOVE ON TOGETHER IN MINISTRY

The staff and council of this body are your leadership team. They love you. They are called and passionate about leading. They love God and listen to God. They are practicing solitude, community and ministry. And, they want to include you and equip you and release you…LISTEN TO THEM AS IF GOD IS THE VOICE YOU ARE HEARING AND FOLLOW THEIR LEAD.  THEY WILL TAKE YOU INTO GREAT MINISTRY TOGETHER.

And, no matter how you are feeling, don’t succumb to being a lone ranger. We cannot make it on our own. Life and ministry are hard work. Growing in Christ doesn’t happen without solitude, community and going out in ministry together in Jesus’ name. We need each other!

DON’T TRY TO DO THE JOB ALONE LIKE THIS POOR FELLOW DID.

Listen to his labor and industries insurance claim letter…

To: the Department of Labor and Industries:

From: Joe the Bricklayer.

RE: More information on trying to do the job alone.

I am writing in response to your request for additional information for my insurance claim. In block number three of the accident claim form I wrote, "trying to do the job alone" as the cause of my accident. You said in your letter that I should explain that statement more fully. I trust the following details will be sufficient.

I am a bricklayer by trade. On the date of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building. When I completed my work I discovered that I had about 500 pounds of brick left over. Rather than carrying the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley which was attached to the side of the building at the sixth-floor level.

Securing the rope at ground level, I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out, and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went back to the ground and untied the rope, holding it tightly to insure a slow descent of the 500 pounds of bricks. You will note in block number 22 of the claim form that my weight is 150 pounds.

Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I lost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded up the side of the building at a very rapid rate of speed.

In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming down. This explains my fractured skull and collarbone. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley.

By this time, I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope in spite of my pain. At approximately the same time however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Devoid of the weight of the bricks, the barrel then weighed approximately 50 pounds.

I refer you again to the information in block number 11 regarding my weight. As you might imagine, I began a rapid descent down the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles and the lacerations of my legs and lower body.

This second encounter with the barrel slowed me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell onto the pile of bricks, and fortunately, only three vertebrae were cracked.

I am sorry to report, however, that as I lay there on the bricks in pain, unable to stand, and watching the empty barrel six stories above me, I again lost my presence of mind, and let go of the rope. The empty barrel weighed more than the rope so it came down upon me and broke both of my legs.

I hope I have furnished information sufficient to explain why the stated cause of the accident was "trying to do the job alone".

You get the Point, don’t ya?

Now, go out and MAKE IT a GREAT WEEK!!

Much love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org

NEWS FROM SANCTUARY –

Attendance: 91 Kids: 6 Offering: $6,221.00

Thanks to all those who helped do door hangers for the Green Bean and our part of our Green Bean Team!!

PRAYERS –

Lord, we do pray for all those who have suffered losses, particularly Megan Follett and family following the loss of sister, Beth this last Friday.

Christ, have mercy on all those suffering the flu, including a certain pastor with the initials, RR.

God, be with Pastor David Snapper as he undergoes next surgery this coming week.

Father, we pray for the ongoing outreach and sustainability of the Green Bean Coffee House.

Holy Spirit, we pray for the power and imagination you bring to us to pour forth at the New Conspirators Conference coming soon to Seattle.

Lord, Bless Tim Soerens and Ben Katt as they lead their new churches, Dust and Awake in key Seattle neighborhoods.

REFELCTIONS on – Mark 4:35-41 Who Is This Man?

We're not unaccustomed to storms in this area of the Pacific Northwest. Just a week or two ago, we had a violent avalanche that closed Snoqualmie Pass. And, we are not strangers to pouring rain, occasional thunder and a bit of snow here and there. But, I realized I had never really experienced a Capital S Storm until a couple of years ago when I was traveling in the Southeast. I was in Little Rock, Arkansas….thunderstorms in the region had the airport shut down…and I could not get back to Seattle. I found out my only option to get home on the day I absolutely had to get home was to rent a car, drive to Memphis, TN (4 hours on a good day---and this did not turn out to be a good day), stay overnight at an airport hotel (overnight being about 2 ½ hours sleep), then, fly from  Memphis to Denver to Portland, to Seattle.

A couple of other guys were stuck….and there were no more rental cars, so they offered to pay for my car and for food if I let them go along. I said okay. It was just beginning to rain and blow a little bit in the late afternoon. Soon, we were in the middle of rural Arkansas on a reasonably good 4 lane freeway. Dark set in and it began to lightning and thunder. Then it began to rain….with a ferocity and volume I have never seen before. The lightning grew more intense….it would make it daylight for a few seconds, then pitch black. After this, it began rain in earnest….the ferocity of the rain I had never seen before gave way to something that must have been like a hurricane. It rained so hard and was blowing so hard…and the lightning bursts were so close and so blinding, it was impossible to drive. Everyone on the freeway just slowed down to a stop….and sat there. I could barely see the taillights of the car 10 feet in front of me….and I was dreading one of those 100 car pile ups.

The rain would subside a bit and we would begin driving again, only to hit the another deluge of rain that stopped us cold. I  think this is the first storm at home, at sea … whatever…that actually scared me and reduced me to very, very sincere and deep prayer… Now, imagine being in a storm just like that with about 13 or 14 people in a 20 foot boat that sits about 12 inches off the water and is made of primitive wood planks and rope…

Mark 4:35-41 (NIV)

35 That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" 41 They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"

Step by Step with Jesus and his crew …

V 35 – "let us go over to the other side -- Jesus calls. Disciples follow. We all need a mission We all need to be led. Who can say to you "let us go" and you do because it is the right thing to do?

V 36- "leaving the crowd behind" -- Living on purpose and following Jesus takes us away from the comfortable and familiar crowd into additional and challenging missions in life that bring us into new relationships with additional crowds…You are not the same crowd I pastored in either of my last two churches. I love you. I would never known you had I not been moved by the call of Jesus…and not knowing you would be a BUMMER.

V36 – Jesus, his disciples and a flotilla of "other boats were with him." -- There are lots that want to follow Jesus….and they do it together. Get on a boat. It doesn't matter which one.

V 37- "a furious squall came up and waves broke over the boat until it was nearly swamped". a great storm. The Greek word is used of a furious storm or hurricane. It never refers to a single gust, nor a steadily blowing wind, however violent, but to a storm breaking forth from black thunder-clouds in furious gusts, with floods of rain, and throwing everything topsy-turvy. From ^[1]Wuest word studies)

You have to love the pure power of nature.  Nature is God's creation. God created the heavens, earth, sun, moon, stars, seas, land, plants, animals, and man. Viewing His work, God pronounced it "good." David sang, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork" (Ps. 19:1, kjv).  Lloyd Oglivie says, "Original nature was good because it had unity and balance that worked together in the harmony that made the morning stars sing together. We still see the traces of that harmony. Astronauts rocket into space, assured that orderly laws of the universe will not be canceled during their flight. Naturalists see the beauty of the earth in the delicate and interlocking balance of plant life. Ecologists remind us that everything in the universe is so connected with everything else that when a person stubs a toe on earth, it is felt in Mars. No one can watch a sunset spreading in varicolored splendor across the western sky without wanting to exclaim, "It is good." Thomas Higgins said it for us, "Creation is an overwhelming outpouring, the overflow of infinite good news."¹

V 38 – CONTRAST: Jesus doesn't do storms. He "was in the stern sleeping on a cushion".-- Jesus chills where others fear disaster. Whatever storm you are in now, Jesus has seen it and is chllin'

V38- Disciples: "Teacher don't you are if we drown?" -- The  Disciples 'we' is really an 'I'… sounds like me…

V39- "he got up and rebuked the wind and said to waves, "quiet! Be still!" -  Peace, be still (σιώπα, πεφΐμωσο). Lit., be silent! be muzzled!...wax dumb!

V39- CONTRAST: "the wind died down and was completely calm" -- Ceased (ἐκόπασεν). A beautiful and picturesque word. The sea sank to rest as if exhausted by its own beating.

V40- "why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" – No Jesus. Of course I don't have faith for this. That's why I woke you. I have faith in YOU, JESUS. "Teacher, do You not care that we are perish-ing?" (v. 38). I wish that I could have compared their look of paralyzed panic with the eyes of Jesus as He blinks Himself awake, looks around to survey the situation, and with a calmness of spirit that puts the worst fears of men and the wildest winds of the seas to rest, He speaks, "Peace, be still!" (v. 39). The wind stops blowing and the sea settles into resolute calm. God has put His creation at rest.

Fear wipes out faith. If the disciples had not been paralyzed by the fear of death,Turning to the disciples, Jesus asks. "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" In my own twisted "Randy Reading" of this text, I would offer the interpretive option that the proper response to the storm was to seek Jesus for help, not to try to fix it on one's own strength…and that perhaps Jesus was simply saying "call me sooner" and "don't let your fear cause you to forget me when stuff like this happens."

V41- "WHO IS THIS MAN? Even the wnd and waves obey him!"-- Awe is our only response to the God who controls the wildest whims of nature. Photographs of Mount St. Helens' volcanic eruption have now become still-life posters that convey a sense of unbelievable force to the viewer. But the awe of the mountain cannot begin to approach the awe of the God who can speak winds and seas, mountains and volcanoes to calm. Jesus speaks with that awesome power, proving that He who rules the wind, controls the sea, and stills the tempest is the Christ, the Son of God.

This is the passage of scripture that called me to JESUS CHRIST. But, this passage is alive and well and speaking to me in new ways…When Jesus says LET US GO (like we will do today for the Bean) we simply GO, we don't question the weather, the mode of transportation or the task ahead..Do I really believe that? Do you? Can I? Can you? Will I? Will you? When Jesus bids us to come and follow him, it is not by any means an invitation to safety and comfort…but rather an adventure in the deep meaning that comes from alignment with HIM.

There are and will be storms…

Think about your own life now…and in years past…Review the storms..

For me…the storms have helped eased my baseline fear and faithlessness…THE HARD WAY. We never have enough faith to meet the demands of the occasion. We are never ready. Faith is a relationship with God that develops and blossoms as we depend on him. When we can no longer navigate our boats, bail them out, or white-knuckle it any longer….WE SHAKE JESUS AWAKE…AND BEG FOR THE GIFT OF FAITH THAT IS LARGER AND MORE POWERFUL THAN WHAT WE
 HAVE.

If you  ever begin to feel that you have it together and have the kind of faith that would allow you to rebuke the storm and let Jesus sleep, come and see me so I can either change my theology or bring you out of denial!

DON'T EVER MISS A CHANCE TO ASK "Who is this Man?" It's the question of a lifetime..The question of the year..The question of the day…The question of the hour…The question of the minute

THIS WEEK – when you get smacked with something…AWAKEN JESUS AND HIS SPIRIT IN YOU. BEG AND PRAY FOR HELP. THINK AND REFLECT "Who is this man?"

And, Go out and make it a GREAT WEEK!

Much Love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org

NEWS FROM SANCTUARY:

Next Sunday Feb. 10^th @ 11am immediately following worship, we are all going to walk through Greenwood and do door hangers for the Green Bean to increase our contact and hospitality in Greenwood. We need you all with us…then come on back to the Bean for some treats.

THIS COMING Wednesday, the 6^th, is ASH WEDNESDAY … join us for a special Ash Wednesday, Lenten Preparation Service at the Sanctuary Office @ 8pm. We are located at 312 N. 85^th on the second floor above the WaMu Bank at 85^th and Greenwood. Enter from 85^th Street. All are welcome.

Looking for a small group. Contact Mark Mohrlang mark.mohrlang@gmail.com

PRAYERS:

Lord, we thank you for your goodness to us at Sanctuary as we live our lives in Greenwood and increase our outreach through the Green Bean Coffee House.

Christ, have mercy on all who are ill, lonely, poor or homeless.

Jesus, we thank you for news of several pregnancies in our congregation and we pray that you would watch over mom's and babies in the oven.

We also pray, Holy Spirit, for your blessing upon the many among us preparing for marriage.

God of Grace, bring mercy and peace to our war-torn world, we pray.

REFLECTIONS: on Mark 4:21-25 "light it up"

The recording voted top rock single of the 60's, 70's & 80's was demonstrative of the age of information in which we live, "when I'm driving in my car and a man comes on the radio and he's telling more and more about some useless information, trying to grab my imagination, I can't get no satisfaction."  Mick Jagger was sensing the overload and the lostness of our culture as early as the mid-60's.

And here we are in the midst of the 21^st Century Gluttony of Information. My father in law had shelves full of book on how to live to be 120, how to detox, deoxidize, de-whatever…and shelves full of supplements that we later learned could have dangerous interactions with one another. We buy books full of contradictory information to apply to one's life, with perhaps marginal success. There are finance books on how to get rich while also getting 7 new credit cards in the mail each day..

Lot's of information sources, but who is reliable? We used to have NBC, ABC, CBS – and they all told pretty much the same story. Now, you can watch coverage of a story on CNN, FOX, BBC and you have to ask "are all of these people missing the point and misleading me, or is one of the three mostly accurate and reliable".

In the midst or piles of information and data, confusing viewpoints and counterclaims on everything….is there are simple core TRUTH to which we ought to adhere and hold dear. Is there a center? I think our Lord Jesus teaches us that there is ….and, he tells a somewhat whimsical story to get the idea across.

This story Jesus tells is a parable…A parabola – is a circular, dish-shaped object….A parable is a 'rouned' or 'round about' way to make a truth more true by not actually telling it straight out. It is a metaphor of a greater truth.Parables were used a lot in Jesus time as "wisdom teachings". They were memorable…repeatable…entertaining…and practical because they used the stuff of everyday life. As we get ready to listen to the parable of the light under a basket…imgine just having talked to people in the parable of the sower – about spiritual growth compared to a wheat harvest. Then, imagine him walking into the field owners house with a bin full of very good wheat that has been milled to flour. Now…very practically, in the setting of a house that everyone in Jesus' time can easily visualize…he shares another important parable…

Mark 4:21-25

²¹ And he said to them, "Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? ²² For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. ²³ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." ²⁴ And he said to them, "Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. ²⁵ For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away."

Observations on this short, but shall we say, illuminating parable. J

This parable was important to Jesus and to his earliest followers and to the Gospel writers. It shows up in 3 of the 4 Gospels. And, it is on of 3 parables of Jesus using light as a theme.

Just a little background here about lamps, lampstands and baskets. Lamps were small urns that burned oil to provide light. There is a cute little grammatical word play in this parable the English translation of the Bible covers up. It literally reads, "does a lamp come into a room to be put under a basket?" Mark's lamp is alive…it moves. This gives us a hint that the light spoken of in the parable is not just a lamp…but a light embodied in the person of Jesus.

Lamps were a household necessity. They were placed on pole-like stands so they would be up off the ground and radiate more light around a darkened room.

And, a "basket" or "bushel" as is used in this text is actually what you and I would know as a "flour bin". This is interesting because this parable of the lamp and the basket follows the telling of the parable of the Sower in all three Gospels it appears in…And…the "basket" or "bushel" spoken of would be the container where the yield of the harvest sown would be stored for use. That's what a flour bin is for.

So, here is the overall picture given in this parable, delivered almost comically ---

Would it look absurd to you to walk into someone's house at night and see that they had lit an oil lamp for light, but then had dumped the fruit of their field – flour – out of their flour bin and put the inverted flour bin over the lit oil lamp??

 --- Of course, you wouldn't see this all that well, because you would be standing in a dark room, perhaps with some powdery flour on the bottom of your shoes wondering, "Could I take you to see someone who can help, my friend?" to the occupant of the house.

The parable then goes a bit crazier – let's say lighting a lamp, covering it with a dumped out flour bin and using lots of resources with no result – no light --- isn't enough for the friend we are visiting --- SEE, I am giving credit – NO ONE here is crazy enough to do this their home! 

So – now taking it up a notch…let's say the light is actually placed under "a bed".  In Jesus time, the word used for "bed" here would be like a couch – this is the kind of place where people ate meals, dining while reclining, around the table.

"Welcome to our house, Bob! Careful, don't bump into that empty candle stand you can't see right there….oh…and come and take a seat here in the sofa made of natural fibers with an oil fire in a lamp burning under it. We call it the hot-seat."

Jesus bottom-line in this story: Jesus' Point: It's absurd to even think of not acknowledging the light, placing it in its right place and living by the Light's illumination…Jesus is the light – and as one commentary says, "The truth to be taught is that all other lights which shine upon truth—natural revelation, reason, intuition, experience—are dim reflections from the brilliance of the Son of God. Thus, a standard is set for judging all other lights."

Jesus Warning: pay attention to what you hear and see from God...Put it to use. People of grace and love like us tend to be really good on "ooh….ahh…yeah…" and receiving stuff…and we can also be really gracious about letting ourselves and others IGNORE the grace we have received. Now…I would much rather be in a gracious community than a JUDGMENTAL one, but this parable is here, perhaps, to balance grace-addicts like ourselves.

The spiritual principal of godly-prospertity is in play in this parable: what you pay attention to in listening to and following Jesus will grow and multiply in you as character and action – and you will be rewarded with yet more and more Christ-likeness and the accompanying love, peace and joy that are products of the kingdom of God.  Ignore this stuff – and you will lose the blessings you have…and you will leave others stumbling around in the dark with you.

Take Aways for you and me

The first thing I notice when I apply this parable to me in a critical sort of way is: The Light (Jesus and His Word and His Spirit) ARE HERE BEFORE ME. I have been given a great, great gift.

This parable makes it clear to me, and I think, all of us…that just having the light and acknowledging it is not enough. An older Bible commentator, Matthew Henry said, "God expects a grateful return of his gifts to us, and a useful improvement of his gifts in us". Isn't that beautiful? God enlightens, warms, saves and sustains us…and we give that back to God by being openly transformed to Jesus way and living that and sharing that with others. At the same time, the use of the Christ-gifts within us as we return them to Jesus, become more powerful and effective over time.

When Jesus speaks of hearing….what he is saying is that we become people who look for an gobble up the light of God as we find it. A man named Warren Wiersbe said, "We must be careful how we hear  and what we hear for this determines what we have to share with others. We do not receive the Word so we can enjoy it by ourselves. We receive that we might share, just as a lamp gives itself to provide light for the house." This also makes clear that our first gift to our world is not our wisdom, common sense, professional degrees, etc….event those these are important…our first and greatest gift to the world is the light of Jesus Christ in and through us. The fate of Greenwood and the world is at stake here. The fate of the world is at stake here. Christ is the hope of the church and of God's people. The church (the Body of Christ) is the hope of the world. Dig it.

Jesus is teaching us in way that calls for us to bring up our intensity of following him and nail it down with REAL ACTION. What is that for you this week? Green Bean? Teaching Kids? Small Group Leadership? Young Life? A co-worker? Neglected family members?

 Bless you and make it a Great Week!!

Much love,

Dr. Randy L. Rowland

2854 NW 59th Street

Seattle, WA  98107

USA

206.953.0909

www.sanctuarycrc.org