Today marks the first Sunday in Lent. It will also continue Palms second year of the Journey to Discipleship. Last year we began a new tradition of using Lent as a time for intentional focus on discipleship. As we Journey to the cross with Jesus we, like the disciples of the Bible, place ourselves at Jesus feet to hear his teaching and learn to walk in the way of Jesus in our daily lives.
A question I am often asked is, why discipleship?
It seems that many of us find the word disciple daunting, intimidating... too much. We prefer to think of ourselves as Christians, or members of the church. And yet Christ's command to his original twelve disciples is not to go make members of the church - or go gather adherents to a set of beliefs (Christians). Christ tells them to go make disciples, people who will follow Jesus with them, learning to walk in the way of Jesus in all they do and say.
As I read scripture there is very little daunting or intimidating about the disciples - in fact they are usually getting it all wrong. They too struggle with Jesus words, and they too often miss the meaning. They lose faith and struggle to grasp the vision. The only single attribute that I find in the disciples that sets them apart from others is that when the rubber hits the road, when they are challenged and afflicted by Christ's words, they still choose to follow in the way Jesus leads them. Others hear discouraging news and fade into the night (Nicodemus and the rich young ruler for instance), but the disciples - thick brained, over-eager, prideful men that they are - constantly stay with Jesus. Peter sums it up, "Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life." (John 6:68)
If you see in Jesus one that you wish to follow... if you sense that in Christ you find the way, the truth, and the life... then you are a disciple! You are called by God to follow in the way of Jesus and to share that gift by nurturing, equipping, and sharing the journey with other disciples. Naming yourself as a member of church is about naming where you find community... and that's important. But being a disciple? It is the essential journey of a lifetime where we follow Jesus and learn to live according to his word and way.
This Lent I hope that you find ways to connect deeply with God in answer to your call to discipleship. This particular year we have focused our conversation on love. Hearing those words we say in every baptism, "We love because God first loved us," (I John 4:19) we pause to reflect on how we are living that out in our life. As disciples how are we learning to live in Christ-like love.
Why discipleship? Because I firmly believe that being a disciple is what it means to be human. Being human is being God's children who follow God's son into the world in the way of love.
Join us on the journey!
Blessings and Love,
Rev. Andrew Kukla
On each of the six Sundays of Lent our Lenten Devotional will be short testimony from a Palms member of how discerning discipleship and living into the love of God has changed their life. Sharing stories of faith and discipleship is essential in Christian community but not always easy to do. We hope this can be one more way that we help each other to engage in this rich and wonderful practice of nurturing one another at Palms. If you have a story to tell we invite you to share that story on our blog or facebook page, you will find the links to each of those below. You are also welcome to send an email reply. Community is about sharing stories that feed faith - share yours today!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Lent Devotional: March 12
"I'm giving up something for Lent."
Giving up. Those words puzzle me. They speak too much off self, of my control, of faith on my terms.
The early Christians said Christ emptied himself. He didn't give up, but emptied. I wonder what I need to empty this Lenten season.
(Reflection by Rev. Tom Walker)
Giving up. Those words puzzle me. They speak too much off self, of my control, of faith on my terms.
The early Christians said Christ emptied himself. He didn't give up, but emptied. I wonder what I need to empty this Lenten season.
(Reflection by Rev. Tom Walker)
Friday, March 11, 2011
Lent Devotional: March 11
Ash Wednesday
I came home from worship.
She said, “Hey, what have you been doing, your forehead is dirty?”
I said, “I was reminded how vulnerable and fragile life is and how deeply I am loved…”
“Oh,” she said, “…here’s a napkin to wipe that off.”
I thought to myself, “not yet…not yet…”
(Reflection by Rev. Carol DiGiusto)
I came home from worship.
She said, “Hey, what have you been doing, your forehead is dirty?”
I said, “I was reminded how vulnerable and fragile life is and how deeply I am loved…”
“Oh,” she said, “…here’s a napkin to wipe that off.”
I thought to myself, “not yet…not yet…”
(Reflection by Rev. Carol DiGiusto)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Lent Devotional: Mar 10
Smeared with ashes of palm fronds,
"You are dust and to dust you shall return" still ringing in our ears,
we dashed through the rain to our cars, our homes, our families,
our chores, our tv shows, our jobs, our lives,
almost forgetting that mark of death we bore into the world,
until we absentmindedly rubbed our forehead or walked past a mirror,
noting with surprise that even television and soap cannot separate us
from our own mortality.
--Reflection from Rev. Katie Day
"You are dust and to dust you shall return" still ringing in our ears,
we dashed through the rain to our cars, our homes, our families,
our chores, our tv shows, our jobs, our lives,
almost forgetting that mark of death we bore into the world,
until we absentmindedly rubbed our forehead or walked past a mirror,
noting with surprise that even television and soap cannot separate us
from our own mortality.
--Reflection from Rev. Katie Day
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Lent Devotional: Ash Wednesday, March 9
We arrive today at another season of Lent and the Palms Journey to Discipleship. This year our theme is "Living in Christ-like Love". We will journey together through a sermon series on love using I John 4:7-21, through Sunday school classes themed on discipleship and love, and through a lenten daily devotional. This year our devotional will look a little different.
The Palms staff has become intrigued at the power of short story and few words to evoke deep thought. So this year our devotional will not be lengthy reflections but provocative thoughts for you to wrestle with... we will provide you a spark in hopes that you will write your own devotional.
Each Monday will begin with a short thought and question from the sermon the day before, and then each day a different pastor will add another short provocative thought into the mix. We invite you to play with these and think on them through your day. You can even make it a conversation by making a comment or responding to comments on our blog, you will find the link to it below.
Today marks the beginning of Lent, a day we call Ash Wednesday. Many of us associate Ash Wednesday as something Catholics do, and aren't sure what the service is about - except maybe we know that you get ashes put on your forehead.
Ash Wednesday is really about beginning a journey with Christ to the cross. The ashes remind us that "from ashes we came and to ashes we will return". Ashes then become symbolic for death and life in the same way that Christ will forever link his risen life with death upon the cross. The Resurrected life in Christ only comes to us in a journey through death and brokenness. The ashes then are our own confessional awareness, our own experience of death and brokenness that leads us to life in Christ.
This year the scripture that captured our attention for Ash Wednesday comes from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians.
But we have this treasure in clay jars,
so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power
belongs to God and does not come from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.
For while we live,
we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake,
so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.
(2Co 4:7-11)
I hope that you take some time today to reflect on this passage, and join us this evening for the Ash Wednesday service at 7 pm in the Sanctuary. It is the begining of our community journey this lent in discipleship, a journey following Christ to the cross and to resurrected life.
The Palms staff has become intrigued at the power of short story and few words to evoke deep thought. So this year our devotional will not be lengthy reflections but provocative thoughts for you to wrestle with... we will provide you a spark in hopes that you will write your own devotional.
Each Monday will begin with a short thought and question from the sermon the day before, and then each day a different pastor will add another short provocative thought into the mix. We invite you to play with these and think on them through your day. You can even make it a conversation by making a comment or responding to comments on our blog, you will find the link to it below.
Today marks the beginning of Lent, a day we call Ash Wednesday. Many of us associate Ash Wednesday as something Catholics do, and aren't sure what the service is about - except maybe we know that you get ashes put on your forehead.
Ash Wednesday is really about beginning a journey with Christ to the cross. The ashes remind us that "from ashes we came and to ashes we will return". Ashes then become symbolic for death and life in the same way that Christ will forever link his risen life with death upon the cross. The Resurrected life in Christ only comes to us in a journey through death and brokenness. The ashes then are our own confessional awareness, our own experience of death and brokenness that leads us to life in Christ.
This year the scripture that captured our attention for Ash Wednesday comes from Paul's second letter to the Corinthians.
But we have this treasure in clay jars,
so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power
belongs to God and does not come from us.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed;
perplexed, but not driven to despair;
persecuted, but not forsaken;
struck down, but not destroyed;
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus,
so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies.
For while we live,
we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake,
so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh.
(2Co 4:7-11)
I hope that you take some time today to reflect on this passage, and join us this evening for the Ash Wednesday service at 7 pm in the Sanctuary. It is the begining of our community journey this lent in discipleship, a journey following Christ to the cross and to resurrected life.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Feb 10: The Power of Twelve
“…altogether there were about twelve of them.” (Acts 19:7)
Let me say it again… I love little, almost throw away, comments that hold potentially rich and deep material. There is absolutely no reason to need to add this little detail about there being twelve of them. Paul has met a group of disciples who were missing an important part of faith (in this case a small little thing called the Holy Spirit). He teaches them about Jesus, baptizes them, and they begin to feel the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (they break out speaking in tongues and stuff… you know the ordinary run of the mill Christian happenings). It doesn’t really matter how many of them there are… and yet the author decides as a parting thought to throw in this comment. “…altogether there were about twelve of them.”
Now immediately we hear the number twelve and we ought to have little antennae go up at this (if you were born without them, substitute a light bulb on your head… or a little vocal, “Aha!” will do.) Twelve? I’ve come across that number before… and certainly twelve disciples. Apparently there is something to this whole twelve disciples thing.
Throughout Paul’s teaching and preaching he is constantly coming across these little packs of people, starting community churches, and engaging people on the road. They are all people that are “following the way of Jesus”. Some of them know that they are – and Paul affirms them. Some don’t realize they are doing so – and Paul gives them a name for themselves and points them towards Jesus. But what stays consistent is that there are groups of people dotted all over the first century landscape that are traveling together in faith.
Today it seems we are headed in two different directions from that beginning. We head towards personal spirituality where there is no “church” or community to tell us what to believe. Or we head towards mega-churches where there lots of people are doing lots of good things together. What we don’t find much of (though they do exist) is little groups of “followers” dotting the twenty-first century landscape journeying together in faith.
Is this a problem?
I’m not sure. I do not know that it HAS to be a problem. But I also wonder if it isn’t symptomatic of a problem… and I’m not alone. There are a growing number of people who are asking that same questions in many different and exciting ways. But let me imagine just one possibility for today.
In a world where the way of Jesus is often unpopular and challenging, moving smaller (to the individual alone) or the larger (to the mega-church) are both ways of hiding. We are trying to hide our lives away from Jesus and from truly following in the “Jesus way”. Alone in our spirituality there is no-one to tell us that our life is not lining up consistently with our faith. And lost in the crowds of mega-church we can blend in anonymously. On the other hand, with just twelve people? That is the kind of class where you actually have to do your reading, you have to come prepared to participate, you have to go out on a limb and show yourselves. Just 12? That requires active and participatory discipleship.
Have you found yourself trying to hide? To blend into the crowd?
What do you find most challenging about really living in the way of Jesus?
Do you have your group of twelve who are helping you, as you help them, on the journey?
Let me say it again… I love little, almost throw away, comments that hold potentially rich and deep material. There is absolutely no reason to need to add this little detail about there being twelve of them. Paul has met a group of disciples who were missing an important part of faith (in this case a small little thing called the Holy Spirit). He teaches them about Jesus, baptizes them, and they begin to feel the empowerment of the Holy Spirit (they break out speaking in tongues and stuff… you know the ordinary run of the mill Christian happenings). It doesn’t really matter how many of them there are… and yet the author decides as a parting thought to throw in this comment. “…altogether there were about twelve of them.”
Now immediately we hear the number twelve and we ought to have little antennae go up at this (if you were born without them, substitute a light bulb on your head… or a little vocal, “Aha!” will do.) Twelve? I’ve come across that number before… and certainly twelve disciples. Apparently there is something to this whole twelve disciples thing.
Throughout Paul’s teaching and preaching he is constantly coming across these little packs of people, starting community churches, and engaging people on the road. They are all people that are “following the way of Jesus”. Some of them know that they are – and Paul affirms them. Some don’t realize they are doing so – and Paul gives them a name for themselves and points them towards Jesus. But what stays consistent is that there are groups of people dotted all over the first century landscape that are traveling together in faith.
Today it seems we are headed in two different directions from that beginning. We head towards personal spirituality where there is no “church” or community to tell us what to believe. Or we head towards mega-churches where there lots of people are doing lots of good things together. What we don’t find much of (though they do exist) is little groups of “followers” dotting the twenty-first century landscape journeying together in faith.
Is this a problem?
I’m not sure. I do not know that it HAS to be a problem. But I also wonder if it isn’t symptomatic of a problem… and I’m not alone. There are a growing number of people who are asking that same questions in many different and exciting ways. But let me imagine just one possibility for today.
In a world where the way of Jesus is often unpopular and challenging, moving smaller (to the individual alone) or the larger (to the mega-church) are both ways of hiding. We are trying to hide our lives away from Jesus and from truly following in the “Jesus way”. Alone in our spirituality there is no-one to tell us that our life is not lining up consistently with our faith. And lost in the crowds of mega-church we can blend in anonymously. On the other hand, with just twelve people? That is the kind of class where you actually have to do your reading, you have to come prepared to participate, you have to go out on a limb and show yourselves. Just 12? That requires active and participatory discipleship.
Have you found yourself trying to hide? To blend into the crowd?
What do you find most challenging about really living in the way of Jesus?
Do you have your group of twelve who are helping you, as you help them, on the journey?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Jan 24: Building up the Body of Christ
“After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome.” (Acts 18:1-2)
“After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.” (Acts 18:18)
“Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.” (Acts 18:26)
I think it’s easy to decide that Acts is about Paul. (He does tend to dominate the landscape a bit!) However it’s a disservice to discipleship and the scriptural witness to miss other very important people in the story. The Bible is absolutely full of “extras”. People whose names are sometimes known (like Priscilla and Aquila) and often not (like the Syrophoenician woman). Who do memorable acts (like a thief defending Jesus on the cross) and some that we hardly even notice (like a women bathing Jesus feet long before he will turn around and do the same for his disciples).
My point is this: it’s easy to think that disciples are the people with their names in neon lights. The larger than life personalities… the great missionaries… the spiritual gurus… the natural healers… the keen intellects… the extroverts… the people brimming with charisma and quick tongues… the people whose actions directly cause cataclysmic change in the world… the archetypes of faithfulness (never mind that such as these don’t have a list of failings as well).
We all know Abraham, Moses and David. We know Peter, Paul and the many Johns. But this is not the beginning and end to an understanding of discipleship. Where are any of these people without the Priscillas and Aquilas of the world? Paul plants churches… but who nurtures and cares for them?
You do.
We do.
Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in total six times. Three times in Acts. Three times in the collective letters of Paul (the end chapters of Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy). They could look like minor characters – they never speak in the text and their actions are most behind the scenes. And yet we know from these other references that they are known to Christians in far spread places, they “risked their necks for my (Paul’s) life,” and they lead a church out of their own home. We known that when other (more charismatic) figures fall a bit astray from following in the way of Jesus that they are there to pull aside and explain the Way of God more accurately.
They are essential for the health and depth and vitality of the church. They are essential to fostering discipleship.
How are you helping by being a foundation of discipleship?
In what ways are you (named and unnamed) building up the Body of Christ?
Does overall picture of your life help others understand the way of Jesus Christ?
“After staying there for a considerable time, Paul said farewell to the believers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila.” (Acts 18:18)
“Apollos began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.” (Acts 18:26)
I think it’s easy to decide that Acts is about Paul. (He does tend to dominate the landscape a bit!) However it’s a disservice to discipleship and the scriptural witness to miss other very important people in the story. The Bible is absolutely full of “extras”. People whose names are sometimes known (like Priscilla and Aquila) and often not (like the Syrophoenician woman). Who do memorable acts (like a thief defending Jesus on the cross) and some that we hardly even notice (like a women bathing Jesus feet long before he will turn around and do the same for his disciples).
My point is this: it’s easy to think that disciples are the people with their names in neon lights. The larger than life personalities… the great missionaries… the spiritual gurus… the natural healers… the keen intellects… the extroverts… the people brimming with charisma and quick tongues… the people whose actions directly cause cataclysmic change in the world… the archetypes of faithfulness (never mind that such as these don’t have a list of failings as well).
We all know Abraham, Moses and David. We know Peter, Paul and the many Johns. But this is not the beginning and end to an understanding of discipleship. Where are any of these people without the Priscillas and Aquilas of the world? Paul plants churches… but who nurtures and cares for them?
You do.
We do.
Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned in total six times. Three times in Acts. Three times in the collective letters of Paul (the end chapters of Romans, 1 Corinthians, and 2 Timothy). They could look like minor characters – they never speak in the text and their actions are most behind the scenes. And yet we know from these other references that they are known to Christians in far spread places, they “risked their necks for my (Paul’s) life,” and they lead a church out of their own home. We known that when other (more charismatic) figures fall a bit astray from following in the way of Jesus that they are there to pull aside and explain the Way of God more accurately.
They are essential for the health and depth and vitality of the church. They are essential to fostering discipleship.
How are you helping by being a foundation of discipleship?
In what ways are you (named and unnamed) building up the Body of Christ?
Does overall picture of your life help others understand the way of Jesus Christ?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)