Southwood Lutheran Church

Act 27 -- A Blog in 28 Acts

Weathering the Storm

Most of us will never experience anything so catastrophic as a shipwreck….or will we? I’ve never been on a ship at sea, but in my life I’ve encountered the perfect storm a few times. I’ve felt the waves of anxiety and fear and hopelessness come crashing across my bow and found myself reeling, just trying to stay afloat in deep water, “like a cork in the storm” (v. 15).  Haven't you? Acts 27 (read it here) has some lessons for how to make decisions in the middle of the storms of life:

• Dump the Cargo Overboard (vv. 18-20) - The storms of life force us to decide what's important. What are the real priorities in life? In crisis mode, everything else is dead weight. Survive the storm by jettisoning the unnecessary. For me, the priorities are God, family, and other close relationships. What are the priorities for you? I know I don't live every day in a way that reflects my priorities. Will it take a storm help me rediscover them?

• Don't Give Up Hope (vv. 21-26) -- Paul says, "Hey, you really blew it when you didn't listen to me. But don't dwell on that. Things will be looking up soon!" Who is the Paul in your life who can cast a vision for the future that gives you hope?

• Throw Out the Anchors and Pray for Daylight (vv. 27-29) -- Sometimes the best thing to do is to stop reaching around in the dark for a solution, to anchor yourself for a while, and to pray for insight and clarity about what to do next. It takes courage and patience to stand still and wait in the darkness. And prayer can help us with both the courage and the patience to wait it out.

• Don't Jump Ship (vv. 30-32) -- Jumping ship won't be good for you or for anybody else. Don't give up, and find someone to encourage you and help you be accountable to finding a solution instead of running away from the problem.

• EAT! (vv. 33-38) -- (Paul and my mother have something in common on this one!) Take care of yourself. Thank God for what you have and enjoy it. Share it with others. But remember that the things that are fulfilling in this life are only temporary -- and it all gets thrown overboard in the end.

• Take the Risk to Make a Landing (vv. 39-44) -- Maybe it's starting to seem a lot safer on the ship than in the shark-infested waters between the ship and the "land" in the distance (that could turn out to be a mirage after all).  When the insight you're praying for finally comes, it's not likely to look like a blinking neon light. It's more likely to be the still small voice...the land no one recognizes in v. 39. The anchors aren't supposed to be forever. The ship isn't either. Cut the anchors, put your sails to the wind, and head for the land. You might hit a reef, but you can't move toward what God has in store for you if you never raise anchor.

The story has a happy ending. Everyone makes it to shore alive. None are lost. Our endings are rarely so perfect. But imperfect endings make strategies for dealing with the storms of life all the more important.

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 23 - A Blog in 28 Acts

God or Religion?

The events of 9-11 were a stark reminder, especially for Americans, of the destructive power of religious fanaticism. As fresh as it is for us, religious fanaticism is really nothing new. It led to the crucifixion of Jesus, the stoning of Stephen, and in Acts 23, it leads a group of 40 men to plan a way to ambush and kill Paul. Read all of Acts 23 here. (And lest those of us who live in glass churches throw stones, don’t forget about the Crusades.)

All of these examples have some basic commonalities:

• People isolate themselves from others
• Plans are shrouded in secrecy
• Commonly held ethical principles are violated (don't lie; don't kill)

Although the examples are extreme, they illustrate the twisted-in-on-itself nature of choosing “religion” over “following God.” In more subtle ways, we make choices between religion and God every day. It's usually easier to call it out in others than it is to see it in ourselves, but we all do it. Here are some more common examples:

• When being Lutheran or Methodist or Catholic (insert your denomination of choice) is more important than being Christian
• When being Christian is more important than being a disciple of Christ (they’re not always synonymous)
• When we're insiders and others are outsiders
• When we place a higher value on being right than on loving people
• When we territorially protect the institution at the expense of caring for the individual

In Acts 23, one of the Pharisees in the Council accusing Paul asks a good question, "What if it turns out we're fighting against God?" It's a question I want to ask myself as I make decisions as a leader in the church. Am I following God or just maintaining the religious institution? It's a serious question....but here's a light-hearted look at what the difference between "being religious" vs. "following God" might look like today.

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 19 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Following Christ Means Change

Acts 19 shows 3 different examples of people reacting to the changes a life in Christ brings. And the examples leave me with questions about my own faith life. Read the entire chapter here.

First, Paul encounters a group of “disciples” in Ephesus. They believe in Jesus as the Messiah, but they have not heard of the Holy Spirit. Paul baptizes them in the name of Jesus, and the Holy Spirit comes on them all. As followers of Christ, they become complete in their baptisms as they receive the Holy Spirit. They are changed. I leave that story with more questions than answers, though. 

• What did they do next?
• Was the change permanent?
• Were all of them changed?
• Was the change reflected in their daily lives?

I can ask those same questions about myself and my own baptism. Acts doesn’t give the answer, perhaps because each of us must look within ourselves for the evidence of the change.

During his 2 year stay in Ephesus, Paul had extraordinary healing powers and the ability to cast out evil spirits. The evil spirits themselves proved that Paul’s power came from Jesus when some traveling exorcists tried to cast out an evil spirit by invoking Jesus’ name. In reply, the spirit said, “I know Jesus and I know Paul, but who are you?” Those exorcists couldn't cast out that demon, and people began to change their minds about Jesus, the source of Paul's amazing powers -- powers that far surpassed those of your everyday magician. Everyday magicians turned away from their old lives, going so far as to burn their books of spells and incantations. Their books totaled 50,000 pieces of silver (a piece of silver was equivalent to a day’s wage). Notice they didn’t sell their books….they burned them, turning their backs on that life and refusing to pass it along to others.

• What are the things in my life that I need to turn my back on so that I and others can grow as followers of Jesus?
• How do I eradicate them completely without leaving any trace of them?

Around the time Paul was preparing to leave Ephesus, trouble was brewing. The businessmen started to worry that Paul’s teachings would ruin their sources of income. Ephesus was the home of the Greek fertility goddess Artemis (at right), and the craftsmen of the town made a lot of money selling silver shrines to the goddess. They incited a riot in Ephesus, whipping up people’s patriotism and religious zeal as a flimsy mask for their selfishness and love of money. Here’s an example where people didn’t change in response to hearing about Jesus. The allure of monetary gain and the prevailing culture made it impossible for people to open their hearts and minds to the possibility of change.

• What gets in my way of accepting Jesus fully into my life?
• What things do I hold more dear (as idols like Artemis)?

Following Christ definitely means change. How far will you go to follow Christ?

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16.  We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 15 - A Blog in 28 Acts

I'm getting really tired of hearing about circumcision. Seriously! Somehow, every chapter of Acts I've written on has involved circumcision. In Chapter 7, Stephen calls his accusers,

"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!"

In Chapter 11, Paul is criticized for eating with (gasp!) the uncircumcised.

And now in Chapter 15, circumcision comes up again - in the first verse, no less.

It wasn't long before some Jews showed up from Judea insisting that everyone be circumcised: "If you're not circumcised in the Mosaic fashion, you can't be saved."

Read all of Chapter 15 here.

If I were a Gentile thinking about following Christ, I would have serious reservations about this circumcision business (especially if I were of the male persuasion)! So what's the big deal with circumcision?

To the Jews, circumcision was a HUGE deal. It was a sign of the covenant between God and his people. No circumcision, no salvation. But that was before Jesus and the Holy Spirit changed all the rules. Paul has experienced the new rules firsthand, and he reminds his friends who are insisting that the "pagans" be circumcised,

"Friends, you well know that from early on God made it quite plain that he wanted the pagans to hear the Message of this good news and embrace it—and not in any secondhand or roundabout way, but firsthand, straight from my mouth. And God, who can't be fooled by any pretense on our part but always knows a person's thoughts, gave them the Holy Spirit exactly as he gave him to us. He treated the outsiders exactly as he treated us, beginning at the very center of who they were and working from that center outward, cleaning up their lives as they trusted and believed him.

10-11"So why are you now trying to out-god God, loading these new believers down with rules that crushed our ancestors and crushed us, too? Don't we believe that we are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation? So what are we arguing about?"

The Jewish leaders knew all the rules, and they had paid their dues. It made sense to them that everyone ought to have to pay their dues to be made right with God. But Jesus changed all that. He paid the dues - for everyone - "out of sheer generosity." He changed the world from outsiders vs. insiders to all-insiders. And he changes the heart of every person who trusts in him -- from the inside out.

The Jews didn't get it. They didn't want to let go of the "rules," and they didn't want to forfeit their claim to status based on following the rules. Things aren't so different today. Christians try to out-god God, too. We create insiders vs. outsiders -- Christian vs. non-Christian, Nazi vs. Jew, Republican vs. Democrat, black vs. white, blue collar vs. white collar, blue eyes vs. brown eyes. What rules do we routinely substitute for circumcision?

Why is it so easy for us to forget that the rules eventually crush everyone? That God, in his sheer generosity, has made all the rules irrelevant? Who is the Paul in your life, who can remind you that, "We are saved because the Master Jesus amazingly and out of sheer generosity moved to save us just as he did those from beyond our nation," and that he does that by "beginning at the very center of who we are and working from that center outward, cleaning up our lives as we trust and believe him."

Who can you remind today that the rules are irrelevant?

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 11 - A Blog in 28 Acts

In Acts 10, Peter gets out of his box, hangs out with some people who could seriously tarnish his reputation, and discovers that God has just changed all the rules. Acts 11 is the story of how Peter responds when his friends call him to task for rubbing shoulders with the wrong crowd (the uncircumcised, for heaven's sake!), eating forbidden foods, and generally ruining their good reputation as upstanding Jews. Read all of Acts 11 Here.

Have you ever been there? Ever done something that has your friends shaking their heads and questioning your judgment? I have! I rely on my friends to pull in the reins and ask really hard questions when they think I'm headed in the wrong direction. I also rely on my friends to understand and support me when it turns out I have solid reasons for whatever raised their eyebrows. That's what friends are for, and those are the kinds of friends Peter had.

Peter knows he has some convincing to do as he starts to tell his story. He's familiar with convincing. His story is all about how God had to convince him.

As his story unfolds, he relates his experience of the Holy Spirit doing a new thing - coming to the Gentiles, not just the Jews. God has revealed to Peter that he is a God for all nations, not just for the Jews. As Peter shares this revelation, he knows that it's meant for his friends too. They all need to live in the light of this new knowledge. The whole world is relying on them to be transformed by what the Holy Spirit has revealed to Peter. The whole world is relying on them to go out and convince their friends...and for those friends to convince their friends...until everyone is convinced. And Peter asks a critical question, "How could I object to God?" His friends have to ask themselves that same question.

It's a good question, "How could I object to God?" Yesterday, Pastor Greg issued an invitation:

"Think and pray about how God might be working on you today to get out of your box and see something in your life in a brand new way!"

Who is relying on you step outside your box, just like all the nations were relying on Peter to step outside his? Figure out how to get outside that box. Who does God need you to bring along with you as you get outside your box, just as he needed Peter to bring his friends? Figure out how to bring that person with you.

How can you object to God?

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16. We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day. Be sure to join us in reading this entire book. We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Act 7 - A Blog in 28 Acts

Read Acts 7 here.

Here are the Cliff's Notes for the first 50 verses of Acts 7:

• Stephen is a follower of Christ accused of blasphemy against Moses and against God, an accusation remarkably similar to the one leveled against Jesus by the high priests.
• His response is a long and detailed accounting of the relationship between the people of Israel and God. He talks about the covenant that God made with Abraham. Circumcision was sign of that covenant. He talks about Jacob, Moses (at great length), and Joshua.
• Stephen points out how God has always kept his promises, but how the people of Israel have been repeatedly unfaithful.
• He reminds his accusers that God cannot be contained in "temples made by human hands." God is not found in the structures we create -- he wants to live in our hearts.

Up until verse 50, his audience can't argue much. They might not like his choices of what to emphasize in the recounting, but he speaks the truth. And then in verses 51-53 he turns on them with this:

"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."

And with these words, as he tells them that now they've done it again by killing Jesus, Stephen becomes a prophet himself. He speaks the truth to people who don't want to hear it - to people whose circumcision (following of the law and covenant with God) hasn't extended to their ears (to hear the spirit of the law) and hearts (to live in that spirit).

Baptism is the Christ-follower's sign of the covenant with God. Stephen makes me wonder about how I'm living out the covenant of my baptism.  Does my baptism extend to my ears (to hear and accept the grace and forgiveness that is offered to me) and to my heart (to live a life that offers that same grace and forgiveness to others)?

What happens to Stephen next gives me hope for what it means to live and die as a follower of Christ. Recall that as Jesus hung, dying on the cross, he cried out, "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken me?"  Here's what happened to Stephen (Acts 7:55-56),

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!”

Stephen knew Jesus was with him - his Lord would not forsake him. And, a follower of Christ to his death, he did just as Christ did with his last breath, praying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit," and "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." Even to his death, Stephen lived in the promise of his baptism.

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16.  We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

From the Mailbag

Here's a question from a church leader faithfully trying to process through requests and suggestions from members of his congregation.

Q:  One of our members has suggested that we provide"an experience" on Sunday mornings. The specific suggestion is several kinds of coffee. The idea is that people will come to church and have this "experience," and they will be impressed and want to come back. What do you think?

A:  I agree completely with the concept behind the question. When people come to church they should, without question, have the kind of experience that makes them want to come back.

• They should feel warmly welcomed, like an honored guest.
• All their physical needs (whether that be coffee or a bathroom or a safe place for their kids) should be met.

Even though I'm not a coffee drinker, that's pretty much what I experience when I go to Starbucks.

But when somebody comes to church, they should experience something else too - an encounter with the risen Christ. They should see something radiating out of every person they encounter and every interaction they witness that makes them think, "What gives these people such joy? What's different about these people?" They should see people delighting in worship and in community. They should see the fruits of transformation in people's lives - growing love for God and people - and think, "I want to know more about that....I think I might want some of that for myself."

Coffee or no coffee, that's the "experience" churches ought to be intentional about creating. And you can't get THAT at Starbucks.

Kim

Uphill Somersaults

At a soccer game this weekend, I was distracted by a little girl trying to do a somersault - uphill. You can imagine this wasn't going so well! In fact, at one point, she was standing on her head for about 5 seconds, completely stuck. She was very determined, though, and finally she made it over (and up the hill).

It made me think about how many times in my life I've insisted on doing an uphill somersault. There have been many times in my life when God was leading me in a certain direction (like gravity was leading that little girl downhill), but I insisted on my own way. Watching her, I realized that God never gave up on me (just like gravity never gave up on the little girl), but he did let me go my own way. And I'm learning on my own that downhill somersaults are a lot easier...and a lot more fun.

As a parent, I have a tendency to want to be an irresistible force in my children's lives....gravity that can't be overcome....no uphill somersaults for the wee Turnage people if I can help it. But that's not the kind of parent God is. I still have a lot to learn. What things is God teaching you about parenting?

Kim

A Blog in 28 Acts - Act 3

Peter's Faith - Read all of Acts Three here.

Peter approaches a man, lame from birth, a beggar outside the temple gates and says, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.”

Seriously????  Who does he think he is?

Early in Jesus’ ministry, Peter was quick to perceive that Jesus was the Messiah.  Jesus called Peter out, “God let you in on the secret of who I am. And now I’ll tell you who you really are. You are Peter, a rock.  And on this rock I will build my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out.”

Sounds promising, but we have lots of stories of Peter’s failures, and some of Jesus’ harshest rebukes are reserved for Peter.

• Peter steps out of the boat, starts walking on the water toward Jesus, then notices he’s in the middle of a large body of water in a nasty storm, loses heart and starts to sink.  He cries out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus reaches out his hand and says those stinging words, “You of little faith,” (ouch) “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”

Peter’s faith was tested.  Peter failed.

• Before the Garden of Gesthemane, Peter says, “Let me go where you are going. I’ll lay down my life for you.” Jesus replies, “You?  Lay down your life for me?  You’ll deny me three times before morning!”  And he does.

Peter’s faith was tested.  Peter failed.

This Peter is the one to whom Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan!”

As far as disciples go, Peter seems a far cry from a teacher’s dream! But Jesus doesn’t give up on Peter. And Peter doesn’t give up on Jesus.

After that first Easter, Peter recognizes Jesus. He jumps out of a boat into the water and swims for the shore (sound familiar?).  He can’t get to Jesus fast enough!  The conversation goes like this:

Jesus asks 3 times, “Peter, do you love me?  Really love me?” And every time Peter replies, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you.”  Jesus gives Peter as many chances to declare his love as he had to deny it. Before his death, Jesus said, “Where I’m going, you can’t come now, but you will follow afterward.”  And now Jesus says to Peter, “Follow me….and feed my sheep.” Afterward is now!

So again, Peter’s faith is put to the test as he says to the lame man at the temple gate, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” 

What kind of faith did it take for Peter to tell the man to stand and walk?  Peter preaches to the people outside the temple about Jesus saying, “Faith in Jesus’ name put this man on his feet – yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole, right before your eyes!”

Whose faith did the healing? It wasn’t the faith of the man who was healed. It was Peter’s faith in the power and promise of Jesus. A faith that had been tested….a faith that had failed before…a faith that never gave up….a faith that Jesus never gave up on....and a faith that Jesus would use to build his church.

Have you ever felt like a failure at faith? Peter did too. But he didn't give up on Jesus...and Jesus didn't give up on Peter. We don't have to have perfect faith...only faith that perseveres. Don't give up on Jesus. He won't give up on you...and he will use you to help build his church, just like he used Peter.

Kim

This 28 part blog will post each Tuesday through Friday from April 1 through May 16.  We'll post on one chapter of Acts each day.  Be sure to join us in reading this entire book.  We'll learn about Jesus, about his disciples, and about how we can become more fully devoted followers of Christ.

Link of the Week: Consumed

Do you ever feel like you run out of day before you run out of stuff to do? Or run out of money before you run out of places to spend it? How can you keep from being consumed by the demands and desires of our culture?

I tried out this Consumed Calculator. You answer questions about how you allocate your time and money, and you get a pie chart with your results.

My estimates of time are remarkable for their inaccuracy...I accounted for 208 hours per week -- there are only 168 hours in a week. That's 40 hours I think I spend that don't exist. Either I'm an incredible multi-tasker...or I need to look more carefully at how my time (and life) is being consumed!

Rick and I just did a budget for our family so I had a pretty good idea of what our expenses are. My top 4 categories for spending were:

1. housing
2. saving
3. charity
4. taxes

I did a little guessing, and fair warning, seeing the results after you've guessed might inspire you to get a better handle on where your money's actually going! (check out our Good $ense course for help with that).

Kim