Discipleship

Voting is not the most important thing you can do today.

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Most of us will post on social media that we have voted. This is a very important part of our country. In fact it might be the most important thing we do as citizen of this nation today. It is integral part of helping shape our nation. But it is not the most important thing you can do today.

The most important thing you can do today is love your neighbor. This is in fact the most important thing you do everyday. If all you ever did was vote you would miss out on the ways we can serve those around us. Jesus never said to vote. In fact Jesus avoided the politics of the day at every turn. He did however call all of us as Christian to love our God and love our neighbor. That might start with your vote but it shouldn’t end there.

Our part is to be kind to our neighbors who are sad at the outcome of an election. To help our neighbor who is struggling with illness. To help our neighbor who is hurting at the loss of a loved one or hurting because they lost their job. When I serve my neighbor, I am serving my lord. The one who first served me. So today go out and vote but don’t forget to serve those in need today. It is the most important thing we do everyday.

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Mark 12:28-34 ESV

Come back to Church

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So here is a blog post I just couldn’t write. I had to make a video because I felt the words would get lost. This is to everyone who needs to be reminded to come back. I pray this is a blessing and nudge of the Holy Spirit.

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Hebrews 10:22-25 ESV

I hate wearing a mask…I want to take it off.

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I want to get this off my chest.  I hate wearing a mask. It is uncomfortable. It hurts my ears. It makes my face itch. Seriously they are just annoying. By the way this is not a post about the merits of wearing a mask or not. I am not a medical doctor and although I may have opinions about wearing a mask, and its ability to make one safer, no one cares what I think on the matter, nor should they.

I wear a mask in public because I am willing to do my part to make others feel/actually be safe.  I don’t have a real problem with making others feel safe when I am out. What I hate most is I lose the ability to to share hope with a smile.  I miss being able to walk around the store I am in and share some joy through a facial expression.  Share it with a mom and young child who is acting up.  To share a smile  with an old couple who are bickering about what kind of lunch meat to get.  I just want to spread a little joy and this mask is preventing that.

Our world today is full of people wearing masks.  We wear the mask of patriotism, the mask of having it all together, the mask of of liberalism, or the mask of I am more enlightened because I don’t use hateful terms.  We wear masks by only posting pictures of all our kids smiling while we have created at home class rooms.  On facebook, and twitter today we can wear the mask of righteous anger…(far too much of that today especially if you live in Michigan) We like to wear masks and it really shows.

So here is our challenge.  Maybe before Jesus and each other we can find a way to take off these masks.  We can show who we are in life and in Christ.  We can stop hiding behind masks of hate, and perfection.  We can show are flaws and run to the arms of the one who save and makes us new.  So take off the mask, share a smile, share joy, share Jesus.  Our world needs us to take off the masks.

P.S. for now I will be wearing the real mask and not taking that off but those other masks are going to come off God willing.

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self,[f] which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. 29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Ephesians 4:17-32 ESV

Stupid Steve and Doubting Thomas…You are the one who Jesus loved.

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Doubting Thomas…That is what we call him anyway.  Traditionally the reading for the Sunday after Easter is what we call the story of doubting Thomas.  I find in fascinating that we pick this reading for after Easter and that we call him by this name.  Its like we only remember the worst thing about him and run with it.  What is most fascinating to me in the text is Jesus doesn’t give him that name. It is what you and I have named him.  We took his worst moment in the Gospels and attached that to him for his lifetime and throughout history.

I remember back to my life as a grade school/Middles school student and I am glad that I am not named weird Steve, quiet Steve, or stupid Steve…Well I suppose I could have been called all those things at one point or another in my life and actually probably far worse if I really knew what people thought of me as young person. I have called myself far worse in my head. I am glad this thing called Facebook wasn’t around and my mother has very few pictures of me to remember all the awful things I ever did as a child because back then we didnt take a picture/video of every dumb thing we ever did.

What is every time you walked around this world everyone only remembered you for the worst thing you ever did?  I know some of us think that is the way we are supposed to be.  You see we take our worst sin and have a hard time letting it go.  We walk around day and night just holding onto that sin.  We make it our name badge.  We sometimes even share it with others. It might be the sin of hatred, or something truly evil we did as a child, teen, or young adult.  It might be we think of ourselves as divorcee, bully, or terrible parent.  We all walk around with baggage.

I will tell you this, as I remind myself on daily basis, my name is not stupid Steve.  You and I are not named after our worst mistake we are called beloved.  My name is the one who Jesus loved. I can try to make my name something else or try to make it more than that, but ultimately it is the name Jesus calls me.  The name he gave me when he called me his own in my baptism.  May we all remember what our real name is today. If you are walking around thinking of your name as something other than loved than let me remind you that your are the one whom Jesus loved!

24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

26 Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

John 20:24-28 ESV