Seder

Seder, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

Tonight we join in a very ancient tradition, and one of the longest running traditions i've been part of in Morgantown. Tonight we celebrate the passover. We clear the house of leaven as we also search our hearts for sin.

We remember the deliverance brought about by YHWH, God Almighty. How we were once slaves, but now we are slaves no more. This night is different from all of the other nights.

This ancient meal was celebrated by our Jewish ancestors in anticipation of the coming of Elijah, and the coming of Messiah the LORD. This was the meal that Jesus enjoyed with His disciples on the night He was betrayed.

For us, as we gather, we remember all that God has done in our midst over the past year. We remember how God delivers us. We remember His promise that those who bless us, He will bless. Those who curse us, He will curse. We remember all that he has done through the cross and the resurrection.

And we celebrate. We celebrate the meal. We celebrate the blessings of God. We celebrate our community. And we celebrate the hope that we have in the Messiah Jesus, and the importance of the message He has commissioned us to share.

And we hope. We hope in the days that are to come. We hope for loved ones who may not know the beautiful way of Jesus. We hope for a greater taste of Shalom this side of eternity. We hope for the return of our mighty King.

Remembrance. Celebration. Hope.

May you take time to day to remember, to celebrate, and to hope in the One to whose Kingdom is infinitely better than anything the kingdoms of this world have to offer.

The Gospel According to Moses: Exile and Exodus

Exodus, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

This week at h2o, we finished up our series The Gospel According to Moses with a look at how ancient Israel had defined itself as the people of exile and exodus.

You may or may not be familiar with the story of how God delivered ancient Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and led his people into the promised land.

Years later, Israel found itself in another period of Exile, and they were patiently waiting for the time when God would make all things right in the world. During this period of exile, they were looking for deliverance once again. It's during that specific time that Jesus came on the scene.

But he didn't come for Israel alone, he came for all of the earth. You see, each one of us has experienced exile from God. It's kind of like we are similar to the people in this picture. Some of us are still in this place where we are the walking dead. We are slaves to sin. We seem to be very alive, but we are spiritually dead.

Into the midst of this scene of exile, Jesus arrives and he rescues us. He leads each one of us out of slavery and into a right relationship with God through the reconciliation accomplished through His death on the cross and subsequent resurrection.

As a result, we who have put our trust in Jesus, can remember the days when we were walking dead, but now we have new life, and a new opportunity to share with others how they may find "life, and that abundantly."

Take some time today, and consider the mission God has given you. When you experience new life in Christ, you have an opportunity to be an ambassador to the rest of this world of how truly great it is to live under the loving reign of King Jesus and no longer be in exile and slavery.

The Gospel According to Moses: Temple

Temple, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I took this beauty a couple of years ago while on a mission trip in Amsterdam. This is Sint Nicolas Kerk in the city center.

This past week at h2o, we continued our series The Gospel According to Moses by looking at the Temple. During this series we have been looking at different ways ancient Israel found their Identity and defined themselves as unique people in the world, and the most important symbol of all was the Temple. The temple was believed to be the place where heaven and earth met, and the place where the God lived on the earth. The place where God's presence stayed was in this inner chamber called the Holy of the Holies. Only once per year would a single priest venture into this space. As he ventured, he would take extreme care that he did not carry in any impurity, as that would mean his death.

Jesus took this idea of the temple and redefined it for Israel. He told them that if they destroyed the temple, he would rebuild it in three days. He was talking about His body. You see, when Jesus walked the earth, it was in His body that heaven and earth met. It was in His body that the presence of the Lord dwelt on the earth.

The Bible says that He is also the cornerstone of the new temple, and that we are living stones. It's pretty amazing when you think about it. You see, when the People of God come together (living stones), they become a new kind of temple. And when we are together, united, loving each other, and caring for those who are outside our community, we become a sign of what it looks like when God's kingdom comes and his will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

In essence, we become the place where heaven and earth meet. It is no longer a building where God makes his home, but now He makes His dwelling in the community of faith. Think about it. When you gather with the people of God on Sundays it isn't the building where God makes His presence known--it's amid the people that heaven and earth meet.

Next time you go to church, think about what being the church means--it means that the presence of God richly dwells with His people on the earth, and that is simply an amazing gift!

The Gospel According to Moses: Land/People

Seneca, originally uploaded by chanchanchepon.

I couldn't quite find the photo to represent last night's h2o message, but I hope you enjoy this view of seneca rocks.

Last night we continued our series The Gospel According to Moses at h2o with a focus on land and people. You can download this and other h2o podcasts from "H2O Morgantown Live" on itunes.

This series has been looking at some defining characteristics of ancient Israel, and how some very good things can go very bad at times. You see ancient Israel was promised through abraham that they would be a blessing to all of the nations, and that they would be given land from which they would be a light to the nations.

By the time of the first century, Israel had lost it's call. It had become a people who looked down on the nations, and who considered the lands beyond it's borders unholy. It had gotten so bad that if you stepped outside of Israel, you were defiled, and you were supposed to "shake the dust off your sandals before heading back within the borders of Israel.

I believe every group of people on the face of the earth has wrestled with similar ideas. How often do we wrestle with ideas like this in contemporary society. We see our churches or our nation as the holiest place, and we don't dare set foot outside them among the "bad" people. We don't want want to step out of our comfort zones and reach out to those around us who may be in "dark" places.

When Jesus preached he reminded Israel and us that we are meant to be a blessing to those around us. Our borders are not simply geographic. He encouraged patriotism but not nationalism or territorialism. He encouraged people to reach beyond their comfort zones and to love enemies and bless those who curse you and despitefully use you. He told us to help the ones who are lying hurt along the side of the road, and to help bring them restoration instead of busily walking by.

As you go through your week this week, take time to consider being a good citizen in the Kingdom of Heaven, and invite others to share in its amazing blessing. Reach out and step out of your comfort zones and engage in a conversation with some people who are different than you. If you've had a condescending or patronizing attitude toward others, check your heart, and make a change. Don't become territorial and spend time only with people who are just like you.

Look out your window and seek to be a blessing this week to the world around you!

The Gospel According to Moses: Torah

This week we started a new series at h2o, The Gospel According to Moses. I saw a book with that title (and read it) a few years back, and this fall I was just thinking about trying to convey to folks to show what we can learn from the Jewish roots of Christianity. Although the series has little direct connection with the book itself, it was still an interesting title and read.

So it's going to be a five week series examining different ways that ancient Israel was distinct from the nations around them, and how Jesus redefines those distinctions. For instance, ancient Jewish people had been given the Torah from God. So, Torah helped define and give identity to Israel. Torah is the word used to describe the first five books of the Bible, but in a sense, all of scripture is Torah. According to Eugene Peterson, "The noun torah comes from a verb, yarah, that means to throw someting, a javelin, say, so that it hits its mark. The word that hits its mark is torah. . . God's word has this aimed, intentional, personal nature. When we are spoken to in this way, piercingly and penetratingly, we are not the same. These words get inside us, and work their meaning in us. . . all of God's words have this chaacteristic: they are torah and we are the target.

Jewish children during the time of Jesus had the Torah memorized by age 10. Have you ever memorized a book of the Bible? I came close to memorizing Ephesians once, and me and my buddy Brett tried to memorize Romans last fall (didn't work out so well.). By the age of 14, the entire old testament was memorized by ancient hebrew children, and the most talented among them would go on to become rabbi's. Memorizing large quanties of scripture was the norm--man I feel like a slug when I think about that. And of course, if you read the gospels you can see Jesus quoting old testament scripture (including the Torah very often.

Jesus even goes a step further though. In the gospels we find out that He is the "Word made flesh." Beyond this, there was an ancient jewish proverb about Torah that went like this. "Torah is the way, the truth, and the life." Sound familiar? Jesus told the disciples" I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me." Jesus shows the value of scripture in this, and also shows that He Himself is the essential point of our identity and our life.

Lest we think that scripture is not important, He also tells folks that "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life." in the gospel of John.

So Torah has this value for us that it is God's piercing word that hits its mark in us and changes us. It is living and active--not just a reference book. Letter after letter, and word after word, it points us to Jesus and reveals Him to us.

With all of that in mind--here's a thought. Will you take time today to begin a habit of daily letting the scriptures shape your life and pierce you that you might know Jesus better? Take the time to soak in the sacred text. All scripture makes Jesus known to us; let them bring you to greater depth in your love for God and for others.

OK, I watched it

Well, I had to go see what all the hype was about. I have heard so much about the book, that I had to see it. I've had so many conversations about the book (and I anticipate many more), that I had to find out what it was all about.

Tonight, around a dozen of us went to see the Da Vinci Code together. Then we went out for dinner and discussion. I had high expectations for the movie, and maybe they were a little too high. It wasn't a bad movie, but it wasn't exactly a blockbuster either. I'm sure it will do well at the box office, in spite of reviews. People love conspiracy and secret society type stuff.

I'd have to say the thing I most enjoyed about the movie is the opportunity it presents for conversation and education. There are a lot of unorthodox and untrue ideas that are put forth in the story, and yet there is no really new idea being presented by the story, just a lot of em all at once. If you do go see the movie, I recommend going to see it with friends, and to go somewhere for discussion afterward. There are tons of succinct resources available for scrutinizing the fiction that presents itself as fact.

The real question one has to ask is--what's the allure of the fiction? Why do people want to spend more time trying to dig into the conspiracy than examining the claims of Jesus as they have been handed down from the first century?

I think it might just be because folks are waiting to see it lived out. People are wanting to get in discussions about the book, and about Jesus. Are you equipped? And are you living a life that let's others see the beauty of a life that follows Messiah?