Losing and Finding

When was the last time you gave up something to follow Jesus? When was the last time you were called a hurtful name for being a Christ follower? At what cost is your discipleship – does it cost your time, your money, your energy, your commitment, all of the above? Or is your discipleship an extra, something you do when you have extra time, money, energy, commitment? 

Read Psalms 86:1-10,16-17 and Matthew 10:24-39.

Last week I reassured everyone that even though they’re left out/different/don’t understand/do wrong/afraid, Jesus loves them. This week the tables turn a bit: Jesus loves you – now do you love Him?

These words of Jesus may seem a bit harsh and may contradict with the cultural portrayal of Jesus as someone nice and passive and who never rocked the boat. Here Jesus is telling us that following Him will have people calling us names, create discord in our family and in the world, and require taking up a cross and losing our life.

In our world that promotes comfort and security above almost all else, these are hard words to hear. And as Presbyterians – also known as the “Frozen Chosen” – we aren’t ones who like to change. Yet our 221^st General Assembly has proposed and made some big changes for our church in the interest of faithfully following Jesus Christ. There are some people and churches who may not like these decisions, and they may choose to leave the church. Yet I believe the GA’s focus was on finding Jesus – that even though we may lose something in this process, what we find in the love and grace of Jesus Christ is more important.

Twice Jesus exhorts his disciples “Do not be afraid.” It is tempting to be paralyzed by the fear of losing –the fear of losing family, of losing the status quo, of losing fragile unity, of losing institutions, of losing jobs, of making people upset, of offending others. With the fear mongers in the media, it is easy to be afraid to lose.

Yet if we move our focus from our own comfort and security, from our own narrow vision, from our own self, and if we move our focus on Jesus’ call to welcome all in his name, to love others as He has loved them, to embrace the stranger, we might just find something more than what we lost. Eugene Peterson paraphrases verse 34 this way in the Message: “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” Can we look beyond ourselves and see the larger picture? Can we lose ourselves in the name of Jesus Christ, so that we can find and further the kingdom/kin-dom work? Can we find the grace and love present in losing?

Jesus loves you – do you love Him? Let us together find ways to faithfully navigate the way of the cross, the way of following Jesus, the way of losing and finding.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Kate

Jesus for President

     Let’s imagine  that there’s a 3^rd candidate in this 2012 presidential election - a man relatively unknown til about 3 yrs ago.  His name is Jesus and there’s a groundswell of support from bluecollar workers –union laborers –farmers & their families throughout the country.  The youth in particular are intrigued with this man who dresses like them in sandals and do rags and dreadlocks and doesn’t travel in limousines.  In fact, he only has a security team of 12. But wherever he goes people flock to him.
     You can read more about him and his election platform in Mark 8: 27-38.  He challenges us to get to know him better as he asks, "Not only do I want to know who the people say I am; but also I want to know who YOU say I am?"  The confounding and paradoxical thing about this candidate is that people seem to love him or hate him.
     I wonder if this tension arises from his platform:  ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? Indeed, what can they give in return for their life?Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.' (Mark 8: 34b-38)
     Could this man be elected president?  Probably not.  But can he be our Lord - our Savior - our King - our God?  This is the real challenge of following him.  Eugene Peterson (The Message) says we have to let Christ have the driver's seat and that we have to forget ourselves.  Maybe our vote and our confession is that we commit to acting FOR others on behalf of the gospel - the good news that Jesus is NOT president - but a whole lot more.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Shelley