“And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.” John 3:14-21

“The first reason we might not name this as our favorite verse if we gave it any real thought, as our world – and quite often our lives – operate according to the more traditional belief that security comes not through vulnerability and sacrifice but through power and might. Oh, we probably don’t go around wearing t-shirts that say “might makes right,” but we live according to such logic regularly. For we live in a world that seeks security not only through power but also through wealth and consumption, and we are taught from a very early age to avoid true vulnerability – and the truly vulnerable – at all costs. So, sacrifice? Sure, when we can afford to. Love our enemies? Maybe if everything else is taken care of first. Vulnerability? Only if there is no other choice. The kind of self-sacrificing love Jesus offers is frightening to such a world. No wonder some run and hide, as it requires us to trust nothing other than God. And most of us find it impossible to embrace Jesus’ example…except when we ourselves have been brought low by illness, or loss, or a broken relationship, or disappointed hopes or some other way by which the world taught us that no matter how hard we try, no matter what position we may achieve, no matter how much money we may save, yet we cannot secure our destiny or save our lives. Only God can do that. Only love can do that. And it’s frightening to be so utterly dependent on God. But there is a second reason this may not be our favorite verse as well, and that’s because of the claim it makes on us. Notice that God doesn’t ask our permission first before sending Jesus to die for us. I know, I know, that may seem like an odd detail to point out. But think of the claim a person – any person – has on us once they’ve saved our life, let alone died doing it. In the face of such love, such sacrifice, we must surrender all of our claims.” (…in the Meantime, G0d’s Offensive Love, David Lose, March 9, 2015)

The cross, this symbol of torture, of death, gives us life. And not only that, but this cross, this symbol of death, this means of capital punishment meant only for the condemned – G-d’s only Son died on that cross not to condemn the world, but to save it.  But now let me add this. This gift is not one that is earned, but it is a gift to which deserves a response. What do we do when someone gives us a gift?  We generally respond – we do something, out of gratitude for the gift.  If that is so, then what are we to do? That, my friends is up to you, individually – it is something that you must decide – by assessing your own gifts, now. G-d doesn’t want us to wait. The sooner we decide to offer up prayer, praise and thanksgiving through acts of worship and faith, the sooner we begin to participate in Kingdom living. But there is a catch.  Let me ask you a question.  How long do we wait to respond in gratitude when we have been given a gift?  What is customary? A week, a day, a month…a lifetime?  And how are we to respond? Should we call them, or send them a letter, or just a card? And how often must you respond for the same gift? Once?  More? I guess it depends on who gave the gift, and how precious that gift is. Is the death of G-d’s Son, G-d’s only Son a small gift, or a priceless gift? I guess that depends on our response. 

In truth it doesn’t matter to G-d how long we wait, as long as we respond before we die. But the sooner we respond, the more we get to participate in Kingdom living and Kingdom blessings. And, in truth, it doesn’t matter how we respond to G-d – because we all have different ways to offer a response. And each response it precious to G-d, but the more personal the gift, the more precious it is to G-d. And in truth in doesn’t matter how often we respond to the gift, but if the gift is priceless, without measure, shouldn’t the response be without measure as well? My friends, we have been given a great gift.  And God is waiting for our response.

Pastor Dave

“No testing has overtaken you that is not common to everyone. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13

School Shooting Number 18:

“A shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, has left at least 17 people dead. Students and adults are among the victims. A 19-year-old male suspect, Nikolas Cruz, has been charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder. Cruz, a former student at Stoneman Douglas, took an Uber to the school Wednesday afternoon. He was armed with an AR-15 rifle, law enforcement officials said, which he used to carry out his rampage. He fled the scene on foot, blending in with the rush of students pouring from the building. The massacre unfolded in less than 10 minutes, according to the timeline released by the Broward County Sheriff’s office. “That should not happen in Parkland. It should not happen anywhere in this country,” Broward County Public Schools superintendent Robert Runcie said on Wednesday night. “We have got to find a way for this to stop.”

As Christ unites the community in Corinth, Paul offers guidance on how to live in community and warns against the mistakes of the past. As flawed people living in a broken world, the Corinthians will inevitably experience trials in striving to maintain this unity. People are coming from diverse backgrounds and social locations, so coming together as one collective will require preparation by the entire community. Despite the difficulties, however, Paul calls the community to remember that G-d will provide them with the same kind of strength and perseverance as G-d has provided in the past.

The story of Paul and the people in Corinth is instructive for our communities who struggle with events like school shootings, mass shootings, and other mass casualty events. If we are to move forward, making the decisions we need to make, finding the strength to make the necessary changes both in our laws but also in the way we care for and about one another, we will need to find the unity that Paul speaks about – a unity that comes from G-d. To achieve such unity, we must first look within ourselves to understand our own depth of diversity both in practice and beliefs – and then look around us to see the commonness within our diversity. 

In this season of Lent, when we practice self-examination, let us not forget that our faith is inherently communal. We are called to live with one another in beloved community united by Christ. So let us examine ways in which we can grow as a communal body. How might G-d be calling us to refine our relationships and heal our divisions? As we encounter adversity, let us remember G-d’s faithfulness and walk together in times of trial.

Pastor Dave