He’s The One

•January 16, 2014 • Leave a Comment

John 1:29-42 (CEV)

The Lamb of God

29 The next day, John saw Jesus coming toward him and said:

Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I told you about when I said, “Someone else will come. He is greater than I am, because he was alive before I was born.” 31 I didn’t know who he was. But I came to baptize you with water, so that everyone in Israel would see him.

32 I was there and saw the Spirit come down on him like a dove from heaven. And the Spirit stayed on him. 33 Before this I didn’t know who he was. But the one who sent me to baptize with water had told me, “You will see the Spirit come down and stay on someone. Then you will know that he is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” 34 I saw this happen, and I tell you that he is the Son of God.

The First Disciples of Jesus

35 The next day, John was there again, and two of his followers were with him. 36 When he saw Jesus walking by, he said, “Here is the Lamb of God!” 37 John’s two followers heard him, and they went with Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them, he asked, “What do you want?”

They answered, “Rabbi, where do you live?” The Hebrew word “Rabbi” means “Teacher.”

39 Jesus replied, “Come and see!” It was already about four o’clock in the afternoon when they went with him and saw where he lived. So they stayed on for the rest of the day.

40 One of the two men who had heard John and had gone with Jesus was Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter. 41 The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother and tell him, “We have found the Messiah!” The Hebrew word “Messiah” means the same as the Greek word “Christ.”

42 Andrew brought his brother to Jesus. And when Jesus saw him, he said, “Simon son of John, you will be called Cephas.” This name can be translated as “Peter.”

There he is. Him!  He’s The One.

He’s the one I was telling you about; you know, the one who is going to bring a new way, to show us God’s way.  You know how you have all flocked to me, think I am bringing repentance and a new start, well I’m only the warm-up act, the pre-show.  I am not showing you the new way – but pointing you to the one that will.

Me, I’m nothing special, but him – he’s amazing.

I always thought he was special, but not how or why, I just knew you all needed to know him.  But then, I saw this descending, looked like a dove coming down and gently landing on him, then I knew

This is the Son of God

He is The One.

So we went, followed after him, went to see what he was doing and saying – and what it meant for us.  We wanted to know all about him and he invited us

Come and see

To come and see for ourselves.  What an invitation.  To join him.  To see where he lived, how he lived.  And we did, I discovered for myself what Jesus was all about.  I knew he was the Messiah.

He is The One.

I had to let everyone know.

How I love You

Posted in bible, calling, faith, God, Jesus, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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Dear…

•January 15, 2014 • 1 Comment

When text messaging first came along, it began to place an emphasis on shortness and brevity of messages.  They offer 160 characters for the price of one text, and as each text costs, it became important to say what you wanted to as briefly as possible.  Twitter has reduced that to 140 characters, we need to get even briefer!  (Though telegrams were charged per word, which must have focussed the mind even more, but they were for special occasions not the every day communication that texts and tweets have become).

Paul was quite a letter writer, and he wasn’t afraid to use as many words as he felt he needed in places.  Here he begins his letter to The Corinthians.

Ancient Corinth

1 Corinthians 1:1-9 (CEV)

1 From Paul, chosen by God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from Sosthenes, who is also a follower.

2 To God’s church in Corinth. Christ Jesus chose you to be his very own people, and you worship in his name, as we and all others do who call him Lord.

3 My prayer is that God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ will be kind to you and will bless you with peace!

4 I never stop thanking my God for being kind enough to give you Christ Jesus, 5 who helps you speak and understand so well. 6 Now you are certain that everything we told you about our Lord Christ Jesus is true. 7 You are not missing out on any blessings, as you wait for him to return. 8 And until the day Christ does return, he will keep you completely innocent. 9 God can be trusted, and he chose you to be partners with his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.

This introduction reads like a whole list of things that Paul needed to get off his chest quickly.  Things he wanted to say to the Corinthians all tumble out.  About how Jesus chose them, they are God’s own people, that all who call him Lord are worshippers, a prayer for blessing and peace, Paul’s thankfulness for them, that Paul is certain all he told them is true, they’re not missing anything as they wait for Christ’s return, that Christ’s return will come, when he does come they will be kept innocent, that God can be trusted and God has chosen them to be partners!

These things form the basis of what he wants to get across.  He is setting out how he feels about them and their relationship with God.  He is going to go on to speak to them about the problems that have arisen in the church and life there, so first of all he wants to get where he is coming from clear. Things are not all bad – there is much to be celebrated.

Like every good leader, he wants to tell them what is good, before he tells them what the problems are.  They may have those problems, but Paul still thanks God for the people there.

I wonder, if Paul were writing to me, what he would have to say.  What could be improved, what needs a radical change, and what is actually to be celebrated?

It’s an interesting thing to contemplate before God.

Lord,
here I am.
I want to learn,
to grow,
to be more like the person
you ask me to be;
and so
I’m going to listen
and really hear
my mid-term report.
Show me
what is to be celebrated,
to be changed,
to be got rid of,
I pray.

Posted in bible, faith, God, Lectionary, love, Religion, Thanksgiving, theology
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Rescue Services ii

•January 14, 2014 • 2 Comments

Oh Lord,
I cry out to you.
Can you not hear me,
do you not want to help me.
I’m waiting,
patiently,
and I cannot see what you are doing.

But then you did.
You answered.
Well, I suppose what I mean is that I noticed your answer.
You’d been there all along,
but I only noticed,
when you did something that I recognised,
what I was expecting.

You reached down to my depths,
the place I was desperately struggling,
where I was stuck,
lonely,
panicking,
despairing;
you lifted me
and set me in a firm place,
a place I can stand again.

You have given me a new song,
a song of where I have been
and what you have done,
a song I can sing
with the voice
and the tune
that you give me.

Yet even with this song,
I will not be able to say enough
all that you have done for me
– I just don’t have those kind of words.
But I will try,
I will sing
as best I can,
of your love,
your faithfulness,
your care,
of you
as the one who rescues me.

Psalm 40:1-11 (CEV)

(A psalm by David for the music leader.)

A Prayer for Help

40 I patiently waited, Lord,
    for you to hear my prayer.
You listened 2 and pulled me
from a lonely pit
    full of mud and mire.
You let me stand on a rock
    with my feet firm,
3 and you gave me a new song,
    a song of praise to you.
Many will see this,
and they will honor
    and trust
    you, the Lord God.

4 You bless all of those
    who trust you, Lord,
    and refuse to worship idols
    or follow false gods.
5 You, Lord God, have done
    many wonderful things,
and you have planned
    marvelous things for us.
    No one is like you!
I would never be able to tell
    all you have done.

6 Sacrifices and offerings
    are not what please you;
    gifts and payment for sin
    are not what you demand.
But you made me willing
    to listen and obey.
7 And so, I said, “I am here
    to do what is written
    about me in the book,
    where it says,
8 ’I enjoy pleasing you.
    Your Law is in my heart.’”

9 When your people worshiped,
you know I told them,
    “Our Lord always helps!”
10 When all your people met,
    I did not keep silent.
I said, “Our Lord is kind.
    He is faithful and caring,
    and he saves us.”

11 You, Lord, never fail
    to have pity on me;
    your love and faithfulness
    always keep me secure.

U2 – 40 (what else?!)

Posted in bible, faith, God, hope, Lectionary, Religion, theology
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