The Heart of a Pastor

Text study - John 4:5-42

I was reading and re-reading the Gospel text for this Sunday (3 Lent) when all of a sudden...like a throw from left field...I was hit smack dab in the face with something I hadn't seen before.

The text is about Jesus encounter with a Samaritan woman at Jacob's well...at high noon.  Jesus is tired, hungry and thirsty.  So with Jesus hanging out at the well and the disciples going to town to buy food, a woman shows up to draw water.  To say this woman had shady past would be putting it lightly.  Blown away by the mere fact that Jesus would even talk to her; Jesus and this woman get into a question answer session about living water and worship.  Through this conversation Jesus tells her "everything she had ever done".  Being blown away by this coupled with Jesus revealing to her that HE is the Messiah, she runs back to town to share HER testimony: "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.  Could this be the Christ?"  The people come flocking to Jesus to see this "Messiah".

But here is what hit me in a face like a line drive baseball...

Verses 39 says, "Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, 'He told me everything I ever did.'"  The woman's testimony wasn't "Come and see...I have found the Christ!".  But rather she explained her encounter with this person who could be the Christ...then she left the rest up to the people.  The woman shared her experience and allowed others to have their own experience of Jesus.  The woman was not concerned with whether they believed or not.  She just shared her testimony and left it at that.  The Samaritans (like the woman at the well) were thirsting for something...as Jesus said, "You Samaritans worship that which you do not know" (verse 22).  They were searching for "Living Water" but had no clue what they were searching for.  They were searching for relief...they were searching for meaning...but all in the wrong places.  Then comes Jesus...and he gave Living Water.

This woman's testimony really struck me (as you have already seen).  She shared from her experience and let others have THEIR OWN experience and left the rest up to Jesus.  I wonder if we can learn something from this woman.

But first...

We need to go to Jesus.  We need to ask questions.  We need to talk to him and listen to him.  I think too many people sitting in the pews "worship that which they do not know".  They go through the motions.  And if THAT is the case, then how can they possibly give testimony. 

Telling people what Jesus has done has far more staying power than telling people straight out that he is our Lord and Savior.  For some, "Lord" and "Savior" may have little meaning.  But tell them how your sins have been forgiven unconditionally, then you may grab their attention.

Jesus knows everything we have done and still he died on the cross for me and for you; forgiving our sins.  "Come and see this man who has forgiven my sins.  Could this be the Christ?...You betcha!"

-edh-

Sunday morning prayer - 10/28/07

HAPPY REFORMATION SUNDAY!!!  Unfortunately, my Reformation Sunday started a little latter than planned.  Back in April I wrote a post titled April Fools Joke.  It was about my "smart" clock that set itself for day light savings time a couple weeks early because the government changed the date of day light savings time without sending my "smart" clock a memo.  Well...it happened again today.  This time I got an extra hour of sleep.  But luckily for me I am an early riser so I had some time to spare this morning but I was still rushed.  It is nice to know I can get up, shower, get dressed, eat and get to my office in 15 minutes.  Not too bad.  Now I will have to pay attention when the "real" day light savings time does come.  So once again...kudos to the federal government on a good "Reformation Sunday Joke".

Anyway, let's begin this day on a good note and pray together.

Loving and merciful God, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord to set us free, but this is freedom we often take for granted.  Even though many faithful saints, that have come before us, have proclaimed this freedom, we still cling to the bondage we have been freed from.  We still listen to the lies Satan tell us.  We still think we need to "do something" in order to earn your love.  But it is by grace that you have set us free.  Thank you God for this freedom.  Continue to proclaim this freedom to us through the faithful saints in our lives today.  Remind us of this awesome love so we can be witnesses to the world around us.  Through your Son, Jesus Christ, we pray...AMEN!

God bless your day!

-edh-

Text study - John 8:31-36

Greetings one and all.  I know I am a little late this week, but I guess better late than never.  Being gone most of the week really threw things off for me.  Posting text study posts really help me to get focused in writing the sermon God wants me to preach.  This week I had to make some adjustments.  So instead on pondering on what I might preach, today I will be pondering on what I am 99% sure I will preach on (you just never know what God will do between now and Sunday.  See Monday randomness for more on that).  So anyway...barring a "1% incident" here is what I am pondering...

The Gospel text for this Sunday (Reformation Sunday) comes from John 8:31-36.  Allow me to include that text for you:

"To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." They answered him, "We are Abraham's descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?"  Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed."

The word "free" really stands out for me.  Last year I talked about truth, but this year the word "freedom" stands out.  Questions that come to mind are: (1) What is freedom? and (2) What does freedom mean for you?  I think freedom means different things for different people.  It all depends on who you are, when you lived, where you live and the circumstances surrounding your life.  I think freedom sounds different with a 19th century slave as opposed to a 21st century middle aged parent.  Freedom for a low income family living in the Phillips Neighborhood of Minneapolis looks different than for a high school senior.  Freedom carries with it a variety of definitions.

For people living in the early 16th century, freedom was something far different than we can imagine today.  When Martin Luther came along, people were in bondage to human traditions made by a Church that ruled with an iron fist.  No grace, no mercy...unless of course you were of the upper class, royalty or clergy.  The common man knew nothing of THE Truth...until Luther came along.

Now for the first time people were hearing a Truth that simply blew them away:  Put your trust in God's love; we are made righteous through Christ; you are saved by grace through faith; Forgiveness is yours, no matter who you are or what you have done, when you confess.  The grace of God through Jesus Christ is all encompassing and all accepting.  Wow!  That is indeed Good News.  The Truth...it set people free, much to the chagrin of the Church at the time.

What does this mean today?  I think there are a number of things to think about: (1) As Christians today we too often take freedom for granted.  We don't really ponder WHAT Jesus did and therefor we don't praise and thank God as we should. (2) Too many people don't know about this freedom.  The greatest gift of all time, a Truth like no other.  If we know this Truth, how can we keep it to ourselves. (3) As Christians we often take freedom too far.  "I don't have to go to church.  God will forgive me".  We live by the mantra of "Cheap grace" not realizing how costly this grace really was - the very life of Jesus Christ. (4) Or...we know about this freedom, but choose to embrace bondage.  After the Civil War the slaves were set free, but many of them choose to stay put.  They would rather stay "slaves" than to embrace the freedom they were given.  They didn't know what to do with that freedom.  I wonder if, as Christians, we like our bondage to sin because sin is more fun and freedom is "scary".

There is a lot to think about when it comes to freedom.  But one thing we need to do as Christians is to keep proclaiming this freedom AND keep listening and learning about this freedom.  We may have good memories, but they are often very, very short.  Through Jesus Christ we have been given the greatest gift of all.  Embrace your freedom and praise God always and forever.  Amen!

-edh-