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“As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:20 CEB Some people have a lot to say. You know the folks who are willing to share anytime, anywhere, about anything. I don’t mean this pejoratively either. Some folks have a lot to say. When our oldest daughter was very young she had a lot to say. We learned early that our daughter processed things verbally and was a bit of a chatterbox. It was a lot of fun, actually. When I was in seminary I was with her most of the day for most of her first three years of life. It was fun to listen to her process her thoughts verbally. Then came her baby sister. Our youngest daughter did not have a lot to say when she was little. We believe there was one main reason for this phenomenon—her sister. Just because a baby sister came along did not mean that the older sister had any less to say. She ended up speaking for her baby sister on most occasions. It was unrealistic to think that just because her sister was born that she would stop talking. She couldn’t stop talking, she had things to say. Shouldn’t this be the way things are with those who have experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ? We have something to say. So why do we remain so quiet about our faith? The grace of God has freed us from slavery to sin and death. We are redeemed and free people who can live without fear of condemnation. We should be the most excited and grateful people on the face of the earth. Now, this isn’t just in the past tense either. We experience God’s grace every moment of every day. God’s blessings never cease and God is at the ready to have us join in the work of grace all around us. We have the freedom to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ each and every day. All of this blessing in our life and yet most of us do not take every opportunity to speak about what we have seen and heard. Why? We know the reasons before I even ask the question: fear of rejection, consequences at work, lack of knowledge, uncertain of the questions that will come, and many more. There is a simple answer to all of these objections—no one is asking you to be an expert, just speak about what you have seen and heard. We all have a story to tell. Every follower of Jesus Christ has a story of how they have experienced God’s grace through a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. What is your story? When you know your story, you can’t help but speak about your story. We should all be able to tell our grace/Jesus story in two minutes or less. Of course, there is plenty more to share but we should have a abridged version as well. If Jesus has transformed your life, you have a story to tell. How can you stop speaking about what you have seen and heard? Peter and John could not stop speaking about what they had seen and heard—why do we? The challenge is to know your story. Take the time to develop your story down to a two minute version. Be on the lookout for the opportunities that God puts in your path to share your story. Will you share your story today? This is a part of Jesus’ Great Commission to all of his disciples, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.” [Matthew 28:19-20a] We cannot make disciples without telling our story and the story of Jesus. Everyone has a story and we are to tell our story. Can you imagine what would happen if every follower of Jesus were to join Peter and John in saying, “As for us, we can’t stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” This Sunday we continue the message series Go Fish . We will discuss what it means to share our story as we fish for people. Jesus gives us all a fish tale to tell. I hope you will join us this week and every week. The best is yet to come at St. Andrew’s and I can’t wait to see you in church!

“'Come, follow me,’ he said, ‘and I’ll show you how to fish for people.’” Mark 1:17 CEB Fishing is a little bit of an art form. It certainly is an object lesson in patience. Those who are good at fishing are students of the sport. It doesn’t matter if you are fly fishing, freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing, or commercial fishing you must know what you are doing. You must determine the right bait, the right line, the right rod and reel, the right boat, and the right area to do well. There is a lot that goes into being good at fishing. Over the years I have known many people who are very good at fishing. I have always admired them for one reason—I am lousy at fishing. When I was a kid I spent many hours hooking worms and trying to catch fish. I caught a few fish but was never considered successful—at all. Ironically, my most successful fishing expedition was when I was about nine. I grabbed a cane pole with no bait and dropped it into the water off the end of the dock. Within seconds a had a bite and began pulling my catch out of the water. It was an 11-inch Pike, which I caught with no bait and no effort. I guess I decided to hang up my fishing pole as a winner. Fishing takes a lot more effort than that if one wants to be successful. There is a different kind of fishing discussed in the Gospels. Jesus calls his disciples from a career of fishing. They must have been good at fishing because it was their livelihood. Every day they would mend their nets, prepare all the gear, ready the boats and head out on the water. At the end of each day they would, hopefully, bring in the haul of fish and prepare them for the market. Day in and day out this was the rhythm of their life. Then one day a teacher, prophet comes along and changes everything. Jesus calls out to them and asks them to follow him. Along with the call to follow comes a promise—I’ll show you how to fish for people. That had to hit them as a strange promise. No one fishes for people. If these newly called disciples were to take Jesus literally they would certainly be confused by his words. Yet, they followed. Scripture records that they left their nets and followed Jesus. Simon and Andrew, James and John, all of them immediately left their life of fishing for fish and followed the One who promised to teach them to fish for people. The question for us, as modern-day disciples of Jesus, is does Jesus still teach us to fish for people. Let’s answer that right away in one word—yes. Jesus still calls disciples to come follow him and he still promises to teach us to fish. Most churches have discerned this promise as a call to evangelism, and it is. Perhaps there is a better way to look at this promise of Jesus more holistically. The call is in part to evangelism, but the more holistic approach is that of disciple-making or discipleship. Jesus' call to follow him was a call to discipleship. A portion of that call to discipleship was calling and developing more disciples. This was the promise to join the fishing expedition. We are called to discipleship when we give our life to Christ. We become followers of Jesus AND we become followers who fish! When it comes to fishing for people we must remember that we were all fish once. Someone fished for us. Jesus pursued us. Now, as followers of Jesus we are called to fish and develop other followers. The amazing thing is that Jesus puts people in our path in life so that we can fish. Jesus teaches us to fish for people and places the people for whom we are fishing right in our path. Are you fishing? Who has Jesus placed in your path? Are you willing to fish for them? Today you will cross paths with dozens of people, who has God placed in your path today who needs to hear the good news of hope and new life in Jesus? As one who is called to discipleship, Jesus also promises to teach us how to fish for people. I know it’s scary, but Jesus—by the power and person of the Holy Spirit—will teach us how to fish for people. Jesus will show us how to share our faith and be faithful to his call. This call to fish for people will most likely take days, weeks, months, or years to reel in the fish. Will you take the first step today? Followers of Jesus fish—will you fish today? This Sunday we begin a new message series Go Fish . We will discuss what it means to live out Jesus Christ’s call to follow Him and fish for people. We will discuss who the fish are, how Jesus gives us all a fish tale, the messiness of fishing, and the practice of fishing with a buddy. I hope you will join us this week and every week. The best is yet to come at St. Andrew’s and I can’t wait to see you in church!

"For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand." Matthew 13:13 (NLT) There is a video that has gone around for quite a while now that shows the difference between watching something and really seeing it. There is a group of people passing a basketball in a circle. Half of the people are wearing black and half white. The viewer is asked to count how many times the people in white shirts pass the basketball. After you have watched and counted they ask a simple question, "Did you see the gorilla?" After the first time I watched the video I honestly did not know why they were asking. After watching the video again, without counting, about halfway through the video a person in a gorilla suit walks right through the middle of the circle. The first time I watched the video I never even saw the gorilla. The second time I saw it clearly. The test is called a selective attention test. The difference in the two viewings of this video is attention and awareness. The first time you are selectively watching the people in the white shirts and really see nothing else—not even a gorilla. The second time you are aware that there is a gorilla in the video and you cannot miss it. When you are aware of the presence of something it is obvious, but when you are unaware you can miss it. It's a little like the phenomenon of buying a new car. Before you buy a certain kind of car you may notice that make or model occasionally. Somehow after purchasing that make and model you suddenly see them everywhere. Jesus is telling his disciples something a little similar to this. Jesus tells them they can hear and understand the parables because they are really seeing, hearing, and listening. There were plenty of people who saw Jesus, but did not really see him for who he was. There were plenty of people who heard Jesus, but did not really listen to him. In our faith life we are to selectively give our attention to God. We are to really look for where God is at work and really see God's hand moving. We are to really listen for what God is saying to us and truly hear God. It is only when we intentionally put ourselves to being aware of what God is doing that we will see, hear, and understand God's work in our life. It is like this when we cultivate communication with God and our human relationships, especially marriage. The more aware and present we are the more we cultivate communication. We really hear each other and really understand what is being communicated. This weekend I am so excited to have my wife join me in preaching a message about cultivating communication. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear from my better half. We are very much looking forward to sharing with you. We all need to make ourselves aware of what God is doing in our midst. We all need to cultivate communication with God, our spouse, our kids/family, and our friends. As Jesus told his disciples later, "Blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear." (Matthew 13:16) May you be blessed this week as you cultivate communication in your marriage. There are a lot of great things happening at St. Andrew’s and the best is yet to come. I can’t wait to see you in church.

“Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity.” Acts 2:46 CEB The professor was teaching art appreciation at the college level. She was working to inspire students to appreciate the various paintings and sculptures throughout history. Some were very beautiful and very interesting. Some didn’t really catch the attention of the students at all—I know because I was one of them. The most interesting part of the whole class was the professor’s project. She was a photographer and had been working on a project centered around meals. She had been taking photographs of tables following the meal in which she had partaken. As a student I found value in appreciating all the art about which we learned. However, I was intrigued with the professor’s work and it still sits with me to this day. As someone who is pretty social, I love sharing meals with people and discussing life around the table. The aftermath of the meal was a wonderful idea to me and a great way to express some of what took place at the table. In most of our meals, a lot takes place at the table. In the second chapter of The Book of Acts there is a description of the early church. I love this part of Scripture and the picture it paints. Whenever I read this description of the early church I think of the way they did life together. They spent a lot of time together. They learned together, went to church together, and shared their meals together. They were in each other’s homes and shared food with gladness and simplicity. Can you imagine the stories they shared around the table? I am certain there would have been stories about what Jesus did, stories about what the Apostles were doing, and stories of all those who were coming to faith. The meals had more to do with faith than food. The time together was deepening their faith. These meetings and meals were growing the church. I am sure there was a lot of laughter and celebration. These meals were vitally important to the growth of a movement, a community, and the Church. The most important aspect of the meals the early church shared was time. Time is perhaps a person’s most important commodity. In life you get so many hours to make an impact. It is important to spend our time well. Acts 2 teaches us that it is important to be intentional with our time. Spending time together with people who are most important in our life will make an impact. Spending time together impacts our relationship with God, each other, and the community. This is true especially when we are spending time together to intentionally do God’s work and will. The question every believer needs to ask is, “Am I spending time together with people to grow the church?” The purpose of Acts 2 was to show how the church was growing rapidly because of the focused and intentional actions of the first disciples. Spending time together is vitally important. In the same way, spending time together in our marriage relationship (and all relationships) is vitally important. By spending time together, we grow in our understanding of each other, we grow in our faith with each other, and we find our common purpose. Spending time together in marriage helps us appreciate each other and be more intentional with our life together. Some of the most significant conversations in our marriage have taken place at the dinner table over a shared meal. We cannot overestimate the importance of spending time together building our relationship. Spending time together every day is vital to our marriages. May you find time today to spend together building your marriage. If you are not married, may you find time building your relationships with friends and family. This Sunday we continue the message series Building A Better Marriage . We will discuss what it means to build a better marriage by spending time together. If you’re single, I promise that you will be able to apply the principles we will discuss to your life. I hope you will join us. The best is yet to come at St. Andrew’s and I can’t wait to see you in church!

“6 We have different gifts that are consistent with God’s grace that has been given to us ...” Romans 12:6a CEB Over the years I have watched them come to terms with an ever-present reality—different. One loves school, history, museums and music. One loves friends, laughter, learning new things and working with kids. They both like family, animals, movies, adventure and Netflix. There are similarities AND there are differences. The two people I am talking about are definitely different. They are also siblings and those differences can drive them crazy. At its best, the differences make their relationship great. As my daughters become young women, I see them growing into and appreciating those differences. These two young women are fearfully and wonderfully made with gifts and talents consistent with God’s grace that has been given to them. Different can be wonderful and different can be exhausting. We are all different. We are all unique. This is God’s intent for all of us. If we were the same and all acted, thought, spoke, believed the same, the world would be boring—almost unbearable. If everyone was like me there would be a lot of big visions and people would be excited about them, but not a lot of them would be accomplished. In the life of the church I strive to surround myself with staff and leaders who are different than me. I see how things can be and should be, but I need people who see the process by which we can get there. The bottom line is we need each other because we are different. One of the most memorable staff experiences of my life happened at a staff retreat years ago. We had taken a personality type indicator test prior to the retreat. The leader had split us up into teams based on our scoring. Everyone on your team scored the same as you. We were then asked to plan a dream trip. Money was no option and we could go wherever we wanted to go. My group was full of dreamers and big picture people. We planned an amazing 14-day trip through Europe and the Mediterranean. It was truly awesome and packed with incredible experiences. When the plan was all put together we were to share with the other group. The other group was filled with very process and detail-oriented people. We shared our trip and sat back and smiled—because we knew it was amazing. The other group just sat there, wheels spinning, and did not respond at all. When the leader asked what they thought, their response was “Is any of that possible?” You see, we hadn’t checked to see if any airlines flew to any of the cities we had chosen or if the cruise lines sailed to any of the ports we scheduled. We had all kinds of experiences planned, but little to no detail of how they would be accomplished. We needed to have the other group involved in the planning and, quite honestly, they needed us involved in theirs. Their plan was boring. We are different AND we need each other. It is no different in the church. We all have different gifts and talents given to us according to God’s grace. God made us different for a reason … we are better together. We need each other. Some people are gifted to be in front of people, some are gifted to work behind the scenes, others are gifted teachers, and the list goes on. The Apostle Paul tells the church in Rome that this is what makes the church, the body of Christ, complete. Without any one part the church is incomplete and does not function the way Christ intends. This is why we should celebrate our differences—they are God’s plan for us. God created us different. When we celebrate those differences we complement each other, and we are the church. This Sunday we continue the message series Building A Better Marriage . We will discuss what it means to build a better marriage by celebrating differences. If you’re single, I promise you that you will be able to apply the principles we will discuss to your life. I hope you will join us. The best is yet to come at St. Andrew’s. I can’t wait to see you in church!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence.” Proverbs 3:5 CEB It was a great spot to be with a view that would rival most. It took some effort to get there and not everyone was willing to put in the effort. You had to navigate several obstacles and make your way up a tenuous route. Once you reached the top you were treated to a private hideaway that was almost guaranteed to be yours alone. I was only 10 years old when I would climb the big maple tree to the top and enjoy that view. None of the adults would try to climb the tree and none of my cousins would try it either. So, the top of that tree became my personal hideaway about 30 feet in the air. It was a lot of fun, but as I look back on this experience as a parent I have questions. The first question is what were my parents and grandparents thinking? How could they let me get so high in that tree? The only answer I can come to is trust. They trusted me to know how high I could go and to be careful. If they hadn’t trusted me I would not have experienced such an awesome climb and hideaway. My parents may have trusted me, but I was trusting something else, the tree. I knew I could go high into the tree because its branches were strong. I could trust the tree because the branches had grown in such a way that I would have a clear path to climb. I trusted the tree because I had climbed it dozens of times. Trust is the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. I had the assured reliance that the tree was strong based on past experience. I had the assured reliance that I could climb the tree safely because I had done it before. Trust is a matter of perspective. At the time my perspective was very trusting because there had been no reason not to trust. There is no way I would climb that same tree today. My body structure is very different than when I was eight. I also have had the experience of falling out of a tree when I was in my late twenties. That didn’t feel good and could have been devastating. My perspective has changed and my trust in my own ability to climb a tree has changed. Trust is also foundational to experiencing success in life. This is at the heart of the verse above. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence.” Let’s look first at the second half of this verse. “Don’t rely on your own intelligence,” or in other translations “lean not on your own understanding” seems clear. Solomon, the principle author of Proverbs, has been widely regarded as one of the wisest people to ever live. He receives this distinction because when he was given the opportunity to ask God for anything, he asked for wisdom. If the wisest king and one of the wisest people to ever live offers the advice to not rely on your own intelligence, we should listen. We may think we are smart, but we just aren’t that smart. We are prone to make mistakes in life. Also, when it comes to our spiritual life we are, as the old hymn says, prone to wander. Which takes us back to the first part of the verse, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart.” This is such great advice because of who God is. We can trust who God is. We have the assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, and truth of who God is. God has proven to be trustworthy for all human history. Trusting God is foundational to success in life. So, when it comes to our relationships, particularly marriage, trust in God is foundational. I will go as far as to say it is crucial. I believe that no Christian will ever be successful in their marriage relationship without trusting God for the outcome. This is true in life, in relationships, and especially in the marriage relationship. Try and think of it in terms of your marriage relationship being like climbing a ladder. We all know how to climb a ladder. Regardless of your physical condition everyone knows how to climb a ladder. But the knowledge of how to climb a ladder and the ability to climb the ladder are not the most important thing about the effectiveness of a ladder. The most important thing about the effectiveness of a ladder is where you lean your ladder. If you need to paint your house, but you lean the ladder against your neighbor’s house you won’t be successful. However, if you lean the full weight of the ladder against your house you will be successful. This is what Solomon is telling us … we must lean the full weight of our ladder (trust) on God. Trust in God is foundational. Trusting God strengthens our life, our relationships, our marriages. Trust in the Lord with all your heart. This Sunday we begin a new message series Building A Better Marriage . We will explore what it means to build a better marriage by focusing on the foundation, celebrating differences, spending time together, and cultivating communication. If you’re not married, you may be wondering why you should come. I promise you that, while we will be talking about marriage, you will be able to apply the principles we will discuss to any relationship or to life in general. I hope you will join us. The best is yet to come at St. Andrew’s. I can’t wait to see you in church.

Scripture: John 19:42 CEB “Because it was the Jewish Preparation Day and the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus in it.” A lot of people like to plan ahead. Having a plan can alleviate a lot of stress and pressure. There is no guess work, you just follow the plan. I mean we have all sat around and had the ridiculous “what do you want to do” discussion, right? If you have a plan that discussion is out of the question. Someone may ask, “What is the plan?” All you do is show them the plan! I happened to know several people who love to plan. Many years ago, our family went on vacation at a resort in the Florida Keys without a plan. We spent most of our first few days just hanging out in or by the pool. I thought it was great and the kids were enjoying the pool. Little did I know it was driving Debbie crazy. She is a planner and we had no plan. Almost every Thursday night Debbie will ask me, “What’s your plan for tomorrow?” (Friday is my day off.) My response is always the same, “I don’t have a plan. It’s my day off.” Are you a planner? Or do you like to take things as they come? This is what I think of when I read the Scripture verse, and its context, for today. Jesus is being crucified and there is no place to bury his body. No one has planned for this. Jesus even said that the Son of God had no place to lay his head while alive. In his death there is no place arranged for him to lay his head either. This seems like poor planning. Why didn’t someone think of this. So, while Jesus is dying, Joseph of Arimathea notices this and asks Pilate if he can take Jesus’ body for burial. Joseph is a planner. He and Nicodemus, remember him, take Jesus’ body and the burial spices to a tomb that was nearby for burial. It does not say in this passage that it was anyone’s tomb in particular. It was simply nearby. Is Jesus laid in the closest tomb because of poor planning? Did no one think of this at all? The Savior of humanity is buried in a borrowed tomb because it just happened to be nearby! The question really becomes, “Was this poor planning or divine providence?” It could have been poor planning. If so, it would have been the same kind of poor planning that led to the scene in the manger. If so, it would have been the same kind of poor planning that led to 5,000 people being fed. If so, it would have been the same kind of poor planning that gave Peter the faith to walk on water. If so, it would have been the same kind of poor planning that raised Lazarus from the grave. If so, it would be the same kind of poor planning that led to a young colt being available to carry Jesus into Jerusalem. I don’t believe for a second that the nearby tomb was used because of poor planning. I believe it was there to be used by God’s divine providence. The people involved may not have had a plan, but God had a grand plan. Every step of the way God was providing for Jesus—from Bethlehem all the way to Calvary. God provided everything necessary for Jesus to fulfill his purpose—to seek and save the lost. Today, will you trust in God’s divine provision? Will you believe that God has a plan? God’s plan is to provide for your redemption. Jesus is God’s plan. Will you place all your trust in him today? Whether you are a planner or go with the flow, God has a plan. When you don’t know exactly what that plan is have faith that God knows. On this Holy Saturday we remember the nearby tomb as a reminder of God’s provision and providence. Tomorrow the tomb will be empty. Today Jesus’ body lays in a nearby tomb. Tomorrow Jesus will be risen, forever! Hallelujah! God provides for everyone. Prayer: God of Bethlehem and God of Calvary, thank you for your providence. You are amazing the way that you provide for all our needs. I will trust you today for all my needs. I will trust in your Holy Spirit to guide me to where I need to be. I will continue to trust Jesus for my salvation. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: John 18:38 CEB “What is truth?” Pilate asked.” The author of a blog recently contended that the current climate in the United States felt a lot like the 1960s to him. The author’s main contention was that people are not satisfied with the way things are heading and they are demanding action. There have been marches organized, rallies taking place, and a general unrest in society and a desire for change. Actually, the author did an excellent job of not taking any particular side of any of the debated issues involved. The author was simply lamenting the need for the protests and the inability of our elected leaders, and all leaders, to work together toward solutions that address current concerns. As I was reading the blog I realized that the true problem in our current culture is wrapped in the question, “What is truth?” People on each side of any debate are supporting their truth. They believe that their viewpoint, philosophy, or proposal is the truth. If people cannot agree on what the truth is then it is almost impossible to make progress. The truth matters. Merriam-Webster defines truth as “the body of real things, events, and facts: a judgement, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true.” Truth is important because it is real (thing, event, or fact, judgment, proposition, or idea) and is accepted as true. This definition is very important when understanding the dynamic of where we are today. The word “accepted” is the key. What do people accept as true? If people can come to a common agreement about what is true, they can move forward. If not, they are stuck and usually problems ensue. The truth matters and is key to progress and forward movement. What is truth? That is the heart of our Scripture passage for today. Jesus has been arrested and sent to Pilate for judgment. In the conversation between Jesus and Pilate, Jesus makes the following statement, “I was born and came into the world for this reason: to testify to the truth.” This is what prompts Pilate to ask the question, “What is truth?” Indeed! What is truth? The rest of Jesus’ statement was, “Whoever accepts the truth listens to my voice.” At first reading this statement of Jesus seems a little cryptic. So, what is Jesus saying? Jesus is saying what he has already said before. In the 14th chapter of The Gospel of John, Jesus is asked by Thomas, “How can we know the way?” Jesus was sharing with his disciples about leaving them to go back to his Father’s house. He tells them they know the way, but Thomas indicates they don’t. Jesus answers Thomas by saying, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, when Pilate asks, “What is truth?” Jesus has already answered him. Jesus' answer is the same as his answer in the garden, I Am! Jesus is the truth! The truth matters. On this Good Friday the truth matters. The truth was plotted against and falsely accused. The truth was arrested, tortured, and hung on a tree. The truth forgave the very people who were killing him because they did not know what they were doing. The truth died a sinner’s death in my place and yours. The truth was buried in a borrowed tomb. The truth came into the world to save the world, but the world did not accept the truth. Yet, Jesus' words still ring true— “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him won’t perish but will have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him." [John 3:16-17] The truth matters. If someone accepts this truth by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, they are made right with God and made a part of the family of God. Yes—the truth matters. This is what we remember on Good Friday as we remember the truth of what Jesus Christ did on our behalf. Prayer: Holy God of truth, thank you for sending the truth into the world. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life today and forever. I am eternally grateful for all that Jesus did for me and for all on the cross. Come Holy Spirit and guide me to live in the truth of Jesus Christ today and every day. Amen.

Scripture: John 18:6 CEB “When he said, “I Am,” they shrank back and fell to the ground.” When we were living in Jacksonville and the girls were much younger, I was serving at a large church as the Executive Pastor and the girls went to preschool at the church and were very involved in the children’s ministry. In other words, they were at the church just a little less than I was. This always led to some very interesting conversations with adults. One time I walked up on a conversation between one of my daughters and a member of the church. The conversation was beginning to get a little heated on my daughter’s end. The member of the church kept telling her, “Your dad is a pastor.” My daughter would reply in a very agitated voice, “No, he’s a man!” They went back and forth at this for a little while, the church member thinking this was funny. The conversation finally ended when my daughter very loudly and insistently yelled, “He’s a pastor-man!” The conversation was over because she was right. Indeed, I was a pastor-man. In my life I have been called many things—son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin, student, graduate, friend, fiancé, husband, father, Christian, and pastor. Yes, there are other things I chose to leave off the list. However, all the things I did mention apply. In a very real sense they are who I am. Out of the list I shared there is truly one name that defines who I am—Christian. First and foremost, we are to be followers of Jesus Christ who are centering our lives on loving God and loving neighbor. My relationship with God comes first. The second name in my life is husband. My relationship with my wife is the second most important relationship in my life. Then comes father; my relationship with my daughters is the next most important relationship. After these comes my role as pastor. I am a pastor by vocation and calling, which means that I have been called to be set apart for the role of pastor in the church. It is a part of who I am, but it is not all of who I am. It is important to know who you are. In the verse for today from The Gospel of John, those who have come to arrest Jesus are asked a question. Jesus asks for whom they have come and they tell him they have come for Jesus, the Nazarene. Jesus responds by answering, “I Am.” Jesus uses the same name that God gave to Moses. Jesus has literally said, “The I Am is here.” This is who Jesus is! Jesus is the second person of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) and when he proclaims this in the garden the Roman soldiers and those who had come with them “shrank back and fell to the ground.” The ones who came to arrest him could not help but be overwhelmed in presence of the One who was sent for this very purpose. After all, it was this day (Holy Thursday) in the upper room where Jesus prepared his disciples for this moment. He had been preparing them for three years. Now the moment had come, and Jesus claims clearly who he is—I Am. What will be our reaction to Jesus' claim? Today, this Holy Thursday, will we shrink back and fall to the ground in the knowledge of who Jesus is? Or will we go boldly into the day knowing that by grace through faith in Jesus Christ we are his followers called to live for Him? Both reactions are worthy responses to the knowledge of who Jesus is. Last thing—because we know who Jesus is, we also know who we are! We are Christians! Sons and daughters of the most high God. You are a child of God and a person of great worth. Live today in the knowledge of who you are and do great things in the name of Jesus Christ—I Am! Prayer: Holy God, you are the great I Am. You are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the three in one. Because of Jesus I know for certain who I am—a child of God. Empower me through the power and presence of your Holy Spirit to live in this knowledge today. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 14:42 CEB “Get up! Let’s go! Look, here comes my betrayer.” Yesterday we read how Jesus told his disciples to sit here while I pray. Sitting isn’t easy. The other option is to be on the move. Jesus came back to his disciples after asking them to “sit here” and he gives them an even harder direction. This time, after he has prayed three separate times in agony, Jesus says to his disciples, “Get up! Let’s go!” Specifically, Jesus says, “Get up! Let’s go! Look, here comes my betrayer.” It was hard enough for the disciples to sit still and wait while Jesus prayed. In just a few moments the religious leaders and Roman soldiers would arrive with Judas, the betrayer. The moment would move from agonizing prayer to poignant accusation. The disciples would be moving from sitting in wait to walking into the fray. Jesus was asking them to follow him into the most difficult and terrible 72 hours in history. Jesus said get up, let’s go, and they got up and went. How could they do that? They couldn’t stay awake and sit there while Jesus prayed. They fell asleep on him. When Jesus tells them to follow him into the night, suddenly they are capable of doing what he asked. I don’t know that it should be that surprising though. Following is what the disciples did best. After all, with one invitation they left their old lives and followed him. Wherever Jesus went the disciples followed. When he told them to go across the lake the disciples got in the boat and went. If Jesus told them to go out and tell people the Good News, they went. Following was the disciples' specialty. There was no difference on this occasion. Jesus was done praying and it was time to go. When Jesus invites them to come along, the disciples follow him. It is clear that the disciples wanted to be where Jesus was even if they could not do what Jesus did. I believe it might be just the opposite for us as modern-day disciples of Jesus. We said yesterday that sitting wasn’t always easy to do. However, I believe we are better sitters than we are goers. Overall, we experience church today by sitting in church, Bible study, small group, or events. To put it in the terms of a sporting event, we are more often fans than we are players. We are more often in the stands than on the field. If Jesus were to actually say to us, “Get up! Let’s go!,” would we get up and go? Especially if it was a difficult road filled with uncertainty and even the threat of physical harm. Jesus calls us to get up and go! Remember the great commission? “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you.” [Matthew 28:19-20] The command is to get up and go. Will we go? Today may be the day Jesus is telling you to get up and go. Go and call someone from whom you are estranged. Go to lunch with a coworker who has been struggling. Go home a little early and play with your kids. Go fold some laundry or help your spouse around the house. Go to your prayer closet and spend some time with God. Whatever it may be that Jesus is calling you to—get up and go! You won’t regret it! Listen to the very end of the great commission … “Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age.” Get up and go—and Jesus promises to go with you. Prayer: Holy God, I want to go where you want me to go. Guide me by your Holy Spirit to see the opportunities you put before me. I want to hear your call and I want to go. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Mark 14:32 CEB “Jesus and his disciples came to a place called Gethsemane. Jesus said to them, “Sit here while I pray.” Have you ever watched a 2-year-old in a restaurant, at the mall, in the grocery store, or anywhere? They have a hard time sitting. No, not sitting in general. At two they are physically capable of sitting pretty well; which is what makes the following statement more frustrating for parents. What they are not very good at is sitting still. A 2-year-old tends to get distracted and is more interested in other things. They get fidgety and have a lot of energy to get out of their system. This is why you can hear grownups anytime they are around kids say something like, “Oh, to have their energy.” All of this seems to be a very well-documented truism about 2-year-olds. Yet, adults don’t seem to learn—do we? We insist that these little human beings must sit still. If they do not, we get upset at them and even punish them. However, the universal truth seems to prevail—2-year-old kids can’t stay still for very long. It’s a skill they just are not good at. If we are honest, there are a lot of adults who are not very good at sitting still. Yes, we are able to stay in one place for a while. We do so at the movies, plays, business meetings, concerts, church, and many other settings. But adults are restless, too. We like to be on the move. We like experiencing new things. We can get bored. We are easily distracted. Some people like these things more than others, but most adults aren’t as good at sitting still as they would like to think. We may sit in one place for a while, but are we focused on one thing? Are we truly resting when we sit? Do we spend time watching a show, surfing the internet, reading a book, or checking our social media accounts? Most of us spend time keeping busy. Most of us are not very good at sitting still—especially in our spirit. This is what Jesus calls his disciples, and us, to do. Jesus asked them to “sit here while I pray.” The disciples stayed in one place, but they did not sit still in terms of focusing on what Jesus was asking of them. Each time Jesus returned to them they were asleep. To be certain, this was sitting still. Jesus was not asking them to sleep. Jesus had asked them to sit there while he prayed. He wanted for the disciples to stay alert with him. Jesus would do the praying. He wanted them to sit there and stay alert. Perhaps they would say a prayer as they felt led to do so. He really wanted them to stay alert to what was going on. This was an incredibly important time in Jesus’ life and ministry. Those who were closest to him should be awake and alert to capture the moment. At that moment, this was the most important thing they were being asked to do—sit here—be present. As we strive to follow Jesus and center our lives on loving God and loving neighbor—we need to be present. This may mean the most important thing we are asked to do is “sit here.” Sit here in this board meeting and open yourself to the Spirit leading you. Sit here at the dinner table and be truly present with your family. Sit here in this marriage loving your spouse selflessly in committed, covenant relationship. Sit here in the restaurant asking the server if there is anything you can pray for her about. Sit here means to be completely present and available to Jesus. Choose to be present today! Start your day sitting at the feet of Jesus. There is no better place to start. Wherever Jesus takes you today—sit here. Be present with and for Jesus and the people you encounter. You will not be sorry you did so. In fact, you will most likely be amazed what happens when you simply choose to be present. Prayer: God, use me today. I am yours. I will be present and open to the movement of the Holy Spirit today. Put me where you want, with whom you want, and doing exactly what you want to your glory. In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Scripture: Luke 22:43 CEB “Then a heavenly angel appeared to him and strengthened him.” When I went back to college to finish my bachelor’s degree I was quite a bit older than the traditional students. I was in a class of incoming freshmen who were 18 years old and I was 28 years old. Being around folks who were a lot younger than I was helped me determine that I wanted to be in a little better shape. I decided the way that I would do that was running. I ran every day starting at barely being able to run a mile to running three - four miles each day. After several weeks of running I had a friend offer to run with me. I accepted and for about a year we were running partners. This was an amazing help to me. I had never run before and was very much a novice. My running partner was an experienced runner who helped push me to do things I had never done before. The best thing my running partner did for me was to help me believe that I could do the things I had never done before in terms of running. It’s been a long time since I ran, but the best part of running was having someone who believed in me before I believed in myself. My running partner actually decided to transfer to a different college closer to home. This meant that I would be running on my own. I was ready for this, especially after all the time I spent with my running partner. One day I went out for a run and was feeling particularly good. I felt so good during my warm up and stretch that I decided I would do something different. That day I decided I would run until I was tired, until I couldn’t run anymore. Remember I usually only ran three miles a day. That day when I hit the three mile mark I wasn’t tired at all and kept running. When I hit the four mile mark I was doing so well I kept going. Somewhere between the four and five mile mark doubt started creeping in. How much farther could I go? It was at that point that I distinctly remembered the words of my running partner. I could hear my running partner telling me I could do it, to keep pushing. Suddenly, I had passed the five mile mark and kept running. I ended up running six and a half miles that day. It was, and still is, the longest run of my life. All thanks to my running partner—even when he wasn’t physically there. I wonder if this is what it was like for Jesus as he prayed in The Garden of Gethsemane that night. He was praying in agony and his spirit was grieved. He prayed so hard that his sweat was like drops of blood. Luke records, “Then a heavenly angel appeared to him and strengthened him.” Jesus had not yet made it to Calvary, but this was as close as he had been in his life. In this time of distress, when he was anxious about what was to come, an angel came to strengthen him. I believe the angel would have reminded him of what God the Father had sent him to do. I believe that the angel would have encouraged him. Perhaps this is just what Jesus needed to propel him to the cross. As the officials come to arrest him and take him away the Gospel accounts show a much stronger and prepared Jesus. This time of prayer, preparation and strengthening came right in time. It was the appearance of the angel that helped prepare Jesus for what would come. God sent the angel when Jesus needed it most. The angel was sent to strengthen him. God sent the angel to strengthen Jesus precisely at the time of his greatest need. Do you trust that God will provide for you in your time of greatest need? No doubt, God isn’t asking you to do what Jesus did at Calvary. However, God is asking you to live for him. Will you trust him to provide for everything you need to accomplish this? Remember, Jesus prayed to the Father “not what I want, but what you want.” Trust God today to provide everything you need to live for him. If you will, God will strengthen you and you will accomplish more than you ever thought you would. Prayer: Holy God, I will trust in your ability to provide for all my needs today. I will give you all the glory as I see this unfold in my life today. Holy Spirit guide and direct all of my thoughts, words, and actions. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.