Month: September 2023

God Got A Tattoo(?) [With and For the City—Part 1]

Posted on by davidjburke

Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.”

“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast

and have no compassion on the child she has borne?

Though she may forget, I will not forget you!

See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are ever before me.

Isaiah 49:14-16

Wait…God engraved the name of a city on the palms of His hands? Like a tattoo? Some commentaries say this metaphor could be that. This Hebrew word is only used here in this passage. The word means to carve and inscribe, like on a stone tablet. Hmmm. Yes, this is a metaphor, but a powerful one.

The prophet Isaiah speaks of Zion—an often-used synonym for the city Jerusalem—as having been forgotten by God. But God has another plan.

When you think of cities in the Bible, what images come to mind?  

We may first think of the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis, where we see humanity seeking their own glory. Tim Mackie and his team at the Bible Project have been doing remarkable work on the image of city in the Scriptures.  I highly encourage you to check out their teaching here:  https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/the-city/

What the prophet Isaiah will show us over the next several weeks, is that God looks to restore cities, and will one day bring the Shalom—the abundant peace and well-being of God—to a new heaven and new earth, marked by a “garden-city” in which God Himself will dwell.  

This is not mere Bible study—it is a call for us as followers of Jesus to be “With and For” the city in which we dwell.

I live in Sacramento—the City of Trees, the Farm-to-Fork Capital, the Capital of California, the River City—a city by many names. How can we be a part of God’s plan to restore this city?

May we look, and listen, for the ways that God is moving and speaking to us as His people, called to be restorers of the cities. Because God cares for the city.

God has a tattoo to prove it.…metaphorically.

Grace and peace,

David

Too Soon?

Posted on by davidjburke

Ever had that experience of a friend—never you, of course—that attempts to make a joke, only to realize that the timing of that was just a bit too soon to be laughing about it? For example, you see it in sports fans, making fun of another team’s struggles, only to discover its fans are still grieving. (The Seahawks Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots in 2015 is still “Too Soon” for me).

This might seem like a “hot take,” but I wonder if inviting people that haven’t been to church ever, or if it has been a while—to worship at a church is “too soon.” I mean in the real sense of too soon, NOT the-making-a-joke-kind of “too soon.” That is, those of us that are part of a regular worshipping community don’t understand how strange worship can be. And, our default idea is to just invite our neighbor, co-worker, classmate or friend to church, and let that experience take over. It may be “too soon.”

Over the last several weeks, we’ve talked about how we enter into, and deepen, our apprenticeship to Jesus, and invite others to do the same. I’ve tried to make sure to articulate that this is not THE path, or the ONLY way it works. But, we do see patterns in the Bible, and in our experience, that often this is how things develop. First, we often CONNECT with someone or a group of people that are following Jesus. Then, if interested, we begin to LEARN through them and the Scriptures more about the person of Jesus. In seeing the example of Jesus, and hopefully the practice of that community, we may begin to SERVE out of the gifts and experience that God has given us. I’d like to suggest that there is another aspect of our apprenticeship that is WORSHIP—but that it might come later on the pathway.

In Matthew 28, we are told that two women—Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”— go to the tomb of Jesus. An angel is sitting on the rolled-back stone that covered the tomb, and his appearance is frightening. The angel speaks to the women, telling them to tell the other disciples that Jesus is risen from the dead. While they hurry away “afraid yet filled with joy,” Jesus himself appears to them. He simply says, “Greetings!” And the women fall down and worship him.

It strikes me that the word “worship” is used sparingly in the gospels and New Testament as a whole.  The Book of Revelation uses it the most, which makes sense because it is portraying a vision of things to come—when the fullness of God’s plan is revealed to all of creation.  

It seems that worship in the gospels comes mostly after Jesus has risen from the dead. [aside from the Magi worshipping the infant Jesus at his birth and Satan tempting Jesus to worship him]. It is the culmination of seeing the power and plan of God that cause people to bow down and worship. The women in Matthew 28, and the disciples, truly worship when they fully witness the power and plan of God as revealed through the risen Jesus.

I grew up outside the church. I didn’t step foot in one until I was sixteen—unless you count the time my practicing-Catholic grandparents had me attend a service on a cruise ship. I still find it interesting that many people think the first step in inviting a friend or co-worker who may be seeking God is to bring them to church. My own story involved connecting with people who exhibited the love and community of Jesus, beginning to learn by reading the Scriptures on my own and in community. It would be much later that I joined in a worshipping community.

I do not mean to make my experience normative for others. But many others, Alan Hirsch being one*, write about how there is a widening sense of “cultural distance” between people now and the experience of church.

I wonder if seeing worship as a later stage in our path of discipleship to Jesus might make us more patient with others. Or, actually spend more time with them showing the love and grace of Jesus, before inviting them to church. It also may help those of us trying to follow Jesus more deeply, recognizing that we have not allowed certain areas of our lives to bow down to Jesus’ lordship. If this process has truth in it, perhaps we are all learning to worship the risen Jesus fully in all areas of our lives. It has been said by others that we all worship something, but to change the object of our worship might necessitate a longer process of connecting in community, learning, and serving. But—the good news is—that when we allow that process to take place in ourselves and others, the end result will be worshipping the risen Jesus.

*(See this article for more explanation: https://www.christianpost.com/news/alan-hirschchurch-model-reaching-only-40-percent-of-americans.html)

Your Serve

Posted on by davidjburke

We’ve been talking the last few weeks about a “path for discipleship” here at our church. Path means a lot of different things to different people. Some people might interpret it like a formula—-start here, then go here, and you’ll end up here. I think we all know by now that God does not always work in such clear ways in our lives. Yes, there is a process to our growing in the knowledge and love of Christ. But it may start in different places, and it does not “end”—it matures and deepens—but does not “end.”

Perhaps the idea of an “ecosystem” (like a garden) is more helpful (see the link below for more: https://www.experiencerooted.com/2022/10/pathway-and-ecosystem-two-views-of-discipleship/).  

That is, when you enter into a garden, there are different plantings, but depending on where you enter, and where you are drawn, you may start and linger at one planting before another.  A community of followers in a church can be like that ecosystem, providing a variety of plantings to help people grow, but it depends on the person where they start and go next. 

Still, we can look at how Jesus brought people into discipleship and apprenticeship with him, and learn from Him.  He connected with people, taught them, and then sent them out to serve.  And serving is what I want to talk about today.  

It is clear from the gospels that Jesus intended his disciples to DO something with their apprenticeship to Him.  Early in his training of them, Jesus sent his disciples out to heal, preach, and cast out evil.  

The word Jesus chooses is diakonia, which has a connotation of table-service, as seen here:  “For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.”  Luke 22:27

Jesus’ followers would have seen daily the example of people sitting at table being seen as having greater honor in society, with those serving food and drink considered lower.  Jesus was telling (and showing) his disciples to adopt the attitude of being a servant, to seek the good of others by serving them.  

In our growing and learning from Jesus, we should reach a place where we begin to look for ways to serve others.  Regardless of the perceived status of the serving, followers of Jesus can grow into a place of seeking out opportunities to bless others.  Whether it be tangibly helping a family in crisis by making a meal, spending time with children in a nursery or volunteering in a school, visiting a home-bound friend, cleaning up a local park—there are countless ways to serve.  

What’s Your Serve?

Teaching = Freedom?

Posted on by davidjburke

Does teaching bring…freedom?

Ask any school aged child or teenager, and you’ll rarely get any of them to say that their schooling feels like freedom.  [Of course, ask any child in a different culture for whom school has been kept from them, and you’ll get a different answer!]  

But what if some teaching is better than others?

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.”  John 8:31

In previous notes/posts, we’ve talked about how integral Jesus’ teaching is to being a learner of Jesus.  Jesus taught primarily about the kingdom of God, because he wanted to correct false assumptions about the character of God, and wanted to proclaim a message of good news about what God was doing, and will do, in the world.  Through many illustrations, he talked about what the kingdom is like, what God is like, and the unexpected nature of the kingdom and its availability to those considered to be on the outside.  

Here, we see Jesus telling us plainly that holding to his teaching is a marker of discipleship.  And, the truth of his teaching will free us from the things that enslave us.  

Of course the crowd that first heard these words argued with Jesus.  They focused on the last word—free—and argued that they weren’t slaves.  We might have the same reaction.  We have a hard time identifying the things that hold us captive.  We say we can quit [coffee, gossiping about others, social media, Netflix shows, fill in the blank] anytime, until someone actually challenges us to do that.  

I did a little digging into the first part of Jesus’ words here.  When he says “teaching” the word used is logos.   When he says “hold to” the word is meno, which means to remain, dwell, or abide.  

Jesus says something similar a few chapters later when he says:

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.”  John 14:23

The word “home” comes from the same root as meno, to dwell or abide. 

It seems that Jesus is saying that if and when we dwell in his words, his teaching, his message, that in turn the Father and Son will dwell in us.  And, the idea that truly living in the words and teachings of Jesus sets us free from things that enslave us is a profound one.  

May we give ourselves to the teaching of Jesus, and find the truth that brings freedom.

‭‭

They Will Know Us By Our…

Posted on by davidjburke

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬

I remember the first person who really taught me about the truth of this idea. He was an international student from the Middle East. He grew up in a different culture, a different religious tradition—and he told me about our college ministry community: “The first time I saw this group of people, there was something different about them. You could tell you all loved one another.”

I wonder if we really believe how real these words of Jesus are.

Jesus says something remarkable here.

How can we tell if someone is a follower of His?

That they are learning from Jesus about how to live their lives?

By loving others.  And specifically, a love first for others that are following Jesus, that then spills out to neighbor, co-worker, classmate, teammate, and friend.  

The context of Jesus’ words here is Jesus speaking to his eleven closest followers—Judas has left the Passover meal to betray him.  Some commentaries point out that Jesus—knowing that the cross would take him away from his followers, leaving his friends with so many doubts and questions—that Jesus was telling his disciples to stick together, to stay close to one another by loving each other in the hardest of times.  

The implications for this are fascinating to me.  Jesus is saying that other people will be able to really see the love for one another in a community, and know this comes from their adherence to Jesus.  

Of course this raises all kinds of questions.  What does this love look like?  

Is it a feeling?  An action?  An acceptance of others no matter what?  

Consider this definition:

Christ’s love is no timid meekness, no sentimental mildness, inoffensive and ineffectual, helpless in face of the world’s evil. It is a strong determination to seek others’ highest good in all circumstances, at any cost. On that simple but demanding principle hang all moral obligation and divine law. To love is enough.—Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible

But what about the “loving first” those that call themselves followers of Jesus?

Another resource says this specifically about John as the gospel writer and author of several letters:

…love for one’s fellow Christians does not exclude, but instead leads on to, a wider love (cf. 2 Pt 1:7). John insists that God loved the whole world (Jn 3:16; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:14). Moreover, if love fails within the Christian fellowship, it certainly will not flourish beyond it but evaporate in mere words (1 Jn 3:18). Tyndale Bible Dictionary

There is something vital about love flourishing within a community that calls itself Christian.  When it exists in healthy ways, people notice.  

When we talk about a path of discipleship to Jesus, we must understand that most people will connect first with us—as individuals and then a group—and when they do, what will they see?

May they see the love of Jesus poured into us, and out through us, to seek the highest good in all circumstances, at any cost.