River City Church - Smyrna, GA

Josh introduces our ETS (Equipping the Saints) groups that will launch in August by explaining the importance of discipleship to our faith journeys. We read about Jesus calling the disciples at the beginning of his ministry, and we read in Matthew 28 the command to "Go and make disciples." But we tend to lose sight of the discipleship Jesus undertook with the disciples in the three years between "Follow me" and "go and make disciples." Our ETS groups are designed to help us move into discipleship at the pace of Jesus. If you are interested in signing up for one, please email ets@rivercitysmyrna.com to let us know. Matthew 4:19-20; John 1:35-50; Matthew 28:16-20; John 14:25-27.

Tina Lee shares a message about the initial steps in our apprenticeship to Jesus -- Awakening. She reminds us that God awakens, and we are the awakened. Whether our awakening experience is earth-shaking or a series of smaller moments, it serves as an invitation into discipleship or spiritual formation -- to step into the journey of apprenticeship that Jesus has for each of us. Ephesians 1:18; John 3:3-8; Acts 9:9-19; Philippians 3:7-10.

Josh continues our discussion about apprenticing to Jesus, looking at a passage from Luke 9, where Jesus interacts with different people who say they want to follow Him. Jesus' responses can seem harsh, but Jesus understands what the journey with Him involves. What it offers. It's worth more than all the other things we want to take care of before we do the spiritual part. But the journey is where the beauty is; where the life is. There are stages to our spiritual journeys: awakening, purgation, illumination, and union. Where are you on the journey? Where do you feel stuck? 

Josh shares from the first four chapters of Joshua to help illustrate the journey of apprenticeship to Jesus that we are all walking. The Israelites could've crossed the Jordan in any number of ways, but they crossed the river as led by the Spirit. But they didn't stop there, because the story of the river was on the way to where God was leading them. The story of the Israelites provides a number of lessons for us as we practice our apprenticeship. They shared their journey; listened and obeyed the voice of God; had a shared testimony and treasured it; and they made preparations for the next steps of their journey. Joshua 1:1-9; Joshua 3; Joshua 4:1-14. 

Josh shared a message based on the story from Joshua of the 12 stones out of the Jordan. The story serves as a visual of not only hearing testimony of what the Lord is speaking to us but also following through and actively engaging what God is leading us into. We have to create space to hear from God and follow His guidance. None of us can pull ourselves out of Egypt. The Spirit is leading us out into the things we need to be children of God. Jeremiah 17:7-8; Joshua 4:1-9; Exodus 13:21; Romans 8:9-17.  

As we wrap up our walk through the Book of Ephesians, Josh shares about the "armor of God." These are verses many have heard before, but we may not connect with the armor imagery. What does armor have to do with a gospel message like "love your enemies?" The armor imagery, like Paul's use of "body" or "temple" imagery elsewhere, is a vehicle to explain a broader truth. The armor elements referenced are defensive weapons aside from perhaps the sword of the Spirit, but even that is for protection against attack -- not a tool to bash another. In the end, the armor helps us "stand firm" to engage in conversation with others and share the gospel of peace. Ephesians 6:10-24.

Josh shares from Ephesians 6 today about some verses that can be hard to hear -- whether you are a child or a parent. Paul is encouraging the Ephesian church that life in Christ is not like the context in which they live where power dictates the relationship. Parents like to correct their children -- especially when they don't listen and obey. Children have a hard time listening to their parents if all they hear is correction. Perhaps if parents erred on the side of encouragement versus correction, our children would hear the correction for what it is. This week, let's step into encouragement and listening. Ephesians 6:1-9.  Josh shared three quotes today: 1) N. T. Wright: "We shouldn't make the mistake of thinking that because some families get it horribly wrong it isn't possible to get it right, at least some of the time. Just because the Garden grows weeds we shouldn't pave it over with concrete. Just because there are oppressive families, there's no reason to dismiss family life altogether. On the contrary. The reason the family can become a place of fear and bondage is because it is designed as the place of love, security, affirmation and new energy. The worst is the corruption of the best. As with marriage, so with family life, and attitudes to work, both from employer and employee. Are we so sure that we in the modern world have got it right that we are in a position to turn around and tell Paul he's got it wrong?" 2) William Barclay: "Here's a letter dated from 1 BC from a man called Hilarion to his wife Alis. He has gone to Alexandria, and he writes home on domestic affairs: 'Heartiest greetings to you and to my dear Berous and Apollonarion. Know that we are still even now in Alexandria. Do not worry if when all others return I remain in Alexandria. I beg and beseech of you to take care of the little child, and, as soon as we receive wages, I will send them to you. If -- good luck to you! -- you bear offspring, if it is a male, let It live; if it is a female, expose it. You told Aphrodisias, "Do not forget me." How can I forget you? I beg you therefore not to worry.' "            3) William Barclay: "The 18th century artist Benjamin West tells how he became a painter. One day, his mother went out leaving him in charge of his little sister, Sally. In his mother's absence, he discovered some bottles of colored ink and began to paint Sally's portrait. In doing so, he made a considerable mess of things with ink blots everywhere. His mother came back. She saw the mess but said nothing. She picked up the piece of paper, saw the drawing and said, 'Why, it's Sally!' And she stooped and kissed him. Afterwards, Benjamin West always used to say 'my mother's kiss made me a painter.' Encouragement did more than rebuke could ever do. As Paul sees it, children must honor their parents, and the parents must never discourage their children." 

On this Mother's Day, Josh continues our equipping the saints discussion looking at the end of Ephesians 5. We see in these verses the invitation to be Christ in our relationships. In the marriage relationship, we are invited to learn what it means to serve the other -- not to dominate the other. These verses are challenging to read in today's context and seem at odds with other writings of Paul that honor the leadership of women in the early church. We must see the arc of Scripture and what Christ is leading us to. Ephesians 5:21-33; Romans 16:1-2; Galatians 3:28; Genesis 3:16; Ephesians 5:8. 

As we celebrate our 7th birthday as a church, we have many things for which to be thankful. Scripture is full of reminders of the Father's heart to bring us joy and to encourage us. We hear some testimonies from important people in the life of RCC and from our own family members. Luke 2:10; John 15:11; Luke 4:15-19; Galatians 5:22-23; Psalm 150. 

Josh continues our ETS discussion today, looking at a passage from Ephesians 5. Paul is encouraging the church in Ephesus, in their call to be light in the world, to be wise -- to not be foolish. How does that apply to us today? What is foolishness now? Maybe it's the badge of busyness we wear. The world is driven by busyness. We are too busy. Are we being wise? Paul's call against "drunkenness" is against the things that intoxicate and inebriate us. When we are lost in our busyness, we do not have the time and space needed to foster depth of relationship with Jesus -- to live like we are filled with the Spirit. Worship redeems the time we think we don't have. It reorients us to what matters. Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs together in community propels us to handle the good and bad that life throws at us. Ephesians 5:10-21; Proverbs 8:1-11.  Josh shared three quotes today:  1) From Richard F. Ward: "Spiritual formation describes an integrated religious life, with balance between contemplation and action, firmly rooted in God's vision for all humanity, and particularly for those who are 'in Christ.' To retrieve this deeper, richer set of meanings for this popular but potentially vacuous construct, the preacher is on the lookout for those biblical texts that will give spiritual formation depth, shape, and definition. You can find one here in this brief exhortation from Ephesians. For one to be 'spiritually formed' as a Christian believer, one is to be mature in one's faith and to be concerned about developing character as a human being. Claiming oneself to be 'formed' or 'mature' is the height of hubris, so we think of ourselves as being in a process of or on a journey toward maturity. Think of these few verses as but one signpost on that path that provides spiritual direction." 2) From Richard F. Ward: "The times are so urgent, so pregnant with possibilities for redemption and transformation, that the church cannot afford to miss its vocation. That is the key to the church acting wisely. When the church is acting contrary to its vocation, it is acting foolishly. ... When the church is out of touch with its vocation, it moves through these evil times as one who is intoxicated -- satiated and reeling, engaging in regrettable behaviors. If a quest for spiritual formation and maturity in the church displays a desire for balance and integration, drunkenness is the condition of being unfocused, off balance, and out of kilter with 'what God wants for you.'  "So how do we fill in the blank? 'The church's vocation is ______.' Imagine the church's vocation as a great series of interpretive images set in stained glass and put on display. Within that display, we see an image found in this little blip of a text from Ephesians. Here is the church 'filled with the Spirit.' And what does that look like? A group of folks like you and me, on the path toward formation and maturity, 'singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs' that rise out of grateful hearts." 3) From Dark Night of the Soul by Gerald May: "I must confess I am no longer good at telling the difference between good things and bad things. Of course, there are many events in human history that can only be labeled as evil, but from the standpoint of inner individual experience, the distinction has become blurred for me. Some things start out looking great but wind up terribly, while other things seem bad in the beginning but turn out to be blessings in disguise .... I also feel that the dark night of the soul reveals an even deeper divine activity: a continually gracious, loving, and fundamentally protective guidance through all human experience -- the good as well as the bad."    

Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns shares a message from Ephesians 5 as she takes us deeper into our "equipping the saints" journey. Paul's letter to the Church in Ephesus is a follow-up to his two years of ministry with this group of people. Paul is responding to a new church family that heard his message of the gospel of Christ but that is allowing the culture around them to creep back into their fellowship. Paul reminds them of the seal of the Spirit that marks them, and Paul is calling them to live distinctively as the people of the light and as members of the culture of Christ. Those calls remain for us as we navigate life in the various cultures into which we were born and find ourselves. Ephesians 5:1-10. 

Continuing our series of messages around the idea of "equipping the saints" as we move into the Easter season, Josh looks at the end of Ephesians 4 where Paul is talking about new life in Christ. At our Easter service, we celebrated a number of baptisms which is what Paul is pointing to as he shares with the Church in Ephesus about this new life into which they've been brought. When resurrection and Christ become the center of community, nothing is impossible. When we read about the early church in Acts 4, we see that play out in their unity, hospitality, generosity, truth-telling, etc. Psalm 133; Ephesians 4:17-5:2; Acts 4:32-35. 

As we celebrate Resurrection Sunday, we pause in "holy awe" as we hear the story at the empty tomb and a group of followers who can't comprehend what's happened. Jesus doesn't appear to explain everything like we might prefer. They have to bear the weight of this transformational moment and do the work to understand the significance of what's occurred. We also celebrate a number of baptisms on this Resurrection Sunday. Mark 16:1-8.

Josh steps out of Ephesians to continue the discussion of "equipping the saints" by looking at the Palm Sunday narrative from Mark 11. The context of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem illustrates some of the misperceptions we hold about Jesus and what He wants to do in and through us. When Jesus is entering Jerusalem on a donkey from one end, the Roman governor is entering another side of the city with his legions -- displaying Rome's military might and engendering fear in the people. Often, we cry out to Jesus to save us, expecting a display of might and force to make things right or to deal with our enemy. Maybe Jesus isn't interested in saving us from our enemy, but rather, saving us from ourselves. Mark 11:1-11; Philippians 2:5-11.  Josh shared a quote from Debie Thomas today: "These paradoxes are what give Jesus’s story its shape, weight, and texture, calling us at every moment to hold together truths that seem bizarre, counter-intuitive, and irreconcilable.  On good days, I understand that these paradoxes are precisely what grant my religion its credibility.  If I live in a world that's full of pain, mystery, and contradiction, then I need a religion robust enough to bear the weight of that messy world. But the question is: will I choose the humble and the real?  Or will I insist on the delusions of empire?  Will I accompany Jesus on his ridiculous donkey, honoring the precarious path he has chosen?  Or will my impatience and pessimism undermine my journey?"

Josh continues our discussion in Ephesians, moving to Chapter 4, in which Paul challenges the young church in Ephesus to grow into maturity in Christ. That call involves Christ as the centerpiece, the unity in the church, and each person realizing they have a grace to grow into to contribute to the body of Christ. The worship journey this week: "We all grow together." Ephesians 4:1-16. 

As Josh continues our series, he looks at the end of Chapter 3 of Ephesians to the prayer that Paul is praying for the church in Ephesus. We see Paul understanding the limits of his ability to convey the fullness of grace and the depth of the love Christ has for us. So much so that Paul is on his knees praying they would learn what it means to be dependent on Christ. Do we really understand the grace of God? Do we really understand the depth of love that God has for us? What would it look like to be rooted and grounded in that grace and love? Ephesians 3:14-21.

We continue our series on "equipping the saints" which is a challenging concept to pin down in 3 or 5 or 10 easy steps. Josh looks at Ephesians 3 today, where Paul, who is writing from prison, is sharing his understanding of the mystery of Christ. Foundationally, that mystery is that the Gentiles are also heirs of Christ. But the mysteries of Christ are many and the questions they invite are what bring blessing to our lives as prisoners of this gospel that Paul describes. Ephesians 3:1-13; Exodus 33:14-15; Psalm 19:14.  There are some testimonies of the grace of God working in the lives of the RCC family at the end of service.  Josh shared a quote today from Johnny Hill: "The mystery of Jesus as spoken of in this passage embodies the kind of transformative power to help heal, restore, and renew broken lives, communities, institutions and even nations. This particular passage is a long prayer of the author's insight into the mystery of Christ. The church is presented as the cosmic organism for revealing and understanding God's divine will for humanity and all creation. The epiphany of the Lord is made possible because of God's self-disclosure. God discloses or reveals God's self to human beings as an expression of God's inexhaustible love and mercy. The epiphany speaks to an awakening and enlightenment and the revelation of the god revealed in the life of Jesus Christ. It is a kind of epiphany that transforms lives and calls for new allegiances, goals, and directions."

Josh continues our discussion in the book of Ephesians, highlighting the community that Jesus invites us into when he says to us, like he did to the disciples, "Come, follow me."  Jesus is our peace and brings groups together that have no business together. Through Christ, the dividing walls come down, and the disparate groups become one new humanity. And together, these saints become members of the household of God with Jesus as the cornerstone.  Josh shared some quotes and thoughts to consider: 1) "Talmudine" -- "Jesus was a Rabbi. Rabbis teach. Each Rabbi had his own unique interpretation of Torah. The Torah is the law that the people lived by, and had been given to them by God through Moses. Each Rabbi’s unique interpretation of the law was his ‘yolk’. So when a young man chose a specific Rabbi to follow and learn from, he ‘took the yolk of Torah’ from that Rabbi. The Rabbi became his ‘Master’, and that disciple (Talmudine) accepted that Rabbi’s interpretation, and embraced it."   2) This journey of faith with Jesus looks something like:  - A revolutionary awakening.  - A radical experience of inclusion and love from God and community. - The ability to seek without being forced. - A sense of belonging to a family. - A deeper experience and understanding of Christ that becomes personal in nature. - A desire to commit deeply from a heart-choice place. - Understanding who you are & whose you are, so God begins to bring clarity on what He's made you for.  3) "A new group of aliens and strangers now citizens with all the saints fill this household. Not a place that saints go, but where God chooses to dwell."

Josh shares from Mark 1, where Jesus is baptized and then immediately led to the desert for 40 days. He here's God call him his Beloved -- receiving his identity -- and then is led into the wilderness to be tempted. We can get caught thinking once we come to Christ that life is going to be full of blessings, but Jesus' own story shows us how wrong a perspective that is. When we read in Ephesians 2 about being saved by grace and being dead to sin, we can think that our suffering is behind us. Sometimes, God leads us into deserts to draw us closer and take us deeper. Mark 1:9-15; Ephesians 2:1-10. Josh shared a quote from Henri Nouwen: "Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper." Josh provided questions to ponder this week: Questions for a Desert Season 1) Do I see struggle as an indictment or an invitation? 2) Do I feel okay knowing that I'll have more time to think? What will I do with silence ... Can I handle it? 3) This will be a place where the feelings I have outrun will catch up with me. How do I feel about that? 4) What will I do if I encounter my own wild beast?  5) Will I take the temptation of a promise of a half-dead life and head back to where I came from?  6) Do I trust that all of this is from God and that he is with me? 

We are excited to enter into another groups season at RCC. Kara shares the heart behind lifegroups at River City. They are spiritual and relational. They are each unique but share the same DNA of communion, prayer, connection and word. Joining a group can be risky, but God is present with us when we risk stepping into community. Each of this season's lifegroup leaders share a little about their groups during this service. Josh also offers an RCC finance update for us. Ephesians 2:18-22.  Check out the spring season of RCC lifegroups, and jump into one: https://rivercitysmyrna.com/groups/

Josh kicks off a series of messages walking through the theme of "equipping the saints for the work of ministry" from Ephesians 4. Paul explains to the church in Ephesus that God has already done and continues to do much of the work in and through us. Part of becoming "equipped" is remembering that we walk in that reality. We know that God is good; He has a plan; and He will bring righteousness and shalom. Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 1.  Josh shared two quotes  1) Gordon McClellan -- "I think the answer is to be found in verse 17. There, we hear of the goal to come to 'know [Christ] better' (NIV). This, it seems to me, is the true purpose of the church -- not always to get it right, or to have a pristine history of always being on the right side of every issue. Rather, the purpose of the church is to be a vehicle that works continually to know and reveal Christ better. In this sense, there is no other vehicle, no other institution like it on earth. This is what allows the church the opportunity to 'complete Jesus.' By presenting to the world a model of what it looks like continually to strive to know Christ better, the church has the unique opportunity to complete the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ." 2) Henri Nouwen (from Life of the Beloved) -- "Every time you listen with great attentiveness to the voice that calls you the Beloved, you will discover within yourself a desire to hear that voice longer and more deeply. It is like discovering a well in the desert. Once you have touched wet ground, you want to dig deeper."

Josh shares from his heart about our personal and collective calls to live out the ministry of reconciliation. This requires repentance, humility, listening, learning, and being comfortable with the uncomfortable. Conversations about racism and justice are not easy, but we have to be willing to step into God's heart for unity and reconciliation. We see Jesus in John 4 meeting a woman at a well despite the 800 years of racism between her people and the Jews. Jesus offers us a way to step into those uncomfortable spaces as well for the sake of the Kingdom. 2 Corinthians 5:16-21; Ephesians 6:12; Revelation 7:9; John 4:1-42.  Josh shared several quotes today as well:  1) J.R.R. Tolkien:  "It does no good to leave a live dragon out of your calculation if it lives in your area."   2) Charles Baudelaire (as quoted by Keyser Söze in The Usual Suspects): "The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing people that he did not exist."   3) From the book, Black and White: "It's important to think carefully about this. What are these principalities, powers, and world rulers? What's their agenda? How do they operate? To what extent are they involved in human affairs, and more specifically to what degree are they involved in racism? If we discover they are involved in racism, what exactly are we supposed to do about it? If we don't think they are involved, then we will do nothing about them."

This Sunday, we had the privilege to hear from our new CityKids Director, Jessica, who shared her heart for children's ministry. Jessica reminded us that the children at RCC are as much a part of what the church is about as anyone else, and we have roles to play in shaping, sharpening, and encouraging them. If you want to serve with Jessica in CityKids, please email her at jessica@rivercitysmyrna.com. We also continued hearing testimonies of what Jesus is doing in the lives of our people. Psalm 127:4; Jonah 3:1-10; Psalm 46:10a; Colossians 2:7; Ephesians 5:8-10; John 7:38.  

This morning, we have the privilege of two messages in one Sunday. First, Shannon shared about her heart for hospitality and how that plays out in her role as the Table Director, inviting us to join her in the mission she has for The Table (Make Room; Make Do; Make Time; Make Space). Then, Josh shared from Psalm 139 and John 1 about what it means to be a "come and see" people who live out the reality that everyone -- friends, friends who vote for the other person, enemies, and ourselves -- are fearfully and wonderfully made. Romans 12:3-8, 13; Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; John 1:43-51. If you'd like to help Shannon at The Table, please email her at shannon@rivercitysmyrna.com. Josh asked us to consider 4 questions this week:  1) What are the needs of the body right now? 2) What are the specific anointings over RCC? 3) What specific supernatural graces does RCC have to accomplish the calling RCC has? 4) Are we following the favor God has already given us with Smyrna well? Josh shared a quote from Debie Thomas:  "Is it possible for us to see our present moment as Jesus sees it? Instead of deciding that we know everything there is to know about the political “others” in our lives, can we ask God for fresh vision? Instead of assuming that “nothing good” can come of the cultural mess we find ourselves in, can we accept Philip’s invitation to “come and see?” What would happen if we left our comfortable vantage points, and dared to believe that just maybe, we have been limited and hasty in our original certainties about each other, about God, and about the world?  To 'come and see' is to approach all of life with a grace-filled curiosity, to believe that we are holy mysteries to each other, worthy of further exploration. To come and see is to enter into the joy of being deeply seen and deeply known, and to have the very best that lies hidden within us called out and called forth. I write these words in hope. In fragile hope, but hope nonetheless. Not because we’re capable of clear vision on our own, but because we are held by the eternal promise of Jesus who said: 'You will see greater things than these.' We will. We will see heaven open. We will see angels. We will see the love and justice of God. So don’t be afraid. Don’t hide. Don’t despair. Live boldly into the calling of Epiphany. See. Name. Speak. Bless. God is near and God is speaking. Many good things can come out of Nazareth."

Josh looks at three passages from this week's Lectionary, and we are reminded that to embody the life of Jesus, we are called to repentance and are given an identity. The Creator Spirit that hovers over the waters in Genesis leads us to go low. In Mark, we see Jesus standing in line to be baptized by John who is calling people to repentance. And immediately, the heavens open; the Holy Spirit descends; and the Father calls Jesus, "His Beloved Son." We too are the Father's beloved sons and daughters called to repentance and given the Holy Spirit to live out the new life of unity in Christ. We also heard three more testimonies from the RCC family regarding how the Lord blessed them in 2020. Genesis 1:1-5; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11. 

Josh shares from Ephesians 1 and reminds us of the blessings we have seen as a church family over a challenging year like 2020. Like the church in Ephesus, we have many things to be thankful for, and we recognize that all blessings flow from God to us, and from us to others, and then those others praise God for the blessings they've received. And that cycle of blessing and praise continues. We heard from many in the RCC family today testifying of the blessings they've received. Ephesians 1:3-14.  Josh shared three quotes today:  1) Allen Hilton: "Christians in Ephesus may have thought their decision was more a shift in religious focus -- no big deal. Just changed habit of worship. Then his letter, read after a meal, and they discovered that their small steps into a new community had been planned by God before the beginning of time. That the steps amounted to God's adoption of them through Christ. That they were part of a plan to bring all separated fragments of creation together in unity through Christ and that this would all end in a glorious inheritance." 2) Thomas Steagald: "We are those chosen for praise to God, destined for worship and appointed unto doxology. If we cannot yet see all that will be we can already sing it. We sing of what will surely come by the grace of God. In doing so, we prove that we are marked by the seal of the Holy Spirit. The spirit serves as a kind of retainer, or sustainer, until the fullness of time. In the day to come, all will sing and give thanks to God; until then, we have received the lavish blessings and redemption sung on behalf of the rest. If the origin of the message of Christmas is that the Word becomes flesh and dwells among us, the culmination of the season is that our flesh becomes the praise of God who makes us all one." 3) James McTyre: "God has set in motion an irresistible cycle of gifts and thanks, of which we are destined to be a part of, but certainly not the end. Rather than being entitled by God's spirit of adoption, we are obligated by its purposes. The mark of 'the seal of the promised Holy Spirit' is not that we believe and then stop, satisfied of our own salvation. The mark of the Holy Spirit is seen when we continue to place this imprint of love upon our neighbors, our friends, and even our enemies. By the mystery of God's will, they too will continue the cycle of gift and thanksgiving. What plans do we have, what plans do our churches have in the coming year to live into the mystery of God's will? How do we propose to continue to write, say, and give thanks? How will we continue to share our spiritual, physical, and financial gifts? Will we live another year as people with possessions, or will we live as people with gifts? Will we cautiously parcel out our gifts, or will we heap them lavishly, as God has given them to us? Mercifully, even if we missed the opportunities of Christmas, there are always second Sundays, second chances to begin anew. Our lives can be grateful, again."  

Kara looks at Luke 2 and John 1 to remind us that Christmas is more than a single day to be celebrated. The purpose of the season is celebration. We have a hard time sitting in celebration. And the twelve days of Christmas are an invitation to celebrate the Emmanuel Jesus. Scripture describes a season of 400 years of silence from God -- of people waiting to celebrate the Messiah's arrival. Simeon and Anna were worshiping God in their waiting into very old age, and they witness Jesus' presentation at the temple. The testimonies of Simeon and Anna serve as a reminder that God did what he said he would do. He is true to his word. And we can celebrate that in our own times of waiting. 

As we celebrate the fourth week of Advent, focusing on the theme of love, Josh shares from Luke 1 and the story of the Annunciation of Mary. In response to the angel's news of her role in the incarnation of Jesus, Mary sings a song of praise -- the Magnificat. Jesus continues to break into our lives today. And we have an opportunity to respond to the change and transformation that comes when Jesus breaks in. What will your magnificat sound like? What stories do you have to tell of what Jesus is doing in your life? Luke 1:26-56. Josh shared a couple of quotes today:  1) Gail Ricciuti: "People are always puzzled that this pregnant woman who before giving birth speaks of her Offspring approaching Mission as if it's already accomplished. The way in which she sings her song calls a Future Vision into the present. The resulting Synergy reveals a vibrant now in which God's realm is complete and dwelling Among Us. The end is where we start from so that the end precedes the beginning. If so, then the saving justice of God's rain is as good as accomplished among those who can articulate its outlines. We are not used to seeing the realities around us in this way. Realists we call ourselves ignoring the Deep implications of incarnation no less than Resurrection, the new thing God has already done that sleeps below the surface of our perceptions. Now challenges to cultivate the ability to see God's promises as already having come to pass." 2) Debie Thomas: "The Magnificat is a song of too much hope. Of course it is, because "too much hope" is precisely what we're called to cultivate on this fourth and final Sunday in Advent. Can you do it? Can you find your voice and share it with a world more desperately in need than ever? What does your Magnificat sound like this year? How is God magnified through your unique perspective and vision? What stories of divine favor do you have to tell? What glorious reversals do you see heading our way? What words will you choose to describe the  Good News of the Messiah you carry? Don’t wait. Sing it. Sing it now." The Advent Choir's special song is also included in the podcast. 

As we celebrate the third week of Advent, focusing on the theme of joy, Josh looks at John the Baptist again but from the perspective of the Gospel of John (different "John" by the way). While John is in the wild baptizing people, the Pharisees send some men to ask him, "Who are you?" And John has to look inward before he looks outward. He could choose to open with how he's the witness described by Isaiah to prepare the way -- to push himself into the forefront. But he doesn't. His first response is one of humility. He tells them that he is not the Christ. He has a purpose -- like we all do -- but it's not to be Christ. He points them to the light. Whatever else we do, our first and primary responsibility is to point others to that same light. Psalm 126; John 1:6-8, 19-28.  Before his message, Josh also shared some important announcements related to our church staff. At the end of the message, Josh asked us to consider three questions this week:  1) How has the Father used this season to enrich and shape you? 2) In what ways can you share your story? How can you testify about His goodness?  3) Whilst in a season of waiting, how can you celebrate Him right now?  

As we celebrate the second week of Advent, focusing on the theme of peace, Josh shares from Mark 1 and Isaiah 40 -- both of which discuss "preparing the way of the Lord." What does that look like? Mountains brought low. Valleys lifted up. Uneven ground becomes level. A people in the wilderness reminded that the presence of the Lord is coming. Hope is coming. Peace is coming. Joy is coming. Love is coming. Comfort is coming. John the Baptist prepares the way of Jesus, calling people to confession and repentance. That is how we, in our pride, are brought low to be lifted up by and through the grace of God. Mark 1:1-8; Isaiah 40:1-11.  Josh shared a quote from Debi Thomas this week: "To locate ourselves at the outskirts of our own power is to acknowledge our vulnerability in the starkest terms. In the wilderness, we have no choice but to wait and watch as if our lives depend on God showing up. Because they do. And it's into such an environment -- an environment so far removed from power as to make power laughable -- that the word of God comes." https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/2838-comfort-my-people  

Josh shares a message from Isaiah 64 for the first week of Advent -- the week whose theme is hope. Isaiah is crying out to God and is tired of waiting. Where are you, God? We need you! Do the things you did before. But God is doing a deeper work in Isaiah and the people of Israel. Many of us today feel like Isaiah did then. And the good news is that the waiting we're experiencing isn't empty waiting. The Advent season helps remind us that something is coming. We expectantly wait for the new things God wants to do in and through Christ in us. Isaiah 64:1-9. Josh shared two quotes from Patricia de Kong today:  1) Her comment on Bonhoeffer: "What Bonhoeffer discovered was that the hiddenness of God is not a cloak of humility temporarily covering an awesome, powerful glory (a kind of Clark Kent/Superman act), but rather is a reflection of the divine character, a divine determination to relate to the world through the vulnerable path of non-coercive love and suffering service rather than through domination and force. God's refusal to replicate a Red Sea-type deliverance does not mean that God has abandoned Israel (or the church).  "Our hope does not rely on God's acting today in the same ways God acted in the ancient stories, but it does rely on God's being the same God yesterday, today, and tomorrow -- a God who hears our cries, a God who does not abandon us, a God who will finally redeem all that is lost in a new heaven and new earth (Isaiah 65:17). The tradition of biblical lament does not invoke the past as nostalgia, nor does it dismiss the present in despair; rather, it draws on the collective memories of God's people as a source of hope for the future."   2) "I recall a comment that our country has changed over the past years from one that wanted to be good to one that wants to feel good. We see some of this desire every Christmas season as people run from store to store and shopping mall to shopping mall, searching for the things that will bring them and their families some sort of fulfillment and happiness. Peace, the kind of peace that the world is hungering for, will not come from trying to fill ourselves up with material things. We try to stem our hurt and pride by running away from pain and caring only about what is ours. We cannot create peace through selfishness, but by opening ourselves to hope. Hope is what is left when your worst fears have been realized and you are no longer optimistic about the future. Hope is what comes with a broken heart willing to be mended."   The song that Josh shared at the end of service was "Voice of God" by Dante Bowe. You can see the video of that song here: https://youtu.be/hP5u4BUcq_U

Dr. Cheryl Bridges Johns looks at Exodus 35 and shares a message about the Creator Spirit ("Veni Creator Spiritus"). During this Covid season, the church has had to be creative. The Creator Spirit that inspired the many hands to fashion and craft the tabernacle in the time of Moses -- a portable and tangible place of habitation for the presence of God -- continues to inspire us to create beauty out of chaos through the variety of work we do. We have an opportunity to call on that Creator Spirit to provide wisdom to participate in those new creations using the skills we've been blessed with. Exodus 35:30-35. Dr. Johns shared a song by Graham Kendrick called "Creator Spirit (Veni Creator Spiritus)" at the end of service. Here is a link to that lyric video: https://youtu.be/l2VWG0n26K0 You can find sheet music, a lead sheet and a chord chart for that song at Graham Kendrick's website: https://grahamkendrick.co.uk/songs/graham-kendrick-songs/other-recordings-new-songs/creator-spirit Dr. Johns' most recent book can be found here: https://amzn.to/3pRLviN 

Josh shares a message from Jeremiah 29 (not just the verse everyone knows) and Hebrews 12, inviting us to reexamine how we practice our faith. We've been given a rich history from which to draw but often settle for bumping into Jesus when we can. The life of St. Patrick and the Christian community he was a part of illustrates a different way to walk out what the writer of Hebrews describes for us as children of God. Jeremiah 29:1-14; Hebrews 12:1-17. 

Kara shares her heart for community looking at a passage from Mark 2. There, a paralytic man's friends lower him through a roof to receive healing from Jesus. The man's faith was strengthened and his life transformed through the faith of his friends, and it offers us a glimpse of what it means to live in community with our friends and neighbors. Choosing to be rooted in community is the way towards a deeply formed spiritual life. Mark 2:1-12; Acts 2:42-47. 

Josh continues our discussion of the prayers of the season (POTS) asking the question, "What does Jesus say that community looks like?" Using a passage from Matthew where Jesus is talking about unclean spirits in a house and then in front of his mother and brother, refers to the disciples as his mother and his brothers, we get a glimpse of what Jesus wants to do in our lives and how his view of us invites us into a community that, among other things, eats together, shares responsibility, holds each other accountable, and is faithful to each other until death. Matthew 12:43-50; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:26; Mark 11:17; 1 Corinthians 10:17.

Josh continues our discussion of the prayers of the season (POTS), bridging between "Clear Paths for Formation and Discipleship" and "Community, Belonging and Connectedness." We live in a culture that touts individualism, and it is easy to succumb to that in our daily lives. That pursuit leaves many Americans as some of the loneliest people in the world. Jesus calls us to Christian community which provides a path to a collectivist mindset that prioritizes the group over one's individual interests. 1 Corinthians 10:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10. Josh provided a quote from Lucy Shaw: "The pace of life and our preoccupation with unimportant things take so much of our attention. The significant things, like taking time to develop friendship, to read and pray, to listen to God -- these all get sacrificed on the altar of good works and Christian busyness."

Josh continues looking at our prayer of the season related to spiritual formation and asks: "Where does spiritual formation happen?" We see in the life of Jesus and his disciples a rhythm of Jesus getting away in silence and solitude and living in community repeatedly. Jesus invites us on a journey, asking us to share our desires with him and to tell him what we want him to do for us like blind Bartimaeus. But spiritual formation is more than that one-on-one relationship with Jesus. Spiritual formation encompasses at least three things: community, vulnerability and accountability. Psalm 23; Mark 10:49-52; Matthew 4:18-22; 1 Corinthians 10:17. 

Josh opens our series of messages related to our most recent Prayers of the Season (POTS). Spiritual formation offers an opportunity to discover how Jesus wants to interact with us. We are invited to keep company with Jesus. We aren't invited to follow a list of steps to arrive at formation. We journey. The point is the journey -- not the destination. By sharing our deepest desires with Jesus, he can reveal how he wants to walk with us through that, what he wants to show us about ourselves, and where he wants to take us. Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 11:28-30; Philippians 3:4-14.  Josh shared an acrostic from Adele Ahlberg Calhoun to help us step into spiritual formation. What desire grabs your heart when you read these things?  "WORSHIP" Worship God Open myself to God Relinquish the false self & idols of the heart Share my life with others Hear the word of God Incarnate Christ's love for the world Pray to God

Kara shares a message from Philippians, illustrating how humility and honor operate in the Kingdom of God. Paul writes to the church in Philippi speaking of the assurance that comes in and through Christ: encouragement, love, participation in the Spirit, affection, joy, unity, etc. And yet, we see often in the Church, a group of people who struggle to honor the differences among each other. Kara reminds us that in the example of Jesus -- who became a servant for all -- we have the proximity we need to find the humility to count others more significant than ourselves and the support we need to deal with the costs of denying ourselves. Philippians 2:1-13. 

Josh shares a message from Matthew 20 about Jesus' parable of the generous landowner. We see the landowner find people to help with his vineyard, and he selects people who may look the part and those who may feel unworthy of inclusion for the labor. And he pays them all the same day's wage. Unsurprisingly, some grumble at the apparent "unfairness" of the decision. But why can't we be happy for what someone else got when we've been provided for as well? Luke 24:32; Colossians 3:14-16; John 10:14-16; Matthew 20:1-16; Jonah 4:1-11.  Josh shared a quote from Frederick Buechner: "Don't start looking in the Bible for the answers it gives. Start by listening for the questions it asks."

Josh shares from Matthew 18 and Jesus' teaching about forgiveness. Jesus is trying to explain to the disciples how crucial forgiveness is to the Kingdom. This is how Christian community is built. We have to understand what we have received from Jesus in the way of forgiveness and grace, and if we have that understanding, we will offer the same forgiveness to others. Matthew 18:21-35. Josh shared three quotes about forgiveness:  1) Anne Lamott (in Traveling Mercies): "Withholding forgiveness is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die." 2) Nora Gallagher: "Forgiveness is a way to unburden oneself from the constant pressure of rewriting the past." 3) Henri Nouwen: "Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly, and so we need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. Forgiveness is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."

Josh shares from a passage in Matthew 18 part of which is commonly quoted without the context preceding it. We've all heard "where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them," but that comes at the end of Jesus' instructions regarding how to handle conflict. Jesus is being realistic with the disciples. You are going to have conflict. You are going to be hurt. This is a way to fight for healing. Matthew 18:15-20; Matthew 9:9; Luke 19:5-10.

Josh looks at a couple of passages from Isaiah 51 and Matthew 16. Both passages reference rocks and teach us important lessons. In one, we are reminded of what God has done for us and that we can trust Him even when circumstances may suggest otherwise. It's not worth going back to revive the things that are dead. In the other, we are reminded of the power of our testimony of who Jesus is, which also brings us to a place of remembering what we've experienced with Jesus and that we can trust Him in the midst of our wilderness. Isaiah 51:1-6; Matthew 16:13-20; Exodus 16:1-4.  Josh also shared a quote from Debi Thomas: "I’m stunned by the answers that Peter must have lived into as time went on — answers he never could have articulated in the early years of discipleship.  “Who do you say that I am?”  You are the one who found me in a fishing boat and gave me a new vocation.  You’re the one who healed my mother-in-law.  You’re the one who said, “Yes, walk on water."  You’re the one who caught me before I drowned.  You’re the one who glowed on a mountaintop while I babbled nonsense.  You’re the one who washed my feet while I squirmed in shame.  You’re the one who told me — accurately — that I’d be a coward on the very night you needed me to be brave.  You’re the one I denied three times to save my skin.  You’re the one who looked into my eyes with pain and pity when the cock crowed.  You’re the one who fed me breakfast on a beach and spoke love and fresh purpose into my humiliation.  You’re the one who gave me the courage to preach to three thousand people on Pentecost.  You’re the one who taught me that I must not call unclean what you have pronounced clean.  You are the one who stayed by my side through insults, beatings, and imprisonments.  You are the one I followed into martyrdom.  You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

Josh shares a message based around Psalm 67, asking the questions: "What does it mean to be blessed?" We can be susceptible to viewing our circumstances through the lens of curse. But the language of blessing is important. We are blessed in the gathering -- however we can gather in the current environment. The blessing of God is always wrapped up in the community we are a part of. Psalm 67; Numbers 6:24-26. 

Kara shares from the story of Jesus walking on the water in Matthew 14. Often, we focus on Peter's response to Jesus walking on the water, but what do we learn about the character of Jesus in this story? How does Jesus respond to us when we are in the storm? When we are in a storm that Jesus compelled us to encounter? Matthew 14:22-33.

Josh shares a message from Matthew 14 and Jesus' miracle of feeding the 5000. The disciples come to Jesus filled with compassion for the people who have gathered to hear Jesus teach and are now hungry. They don't know how to handle the situation. We see Jesus' motivation for His ministry -- love and compassion. And we see what it is like to use one's gifts and calling for the right reasons. Matthew 14:13-21; Psalm 78:19; Matthew 4:2-4; Matthew 9:36.

Bill shares a message from Romans 8. Many in the midst of the disruption of the Covid-19 pandemic are also dealing with a variety of life challenges and losses. The confluence of events only highlights that life is hard. Hopefully, in today's lectionary passage, we sense the depth of God's love for us in the reality of the Spirit groaning for us when we can't find the words to pray, and Jesus, in His humanity, experiencing the range of emotions we face in hard times and divinely staying with us to the end -- gloriously completing what He began. Romans 8:26-39; 1 Kings 3:5-12.

Josh shares from another parable in Matthew 13 today that can create a tension within us when we read it. Jesus is describing a sower who sows good seed in his field, and an enemy who comes in the night and sows weeds in that same field. We -- like the disciples, I imagine -- are tempted to get caught wondering whether we are the wheat or the weeds that grow in that field. Whether we should tear up the weeds right now. Why isn't our first response: "Thank you, Lord, that You are going to restore?" Jesus isn't in a hurry to separate what's in the field. There will be a time for that, and that isn't our responsibility. Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43.  Josh shared a number of paradoxes that carry a similar tension and require us to pause to wrestle with them:  1) God is One & Three.  2) Jesus is God & human.  3) The Bible is the Word of God & authored by flawed humans.  4) Creation is good & broken. 5) To give is to receive.  6) To die is to live.  7) To pardon is to be pardoned.  8) To be weak is to be strong. 

Josh shares about the familiar parable from Matthew 13 about the sower who casts seed on a variety of soils and what happens to the seeds sown in those soils. We have a tendency to view this parable as the "Parable of the Soils," getting caught up in identifying which soil describes our spiritual walk. But Jesus is telling the "Parable of the Sower." He is describing the reckless way He loves. He is reminding us that the Kingdom is a seed planted within us by Him and that we cannot produce the fruit of that without Him. Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Galatians 3:1-3; 1 Corinthians 3:7; John 15:1-4; Colossians 3:12-17; Micah 6:8. 

Josh shares a message from Romans 7 where Paul is talking about how sin lies near when he tries to do good. Sin is not a word we like to discuss. We aren't comfortable with the reality that there is something at play that interferes with our lives. But if we can't name the sin in our lives -- the things that need the grace we like to talk about -- we can't receive the grace that abounds through Jesus. Romans 7:15-25; Romans 5:20.  Josh shared a quote from Debi Thomas' website today. You can find that essay here: https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/2678-a-lighter-burden

Josh shares from Jeremiah 28 about competing words from the Lord declared by the prophets Hananiah and Jeremiah. Hananiah is declaring what the people want to hear. Jeremiah is declaring a word from the Lord that is difficult to hear, but he is the picture of ongoing rootedness with God. The people are left with a question that we still must face today: "How do we discern Yahweh's voice?" Matthew 18:20; 1 Peter 2:9; Hebrews 10:24-25; Proverbs 16:9; Jeremiah 28.