Podcasts about falling into grace

If you would like to support this ministry and help us reach people all across the globe, you can do so by clicking here:  or text ANY DOLLAR AMOUNT to 84321

Donald Grey Barnhouse was - for half a century - one of the most widely acclaimed American preachers. Scholarly exposition and a popular approach marked his teaching as well as a passion for Making God's Word Plain. Listen and find out why an unyielding faith, devotion to Christ, innovation, and great energy marked his ministry. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/791/29

Hello! Im Paolo Peralta aka ​⁠ & ​⁠ life is awesome! lets stay connected

Tullian started a new series yesterday entitled “Pictures of Grace.” He went back to Genesis 3:1-7 to see why we even need grace from God and how quick God is to give us grace in the middle of our guilt. The phrase “fall from grace” needs to go away forever. When we tank, we fall into grace, not away from it. We hope this first message of the series—“Falling Into Grace"—is a huge encouragement to you.

We all fail and when we do, we feel like we deserve punishment and judgement, but in God's Kingdom it's just the opposite. Today, I'm joined with Daniel Dodd, who was a successful pastor that had a major moral failure, costing him his job, his spiritual community and his pride. Although he was shunned by his church, he was surprised at what he found in God. Instead of harsh judgement and disappointment, he fell into loving, forgiving and accepting arms. Just like my story, Daniel was surprised at the response he experienced in God. His story is raw, honest and full of grace. Learn more about the KNGDM Collective. Watch us on YouTube. Join our FREE Facebook group. Connect with Joey. Produced by Joey Papa Media.

Original Airdate: July 30, 2018Spiritual thinker, teacher and author Adyashanti explores the meaning of grace and how it shows up when and where we least expect it. Adyashanti offers practical insights into how and why the thoughts in our heads must not be mistaken for our true identities. He explains why all negative energy is looking for resolution and reveals a surprising way to let go of painful emotions and unlock true happiness. Adyashanti also discusses his books “Falling into Grace: Insights on the End of Suffering” and “Resurrecting Jesus: Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic.”

We are following the story of Eutychus in the book of Acts 20: 1-12 with Pastor Josh Samarco. Recorded on July 24, 2022.

Time:MorningMinister:Rev. Phil GrotenhuisTexts:2 Samuel 9

Recorded at the Mockingbird Conference in OKC, 2016. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

Recorded at the Mockingbird Conference in OKC, 2016. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

Learning to fall into grace.

If you've ever wanted to wake up from your dream state, then do we have The Way of Liberation show for you. Today I'll be talking with the spiritual teacher Adyanshanti, author of two of the most beautiful and important books I've ever read, Falling Into Grace, and The Way of Liberation. And that's just what I want to talk with him about today, about a practical guide to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Awakening & Enlightenment Self-Improvement and Self-Help topics include: What Adyashanti was like as a child? What he discovered about the world? What his early spiritual experiences were like? What did Adyashanti discover in a book by Alan Watts? How did he get into Zen Buddhism? What did he build in his backyard for meditation practice? What is the “spiritual fast track” What were his awakening experiences? Why is it so important we wake up now? What's the importance of moving past our egoic minds? What's the importance of letting go of judgment of yourself? What's the importance of the question of being? Why is it so important to know thyself? Why is the question of being everything? What does it mean to be sleep walking in life? Why is it so important to awaken? What are the three core practices for awakening? What's the importance of meditation? What is meditation that helps with awakening? How does one begin with this type of meditation (and for how long)? What is the process of inquiry? How does one begin the process of inquiry, and what can it be done on? How does one balance inquiry with meditation? What's the importance of introducing a sentence or phrase into meditation? What's the importance of understanding what is looking through our eyes? A guided meditation to help us begin the awakening process. To find out more visit: Adyashanti.org And for free meditations, weekly tips, stories and similar shows visit: www.InspireNationShow.com  And to support the show and get even more great tools, tips, and behind-the-scenes access, visit: www.Patreon.com/InspireNation  

Don't miss this week's Connect podcast where we'll dive into God's Word and have an inspiring discussion with author and friend, Michael Flournoy. This week, we'll be talking about Michael's newest book, "Falling into Grace: How a Mormon Apologist Stumbled into Christianity." If you want to grow in your faith and make a difference in your world, this is for you. Be sure to share so your friends will join us. https://makingtheconnection.org/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cole-phillips2/support

In this episode, Michael the Ex-Mormon Apologist takes some time out from his universe-wide book tour to stop in at the Outer Brightness studio. He talks with Matthew and Paul about his new book, Falling Into Grace: How A Mormon Apologist Stumbled Into Christianity. Pick up your copy here: Amazon Link

Christians aren't perfect, but God's grace is a gift to all of us.

Today Dr. Norris explains when you sin you do not fall OUT of the grace of God. Reality is, you fall INTO the Grace of God. Support the show (http://www.harvestfellowshipchurch.net)

Today Dr. Norris explains when you sin you do not fall OUT of the grace of God. Reality is, you fall INTO the Grace of God. Support the show (http://www.harvestfellowshipchurch.net)

My friend Mike Garrett joins us in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis to discuss the purpose in the process of suffering. Thank you for your patience as I took several months off to “counter balance” a few other goals and projects. I’m glad to be back doing the podcast, especially now, and I appreciate all of the continued positive feedback and support. Some links for what we discussed in this episode: Falling Into Grace, by John Newton (I quote from this book several times in this episode). I found this book in an Episcopal church book store during a break at the Austin Film Festival, and it has turned into my “sleeper hit” of the year, book wise. An unexpected joy to read, and full of deep, applicable truth. The Bible Project - great videos, even better podcast (if you’re a fan of deep, long-format podcasts like I obviously am).

If you've ever wanted to wake up from your dream state, then do we have The Way of Liberation show for you. Today I'll be talking with the spiritual teacher Adyanshanti, author of two of the most beautiful and important books I've ever read, Falling Into Grace, and The Way of Liberation. And that's just what I want to talk with him about today, about a practical guide to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Awakening & Enlightenment Self-Improvement and Self-Help topics include: What Adyashanti was like as a child? What he discovered about the world? What his early spiritual experiences were like? What did Adyashanti discover in a book by Alan Watts? How did he get into Zen Buddhism? What did he build in his backyard for meditation practice? What is the “spiritual fast track” What were his awakening experiences? Why is it so important we wake up now? What's the importance of moving past our egoic minds? What's the importance of letting go of judgment of yourself? What's the importance of the question of being? Why is it so important to know thyself? Why is the question of being everything? What does it mean to be sleep walking in life? Why is it so important to awaken? What are the three core practices for awakening? What's the importance of meditation? What is meditation that helps with awakening? How does one begin with this type of meditation (and for how long)? What is the process of inquiry? How does one begin the process of inquiry, and what can it be done on? How does one balance inquiry with meditation? What's the importance of introducing a sentence or phrase into meditation? What's the importance of understanding what is looking through our eyes? A guided meditation to help us begin the awakening process. To find out more visit: Adyashanti.org And for free meditations, weekly tips, stories and similar shows visit: www.InspireNationShow.com  And to support the show and get even more great tools, tips, and behind-the-scenes access, visit: www.Patreon.com/InspireNation  

If you worked out in the 80s, you know Petra. She is an expert in the fitness industry and has been presenting and teaching for over 25 years. She has worked in over 30 countries and knows all about perfection. That’s why her book, The Perfection Detox: Tame Your Inner Critic, Live Bravely and Unleash Your Joy. In this episode Petra explains why comparison is the thief of joy, and that we don’t meet in perfect.   Buy Petra’s book here https://petrakolber.com/ Petra’s book choice is The Four Agreements https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005BRS8Z6/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Falling Into Grace https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004LLINOY/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 Her song choices are Happy by Pharrel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6Sxv-sUYtM Rejoice Steve Angello https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deo_Cq5Hbd8 For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy

Have you ever held on to something so tightly that you couldn't let it go? What if the very thing that appears secure is actually holding you back? Could it be the guilt and shame of your past? What about your mistakes and failures? There's a better way to live — and Jesus came so that we could experience it. It's time…to let go.Support the show (http://www.momentumchurch.org/give)

Have you ever held on to something so tightly that you couldn't let it go? What if the very thing that appears secure is actually holding you back? Could it be the guilt and shame of your past? What about your mistakes and failures? There's a better way to live — and Jesus came so that we could experience it. It's time…to let go.Support the show (http://www.momentumchurch.org/give)

Have you ever held on to something so tightly that you couldn't let it go? What if the very thing that appears secure is actually holding you back? Could it be the guilt and shame of your past? What about your mistakes and failures? There's a better way to live — and Jesus came so that we could experience it. It's time…to let go.Support the show (http://www.momentumchurch.org/give)

Have you ever held on to something so tightly that you couldn't let it go? What if the very thing that appears secure is actually holding you back? Could it be the guilt and shame of your past? What about your mistakes and failures? There's a better way to live — and Jesus came so that we could experience it. It's time…to let go. Support the show (http://www.momentumchurch.org/give)

Adyashanti shares a discussion with Raghu about facing challenges along the spiritual path and finding a balance between effort and grace.Find show notes and book recommendations here: https://beherenownetwork.com/mindrolling-ep-256-adyashanti/

If you've ever wanted to wake up from your dream state, then do we have The Way of Liberation show for you. Today I'll be talking with the spiritual teacher Adyanshanti, author of two of the most beautiful and important books I've ever read, Falling Into Grace, and The Way of Liberation. And that's just what I want to talk with him about today, about a practical guide to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Awakening & Enlightenment Self-Improvement and Self-Help topics include: What Adyashanti was like as a child? What he discovered about the world? What his early spiritual experiences were like? What did Adyashanti discover in a book by Alan Watts? How did he get into Zen Buddhism? What did he build in his backyard for meditation practice? What is the “spiritual fast track” What were his awakening experiences? Why is it so important we wake up now? What's the importance of moving past our egoic minds? What's the importance of letting go of judgment of yourself? What's the importance of the question of being? Why is it so important to know thyself? Why is the question of being everything? What does it mean to be sleep walking in life? Why is it so important to awaken? What are the three core practices for awakening? What's the importance of meditation? What is meditation that helps with awakening? How does one begin with this type of meditation (and for how long)? What is the process of inquiry? How does one begin the process of inquiry, and what can it be done on? How does one balance inquiry with meditation? What's the importance of introducing a sentence or phrase into meditation? What's the importance of understanding what is looking through our eyes? A guided meditation to help us begin the awakening process. To find out more visit: Adyashanti.org Adyashanti on How to Begin Spiritual Awakening & Your Path to Enlightenment, Plus Greater Happiness, Today! + Guided Meditation | Health | Fitness | Inspiration | Motivation | Spirituality | Zen Buddhism | Self-Improvement | Self-Help | Inspire For More Info Visit: www.InspireNationShow.com 

Spiritual thinker, teacher and author Adyashanti explores the meaning of grace and how it shows up when and where we least expect it. Adyashanti offers practical insights into how and why the thoughts in our heads must not be mistaken for our true identities. He explains why all negative energy is looking for resolution, and reveals a surprising way to let go of painful emotions and unlock true happiness. Adyashanti also discusses his books “Falling into Grace: Insights on the End of Suffering” and “Resurrecting Jesus: Embodying the Spirit of a Revolutionary Mystic.”

Guest Preacher Jose Aenlle We all stumble. We all fall. What’s important to remember is that we know whose arms we are falling into – no matter how hard the fall, God is in the midst of it all – there to pick us back up.

Falling Into Grace - Acts Part 3 (Week 5) | Pastor Brent Ingersoll by Kings Church

If you've ever wanted to wake up from your dream state, then do we have The Way of Liberation show for you. Today I'll be talking with the spiritual teacher Adyanshanti, author of two of the most beautiful and important books I've ever read, Falling Into Grace, and The Way of Liberation. And that's just what I want to talk with him about today, about a practical guide to spiritual awakening and enlightenment. Awakening & Enlightenment Self-Improvement and Self-Help topics include: What Adyashanti was like as a child? What he discovered about the world? What his early spiritual experiences were like? What did Adyashanti discover in a book by Alan Watts? How did he get into Zen Buddhism? What did he build in his backyard for meditation practice? What is the “spiritual fast track” What were his awakening experiences? Why is it so important we wake up now? What's the importance of moving past our egoic minds? What's the importance of letting go of judgment of yourself? What's the importance of the question of being? Why is it so important to know thyself? Why is the question of being everything? What does it mean to be sleep walking in life? Why is it so important to awaken? What are the three core practices for awakening? What's the importance of meditation? What is meditation that helps with awakening? How does one begin with this type of meditation (and for how long)? What is the process of inquiry? How does one begin the process of inquiry, and what can it be done on? How does one balance inquiry with meditation? What's the importance of introducing a sentence or phrase into meditation? What's the importance of understanding what is looking through our eyes? A guided meditation to help us begin the awakening process. To find out more visit: Adyashanti.org Adyashanti on How to Begin Spiritual Awakening & Your Path to Enlightenment, Plus Greater Happiness, Today! + Guided Meditation | Health | Fitness | Inspiration | Motivation | Spirituality | Zen Buddhism | Self-Improvement | Self-Help | Inspire For More Info Visit: www.InspireNationShow.com 

Tray and Mel welcome author and speaker Elyse Fitzpatrick to the Undone Redone podcast! Elyse is the author of 23 books on daily living and the Christian life, including Good News For Weary Women, Because He Loves Me, Found in Him, and Give Them Grace. Elyse is a frequent speaker at women’s conferences, has been married for over 40 years, and has three adult children and six grandchildren.   Connect with Elyse at www.elysefitzpatrick.com.

Free Falling Into Grace - Pastor Ben Sheets by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City July 17, 2016 - Proper 11 Amos 8:1-12 Luke 10:38-42 Don’t Do Your Chores, Kids I looked through several children’s Bibles on a hunch over the last week looking for the Martha and Mary story we just heard, and my hunch was confirmed. Not a single one contained this story of Martha doing all the chores, Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, and Jesus telling Martha that Mary had it right. No parent wants their children to hear this story. “Don’t do your chores kids. Just sit around and listen to Jesus.” To be fair to both Mary and Martha, both work and rest are required. We gotta get our chores done. We gotta get our work done, and we want to strive for excellence in what we do. Mary is not the patron saint of laziness. She could be called the saint of setting aside all distractions and serenely receiving the Word of God. Martha, on the other hand, wanted to receive the Word of God. Indeed, she had invited Jesus into her home, but then she was too busy being a host that she couldn’t just be with Jesus. She was like the people described in Amos 8:12, scurrying around searching for the Word of God and not finding it. Martha has become a symbol for our time and our culture, searching frantically for some peace, for some good news, for some way to keep our heads above water. Many of us even invite Jesus in, but we’re so busy and distracted, that we never actually find the peace, good news, and salvation for which we’re so frantically searching. Mary found the Word of God in Jesus and knew her search and scurrying were over. She could rest, and so can we if we will but choose to. I’m guessing that for many of us, the thought that it’s actually good not to work for a while and just rest at Jesus’ feet is probably kinda nice. That’s not what our economy would probably say, not what businesses might encourage; we may even feel bad about taking that time to rest, shamed by all the frantically searching Marthas, but looking at God’s plan from the beginning, rest and intentional time taking rest is such an integral part of what it is to be human, that it is even part of the image of God in which we were made. God rested on the 7th day, just spent time with creation and with God’s self. Kristin encouraged me to rest last Monday, not to do a whole lot, just relax, spend time with the kids. “I don’t relax very well,” was my reply, but she persisted. So, I relented and spent time resting and being with the kids. It was a great, grace-filled day. Jesus was there in that time spent with family, in the rest, in the Sabbath. Looking at our traditional way of resting in the Word of God, we gather in our church for worship and communion for an hour each Sunday. Let’s be honest that for many folks nowadays, coming to a church service isn’t exactly the first and best idea of rest, or something particularly enjoyable. There are hard benches, old music, stories from an ancient book, sit, stand, kneel - that’s one way to experience worship. Here’s another. We join in prayers and a way of worship going back over a thousand years…joining with Christians from the earliest days of Christianity. We gather together with a community of faith, and doubt. We sit at the feet of Jesus, who is unseen, yet ever-present. We collect our prayers along with the prayers of others, and we set aside the worries of the day for a short respite; bring those worries here to lay down that heavy burden at the altar and take up the yoke of Jesus, his way and teaching, his life and guidance, and to receive his love. Taking up Jesus’ yoke and receiving his love means that we have to let our guard down a bit when coming to church. For one thing, we have to see the cross. We have to admit that we don’t have it all together. We have to admit that as good a person as we each are, we’re also not great people, meaning that we all hurt each other. We’re all broken people who break others out of our brokenness. By coming to worship at a church, we have to acknowledge that, and we have to acknowledge our need for God to redeem us with himself. Then, we also have to accept God’s acceptance of us. God loves and accepts us not because we are good and not in spite of our flaws. God loves and accepts us completely irrespective of our flaws because of how good God is. To accept God’s acceptance of us, we have to let go of our shame which keeps telling us we’re not worthy of God’s love, lay that shame down at the foot of the cross, and accept that we are worthy of God’s love and belonging, simply because God loves us and we belong to him. Period. We don’t earn God’s love and belonging; on the one hand we can’t earn it, and on the other hand, we don’t need to. We belong to God because we are beloved of God, because God chooses to love us no matter what. Seeing the cross and then accepting God’s acceptance of us is why we come here for worship and communion. These ideas are expanded on more beautifully in John Newton’s book, Falling Into Grace, and I continue to recommend it to you. With all of the fear and anger and hatred in our world, we need to know that we belong and that we are loved. Spending time, like Mary did, resting in the Word of God tells us that we belong and that we are loved. So, for an hour a week, we get to soak that it. We get to be lazy. We get to sit…and kneel and stand, and not work, so that we can see the cross and accept God’s acceptance of us. Let’s face it, we get to be lazy. In the Episcopal Church, you don’t even have to work that hard at praying. It’s all in written down in the Book of Common Prayer; you’ve got a script. Now I realize having this worship service is work for some. Our altar guild prepares our space for worship; our ushers greet and guide us; our music leaders help us to pray through music and song; our lectors, acolytes, and Eucharistic Ministers help us to receive the Word of God in scripture and in sacrament, and our vestry members do just about everything on Sunday morning, especially if not primarily make coffee, the eighth sacrament. So there is work involved in Sunday morning, but that work is geared toward our rest. We’re both Martha and Mary. So with that work and that rest, what about when we mess up? We say the prayers wrong, or sing out of tune, or spill the red wine all over someone’s beautiful white silk dress? As far as I know that last one hasn’t happened, and honestly, I’d just advise against wearing a white silk dress to communion, but if someone messes up…cool. This is a place of prayer and grace, of mercy, forgiveness, and love. What if the kids are too loud or rambunctious? Ok. They’re kids. Jesus said let ‘em come. Out there we’re constantly struggling to keep up our appearances of perfection or of having it all together; it’s exhausting. In here, when we gather for worship or anytime we gather as a community, we get to be imperfect. We get to acknowledge the fact that we don’t have it all together, that we mess up, that our kids are loud. We get to be our true, authentic, flawed selves, and we get to be loved for being those true, authentic, flawed selves. That’s what seeing the cross and accepting acceptance is all about. Getting to be our true, authentic, flawed selves, and getting to be loved for being those true, authentic, flawed selves is what sitting at the feet of Jesus allows us to do. Rather than striving for perfection, we can just be. We strive for excellence in our worship and in our preparation of this space, just like we strive for excellence in our lives. Then when we inevitably fall short of that excellence, we can laugh and smile, and give thanks both for the striving and for the falling short. After all, we don’t come here for our excellence. We come here for Jesus. Jesus doesn’t come here because we are excellent or perfect. Jesus comes here because we are his and we are beloved. Amen.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City July 17, 2016 - Proper 11 Amos 8:1-12 Luke 10:38-42 Don’t Do Your Chores, Kids I looked through several children’s Bibles on a hunch over the last week looking for the Martha and Mary story we just heard, and my hunch was confirmed. Not a single one contained this story of Martha doing all the chores, Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, and Jesus telling Martha that Mary had it right. No parent wants their children to hear this story. “Don’t do your chores kids. Just sit around and listen to Jesus.” To be fair to both Mary and Martha, both work and rest are required. We gotta get our chores done. We gotta get our work done, and we want to strive for excellence in what we do. Mary is not the patron saint of laziness. She could be called the saint of setting aside all distractions and serenely receiving the Word of God. Martha, on the other hand, wanted to receive the Word of God. Indeed, she had invited Jesus into her home, but then she was too busy being a host that she couldn’t just be with Jesus. She was like the people described in Amos 8:12, scurrying around searching for the Word of God and not finding it. Martha has become a symbol for our time and our culture, searching frantically for some peace, for some good news, for some way to keep our heads above water. Many of us even invite Jesus in, but we’re so busy and distracted, that we never actually find the peace, good news, and salvation for which we’re so frantically searching. Mary found the Word of God in Jesus and knew her search and scurrying were over. She could rest, and so can we if we will but choose to. I’m guessing that for many of us, the thought that it’s actually good not to work for a while and just rest at Jesus’ feet is probably kinda nice. That’s not what our economy would probably say, not what businesses might encourage; we may even feel bad about taking that time to rest, shamed by all the frantically searching Marthas, but looking at God’s plan from the beginning, rest and intentional time taking rest is such an integral part of what it is to be human, that it is even part of the image of God in which we were made. God rested on the 7th day, just spent time with creation and with God’s self. Kristin encouraged me to rest last Monday, not to do a whole lot, just relax, spend time with the kids. “I don’t relax very well,” was my reply, but she persisted. So, I relented and spent time resting and being with the kids. It was a great, grace-filled day. Jesus was there in that time spent with family, in the rest, in the Sabbath. Looking at our traditional way of resting in the Word of God, we gather in our church for worship and communion for an hour each Sunday. Let’s be honest that for many folks nowadays, coming to a church service isn’t exactly the first and best idea of rest, or something particularly enjoyable. There are hard benches, old music, stories from an ancient book, sit, stand, kneel - that’s one way to experience worship. Here’s another. We join in prayers and a way of worship going back over a thousand years…joining with Christians from the earliest days of Christianity. We gather together with a community of faith, and doubt. We sit at the feet of Jesus, who is unseen, yet ever-present. We collect our prayers along with the prayers of others, and we set aside the worries of the day for a short respite; bring those worries here to lay down that heavy burden at the altar and take up the yoke of Jesus, his way and teaching, his life and guidance, and to receive his love. Taking up Jesus’ yoke and receiving his love means that we have to let our guard down a bit when coming to church. For one thing, we have to see the cross. We have to admit that we don’t have it all together. We have to admit that as good a person as we each are, we’re also not great people, meaning that we all hurt each other. We’re all broken people who break others out of our brokenness. By coming to worship at a church, we have to acknowledge that, and we have to acknowledge our need for God to redeem us with himself. Then, we also have to accept God’s acceptance of us. God loves and accepts us not because we are good and not in spite of our flaws. God loves and accepts us completely irrespective of our flaws because of how good God is. To accept God’s acceptance of us, we have to let go of our shame which keeps telling us we’re not worthy of God’s love, lay that shame down at the foot of the cross, and accept that we are worthy of God’s love and belonging, simply because God loves us and we belong to him. Period. We don’t earn God’s love and belonging; on the one hand we can’t earn it, and on the other hand, we don’t need to. We belong to God because we are beloved of God, because God chooses to love us no matter what. Seeing the cross and then accepting God’s acceptance of us is why we come here for worship and communion. These ideas are expanded on more beautifully in John Newton’s book, Falling Into Grace, and I continue to recommend it to you. With all of the fear and anger and hatred in our world, we need to know that we belong and that we are loved. Spending time, like Mary did, resting in the Word of God tells us that we belong and that we are loved. So, for an hour a week, we get to soak that it. We get to be lazy. We get to sit…and kneel and stand, and not work, so that we can see the cross and accept God’s acceptance of us. Let’s face it, we get to be lazy. In the Episcopal Church, you don’t even have to work that hard at praying. It’s all in written down in the Book of Common Prayer; you’ve got a script. Now I realize having this worship service is work for some. Our altar guild prepares our space for worship; our ushers greet and guide us; our music leaders help us to pray through music and song; our lectors, acolytes, and Eucharistic Ministers help us to receive the Word of God in scripture and in sacrament, and our vestry members do just about everything on Sunday morning, especially if not primarily make coffee, the eighth sacrament. So there is work involved in Sunday morning, but that work is geared toward our rest. We’re both Martha and Mary. So with that work and that rest, what about when we mess up? We say the prayers wrong, or sing out of tune, or spill the red wine all over someone’s beautiful white silk dress? As far as I know that last one hasn’t happened, and honestly, I’d just advise against wearing a white silk dress to communion, but if someone messes up…cool. This is a place of prayer and grace, of mercy, forgiveness, and love. What if the kids are too loud or rambunctious? Ok. They’re kids. Jesus said let ‘em come. Out there we’re constantly struggling to keep up our appearances of perfection or of having it all together; it’s exhausting. In here, when we gather for worship or anytime we gather as a community, we get to be imperfect. We get to acknowledge the fact that we don’t have it all together, that we mess up, that our kids are loud. We get to be our true, authentic, flawed selves, and we get to be loved for being those true, authentic, flawed selves. That’s what seeing the cross and accepting acceptance is all about. Getting to be our true, authentic, flawed selves, and getting to be loved for being those true, authentic, flawed selves is what sitting at the feet of Jesus allows us to do. Rather than striving for perfection, we can just be. We strive for excellence in our worship and in our preparation of this space, just like we strive for excellence in our lives. Then when we inevitably fall short of that excellence, we can laugh and smile, and give thanks both for the striving and for the falling short. After all, we don’t come here for our excellence. We come here for Jesus. Jesus doesn’t come here because we are excellent or perfect. Jesus comes here because we are his and we are beloved. Amen.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City May 29, 2016 Proper 4, Year C Luke 7:1-10 “That’s Now How the Force Works!” The faith in Jesus of the centurion in today’s Gospel reading was absolute and his faith reminds me of the faith of another soldier, a man named Finn, former Storm Trooper turned good guy in the latest Star Wars movie. Finn’s faith was not in Jesus but in the Force; for those who aren’t familiar with the films, the Force is a mystical, well “force” which some people in particular can partner with to do extraordinary things. They call it using the Force, but there are only a very few people who can use the Force, and they must be trained in order to do so. Finn was not one these people, in fact, he knew almost nothing about the Force, but he had heard about it, and he believed in it. He had been a soldier, a Storm Trooper for the evil First Order which was trying to subject the entire galaxy to its tyrannical rule, and Finn decided he wasn’t going to fight and kill for them. So he switched sides, joined the Resistance, and went back to a First Order base to try to disable their defenses. Being a former soldier of the First Order, it seemed that he would be able to do so, until it turned out that he actually had no idea how to do so. He had returned there to save a friend who had been captured. The man who was there with him was rather incredulous, reminding him that all of their friends and indeed the entire galaxy were counting on them to disable the defenses. So Finn, who knew almost nothing about the Force, replied, “We’ll work it out; we’ll use the Force.” “That’s now how the force works,” his companion replied. Finn knew almost nothing about the Force, and yet he trusted in the Force completely. The centurion knew almost nothing about Jesus. He’s never met him. He just heard that he could heal people, and he trusted in him completely. He believed Jesus could heal his servant, just by speaking a word. The people around Jesus had to be thinking, “but that’s now how healing works!” He was nowhere close to the servant at the time, and in fact had never laid eyes on the servant. Jesus’ ability to heal an unknown, unnamed man from a great distance just by speaking a word wasn’t how healings had ever gone before, and yet the centurion trusted in Jesus that he could do it. That’s what got Jesus’ attention, the faith of the centurion. “Not even in Israel,” Jesus said, “[had he] seen such faith.” This centurion was a non-Jewish foreigner who was a part of the force used by Rome to keep their occupied territories in line. He was likely viewed as an enemy to most Jews, possibly even to Jesus, and yet we are also told that this man had built a synagogue for the Jewish people where he lived. Rather than treat the people harshly, which his job may have had him to, he treated his potential enemies as friends, and they in turn treated him as a friend. By all accounts, this centurion was a good man with a bad job, following some of Jesus’ teachings without even having heard them, but even that wasn’t what got Jesus’ attention. The centurion’s trusting faith was what got Jesus’ attention. The centurion, by Roman thought was above Jesus, and yet he made no pretense about being greater than Jesus. He was asking Jesus for help, and he understood from what he had been told about Jesus, that Jesus had authority over creation. “I submit to you, Jesus,” was the centurion’s message. “I’m asking you for help; I believe you can do it, and I’m not going to ask for anything more than that. You don’t need to come here. I don’t need to see. I believe in you so strongly, just say the word and he can be healed.” Those around Jesus were likely thinking, “but that’s not how healing works.” Maybe not before, but it certainly did that time. The centurion trusted in Jesus, and he understood submitting to those with authority over him. He understood Jesus to have great authority, and so he trusted in him absolutely. Trusting in Jesus and submitting to God’s authority ultimately means we are not in control of our lives. We have personal agency and can make decisions, sure, but ultimately, our lives are in God’s hands, and control of our lives is an illusion. The centurion’s faith showed that he understood his lack of control and he, a part of the conquering army of Rome, submitted himself to Jesus, an itinerant preacher from a nothing town in a conquered kingdom. He submitted himself to Jesus because of what he had heard about Jesus, and he knew that if what he had heard was true, then he had no authority over Jesus; submission was the correct posture to take. For us, or at least for me, submitting our lives to Jesus is not always the easiest thing in the world to do. We like our illusions of control. We trust in Jesus especially with our death, but trusting Jesus with our lives can be a little bit more tricky. I find rather frequently that I want to fully submit my will over to him, and yet it isn’t all that easy. There is the war within me between the flesh and the spirit which Paul wrote about in Romans 7. The thing I want to do I don’t do, and I do the very thing I don’t want to do. When I’m really honest with myself, I find often that I trust Jesus, but to do what exactly? Sometimes I figure my way is good enough; at least it’s known. Trusting my life more fully with Jesus may mean venturing out into the unknown, and being a good Episcopalian, change isn’t always my best friend. Now, I have found when I do submit my will to Jesus, things turn out better. I am more at peace. Things don’t always turn out exactly how I thought they would, and usually, something of what I wanted to be has to die. Ironically, sometimes the very thing that needs to die, along with my way of doing things, is my goal of doing the right thing and being a better person. That’s not because what we do doesn’t matter. What we do matters very much, but if we could heal ourselves, we wouldn’t very well need Jesus. I can want and try through my own efforts all I want to be better and to do better, to elevate myself, and I can succeed to some extent, but my efforts ultimately fall short of what I desire, and certainly fall short of what God desires for me. Healing doesn’t come from my efforts, from me elevating myself, but from what the Rev. Canon John Newton calls, “falling into grace.” In his book, Falling Into Grace, he says we experience grace and healing not by striving harder and elevating ourselves, but rather: we see the cross, accept acceptance, and wait in weakness. That’s what the centurion did. Saw (or heard about Jesus) and sought him out. He then sent emissaries to Jesus, just as he was. He didn’t send soldiers to force Jesus to come, and he didn’t try to wow Jesus with his greatness. He just offered who he was and gave his request. Then he waited. No mighty act, no cajoling, the centurion just waited in weakness. Waiting in weakness can be the biggest part of the struggle. We tend to want thing now. Amazon can overnight our purchases, and yet for Jesus, we have to wait, but that waiting can be key to our healing, and it can also mean waiting when we don’t get the healing we want. Then we find out what healing we really need. That happens as we wait in weakness and see the cross again, our own desire for healing being crucified as we accept not only God’s acceptance of us, but accept our own acceptance for life as it is, for us as we are, and then wait on God healing us in ways we were too blind even to know we needed. We tend to know or to think we know exactly what kind of healing we want or need. I think that’s why I often struggle with the healing stories of Jesus. It’s not because I don’t believe in the stories. I do. I believe Jesus healed many people, that he loved and cared for people with a fire that we can only imagine. I believe Jesus had power and authority over all of creation. He still has that power and authority. That’s why I often have a hard time with the healing passages. I haven’t seen a miraculous, instantaneous healing, the kind we hear about in the story we heard today. I’ve heard stories of modern day healing, and I do believe that miraculous healing still happens, but I struggle with the healing texts because I haven’t personally witnessed it. Then, I wonder about why sometimes people are healed and why sometimes people are not. Why are not all followers of Jesus healed? There are some simple answers to the questions of why and why not, answers which I think are completely false. “We or those we love don’t believe strongly enough or in quite the right way and so Jesus doesn’t heal us.” Totally false. The most honest answer I can give as to why healing sometimes happens and sometimes doesn’t is, “I don’t know.” I don’t know how Jesus works, but I trust in him. I trust in his goodness and love, and I ask him to heal the parts of me that don’t. I haven’t experienced as much healing of the kind we heard in the story today, but what I have experienced is healing of souls and lives. That goes to the primary healing Jesus came to give, the healing of our souls and the healing of our lives. That healing comes as we see the cross of Jesus, acknowledging that death will come to us, even the death of parts of our lives that we may not want to die. We then accept God’s acceptance of us, just as we are. We needn’t elevate ourselves to be enough for God, in fact we can’t elevate ourselves. Rather, God accepts us as we are, and our challenge is to trust in God’s acceptance and love of us. Then, we wait in weakness for Jesus to transform us through his grace. We don’t necessarily know what that transformation and healing will be or how it will happen. Like Finn in Star Wars, we have no idea how the Force works, but we trust in it anyway. Ultimately we’re not even entirely sure how Jesus works, and yet we submit to him and trust in him just the same. We submit and trust in Jesus because of the fierce love Jesus holds for us and the healing he desires for our souls and lives. Like the centurion, trust in Jesus’ love, accept Jesus’ acceptance, and then wait in weakness for Jesus’ grace and healing. Amen.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City May 29, 2016 Proper 4, Year C Luke 7:1-10 “That’s Now How the Force Works!” The faith in Jesus of the centurion in today’s Gospel reading was absolute and his faith reminds me of the faith of another soldier, a man named Finn, former Storm Trooper turned good guy in the latest Star Wars movie. Finn’s faith was not in Jesus but in the Force; for those who aren’t familiar with the films, the Force is a mystical, well “force” which some people in particular can partner with to do extraordinary things. They call it using the Force, but there are only a very few people who can use the Force, and they must be trained in order to do so. Finn was not one these people, in fact, he knew almost nothing about the Force, but he had heard about it, and he believed in it. He had been a soldier, a Storm Trooper for the evil First Order which was trying to subject the entire galaxy to its tyrannical rule, and Finn decided he wasn’t going to fight and kill for them. So he switched sides, joined the Resistance, and went back to a First Order base to try to disable their defenses. Being a former soldier of the First Order, it seemed that he would be able to do so, until it turned out that he actually had no idea how to do so. He had returned there to save a friend who had been captured. The man who was there with him was rather incredulous, reminding him that all of their friends and indeed the entire galaxy were counting on them to disable the defenses. So Finn, who knew almost nothing about the Force, replied, “We’ll work it out; we’ll use the Force.” “That’s now how the force works,” his companion replied. Finn knew almost nothing about the Force, and yet he trusted in the Force completely. The centurion knew almost nothing about Jesus. He’s never met him. He just heard that he could heal people, and he trusted in him completely. He believed Jesus could heal his servant, just by speaking a word. The people around Jesus had to be thinking, “but that’s now how healing works!” He was nowhere close to the servant at the time, and in fact had never laid eyes on the servant. Jesus’ ability to heal an unknown, unnamed man from a great distance just by speaking a word wasn’t how healings had ever gone before, and yet the centurion trusted in Jesus that he could do it. That’s what got Jesus’ attention, the faith of the centurion. “Not even in Israel,” Jesus said, “[had he] seen such faith.” This centurion was a non-Jewish foreigner who was a part of the force used by Rome to keep their occupied territories in line. He was likely viewed as an enemy to most Jews, possibly even to Jesus, and yet we are also told that this man had built a synagogue for the Jewish people where he lived. Rather than treat the people harshly, which his job may have had him to, he treated his potential enemies as friends, and they in turn treated him as a friend. By all accounts, this centurion was a good man with a bad job, following some of Jesus’ teachings without even having heard them, but even that wasn’t what got Jesus’ attention. The centurion’s trusting faith was what got Jesus’ attention. The centurion, by Roman thought was above Jesus, and yet he made no pretense about being greater than Jesus. He was asking Jesus for help, and he understood from what he had been told about Jesus, that Jesus had authority over creation. “I submit to you, Jesus,” was the centurion’s message. “I’m asking you for help; I believe you can do it, and I’m not going to ask for anything more than that. You don’t need to come here. I don’t need to see. I believe in you so strongly, just say the word and he can be healed.” Those around Jesus were likely thinking, “but that’s not how healing works.” Maybe not before, but it certainly did that time. The centurion trusted in Jesus, and he understood submitting to those with authority over him. He understood Jesus to have great authority, and so he trusted in him absolutely. Trusting in Jesus and submitting to God’s authority ultimately means we are not in control of our lives. We have personal agency and can make decisions, sure, but ultimately, our lives are in God’s hands, and control of our lives is an illusion. The centurion’s faith showed that he understood his lack of control and he, a part of the conquering army of Rome, submitted himself to Jesus, an itinerant preacher from a nothing town in a conquered kingdom. He submitted himself to Jesus because of what he had heard about Jesus, and he knew that if what he had heard was true, then he had no authority over Jesus; submission was the correct posture to take. For us, or at least for me, submitting our lives to Jesus is not always the easiest thing in the world to do. We like our illusions of control. We trust in Jesus especially with our death, but trusting Jesus with our lives can be a little bit more tricky. I find rather frequently that I want to fully submit my will over to him, and yet it isn’t all that easy. There is the war within me between the flesh and the spirit which Paul wrote about in Romans 7. The thing I want to do I don’t do, and I do the very thing I don’t want to do. When I’m really honest with myself, I find often that I trust Jesus, but to do what exactly? Sometimes I figure my way is good enough; at least it’s known. Trusting my life more fully with Jesus may mean venturing out into the unknown, and being a good Episcopalian, change isn’t always my best friend. Now, I have found when I do submit my will to Jesus, things turn out better. I am more at peace. Things don’t always turn out exactly how I thought they would, and usually, something of what I wanted to be has to die. Ironically, sometimes the very thing that needs to die, along with my way of doing things, is my goal of doing the right thing and being a better person. That’s not because what we do doesn’t matter. What we do matters very much, but if we could heal ourselves, we wouldn’t very well need Jesus. I can want and try through my own efforts all I want to be better and to do better, to elevate myself, and I can succeed to some extent, but my efforts ultimately fall short of what I desire, and certainly fall short of what God desires for me. Healing doesn’t come from my efforts, from me elevating myself, but from what the Rev. Canon John Newton calls, “falling into grace.” In his book, Falling Into Grace, he says we experience grace and healing not by striving harder and elevating ourselves, but rather: we see the cross, accept acceptance, and wait in weakness. That’s what the centurion did. Saw (or heard about Jesus) and sought him out. He then sent emissaries to Jesus, just as he was. He didn’t send soldiers to force Jesus to come, and he didn’t try to wow Jesus with his greatness. He just offered who he was and gave his request. Then he waited. No mighty act, no cajoling, the centurion just waited in weakness. Waiting in weakness can be the biggest part of the struggle. We tend to want thing now. Amazon can overnight our purchases, and yet for Jesus, we have to wait, but that waiting can be key to our healing, and it can also mean waiting when we don’t get the healing we want. Then we find out what healing we really need. That happens as we wait in weakness and see the cross again, our own desire for healing being crucified as we accept not only God’s acceptance of us, but accept our own acceptance for life as it is, for us as we are, and then wait on God healing us in ways we were too blind even to know we needed. We tend to know or to think we know exactly what kind of healing we want or need. I think that’s why I often struggle with the healing stories of Jesus. It’s not because I don’t believe in the stories. I do. I believe Jesus healed many people, that he loved and cared for people with a fire that we can only imagine. I believe Jesus had power and authority over all of creation. He still has that power and authority. That’s why I often have a hard time with the healing passages. I haven’t seen a miraculous, instantaneous healing, the kind we hear about in the story we heard today. I’ve heard stories of modern day healing, and I do believe that miraculous healing still happens, but I struggle with the healing texts because I haven’t personally witnessed it. Then, I wonder about why sometimes people are healed and why sometimes people are not. Why are not all followers of Jesus healed? There are some simple answers to the questions of why and why not, answers which I think are completely false. “We or those we love don’t believe strongly enough or in quite the right way and so Jesus doesn’t heal us.” Totally false. The most honest answer I can give as to why healing sometimes happens and sometimes doesn’t is, “I don’t know.” I don’t know how Jesus works, but I trust in him. I trust in his goodness and love, and I ask him to heal the parts of me that don’t. I haven’t experienced as much healing of the kind we heard in the story today, but what I have experienced is healing of souls and lives. That goes to the primary healing Jesus came to give, the healing of our souls and the healing of our lives. That healing comes as we see the cross of Jesus, acknowledging that death will come to us, even the death of parts of our lives that we may not want to die. We then accept God’s acceptance of us, just as we are. We needn’t elevate ourselves to be enough for God, in fact we can’t elevate ourselves. Rather, God accepts us as we are, and our challenge is to trust in God’s acceptance and love of us. Then, we wait in weakness for Jesus to transform us through his grace. We don’t necessarily know what that transformation and healing will be or how it will happen. Like Finn in Star Wars, we have no idea how the Force works, but we trust in it anyway. Ultimately we’re not even entirely sure how Jesus works, and yet we submit to him and trust in him just the same. We submit and trust in Jesus because of the fierce love Jesus holds for us and the healing he desires for our souls and lives. Like the centurion, trust in Jesus’ love, accept Jesus’ acceptance, and then wait in weakness for Jesus’ grace and healing. Amen.

In this episode we’re joined by John Newton, author of the Falling Into Grace: Exploring Our Inner Life With God. Following that conversation David, Sarah and Scott discuss the content of Another Week Ends.  The post Falling Into Grace appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City April 24, 2016 5 Easter, Year C Acts 11:1-18 John 13:31-35 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Hearing those words makes me love Jesus even more and want to follow him and trust in him. His commandment that his disciples love one another is part of his farewell speech and prayer for his disciples before he is crucified. Jesus knew he was going to die, and he knew he had a pretty good following. He knew that if he chose to, he could have asked them to fight for him, and they would have done it. They might have even kept him alive in their efforts. Of course, some of them would have died in the process, and he loved them far too much for that, not to mention that he knew it was not God’s will. Rather than disobey God, rather than risk harm for those whom he loved, Jesus chose to be killed. Not only that, but remember that Jesus had been working for years to reform people’s understanding of God, of their relationship to God, and of their relationship to each other. He’d been working for years to show people that love, faith, and grace are at the heart of their way of life. For the people of Israel, he didn’t abolish the law of their religion, he fulfilled it through love, faith, and grace. For the gentiles, who were added to Jesus’ movement after his resurrection, he came to show them as well, that love for one another, faith in God, and grace given by God and accepted and re-given by us, is the way of life, the way of life abundant and life everlasting which he gives to us. This movement of Jesus, this movement of love, faith, and grace which he had spent years working on, was just getting started as Jesus was about to be killed, and he chose to trust his movement to his fledgling disciples rather than risk their lives or take up the sword against another. That is the Jesus whom we love, the Jesus whom we follow, the Jesus in whom we have faith, the Jesus who loves us and gives us grace that we might receive his grace and then offer it to others. Love one another, Jesus said. Have faith in me, and follow me even when you doubt. Receive grace to forgive you of all your misdeeds, grace to heal you from the shame of the past, grace to offer to others just as I have offered it to you. Such is the life and the community which Jesus gave to us. When I think on that, on that community for which Jesus gave his life, I cannot help but love Jesus and want to continue on as his disciple. That is what I see when I see the church, not an institution. There is a paradigm shift in that when we can see the institution of the church as the church, but it is not. The shift is to see us as that community of people whom Jesus loves. Last week, Kristin and I watched Spotlight, the best picture last year which told the story of the Boston Globe newspaper breaking the story of the immense systemic abuse of children in the Roman Catholic church. As I was watching the movie and then thinking about what Jesus commanded his disciples, I kept thinking, "How did Jesus’ community of love, faith, and grace become an institution so powerful and corrupt that children around the world were being abused by priests for decades with almost total impunity?" The reasons and many and vast and would take looking at most of church history to fully understand. Without going into centuries of church history, however, I will look at one culprit that allowed this to happen, and that is the near deification of clergy. Children often thought of the clergy as God, or at least as speaking for God. Adults did about the same. Clergy were put up on a pedestal throughout the institution of the church so much so that no one dared go against them. The people ended up under the thumb and under the rule of the clergy, and it wasn't just the clergy's fault; the people also elevated them. There was a partnership there in raising the clergy up so much so that the people were under the clergy's thumb, the clergy claiming the place of Jesus within the church, but in the total opposite way that Jesus led his church. While the clergy were elevated above who they actually were, Jesus descended. That was Jesus' way. Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8) Over the centuries, the church began exalting their leaders so much so that when corruption and abuse became systemic, no one would stop it, because they couldn’t go against these exalted people. Now the abuse of children in the Roman church is one example of how far the church often can be from the community of love, faith, and grace which Jesus began. It's a graphic example, but there are many ways that we can stray from the community of love, faith, and grace which Jesus began. We also need to remember, lest we end up casting unfair aspersions, the Roman Catholic church is also a wonderful church which full of people and clergy of love, faith, and grace. I brought up the abuse as a graphic example of how divergent the church can become from the community which Jesus began. Looking at this example, and how it happened, the exaltation of the clergy, we don't get to just point to Rome for that one either, lest we ignore the log in our eye for the sake of the speck in someone else’s; we often elevate clergy in the Episcopal Church too. I’ve often heard that clergy are held to a higher standard of behavior than others, to which I continually counter that clergy are not held to a higher standard. People may actually hold clergy accountable to standards of behavior to which they don’t hold themselves or others accountable, but there is not a different standard of behavior for clergy and for everyone else. If there were, that would be an institutionalized system of ignoring the log in one’s own eye for the sake of the speck in someone else’s. Elevating the clergy, holding them to a higher standard, goes against what Jesus taught and is not the way of the community he founded. Jesus didn't set himself above everyone else; he descended. He didn't set his apostles above everyone else; he said to become a servant. Jesus’ church is not a place where we hold one another to various standards of living at all, in actuality. Jesus' church is not a place of keeping score with one another, keeping track of sins. Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." This system of keeping track of sins and trying to make right for our sins to God is finished. No more sacrifices for sins. No more tallies. No more keeping score. No more gospels of sin management. Gospel’s of sin management have often pervaded the church, people thinking that our prime purposes in the church is to do better, sin less, and get to Heaven when we die. Even with Jesus’ help, such a Gospel basically puts Jesus in the role of a ticket puncher. If you’ve believed in Jesus well enough and behaved well enough (even with his help), then Jesus punches your ticket and you get to go to Heaven when you die. We'd like to add that it's not because of anything I do, it's purely because of the grace of Jesus, but then by how we talk about it, by how we live, these gospels of sin management basically make it so that you're earning your way to Heaven. You're doing enough that Jesus will finally agree to punch your ticket. Fortunately, that is not the gospel for which Jesus died. That is not the gospel Jesus taught. That is neither the faith nor the church which Jesus left his disciples. “Love one another,” Jesus said, “that’s how they’ll know you are my disciples.” Jesus’ command to us continues to show his love for us. His disciples were a bunch of screw ups, if we’re being honest (if we're going to be counting sins, that is), and Jesus entrusted his church to them not in spite of their screw ups, not because they were screw ups, but completely regardless of their screw ups. Jesus entrusted his church to his disciples because they were his beloved. We continue as Jesus’ church simply because we are his beloved. We don’t raise ourselves or anyone else up in Jesus’ church. We don't raise ourselves above anyone else. We accept the fact that we are beloved, and that is often the hardest task in our life, to simply accept the fact that we are beloved. We accept the fact that we are beloved of God, and we e receive the great love Jesus has for us, not because we are worthy, not because we have earned his love, but simply because we are beloved. We believe in Jesus, accept his love, and follow him, even when we can hardly believe, desperately clinging to this hope of Jesus’ love for us. Even when we give up that hope and faith in Jesus' love for us, Jesus' love that catches us even and especially when we fall, Jesus love catches us. So Jesus asks us, commands us to accept his love. Accept that we are his beloved and then live and give Jesus’ grace. That is the community of the church. That is what we see, or what Jesus would like us to see, when we see his church. Now, we often see the church as something else. We see the church as a vast institution, like how people viewed the Roman Catholic Church, but the Roman Catholic Church is not an institution. The Roman Catholic Church has an institution. The Roman Catholic Church is a community of people who are beloved of Jesus. Period. Full stop. Paradigm shift: What is the Roman Catholic Church? Not an institution, but a community of people who are beloved of Jesus. Then, the Roman Catholic Church has an institution which at times serves it well and at times not so well. Our church too is not an institution, but our church has an institution. We have a whole institutional structure in the Episcopal Church, but that institution is not the church. That institution is what the church has created, what we have created over the centuries to serve us. The institution is the tool we have constructed to help us order our lives. The institution is a tool of the church, but not the church itself. The church itself, the is the community of the beloved. Jesus’ church is the gathered and often disperse community (those who no longer gather, those who no longer believe but are still caught in Jesus' love). The church is that community of people who know, and love, and accept, and forget, and mess up with Jesus’ love. The church are those who believe in Jesus even amidst doubt, or stop believing in Jesus, and then fall into Jesus’ grace. The church is not those who are climbing upward and striving to heaven. The church is those who are falling, continually falling into Jesus' love and Jesus' grace. What is who we are as the church. We are Jesus’ beloved, not because of who we are, not because of what we do, but simply because we are Jesus beloved. Amen.

Brad Sullivan St. Mark’s, Bay City April 24, 2016 5 Easter, Year C Acts 11:1-18 John 13:31-35 I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." Hearing those words makes me love Jesus even more and want to follow him and trust in him. His commandment that his disciples love one another is part of his farewell speech and prayer for his disciples before he is crucified. Jesus knew he was going to die, and he knew he had a pretty good following. He knew that if he chose to, he could have asked them to fight for him, and they would have done it. They might have even kept him alive in their efforts. Of course, some of them would have died in the process, and he loved them far too much for that, not to mention that he knew it was not God’s will. Rather than disobey God, rather than risk harm for those whom he loved, Jesus chose to be killed. Not only that, but remember that Jesus had been working for years to reform people’s understanding of God, of their relationship to God, and of their relationship to each other. He’d been working for years to show people that love, faith, and grace are at the heart of their way of life. For the people of Israel, he didn’t abolish the law of their religion, he fulfilled it through love, faith, and grace. For the gentiles, who were added to Jesus’ movement after his resurrection, he came to show them as well, that love for one another, faith in God, and grace given by God and accepted and re-given by us, is the way of life, the way of life abundant and life everlasting which he gives to us. This movement of Jesus, this movement of love, faith, and grace which he had spent years working on, was just getting started as Jesus was about to be killed, and he chose to trust his movement to his fledgling disciples rather than risk their lives or take up the sword against another. That is the Jesus whom we love, the Jesus whom we follow, the Jesus in whom we have faith, the Jesus who loves us and gives us grace that we might receive his grace and then offer it to others. Love one another, Jesus said. Have faith in me, and follow me even when you doubt. Receive grace to forgive you of all your misdeeds, grace to heal you from the shame of the past, grace to offer to others just as I have offered it to you. Such is the life and the community which Jesus gave to us. When I think on that, on that community for which Jesus gave his life, I cannot help but love Jesus and want to continue on as his disciple. That is what I see when I see the church, not an institution. There is a paradigm shift in that when we can see the institution of the church as the church, but it is not. The shift is to see us as that community of people whom Jesus loves. Last week, Kristin and I watched Spotlight, the best picture last year which told the story of the Boston Globe newspaper breaking the story of the immense systemic abuse of children in the Roman Catholic church. As I was watching the movie and then thinking about what Jesus commanded his disciples, I kept thinking, "How did Jesus’ community of love, faith, and grace become an institution so powerful and corrupt that children around the world were being abused by priests for decades with almost total impunity?" The reasons and many and vast and would take looking at most of church history to fully understand. Without going into centuries of church history, however, I will look at one culprit that allowed this to happen, and that is the near deification of clergy. Children often thought of the clergy as God, or at least as speaking for God. Adults did about the same. Clergy were put up on a pedestal throughout the institution of the church so much so that no one dared go against them. The people ended up under the thumb and under the rule of the clergy, and it wasn't just the clergy's fault; the people also elevated them. There was a partnership there in raising the clergy up so much so that the people were under the clergy's thumb, the clergy claiming the place of Jesus within the church, but in the total opposite way that Jesus led his church. While the clergy were elevated above who they actually were, Jesus descended. That was Jesus' way. Though he was in the form of God, [he] did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death-even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:6-8) Over the centuries, the church began exalting their leaders so much so that when corruption and abuse became systemic, no one would stop it, because they couldn’t go against these exalted people. Now the abuse of children in the Roman church is one example of how far the church often can be from the community of love, faith, and grace which Jesus began. It's a graphic example, but there are many ways that we can stray from the community of love, faith, and grace which Jesus began. We also need to remember, lest we end up casting unfair aspersions, the Roman Catholic church is also a wonderful church which full of people and clergy of love, faith, and grace. I brought up the abuse as a graphic example of how divergent the church can become from the community which Jesus began. Looking at this example, and how it happened, the exaltation of the clergy, we don't get to just point to Rome for that one either, lest we ignore the log in our eye for the sake of the speck in someone else’s; we often elevate clergy in the Episcopal Church too. I’ve often heard that clergy are held to a higher standard of behavior than others, to which I continually counter that clergy are not held to a higher standard. People may actually hold clergy accountable to standards of behavior to which they don’t hold themselves or others accountable, but there is not a different standard of behavior for clergy and for everyone else. If there were, that would be an institutionalized system of ignoring the log in one’s own eye for the sake of the speck in someone else’s. Elevating the clergy, holding them to a higher standard, goes against what Jesus taught and is not the way of the community he founded. Jesus didn't set himself above everyone else; he descended. He didn't set his apostles above everyone else; he said to become a servant. Jesus’ church is not a place where we hold one another to various standards of living at all, in actuality. Jesus' church is not a place of keeping score with one another, keeping track of sins. Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished." This system of keeping track of sins and trying to make right for our sins to God is finished. No more sacrifices for sins. No more tallies. No more keeping score. No more gospels of sin management. Gospel’s of sin management have often pervaded the church, people thinking that our prime purposes in the church is to do better, sin less, and get to Heaven when we die. Even with Jesus’ help, such a Gospel basically puts Jesus in the role of a ticket puncher. If you’ve believed in Jesus well enough and behaved well enough (even with his help), then Jesus punches your ticket and you get to go to Heaven when you die. We'd like to add that it's not because of anything I do, it's purely because of the grace of Jesus, but then by how we talk about it, by how we live, these gospels of sin management basically make it so that you're earning your way to Heaven. You're doing enough that Jesus will finally agree to punch your ticket. Fortunately, that is not the gospel for which Jesus died. That is not the gospel Jesus taught. That is neither the faith nor the church which Jesus left his disciples. “Love one another,” Jesus said, “that’s how they’ll know you are my disciples.” Jesus’ command to us continues to show his love for us. His disciples were a bunch of screw ups, if we’re being honest (if we're going to be counting sins, that is), and Jesus entrusted his church to them not in spite of their screw ups, not because they were screw ups, but completely regardless of their screw ups. Jesus entrusted his church to his disciples because they were his beloved. We continue as Jesus’ church simply because we are his beloved. We don’t raise ourselves or anyone else up in Jesus’ church. We don't raise ourselves above anyone else. We accept the fact that we are beloved, and that is often the hardest task in our life, to simply accept the fact that we are beloved. We accept the fact that we are beloved of God, and we e receive the great love Jesus has for us, not because we are worthy, not because we have earned his love, but simply because we are beloved. We believe in Jesus, accept his love, and follow him, even when we can hardly believe, desperately clinging to this hope of Jesus’ love for us. Even when we give up that hope and faith in Jesus' love for us, Jesus' love that catches us even and especially when we fall, Jesus love catches us. So Jesus asks us, commands us to accept his love. Accept that we are his beloved and then live and give Jesus’ grace. That is the community of the church. That is what we see, or what Jesus would like us to see, when we see his church. Now, we often see the church as something else. We see the church as a vast institution, like how people viewed the Roman Catholic Church, but the Roman Catholic Church is not an institution. The Roman Catholic Church has an institution. The Roman Catholic Church is a community of people who are beloved of Jesus. Period. Full stop. Paradigm shift: What is the Roman Catholic Church? Not an institution, but a community of people who are beloved of Jesus. Then, the Roman Catholic Church has an institution which at times serves it well and at times not so well. Our church too is not an institution, but our church has an institution. We have a whole institutional structure in the Episcopal Church, but that institution is not the church. That institution is what the church has created, what we have created over the centuries to serve us. The institution is the tool we have constructed to help us order our lives. The institution is a tool of the church, but not the church itself. The church itself, the is the community of the beloved. Jesus’ church is the gathered and often disperse community (those who no longer gather, those who no longer believe but are still caught in Jesus' love). The church is that community of people who know, and love, and accept, and forget, and mess up with Jesus’ love. The church are those who believe in Jesus even amidst doubt, or stop believing in Jesus, and then fall into Jesus’ grace. The church is not those who are climbing upward and striving to heaven. The church is those who are falling, continually falling into Jesus' love and Jesus' grace. What is who we are as the church. We are Jesus’ beloved, not because of who we are, not because of what we do, but simply because we are Jesus beloved. Amen.

After you get past the Magic and the Mystery marriage is a Ministry. Join Michelle Stimpson and I on Monday Night 7pm on the Fully persuaded Radio Show as we discuss the power and impact and sanity of marriage. So if you are single, and wanting to be married, newly married, been married a long time, been divorced or going through a divorce this is the show for you. Call in 347-237-4999 the lines will be open. www.MichelleStimpson.com Bestselling, award-winning author Michelle Stimpson has penned more than twenty-five Christian fiction books including traditional bestseller Divas of Damascus Road, the highly acclaimed Falling Into Grace, and Amazon #1 bestseller, Stepping Down. She has also published more than fifty short stories through her educational publishing company, WeGottaRead.com. Michelle holds an English degree from Jarvis Christian College and master’s degree in education from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a part-time language arts consultant and serves in women’s ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. She and her husband have two young adult children and one crazy dog.   

  Michelle Stimpson – Biography www.MichelleStimpson.com Bestselling, award-winning author Michelle Stimpson has penned more than twenty-five Christian fiction books including traditional bestseller Divas of Damascus Road, the highly acclaimed Falling Into Grace, and Amazon #1 bestseller, Stepping Down. She has also published more than fifty short stories through her educational publishing company, WeGottaRead.com. Michelle holds an English degree from Jarvis Christian College and master’s degree in education from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a part-time language arts consultant and serves in women’s ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. She and her husband have two young adult children and one crazy dog.

  Michelle Stimpson – Biography www.MichelleStimpson.com Bestselling, award-winning author Michelle Stimpson has penned more than twenty-five Christian fiction books including traditional bestseller Divas of Damascus Road, the highly acclaimed Falling Into Grace, and Amazon #1 bestseller, Stepping Down. She has also published more than fifty short stories through her educational publishing company, WeGottaRead.com. Michelle holds an English degree from Jarvis Christian College and master’s degree in education from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is a part-time language arts consultant and serves in women’s ministry at her home church, Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. She and her husband have two young adult children and one crazy dog. 

Many yearn for the prestige and sense of accomplishment of having a published book. The world of publishing has changed, however. We no longer have to send out dozens of query letters and wait anxiously for a response that often never comes.   Well-known books such as A Time to Kill by John Grisham and What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles started as self published books before they became national bestsellers. There is also the story of Amanda Hocking who set out to make an extra few hundred dollars self publishing, but made $2.5 million instead. The number of self-published books in the United States annually has grown 287 percent since 2006, according to statistics. We now have the power in our own hands, but what do we do with it?   Bestselling author Michelle Stimpson has penned several works, including national bestseller, Divas of Damascus Road, the highly acclaimed Falling Into Grace, and Amazon #1 bestseller, Stepping Down. She has also published more than 50 short stories through her educational publishing company. Michelle holds an English degree from Jarvis Christian College and master's degree in education from the University of Texas at Arlington. She joins the show to share her trade secrets on how to sucessfully self publish your book! (www.MichelleStimpson.com)   To receive Michelle's expertise in person, register for the 2013 Author's Networking Summit in Houston on October 5, 2013. Visit www.authorsnetworkingsummit.com for details!   To submit show ideas, comment, or be a featured guest email julia@divanyoung.com.