Category: Discipleship

8/31/2023 0 Comments

Living at peace with all people? What about me?

Beloved of God,

   This Sunday, we will not be having our regular Sunday School classes. What we will be having is breakfast food! If you are going to be with us as we worship this week, plan on sticking around for a potluck brunch at 10:30 a.m. Bring a pile of bacon. Bring a casserole. Bring hasbrowns that have been covered, peppered, and chunked. If you forget to make something, pick up apple fritters on the way. Or just show up knowing that a 9” x 13” pan is more than enough monkey bread for almost anybody and you won’t go hungry.

   Our Scripture reading this week follows hot on the heels of our sermon text from last week. It picks in Romans 12:9 and goes on through the chapter. Sometimes I wonder if we miss how demanding this passage is because it sounds so gentle. Folk, I’m not always loving or lovable. My spiritual zeal sometimes fizzles. I often fail to inhabit joys with the joyful, and sorrow with the mourning. Forgoing the repayment of evil? Doing what is right in the eyes of everyone? Living at peace with all people? What about me? Where does living this way get me? What about my rights, my proper respect, my convictions?

   Beloved, if we would follow Jesus it might mean placing even our moral outrage on the altar. It might mean taking up a cross made not of wood but of unanswered wrongs and even enemies who have been fed at our table. It may be a matter of soul searching for us whether we really believe that by doing such things we overcome evil with good.
   But if Jesus Christ conquered sin and death through a cross and a grave, isn’t it likely that our own victory may have a similar shape? If we are people of wonderful gifts and renewed minds, it’s so that we can live a different kind of life altogether. There are purported Christians with large platforms who simply will not seek to live this kind of life and who are leading others away from it. They are in love with power and revenge. And I don’t know if I completely blame them, because living the way we’re instructed here in Romans 12 is hard. It is too hard for them to live out.
   But it is the way of Jesus. It’s the path of our master and Lord. And because he is alive, even this path of forgiveness, gentleness, and quiet righteousness is a path to true victory in and by Him.

   Please join me this week in praying for:

Those who are traveling this weekend.
Our neighbors suffering loss in Florida and South Carolina.
Those who are grieving.
Your enemies; people who do not love you or treat you lovingly.
Our associate pastor search team.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local levels.
Those who respond to emergencies in our wildlands, on our roadways, in our communities, and even in our homes.
Each other (please email [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list)

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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10/7/2021 0 Comments

God Calls Us to be Faithful

Beloved of God,

    In the coming weeks, the church council is going to be asking that the congregation submit nominations for the 2022 council. The church council is tasked with stewardship of the church finances, real estate, property, and personnel, other than the pastoral called staff. I hope that if you hold these gifts, or know somebody among us who does, that you will consider submitting a nomination.
    We are currently a congregation of about 125 members, and not all of us will have gifts that suit the task that the council is given. Please be thinking and praying about this over the next few weeks. It may be that you are more gifted than you realize, or that you see a gift for this work in someone that they do not yet see in themselves. More information will follow through the month.
    Please mark your calendars for our BASIC kickoff event on the 20th of October. I am so excited to have this opportunity for fellowship to start up again, and to renew the ancient Christian discipline of eating together. Adults can eat for $6, children 6-12 for $3, and anyone younger than that is on us. See you soon. Come hungry!

Our Scripture reading this week is from the book of Hebrews 4:12-16, and it's a set of verses that will be deeply familiar to us as Baptists. It is obviously a grand endorsement of the power of God’s Word. It is also a picture of astounding grace, and a call to proper Christian confidence. But I want us to notice the way these verses caution us against despair, and give us a reason for hope.
The previous passage, from about Hebrews 3:12 on, is offering a word of caution from Israel’s history. It seems that the community who originally received this message had been dealing with the problem of apostasy, folks who lived as Christians for a while and then just...disappeared. We’ve seen this before says the author of Hebrews and this breach of faithfulness doesn’t end well. The most pointed word about this comes right here in Heb 4:12-13. We are on the hook even for our small breaches of faithfulness, not just the big ones that we find when people turn their back on their faith. God sees all of it, and we’re accountable for all of it.
You can see why somebody with a clear view of themselves might despair, can’t you? And this is why the next verses are so very important.

Heb. 4:14     Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

God calls us to be faithful with a perfect understanding of just how weak we are. While God doesn’t soften the call, God gives us a High Priest in Jesus who offers perfect help where our imperfect faith may fail. Beloved of God, be faithful in everything. But when you are not, seek out our High Priest, who will not withhold from you His mercy and grace.

Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics, and others working to keep us all well.
Those facing difficult circumstances personally, professionally, and financially in a season that is already hard.
Those among us who are hurt or sick in body, mind, or spirit.
For young people, especially students, who are bearing the effects of COVID on themselves and their friends.
First responders as they address emergencies on our roads, in our wildlands, in our towns and even our homes.
The church council as they enter the last quarter of the year, and for next year’s council as they are called into service.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level.
Each other (please contact [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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9/30/2021 0 Comments

Desiring God's fellowship

Beloved of God,

    I sure hope you are planning on spending some time with us this weekend as we have some special opportunities for prayer, fellowship, education, and invitation to serve.
    First, we will be hosting an evening of prayer in the church building from 5pm to 9pm on Saturday. This come and go event is especially aimed at making space to pray for yourself, for each other, and over our various ministries here at WRBC.
    Second, we will be celebrating the Lord’s Supper together on Sunday. In the spirit of fellowship, we will also be having a brunch immediately after the service as a time to (re)connect with one another over a meal. If you would like to bring a breakfast dish to share, please let us know what you’re planning to bring here.
    Third, our Mission and Outreach team is going to be sharing about what they have been up to, our partnerships with other ministries, and opportunities to follow the Church’s call to mission. I hope you’ll stick around after brunch to hear from them, and learn more about Mission at WRBC.

    Our Scripture reading for Sunday is Psalm 26, which needs a bit of attention. I think there is always a temptation to read Scripture as if we are the “good guys”. I’m a little suspicious of that sort of confidence, because it’s usually the folks who are most confident of their righteousness who tend to cause the most harm.
    Psalm 26 has elements of this in it. “I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness,” says the Psalmist in Ps 26:3. But at the heart of this psalm is a desire to be declared innocent, in order to draw near to a holy God.
6     I wash my hands in innocence,
        and go about your altar, LORD,
7     proclaiming aloud your praise
        and telling of all your wonderful deeds.
8     LORD, I love the house where you live,
        the place where your glory dwells.
It’s not “innocence” or “righteousness” alone that the Psalmist is after. It’s fellowship with God. We seek to live a life of righteousness or of innocence, not because it makes it easier to judge our neighbors. We do it because it allows us to approach our God more fully and faithfully; to know God more deeply. It is God’s own holiness that compels us toward a righteous life. We follow God into holiness for God’s sake, not our own. Most amazing of all, in Jesus we find a holiness that we can live into which we never would have found by ourselves.

Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic.
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics, and others working to keep us all well.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level.
Those among us dealing with hurts or sickness of mind, body, or spirit.
In praise for the rain this week has brought.
First responders who attend to emergencies on our highways, in our wildlands, in our towns and even our homes.
This congregation as we enter the final stretch of the year, plan budgets, take votes, and prepare for Advent and Christmas.
Neighbors in our community who have never come to faith.
Neighbors in our community who have left their faith behind because of deep wounds.
Each other (please contact [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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9/23/2021 0 Comments

Grace for the journey

Beloved of God,

    The Missions and Outreach team is still working toward building teams to support displaced Afghans who will be in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. If you would like to join in this good work, please email the Missions and Outreach team and let them know.
    On Saturday Evening, October 2nd, we will be having a time of prayer and reflection in the church building from 5pm to 9pm. Different areas within the church will be designated for prayers of intercession for our ministries, confession, forgiveness, and reflection. You may come and go as you need throughout the evening. Please plan on spending part of that Saturday night with us in prayer.

    Our reading for Sunday from the gospel of Mark contains several episodes in a row that look like a collection of teaching organized around common images if they are organized at all. But the way we have Scripture is for our good, and I think that God was invested and operative even in a passage like this to place things together that we need to hear.
    The first part of the passage tells of a concern the disciples bring to Jesus over a man who is casting out demons in his name, but is “not one of us”. They are worried they should stop him, but Jesus disagrees. If he’s casting out demons in Jesus’ name, then whoever he is, he’s not the opposition. Jesus advises them to let him continue, because even if he were merely caring for the thirsty in Jesus’ name, it would be a sign not of opposition, but accord with the Kingdom of God.
    In the next section Jesus speaks of the judgement that awaits those who cause the small among us (In faith? In stature? Both?) to stumble. In fact, he admonishes his followers to be so concerned with holiness that even body parts that don’t cooperate are up for removal! The idea seems to be that where we go, what we do, and even what we see ought to be done in accord with a holy life, and failure to do so should be addressed at any cost.
    I like that these passages are side by side, because it reminds us of things that seem contradictory to us at first blush. We’re reminded that faith in Jesus practiced by others, even if we don't understand it, isn’t opposition. We’re told to be gracious about how others are following Jesus, and not to thwart them just because they’re not “one of us”. It’s a call to be gracious.
    On the other hand, the following passage speaks of a relentless pursuit of our own holiness, and the high cost of causing harm to those who are small or weak in faith. Jesus is clear, the choice is either a deep personal purity or the threat of hell. Nothing about us should be above our own careful interrogation, even our own bodies are to be carefully brought into a life of holiness. It’s a call to be rigorous.
We need both words. We need to be reminded to be gracious to others following Jesus, perhaps especially because they will not be “one of us” as far as we can tell. We will disagree with folks as they follow Christ, even as they do so faithfully. But on the other hand, our self-examination and personal practice of holiness should be relentless. We should be constantly concerned with how we ourselves might live a life marked by the purity the Kingdom of God demands. But either of these words without the counterbalance of the other will fall into laxity, or abuse, and miss the point. God is gracious with us even as He is just, and just to us even as He gives grace. Part of discipleship is living in that tension without compromising it’s strains. May God give us the strength to do just that.

Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic.
Those among us dealing with hurt or sickness in mind, body, or spirit.
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics, and others working to keep us all well.
Wisdom, courage, and guidance as we make congregational decisions.
Patience, strength, and grace as we face difficult personal decisions.
Those who are trying to make their way in a new country due to circumstances beyond their control.
Those in positions of public trust at the federal, state, and local level
First responders who are called upon to deal with emergencies on our highways, in our wildlands, in our towns and even our homes.
Those leading discipleship groups of all ages and those who they will teach.
Each other (please contact [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).

You are the salt of the earth; you are the light of the world,

Marshall

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9/16/2021 0 Comments

Speak the Word

Beloved of God,

There are a few big things coming up in the life of the church next week.

On Tuesday, 9/21 at 6:45 pm the Deacons will be hosting an open forum to present their recommendation on Article I (Statement of Faith) of the church bylaws. They are asking that folks who would like to give feedback or hear that recommendation be present at WRBC that evening.
On Friday, 9/24 at 12:00 pm we will be hosting a luncheon for our senior adults. Lisa Larson will be leading a conversation about the scope of a prospective senior ministry, and input from our seniors will be especially important. You can RSVP for lunch by either emailing Lisa or by calling the church office at 505.672.9764.

    Our Scripture reading for Sunday is Psalm 1, which has helped me rethink the way I read the Bible. This is one of those times where the English translation cleans up the text with good intention only to soften the image we are meant to have. The NIV tells us that blessing comes to the one who “meditates” on the law day and night, but that’s not quite the picture here.
    You likely will have seen pictures or videos of faithful Jewish folks attending to their prayers at the Western Wall in Jerusalem. In fact that wall even has a nickname, the “Wailing Wall”, because of the way the folks gathered there will speak fervently and earnestly their prayers and readings from Scripture.
    This image is closer to the word we have here for meditate. It’s not a word for a detached and thoughtful repose, but for a moaning, a growling, a muttering through God’s law. The expectation is that we would read God’s word aloud, hearing ourselves as we do. I’m reminded of my first semester in college where I took a class on philosophical ethics. We were reading works by Kant, Hume, and Nietzsche. Much of it was difficult for me to comprehend. I found myself studying in the student union building because in order to understand what I was reading, I had to hear myself read it. I needed that extra point of contact with the text to fully grasp what was written. I had to read with as many parts of my mind and attention open to the text as possible.
    What if we read Scripture like that regularly? What if we were to adopt a discipline where we don’t hurry through a passage so we can get to the “valuable” work of mining it for meaning, and instead looked and listened to it patiently and deliberately? What might we hear that we hadn’t seen before? If you want to try this out, Psalm 1 is a perfect passage with which to give it a whirl.

Please join me this week in praying for:

An end to this pandemic.
Doctors, nurses, PA’s, paramedics, and others working to keep us all well.
Those of us who have lost someone in recent days, and are carrying deep grief.
Those among us who are hurt or sick in body, mind, or spirit.
First responders who confront emergencies in our homes, our highway, our towns, and our wildlands.
Those who are feeling especially tired or worn; that the Holy Spirit would bring rest and refreshment that nothing else can.
Refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan, who are having to resettle and begin a life far from everything they have known.
Wisdom, which seems so often in great need and excruciatingly short supply.
Patience, for those moments when our own wisdom or the wisdom of others fails.
Each other (please contact [email protected] if you’d like to be added to our prayer list).