Serving others changes us

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Peter has been journeying with Jesus and has seen people who have faith that Jesus is their only hope.   Peter has been witnessing the power of the kingdom of God on others.  He has been learning about what the kingdom of God is. He has been learning who Jesus is and what it will take to follow Jesus.  Now Jesus gives Peter an opportunity to trust in him and his word.  Jesus creates an environment for Peter to experience Jesus in a deeper and new way.

Jesus calls a little huddle among the 12 apostles in Luke 8:40-9:6.  Jesus gives Peter and the other disciples power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure disease.  Jesus then sends the apostles out to preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. 

 

Jesus sends Peter out and tells him to take nothing.  We know this is to bring about a lesson because later he would tell them they can take things with them as they proclaim the kingdom.  The purpose of this sending was more than just proclaiming the kingdom.  

On this trip, Peter would go from knowledge of Jesus to experience of Jesus.  In this moment, Peter would learn about his need for Jesus as well as the faithfulness of Jesus.

What we really believe about Jesus come out in how we live our life?  Do you believe Jesus is good enough?

 

What we really believe about ourselves will be seen in how we speak of ourselves and live out our life.  Peter now has to live out his trust in Jesus as he goes out and trust in who Jesus says he is.  Peter’s theology (belief) and faith are put to practical tests.  Jesus sends Peter into a lived experience so that he would know Jesus in a new and deeper way.  

David Benner shares “true knowing of our self-demands that we know our self as known by God, and true knowing of God demands that we know God not just as an abstraction or as objective data but in and through our lived experience.”

 

Two questions of reflection:

a)Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what is God revealing about himself to you? What do you need to accept about him?

b)Looking at the circumstance you currently find yourself in, what are you learning about yourself? How does God see you?

 

This sending out of the 12 was to proclaim the kingdom of God.  However, I think the first priority was the training of the 12.  It was a season for them to put into practise what Jesus had revealed to them.  It was a season for their life to be transformed.  

Transformed lives have a natural way of proclaiming the kingdom that goes beyond oneself.

Beginner guide to advent: Symbols of Advent

Posted on by Matthew Laker

The Advent season is one filled with many symbols, but two core symbols dominate.  

The first is the wreath and the second are the candles.  During the Advent/Christmas season, there are many surrounding symbols that have been added.  Often the symbols have been adopted and redeemed for Christ.  Tension comes from adopting for some, but Jesus is in the business of taking something old and making it new.

In churches and some homes, the wreath is one of the most well-known symbols.  It comes from northern Europe and does not have its origins with Jesus followers.  It has been adapted to point us to Jesus.  Evergreen leaves are placed in a circle to remind us of life and God’s never ending love.

Candles are the biggest symbols we see in many churches and homes.  Often candles are placed inside the wreath.  Many churches will light one candle each Sunday service of advent until all four candles are lit  Christmas eve or Christmas day.  

Three of the candles are purple representing kingship or even  repentance.  One candle is often pink and represents Joy, reminding us of the need to rejoice in this season. Some will put a white candle in the middle and light that candle at the Christmas eve service or on Christmas day.  The focus is not so much the colour, but the light.  Today you sometimes see people using just plain white candles.  

Purple is often the colour of advent.  It represents repentance, fasting and royalty as we welcome the king.  Often we do not think of advent as a time for fasting, etc., however, we must not forget its connection to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus came in the flesh to reveal God’s grace through his life, his teaching, death and resurrection.  For this reason we see some shared colours between the season of advent and the season of lent. 

There are other symbols that are connected to the Christmas story such as the star and the manager.  The Christmas tree has also become a staple in many churches and homes here in the West.  Again this is an example of a symbol that has been claimed and transformed to point us to Christ.  Later, decorations with Christian symbols would be used to decorate the tree. 

There is also a tradition called the Jesse tree.  It seems to have its origin from the medieval times and is used to tell the story of the bible from creation to the birth of Christ.  The name comes from Jesse who was the Father of King David in the old Testament.  Isaiah 1:1-4 is the root of this symbolism speaking of a branch that shoots up from the stump of Jesse. Like many other symbols, trees have been used to help teach people who can not read or write learn the stories from creation to the birth of Christ.  Today it is used more often as an advent Calendar.  Here is a great online resource to learn more.  Read the intro here: http://www.loyolapress.com/the-jesse-tree.htm

You can use a normal tree and each day of advent, or just on the Four Sundays of advent, hang a special decoration or ornament that tells a story from the bible on the tree.  

The symbols of advent are used to help us focus on both the past and the future.  They speak and serve as a signpost on the spiritual journey as the followers of Jesus affirm that Christ has come, that he is present, and that he will come again. 

Beginner’s guide to Advent: What is advent?

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Series: Beginner’s guide to Advent

Growing up every year, my mom would buy us advent calendars filled with chocolate. For me, advent was not spiritual, but a Christmas tradition that counted down to Christmas day.

I grew up in a church that practiced lighting advent candles and had parents that did their best to teach their kids about the purpose of this tradition. However, it was not until my adult years I really started asking what the role of advent was. I wondered just what was commercial and what was tradition in the church? Was there any connection to Jesus, or was this a tradition developed by man?

To understand advent I first must make mention of the church calendar. One writer comments on the use of the calendar as “time itself could be an entree into worship, a retelling of the Christ story”(http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/2014/december/our-own-kind-of-time.html).

 

The church calendar takes the 365 days in a year and coordinates with the solar calendar and the life of Christ. There are the major holidays which many know, like Christmas, Good Friday and Easter, as well as Pentecost. Then there are other special days or seasons that fit around these days.

 

One challenge is there is not one universally accepted calendar for the church year. However, the idea of the church calendar can have benefits to discipleship and spiritual growth of people.

 

Advent is the beginning of the church year. The word “advent” means “the coming.” It starts four Sundays prior to Christmas day. The length will vary depending on the date of the first Sunday. It is about a time to prepare to be worthy to celebrate the anniversary of the Lord’s coming into the world – his incarnation. It is not so much an event as it is a preparing season to position to meet with God.

 

Those who have gone before us have chosen Scripture for this journey that speaks to three aspects of advent.

1. The advent of Christ coming into our own lives.

2. The advent of Christ’s physical birth in Bethlehem.

3. The advent of his second coming at the end of history.

 

In most traditions there are four themes, one for each week of advent. The common ones are hope, peace, joy, and love.

Hope (Isaiah 9:2);

Peace (Isaiah 9:6-7; John 14:27);

Joy (Isaiah 65:18; Galatians 5:22-25);

Love (Deuteronomy 10:17-19a; John 13:34-35)

 

There seems to be no fast rule about this. As one can find many themes, here is another example.

Waiting (Isaiah 52:7-10);

Accepting (Luke 1:26-38);

Journeying (Isaiah 55:6-13);

Birthing (Luke 2:1-7)

 

There is a place in our journey for a longer season of reflection so that we may be what God has called us to.

It’s during advent that as the world speeds around, advent calls us to slow down and mourn, hope and prepare.

It is a time to face the brokenness of our world and in ourselves and embrace healing in Jesus.

It is a time to be reminded we are an alternative kingdom.

 

It is a time to reflect upon how the Jesus follower uses time, power, money, our bodies, possessions, work, how we understand race, injustice, relationships, God, forgiveness and how they can be at odds with our culture’s way of doing life.

Advent is a call to realign our life with Jesus.

Beginners guide to advent

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Series: A Beginners guide to advent.

ad 3Here in Canada once Halloween (October 31) is over, literally the next day the commercial side of Christmas is kicking off. Growing up I always enjoyed the Christmas season. One of the traditions we took part in was something called advent. However for me, advent was more about watching someone light a candle on Sunday morning and getting an advent calendar filled with chocolate.

It was not until my 30’s that I started to see the good potential of advent, beyond just eating gross chocolate out of a cardboard calendar.

Have you ever wondered, what is advent all about?

Where did advent come from?

Why does the church practise something that Christ did not say to?

Where did the advent wreath and traditions come from?

My hope is to write a series of posts that can serve as a beginner’s guide to advent, in order to help you get the most out of the season.

Advent is not so much an event as it is a preparing season to position ourselves to meet with God. It is the beginning of the church year calendar. It is not something that we have to take part in, but it helps to create a good rhythm to realign ourselves.

Some will jump on the idea not to celebrate advent or Christmas, stating that its origins are not Christian. Yes, some of its components originated outside of the community of Jesus followers, however, we need to remember that Jesus followers are in the business of renewal. Often historically the church has redeemed practises for the glory of Christ. If you are a Jesus follower all you have to do is look in the mirror to be reminded about that. Jesus took something that was unholy and made it holy.

At its core I have come to see advent as a great tool amongst the community of followers of Jesus to be used for discipleship and alignment with Christ. It is not just a individualized practise, but can be a community building experience.

What questions do you have about advent?

Fill out the survey below and help me develop this series.

The Apostle Peter, us and fear

Posted on by Matthew Laker

Series Walking with Peter part 4

In Matthew 8:14-17;23-27 we find Peter, and the rest of the apostles, in a boat and full of fear.

The disciples have been listening to Jesus share about faith and trusting him. Peter and the disciples watched as Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law. Now they are in a boat and a great storm comes. In this moment they will learn more of who Jesus is and who they are.

The storm is fearful and scary and Jesus looks at them and says “Why are you so afraid?”

It is a question we really need to ask ourselves.

Why are you so afraid to follow Jesus?

Do we believe that Jesus is powerful enough?

If we do believe that, how does that change how we view ourselves and how we live? In the boat the disciples were afraid and doubted. I can be just like them at times. I know that God is leading my life and yet I get into situations and wonder and struggle with fear. Yet like the disciples I have seen God at work.

Where have you seen God at work in your life?

When we are in our storms what do you think the characteristic of Jesus will be? Will God hold back his grace and mercy? Will he leave you alone? Will Jesus use the storm for his glory and to shape you?

Peter learns about Jesus’ sovereignty, grace and mercy.

Many followers of Jesus are inclined to look to the uncertainty of the storm and not the certainty of Jesus.

To follow Jesus is to put our trust in him; that he is good enough and great enough. So when we fear, we assess it in light of who Jesus is. We respect what our fear tells us, but we see it through the lens of Christ.

When Jesus asked Peter and the disciples his question, he was revealing the unbelief that was still in their hearts. He was revealing to them and to us that fear does not have to become a driving force in our life. He was revealing that death is not our end as followers of Jesus.

As psalm 27:1 shares, “Whom shall we fear.”

I am not there yet. But Jesus is revealing a radical way of living that he is slowly calling Peter to.

The truth, however, is it is not just Peter he is calling to this life, but us as well.