Easter is Here!

April 22, 2011April 22, 2011 Rob Woodrum5 Comments

They had seen him die. They had watched in horror as his tortured body gasped and gurgled it’s last breath. They saw his skin change color, his jaw go slack and his eyes set. Still, lifeless, they knew that the person they had followed and loved was a stranger to them now. No sparkle in the eye, no grin or laughter, no knowing look. Just a shell; a grizzly mannequin hanging like an effigy of all their hopes and dreams.

When all hope is gone, when dreams and loves have run through your fingers like sand, when you slump to the wall and whisper “it’s broken, it will never be right again”, God has one final word for you.

RESURRECTION!

Look in wonder at wide open horizons of hope that resurrection reveals. God reveals that he’s the God of NEW BEGINNINGS, and no matter what we say is plausible or rational or scientifically viable, God winks and reminds us those are not the adjectives that describe a deeper magic. Resurrection reminds us that God is God and the possibilities are endless as life passes through his hands.

No one expected this. During those three days not one disciple suggested that maybe Jesus would be back. Why would they? This is unheard of, unthinkable, impossible. Yet there he was. He had passed through the grave and come out the other side in a whole new condition of existence. Sometimes our hopes and dreams have to have the mark of the cross on them. Sometimes we have weep and bury them, only to discover they were really the seeds of a whole new answer and purpose we hadn’t anticipated. Flowers that are different from the picture on the package, but are far more wonderful than we could have conceived of.

This is the wonder of Easter.

I hope you can come out and celebrate with us at some point this weekend…or for everything we’re doing! Here’s what we have going on:

FRIDAY @6:30 pm, APRIL 22nd: We’re having a special GOOD FRIDAY BURNING HOUSE service. We’re going to have elements of the Seder (the Passover meal) for you to sample, and we’re going to talk about the correlation between the Seder and Jesus’ instructions to us concerning the communion. There’ll be music and praying for each other and hanging out and laughing and maybe crying…all the stuff connected with human beings reaching for the Divine.

EASTER SUNDAY @6 AM: The Dawn Patrol Sunrise Service! GET UP! GET STOKED! HE’S ALIVE!! Easter morning we are going to meet on the beach for a time of worship, reflection and prayer as we begin the day where we remember that Jesus rose from the dead and changed everything forever. If that’s not a reason to get up early, I can’t imagine what is. Bring a lawn chair or a blanket. We’ll be meeting at the corner of Oriole and Gulf drive on Panama City Beach (off of Thomas Dr). Here’s a map

EASTER SUNDAY, 9-11 AM: Come celebrate Easter as we read and explore John 20:10-20, 24-31. It’s the story of a guy named Tom…someone I consider a soulmate. We’re going to look at his journey from honest doubt to real faith. Have you ever struggled with doubts and questions concerning the claims the Bible makes? We don’t need to be afraid of doubt, and especially don’t feel shame. Tom is our guide through those times we ALL have. What do you see in this story? What does it inspire in you?

Ok…well….long update, but worth it! Hope to see you at some point this weekend!

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?

April 15, 2011 Rob Woodrum4 Comments

If you were invited to a special dinner thrown to honor a great person, lets say, a war hero or a philanthropist…the ceremony was free and was going to be lavish. Would you go? If you didn’t go, what sort of excuse would you consider valid?

Jesus is going to pose this sort of scenario in the portion of Luke we’ll be reading this Sunday. Luke 14:15-24

As you read the story and consider what it is that Jesus is responding to, what do you believe his main point is in this parable? As we think about the broader implications of Jesus’ story, we start to make some observations about the kingdom of God as Jesus presents it. If we understand the kingdom of God in eternity to be the marriage of heaven and earth and the restoration of all things…what does the imagery of a banquet mean to you? Does this conjure up images of dry ice fog, clouds and harps….or something else?

Who are the people who enjoy this party? Who are the people left out…and why? What place do you see yourself in this story, and what response does it inspire in you (if any)?

We’ll unpack this as best we can on Sunday — see you then!

The Humble Priority

April 8, 2011 Rob Woodrum3 Comments

Whooo…running late this week…sorry for the short notice on this Sunday’s message.

What’s the most humiliating experience you’ve ever had? What lessons, if any, did you learn from that experience?

It’s not fun to be humbled…and it’s certainly the rare person who has “be more humble” at the top of their day’s plans. But Jesus calls us to humility, in fact, we could say he presents us with the priority of humility in the passage we’ll be looking at this week. We’ll be reading Luke 14:1-14.

Jesus gives us very practical instructions on social etiquette in v7-11…but what do you think a deeper point may be?

Many times we tend to think of humility as a low sense of self-worth. That doesn’t seem to be God’s concept though. How would you describe what humility looks like in practice as you read over this passage?

This will be challenging, but affirming in God’s love at the same time! Hope to see you Sunday!

Finding Peace in a Threatening World

March 31, 2011 Rob Woodrum2 Comments

There are a lot of things to be afraid of in this world…but I wonder how many of the things we perceive as dangers are really a threat at all? Remember Y2K? How about the ruination of our beaches here, the apocalyptic forecasts of how life would never return to normal after the spill? I know some people still insist that the danger isn’t over…and maybe not, but the devastation certainly hasn’t panned out like so many people predicted. One guy wrote a book about the culture of fear we’ve been cultivating here in our country. We certainly do seem to be motivated a lot by what can only be described as fear mongering.

And you know what? I think the evangelical church leads the pack of culprits in this arena. After all, we latch on to any evidence we can find that things are going to hell in a handbasket in order to drive home the point that its time to repent. The problem with that is, we tend to throw around false statistics and unfounded rumors right along with those who are making a lot of money by keeping an audience glued to the latest threat to our cozy lifestyle. I think we need to amend our ways.

But what about the threats we perceive in this broken world? Our passage this Sunday will be Luke 13:31-35, and we’ll be looking at how Jesus responded to a threat posed to his well being. How does he respond…and why does he respond the way he does? Jesus launches into his lament over Jerusalem. How does he describe himself/God? How can this image of God’s behavior toward rebellious people help resolve our own feelings of insecurity or fear?

Hope to see you Sunday! Peace!

Skinny Door

March 24, 2011March 24, 2011 Rob Woodrum8 Comments

We’re reading Luke 13:22-30 this Sunday.

I remember several years ago that Robbie and I had to fly out west because of a family emergency, a family member had died. Our flight locally was delayed, and we had a very short layover for our connecting flight. We raced through the airport only to get to the gate just as they closed the door. We ran up and asked to be let on board, but the attendants were unmovable. The rules state that once the door is closed no one else is allowed on. But we begged, saying the plane is still here, the ramp is still connected! Sorry, the rules say no one gets on. There we were, tickets for that flight in hand, no checked baggage, straight from another flight so already passed through security…but still barred from entrance.

We were so frustrated…furious at the insensitivity and senselessness of such impersonal treatment. We vowed never to fly with that airline again…and but for a few exceptions, have been pretty successful at avoiding them. Ever go through something like that and felt the incredulity of how unfair it all felt?

It’s strange, then, that Jesus tells a story that seems to carry that kind of sentiment to it in the passage we’ll be reading this Sunday. Someone asks a question about salvation…but what did HE mean by salvation? Was it the same thing WE mean?

What does the image of a narrow door speak to you? How would you interpret his meaning to your own life?

What is the basis for the Master of the house not letting the latecomers in? What is his reason for sending them away? Who DOES get in? How would you interpret a saying like “the last shall be first and the first shall be last”?

Lots to think about…hope to see you Sunday!

A Small and Slow Dominion

March 17, 2011March 17, 2011 Rob Woodrum4 Comments

This Sunday we’ll be reading Luke 13:18-21.

Jesus compares the advancing rule of God over the hearts of people to tiny seeds and yeast. Very small things that lead to a greater presence and influence. Why do you suppose Jesus told this parable right on the heels of healing the woman who was doubled over? What connection do you make?

If you were to consider what is most effective in the church right now, what would it be? How do you measure effectiveness- by size or number or monetary value…or something else? How would Jesus’ parable effect your thoughts on what constitutes success?

Just some quick thoughts before Sunday. Please pray for Ralph Marinachi, Sue Watson and P.J. Watner, they’re all pretty sick and in need of God’s healing touch. Of course, don’t forget to pray for the people of Japan.

Prioritizing People

March 11, 2011 Rob Woodrum2 Comments

I’m sure everyone is aware of the terrible disaster in Japan. We keep them in prayer and trust the Lord to extend his mercy and grace to the people there. We certainly seem to be witnessing the world in upheaval, both the natural world and the kingdom’s of men. Jesus said that these types of events would characterize the age we live in. Whether they point toward a nearing end or not, the main thing is to keep our focus on God and to keep doing what we’ve been called to do.

This Sunday we’ll be reading Luke 13:10-17 . We have here, a classic story of priorities which have gotten out of whack…and Jesus arriving on the scene to straighten things out. Literally.

What is the clear sense of priority we get from these events? The ruler of the synagogue scolds the woman, but he’s obviously trying to correct Jesus as well. What are the priorities of the ruler of the synagogue?

Here’s another thing to ponder…why do you think didn’t Jesus wait a few more hours until sunset to heal that woman? She wasn’t in immediate peril, why did he feel the need to do that healing right then, instead of waiting until later and avoiding the controversy? Do you read a message in that to us?

Jesus heals the woman, then defends her and everyone rejoices. It’s a pretty awesome story of the Hero King. I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts.

When Bad Things Happen

March 4, 2011 Rob Woodrum5 Comments

I was going to put up a series of links to stories about tragedies in recent news…but honestly, I just didn’t have the heart to do it. There are so many, and re-reading them is hard to bear.

Tragedies and hardships and difficult times are some of the most perplexing things we have to face as people who believe in God. Our most common and reflexive response to them is to look up to heaven and ask “why?”. The why’s of the thing are the biggest wrestling matches we can have in our faith.

Jesus is confronted with senseless suffering, and offers some insights for us in the passage we’ll be looking at in Luke 13:1-9 this Sunday.

What do you think Jesus is getting at when he says “unless you repent, you will likewise perish”? I would like to challenge you to think outside of the box a little on this passage. There is a very common and accepted understanding about the point that’s being made…but are we sure about the point? Think long and hard about the context before you answer.

Even the parable Jesus tells about an unfruitful fig tree can be a little challenging to grasp the meaning of. We want to say that God is the vineyard owner and Jesus is the gardener…God wants to chop the fig tree down (because, heh heh…God hates figs) but Jesus intervenes and keeps God from judging so harshly…but does that concept really make a lot of sense? Is God really at odds with himself when it comes to Israel, or humanity for that matter? What other possible meaning could this parable have, as you think about it?

Ok…that’s pretty heady stuff to ponder just before the weekend. But I hope you do…AND I hope you have a great weekend, and hopefully I’ll see you Sunday!

The Great Divide

February 18, 2011 Rob Woodrum3 Comments

Lots of stuff vying for my attention this week…sorry for the delay in getting this posted.

This Sunday we continue with Luke 12, finishing up the chapter reading vs 49-59.

What do you think of when you read Jesus’ words proclaiming that he came to start a fire on the earth. Do you see that as something positive or negative…or both?

Have you ever had an experience where following Jesus cost you a friendship…or a family member? How did it make you feel? Jesus makes it clear to us that not everyone is going to dig his message; he is the proverbial line in the sand.

What connection do you see between what Jesus has been talking about and his story about settling out of court to avoid a negative judgment against you?

Just a few questions to spark your thinking…hope to see you Sunday!