Category: By Rob Woodrum

We Are a Moment, You Are Forever

Rob Woodrum10 Comments

HEY…I just realized what I forgot!  This week we’ll be finishing up our short (or long, depending on your attention span) study of Psalm 103.  This week, we’ll be reading v 15-22.  As you read it, what do you learn about yourself…what does it reveal about God to you?

Has anyone ever said, or have you said to yourself “God is in control.”?  What does that mean to you?  Has that phrase ever made you feel worse instead of better? (it has for me)  What does it really mean that God is in control?  That He’s got the remote?  That He’s got an oil field?  What about when things go wrong…where does that fit in to His control?

Stuff to think about.

On another note…have you read The Shack (we carry it in the Corner bookstore)?  I have…and wow.  Just, wow.  I highly recommend this book, especially for those struggling with the question of pain and God’s will.  It’s really a good read, and I believe it will give you a refreshing sense of personalization in your relationship with God.  But that’s just my opinion.  You may hate it….I don’t know.

One more thing.  Donald Miller (author of Blue Like Jazz, and someone I dearly appreciate) prayed at the DNC.  His prayer has really sparked a lot of conversation…and there are a lot of different opinions about the content of the prayer.  I’d like to hear your thoughts on it.  Not about the fact that he was praying at the DNC…that’s a no brainer.  If someone asks you to pray, in my opinion, you pray.  So I don’t want to discuss the partisan, political stuff.  What he said in the prayer….that’s what I’m pondering.  I’d like to hear your thoughts,, because I’ve heard all my own.  Below is the video

By the way….has that dude lost weight or WHAT?  I’ll be first in line at the bookstore to buy his “Blue Like Jazzercize” book.

Proactive Spirituality (2), Our Frailty, His Favor

Rob Woodrum2 Comments

We will be returning to Psalm 103 this Sunday, and we’ll be reading vs 8-14. 

It would be hard to find a more comforting set of verses in all the Bible…though there are many of them to choose from.  The revelation of God…and how He views humanity which is set forth in vs 8-14 stand in alarming contrast with the expectations of so many religious institutions.  For myself, a recovering legalist, the discovery of these verses went a long way toward healing my twisted view of who God is, and how He wants to relate to me.

It’s within this passage that God unveils His paternal heart for us…which would become the pinnacle of Jesus’ teaching on how we relate to God.  Jesus broke with the norm and invited us to pray to God as “Our Father”, something that was out of step with the understanding of that time, but which was clearly revealed here in this Psalm.  God cares for us like parents care for their children…only infinitely more so. 

For most of us, we don’t really have a good framework to understand what that means.  For many, our parental interaction was flawed, if not broken.  When we conjure up images of a parent’s interaction with us, we may struggle with memories of abuse or conditional affection or limited affection…and on and on.

That’s why this Psalm is so important.  While God uses the image of a parent’s love, He qualifies it by describing what that love looks like, and what it means to us.

What images that are used to describe how God views us, or cares for us, or understands us speak the loudest to you from this passage?  What does it tell you about this God you seek to know?

Do you struggle with a sense of inadequacy…a concern that God is barely tolerating your inability to follow Him well…or at very least, do you imagine that He’s irritated with you, displeased that you don’t have it together yet?  If so…let these verses from Psalm 103 wash over you, rinsing away those inaccurate and burdensome notions.  Let this Psalm hold out strong and loving arms that you can leap into; rolling in gleeful wonder as you receive the love that only a Papa like Him can give.

When your enemy tries to discourage you by reminding you of your failures and sins…tell him “Yep, I know I’m no good at this…BUT AS FAR AS SUNRISE IS FROM SUNSET, THAT’S HOW FAR HE REMOVED MY SINS FROM ME!”  Then hold tight to the hand which reaches for you from Psalm 103, and know the contentment that comes from being loved.

Have you tried praying this Psalm yet?  If so, what have your experiences been?

See yer’ Sundee.

Our Need, His Character

Rob Woodrum4 Comments

For reasons I’ll explain later, I’m not going to begin a study on another full book just yet.  Instead, this Sunday, we’re going to begin a short study on what, for me, has become a focal point chapter in the book of Psalms.

Psalm 103 will be our subject for the next few weeks.  Read it here in the NKJV.  Read it here in The Message. (I really love The Message version…and we’ll be referencing it in our study).

This is a Psalm I love to pray…for a while I prayed it every day, but now its every few weeks, as other Scriptures and prayers have been in the forefront for me. 

Psalm 103 is a Psalm of David…a song that is believed to have been written in his old age.  I imagine that old king, scars on the arms which hold his harp, reflecting on his adventurous life with God as he hums and sings in time with his strum.  It’s such a wonderful prayer.

As you read it, do me a favor.  If you need to, print out a copy of the Message version of Psalm 103.  Now, sometime when you have a moment of quiet…somewhere when you’re all alone, and the TV isn’t screaming what you should buy, and the kids are occupied or asleep….in that time, read this out loud (a whisper will do though), and add personal pronouns in the reading…so that it is a conversation in which you personally are speaking to God. 

It will read like this:

1-2 O my soul, bless God. From head to toe, I’ll bless your holy name!
   O my soul, bless God,
      don’t forget a single blessing!

 3-5 You forgive my sins—every one. 
      You heal my diseases—every one. 
      You redeem me from hell—You save my life! 
      You crown me with love and mercy—a paradise crown. 
      You wrap me in goodness—beauty eternal. 
      You renew my youth—I’m always young in Your presence.

….and on and on.  You get the idea.  Personalize the language of the Psalm…make it YOUR prayer…and pray that Psalm to God.  Think over what it means as your saying it (realizing that He hears you, no matter what you hear).  Let it soak in.

What does this Psalm say to you in the first five verses?  What do you see as the emphasis?  What is revealed, and who is it revealed about?

Do these verses evoke any thoughts you want to share, good or bad?  Questions maybe?  Testimonials?

Just wondering.  Hopefully this will be a cool study.  I really love Psalm 103.

The Deeper Magic – Mark 16:9-20

Rob Woodrum13 Comments

Sorry for the delay in posting this week…I have no valid reasons, only excuses.

So, we’re going to finish our study in the gospel of Mark this Sunday.  It’s always sort of bittersweet to me to finish up a book.  Its a great feeling of accomplishment, but also a sadness to leave such familiar territory.

We’re going to be reading the last part of chapter 16, verses 9-20.   For roughly the last 1,800 years there has been a controversy surrounding these verses.  Many scholars, both ancient and modern, believe they are an addition to the original text and should not be included nor taken seriously.  If you feel like reading, you can find a fair summary of the opposing views HERE.

For my part, I find compelling arguments on both sides of the issue.  To determine if I should include these verses in our study, I asked myself some questions.  1) Are the verses in question in conflict with the rest of the Scriptures of the New Testament?  My answer was no, they’re not and in fact can be correlated to other gospel and didactic passages.  2) Do the verses introduce foreign doctrines?  Again, the answer is no.  Some cessationist advocates may try to insinuate that verses 15-18 could promote wild charismania…but even there, the things Jesus lists off in the passage DID get experienced by the Christians of the book of Acts….so a person could still argue that those gifts had ceased after that (if they wanted to, and wanted to be wrong).

The fact is, every translation of the Bible today still includes these verses, and just add a footnote.  God is pretty big, that much I’m sure of.  I think He’s well able to see to it that we have the Word He wants us to have…so…I’m going to teach on those verses.  What do you think about them?

If you read  them over, you’ll notice that one reaction is pretty consistent from those who only hear about Jesus rising from the dead.  What is it?  Put yourself in their place…how do you think you would have responded?  (seriously…when you read about someone who “spotted” Elvis working at a 7-11, what is your first reaction to that kind of “news”?)  Yet in verse 14, Jesus is none too amused at their response.

How would you summarize verses 15-18?  What do those verse tell us about the world we live in now that Jesus has risen from the dead?  V 19 is the fuel for v 20…Jesus “ascended”, or was taken into the unseen realm of  heaven (which N.T. Wright describes as the control room for the events of earth, which I think is brilliant).  From that place of power and dominion He does something…what does He do, and through what agency does He do it?

Well…don’t feel pressured to respond…I know this was late in coming.  And don’t feel like you need to answer all the questions I pose…if just one thing strikes your interest, lets talk about it!

Peace…see you Sunday!

“Peace”

Rob Woodrum16 Comments
Joe Nori
Joe Nori

 Joe Nori, 11/7/59 – 7/27/08

“I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 
 “Where, O death, is your victory?
      Where, O death, is your sting?”

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  –1 Cor 15:50-57

Just in case you didn’t know, Joe made his trip home last Sunday.  We’ll be having a memorial service for him at the Eastgate building this Friday @ 7 pm, and everyone is invited.  We’ll also be streaming the service on the internet for Joe’s family to join in (so please pray that the technological stuff doesn’t let us down).

Dale reminded me that Joe’s parting word was always “peace”.  We don’t grieve as the world does because we have the Hope that Joe now knows a peace we can only dream of.

“See you later Joe.”

“Peace.”

*The above photo of Joe was taken from Dustin’s blog, Livesalty.com.  Thanks Dustin.

 

“Holy Rolling Stone!”

Rob Woodrum3 Comments

Roughly three and a half years ago I had surgery done on my left knee.  It was a little more complicated than it was originally thought to be, and suddenly, without warning, I found myself with a bum knee.  For two years I suffered with daily pain, and an atrophied quad muscle which, I found out later, was the major source of my pain and weakness.

Bottom line?  I could no longer surf.  I couldn’t run, and frankly, didn’t even enjoy walking that much.  I started packing on the pounds and really found myself sinking into a dull depression.

A little more than a year ago, that all began to change.  I spent some very deep, alone time with God…and came back ready to tackle this problem.  I started exercising and building up my quad muscle, as well as the muscles that surround my knee…and lo, it eliminated about 60% of the pain I felt.  With renewed hope, I looked out at that Gulf of Mexico.

When Dolly came through recently, I was out surfing on unusaully beautiful, glassy waves one Thursday morning.  I was out there with Luke B. and I ran into Dave B.  He smiled and said to me “Weren’t you unable to surf for a while?  It’s good to see you back out here.”

Man, what an understatement.  To have something taken away…to face the possibility of letting something go that felt really important to you….only to have it restored.  How do I explain the feeling of that?  Words fall short of expressing the joy and wonder and appreciation I feel.

We’re going to study Mark 15:42-16:8 this Sunday.  We’re down to the last few teachings in this gospel.

As you read this passage…think about the characters again.  What must they be going through?  What are your thoughts about Joe of Arimathea as you read about who he was?  Why do you think he does what he does?  How do you think he felt?

Think about the Marys.  What is thier concern?  What ends up being their solution?

What are your thoughts on any of this?

Too many questions?

🙂

A View From the Cross

Rob Woodrum7 Comments

We will be studying Mark 15:21-(possibly)47 in our exploration of the gospel of Mark this Sunday.

Jesus has been tried, condemned and brought before the powers of Rome, who have determined to crucify Him for political reasons.  All of this was predicted by Jesus before hand.

Mark’s gospel is unique in all the accounts because Mark provides so few details about Jesus during this time.  There is no description of Jesus’ other words spoken just before and during His time on the cross, other than what he says in v34.  It has been suggested that Mark’s viewpoint then, is not at the foot of the cross looking up…but rather a view from the cross looking around. 

From this vantage point we see Simone the Cyrenian press-ganged into carrying Jesus’ cross.  He and his sons are mentioned in such a way that we would think they are well known to the readers who originally recieved this gospel.  Tradition says that they became leaders in the early church.

We see from Mark’s view the solders who try to offer Jesus pain killers, and then once their grizzly task is completed, begin dividing up Jesus’ clothing as the spoils of their job.

Looking to the right and left, we see two other men on crosses.  Robbers, it says in the text, though that could have been a generic term used to describe people who stirring trouble and breaking laws.  They may have been the very men Barabbas was chained up with when Jesus took his place.

From the cross, we see the passers by…the ones who probably have heard about this teacher from up north who thinks He’s the Messiah.  Now they see Him on a cross, and begin jeering and taunting Him, because in their minds, this proves Jesus isn’t the Messiah they’ve been waiting for.

The religious leaders are there too.  When the mocking begins, they don’t urge people to mercy.  There is no kindness demonstrated in spite of their disagreement with Him.    They don’t say “listen, this guy’s suffering already, lets not add to it, lets pray for Him.”  No.  They join in the mockery.

Darkness descends, the atmosphere becomes strangely ominous.  Jesus gives one final cry, and dies.  One final character stands at the foot of that cross, and we see him looking up at Jesus.  He says “Truly, this man was the Son of God.”

What are your thoughts on the cross, at least from Mark’s description of it?  Mark’s gospel was the earliest one written, and if all we had was Mark’s account of this….what would we make of it?  What do you think Mark’s view from the cross tells us?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Peace

Who is the King?

Rob Woodrum5 Comments
Pilate offers Jesus to the crowd

We’re going to continue in Mark this Sunday…we’ll be looking at Mark 15:1-20.

The Jewish leaders have concluded their judgement of Jesus, and believe Him deserving of death.  They, however, don’t have the authority to put someone to death because they are under Roman rule.  Their difficulty is now to convince the Roman governor, Pilate,  who has jurisdiction over Jerusalem to condemn Jesus to the death sentence.

They have condemned Jesus as deserving of death because of blasphemy, but they know that will never wash with a Roman ruler.  So, they focus on the one thing sure to get Pilate’s attention, and that is the claim to be the King of the Jewish people.  Why would that get Pilate’s attention?

When Pilate asks Jesus about this claim, Jesus, in the original language, says essentially: “That’s what you say.”  Why does Jesus seem so non-committal in His answer?  Maybe John’s version of this encounter sheds some light on it: John 18:36-37.

Things get exposed in glaring detail the nearer we get to the cross.  Pilate sees why the religious leaders want Jesus killed (v10).  What were their motives?  Why THOSE motives?  What does this tell us about their thought of Jesus as king?

What does Pilate marvel at (v5)?  Why do you think this causes him to wonder in admiration?  What was he looking for in a king?

Why did the crowd choose the way they did?  What made the difference between Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and this moment?  What were they looking for in a king?

Why do the soldiers treat Jesus the way they do?  What has them so riled up?  What possible motive can they have for this level of cruelty?  What do they reveal about their view of Jesus as king?

What is the center of this trial?  What is the crucial question asked?  Have we asked that question when it comes to our lives? 

See you Sunday!

Identities Revealed Through Crisis- Mark 14:43-65

Rob Woodrum5 Comments

Our text this week will be Mark 14:43-65, and you can read it here.

As the tension of the situation mounted last week in the scene of Jesus’ prayer in the garden, it now explodes into crisis, as Judas leads a group of armed men to come and apprehend Jesus to take Him back into the city for trial.

This “multitude” as Mark puts it, would have been a a detachment of the Temple Guard, men who were authorized by the Roman government to carry arms and act as local police, so that Roman soldiers weren’t always responsible for day to day operations of the city.  Think of them as the Iraqi police our military is training to keep order in Baghdad.

Several characters and groups come into sharp focus as this crisis mounts…and their true nature gets revealed in the process.

Our first exposed character is Judas (v 43-46).  He greets Jesus, it says, with a kiss.  The word implies tenderness and affection.  It looks so good on the surface…but something else is revealed.  What are Judas’ motives for showing affection to Jesus?  Who benefits from his action?  Do our actions ever flow along these same currents when it comes to our walk with Christ?  What do we learn from Judas?  What should we watch out for in our own expressions of loyalty and love for Jesus?

The next character exposed is unnamed in Mark, but we’re told in John 18:10 that it’s Peter(v 47)…the guy lopping off ears with a sword.  Peter was pretty adamant about his loyalty to Jesus in the last section we read.  What gets exposed about Peter in his actions here?  The parrelel account of this in Luke tells us that Jesus has to clean up this mess for him.  What, again, is Pete relying on in this crisis?  How does it seem to work for him?  Have you left any ears on the ground in your response to a crisis?  What do we learn about where our battles should be fought?

The rest of the disciples get exposed (v 48-52) during this arrest.  For all of their lofty talk a few hours before, when the whip comes down, they scatter.  When we are faced with crisis, how are we tempted to move farther away from Jesus?  Using v 52 as an example, what is often the result of distancing ourselves from Christ when things seem to be falling apart?

The trial before the religious leaders takes up the rest of the section (v 53- 65)  Here, the religious leaders are exposed for who they really are.  As I read this, I have no reason to think that they believe they are doing God’s will, and defending God’s ways.  Yet in the process of doing what they think is right, they do an awful lot of stuff that’s wrong.  In fact, you might find this article interesting, concerning the illegal procedures the Sanhedrin employed in Jesus’ trial.  What does this tell us about the religious leaders?  They believe they are doing the right thing, and are willing to go to any lengths to achieve it?  Is it still right, if we employ wrong tactics to get what we want?  What implication does this have on how they esteem their own interpretations of the Word?  Are there places in our lives where we are unteachable?  Have you ever  been pressed to give an answer, and been tempted to “make something up” in order to prove you are right?  What do we learn about “being right” in this portion of the text?

The final revelation comes concerning who Jesus is (v61-62). When they ask Jesus point blank “are you the Messiah, the Son of God (Blessed)?”…Jesus answers first with two words.  Read Exodus 3:13-14.  What does this tell us about Jesus’ response?  Who is Jesus revealing Himself to be?  It amazes me when people say “Jesus never said He was God, His followers said that after He was gone.”  Not true, as the passage above reveals.  That’s what causes such a dramatic reaction from the High Priest.  In light of who Jesus is revealed to be in this crisis…what do we learn about where our loyalties, trust, and direction is to be toward?  How do we do that in real life?

Stuff to think about.  See you Sundee’.  Have a great 4th of July!

Just When We Think We’ve Got it all Together – Mark 14:27-42

Rob Woodrum5 Comments

Hey everybody.  First off, I want to mention that Sabet Kuj called me yesterday to thank our church for praying for Suzy and he.  In case you don’t know, they are missionaries to the Sudan that we have been supporting as a church, and who stayed in our area and hung out with our church for a year.  She had filed for citizenship in the U.S. (Suzy is from the U.K.), and last week she received it.  The whole family will be united in Sudan by September.  God is good.

Our text this week is going to be Mark 14:27-42 – read it here.

Verse 26 provided the larger context of the events recorded in this part of chapter 14.  Even though we have the account of Jesus praying in the garden, that event is surrounded by accounts of self confidence and failure.

Have you ever made a commitment to something verbally, but failed to follow through because it was more difficult than you thought?  How did it make you feel?  What did you learn from something like that?

In all the gospel accounts, Peter is always quick with his tongue…and his own account (if that’s what Mark is) is no different.  He makes bold claims and promises, but later on in the chapter, we’ll find out just how he keeps those promises.

As Jesus goes off to pray, what do the disciples do?  In His humanity, as best we can tell, Jesus had the same struggles with surrendering His will to survive.  This is, in part, what is making Him “exceedingly sorrowful to death…”  It is in the context of laying aside His own will that Jesus utters the rally cry the church has echoed for 2,000 years – “not what I will, but what YOU will.”.

When He gets back to His disciples, he awakens them.  What do you make of that?  How would you apply that to your life as a disciple now?  His warning is about the weakness of our flesh when it comes to fulfiling our spiritual desires and goals.  Obviously, this has application to prayer, because that’s the immediate context, but what do we learn from His warning as we try to apply it to other areas of our spiritual journey.

In v 40, we’re given a reason why the disciples were sleeping.  In your own times of struggle or heart pain, when you just don’t know what to do, what has been your response?  Escaping is a natural human tendency.  What things do we try to escape to, instead of resolving to entrust our situations to God?

This whole scene gets repeated three times.  As you read it, how do you imagine Jesus’ facial expressions?  How do you imagine His tone of voice?  Does Jesus give up on them?  What is His final word to them in V 42?  What does that mean to your life? 

Well…I hope that sparks some good conversation.  Thanks for reading this, and being willing to dig a little during the week.  This is time WELL SPENT.  See yer’ Sundee!