Read all of 2 John here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20John+1&version=NIV

It’s the second shortest book in the Bible and again we find mysteries. It begins with the words, “The elder, to the lady chosen by the God and her children” Typically the beginning of the letter is who it is written to. But it sounds like John is referring to himself as the elder, or he’s writing to an elder and his wife, or he’s writing to- gasp- a female elder! All possiblities. It seems most likely it’s John writing to a family, but some take it metaphorically- he’s writing to a church that in scripture is always her and the children are the people in the church. That interpretation isn’t much fun.

What is fun- the crazy idea that John never refers to himself nor Mary the mother of Jesus in his gospel- so perhaps John is writing to Mary the mother of Jesus about her other children. I really like that interpretation!

He talks about how great it is to run into her children who are believers. That’s a pretty amazing thing. I have had the pleasure of a few kids with in my youth groups over the years who now have kids of their own. When they have faith it’s a sign of legacy of the Spirit moving through a family and it’s a very cool thing!

Then we hear John speak more of love- that as Christians we will walk in love and that means following the commandments. We don’t often think of following rules as love- but right now we do! Not being with our loved ones is a sign of love. It’s the most bizarre rule that I’ve ever had to follow but it’s true. A sign of love for God and for others is following their boundaries. If someone doesn’t want to follow boundaries you have set for good reason- that’s not a sign of love nor respect and the two definitely go together! But that’s another blog.

There’s another reprimand against thinking that Jesus was just God and not man that gnostic thought is a gnasty thought that John wants to eradicate.

Then we have this gem- “Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son^.” Often I run on ahead myself I live in the future- how’s VBS going to happen? How can I make the children’s musical great? Now my questions are- how do I love someone today? How do I make it different than yesterday? Planning for the future seems futile- so live in the now. That’s a good lesson but also there are times when reading the Bible where I want to take it places that the Bible doesn’t say. I want to follow my own interpretations and add my own ideas to scripture. That’s a very bad version of running ahead. Don’t add to scripture. Don’t try to be novel simply restate what the book already says. There’s so much good here- adding to it isn’t going to help! And yet I try to too often.

Finally he has this gem at the end: ¹² I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. ” Boy would I love to meet with each of you readers face to face. It’s only been a month of faceless living but it feels like an eternity. I would love to have a beverage with you if you’re reading this far into the blog. Maybe facetime, but some day in person. That communication is so much better! And you know the only time that face to face communication can happen? In the now! You might be reading this years from now and I may be long gone- and I suppose that’s cool. But there’s something incarnational, intentional and awesome about things that can only happen in the now. Coffee and a Lutheran beverage are one of those- temporal can also be timeless.

I look forward to the day I see you face to face and I see Jesus face to face for then we will be like Him! God bless your Sunday!

Read 1 John 5 here first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+5&version=NIV

We made it to the end of 2 books in 3 weeks!

1 John concludes with a discussion about overcoming,the connection of Jesus and God the Father, and our connection with both of them. Of course there’s more discussion of love as John tries to tie things together than throws in his grandfatherly advice at the end- hey kids- keep yourself from idols which I don’t think he’s discussed before. It’s like the last words of advice before you go on a date from mom- have a great night! Love you! Be back by 10pm! It doesn’t negate what was said before- it’s actually a sign of love that the last words are yelled at you. Mom knows what happens after 10pm on date night- she starts to get worried about you!

There are mysteries in this chapter: What are the 3 things that testify? blood, water, and the spirit. Some think this refers to the spear going into Jesus side, that pulled out water and blood, some Jesus baptism for water which started his ministry and the spirit came down on him, and his death where he gave up his spirit, the vulgate even translates blood as word- which gives it a whole different meaning. As a Lutheran I think he’s referring to the sacraments- Baptism and the Lord’s Supper all of which are ways the Holy Spirit comes to us and testify to the greatness of our God.

Then he talks about the sin that leads to death- often taken as the unforgivable sin of not asking God for forgiveness, some as saying something bad about the Holy Spirit, some the prolonged belief in gnosticism that John has been speaking against through out the passage, others saying suicide as it doesn’t say that the sin that leads to death leads to hell, and we see people who lie in the new testament about their offerings immediately dying, but we don’t know if that means they were damned or not. So it’s a little odd to leave us with some mysteries- it’s assumed that the early chruch would have known exactly what he was talking about. Regardless because it’s not clear here we certainly shouldn’t make theology from it nor teach it to people with certainty when we can’t say we know what it means. It’s an odd thing to throw in at the end but goes back to John remembering last pieces of information he needed to get out before the scroll finished.

What do we take from this whole chapter and it’s weirdness- probably go back to the themes off the whole book. Light beats darkness. Love trumps hate. Jesus, God and man rolled into one, defeats death, sin, and the devil, if you’re with him you can’t be defeated and you shall overcome. Flee from hate and sin and run to God- run to love for neighbor and Jesus. This is a love letter. Now go be God’s love letter to the world!

Read 1 John 4 first- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+4&version=NIV

So turns out I missed a day. I thought I wrote a blog yesterday and I didn’t. I was running around teaching myself how to do one man puppetry and looking at Psalm 23 and it didn’t even occur to me that I missed out. I’m sorry. But thankful for Grace! I almost didn’t even do it today.

We start with a look at the gnostic thought that Jesus was God and not man- the spirit tells us Jesus was flesh- and that’s truth. Today w have the opposite thought- Jesus was man but not God. Hard to believe the opposite was a significant issue, yet John talks about it a lot.

Then we get two verses that I just love: ⁴ You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. ⁵ They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world.” Knowing that God is in us and greater than anything we face is super comforting. Then we get to the hard part don’t speak to the viewpoint of the world. It’s easy to follow the crowd- have sex before you’re married, get drunk on the weekends, gossip, tell everyone your problems except the person you have the problem with, the ways of the world are all around us and the temptations are huge. How can we not fall into the trap? Remember the previous verse. He who is in me is greater than the world. If you’re right by God it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks or says.

Then we get the best words in scripture. We love because of God’s love. All love is a reflection of God’s love because God is love. Now love isn’t God, but it’s a reflection of His will and ways towards us. God is also patient but he’s not patience.

“If we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us” that’s what it’s about. Stick to God and the love comes. It changes you and the way you think and feel. It’s easy to see God in the love people have for one another. And right now- with everything that’s been taken away- that’s all we have.

Then it talks about how there’s no fear in love. It’s weird you would think maybe addressing fear head on would be the cure, but no it’s love. When storms come as kids what helps is knowing mom is close by. A hug gets rid of fear, but a hug has never stopped a storm from coming. Just this last week I had a disagreement with someone. I may have been passive aggressively texting someone or maybe they were doing that to me. Regardless I was angry. Decided to call the person. Now I didn’t get my way, but the sound of the voice and some discussion my anger and hate and fear in the situation was gone. Fear and hate had been conquered by love. When you know that both parties voices have been heard things get better. The one who fears is not made perfect in love- if all you do is fear God then you’re missing out! Fear and love is what Luther says and it’s good to dance in the middle! The fear is of the awesomeness and grandness of God to follow Him when we’re sinners, the love is shown in what Christ did for us to take on the wrath of God and the worst of our sin on the cross.

This chapter encapsulates Christ’s words about the greatest commandment- Love God- love your neighbor. They go together like ranch and siracha or chocolate and bacon. Be a person who does both. Why? Because God loves you and your neighbor- even the one you hate!

First read 1 John 2 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+2&version=NIV

So today is the first day I’ve known someone with Corona and they’re close to me- a close relation to one of very few people I’ve seen over the last few weeks. I had lunch with their spouse yesterday- I was 6 feet away but still it changes things. It was one thing for it to be an out there thing and another for it to be next door.

So what might God’s word have to say about that today? Well verse 17 seems to speak to it- “The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” Even if the worst comes, those in Christ because of him doing the will of God perfectly will live forever and that gives hope.

But the opening paragraph about sin also seems correct, don’t sin, but if you do we have an advocate, we have forgiveness. To an extent that’s sort of what’s happening here. As I’ve talked with the health department today about what the best thing to do with our building is- it’s the same as we did before social distance, lysol stuff, wash hands, wear gloves and masks. Corona isn’t sin, but once you fall into sin, the answer is the same as before- turn from it, turn to God, and don’t do that. Once sin or corona enters the building our response is the same. Turn from it, clean it, irradicate it, and don’t go their again.

Love and hate and light and darkness are also discussed here. Light is associated with love and darkness with hate. Our reaction to sin is to hide it and let it grow. That’s hate towards God and ourselves. God wants us to bring our problems to light so we can be cleaned, so we can grow. Plants and people don’t grow well in the dark. Light leads to growth. So does love.

It is interesting that John keeps talking about not sinning in this chapter when in the previous chapter he said that he who says he is without sin is a liar. I’ve talked to my Pastor about this and he has said that essentially sinning here is being persistent in sin and choosing it over God is the difference. Yes we sin, but through the power of Christ we don’t live there. There are certainly times I feel like I live in sin, yet I’m thankful for the advocate calling us out.

The theme of denial also comes up here- denying sin and denying Jesus. Both are important. I’m afraid of discussing sin sometimes, but if we don’t know that we sin we won’t appreciate what Christ has done for us. Sin is real. Jesus is real. Those truths go together.

Today it’s impossible to deny the power of corona virus. Before it was easy to joke about it. Now I have no desire to do that. When confronted with sin and it’s consequences there’s no denying it. I’m thankful knowing the things of this world especially corona virus will pass away. It’s also good to know my sin and yours already passed away with Jesus on the cross.

Pray for my church family at Bethlehem.

Happy Easter Monday! Decided I would write through the numbered Johns first then move on to the Psalms. I’ve never done a whole lot with them. If you have other ideas- let me know. I’m still thinking through a plan.

Read 1 John 1 first- https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1&version=NIV

1 John is one of my favorite books and like Mark it’s also short which is why I chose it. But it’s not in story form- so it’s a bit more meditative and works through a variety of themes in sort of a spiral pattern. Light and dark and love are all major themes looked at through different lenses. It was written by John who was part of the inner circle of Jesus. His brother James has died in the faith long ago and he referred to himself as the one Jesus loved, not that he didn’t lover others, but that we all are the disciples Jesus loves.

He begins by talking about being a witness to Jesus life, touching him, and how Jesus brought eternal life to us. He’s fighting against gnosticism that thought of Jesus as being God but not man. John pulls upon his own experience and tells the people that he fellowshipped with Jesus and wants others to do the same.

He also uses a lovely phrase, “We write this to make our joy complete” as I’ve been writing daily for the last couple weeks I can say the same is true. Writing about God is a form of meditation for me and though I can’t say it makes me happy per say- it’s a lot like eating a meal. Sometimes we eat for fuel. Sometimes we eat to enjoy. Either way it sustains us for the day. That’s the biblical understanding of joy. With God it’s always there, but that doesn’t mean we want to break out in leaps of joy and do tik tok dances all the time.

Then he begins talking about light and how darkness can’t break light. It reminds me of a quote from St Francis of Assissi which I read for the first time today. “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of single candle”  This is truth! Then he goes into a discussion about sin. Sin and darkness are used to describe life without God. Sin is darkness. So if we claim we have no darkness that doesn’t make God’s light not shine. But it doesn’t make us shine brighter either. God wants us to be honest with him about our sin or else he can’t fix it. If you’ve worked with an addict you know unless the addict wants to be better there’s no chance of them getting better. It’s the same way with my sin. I’m never going to address it if I don’t first admit it and let God change me. Sometimes it takes getting into the darkest pit to realize- yeah I need some light. So unfortunately sometimes Im thankful for rock bottom because then the only way to look is up. How often do we prevent people from hitting rock bottom and looking up? This has to be the hardest thing for parents. I’ve seen it too much.

God is light. If you walk with him you have light too. I suppose that’s similar to the moon. It has no light of it’s own but it walks with the sun and it also walks with snow. If you’ve ever been in the mountains during a full moon you will see the snow glisten with light from the moon and light up the place. But all of that is in a dance with the sun. May we dance with the sun like the moon, bringing light to the darkness, especially now. Listen for God as he tells you to move to help your neighbors and reach out to friends who may be living alone or have 5 kids or health problems. God has someone in your circle who needs help right now. Reach out and be moved to dance with the Son as you light up your little world!

Truths for right now:

Every kid has seen or made stained glass chalk outlines on their sidewalk while the church has been closed. When churches are closed no one can see the stained glass. They’re designed to be seen from the inside only. Maybe we should flip that.

There’s tangible evidence that the church has moved outside and the people are looking for it. Our attendance based on youtube viewership is actually up compared to what it would be if we were in the church building. Not only that it appears to be growing. Obviously more people go to church on easter than other times in the year so I don’t know how sustainable that is. It’s interesting that the Easter number appears similar to other weeks it’s up but not by as large a margin as I would have thought. My guess is more people watched together today then when they watched for a longer period of time

Everybody is under crisis.

The whole world started a new job three weeks ago.  No one knows what they’re doing and there is no hierarchy of leadership anymore.

No one knows how to plan for anything right now. We still have no idea how long this will last. 4th of July fireworks have been canceled and school inside school buildings has tool, but does that mean we’ll all socially distance until April?

People love being outside and they use this program called Zoom inside a lot. Fortunately it’s been nice enough out that every day there was at least one sun break and we could get out and walk- it seems like that’s true for tomorrow as well. 

Which means we’re all equals on some level in a world that’s been more divided then ever the opportunity to sacrifice and live alone now so our loved ones don’t die alone later is beautiful.

It’s ironic that we’re supposed to be 6 ft apart when 6 ft is how deep they bury you.  In a sense we’re all grieving some form of a death and we’re all buried in something.  And death is separation.

Yet what did we celebrate today this Easter Sunday?  Someone coming back from 6ft under ground to touch, break bread with, be embraced by, and be with his friends.

Read Mark 16 first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+16&version=NIV

Christ is risen! He is risen indeed and we did it! We read through Mark!

Before we get into the Mark passage I have some thoughts on Easter-today I gave the most difficult children’s sermon I’ve had to give. Talking to your phone that’s 10 ft away on a stand next to a septic tank in an empty field is a weird way to give a message, when you normally give it to a crowd. I was thinking about how I’ve been waking up super early this year. And how Jesus who was a napper, wasn’t in the tomb when the women came. Why not just hang out to show them he was fine? I think there’s a variety of reasons- God wants it to be about faith and not doubt so I think the empty tomb allows room for faith and hope that our tombs too will be empty some day. Secondly when ever Jesus goes to a funeral he raises the dead. He hates death. He hates the tomb. That’s the reason he hates sin. It’s what it leads too. Jesus has no desire to be in a tomb- he’s a living savior. Then finally I think he did want to be with his friends. In the easter accounts it seems like he’s not initially meeting with people. He allows room for hope before appearing to people. It may have been too much for people to take if he immediately popped up. It seems like people’s vision is blurred until they realize it’s Christ. Maybe psychologically that’s helpful. But more importantly than the timing- Jesus does show up for all his close friends. He shows up for the Marys, the disciples who were walking away from Jerusalem and Christ, for the disciples who were locked up just like we are right now, even to Thomas who wasn’t their either. Jesus shows up! Today we can’t show up at church but Jesus still shows up in our homes and I pray you seem him in the love of the people around you today, through His word as we have read it, and in the many online services you can watch!

Here we see two endings to Mark. One is an empty tomb and a random young man saying Jesus ain’t there. Mark has told us a thousand times Jesus has risen so the ending isn’t necessary, and it leaves room for faith but it seems like an anticlimatic ending. The rationalization for this I’m told is that Mark was likely the first gospel written and it was to be read out loud so after this passage you were tell your story of the risen Christ. Which makes sense- even today when people first encounter Christ it’s not typically through the written word. It’s typically a story someone’s story of how Jesus has changed them and later scripture is shared. But I can see someone reading Mark as a letter in an afternoon before tv existed and then saying- this is how Jesus met me- Paul tells us he met with over 500 people so there would be many to tell the story. Or it could simply be that now the question is turned to the reader of Mark- what do you think happened next? Do you believe Jesus when he said he would rise from death at least three times in this book do you believe it to be true? Is it true for you?

The other is perhaps a latter edition pulling from the other traditions or perhaps even added by Mark later- but it has some troubling things in it like- hey drink poison and get bitten by snakes. You’ll be fine. However it does end with these words: “the disciples went out and preached everywhere and the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word by signs that accompanied him.”

“The Lord worked with them” That’s a powerful statement that I believe is true for me and everyone. Without God no work can be done and how often has my work influenced more than I could have imagined when it wasn’t the work that I had imagined. The things I have done that have touched others typically weren’t planned. How great that our God works with us!

But here’s the truth. Jesus isn’t here- not in the walking around healing everyone, serving everyone, messing with pharisees way, but is he here working with us, brightening our days, giving us the nicest day we’ve had this year when we can’t be at church? Is he working in families to show his love? Encouraging us to love kids? Is he here in an even deeper way bringing Easter resurrection and forgiveness to our failures so we can rise again every day to serve Him? I believe so. Who do you say Jesus is? What do you make of the resurrection? Reflect on that especially this Easter day! And know that He is risen!

Indeed!

Today we look at Mark 15- read it here first: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+15&version=NIV

We’re looking at good Friday- the culmination of Jesus work starting with the story of forgiveness. What prisoner do we set free- Jesus the blaspheming king of the Jews or the murderer Barabas? Who gets forgiveness? Barabas does. Jesus in a sense didn’t need forgiveness but he also didn’t need punishment. The crowd is wrong. The majority is often wrong. Thankfully our God is right and makes us right. Barabas represents all of us. We should be on the cross and Jesus should not. Yet Jesus willingly takes our place.

This story is also very similar to the story of the two goats on the day of atonement- one is sacrificed and one is set free. The Old Testament explains well what’s going on here. Leviticus 16:21-22 explains some of the practice.

Jesus is then mocked, beaten, put a crown and a robe on him. They’re crowning a king in so many ways without even knowing it.

Someone else is asked to carry his cross. It’s a small detail, but Jesus does often allow others to serve him- with a place to stay, he asks the samaritan woman for water, he’s always inviting himself to other people’s houses for dinner. Allow others to serve you too. That’s hard for us to do!

“He saved others but he cannot save himself” is an insult thrown at Jesus. How ironic! Thats the exact thing he’s doing! We proclaim this every Good Friday, Easter and Sunday. Salvation is here through a God who does not save himself!

We talk about the 7 words of Christ on the cross but Mark being brief only records him saying one thing- My God My God why have you forsaken me? In that moment God the father turns his back on Jesus and for the first time feels the true weight of sin that we feel daily but are completely immune too. Being with the Father is so ecstatic getting away from it is death.

After he breathes his last- the curtain is torn from top to bottom signifying that we can now go to the holy of holies because of Jesus death we have access to talk directly to God and receive forgiveness. Jesus blood is enough!

Then we hear about the women watching, not the guys, and the love they have for Jesus. Then he is placed in another borrowed item a borrowed tomb, but he’s only there for a couple nights it was more of a loaner.

Why this emphasis on Jesus getting help and receiving things from others in his final hours before death? Because our God had emptied himself to the point where he needed others to care for him. How crazy is that? How humiliating for our God to be cared for by his creation. How exalting of those like Simon and Mary who got to care for Jesus. The refrain of Mark is the first shall be last and the greatest the servant of all. Even in Jesus final hours before the cross and even after he shows this.

Read Mark 14 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+14&version=NIV

Blessed Good Friday! Bethlehem has a powerful service to share with you today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnkq7Rf8I9k&t=49s Watch it at night though and grab some coins, cloth to rip, and something to add to the strepitus. But then in Mark we’re in Maundy Thursday! Jesus is hanging out with a leper- I wonder if he healed him? And a woman anoints his head with perfume. It’s interesting that those places where Jesus is wounded are also the places that he is blessed. Later on Easter morning the spice girls come and embrace his nail scarred feet. I don’t have examples for his hands or sides, but it’s still an analogy I’m working with. I think God often blesses and uses those things we think of as weaknesses for His good.

Then we have the institution of the last supper for you! Much could be said here, but it’s interesting that it leads to a discussion about Judas betraying Jesus and that when they leave they sing a hymn. So it’s super appropriate that after communion and even during we sing. I often see people praying after communion but I feel like it’s as important if not more so to do it before and have a prayer of confession and after sing in thanksgiving of the redemption you’ve received from the very body and blood of Christ.

Jesus then points out that the disciples will all fall away- Peter denies this-something he does a lot that night. You can tell Jesus is starting to prepare for the inevitable. Then they go to pray at a place Jesus liked to pray. And the disciples literally fall away. They fall asleep. Jesus here asks them not to pray but keep watch as he knows Judas and the soldiers are coming and the disciples can’t even do that.

Then the arrest happens with the betrayal and Mark moves quickly through the mock trial. There are some unique details here I’ve never seen in a Good Friday depiction of Jesus. He’s punched, spat on and blindfolded. The man who has made the blind see with his own spit is now being spat on and blinded. He’s not only whipped but punched. Hours before Jesus hands washed his disciples feet and healed a man’s ear. Now hands hurt him. Earlier in the week he used a whip in the temple and now one is being used against him by the hands of those running the temple. The connections here are crazy!

And then we get to the denial by Peter. What a downer of an ending to this book- we’ve only got 2 chapters left. Fortunately it’s always darkest before the dawn. Though what Peter does is awful- imagine if Jesus hadn’t predicted it and told Peter about it. Would Peter have felt worse? Would he have kept doing it? I don’t know. But we know that Peter and Jesus have many conversations after this.

On Good Friday the Christ candle is never extinguished. It leaves the sanctuary, yet after a time it comes back. There’s hope on Good Friday, there’s hope for Peter, there’s hope for us!