Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Journey of Lent #4

What's up incredible Antioch Church of Santa Cruz. I hope you are enjoying the Journey of Lent. I have found myself being very thankful for the season we are in. It's a season of: Reflection, Joy, Sadness, & Expectation. When we answer the question: Why was Jesus crucified? It leads us directly to the Gospel, the Cross, & ultimately to the Resurrection; both Jesus' & ours.  I've just finished: "Surprised by Hope," a book by N.T. Wright which dispels the myth of "I go to Heaven when I die" & reveals the hope we have in our Resurrection & The New Earth. The Resurrection is the what Lent is pointing to & what we, as we follow Jesus from death to life, can all look forward to.

The theme for this weeks Journey of Lent is: Possessed by Possessions. We are called to love God & nothing else. There can be no other gods, no idols, no rival allegiances. But in our consumer culture we are easily lured by money & what we believe it can buy or bring. We can be possessed by our possessions. This is nothing new & the New Testament helps us get a Kingdom perspective on our lives here & now.

Here are the scriptures for this week: 

Luke 12:22-34 "Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear."
Luke 18:18-30 "A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
James 3:13-4:12 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?"

Take time this week to read, re-read, & meditate upon these scriptures. What challenges you? How does the Kingdom perspective challenge your perspective? What things does God want you to lay down or take up? As always, allow God room each day to speak to you & show you His love. From this place we then learn how to trust & live in Him as we journey together as a church in Santa Cruz.

Blessings,

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Journey of Lent #3

As a church in Santa Cruz, we are experience the journey of Lent. Lent is the season within the church  calendar when we prepare ourselves for the crucifixion of Jesus. This is a time of somber expectation, yet at the same time, it is a season of joyful expectation; joyful in that we know Jesus rises from the dead.

Last night we looked at: Luke's "Sermon on the Plains," where Jesus shares the values of the Kingdom. Because the values of the Kingdom of God aren't the values of the Kingdom of man, tension is created, & this leads the powers to be to crucify Jesus. Again this week, Jesus challenges the values of mankind: prejudice, pride, & hatred.

The scriptures for this week are:

Luke 10:25-37. This is the story of the Good Samaritan. Once again this is the Kingdom of God confronting the Kingdom of man. What stands out to you as you read this? How much are we like the lawyer? How do we desire to justify ourselves? How do we treat our enemies?

John 4:1-42. Jesus chooses to travel through the territory of the mixed-race, religiously heterodox Samaritans, a people despised by most Jews. Yet, Jesus treats the people & situations much differently. How does Jesus respond to those different from them? Are there people you find hard to love because they differ from you?






James 2. James the brother of Jesus shares his thoughts about what faith. Many people believe faith is something only to be found in our "hearts." James, on the other hand shares some strong imagery concerning one of the central questions to our relationship with God: What does it mean to have faith?








Read these texts & re-read them. Let them soak into your soul as you journey through the season of Lent. Let God teach you what it means to be alive in Him, what it means to join Him in His desire for all people to know His love.  

Pray: Share your concerns, joys, & concerns with God.

We are the "salt & light of the world." We are the "salt & light" of Santa Cruz.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Pictures.

During the second week of Lent we are living through Luke 6:17-49. This is Luke's version of the "Sermon on the Mount." In it Jesus uses a great deal of imagery & stories to reveal what the Kingdom of God is like, what values the New Earth will express, & what we, as Kingdom People should be about.

As we journey through Lent we are looking at Jesus' walk toward the cross & this sermon certainly is a part of that. Why? By saying & using the illustrations He did Jesus was disrupting the powers to be & their values. In fact the Kingdom of this world & the Kingdom of God are in many ways opposed, which is often the case when Jesus addresses many of His audiences. As you stroll through the images I've put forward that depict Jesus' illustrations, take a moment to take in the words of the Revolutionary: Jesus.

(I do understand some of these pictures are disturbing. That said: who are the current poor? who is our enemy? who judges & against whom? I would rather not deal with these things either.) 

¹⁷He went down with them and stood on a level place.

²⁰ Looking at his disciples, he said:

   “Blessed are you who are poor,
   for yours is the kingdom of God.

²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

³⁷ “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 

⁴³ “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.

⁴⁶ “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? 

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Journey of Lent #2

I hope the first week of Lent was fabulous. As we enter this season we explore the journey of Jesus leading to His betrayal, death, & resurrection. Again, lent is a time to follow Him to His death; yet it is not without expectation; Jesus is "the firstfruits" of God's plan: To redeem creation.
Last week we were a part of Jesus' 40 days of temptation in the desert. This week we look at Jesus' teaching on what a person must do to enter the Kingdom of God & what it looks like lived out in the "here & now."


Here are the texts for the 2nd week of Lent:

First we meditate upon Psalm 32.
This Psalm starts out by saying:
" 1 Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
2 Blessed is the one
whose sin the LORD does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit."
Yes, we are blessed when our sins are not counted against us; yet at the same time, in order for God to forgive us of our sins, we need to be aware of them. This can be challenging as recognizing sin in our life is rarely exciting. Yet at the same time, when we see & confess our sin, are "Born Again," we are free to life the Kingdom life God intends not only for us, but all creation.

Next we look at Luke 6:17-49. This is where Jesus explains to the crowds who is blessed, what Kingdom life looks like, & what type of fruit the Kingdom will express when lived through us. Some questions to ponder are: Who are blessed in the world & why? How can we demonstrate Kingdom values through our lives in Santa Cruz? What in Jesus' speech is very challenging? What values in this scripture does God desire to work into your life?

Lastly, we look at John 3:1-21. This is where Nicodemus asks a question that we, & so many others have asked or are still asking: What must I do to enter the Kingdom of God? When reading this text some questions you might ask are: Why does anyone have to be "born again?" How does someone become "born again?"

Take time each day, & yes you do have time, & sit before God in Silence. If you feel led you can do what many have done & light a candle to represent the presence of God as you sit with Him. Meditate upon His word & allow it room to work into your heart, imagination, & soul. Give God room to grow His Kingdom in & through your life as you make room for Him in solitude & silence.

As always, as we work through the season of Lent in Santa Cruz our goal is to allow God the freedom to be God in our lives. He desires to give us what He has always intended for His creation: Life. Let us not be Blinded by Pride, but free to recognize our shortcomings & need for Him, which leads to real life.

"Let your Kingdom come & will be done in Santa Cruz as it is in Heaven."

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Journey of Lent

“A journey, a pilgrimage! Yet, as we begin it, as we make the first step into the ‘bright sadness’ of Lent, we see—far, far away—the destination. It is the joy of Easter, it is the entrance into the glory of the Kingdom.” Alexander Schmemann

This Wed. we will join millions of brothers & sisters around the world as we begin the season of Lent in Santa Cruz. After nine weeks of Epiphany, where we were able to see some of the significant events in the life of Jesus, we now start down the road that leads to the crucifixion. Yet, as we travail down this road, knowing Jesus willingly gives Himself for us, for mankind, we have far away the joy of Easter where Jesus brings the ultimate blow to sin & death: He is Risen! Yet for now we allow ourselves to enter into the despair, betrayal, & evil intent of creation as it rebels against its creator.

Lent is 40 days long, & it starts this Wed. March 9. During this time we will enter into a season of fasting. Fasting is an ancient tradition where individuals & entire communities remove something from their lives, which is close to their heart, in order to draw close to God & allow Him the place in our hearts all He desires. Fasting helps to remind us of what we do & don’t “need.” Too, as we remove certain things from our lives we also add things such as: Prayer, Solitude, Meditation, Fellowship, Study, & Service. All of these spiritual exercises help to strengthen our souls as we journey with each other & Jesus.

Here are some examples of what some of us are fasting:
Laben: No beer or movies.
Sean: No coffee & no meat on Fridays.
Rachel: No sugar or coffee. One day she won’t eat any food until night time when she will take communion, after which she will eat.

Pray & see what God would have you fast during Lent. Remember 40 days is a long time; however, as we take things out of our life, fasting reveals to us the riches we have in God; we are created from Him it is in Him that our souls find ultimate rest. Fasting helps to focus our souls on God. What will you fast?
Each Monday I will post on this blog the scriptures we will be looking at on the following Sunday at Antioch Church. For example we will use the scriptures below during our worship time March 13. The reason I’m doing this is so during each week, as you spend time with God, you will be able to read, study, & meditate upon God’s word as an individual before we gather as a community. As we meditate upon God’s word & let our roots grow deep into Him, we are sure to find strength & understanding. Most importantly we will find Him.




This week’s scripture as we focus on Jesus' 40days in the desert:
Matthew 4: 1-11
Genesis 3-4
Mark 8:31-38

As you read some questions you can ask yourself are: What is God speaking to me? What stands out to me? What does this tell me about God or my journey with Him? What does this mean for my day or week in Santa Cruz? What does this mean for our church community in Santa Cruz?

Over the next 40 days we will journey with Jesus as He allows Himself to be betrayed, tortured, & killed. This is the good news. He takes our shame, sin, & death, putting it into Himself rising on the third day after His burial so “we might become the righteousness of God.” Lent is a journey of sorrow leading to God’s ultimate historical triumph.