Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Persecuted Church

Hello Antioch Church of Santa Cruz; I’m sorry for the lapse in time on the blog, but I just got back from the Rainbow Gathering, which was a 2hr drive from Portland & a mile & a half hike from the parking lot into various meadows. We had a great time for sure.

This week we find ourselves in week four of Ordinary Time in the Church Calendar & the second week where we will be taking a detailed look into the life of the early church. In our reading from Acts this week, God continues to pour out His Spirit on the early church for their mission in the world. Through the church, God displays remarkable signs of His presence & authority. Non-believers watch in fascination & many join the small community of believers. But all of this doesn’t prevent backlash & harassment. The authorities are threatened & they react persecuting the disciples. Like Jesus we face persecution, but we see how God exerts His power & provides for us when we undergo hardships.

The main text this week is:

Acts 5:12-42 conveys the people’s growing fascination with the new community of Jesus followers in Jerusalem: the amazing miracles, the open meetings, the many healings & the increasing number of believers. But the Jewish authorities are not pleased.

This next Sunday we’ll be discussing this passage in detail & discussing what it meant for the early church & what it means for us as a church here in Santa Cruz.

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: 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."