Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: Hospitality

Last night we had a wonderful time discussing a rather difficult passage. Questions arose: How does a person experience salvation? & What should we do after we know life in Christ? Good thoughts, good questions, good discussion.

Matthew 25:31-46 “But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

 ³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. ³⁶ I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

 ³⁷ “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? ³⁹ When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

 ⁴⁰ “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’
 ⁴¹ “Then the King will turn to those on the left a
nd say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. ⁴² For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

 ⁴⁴ “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

 ⁴⁵ “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

 ⁴⁶ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

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 Feast of Pentecost

With the outpouring of the Spirit, the themes of resurrection & new life are amplified & the focus on the church & its mission are introduced. This we we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. The readings are full of images & metaphors that describe the mystery of the Spirit & his working. Wind & fire; we are rightly awed. We're also drawn by the invitation; Receive the gift, be filled. Our experiences may range from quiet to dramatic--the Wind blows as it pleases--but in every case, we encounter the Being of God within our own being, his transforming, empowering, & loving presence.

Here's the readings for this upcoming Sunday:
John 7:37-39
Acts 2:1-42
Romans 8:9-27

Again, take time over the next few days to meditate upon these texts & allow them to shape your relationship with God. Too, ask to be filled again & again. God does not grow tired of filling us with Himself; it is a joy to Him.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: Easter week #7

Hello incredible Antioch Church. Sorry for missing last week’s portion of the liturgical year. One of the things the church left out of the calendar was: Moving. We moved & it was pretty intense. Anyways we’re here. Too, because we don’t have internet I’ll do my best. I’m trying to hit a good rhythm of life knowing when I can post on this blog. We missed many of you last night, but I must admit we had a great time & God's presence was obvious. Good time; good friends; Good God.

This is the beginning of the last week of Easter. This week we “wait for the Spirit.” After Jesus ascended to be with the Father the disciples waited, as Jesus asked them, to be filled with the Spirit of God. We too wait & long to be filled with God’s Spirit in order to “do the stuff” He calls us to do. Whether living a holy life, sharing God’s love with others, performing miracles, or feeding the poor; we need God’s power to accomplish God’s desires. Take some time this week & allow your soul to be molded by the text & the Spirit.

Scriptures:

Acts 1:1-26

John 17

Revelation 22

As any athlete trains in order to compete in a contest, we too train through spiritual practices in order to gain a crown that will never perish or fade. Practice, train, love, wait, search, & discover God today & again tomorrow. His greatest delight is found in us.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: Easter week #5

Hello incredible Antioch people. We had an incredible time last night as we looked at one of Jesus' post resurrection appearances. One of the things I'm thankful for is seeing what Jesus does when He interacts with His friends: Eat, talk, sit, enjoy a fire, drink, forgive, love, & talk theology. Once again the Kingdom isn't about doing super-spiritual things as much as it is seeing the Kingdom within the things we find so normal.

In the 5th week of Easter, we focus on the transformation of our lives. First, we read of Jesus' appearance to Saul "as to one untimely born." Saul is heading in one direction, but when confronted by the Risen Christ, he is radically changed & sent in the opposite direction. Later he explains to the Ephesian church that we all must take off the "old self," & be clothed with the "new self," which is being ever created into the image of Christ. How does this work? It's a mystery for sure, but Jesus says the answer lies in staying connected to Him, the true Vine.

Here's the scriptures for this week:
Acts 9:1-22 The dramatic conversion of Saul. Your own conversion might not be as dramatic as Saul, but let this story prompt reflection on ways Gos has intersected your life, turning  you around & sending you in new directions.
Ephesians 4 Paul (his new name for his new identity) makes theology practical in this section of scripture. All of this points to imitating Christ & allowing our daily devotion to Him to transform us into His image; a lifelong adventure for sure. 

A prayer worth praying: "Jesus, thank you for choosing me & changing me, even as you chose & changed your servant Paul; continue your transforming work in me this day & this week as I seek to stay close to you, my source of love & joy. Amen.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: Easter week #4

Hey everybody. Sorry for such a late post, but I got really sick this week & have been playing catch up since I started feeling better. This will be short & sweet.

After Jesus was resurrected He showed Himself to the disciples several times. This Sunday we'll look at one of those episodes & meditate upon an incredible Psalm.

Here's the two scriptures we'll be looking at:
Psalm 23 Although you might already know this song, push past the familiarty of it & read it in light of the resurrection. Take time to really see the promise of the new creation found in Jesus within the poetic lines of this Psalm.
John 21:1-19 This in an incredbily rich section of scripture. Jesus gives the men a huge catch of fish; He eats food with them & Jesus extends grace after Peter's failure & recommissions him to leadership. How is God asking you to have faith to "cast out your nets?" Why does Jesus eat with the men? How do you feel when Jesus shows so much grace to Peter?

Blessings. We'll see each other Sunday night.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Journey of Lent #6

What's up incredible Antioch Church. This week marks the last week of Lent & celebrates the greatest event not only in church history, but world history: The Resurrection of Jesus. Only one man in history has risen from the grave & this event is the central event in all of creation & our faith as well. In fact, resurrection is one of the main themes throughout the whole New Testament. Why? Because Jesus buried death in the grave &, as I've said several time, "if we die with Him we will also live with Him." God, through Jesus, demonstrates the fullness of His plan: We will be resurrected; death has been defeated; we will enjoy a New Heaven & New Earth. This is the promise for the church both in Santa Cruz & the church world wide.

The Resurrection marks God's promise to redeem creation & Jesus is the firstfruit of what God intends to do, & is in fact, already doing through us his church. When creation was corrupted through sin God made a covenant with man to redeem it, which He has been faithfully doing & now takes it's ultimate form in the resurrection of Jesus. As Jesus is now at the right hand of the Father, we are left behind to demonstrate to the world the power of the resurrection; in fact we would be right in saying, the church is creation as it should be. This is a tall order, but through love, repentance, grace, & worship we are becoming just that. Jesus is the demonstration of the new creation; we, the church, are the demonstration of a new creation. "...on earth as it is in Heaven..."

Here are the scriptures for this week:
Isaiah 25:6-9 Isaiah shares with the church the imagery of the wedding feast & at the same time imagery of what Jesus accomplished through putting death in the grave.
John 20:1-18 John tells us the dramatic story of those who discovered the empty tomb. No one expected Jesus to rise from the dead; yet, his rising revealed God's continued commitment to creation. Too, "as we die with Him, we will live with Him." He is the first fruit of those who will be resurrected; His church, the called out ones: Us.
Acts 10:34-43 Here Peter shares the testimony about the resurrection of Jesus. Is this how we as a church describe our risen King?

Here's a great link to a video by Rob Bell: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjXYlwvS5LY&

Please take time to ponder what this week stands for: We are the church, God's called out ones; We are the church, God' redeemed ones; We are the church, the salt, light, & hope of the world; We are the church, those who will be resurrected like our Master; we are the church, God's demonstration of what the Kingdom is like; We are the church, the bride of Christ & the only reason we exist is because Jesus rose from the grave on the third day. Jesus is God's plan for creation & we are a part of the plan.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Journey of Lent #6

This week we start down the road traveled by Jesus as he enters Jerusalem: The Triumphal Entry. The King of Kings enter the Holy City & is greeted by the faithful who wave palm branches singing, “Hosanna. Hosanna.” Those who love Jesus sang, & still sing songs of: adoration, praise, & joy. Jesus is the long awaited Messiah, the one who would ransom Israel from captivity, freeing mankind from sin & death. As the King enters his city, this greeting is appropriate for the only one who could shoulder the burden of mankind: Jesus. 

As we draw close to Palm Sunday we look at several important scriptures:

Psalm 118 is a psalm of praise to God for His deliverance. How do you resonate with the psalmists posture of praise to God? Can we recite this psalm with open hearts & attest to the saving power of our God?

John 12:12-50 describes the scene of Jesus’ entrance into the city. Imagine yourself as one of the onlookers. What would it have been like to be there as Jesus was riding into the city on a donkey? Too, as Jesus rides into the city in triumph, remind yourself of why he is going into Jerusalem: To be betrayed & crucified for our sins.

Isaiah 42:1-9 is an incredible description of Jesus. As you read through this scripture do you see Jesus like this? How does this description of Jesus expand on who you think he is? Often we get such a small idea of who Jesus is when in fact he is much larger than we realize. 

As always, take some time each day to pray, relax, & spend time with God. Sit down in a quiet place (or noisy if you like) & allow the Spirit of God & His word to penetrate your heart. Allow space for God to change you into His image. As we do this God will transform us into the image of the Son He loves & we too will demonstrate the Kingdom of God here on earth. We are the church, the “called out ones.” We are the ones God uses to demonstrate His glory, patience, & power through. Let us: Read, Pray, & “do the stuff,” as a church in Santa Cruz & beyond.

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.

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Transfiguration

This week is the last week of Epiphany, which then leads us into the season of Lent. Over the past 8 weeks we've joined many within the worldwide church as we have looked at several major events in the life of Jesus: His Birth, Baptism, Miracles, Declarations about Himself, & the Disciples response. This last week we will look at the Transfiguration where Jesus' "face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning."

Once again, Epiphany is a season meant to help us see who Jesus is. These events help us to see the uniqueness of Jesus, his purpose, & life. There never has, & never will, be anyone like Jesus. He is utterly unique among all the people who have ever walked on the face of the earth: Sinless, Fully God yet Fully Man, the only Person to have Risen from the Grave; He is the centerpiece of History. Epiphany helps us to see Him as He truly is.

The main text we will look at this week is Luke 9:28-36. As we meditate upon the text through the week several questions come to mind: What does this tell us about Jesus? Why does any of this happen or matter? How does Peter's reaction make us feel? Too, the stories before & after the Transfiguration are important as well. How does the context of the Transfiguration change how we see it?

The secondary texts are:
2 Corinthians 3:12-4:6
Psalm 99

I encourage you to read these texts each day. Ponder them in your heart & let them shape the way you see God the Father, Spirit, & Son. As you worship Him seek to find out how what you've experienced with God will spill over into your day. In the Transfiguration Jesus shines brightly & we, His present Body in Santa Cruz, should shine just as brightly in our city. How will the Transfiguration transform Santa Cruz & what part will our church play in transforming it?

Antioch Church of Santa Cruz: The Liturgical Year

This year in Santa Cruz we have been going through the liturgical calendar. After the season of Advent, & Christmas (which is a season not just a day), we now find ourselves in the season of Epiphany. During this season we are exploring the life of Jesus, or rather those events that give us an Epiphany about who Jesus is.

Each week we explore a moment in the life of Jesus that reveals who He claimed to be: The Son of God. Starting with the worshiping Magi, we turn each week to another revealing example of Jesus' humanity & divinity. Every week proves to be an eyeopening discovery as we see Jesus as God intended for us to see Him; as the unique expresion of the Triune God.

This week we are going to look at Jesus' amazing declaration about himself in John 8 where he says, "I am the Light of the World."

Consider joining us 6pm at 543 Center St, as we worship & explore the life of Jesus here in Santa Cruz.

Check out our webpage at: www.antiochsantacruz.com