Horseshoes and Faith

Rolling Hills United Methodist Church is located in horse country.  There are a number of farms with horses nearby, and some of our members are horse-owners.  So I thought it was only fitting that we play the game of Horseshoes together during our Youth Sunday school class last week:



A good time was had by all ... and there were plenty of ringers thrown (which makes me think there were some Ringers among us, if you know what I mean).

Of course, a horseshoe hung on the wall pointing upward is a traditional sign of good luck. 

That reminds me of this story that I read on Bible.org:

An American scientist once visited the offices of the great Nobel-prize-winning physicist, Niels Bohr, in Copenhagen. He was amazed to find that over Bohr’s desk was a horseshoe, securely mailed to the wall, with the open end up in the approved manner (so it would catch the good luck and not let it spill out).

The American said with a nervous laugh, “Surely you don’t believe the horseshoe will bring you good luck, do you, Professor Bohr? After all, as a scientist …”

Bohr chuckled, “I believe no such thing, my good friend. Not at all. I am scarcely likely to believe in such foolish nonsense. However, I am told that a horseshoe will bring you good luck whether you believe in it or not.”

Bits & Pieces, September 17, 1992, p. 6

Niels Bohr was smart enough to know that he didn't know everything.  Just because he believed something to be false didn't make it false.  Truth doesn't depend on our believing it to be true.  Truth is truth, whether we believe it or not.  God is God, whether we believe in God or not. 

Jesus told his disciples that he is "the way and the truth and the life[.]"  John 14:6 (TNIV).  What does Jesus mean when he calls himself the truth? 

The truth is: God loves you, and Jesus is God's love in the flesh! 

The truth is: God will not abandon you, and Jesus is called "Immanuel" (which means "God is with us").

So remember this Good News:  Jesus is the truth, whether you (or others around you) believe it or not!

A Bocce - Bible Connection?

On this 4th of July, as Americans gather for family picnics and backyard barbecues, fun and games abound!  Horseshoes, badminton, baseball (or, its scaled-down cousin -  wiffleball) ... It all makes me wonder: What games did Jesus play?

Last week, during the Sunday school hour, we pondered that question as the Rolling Hills Youth Sunday school class played a friendly game of bocce on the dirt of the softball field in front of our church building.  "What is bocce?" you may ask.

Wikipedia explains that bocce is a bowling game from Italy. Italian migrants have taken the game with them to other parts of Europe, North and South America, and even Australia.

Bocce has its origins in ball games played in the ancient Roman Empire.  The website for the United States Bocce Federation has this to say about the origins of the game:
The early Romans were among the first to play a game resembling what we know as Bocce today. In early times they used coconuts brought back from Africa and later used hard olive wood to carve out Bocce balls. Beginning with Emperor Augustus, Bocce became the sport of statesman and rulers.

Wait!  Emperor Augustus?  How do we Christians know that name? Ah, yes, we know it from the Christmas story as told in Luke 2:
In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world.  (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.)  And everyone went to their own town to register.
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. -Luke 2:1-7 (TNIV).

Caesar Augustus ruled the Roman Empire from 27 BCE until his death in 14 CE, which means that Augustus governed the Roman Empire (of which Palestine was an involuntary outpost) from the time of Jesus' birth through his teen years.  We know that Roman soldiers were a common sight for the Jewish people of ancient Palestine in Jesus' day.  The gospels record Jesus interacting with Roman soldiers and authorities (see, for example, Matt. 8:5-13), and, of course, the Romans ultimately crucified him. 

So, I wonder ... WWJP? (What would Jesus play?)  Did Jesus grow up seeing Roman soldiers and officials playing bocce?  Did the game ever interest him and his friends?  Did he, perhaps, play the game of bocce?  Unless archaeologists uncover evidence of a Holy Land Bocce Federation, we may never know on this side of heaven whether Jesus was a champion bocce-baller. 

I've searched the internet for any proof that Jesus played bocce, and I just might have found some video evidence.  Check out this video by Croatia's Luky.  There's a bocce game at the end of the video ... and one of the players looks a little like Jesus to me.  What do you think?    

You've Got Mail

What are Epistles?  They're not the leaders of the early church -- Those were the Apostles!  The Epistles are a series of letters you find in the New Testament of your Bible.  These are letters written by the likes of Paul, Peter, James and John.  The letters originally were written for specific people about issues in specific places at specific times, but the church has come to see them as inspired ... as containing eternal truths for us all that are inspired by God!  So, you've got mail in your New Testament in-box that you need to read.  Here are a few of the inspired messages you will find when you open that mail:

In Paul's letter to the church in Galatia, we read about the Fruit of the Spirit -- the qualities that grow in our lives when we are living for God: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law."  -Galatians 5:22-23 (TNIV).  Looking for someone who lives by the guidance of the Holy Spirit?  Look for someone whose life displays the Fruit of the Spirit! 

In the 13th Chapter of Paul's first letter to the church in Corinth, we find The Love Chapter -- a moving passage about the power of love.  We often read this passage at weddings, but it's really about how all of us are to treat each other.  Here's a video clip from one of my favorite movies: The Mission.  Robert De Niro plays an 18th Century slave-trader and mercenary who leaves his life of sin to become a Jesuit priest, ministering to the same native tribe he used to enslave.  In this clip, De Niro is reading the moving words of 1 Corinthians 13 as he learns, from his experiences with his native hosts, what it means to love others.

Another powerful epistle we studied today is Paul's letter to Philemon.  You can read the entire letter HERE.  (It's only 25 verses long!)  Paul met and befriended a run-away slave named Onesimus, who then became a Christian.  Paul sent Onesimus back to his owner (another Christian, named Philemon) with this letter -- urging Philemon to take back Onesimus, "no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother ... a brother in the Lord."  Philemon 1:15 (TNIV).  This letter's message of Christian brotherhood and freedom was used by abolitionists in the 18th and 19th Centuries as they argued for an end to the evil institution of slavery.  On a lighter note, here is a cute little video that tells the story of Philemon and Onesimous with singing puppets.  As one of our class members said this morning, it's so bad that it's good ;-)

 We had a full house in Sunday school this morning -- and a number of great nominations for Best Epistle Passage. 

Ben, our newest class member, nominated the entire Third Letter of John.  Why?  Because, by number of words, it is the shortest book in the Bible. To John, you are what you do.  Check out verse 11:  "Dear friends, do not imitate what is evil but what is good.  Anyone who does what is good is from God.  Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."  - 3 John 1:11 (TNIV).

Jack chose Colossians 3:20 (TNIV): "Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."  His mother told him to pick that verse, and he did ;-)


Wes picked 1 Peter 1:24-25 (TNIV): "[T]he grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever."  When Peter writes these words, he is quoting from Isaiah 40.


Nick selected Paul's description in his letter to the Ephesians of the "full armor of God:"

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.  Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.  -Ephesians 6:13-17 (TNIV).

Jake nominated 2 Corinthians 9:6 (TNIV): "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."   

Adrienne sent in her nomination by text -- Romans 12:2 (TNIV):  Do not conform to the patter of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will." 

Paige also selected a verse from Romans -- Chapter 1, verse 18 (TNIV):  "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of human beings who suppress the truth by their wickedness."

Alex chose our winning passage of the week, 1 Corinthians 3:18-19 (TNIV):  "Do not deceive yourselves.  If any of you think you are wise by the standards of this age, you should become 'fools' so that you may become wise.  For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."  Congrats to Alex, who wins the Wesley Award for Best Epistle Passage!  Congratulations also to Wes, our overall winner, with three Wesley Awards to his credit this school year!

This brings the Wesley Awards to an end for this school year.  We will start up again in the Fall.  In the meantime, we will be posting during the Summer as the Spirit moves us ... but not every Sunday. 

 I leave you (for now) with this benediction from Jude 1:24-25 (TNIV): "To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—  to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen."  Now, listen to this song, Breathe (Benediction) by the Newsboys.  It's a remake of the classic hymn, Breathe on Me Breath of God, and it includes the words of Jude's famous benediction!

Amen, and God Bless You ... 

Act(s)ion Heroes

Welcome to our recap of today's youth Sunday school class, where we took a look at the New Testament's Book of Acts (often called the Acts of the Apostles). 

The Book of Acts tells the fascinating story of the birth and early history of the Christian Church.  Tradition tells us that Acts was written by Luke, a physician and travelling companion of the Apostle Paul.  Luke wrote Acts for a patron by the name of Theophilus.  Acts is something like a sequel to the Gospel of Luke.  In Luke 1:3-4 (TNIV), the author of the Gospel of Luke writes: "I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you might know the certainty of the things you have been taught."  The Book of Acts then begins: "In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven ... "   -Acts 1:1-2 (TNIV).  So begins Luke's telling of the history of the early church -- a history filled with Christian act(s)ion heroes such as Peter, Paul, Stephen, Barnabas and Philip.  If you haven't read the Book of Acts, or you would just like to brush up on it, here is a tremendous little video that condenses the whole book into three action-packed minutes:

This week, we had four nominations for the Wesley Award for the Best Story from Acts.  Nick nominated the story of the Stoning of Stephen, which you can read in Acts, Chapter 7 here.

Stephen became the first Christian martyr, getting stoned to death for boldly proclaiming to the religious leaders that they had murdered "the Righteous One" -- Jesus -- by playing a part in the events that led to his crucifixion.  A young man named Saul was in the crowd when Stephen was stoned.  Luke tells us that Saul "approved of their killing him."  -Acts 8:1 (TNIV).  Saul later became a living example of the redemptive power of Christ, being transformed from a persecutor of Christians to a great Christian missionary and teacher! 

Wes  selected a particularly gruesome story ... the Death of King Herod.  You can read about it in Acts 12:19-24 here.  Herod Agrippa, whose image is seen on the coin below, was struck dead by an angel when his subjects likened him to a god and he did not correct them and give credit where it was due -- to the God of his forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Luke tells us in Acts 12:23 (TNIV) that "the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died" ... eeuuww!

Adrienne picked the Earthquake Jailbreak found in Acts 16:16-40 (TNIV).  We read there that an earthquake freed Paul and Silas from their chains while in prison.  But they didn't flee the scene.  They stayed put until their jailer and his entire household had come to believe in God!

And our winning scripture was chosen by Paige, who picked a story we can all fall for!  In Acts 20:7-12, we read this about a man named Eutychus:  "On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead.  Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. 'Don’t be alarmed,' he said. 'He’s alive!'   Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted." -Acts 20:7-12 (TNIV).

I'll bet your pastor never preached someone to death!  And then helped bring him back to life!  Do you think that Paul's all-night sermon (and Eutychus' fall) helped church attendance the following week or hurt it?  Congrats to Paige for selecting our Wesley Award Winner of the week.  Join us next week, when we bestow the Wesley Award for Best Epistle Passage.  

Sunday School Cheat Sheet

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of Summer in these parts.
 

But Summer vacation isn't here yet for our high school and middle school students.  There are still final exams to be taken before the school year ends ... 



Fortunately, there's no final exam in the youth Sunday school class at Rolling Hills Church.  But what if there were a final exam for Sunday school?  What would you need to know?  Just study the five points below, and you will be ready to ace the test ...

ROLLING HILLS SUNDAY SCHOOL CHEAT SHEET

(1)  You are God's amazing creation. You are made in God's image; yet, you are uniquely created to be YOU (and the God who created you knows you better than anyone else ever could).  [Check out: Genesis 1:26-31; Psalm 139:13-16; Luke 12:1-6]

(2)  God is a loving God.  God is not looking to punish you, burden you, shame you, or hurt you.  God is love!  [Check out: Psalm 145:8; Matthew 11:28-30; 1 John 4:16]

(3)  Jesus is God's ultimate gift of love to us.  Jesus showed us how to live, died suffering the pain of all humanity's bad choices, and rose from the dead on Easter morning -- blazing the way for us all to follow to an awesome life with God, both here and in heaven. [Check out: John 3:16; John 10:10; John 15:13; 1 John 4:9-10]

(4) We show God our love and thanks by loving others.  We treat others as we would want them to treat us.  And when we do good things for others, it is the same as doing them for God!  [Check out: Matthew 7:12, Matthew 25:31-40, John 13:35, 1 John 4:19-21]

(5)  When we make God our priority and bring God's love to others, God's got our backs!  So hang in there.  Keep up the good work.  God pays attention, knows what we truly need, and is looking out for us.  [Check out: Jeremiah 29:11; Isaiah 58:6-9; Matthew 6:25-34; 2 Thessalonians 3:13]

So write these five points on your hand if you must!  Just don't forget them.  Enjoy your Memorial Day holiday, and check us out next Sunday, when we select the Wesley Award winner for Best Story from the Book of Acts!

Story Time!

Jesus loved to teach by telling parables -- stories that convey a truth about God and God's Kingdom.  You can find the parables of Jesus in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke (which are often called the synoptic gospels).  Click here for a handy chart that tells you where you can find each of Jesus' parables.

Here are our nominees for Best Parable:

We had a small class today, so I threw a nomination of my own into the mix: THE PRODIGAL SON.  You can read the full story in Luke 15:11-37.  Here is a video of the story acted out with Lego characters:

One thing that fascinates me about this story is that Jesus never tells us how the older son responds to his father's pleas to join the party.  Does the older son join the party and reconcile with his younger brother?  Does the older son ignore his father's pleas and hold a grudge?  Jesus doesn't say.  It's up to us to write our own ending to this story ... by how we live our lives.

Nick chose the PARABLE OF THE SOWER, which you can find at Matthew 13:3-8.  Here is an animated video of the story.  Watch what happens to the seeds sown on the path, the seeds sown in rocky places without much soil, the seeds sown among the thorns, and the seeds sown in good soil:

This is one of the parables that Jesus explained to his disciples after telling it.  Here's what Jesus had to say about the story:
“Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When people hear the message about the kingdom and do not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their hearts. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to people who hear the word and at once receive it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away.  The seed falling among the thorns refers to people who hear the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to people who hear the word and understand it. They produce a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”  -Matthew 13:18-23 (TNIV).

Wes nominated THE PARABLE OF THE NET, which is an interesting but lesser known parable that gives us a glimpse into the Day of Judgment:



“'Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.  This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'  'Have you understood all these things?' Jesus asked. 'Yes,' they replied."    -Matthew 13:47-50 (TNIV).

 

And our winner this week is Adrienne, who selected THE PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN.  This is the second in a series of three related parables Jesus tells in Luke 15: The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost (or Prodigal) Son.  Here's the winning parable: “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’  In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”  -Luke 15:8-10 (TNIV). 

Now, watch the parable as demonstrated in this wonderful little video by Haeuk Kim, Hanako Shimizu, and Youki Shimura:

Congrats to Adrienne for picking this week's winner!  Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend.  The school year is coming to an end soon, so we will have a special post next weekend to help you with your studies for final exams.  Then, the Wesley Awards will return on Sunday, June 3 with our selection of the Best Story from the Book of Acts.  You will not want to miss these next two posts! 

Hello, My Name Is ...

If Jesus wore a name tag, what would it say?  Savior of the World?  Son of God?  King of Kings?  Lamb of God?

In the Gospel of Mark, we read that Jesus asked his disciples to fill in the blank for him:
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them,“Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
-Mark 8:27-30 (TNIV)

In the Gospel of John, though, Jesus fills in the blank on his name tag several different ways ... each time revealing a different aspect of himself and his mission. These statements are known as the "I am" statements, because each one starts with Jesus saying, "I am ..." This week in Sunday school, the Rolling Hills Youth read each of these "I am" statements and chose their favorite for our Wesley Award ...

"I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE." 

Matt nominated this "I am" statement. Jesus said this about himself in John 6:35 (TNIV):  Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.  Think about how important bread is to people all over the world.  We all eat it in some form.  It's a staple of our diet.  It nourishes us and keeps us going throughout the day.  How is Jesus like bread?  What does this image teach us about Jesus? 

"I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD."

While this is one of the most well-known of the "I am" statements, none of our youth chose it as a favorite.  In John 10:11 (TNIV), Jesus says, "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep."  Jesus goes on to explain: "The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep." -John 10-12-15 (TNIV).  Jesus is not a half-hearted, hired-hand savior.  Jesus is all in for us -- willing to make the ultimate sacrifice (giving up his life) for us sheep. 

"I AM THE WAY." 

Adrienne picked this as her favorite "I am" statement. In John 14:6 (TNIV), Jesus tells his disciples, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me."  If we know Jesus, we know God.  Jesus is our way, our path to God.  We can trust Jesus to take us there. 

"I AM THE GATE." 

This is my favorite "I am" statement, and here is a picture I took of the Natural Bridge in Virginia ... a gate of sorts carved in a rocky hillside by a tributary of the James River.  "Therefore Jesus said again, 'Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'"  John 10:7-10 (TNIV).  Shepherds in Jesus' day often slept at the gate to the sheep pen, literally becoming a human shield to protect the animals in their care from thieves or predators.  After passing through the gate, the sheep flourished knowing they could count on the shepherd to protect them.  How is Jesus the guardian of the entrance to our lives?  How does having Jesus as that protector help us to live "life to the full" both here and in heaven?  

 "I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE." 

This was Jake's selection.  Before Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead, Jesus declared to Martha (the sister of Lazarus) that her brother would rise again.  Martha said that she knew Lazarus would be resurrected "at the last day," but that wasn't what Jesus meant.  He had something much more immediate in mind.  He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” -John 11:25-26 (TNIV).  Then, Jesus raised Lazarus from the grave.  Our Savior, Jesus not only went on to be resurrected himself on that first Easter Sunday, but he is resurrection!  He is the power that can conquer death for us all, and he is the central force for renewal of this world we live in.  In Revelation, we read: "He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' " -Rev. 21:5 (TNIV). 

"I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD."

Paige nominated this wonderful "I am" statement: "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, 'I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.'"  -John 8:12 (TNIV).  Jesus shines in the darkness of our lives, helping us to see ... like the night-lights Paige has at home!  Jesus not only is the Way, but he lights our path. 

"I AM THE VINE."
 

This was Nick's pick for Best "I am " Statement.  In John 15:5 (TNIV), we read that Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."  Like a branch on a vine, we are connected to Jesus, who provides our roots and our support.  A branch cut from its vine won't grow any grapes.  The branch grows fruit because it is connected to the vine.  So too we Christians are connected to our vine, Jesus.  When we bear fruit, it's not something we do on our own ... It's done through Christ, who gives us what we need to be fruitful.

"I AM THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA." 

And our winner for the Wesley Award for Best "I am" Statement doesn't come from John's Gospel.  Instead, Wes picked this verse from the Book of Revelation 22:13 (TNIV), where John writes  of a vision in which the risen Jesus speaks in the last days, saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."  Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.  Jesus has been there from the very beginning and will be there at the very end.  He is always with us.

Congrats to Wes for picking our top vote-getter for Best "I am" Statement.  Join us next week, when we vote on Best Parable.  It should be a great topic!

Say What?

Have you ever been warned that someone is a wolf in sheep's clothing? 

Jesus said, "Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are as ferocious as wolves." -Matt. 7:15 (TNIV) 

Have you ever gone the extra mile for someone? 

Jesus said, "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles."  -Matt. 5:41 (TNIV)

 Do people ever expect you to move mountains? 

Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move." -Matt. 17:20 (TNIV)

Have you ever seen a group be so disorganized that it's like the blind leading the blind? 



Jesus said, "If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."  -Matt. 15:14 (TNIV)

These are some of the many common, every-day expressions that we draw from sayings of Jesus.  We can find these sayings in the Gospels, and this week the Rolling Hills Youth Sunday School class examined these sayings to vote on the Wesley Award winner for the Best Saying of Jesus.

The teachings of Jesus are "sticky."  They stick with us.  They are memorable, which is why so many of them have become common expressions.  They also are sticky because following them can put us in sticky situations!  The sayings of Jesus often challenge us: Who really wants to love an enemy?  Who really wants to pray for people who persecute us?  Do we really want to take up our cross every day?

So here are our nominees ...

Wes nominated Matthew 4:19 (TNIV) -- "Come, follow me," Jesus said, " and I will send you out to fish for people."

Paige picked the Golden Rule, Luke 6:31 (TNIV) -- "Do to others as you would have them do to you."

Adrienne chose this saying from the Sermon on the Mount:  "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." -Matt. 5:39 (TNIV)

And our winner is Nick, who nominated this statement Jesus made when confronted with a demon his disciples could not cast out: “This kind can come out only by prayer."  -Mark 9:29 (TNIV).

Congrats to Nick for selecting the Saying of Jesus that drew the most votes!

Next week, we will be taking a look at some particular sayings of Jesus ... his "I AM" statements from the Gospel of John.  So come back next week to read about the Wesley Award winner for Best "I AM" Statement of Jesus!

How Sweet the Sound!

In 1779, the English poet and pastor John Newton first published the words to the hymn Amazing Grace.  Those words were put to a popular tune in the 1800s, and Amazing Grace, as we know it today, was born.  The song grew out of Newton's own conversion experience -- his coming to faith in Christ and his leaving his past life as a slave trader.  It's a song that has appealed to Christians across cultures and across generations.  What does the song say to you?  Do you hear your own story in Newton's stirring words? 

Here is U2 performing Amazing Grace as a lead-in to the song, Where the Streets Have No Name ...

 

Or perhaps you would like to hear the Harlem Gospel Choir's take on this spiritual ... 

Bluegrass great Ralph Stanley "lines" this great hymn, as folks did before written hymn books were common in churches ...

And let's not forget what the bagpipers have done with this classic tune ...

Finally, here is the Soweto Gospel Choir performing Amazing Grace ...

How sweet the sound, indeed!  Join us next week, on May 6, when we reveal the Wesley Award for the category of Best Saying of Jesus.  Until then, friends ... God Bless You

"Do You Believe In Miracles? Yes!"

It's a big weekend for ice hockey here in the Philadelphia area.  As I write this post, our beloved Flyers are battling the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.  So, with hockey in mind, I ask you the iconic question that Al Michaels asked and answered during the 1980 Winter Olympics as the clock ticked down to zero in an incredible game that pitted a bunch of college kids on Team USA against the seemingly unbeatable team from the Soviet Union:

"Do you believe in miracles?" I'm not talking about an upset win at an ice rink.  I'm talking about real, honest-to-goodness miracles.  The Christian author and thinker C.S. Lewis defined "the word Miracle to mean an interference with nature by supernatural power."  The New Testament is brimming with miracles, and today our Sunday school class is announcing the Wesley Award winner in the category of Best New Testament Miracle.

First, a word from the Rules Committee:  To make things fair, we have taken the Incarnation and the Resurrection out of the running for this week's award.  The Incarnation (God coming to us as the lowly baby Jesus) and the Resurrection (Jesus rising from the dead on that first Easter morning) form the foundation of our faith.  That's why these two miraculous events are hands-down winners; without them, there is no Christianity.  And you can't really separate them.  Each one of these two miracles takes on even more meaning because of the other:  Christmas means more when we realize that God made this Earthly visit for a purpose -- to redeem humanity from sin and death!  Easter means more when we realize that Jesus, who died and rose again, is more than a noble teacher.  Jesus is God in the flesh -- setting us free to live a new, abundant, eternal life!

     

So, after the Incarnation and Resurrection, what New Testament miracles do the Rolling Hills youth consider to be the greatest?

Nick, apparently having missed breakfast, nominated the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Jesus fed a crowd of five thousand men, plus women and children, from a mere five loaves of bread and two fish.  You can read about it in Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 14, verses 13-21: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2014:13-21&version=TNIV

Paige chose the Raising of Lazarus -- an amazing miracle in which Jesus raised his dead friend Lazarus from the grave, foreshadowing Jesus' own resurrection.  You can read about it at John 11:1-44. This story includes my favorite verse in the King James version of the Bible: "Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days."  - John 11:39 (KJV).  You can watch how the great Franco Zeffirelli envisioned this miracle in the epic made-for-TV miniseries, Jesus of Nazareth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0M7vvX6__M

Jake selected the miracle from Mark 2:1-12, where we read that Jesus heals a paralyzed man.  This miracle is notable not only for the amazing healing that occurred, but also for the determination of the paralyzed man's friends, who got creative when the large crowd prevented them from getting close to Jesus.  They climbed up onto the roof of the building where Jesus was teaching, opened a hole in the roof, and lowered their friend down on his mat into the presence of Jesus!  Read it all here: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%202:1-12&version=TNIV

And that brings us to our winner of the week, nominated by Wes: Jesus Walking on Water.  Read all about it at Matthew 14:22-36 :

Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd.  After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

“Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.”

“Come,” he said.
  
Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 

 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Watch this spoof of the miracle, and see how surprised people act when they see a fake Jesus walking on the water ...

After you've had a little fun with it, just imagine the disciples experiencing the real thing! Imagine their surprise, their reactions, their worship, their realization that Jesus is the Son of God.  Truly, Jesus is the Son of God ... and our Redeemer!  Join us next week for a mystery post.  The following week, on May 6, we will unveil the Wesley Award winner for Best Saying of Jesus.

I Believe In Miracles - Old (Testament) School

This Sunday and next, the Rolling Hills Youth Sunday school class will be examining the miracles of the Old and New Testaments.  Is it hard or easy to believe in miracles as a 21st Century Christian?  Do you believe in miracles?

Physicist Max Planck once said, “Faith in miracles must yield ground, step by step, before the steady and firm advance of the forces of science, and its total defeat is indubitably a mere matter of time.”  The famous atheist Richard Dawkins also said, “The virgin birth, the Resurrection, the raising of Lazarus, even the Old Testament miracles, all are freely used for religious propaganda, and they are very effective with an audience of unsophisticates and children.”  How do you feel when you hear these remarks?  Do you think they're flat-out wrong?  Do you have a nagging doubt that they might be right?

Questioning miracles is nothing new.  People have been doubting miracles from the very beginning. For example, when God turned Aaron's staff into a snake to try to convince Egypt's Pharaoh of the power of the one true God, Pharaoh wouldn't believe it:
The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,  “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.  (Exodus 7:8-13)



The German Rationalists were a group of Bible scholars in the late 17th and early 18th Century who couldn't bring themselves to believe in miracles.  They believed that the miraculous events described in the Bible happened, but that there must have been purely natural explanations for those events. These are the folks who brought us the "swoon theory" of the resurrection ... the idea that Jesus didn't really die on the cross but only was unconscious until he awoke later, appearing to have risen from the dead.   But let me get this straight: Jesus was beaten near death, was nailed to a cross, hung there for hours, had his side pierced by a spear, was declared dead by his professional executioners, was buried in a sealed tomb, woke up, had the strength to roll away the boulder that blocked the tomb's entrance, got past the Roman soldiers posted to guard his grave, and looked good enough to convince his disciples that he had risen to new life?  Really??  The problem with these rationalists is that their "natural" explanations for miracles often seem more far-fetched than the miracles themselves.

Later, a 19th Century Rationalist named David Strauss came along.  He believed miraculous events in Scripture were myth.  The events never occurred.  There’s no need to find natural explanations for them.  Strauss and the rationalists before him assumed that miracles are simply impossible.  But are they? 

Professor William Lane Craig points out:
“Does a person have to suspend their critical judgment in order to believe in something as improbable as miracles?  Only if you believe that God does not exist!  Then I would agree – the miraculous would be absurd.  But if there is a Creator who designed and brought the universe into being, who sustains its existence moment by moment, who is responsible for the very natural laws that govern the physical world, then certainly it’s rational to believe the miraculous is possible.”  

*      *      *

“Given the existence of God, miracles are not incredible.  For why should it be thought incredible that God should want to reveal himself in the natural world to men, and how could this be done without involving a miraculous element? "

If you're into reading philosophy and theology, you might want to check out this article by Professor Craig on the subject of the disbelief of miracles.  Warning ... It's not exactly light reading: http://www.leaderu.com/offices/billcraig/docs/miracles.html

Dr. Craig is an interesting guy.  What did the famously combative atheist Christopher Hitchens think of Professor Craig?  See for yourself:

So, here are this week's nominees for the Wesley Award in the category of Best Old Testament Miracle:

Jake chose the miracle of Creation from Genesis 1.  What a great beginning to our nominations ...

Adrienne chose the story of Jonah and the Whale.  The whole Book of Jonah is only four chapters long.  Read it in your Bible, or read it here on this eBible:  http://www.gotquestions.org/eBible.html
It's a whale of a fish tale that some find hard to swallow ...

Nick nominated the God's miraculous appearance to Moses in the burning bush.  You can read about it in the 3rd Chapter of Exodus: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus%203&version=TNIV  What a hot pick ...

And congratulations to Paige, who picked the winner of this week's Wesley Award, nominating the Parting of the Red Sea.  You can read about it in Exodus, Chapter 14, verses 5-31:  http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=exodus%2014:5-31&version=TNIV

(A special thanks to Wes, who phoned in the tie-breaking vote this week!)  Join us next week when we select the Best New Testament Miracle.  Have a great week, everyone!

A Close Encounter of the Third Day Kind ...

HAPPY EASTER!  We all know the story of Easter morning ... how the women went to anoint Jesus' body and found an empty tomb ... the stone was rolled away!

But do you know the story of Easter evening, when Jesus appeared to two of his followers who were traveling to Emmaus?  You can find it in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 24, verses 13-35.  Here's the story, along with some beautiful art by HE Qi.  

¹³ Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. ¹⁵ As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; ¹⁶ but they were kept from recognizing him.

¹⁷ He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?”
They stood still, their faces downcast. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened there in these days?”
¹⁹ “What things?” he asked.
“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. ²⁰ The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; ²¹ but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. ²² In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning ²³ but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. ²⁴ Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.”

 

²⁵ He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” ²⁷ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
²⁸ As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them.
³⁰ When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. ³² They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

³³ They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together ³⁴ and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” ³⁵ Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.

May our hearts burn with the same excitement those two followers of Jesus experienced when they realized that they were face-to-face with the Risen Lord!  Christ is risen!  He is risen, indeed!  Have a Blessed Easter ...

If you enjoy the artwork, you can find more at HE Qi's gallery: http://www.heqigallery.com/index.html