Why do we often reduce Christianity to an hour a week on Sunday? Is the "worship hour" a biblical concept?
The Pharisees had a hard time blending the Sabbath day’s call for righteousness with the other six days of the week. They would follow the letter of the Law on the Sabbath and then fail to practice the weightier matters on the other days of the week. One day, as he was eating with a Pharisee, Jesus pointed out this inconsistency (Luke 11:37-52). He described out how the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law would tithe properly, wash properly, and worship properly, but failed to practice the weightier matters like love, forgiveness, and mercy. They knew the letter of the Law but were clueless as to the spirit of the Law.
These Jewish “ministers” created a false division between their sacred lives and their secular lives. They made the Sabbath day an exclusive day of holiness and all but ignored the others days of the week. So Jesus, while sitting around a table, took the opportunity to teach them that simply because the Sabbath day was holy did not mean that all the other days were unholy. For Jesus, every day is an opportunity to reflect the holiness of God. Holiness is not a once a week phenomenon, it is a lifestyle. There should be no division between our sacred lives and our secular lives. Every day is sacred for followers of Christ. Sitting at Jesus’ table involves living like him. May we not fall into the Pharisaical practice of practicing holiness once a week.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
A Prayer for Virginia Tech
Our Heavenly Father, we bow before your throne in humility and with much heaviness in our hearts. We confess our inability to understand such tragic events. But we trust in you oh Lord. We trust in your unfailing love and your providential care for us, your creatures.
We ask that you hear our cries this day as we mourn and ask "why?". God, it is because we trust that we cry out to you and to none other. Nonetheless, we still cry. Our pain is too great for us to bear on our own. We need you to heal our pain. We seek the comfort that only you can provide.
Father we thank you for experiencing our pain in the life and death of Jesus Christ. We trust that you know exactly how we feel this day. Thank you for being near to us. Though at times we wonder where you are, we acknowledge your presence even in the darkest of hours such as this.
Father we praise your holy name this day. We praise you for your power, especially the power that you have over death - demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus. God we are so thankful for the victory we have in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful that you have triumphed over situations like today. No matter what Satan may throw at us we know that you have defeated it. Although at the present time we do not completely taste the sweet taste of victory, we long for that day. We long for the day when our victory will be finalized. We long for the banquet that we will enjoy with you.
God we pray for all our enemies. We pray that they will come to know you. We pray that they will repent of their deeds and turn to you. But if they have hardened their hearts, if they have resolved to oppose you and your people, we pray for your judgment. God we know that they will be placed under your feet. Though today we may not understand that they have lost we are confident in your ultimate victory.
Again, we praise you for this victory in Jesus. We ask now that you help us focus our attention on the future. Father we know this world is not our home. We know that it has undergone a radical change from the day it was created. We look forward to the day when it will be purified and purged from evil and sin. We eagerly await the peace and harmony of a life lived in your glorious presence.
Father we confess our own sins to you this day. We are thankful that you have forgiven us. Thank you for the power of the cross. We ask that you continue to make us holy. We ask that you continue to transform us into the image of Christ. Thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for the holiness and peace that he brings to our lives. Father our words have come to an end and we trust that the Spirit now groans for us. Father our words have ended and we now yield to silence so that we can hear your voice. And we wait. But we are confident that we do not wait in vain. Father we know that you are worth waiting for.
We acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ as we offer this prayer. Let the children of God say “Amen.”
Our Heavenly Father, we bow before your throne in humility and with much heaviness in our hearts. We confess our inability to understand such tragic events. But we trust in you oh Lord. We trust in your unfailing love and your providential care for us, your creatures.
We ask that you hear our cries this day as we mourn and ask "why?". God, it is because we trust that we cry out to you and to none other. Nonetheless, we still cry. Our pain is too great for us to bear on our own. We need you to heal our pain. We seek the comfort that only you can provide.
Father we thank you for experiencing our pain in the life and death of Jesus Christ. We trust that you know exactly how we feel this day. Thank you for being near to us. Though at times we wonder where you are, we acknowledge your presence even in the darkest of hours such as this.
Father we praise your holy name this day. We praise you for your power, especially the power that you have over death - demonstrated by the resurrection of Jesus. God we are so thankful for the victory we have in Jesus Christ. We are so thankful that you have triumphed over situations like today. No matter what Satan may throw at us we know that you have defeated it. Although at the present time we do not completely taste the sweet taste of victory, we long for that day. We long for the day when our victory will be finalized. We long for the banquet that we will enjoy with you.
God we pray for all our enemies. We pray that they will come to know you. We pray that they will repent of their deeds and turn to you. But if they have hardened their hearts, if they have resolved to oppose you and your people, we pray for your judgment. God we know that they will be placed under your feet. Though today we may not understand that they have lost we are confident in your ultimate victory.
Again, we praise you for this victory in Jesus. We ask now that you help us focus our attention on the future. Father we know this world is not our home. We know that it has undergone a radical change from the day it was created. We look forward to the day when it will be purified and purged from evil and sin. We eagerly await the peace and harmony of a life lived in your glorious presence.
Father we confess our own sins to you this day. We are thankful that you have forgiven us. Thank you for the power of the cross. We ask that you continue to make us holy. We ask that you continue to transform us into the image of Christ. Thank you for your Spirit. Thank you for the holiness and peace that he brings to our lives. Father our words have come to an end and we trust that the Spirit now groans for us. Father our words have ended and we now yield to silence so that we can hear your voice. And we wait. But we are confident that we do not wait in vain. Father we know that you are worth waiting for.
We acknowledge the authority of Jesus Christ as we offer this prayer. Let the children of God say “Amen.”
Monday, April 16, 2007
Tables of Healing
When do we fail to offer Jesus hospitality?
Jesus, the great physician, brings healing to the broken lives of people. Those who approach his table do so, in part, out of the need for his healing touch. The sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 experiences such healing. She comes to a table where the Messiah is seated and offers him the kind of hospitality that the Pharisee host should have provided but pridefully neglected. The point of this story is there is no sin that is too destructive for the healing touch of Christ. Even those who have lived lives of consistent and willful sin, upon confession and repentance, can receive healing from the Savior and may “go in peace” (Luke 7:50).
In fact, those who have been plagued by “many sins” (7:47) receive the most healing and experience the most peace. You cannot appreciate the grace of God unless you first recognize the disastrous effects of sin. Jesus’ table is one of forgiveness and restoration. It is at the table of the Lord where we, as sinners, receive reconciliation and a renewed sense of peace. May we be comforted in the knowledge that Jesus has forgiven our many sins and calls us to his table to celebrate!
Jesus, the great physician, brings healing to the broken lives of people. Those who approach his table do so, in part, out of the need for his healing touch. The sinful woman in Luke 7:36-50 experiences such healing. She comes to a table where the Messiah is seated and offers him the kind of hospitality that the Pharisee host should have provided but pridefully neglected. The point of this story is there is no sin that is too destructive for the healing touch of Christ. Even those who have lived lives of consistent and willful sin, upon confession and repentance, can receive healing from the Savior and may “go in peace” (Luke 7:50).
In fact, those who have been plagued by “many sins” (7:47) receive the most healing and experience the most peace. You cannot appreciate the grace of God unless you first recognize the disastrous effects of sin. Jesus’ table is one of forgiveness and restoration. It is at the table of the Lord where we, as sinners, receive reconciliation and a renewed sense of peace. May we be comforted in the knowledge that Jesus has forgiven our many sins and calls us to his table to celebrate!
Monday, April 9, 2007
Tables of Repentance
How can we experience a deeper sense of Christian identity as we sit around tables?
One of the most important aspects of table fellowship is identity. Generally speaking, who you eat with says something about who you are. Our identity is intertwined with the people we eat with. For this reason, Jesus constantly got in trouble with the Pharisees. They could not understand why Jesus, a devout rabbi, would be willing to eat with “tax-collectors and ‘sinners’” (Luke 5:30). The Pharisees misunderstood Jesus’ intentions. Jesus did not eat with sinners in order to condone their behavior but rather to call them to repentance (Luke 5:32). Jesus ate with sinners with the hope that they would be responsive to his healing presence: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31).
As Christians, we sit at Christ’s table. He graciously welcomes us in spite of the sin that infects our lives. He eats with us in order to encourage us to be responsive to his healing touch. Jesus does not eat with sinners in order to promote their rebellion; he eats with them to promote their repentance. By sitting around Christ’s table, our identity as sinners is trumped by our identity as “in Christ ones.” Simply put, we are Christians. May God grant us grace as we live out our identity as those who sit at the table of the Lord.
One of the most important aspects of table fellowship is identity. Generally speaking, who you eat with says something about who you are. Our identity is intertwined with the people we eat with. For this reason, Jesus constantly got in trouble with the Pharisees. They could not understand why Jesus, a devout rabbi, would be willing to eat with “tax-collectors and ‘sinners’” (Luke 5:30). The Pharisees misunderstood Jesus’ intentions. Jesus did not eat with sinners in order to condone their behavior but rather to call them to repentance (Luke 5:32). Jesus ate with sinners with the hope that they would be responsive to his healing presence: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Luke 5:31).
As Christians, we sit at Christ’s table. He graciously welcomes us in spite of the sin that infects our lives. He eats with us in order to encourage us to be responsive to his healing touch. Jesus does not eat with sinners in order to promote their rebellion; he eats with them to promote their repentance. By sitting around Christ’s table, our identity as sinners is trumped by our identity as “in Christ ones.” Simply put, we are Christians. May God grant us grace as we live out our identity as those who sit at the table of the Lord.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Breaking Bread on Sunday
What is the emphasis at the Lord's Supper? The cross or the resurrection?
A common phrase for the Lord’s Supper throughout Luke-Acts is, “breaking of bread.” This phrase does not simply designate a casual meal. It is technical and specific language used to describe the Lord’s Supper. Interestingly, in Luke 24:30, 35 and in Acts 20:7, 11 the phrase is closely associated with the resurrection. The disciples in Emmaus “recognized” the risen savior when he “broke the bread” and Paul “broke bread” both before and after raising Eutychus from the dead. When compared with each other, these two texts bear striking resemblances to each other. Luke’s emphasis suggests when we “break bread” the resurrection should saturate our thoughts. Sunday is the day where we gather around the table to “break bread.” Sunday is the day of the resurrection not the day of the cross.
The cross happened on a Friday and is often present with us on Sunday. After all, you cannot have Sunday without Friday. Put differently, the holiness of the atonement must precede the glory of the resurrection. But Friday is put into perspective on Sunday. Sunday allows us to look back at Friday and call it “good.” When we gather to “break bread” we declare that it is Sunday, not Friday. We declare that the death of Friday does not win. Sunday is a day of resurrection and life and every Sunday is Easter Sunday. Sunday wins over Friday!
A common phrase for the Lord’s Supper throughout Luke-Acts is, “breaking of bread.” This phrase does not simply designate a casual meal. It is technical and specific language used to describe the Lord’s Supper. Interestingly, in Luke 24:30, 35 and in Acts 20:7, 11 the phrase is closely associated with the resurrection. The disciples in Emmaus “recognized” the risen savior when he “broke the bread” and Paul “broke bread” both before and after raising Eutychus from the dead. When compared with each other, these two texts bear striking resemblances to each other. Luke’s emphasis suggests when we “break bread” the resurrection should saturate our thoughts. Sunday is the day where we gather around the table to “break bread.” Sunday is the day of the resurrection not the day of the cross.
The cross happened on a Friday and is often present with us on Sunday. After all, you cannot have Sunday without Friday. Put differently, the holiness of the atonement must precede the glory of the resurrection. But Friday is put into perspective on Sunday. Sunday allows us to look back at Friday and call it “good.” When we gather to “break bread” we declare that it is Sunday, not Friday. We declare that the death of Friday does not win. Sunday is a day of resurrection and life and every Sunday is Easter Sunday. Sunday wins over Friday!
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