Father Snort

Sometimes our beliefs become so rigid, that they are like idols made of gold, silver, or stone. God often then takes a hammer to our beliefs so he can fill us with his Holy Spirit to tell us, "Love me, and I will reveal myself to you once again."

In John 14:1-14, Jesus told his disciples what to do when he was gone. “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me…you know the way to the place where I am going…” Thomas said they didn’t know where Jesus was going, and Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life…” Jesus didn’t tell them where they were going, he simply said, “follow me.” The way of Jesus is the way of faith in God, love of God and people, forgiveness, service, reconciliation, and resurrection. How we arrive at our goals is more important than achieving them. Our goals should be held lightly, our future plans left somewhat open to allow us first to follow the way of Jesus, not always knowing exactly where that will lead.

The idyllic community described in Acts 2 was full of real people with real lives and real struggles. We share in "the apostles' teaching and fellowship, the breaking of bread, and in the prayers" just as they did. We do so in the real struggles of our real lives. We give thanks for our community, as flawed as it is. We celebrate communion together and pray together at the church building when we gather and anytime and place we gather with each other.

We're blessed with joy and wonder which comes with believing without seeing. We can encounter Jesus anywhere, in anyone, and when we do, and our hearts burn within us, we get to trust that we did encounter Jesus. We also encounter Jesus in meals - this can be any meal. The joy, laughter, and love shared over meals is an encounter with Jesus. After we have these encounters with Jesus, we get to share them with our family and friends, and connect with them deeply through the joy and wonder of believing without seeing.

There are many ways to love and praise God. They include serving others, singing, talking with friends, reading, enjoying the morning, etc. It doesn't have to be boring or traditional.

Jesus' resurrection promises that we will be with him in his resurrection after our physical lives are ended. With Jesus as the way, the truth, and the life, we also follow his way of resurrection throughout our lives and the thousands of deaths we face (failures, disappointments, severed relationships, etc.).

Jesus' command to his disciples was for them to go, to serve, and to love. He washed their feet, which is uncomfortable, and awkward, intimate, and possibly smelly. That's the point. Serving others is uncomfortable, and awkward, intimate, and possibly smelly. Afterwards, there is a profound presence of love.

The stories of scripture continue to be told in our lives. God continues to reach out to us, and we continue at times to accept God's invitation and at times to reject God's invitation. God keeps at it, either way, using even our rejection to reach us. The story of God with us is a story that continues past the pages of scripture. God's healing, reconciliation, and love is our story and our song...a song in progress.

God spoke into the chaos and brought order through his words. God fashioned Adam out of the dust of the ground, bringing forth life and beauty. Jesus healed the blind man by forming new eyes for him out of the dust of the ground, and Jesus spoke the words, "Lazarus, come out" to a dead man, and that man received life from Jesus' words.

Like God in creation, Jesus brings order out of chaos with the words he speaks and the word he does with his hands. We too, being made in God's image, have power to bring healing, life, and creativity with our words and the work of our hands. We can bring order out of chaos.

Jesus shines light in the darkness in order to reveal our darkness and cast it out, healing us and granting us his light, that we may walk in light and life.