Under the cover of night, Jesus has an extended conversation with Nicodemus about the coming kingdom of God. Nicodemus was a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin, and as such, likely assumed that God’s kingdom had a lot to do with your birth right as a child of Abraham. Jesus turns the tables on Nicodemus by saying, “no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.”(Jn 3.5)  This points us to the important work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. To be born of the Spirit is to have a complete upgrade into a new operating system. The Holy Spirit “re-births us and renews us” (Titus 3.5) so that we can perceive the kingdom of God and experience “eternal life”. (Jn 3.16)  This is more than just a one time decision, but an event and a process. Just like Nicodemus, it’s easy to be confused by all this born again language. Yet if we press into this mystery, we will discover the new world that the Holy Spirit wants to birth into our lives today.

Jesus promised us that the Holy Spirit will “speak to us” and “guide us into all truth”. (Jn 16:13) But how exactly does this work? There are some who believe that Jesus is only talking about the formation of the Bible— after that, it is said that God ceases to speak. Curiously, the Bible itself never tells us that the Triune God’s speaking is limited to the Bible—rather the promise is that Jesus— by the Holy Spirit— is with us until the end of the age. What we find in Scripture is a way of living that is dependant on the Holy Spirit speaking to us, leading us, and guiding us. Jesus expects that his “sheep will hear his voice”. This promise is for everyone, and not just special people. So, how do we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit today?

Before his death, Jesus taught at length to his disciples about the importance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was to lead them, guide them, instruct them, empower them and so much more. After the resurrection, Jesus again reiterates the importance of the Holy Spirit by breathing on his disciples and saying “receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22) and telling them to “wait for the gift the Father has promised”. (Acts 1:4)  To follow Jesus is to be open to receive from the Holy Spirit. Yet so often some folks find themselves confused or weirded out by the idea of the Holy Spirit. We can sometimes treat the Holy Spirit as an optional extra to the Christian faith, or forget to talk about the Holy Spirit at all. So as we seek to be a church who follows Jesus we need to ask: who is the Holy Spirit and why does this matter for followers of Jesus today?

The first person to see the risen Christ was Mary Magdalene. It happened in a garden. At first Mary thought Jesus was the gardener. A logical mistake. Or a prophetic mistake. Or perhaps not a mistake at all? When Mary Magdalene “supposed him to be the gardener,” she was exactly right! Jesus is now the gardener of resurrection, cultivating new life in all who believe. The first Adam was a gardener who failed in his task and the world became a wasteland of war and sin. But the second Adam will succeed in his task — Christ will restore the ruined garden. With Christ as the gardener of new creation we have a hope.

In John 18, Jesus is arrested and betrayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus will be put on trial by the High Priest, Pilate, and Herod. The crowds will shout “crucify him.” Jesus will be mocked, beaten, whipped, receive a crown of thorns, and ultimately be crucified. From the garden, we follow Jesus into death and the grave. Though we might see these events as a series of tragedies, this is the way of the Cross that Jesus has chosen. A few days before his crucifixion Jesus said, “Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24) Jesus has willingly joined all of humanity in our journey away from the paradise the garden and into our desolation of the grave. On this Good Friday we reflect on the truth that Jesus has entered the grave “so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death”(Hebrews 2:14).

Jesus is making his Triumphant entry into Jerusalem. As he enters the city, the people lay their cloaks and palm branches on the ground in an act of reverence. The people proclaim "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Lk 19:38) It is a public declaration that Jesus is the King— the Messiah. This of course upsets some of the observant Pharisees who were in the crowd. They attempt to rebuke Jesus by asking him to tell the crowds to stop their Kingly proclamations. Jesus’ answer is to say, ""I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.”(Lk 19:40) This scene from Palm Sunday reminds us that reactions to Jesus were mixed from celebration to condemnation. As we look ahead to what Jesus has in store for the future of The Meeting Place—- what might be the posture of our hearts to Jesus? Are we joyfully welcoming his Kingdom into our lives? Or are we distantly observing?

All four Gospels give an account of Jesus being anointed by a woman as an act of worship. In Matthew and Mark, Mary, the sister of Lazarus and Martha, anoints Jesus’ head in Bethany following the Triumphal Entry. In Luke an unnamed woman who was a notorious sinner anoints Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair in the home of Simon the Pharisee in Galilee. In John these two anointing’s are combined. Mary of Bethany anoints Jesus’ feet and wipes them with her hair just before the Triumphal Entry. But in all four accounts the woman is criticized by someone for her extravagant worship. Mary risks it all in her expensive act of anointing Jesus for his death. She risks receiving scorn and shame from her undignified actions. Mary breaks numerous cultural taboos all in the cause of worshiping Jesus. Yet surprisingly, to those who were gathered in the house, Jesus sides with Mary. She has done the beautiful thing. Mary shows us that worship is a genuine and deliberate choice to align ourself with Jesus—even when its costly. So, what does it mean for our church to worship Jesus in all that we do?

When God works in our world, God often looks for a partner. We see this most clearly in the story of Mary the mother of Jesus. Mary is invited to partner with God in bringing forth the Messiah Jesus. Her response is to say, “I am the Lord’s servant. May your word to me be fulfilled.” (Lk 1:38) Mary’s posture of serving make space for Jesus to be born into our world. In the same way, we are invited by Jesus to join him in his work in this world. This is more than just volunteering a few hours a month. We have been commissioned to be “ministers of reconciliation”. (2 Cor 5:18) This is a whole vocation of using the gifts that God has given us for the building of the Kingdom. When we do this, we make space for Jesus to show up in this world through acts of “new creation.”

Gathering together for community is at the heart of what it means to be the people of God. But this is not limited to one particular location. The Psalmist will seek God “in the sanctuary”(Ps 63:2) and remember God “as they go to bed”. (Ps 63:6) This is speaks of the daily, weekly, and yearly rhythms of worship in the temple, and in their homes. Gathering together in community is essential for followers of Jesus. Which is why in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus goes from table to table, and party to party. It is during one of these table times that Jesus takes the opportunity to talk about the uniqueness of how Kingdom people will gather. Jesus will speak to some of the barriers that prevent community. And in this, we discover that followers of Jesus are called to a community of  humility (v10-11), that invites the uninvited and makes space for ‘the other’. (v12-14) As we look ahead to the future of The Meeting Place, what will it look like for us to gather as the people of Jesus?

“…and share His Story”

Jesus takes three disciples (Peter, John, and James) to the top of a Mount Tabor. While the disciples are asleep somethings mysterious happens. Moses and Elijah — these two giant figures from the Old Testament — conversing with a glorified Christ. Of course Moses the Lawgiver and Elijah the Prophet are representative figures signifying the Law and the Prophets. When Peter awakes his first impulse is to suggest that they build three memorial tabernacles on Tabor, treating Moses, Elijah, and Jesus as approximate equals. While Peter is still speaking, a cloud covers them and voice thunders, ““This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”v35 This moment  on the mountain is where Moses and Elijah find their great successor, Jesus. The whole story of the Bible has been leading to this point: the story of Jesus. Jesus is what God has to say! 

In the same way, to be the church is to live into the truth of Mount of Transfiguration: that Jesus is what God has to say. We are called and commissioned to share his story! So what does it mean to share the story Jesus? How do we do this? How can we — like Moses and Elijah— find our story pointing to the story of Jesus?