Prayer Shapes Us
We rejoin Jesus this morning just after he told Martha that her sister, Mary, had “chosen the better part” in listening to him. The very next line in Luke’s Gospel tells us that Jesus went to a certain place to pray, choosing “the better part” of time with his Father for himself.
His disciples then ask him, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” On one level, that seems unnecessary. Prayer is simply talking to God, aiming our spoken or unspoken prayers to him. So, do that.
When people hear that I was a CPA for 12.5 years and changed careers soon after making partner in our firm, they tend to have one of two reactions. Either they think it sounds very noble, or they think I was crazy. I’m not sure about that, but it was very painful and became a critical time of prayer.
Read More
A Right Heart
This morning’s Gospel immediately brings to mind the hundreds of holidays, birthdays and other celebrations, even regular family meals, where my wife and/or my mother sacrificed hours of preparation to make sure that everyone was fed well and having a joyful time.
That makes this Gospel feel like dangerous ground, so we must stipulate up front that there is nothing in this Gospel that dishonors that very loving gift of hospitality. It’s central to our bonds of family, friendships and the life of our church.
Read More
Sent Like the Seventy
I am convicted and motivated by the verses from Luke that we just heard. These verses are the mission call for Fresh Expressions of Church. Nearly 10 years ago, Bishop Brewer sent me the Fresh Expressions book with a note inside, saying, “let me know what you think”. The book is about reaching people in our world who don’t and probably won’t be sitting in our pews on any given Sunday. A calling to mission. I read again, verse one of the 10th chapter of Luke. “The Lord Appointed seventy others and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where He himself intended to go.” “The Harvest is Plentiful!”
Last week Jesus sent his twelve apostles to preach and to heal. Now, he sends out a larger group of 70 (or seventy-two) in some Bibles. Is there something significant about the number 70? We know that every word and sentence in scripture is there for a purpose. The earlier mission of the twelve represents the gospel going to Israel. This mission points to the Gentiles! The number 70 is not random. It’s rich with meaning. It speaks of God’s heart for all nations, for shared ministry, and for a mission that every believer is called to carry. Genesis 10 gives us a list of 70 nations-the “Table of Nations.” This symbolized the known world. By choosing 70, Jesus was declaring: the gospel is for everyone, not just the people of Israel.
Read More
