the hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy

this past sunday at the upper room we planned to discuss how god reveals himself in the ordinary as well as the extraordinary. that we do not really need a sign for god to prove that he exists, that we need only to open our eyes, for there are signs everywhere. signs, signs, everywhere signs.

we had a relatively small group show up and more than enough food to share, so brenda went down and invited a few people up for supper.

we ended up sharing our table with five young adults that were hitching their way across the country. three of them were from out east and were heading west. one of them was from victoria and wanted to experience an authentic manitoba winter, so had decided to chill (pun intended) in winnipeg until spring. and the fifth had been all over, was heading back west for a bit, then overseas, and back to winnipeg in the spring.

we started talking about the beauty of this vast country (many of them have seen things we do not take the time to appreciate). we talked about how god reveals himself in the simplest things...the majesty of the rockies, the beauty of a prairie sunset, a meal shared between strangers.

one of them said 'the lord is constantly revealing himself, and too many people call it coincidence.' truth spoken around our table...from a hitchhiking teenager.

as the last of them got up to leave, they thanked us, said the food was awesome, and that it wasn't the least bit awkward...(at which point it proceeded to get a little awkward.) :)

we were reminded again that god is constantly speaking, constantly revealing himself, and we just need to open our eyes, or our tables, or our hearts and see.

sir isaac newton once said. 'in the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence.'

god reveals himself all over the place...in nature, in sharing a meal, and in the thumbs of a hitchhikers truth.

peace to you,

scott

signs signs everywhere signs

the pharisees came and began to question jesus. to test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. he sighed deeply and said, "why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? i tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. mark 8:11-13

i find it funny that the pharisees were asking for a miraculous sign after witnessing the feeding of the five thousand. after jesus had healed a blind man. after demons were cast into a herd of pigs. after he had fed another group of four thousand people. yet they still asked for a miraculous sign.

i wonder how many people do not believe in god because he has not chosen to break into their work in an abnormal or miraculous way. that they are waiting for him to alter the universe somehow to prove that he is real.

the lead singer mewithoutyou penned some incredible lyrics that i resonate with my heart more than the hearts of the pharisees.

daniel broke the king's decree,
peter stepped from the ship to the sea
there was hope for job like a cut down tree,
i hope that there's such hope for me
dust be on my mind's conceptions
and anything i thought i knew
each word of my lips' description,
and on all that i compare to you
the preference of the sun was
to the south side of the farm
i planted to the north in a terra-cotta pot
blind as i'd become, i used to wonder where you are-
these days i can't find where you're not!

elizabeth barret browning wrote

earth's crammed with heaven
and every common bush afire with god
but only he who sees, takes off his shoes
the rest sit round it and pluck blackberries

i find it hard to ignore god. he seems to show up everywhere. in the moment i see someone curled up asleep beside garbage bins at a downtown coffee shop. in a conversation about hope for the future with a colleague at work. in the sunshine, the blue and the green, the scent and the sound. god does not need to break in and give us a sign...we need to wake up and open our eyes.

peace to you,

scott

re-creation not just recreation

then jesus left the vicinity of tyre and went through sidon, down to the sea of galilee and into the region of the decapolis. there some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him to place his hand on the man.
after he took him aside, away from the crowd, jesus put his fingers into the man's ears. then he spit and touched the man's tongue. he looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, "ephphatha!" (which means, "be opened!" ). at this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. but the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. people were overwhelmed with amazement. "he has done everything well," they said. "he even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak."
mark 7:31-37

i love this seemingly innocuous story from the life of jesus. i see so much of his heart in the way this goes down. notice the details mark shares. some people bring to jesus a man who was deaf and could hardly talk. what does jesus do? he takes the man aside away from the crowd. he does not make a spectacle of this man. the miracle is a personal encounter with jesus. jesus opens his ears and loosens his tongue.

why does his put his hands in his ears? why does he spit? we will talk about that sunday.

the thing that really gets me is that jesus pulled the guy aside and made him new again. jesus still is in the business of making things new, of doing everything well. he is into re-creation...not just recration.

what about us? is our faith about re-creating the kingdom here? is it about doing everything well? is it about meeting people as individuals and having god make them new? or is it more about recreation...hanging with a group of people who like the same things we like...believe the same things we do?

things to mull over until we meet on sunday at 4...see you at fude.

peace to you,
scott

dogs under the table

jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of tyre. he entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. in fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil spirit came and fell at his feet. The woman was a greek, born in syrian phoenicia. she begged jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
"first let the children eat all they want," he told her, "for it is not right to take the children's bread and toss it to their dogs."
"yes, lord," she replied, "but even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs."
then he told her, "for such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter."
she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
mark 7:24-30

this sunday night at fude we will be talking about the dogs under the table...come with questions...see you at four on sunday night

peace to you,
scott

happy father's day

we are going to take this sunday off to honor our fathers. we will not be meeting at fude this weekend. we will be back around the table next sunday at four at fude. have an awesome father's day and give your dad a hug.
peace to you,
scott

hard hearted harbinger of haggis

there is a phrase that occurs a few times (at least 35 on my count) in the bible that causes me to scratch my head.

this week at the upper room we are looking at the miracle of jesus walking on water.

the disciples have recently returned from preaching in pairs; many were healed and delivered. they are tired, so jesus decides to take them away for a little r&r. their plans are foiled when a large crowd gathers on the shore as they arrive for their much needed rest. jesus begins to teach. the day gets late and the people are hungry. the disciples tell jesus to send the people into town so they can go get some food before the markets close up for the night.

'you give them something to eat' was his response. go see how much food you have. five loaves and two fish. jesus prays, breaks bread and the multitude is fed. pretty amazing.

the disciples are still exhausted so jesus sends them back into the boat to head across the lake for some time off.

they get half way across the lake and a storm kicks up. jesus is not with them. what are they going to do? he was on his way to pray on the mountainside.

there in the mist a figure appears...some sort of ghost. the disciples are terrified. then jesus calls out. "take courage! it is i. don't be afraid."

then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. they were completely amazed, and then the bible says "for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened."

now i have all sorts of questions about this episode in the life of jesus. but my biggest one is this: "what does it mean to have a hard heart?"

this and more on sunday night at fude,

peace to you,
scott

kick it to the curb

then jesus went around teaching from village to village.
calling the twelve to him, he sent them out two
by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
these were his instructions: “take nothing for the
journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in
your belts. wear sandals but not an extra tunic.
whenever you enter a house, stay there until you
leave that town. and if any place will not welcome you
or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you
leave, as a testimony against them.”
they went out and preached that people should
repent. they drove out many demons and anointed
many sick people with oil and healed them. mark 6:6-13

odd instructions that jesus gave. take nothing. no food, no money, no extra jacket.
don't bounce around from house to house.
and if people do not listen or welcome you, then shake the dust off your feet.

dust on your feet? kick it to the curb on your way out of town.

but why? and why two by two? why bring a staff? why not moving around?

think about it...and bring your thoughts sunday night...

peace to you,
scott

in my hometown

i was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
i’d sit on his lap in that big old buick and steer as we drove through town
he’d tousle my hair and say son take a good look around
this is your hometown, this is your hometown
bruce springsteen

yesterday i was back in my hometown.
i was looking forward to seeing familiar faces and catching up with old friends.
and yet i was not looking forward to going back to my hometown.
we were back for a funeral of a dear friend.
it was one of the saddest and most inspirational funerals i have ever been to.
as we listened to the family share, we were reminded of what a special women she was.
it is easy to forget. it is easy to overlook the little things they do to make you great.

sometimes when familiarity should breed a growing respect it breeds an increasing and easy-going familiarity. sometimes we are too near to people to see their greatness.

that is so true of our friend irene.

these words were spoken about jesus when he was back in his hometown. the place where he was misunderstood. the place where people refused to see him for who he was. they were too near to him to recognize his greatness.

i often wonder how people will remember me when i am gone. will i be thought of as the quiet kid in elementary school? will i be remembered for the way i acted as a teenager? (these are the things that they held against jesus when he came into their synagogues and taught with wisdom and authority.) what about the people around me right now? how will they remember me? what impact am i leaving in their lives? what fingerprints have they left on my heart?

what would they say about me in my hometown?

peace to you,

scott

this little piggie

in the first few lines of mark 5 we find ourselves in one of the more puzzling stories in the life of jesus.
demons causing a man to cut himself with stones as he lived in a cemetary.
jesus confronts the demons and "gives them permission" to enter a herd of pigs.
life and beauty confronts chaos and cruelty.
pigs are destroyed and people are enraged. they beg him to leave. misunderstood miracle.
i have seen this story played out in our day...maybe not with pigs..but...
well, we will talk about that more on sunday night.
peace to you,
scott

he don't even care/who dis is?

that day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "let us go over to the other side." leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. there were also other boats with him. a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. the disciples woke him and said to him, "teacher, don't you care if we drown?"
he got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "quiet! be still!" then the wind died down and it was completely calm.
he said to his disciples, "why are you so afraid? do you still have no faith?"
they were terrified and asked each other, "who is this? even the wind and the waves obey him!"

heard this story so many times...read it just as many. listen to the rich texture of language. you can totally picture it.

a furious squall.
the waves broke over the boat.
it was nearly swamped.
jesus was sleeping...on a cushion.

such incredible detail in this story. i would imagine if i had been there, it would have been in slow motion. i wonder how many details you would remember if you thought it would be the last few minutes of your life.

and he don't even care.

or does he? he is the calmer of the storm. he speaks. the waves stop.

who dis is? even the wind and waves obey him.

this is true shock and awe...they were terrified.

peace to you,

scott

happy ressurection day

in memory of j.c.

we take time this week to focus on the unfathomable sacrifice of jesus on the cross. we remember the searing pain and respond to the shed blood by falling to our knees in humility. you gave so much...the least we could give is our lives. thank you jesus. thank you.
friends, take time this week to survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died. respond to the immeasurable of love of god.
peace to you,
scott

p.s. enjoy this video by my other favorite j.c.

all about the green

this sunday is all about the green...
not golf...
or frogs...
or money...
the significance of palm sunday
the symbolism of st.patricks day
the sweet allure of green jello (ok maybe that's a bit much)
so study up on your palm sunday and your maewyn succat...
peace to you,
scott

riddle me this

he said to them, "do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? instead, don't you put it on its stand? for whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."
"consider carefully what you hear," he continued. "with the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more. whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him." mark 4:21-25

riddle me this…riddle me that…who can understand mad phrasing from this hep cat?

it seems that jesus taught in parables to make things more plain; to give us a tangible example of some invisible, untouchable reality. but this passage requires a little mind workout. i wonder if that was also part of jesus’ plan. almost as if the phrase, “if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” means…stop and think about this for a minute, or wrap your mind around this one for a second.

i love the fact that jesus’ words are not always immediately accessible. that for one to understand what he was getting at, you have to dig, think for yourself, ask questions. this is no teaching for the light of heart or weak of mind. following jesus requires all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

and yet if we come to scripture with the heart of a child…the kingdom is ours. this is the glory of the paradox of faith. a path not at all easy to figure out and live perfectly, yet so simple a child can comprehend and walk it.

so unravel this riddle for me…what is this parable all about? lamps under beds, hidden things brought to light, measures used and more for those who already have?

peace to you,
scott

digging in the dirt

the parables of jesus are pure genius. the master storyteller, weaving truth in fiction. farmer and seed…scattering on soils. most people don’t understand. left scratching there heads. i count myself one of them on this one. i get the soil story after the explanation that jesus gives. but why does he only let a few of them in on the deeper meaning of the dirt?
jesus words to the disciples before he explains the significance of the soil are these:
"the secret of the kingdom of god has been given to you. but to those on the outside everything is said in parables so that,
" 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,
and ever hearing but never understanding;
otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'"
yeah…that’s what he said.
what does that mean to you?
i think i may have to do a little digging in the dirt this week
i’ll let you know what i find on sunday.
peace to you,
scott

hey hermano

then jesus' mother and brothers arrived. standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. a crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, "your mother and brothers are outside looking for you."
"who are my mother and my brothers?" he asked.
then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, "here are my mother and my brothers! whoever does god's will is my brother and sister and mother. mark 3:31-35

jesus refered to his disciples as family, as brother and sisters, mothers and friends. what seems to be the prerequisite to one of those titles?
saying the sinner's prayer?
memorizing the ten commandments?
being a kind and generous person?
exactly what is obedience to the will of god?
if jesus were to give you a title, would it be hermano?
things to ponder until we meet,
peace to you,
scott

happy valentines day

what the what?

"i tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. but whoever blasphemes against the holy spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin." mark 3:28-29

what the what?

peace to you,
scott

how he loves us

ooo! ooo! pick me mr. kotter

some of you are too young to remember the sweathogs, but i totally thought of them as i was reading this week about jesus picking the twelve disciples. they were quite a rag-tag bunch of hooligans. like horshack, washington, epstein and barbarino, you had impetuous, sometimes immature, guys who formed this close knit gang with jesus. peter shooting his mouth off like epstein and john, 'the one who jesus loved', raising his hand in the front like horshack.
it made me think of what that crew would look like if jesus were to pick them today. would they have piercings, mohawks and tattoos? or would they look like they just walked out of an old navy ad? would they be eccentric musicians and artists or perhaps math nerds who play world of warcraft? who would jesus choose today? would i have been one of the twelve? would you? i think we might be surprized.

peace to you,
scott