The Source

The Source

The American people are indeed “full of vim and vigor,” just as the President said on Tuesday, but let’s further his thought. What is the source of that merriment, good cheer, lustiness, patient perseverance, exuberance and life?  It’s Jesus.  It is the Lord who gives life, eternal vim and vigor as it were. There is a misconception--we always picture eternal life as “going to heaven when you die.”  This is not what the Bible teaches.  Consider the reading for Sunday (which I sincerely hope you will hear in person), when Jesus tells Martha, “your brother will rise again.” Martha replies, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” To which Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life”—To paraphrase: “No Martha, life is right now, life is here!”  The meaning of Jesus’ coming is that mankind will remain forever, body, soul and spirit. There is no more death and we are not going to die. Now, don’t get me wrong, the Bible is the most realistic book that there is about death.  It’s in this same chapter in John that Martha speaks so frankly of her brother Lazarus in the tomb,” Lord, he already stinks, it’s been four days!” Talk about keeping it real.  But Jesus knows something far weightier, something that pushes death right off the stage. He says, “I am the resurrection and the life.”  And he does not keep this life to himself, he gives it to us and indeed all creation.  That’s why the American people are lively. That’s why we cannot be “locked up” as the President also said. Not because we aren’t an “incarceration nation,” not because we don’t lock ourselves up in places far worse than any prison. It is because Jesus comes into every locked room and trap and frees the prisoner. Consider the lock-up that is the epidemic of busyness and delusion. Last week people were forced to stop and breathe even if only for a moment.  Families took a break from cars and walked around and enjoyed themselves. Our waters and skies were finally clear all over the world. My sister called me last week and told me about how she had woken up on Monday morning and her face “felt weird.” It took her a few moments to realize why. She was relaxed for the first time in years. Jesus means eternal life, vim and vigor, but if he is the source then we also have to rest.  We must stop in the name love, stop and listen, stop and go for a walk, stop and just do one thing at a time, stop and hug somebody, stop and concentrate, stop and not go anywhere, stop and go visit friends and family even when it interferes with work, stop and do nothing and be bored.  This is also a part of having vim and vigor if our vim and vigor comes from the source of all vim and vigor, the Lord Jesus, our peace and wholeness.  God loves us, he sticks by us, he loves us too much to let us go on in delusion and  tortures.  The difference between God and ourselves is simple. The reason that he is so “other,” is because he is so good.

Meet on Sunday

We must reject all fears and meet in person to worship on Sunday.  After having said this let me assure the reader that I encourage those who are even the least little bit disinclined to come, to feel more than free in their decision! We will see each other soon Beloved!  I look forward to talking with you over the phone or online or in person in a different setting. You are constantly in my prayers. Remember no matter what happens, we are one in the Lord Jesus!  But after having said this, let's keep the services going and the doors open on Sunday! What's my thinking here? It was Jesus' cross that brought the disciples together on the first day of the week and then he came among them confirming his work on the cross and comforting them, breathing on them, giving them the Holy Spirit, empowering them. As the Israelites were gathered together on the near side of the Red Sea in fear and anguish, so were the disciples brought together. Just as the Israelites were brought through the water together and believed and worshipped and rejoiced on the far side of the Red Sea so the disciples worshipped the Lord when he came among them.  It was always risky to gather on Sunday both for the disciples and for their friends and families.  They must have known and agreed that following Jesus might very well bring down the wrath of the Roman Empire on Israel.  When they followed Jesus they were indeed risking the destruction of the nation, a nation which was and is the light of the world.  But empowered by Jesus, Jesus who seeks and saves the lost, they were obedient.  Today persecuted Christians meet openly and in secret on the first day of the week. Certainly this is a risk to themselves but much more harrowingly this meeting, this obedience is a terrible risk to family, friends and tribe, many of whom are not even believers.  But they have learned that they must obey Jesus without counting the cost.  They must overcome even these fears and stand.  This is not to say that those who do not want to come to church should not feel free not to come.  When this situation has passed we will run to welcome them back to church and "the spoil of those who stayed behind will be the same as those who went into battle." But we must keep the churches open on Sunday for worship, obedient even in the face of the most harrowing fear.  With the help of the Holy Spirit we will soon find the answer to the powers that be that seek to cheat, mistreat and control us.