Highland Church Podcast

Humans are afraid of being alone. Jesus experienced this fear, and so promises us that we wont ever be alone again—i.e. the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was an unpredictable but essential life-force in the Old Testament. Jesus is the giver of the Holy Spirit now. So, we can have life and comfort—without fear of loneliness—because of Holy Spirit.

They say God is a silly delusion. Religion is for the childish. That the church is irrelevant. The resurrection could not possibly have happened. Well so they say. But we know the tomb is empty.

Most of us follow Jesus in helping others as a hobby (when we have free-time). Jesus offers us the gift of Sabbath to become better helpers of others. Sabbath is work-stoppage, but not help-stoppage. So practice Sabbath, and have the time to help others. Its your job, not your hobby.

Everyone is busy and tired. Like Israel in Egypt. But God liberated them from that system of scarcity and more. We suffer under scarcity. Scarcity uses shame to keep us enslaved. Like it did Pharoah. But God liberated us from scarcity and shame, so we should try Sabbath as a way to resist them

If the Christian life is about resistance to the powers that be. What John reminds us of—is that sometimes the thing we most need to resist is ourselves. That unlike what the world tells us—where self-realization, self-fulfillment, self-expression are the most important things—The Christian must learn to resist the self.

Newness can feel good. God promised newness a long time ago. Not everyone probably believed him. The past leaves scars on each of us. But God consistently makes things new, and can make our lives new this year.

Herod is a power that resists the Jesus way. Powers like this only have power because we give it to them. Jesus names the powers (Fox) and resists compassionately. Following in the narrow Jesus way requires not only the boldness to name the powers, but the courage to resist them compassionately.

Moses wants to know God’s name. Lame man healed by the name. There is power in the name. Power for mischief occasionally. But typically the holy power of God’s transformation. Like when Israel was in Babylon and God restored them for his name. The name of God in the world is important. Jews wont say it. Jesus tells us to pray for it. Isaiah is beset when he encounters God’s holy name, and is only ready to go afterwards. Like Brandon. Like us—baptized into the name. We all are live for the sake of the name, but some have to go. We are to help them go. Because the name is enough.

What is grace? Grace is being given more than we deserve. If we don’t think we need grace, we wont be gracious. Incarcerated individuals really push the limits of our graciousness. We label them as people who have said “no” to God (meaning we are people who have said “Yes”—which is problematic, as stated). Grace is seeing all people—even those in prison—as people who might say yes—not as people who have said no.

I am the descendent of a refugee. Israel was descendent of refugees, but was always in danger of forgetting that. God reminded them to love refugees as he loves refugees because they were once refugees. But we still tend to forget. Based on what God says in our passage today: indignation without memory will not produce love for these strangers. Anger without an awareness of who we are as Christians will not move towards acts of compassion for refugees in fear for their lives.

We can discover peace in wild places. These are known as thin places—places in God’s creation where God reveals himself more fully. This revelation takes the form of a voice, a piece of a God’s more full revelation (that includes scripture). We can know more about God if we spend time appreciating creation and listening to this voice.

During the Maccabean Revolt, Jews told the story of Daniel—who was faced with the exile of his people and chose only to pray in response. This seems like a passive response—that will make no significant difference. But his prayer motivates God to send an angel who wrestles with other powers to accomplish God’s will and free Israel. All Daniel had to do was ask. So, prayer is perhaps the most important task for those who want to “make a difference”

All of us, at one time or another, fall victim to thinking the challenges we face as followers of Jesus are brand new and unique. That as long as people have tried to be weird like this, no one has ever come across what I’m wrestling with right now. And we might search the scriptures, like we should, and still come up with no good answer for what to do. And so let me remind you to “Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:7-8)

Friday Afternoon Panel Discussion with the Formerly Incarcerated and Volunteers- With Vernon Perry, Pat Tia Holmes, Clarence Montgomery, Bob and Gwen Coker, and Carolyn Harris

Kim Benson- Sex Trafficking and Victimization of Women

H.M. Motsinger- NLB Training 2

Tim Tripp- Returning Citizens Reconnecting With Family

Stanley Lipford- Criminal Lifestyles and Thinking

Pam Vincent- Helping the Incarcerated Cope with Loss

Don Umphrey- Relapse and Recidivism: Lessons from the Children of Israel