The Invitation - Introduction

 

The invitation – introduction

 

Yesterday, September 11, 2026, I awoke about 4:00 A.M. thinking of 25 years ago. While I am always aware of a 9/11 anniversary, this year it was especially poignant, perhaps because it has been 25 years, perhaps because the chaos continues; domestically, internationally and within the professing church. Indeed, the chaos appears exponential, faster than a human can process, faster than humanity can process.

 

As a rule Vickie and I cannot handle watching retrospectives on 9/11, they are too sorrowful, too tragic…how many times have we all relived them? How many times can we watch the videos and hear the voices?

 

The one retrospective that we did watch was the story of Steve Scheibner, the American Airlines pilot who was scheduled to fly the first hijacked plane, but who was bumped from the flight by another pilot who had seniority. You can find his story on YouTube, “In my Seat.”  His wife also wrote a book with that title.

 

The evening of 9/11 our church hosted a community time of prayer and reflection, and since we were the only church in our Massachusetts township, the sanctuary was filled. I knew, as pastor, that I needed to provide comfort in Christ, hope in Christ, and to keep our eyes focused on Jesus Christ. As many of you who are reading this know, if you didn’t live through that day you can no more adequately describe it, capture it, for others, than our parents (of my generation) could describe their experience of December 7.

 

A few days after 9/11 what was known as The Berkshire Revival occurred. This was an annual multi-day meeting of churches from various traditions in the Berkshires, to worship Jesus, encourage one another, and witness to our regional community. Each evening a different pastor would preach, and a different church would provide music and lead singing. In 2001 the Dalton United Methodist Church, with is large sanctuary, hosted the event.

 

There was absolute unanimity among the pastors that we were going to focus on Jesus Christ, and worship Him and Him alone. For sure there was pressure by some in the community to focus on issues and movements other than Jesus, but we affirmed one another in our calling to serve Jesus and only Jesus; we would lead our collective flocks to the Christ of the Cross. I still recall witnessing an attendee verbally attacking a pastor after his evening message because the pastor spoke of overcoming evil with good (Romans 12:21; Matthew 5:43 – 48), and saying, “I’m glad you’re not my pastor!”

 

Well, it was a challenging time and today is no less challenging. If Jesus isn’t our focus, our heart’s desire, our One True Love, our Compass; then we are like weathervanes at the mercy of the winds. You can’t navigate using a weathervane, or at least you shouldn’t.

 

Yesterday I was wondering what I preached in the aftermath of 9/11, 25 years ago. What follows in the next post is my message during the Berkshire Revival, on September 21, 2001.

 

Much love,

 

Bob

Two Healings, Two Responses (5)

 

 

In our previous reflection I asked how Chapter 10 might relate to chapters 9 and 11. Let’s ponder a couple of intersections; perhaps you will see more for there are many facets in this diamond.

 

“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life,  and have it abundantly. I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep” (John 10:9 – 11).

 

When we read Jesus’ words, are we reminded of Psalm 23? “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures”? Perhaps we also recall Psalm 100, “It is He who made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of His pasture.”

 

Then there is, “Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20 – 21).

 

To “see” Psalm 23 is to “see” John 10, and to see John 10 is to see Psalm 23. The Shepherd of Psalm 23 loves and cares for His own by laying His life down for them, we may not see this in Psalm 23 until we arrive at John 10, but it is there. The Shepherd of Psalm 23 can prepare a table for us in the presence of our enemies because He has conquered death, defeated our enemies, and in Him we have nothing to fear (see Hebrews Chapter 2).

 

One of the points – counterpoints of John’s Gospel is the Good Shepherd caring for His sheep with love and care, drawing them into relationship with Himself; and then the Good Shepherd among wolves, protecting His sheep, eventually being torn and devoured by the wolves for the sake of His sheep. The wolves mock Him, the soldiers take His clothes, His body is entombed – the wolves think they have won. The wolves are fools, the enemy has been broken and doesn’t know it…yet.

 

In other words, Jesus cares for people and is then attacked, He cares for people and is attacked, He cares for more people and is attacked – we see this in all four Gospels. The Good Shepherd fends off wolves throughout the Gospel. The wolves eventually bring Him into their den (John 18:12 – 13), from their den they bring Him to Pilate, and from Pilate He goes to Golgotha.

 

The resurrected Shepherd then leads His flock to victory, as we see in Revelation, by teaching them to also lay down their lives for others, by being…as is the Shepherd…both shepherd and sacrifice. The Good Shepherd teaches His sheep to overcome evil with good, to overcome violence with peace, to love in the face of hate, to embrace poverty so that others may have wealth, to die so that others may live.

 

Can we see that it is the Good Shepherd who anoints the eyes of the blind man in John 9, and who calls Lazarus from the dead in John 11? Jesus calls Lazarus’s name and Lazarus comes forth, for He calls His sheep by name and they know His voice (John 10:3 - 4).

 

Can we see Jesus shepherding Andrew and Peter, and Philip and Nathaniel in John 1? Can we see Him caring for the people at the wedding in Chapter 2? Can we see Him protecting His sheep from money-hungry wolves in the Temple (cp. 2)?

 

Do we see Jesus shepherding Nicodemus along in Chapter 3? The woman in Chapter 4? Do we see Jesus attempting to shepherd the sick man by the pool in Chapter 5? Do we see the kindly Good Shepherd feeding the thousands, and bidding them to partake of Him in 6? Jesus is saying, “I have given you loaves and fishes, but I want to give you Myself. You have eaten perishable food, I bid you to eat the food and drink that will abide in you forever.”

 

But not only does the Good Shepherd walk with the blind man and Lazarus, not only does He care for the sheep of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; but He lives and walks among us! He is ever with us, always guiding us, comforting us, listening to us, watching us; and desiring that we would love Him even as He so deeply loves us.

 

“A am the Good Shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep” (John 10:14 – 15).

 

Jesus, the Door, is open; we are to know Him “even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father”! O dear, dear friends, can we not leave behind the elementary things of this pilgrimage and press on to know Jesus intimately, and in knowing Him make Him known to those around us? Why, O why, do we lay foundations again and again, week after week, sermon after sermon, lesson after lesson (Hebrews 5:11 – 6:3).

 

Why do we insist on living in such woeful insecurity, seldom accepting His incredible love and His work of reconciliation and maturity within us? (Hebrews 10:10 – 14).

 

For the Good Shepherd says to us all, “Even as the Father sent me, I also send you” (John 20:21; 17:13 – 19).

 

Well, my friends, as Jesus is the Good Shepherd to the blind man and to Lazarus, He calls us to be good and faithful shepherds to those around us, ever and always living in and out from our Great Shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Who are we caring for today?

For whom are we laying down our lives?"

All In For Jesus

 

 

“The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found and hid again; and from joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

 

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:44 – 46).

 

I have been blessed to know musicians over the years, I don’t mean people who can play instruments, I mean people who play and often write music as their way of life. Musicians live in music and music lives in musicians. I have a neighbor friend, Mike, who is a musician. Mike had a career in the Postal Service, from which he retired; but he has never retired from being a musician – that is impossible; Mike’s soul is in music and music is in his soul.

 

When Mike and I talk, music is usually a part of the conversation, music can drive the conversation. Mike will talk to me about the composition of lyrics and music, he’ll talk to me about the creative process, he’ll share about what he is working on in his home studio. I am not a musician, but since I have loved music all my life, I love not only listening to Mike and asking questions, but I can usually understand what he is talking about because of my love for music; and also because there is much similarity between music and storytelling, good preaching and teaching, and thoughtful writing. When I am with musicians, I expect them to talk music, that is just who they are…they can’t help themselves.

 

I had a dear friend who was an artist and a photographer. When we rode motorcycles together he always brought his camera, he was always watching the light and looking for a photo opportunity. He rode in front of me and I rode a safe distance behind him, especially on country roads. I did this because I never knew when he would abruptly stop, grab his camera, and start taking photographs. Light was everything and light on an object or landscape didn’t wait for anyone, it changed by the moment and time was of the essence. If he saw a “shot” he needed to take it right then, not 30 seconds from then.

 

He rode in front so that I wouldn’t crash into him. He also rode in front so that I wouldn’t keep tooling down the road, leaving him behind, not knowing that he had pulled over to take pictures. When I rode with my friend I knew what to expect, I knew not to be in a hurry, I knew to pay attention to him, I knew we’d likely pull over a few times. I knew this because my friend was an artist and photographer, this is who he was. There are those who take photos for a hobby, then there are those who are artists and photographers.

 

There are different ways to view the treasure hidden in the field and the pearl of great value, both are like diamonds with facets, the light is refracted and they may catch our eyes differently. Sometimes we can be so concerned about not reading something the “wrong way” that we never read it any way, we never enter into it and allow it to enter into us.

 

Let’s learn to ask ourselves, “What are the possibilities here? How is the light catching me? What am I seeing in this moment?”

 

Can we see Jesus giving Himself for the field, for the world (Matthew 13:38)? Can we see Jesus giving Himself completely for His Bride, the pearl of great price? Can you see Jesus giving Himself for you, can you see yourself as His treasure?

 

Can we also see our own lives and our response to Jesus? Note that in both stories the people sell all that they have to obtain the treasure. Whether we see Jesus or ourselves in these stories, the core of them both is the selling of all to obtain the treasure; the core story is an overriding passion and commitment to obtain the treasure at the cost of everything else.

 

Jesus gave His all for us, and we are called to give our all for Him and for others. Unreserved surrender to Jesus, unreserved commitment to Him, is our calling, our purpose, our destiny.

 

It is not a matter of Jesus being a part of our life, it is a matter of Jesus being our life. If a musician’s life is music, how much more ought our life to be Jesus?

 

“He who eats My flesh, and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in Him” (John 6:56).

 

Consider that Jesus says, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62).

 

“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

 

Can we find anywhere where Jesus says, “Ease into discipleship. Take your time and test the waters, carefully wade out into the depths of commitment to me.”?

 

When the man found the treasure hidden in the field he sold all he had to purchase the field. When the other man found the pearl of inestimable value he sold all that he had…and he did it right then…and bought the pearl!

 

Suppose after the purchase of the pearl his friends saw him and asked, “Where is your house? Where are all the nice things you had? Where is your ornate chariot? Where are your fine wall hangings? Where are your works of gold and silver and precious stones? Where is your stable of racehorses? Aren’t you dining with us tonight in your favorite five-star restaurant? Where is your wealth, where is your treasure? You had so much, where did it all go? Where are all the many pearls you used to have?”

 

The Scripture says, “He went and sold all that he had.”

 

Let us be honest, are we not like the disciples crying, “Why this waste?” (Matthew 26:6 – 13). What is the sense of taking everything we have and everything we are and pouring it out on Jesus? Is it not a waste? Does it not make better sense to give Jesus a little, as much as circumstances warrant, and keep the rest for ourselves (of course we tell ourselves that we are “stewards”)? After all, we can give Him everything in eternity, can we not?

 

Is not single-hearted devotion to Jesus Christ a bit unreasonable? What would people think?

 

Are we “all in” for Jesus as Jesus was “all in” for us?

 

One of my fondest memories is of our visits to the saints in Warrenton VA many years ago. The songs sung were accompanied by the flutter of angels’ wings and, it seems to me, heavenly voices. This particular song has remained with me over the years, and I think I’ll close with it:

 

 

YOU FILL UP MY SPIRIT

(to the tune of John Denver’s Annie’s Song)

 

You fill up my spirit

As I stand here inside You

And call on Your name,

You come and You love me,

You’re my joy

and my sorrow,

I sit in Your presence

And love you again.

 

My Jesus, I love You.

I will always be with You.

Let me cry in Your presence,

Let me die in Your arms.

It’s all my desire

To give my life to You.

You fill up my spirit,

I’m Yours evermore.

 

(This can also be sung in the plural – we/us).