Bartholomew

Bartholomew, which means "son of Talmai," was an ancient Hebrew name, indicating that this disciple of Christ was of Hebrew descent. Other than that, little for certain is known about him.

Many scholars claim that Bartholomew is also known in the gospels as Nathaniel. According to tradition, he preached in India and gave his converts copies of the Gospel of Matthew which were written in Hebrew. He also is said to have preached in Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Lycaonia, Phrygia, along the Black Sea, and in Armenia, where he met his martyrdom. But the tradition differs with regards to how this happened. Some claim Bartholomew was beheaded, others say that he was skinned alive and crucified, like Peter, with his head down.

Philip

Like Peter and Andrew, Philip was also a native ofBethsaida. Originally one of John the Baptist’s disciples, he was with the Baptist when Jesus was identified as the Lamb of God. After being himself called to follow Christ as a disciple, Philip went and found his friend, Nathaniel. 

            Philip was asked by Jesus where they could get enough food to feed the multitudes. He also was approached by some non-believers in Jerusalem who wanted to meet with Christ. Little more is known about Philip, but the overall impression he gives is as a somewhat shy, sober-minded individual.

             According to tradition, Philip preached the gospel inPhrygia and was martyred there, tied with ropes to a cross and tortured until he died. His body was buried there in Hierapolis.

John

A fisherman by trade, John was the son of Zebedee and Salome and the brother of James the Greater. According to tradition he became a disciple of John the Baptist before being called by Christ, along with his brother, Peter, and Andrew.

Among the disciples John had a prominent position. Peter, James, and he were the only witnesses of the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and the agony in Gethsemane. Only he and Peter were sent into the city to make preparations for the Last Supper, and at the supper he was seated next to Christ. It is also commonly accepted that John was the “other disciple” who with Peter followed Christ after the arrest into the palace of the high priest. John alone was at the foot of the cross with the mother of Jesus and other women, and John took Mary into his care as commanded by Jesus. After the Resurrection John and Peter were the first of the disciples to run to the grave, and John was the first to believe that Jesus had truly risen. When Jesus later appeared at the Lake of Genesareth, John was the first to recognize his master standing on the shore. His relationship with Jesus was always close, seen clearly in the title by which he was accustomed to indicate himself, “the disciple whom Jesus loved.”

Early Christian writers testify that John lived in Ephesus in the last decades of the first century. Justin Martyr refers to John living in that city, and Irenaeus declared that John wrote his gospel there. Tertullian tells that John was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil before the Porta Latina at Rome but miraculously escaped injury. And Eusebius and others state that John was banished to Patmos during the reign of the Emperor Domitian which lasted from 81-96 AD. Saint John is said to have died of old age in Ephesus around AD 100.

James, the Greater

The son of Zebedee, a fisherman, and Salome, daughter of a temple priest, James was the older brother of Saint John. According to many scholars, Salome was the sister of the Virgin Mary, making James and his brother John cousins of Jesus. This might account for Salome’s request that they be given privilege in the Kingdom as well as Jesus’ request from the cross that John care for His mother.

In the synoptic gospels James is called along with his brother John to leave their father and their nets and become Jesus’ disciples. He is often listed, along with Peter and John, as members of a privileged group closest to Christ. He was present at the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and the agony in the garden.

He was martyred in 44 when Herod Agrippa I, son of Aristobulus and grandson of Herod the Great, sought to please the Jews of Jerusalem by persecuting the Christian church. As a prominent leader of the growing Christian sect, James was beheaded, the first victim in this campaign. According to tradition, when James’ accuser led him to the judgment seat he was so moved by James’ confession that he became a Christian on the spot and shared James’ fate.

"Watch Your Enemy" Scriptures

Several asked about the Scriptures that I used in yesterday's message. Here they are.

May your personal study bear much fruit for the Kingdom!

1 Timothy 1:20
1 Timothy 3:6-7
1 Timothy 5:14-15
Ephesians 6:10-18
Ezekiel 28:11-19
Isaiah 14:12-15
2 Timothy 2:25-26
2 Corinthians 2:11
2 Corinthians 4:4
Matthew 16:18
Matthew 4:1-10
Psalm 119:9, 11
James 4:7-8
1 Peter 5:8-9
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
John 1:5

A Kingdom Perspective in An Electoral Season

From our Board of Bishops of the Free Methodist Church of North America.... Read it and practice it.

--

In the current political and social climate of the United States, we must appreciate the truly global church that we have become as Free Methodists. We are sensing the profound responsibility this places on us—located in the west, in one of the wealthiest and most resourceful nations on earth. We recall that we are kingdom people, that God calls all people everywhere to be His, that our citizenship is in heaven first. In fact, we are bound to and have more in common with brothers and sisters in Christ around the world than we do even our fellow Americans who are unbelievers. We affirm that God does not need us or our nation to carry out His kingdom agenda. The gospel of the kingdom does not depend on the current or any anticipated political, social, cultural status quo.

The church’s mission, no less in an electoral season, in cooperation with God’s Spirit in manifesting kingdom reality, challenges every this-worldly platform and ideology. No party will champion the cause of the kingdom in its entirety. We acknowledge that Christians in the U.S. have often been seduced by reductionist views of the gospel and morality and have thus given uncritical allegiance to partisan agenda that fall short of the Christian hope.

Therefore, we urge our members and adherents to weigh carefully and pray fervently over candidates, ballot referenda, and all political issues before us, and then seek to vote in ways that reflect as fully as possible the heart of Jesus Christ for the whole world. In so doing, we remind our people that the way of Jesus is the way of cross-bearing, of self sacrificing love, of costly obedience, and of giving all for the sake of others, especially for those on the margins. Indeed, this way of Jesus often directly counters the ideologies of this world.

Board of Bishops
Free Methodist Church

Matthew Thomas
David RollerDavid Kendall

Andrew

The younger brother of Saint Peter, Andrew was born in Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee, where he became a fisherman. According to the Gospel of John, Andrew was a disciple of John the Baptist and, upon recognizing Jesus as the Messiah, introduced Him to his brother. Andrew lived in Capernaum and was one of the closer disciples to Christ, being present with Jesus on several occasions. But he is rarely mentioned in the book of Acts.

Tradition holds that Andrew preached throughout Asia Minor and Scythia, particularly along the Black Sea. He ministered in both Romania and Russia. In time he was crucified in Achaea on an X-shaped cross, commonly known as St. Andrew’s cross. This was at his own request, as Andrew considered himself unworthy to be crucified on the same type of cross on which Christ died.

Simon Peter

Also known as Simon ben Jonah, Simon Peter, and Cephas, Peter was the son of Jonah, the brother of Andrew, and a native of Bethsaida. Married, he and his wife lived in Capernaum. According to both Matthew and Mark, while fishing in Lake Gennesaret Peter and his brother were called by Christ to be His disciples.

All four gospels record that Jesus foretold that Peter would deny Him three times that same night. Before doing so, however, Peter cut off the ear of Malchus, a servant of the High Priest. After Jesus’ crucifixion, Peter was the first to enter the empty tomb.

According to the book of Acts, Peter was an extremely important figure within the early Christian community. He delivered a significant speech on the day of Pentecost, and was a leader in finding a replacement for Judas Iscariot. Peter was dragged before the Sanhedrin on two occasions, went on missionary trips to Lydda, Joppa, and Caesarea, and was instrumental in the decision of the council of Jerusalem to evangelize the Gentiles and accept them without circumcision.

Another early Christian document reports the tradition that Peter was fleeing Rome to avoid execution when he encountered a vision of Jesus. Peter asked Him, “Quo vadis?”, “Where are you going?”, to which Jesus replied that He was going to Rome to be crucified again. Peter returned to the city and accepted his martyrdom.

Early Christian authors such as Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Dionysius of Corinth, and Irenaeus of Lyon all say that Peter was crucified, upside down, as part of the Christian persecution meted out by Emperor Nero in response to the great fire of Rome. Some scholars suggest that it was on October 13, 64.

Litany of the Led

In the summer of 2007 I wrote an article for our denominational Light and Life magazine entitled "Litany of the Led." It included the names of 66 persons throughout church history who have served God by following His will and allowing countless others to follow their example. Frankly, I don't think we can have enough role models in life.

Here is a reprint of that original article, and every week for the next year or so I'll be posting the biography that I wrote for each of these saints, a brief biography that appeared on our denominational web site a year ago.

--

Peter. Andrew. James. John. Philip. Bartholomew. Thomas. Matthew. James, son of Alphaeus. Thaddaeus. Simon the zealot. Stephen. Paul. Ignatius. Polycarp. Justin Martyr. Perpetua and Felicitas. Anthony. Athanasius. Basil the Great. Ambrose. John Chrysostom. Augustine. Patrick. Benedict.

Gregory the Great. Bede the Venerable. Bernard of Clairvaux. Thomas Becket. Dominic. Francis of Assisi. Thomas Aquinas. Bonaventure. Catherine of Siena. William of Ockham. John Wycliffe. John Hus.

Martin Luther. Ulrich Zwingli. John Calvin. Thomas More. Ignatius of Loyola. Francis Xavier. Thomas Cranmer. George Fox. John Bunyan. George Whitefield. John and Charles Wesley.

William Wilberforce. Charles Finney. John Henry Newman. Phoebe Palmer. D. L. Moody. Benjamin Titus Roberts. William and Catherine Booth. William Seymour. Alexandr Sozhenitsyn. Karl Barth. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. C. S. Lewis. Martin Luther King, Jr. Jim Elliott. Mother Teresa. Pope John Paul II. Billy Graham.

The litany of those who have had the courage to enter areas of service that may not be immediately compatible with their particular stage of life is endless. Whether leaving their nets with their father on the sea-shore or responding to the needs of the poorest of the poor in the streets of Calcutta, men and women from the time of Christ have abandoned all to follow Him and proclaim His message of hope and grace and joy to the world. When in their own strength they were tempted to go another direction they have trusted God to provide, trusted the Spirit to lead, and because of their faithfulness we are able to stand strong in faith today. We did not get here by accident. We do not go forward alone.

Many other names can be added to this list. Can yours?

A Franciscan Benediction

When I was working on my Ph.D. I spent some time as the research assistant for a leading American Franciscan. At the time he was producing a new translation of the various early documents regarding Saint Francis of Assisi. That work was the beginning of my fascination with this little man who so reflected Christ that he is clearly one of the more popular saints in Christendom.

This past Sunday I used a Franciscan benediction to end my sermon. May it be a blessing to you, a source of challenge to you, a call to believe that when we serve a God for whom nothing is impossible we, too, can do that which the world says cannot be done.

--

May God bless you with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears
to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
to turn their pain into joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness
to believe that you can make a difference in the world,
so that you can do what others claim cannot be done
to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.
Amen.

This Moment... This Grace

I tend to read a lot in Church history... no big surprise there, I know, and some of my favorite authors come from a group known as the mystics. They seem to possess an extra, inner insight that allows them to probe deeply into the nature of Christ and His teachings. Some focused on living for Christ in eternity. Others on how Christ helps us to live more like Him on a daily basis. Jean-Pierre de Caussade was one of the latter. A French priest, he was very interested in how Jesus moves in and through us in the here and now, and he wrote a marvelous book detailing his thoughts on the matter called The Sacrament of the Present Moment. I've a copy in my office if you'd ever like to borrow it.

Consider these two paragraphs, referring to the crucifixion:

"Everything in the present moment tends to draw us away from the path of love and passive obedience. It requires heroic courage and self-surrender to hold firmly to a simple faith and to keep singing the same tune confidently while grace itself seems to be singing a different one in another key, giving us the impression that we have been misled and are lost. But if only we have the courage to let the thunder, lightning, and storm rage, and to walk unfaltering in the path of love and obedience to the duty and demands of the present moment, we are emulating Jesus Himself. For we are sharing that passion during which our Savior walked with equal firmness and courage in the love of His Father and in obedience to His will, submitting to a treatment which seemed utterly opposed to the dignity of so holy a saint.

"Jesus and Mary, on that dark night, let the storm break over them, a deluge which, in apparent opposition to God's will, harms them. They march undaunted in the path of love and obedience, keeping their eyes on what they have to do, and leaving God to do what He will. They groan under the weight of the divine action, but do not falter or stop for a single moment, believing that all will be well providing they keep on their course and leave the rest to God."

Do you know the peace that allows you to keep your eyes on what you have to do, believing that all will be well? Do you trust that God will do what God does, and hear your prayers, provide for your needs, give you more grace, and continue to perfect you in faith?

Why not start right now, in whatever small things face you today. After all, if we want to glorify God in the big things, we need to be faithful in the little.

Lovin' Loving Day

Just this week I heard about the passing of Mildred Delores (Jeter) Loving. She died on May 2. I don’t know that I had ever come across her name before, but what she and her husband of 17 years stood up for made me wince and celebrate at the same time.

Mildred married Richard Perry Loving in June of 1958 in a civil ceremony in Washington, D.C. That’s not particularly newsworthy, I suppose, except that Mildred was a woman of African and Native American descent and Richard was a white man, and at that time in Virginia and 15 other states anti-miscegenation laws existed, banning marriages between any white person and a black person. After going back to their Caroline County, Virginia, home, the happily married couple awoke one night to find the sheriff and several deputies standing in their home, and when Richard rushed to show them their legal marriage license, protesting, “We are married!” he was told simply, “Not in this state, you’re not.”

They were taken into custody, charged under both Section 20.58 of the Virginia Code, which prohibited interracial couples from being married outside of state and then returning to Virginia, and Section 20.59, which defined such marriage as a felony punishable by one to five years in prison. On January 6, 1959, they plead guilty and were sentenced to one year in jail, with the sentence suspended 25 years on condition that they leave and not return to Virginia. So they did.

After arriving in Washington, D.C., they filed a motion in the state trial court to vacate the judgment and set aside the sentence on the grounds that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment. Their case ultimately reached the Supreme Court, where, on June 12, 1967, it overturned the convictions in a unanimous decision.

Today “Loving Day” is celebrated every year around June 12, and people are encouraged to hold parties in which equality and other social issues are discussed. Such gatherings happen in living rooms and backyards, as well as larger gatherings with several hundred participating in places such as New York City, Berkely, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, and Eugene and Portland, Oregon.

Richard Loving died in an automobile accident in 1975. As I already mentioned, Mildred died just a few days ago. But what they stood for has impacted many people across this country, and even within our own congregation.

It makes me wonder what kind of legacy each of us is leaving. How does what we do affect those around us, even those we may never know? Are we making this world a better place, looking to right wrongs and lead people to hope? Are we modeling grace to the graceless and love to the unlovely?

May you come to be like Jesus more and more every day, and if you celebrate Loving Day on June 12, may you rejoice that every day we are able to show all people that God is a God who loves everyone passionately, more than we could ever know.

In Memoriam

This week I got reacquainted with a friend of mine from several years ago. She was in my youth group when I pastored at the Winona Lake Free Methodist Church. Tanya's her name. Anyway, Tanya was always one of my favorite youth group members. I suppose pastors aren't supposed to have people that they like more than others, but it's only natural to be drawn to some, to those who have like personalities, common tastes, similar senses of humor. Tanya was one of the many in my youth group like that for me. In fact if you look at my office door you'll see a name plate that was made out of wood. Tanya made it for me way back in 1994. I always liked it and so I've used it to help people see which is my office as opposed to Pastor Sue's, or Pastor Shawn's, or Pastor Serge's. Long story short, it was really nice to hear from Tanya again after so many years.

But she shared something with me that really made be grieve. Her little sister, Kendra, was in a horrible auto accident this past February. After a lot of prayers, tears, and late night vigils, Tanya and her family removed life support on February 8. Kendra was buried four days later.

Now I obviously knew Kendra, as she was a part of the church along with her sister, brother, and parents. I knew her by knowing Tanya. But I wasn't prepared for how viscerally news of her death would affect me. I was sort of numb for several moments. I couldn't really believe it. So young. So much potential. So tragic.

And as I've processed this news and talked with Tanya a bit more since that first connection, I've come to see that my response is perhaps right in line with what Jesus would have us to do as brothers and sisters in Christ. One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Romans 12:9-21, and in those verses, in verse 15 in particular, we read, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn."

Whereas Kendra's passing doesn't affect me personally all that much, it does deeply affect someone that I consider a friend, and causes me to grieve. To mourn with those who mourn.

So I suppose this morning as I remember Kendra, I'd like to encourage you to remember those you meet each and every day. May each of us as heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, each of us as members of the family of God, grow sensitive to those who journey alongside us, and find within our hearts the capacity to cry, to celebrate, to mourn, to dance. May we model community for this world that stresses individualism, and remind all who come home to Christ that they are never alone.

Expicipowerment

I've been watching the political campaigns with great interest the past several months. First, because the person elected in November to guide our nation as President will need our prayers, but secondly, because the way the media is talking about the election, the way people are talking about the candidates, is something I don't remember seeing before.

I hear all sorts of words about various candidates and their platforms and promises. Words like expectancy. Words like anticipation. Words like empowerment. There's a sense of hope that something grand and good is on the horizon, that our nation is at a tipping point and it's getting ready to fall with momentum into a positive future.

To be honest, it's sort of how I feel about the ministry here at Lansing Central. I wish more of you could see things from my vantage point, know the things I know, talk to the people with whom I talk. I think you'd similarly be excited about what the Lord is going to make us into in the days and weeks and years to come. It's already started! And it fills me with expectancy. With anticipation. With empowerment. Those words aren't just for politicians.

It's what happened at Pentecost way back in the earliest days of the Church. On May 11, Mother's Day, we'll also be remembering the birthday of the Church as we celebrate this transition point from the season after Easter into the long period of what is known as "common time," and we'll do it with a sermon series beginning March 30 where we take Jesus words in Acts 1:8 to heart. "But you will receive..." He said.

"The day is coming," He assured us. Expect it. "The time is near," He promised. We can anticipate its fulfillment. "You will receive power," He clearly affirmed. That sense of empowerment to be God's people who do God's work is readily available for all who want to partner with God in His redemptive work.

Will you continue to pray for the advancement of the Kingdom of God? Will you continue to minister through your gifts to the hurting, seeking the healing of this world? Will you continue to give all that you are, for all that He is? To love God, love everyone, and follow Jesus?

I almost shake as I think about what God is going to accomplish through His faithful flock. Are you ready? I hope so. Because if you are, you will receive....

The Biggest Loser

My sons continually crack me up. The other day I was told of something Levi said while at church. He was talking about the things he likes, and anytime what he likes comes up you can bet he'll talk about football. For goodness sake, he knew the names of all the NFL teams by the time he was three! Anyway, he was talking about how much he likes to play it, how he likes to play catch with me (poppa) and how we'll often play together in our backyard. "But," he lamented, "poppa always loses. I think I'm going to let him win sometime."

Precious. My five year old is sensitive enough to care that I don't ever seem to get to win, to score a touchdown, to evade a tackle. So he's going to let me win. He's going to lose on purpose. This should be interesting.

Because like most fathers, I've been losing on purpose for some time now. I've been slowing down, making exaggerated dives that end up tackling only air, and dramatically demonstrating my frustration that my little blue-eyed all-star has gotten the better of me once again. What's going to happen when each of us tries to be the loser?

It reminds me of a portion of a verse from one of my favorite passages of Scripture. In Romans 12, Saint Paul gives tremendous advice to the church on how to put love into action. Read verses 9 through 21 and put them into practice... I dare you! If more of us did, the world would never be the same. But in that section, as part of verse 10, we read, "...outdo one another in showing honor."

I bet that looks something like a father and son each trying to lose the game. I think it looks like mothers and daughters trying to demonstrate greater appreciation for the other. I think it looks like bosses and employees working to be the most grateful for the opportunities of the day. I think it looks like men and women, boys and girls, black and white, Christians and non-Christians, striving to live the Christ-like example of love that knows no bounds and keeps no record of wrongs.

How can we outdo one another in showing honor? Let's give ourselves away to the world, and do our best to be the biggest loser.

Taking Philippians 3:13b Too Far

In Saint Paul's letter to the church in Philippi, he writes in 3:13b, "Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead...." Hmmm. Allow me to take that verse way out of context in order to make a point.

This morning I had to stop at a local grocery store to pick up some milk for my wife, who was making some Fat Tuesday goodies for our Mother's Morning group at the church. The store was selling paczkis in droves, and everyone who purchased even one was given a free strand of beads. I couldn't help but think of the wild celebration that is Fat Tuesday, Mardi Gras, in many places around our country, around our world. How beads are often given freely, usually to attractive women, usually with the hopes of, well, of some sort of "offering" in return. I couldn't help but think of the drunkenness and partying and hoopla that surrounds Mardi Gras and other celebrations tonight. Having recently moved to Michigan from near St. Louis, Missouri, I can attest that the Soulard area downtown by the Arch can throw together a Mardi Gras bash that rivals a lot that New Orleans can offer. Lots of beer. Lots of flashing. Lots of people doing lots of things that I'm fairly certain Fat Tuesday was never intended to promote.

I think we've taken the "forgetting what lies behind" portion of the Philippians verse a bit too far. We've lost the Shrove Tuesday aspect of the Lenten preparation, the desire and willingness to prepare ourselves for a season of refreshment and refinement that, to be sure, demands sacrifice, but also comes with great joy and peace.

We need to remember what has been. We need to honor the past. We need to listen to the wisdom of days gone by. And we need to learn from the roads we've trod. And yes, we do it all to help us move with greater confidence, greater purpose, into tomorrow and the bright vistas the Lord is opening our way. But we as Christians ought to be people who know why we do what we do.

Fat Tuesday is more than a day to indulge our gluttony and foster our bad habits one more time before Lent. It's a time to reflect upon what really satisfies, upon what really matters in this life. It's a time for us to take stock of our souls, and do the hard work of allowing the Holy Spirit to shape them into the image of Jesus.

Spiritual Perfection

I firmly believe that all of us are called to be life-long learners. For me that means I read, and read often. I read the Scriptures. I read books by people who understand things far better than I do. I read novels. And I read church history.

Just this week I finished two books: Scot McKnight's wonderfully theological A Community Called Atonement (I'll blog more about this at a later time) and what was St. Francis de Sales' favorite book, The Spiritual Combat by Dom Lorenzo Scupoli. It's this latter work I want to wonder about a bit right now.

First published back in 1589, The Spiritual Combat is made up of 66 little chapters that give some pretty remarkable insight into human nature, all based on the maxim that in the spiritual life one must either "fight or die." It shows the Christian how to combat his or her passions and vices intelligently. Instead of running around blindly beating the air, one approaches growth in grace with a distinct method that moves the believer toward ultimate victory of union with Christ, toward what is clearly stated in the first chapter... spiritual perfection.

As one who loves Wesley's doctrine of perfection, I was fascinated to hear Dom Scupoli's. And in a nutshell it's this.

Spiritual perfection does not consist in external works and practices. It's not about appearances. Rather, spiritual perfection is all interior. It means knowing and loving God, despising and mastering in us all our evil inclinations that we may be able to submit our wills and freely abandon ourselves entirely to God, out of love for Him.

Our congregation's mission statement is to love God, love everyone, and follow Jesus. And it begins with a heart that is focused on Him. May we all strive to spiritual perfection.

Spheres of Influence

For the most part modern churches employ an invitational strategy for engaging the culture. The idea is to invite, entice, coerce, or otherwise lure the unchurched to become involved in church life. Basically, we try to lure them into learning our language, inhabiting our sphere. Our success at impacting the culture hinges on our ability to get people to show up… for something, for anything. In this model, the engagement begins when the prospect moves into our world.

It can’t be that way. We’re still asking and expecting the world to learn about God in our language. What about theirs?