what if?
Last night at Denver Community Church I was a part of our first gathering with our members. Beth and I were excited to meet the group. I stood and spoke for about ten minutes, and we spent some time in prayer. Below is what I shared with the group who was assembled.
I want to take some time and just imagine together … remember what it was like to imagine? You all have been through a difficult transition - which any transition from one pastor to the next is indeed difficult - for a time you were in survival mode. My wife and I have been through the valleys together, and in those times you do not dream, you do not plan, you simply survive.
Tonight I want to call all if you out of those shadows into the light of day, and invite you to dream with me … to imagine what could be. To be like children who can imagine what is there before it ever is.
We are poised to begin a study of the Sermon on the Mount. We need to understand that this teaching of Jesus was a lightning rod in His day. It was groundbreaking, threatening to the powers that be, would have been considered treasonous by the Roman Government, and was an invitation to a new world, a new way of living … Jesus was launching a revolution.
I recall that a friend of mine was speaking with someone and made a comment about the revolution of Jesus. The person replied, “Be careful using that word. It started riots in the 60’s.” He was right. That word not only started riots in the sixties, but revolutions topple governments and lead to bloodshed … and this is exactly what the life, sacrifice and teachings of Jesus lead to. Mary, the mother of Jesus, prophesies about this in the Magnificat when she says, "He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." ( Luke 1.51-53).
Jesus started a revolution. Tonight I want us to dream together about what it might be like to be a part of that revolution. I want to raise some questions about what it might be like to be a faith community of whom it is said, “They are a part of the revolution that Jesus started 2,000 years ago.”
What would it be like if we were a faith community who said that we were about the Kingdom of Heaven? What if people knew that we did not care about possessions, buying, selling, making tons of money, fame and fortune. What if we did not by into the lie that Empire has fed to us called the "American Dream" of health, wealth and happiness? What if we lived as people who shared everything, and gave to those who had need? What if we were people who chose to be among the poor, the outcasts and the least of these? What if we proclaimed the words of Jesus, "The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these?"
What would it be like if we were a faith community who lived within the darkest places in our city? The whorehouses, the porn shops, the crack neighborhoods, and were seen as a city that was shining on a hill that cannot be hidden? What if we engrossed ourselves in the lives of the unlovely. What if we believed that the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned, the sick, the thirsty, and the outcasts were Jesus in disguise? What if we were known as a place who loved these people and pointed them toward Jesus?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who were concerned about life? Not just life before birth but after. What if we were known as people who cared for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger within our gates? What if we were people who were known to be proactive about all issues concerning the health of all people and the quality of life for all people in this world? What would that mean for the elderly, those with special needs, those with disease? What would people say if they knew we cared about all men and women who were living in our world and took action to assure that as men and women in the image of God they were treated with dignity?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who were known to promote peace and wholeness in the lives of people across our world. What if instead of retaliating when we were done wrong we became a creative group of peacemakers who said, “I will not fire back, but I will lay down my gun, risk my life and respond to you in peace and love so that you might know about this God who is in heaven?” What if we were people who loved those who are considered to be our enemies … what if we prayed for them and cared for them? What if people said, "Those people love and pray for the terrorists?"
What would it be like if we were a faith community who was spoken of a place of prayer and worship? What if people said, “Those people … when you are with them it is like you are in this boundless conversation with God?" "When you are with them there is this good vibe like someone else is present with them … there is love, peace, grace and compassion that exists among them." What if people found something beyond us when they were in our presence?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who was known to be generous? What would it be like if we gave out of our poverty? What would it be like to known as a place that has much because we give much? What would it be like to not only give away food, but teach others how to make it so they can teach others, who teach others? What would it be like if we gave freely to those who had need with no expectation of return?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who was known as safe? What if we were a place where those with addictions, prostitutes, criminals, gang members could come and receive a warm hug and be welcomed? What would it be like if we were a place where the a person with no home sat next to a wealthy person with five homes? What would it be like if no matter what you had done in the past we were known as people who accepted all who came to our door?
What would it be like to be this kind of faith community?
What would happen to this city if we were this kind of faith community?
What would people say about us?
As we become this kind of community who take seriously the call to live out the teachings of Jesus - as we become this kind of community who embodies the truth of the Gospel - the reality is that people will not see us, they will see Jesus. Paul tells us that we are the Body of Jesus. Instead of him having two eyes, two, ears, two hands, two feet, and one mouth .., he now has millions of eyes, millions of ears, millions of hands, millions of feet, and millions of mouths. As we become this kind of faith community people will say, “They seem to be a part of the revolution that Jesus started 2,000 years ago.”
I want to take some time and just imagine together … remember what it was like to imagine? You all have been through a difficult transition - which any transition from one pastor to the next is indeed difficult - for a time you were in survival mode. My wife and I have been through the valleys together, and in those times you do not dream, you do not plan, you simply survive.
Tonight I want to call all if you out of those shadows into the light of day, and invite you to dream with me … to imagine what could be. To be like children who can imagine what is there before it ever is.
We are poised to begin a study of the Sermon on the Mount. We need to understand that this teaching of Jesus was a lightning rod in His day. It was groundbreaking, threatening to the powers that be, would have been considered treasonous by the Roman Government, and was an invitation to a new world, a new way of living … Jesus was launching a revolution.
I recall that a friend of mine was speaking with someone and made a comment about the revolution of Jesus. The person replied, “Be careful using that word. It started riots in the 60’s.” He was right. That word not only started riots in the sixties, but revolutions topple governments and lead to bloodshed … and this is exactly what the life, sacrifice and teachings of Jesus lead to. Mary, the mother of Jesus, prophesies about this in the Magnificat when she says, "He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty." ( Luke 1.51-53).
Jesus started a revolution. Tonight I want us to dream together about what it might be like to be a part of that revolution. I want to raise some questions about what it might be like to be a faith community of whom it is said, “They are a part of the revolution that Jesus started 2,000 years ago.”
What would it be like if we were a faith community who said that we were about the Kingdom of Heaven? What if people knew that we did not care about possessions, buying, selling, making tons of money, fame and fortune. What if we did not by into the lie that Empire has fed to us called the "American Dream" of health, wealth and happiness? What if we lived as people who shared everything, and gave to those who had need? What if we were people who chose to be among the poor, the outcasts and the least of these? What if we proclaimed the words of Jesus, "The Kingdom of Heaven belongs to such as these?"
What would it be like if we were a faith community who lived within the darkest places in our city? The whorehouses, the porn shops, the crack neighborhoods, and were seen as a city that was shining on a hill that cannot be hidden? What if we engrossed ourselves in the lives of the unlovely. What if we believed that the hungry, the homeless, the imprisoned, the sick, the thirsty, and the outcasts were Jesus in disguise? What if we were known as a place who loved these people and pointed them toward Jesus?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who were concerned about life? Not just life before birth but after. What if we were known as people who cared for the widow, the orphan, and the stranger within our gates? What if we were people who were known to be proactive about all issues concerning the health of all people and the quality of life for all people in this world? What would that mean for the elderly, those with special needs, those with disease? What would people say if they knew we cared about all men and women who were living in our world and took action to assure that as men and women in the image of God they were treated with dignity?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who were known to promote peace and wholeness in the lives of people across our world. What if instead of retaliating when we were done wrong we became a creative group of peacemakers who said, “I will not fire back, but I will lay down my gun, risk my life and respond to you in peace and love so that you might know about this God who is in heaven?” What if we were people who loved those who are considered to be our enemies … what if we prayed for them and cared for them? What if people said, "Those people love and pray for the terrorists?"
What would it be like if we were a faith community who was spoken of a place of prayer and worship? What if people said, “Those people … when you are with them it is like you are in this boundless conversation with God?" "When you are with them there is this good vibe like someone else is present with them … there is love, peace, grace and compassion that exists among them." What if people found something beyond us when they were in our presence?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who was known to be generous? What would it be like if we gave out of our poverty? What would it be like to known as a place that has much because we give much? What would it be like to not only give away food, but teach others how to make it so they can teach others, who teach others? What would it be like if we gave freely to those who had need with no expectation of return?
What would it be like if we were a faith community who was known as safe? What if we were a place where those with addictions, prostitutes, criminals, gang members could come and receive a warm hug and be welcomed? What would it be like if we were a place where the a person with no home sat next to a wealthy person with five homes? What would it be like if no matter what you had done in the past we were known as people who accepted all who came to our door?
What would it be like to be this kind of faith community?
What would happen to this city if we were this kind of faith community?
What would people say about us?
As we become this kind of community who take seriously the call to live out the teachings of Jesus - as we become this kind of community who embodies the truth of the Gospel - the reality is that people will not see us, they will see Jesus. Paul tells us that we are the Body of Jesus. Instead of him having two eyes, two, ears, two hands, two feet, and one mouth .., he now has millions of eyes, millions of ears, millions of hands, millions of feet, and millions of mouths. As we become this kind of faith community people will say, “They seem to be a part of the revolution that Jesus started 2,000 years ago.”