Peace | The Podcast

Tending and Guarding | Out of the Box & Outside the Lines | Pt 1

Every beginning comes from chaos. And then God brings order, an invitation to tend and guard the good. But humanity is quick to take that good order of tending and guarding and move to control. A control that often only benefits a few. In these moments we often see God thinking out of the box and coloring outside the lines. We see God moving towards liberation. 
In this series we will explore what this pattern | chaos-order-control-liberation | has looked like in the Bible, and how it can inform how we can show up and partner with God in our world today.
 

I AM | Pt 7 | ’I am the Resurrection’

In the book of John, Jesus made 7 'I AM' statements. 
I am the bread of heaven
I am the light of the world
I am the gate
I am the good shepherd
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I am the true vine
I am the resurrection
These statements tell us so much about Jesus, the Christ - the messiah, the reconciler, the healer, the guide, the example, the goal, the horizon. But they also teach us about who we are meant to be. 
Although the book of John is a theologically complex and rich text, the insights and wonderings are some of the most profound in Scripture. 
________
'I am the resurrection.'
Two things are immediately odd about this statement. 
1 - Resurrections don't seem to be a regular occurrence. So other than Jesus, or our hope that resurrection will happen at the end of all things, what does this mean for us NOW?
2 - This is actually not the crowning statement from John. This isn't 'I AM' statement seven...it's actually the fifth one. WHY? Is there any logic or reason behind this statement coming in the middle of the book and not simply at the end where we would assume it to land?
Could resurrection be, not only an invitation to a life that comes after death, but an invitation into a way of living now that bring heaven to earth? Maybe resurrection isn't just something that happened or will happen, but IS HAPPENING!
 

I AM | Pt 6 | ’I am the Vine’

In the book of John, Jesus made 7 'I AM' statements. 
I am the bread of heaven
I am the light of the world
I am the gate
I am the good shepherd
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I am the true vine
I am the resurrection
These statements tell us so much about Jesus, the Christ - the messiah, the reconciler, the healer, the guide, the example, the goal, the horizon. But they also teach us about who we are meant to be. 
Although the book of John is a theologically complex and rich text, the insights and wonderings are some of the most profound in Scripture. 
________
'I am the vine.'
There is always something mystical about what John is doing. We are Invited to a faith that isn't simply paint-by-numbers or straight-forward doctrines, but a more complex or mysterious faith that must be lived and breathed. We are invited to relationship with the Christ who comes near and empowers us. 
This sixth 'I am' statement opens us up to the need to be pruned...to have our blind spots pointed out to us. It's an invitation to be transformed...not just agree to a transaction. 
This statement also invites us to 'abide' with Christ. We aren't just cognitively agreeing to a set of beliefs or rules, but we are flowing and interacting with Christ. What is this mystery of abiding with Christ and how could it impact our lives?

I AM | Pt 5 | ’I am the Way the Truth and the Life’

In the book of John, Jesus made 7 'I AM' statements. 
I am the bread of heaven
I am the light of the world
I am the gate
I am the good shepherd
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I am the true vine
I am the resurrection
These statements tell us so much about Jesus, the Christ - the messiah, the reconciler, the healer, the guide, the example, the goal, the horizon. But they also teach us about who we are meant to be. 
Although the book of John is a theologically complex and rich text, the insights and wonderings are some of the most profound in Scripture. 
________
'I am the way the truth and the life.'
This passage is a popular one. It has often be used as evidence of the exclusiveness of the Christian faith. But what if we looked at this passage differently? Is it possible to hold two interpretations at the same time and find a path forward? Could this way of seeing things help us in other areas of our life?

I AM | Pt 4 | ”I am the Gate”

In the book of John, Jesus made 7 'I AM' statements. 
I am the bread of heaven
I am the light of the world
I am the gate
I am the good shepherd
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I am the true vine
I am the resurrection
These statements tell us so much about Jesus, the Christ - the messiah, the reconciler, the healer, the guide, the example, the goal, the horizon. But they also teach us about who we are meant to be. 
Although the book of John is a theologically complex and rich text, the insights and wonderings are some of the most profound in Scripture. 
________
'I am the gate.'
What does it mean to be a 'gate'? This seems like a fairly abstract thing for Jesus to say. But when we look at what he's saying contextually (both in regards to 1st century shepherding practices and theologically), we start to see that Jesus is preparing people for the abundant life, while cautioning them from a trajectory of destruction. 

I AM | Pt 3 | ”I am the Good Shepherd”

In the book of John, Jesus made 7 'I AM' statements. 
I am the bread of heaven
I am the light of the world
I am the gate
I am the good shepherd
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I am the true vine
I am the resurrection
These statements tell us so much about Jesus, the Christ - the messiah, the reconciler, the healer, the guide, the example, the goal, the horizon. But they also teach us about who we are meant to be. 
Although the book of John is a theologically complex and rich text, the insights and wonderings are some of the most profound in Scripture. 
________
'I am the good shepherd.'
Pastor Ed Holland asks the poignant question, "Am I a good shepherd?" In this message he explores what it means to be a good shepherd and how we are to embody those values in our own lives. 

I AM | Pt 1 | ”I am the Light of the World”

In the book of John, Jesus made 7 'I AM' statements. 
I am the bread of heaven
I am the light of the world
I am the gate
I am the good shepherd
I am the way, the truth, and the life
I am the true vine
I am the resurrection
These statements tell us so much about Jesus, the Christ - the messiah, the reconciler, the healer, the guide, the example, the goal, the horizon. But they also teach us about who we are meant to be. 
Although the book of John is a theologically complex and rich text, the insights and wonderings are some of the most profound in Scripture. 
________
'I am the light of the world.'
How is Jesus our focal point? How does Christ illuminate what we can't see on our own? And then, how do we become a light for others?

Ruth Pt 2 | See Differently

For the next 3 Sundays, we are going to dive into the book of RUTH. This short book (only four chapters) is flooded with wisdom and insight for how we can LOVE, SEE, and LIVE DIFFERENTLY.
For the Bible nerds – we are going to dive into some fun historical context as we explore the story of these two women in the Ancient Near East.
For the theologically inclined – this book has much to debate and speculate and wrestle with.
For those that just like a good story that they can learn from – although this story is thousands of years old, the timeless truths are plentiful.
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Part 2 is how to SEE differently. The message is given by Pastor Jen Spickelmier, who is the lead pastor at Osseo, UMC. She and Pastor Jason are doing a 'pulpit swap' at one another's churches. Next week, Jason will conclude this series by talking about how we LIVE differently.
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If you are interested in going a little deeper, check-out the podcast SEARCHING THE SACRED. This podcast (co-hosted by Pastor Jason) does a deep dive into the story of Ruth. Interesting episodes for this series…
Into Moab | Chesed | Returning to Israel | Gleaning
 

Ruth Pt 1 | Love Differently

For the next 3 Sundays, we are going to dive into the book of RUTH. This short book (only four chapters) is flooded with wisdom and insight for how we can LOVE, SEE, and LIVE DIFFERENTLY.
For the Bible nerds – we are going to dive into some fun historical context as we explore the story of these two women in the Ancient Near East.
For the theologically inclined – this book has much to debate and speculate and wrestle with.
For those that just like a good story that they can learn from – although this story is thousands of years old, the timeless truths are plentiful.
____
Part 1 is about Chesed - a beautiful Hebrew word that is often translated as kindness, but it is so much more! Naomi gives this blessing to her daughters-in-law as she prepares to return to Israel. 
____
If you are interested in going a little deeper, check-out the podcast SEARCHING THE SACRED. This podcast (co-hosted by Pastor Jason) does a deep dive into the story of Ruth. Interesting episodes for this series…
Into Moab | Chesed | Returning to Israel | Gleaning

Include and Transcend | How We Grow Pt 3 | Acts 17:22-25, 28

In the final part of our series called 'HOW TO GROW', we will look at how our faith moves beyond just a personal set of beliefs, and through empathy we can respect and include the beliefs of others. We recognize the desire for shared values and respect that those values are found beyond our own tradition or faith system.
In this episode, Jason spends some time talking about the tragic death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tennessee. How does our faith hold injustice and systemic inequities? How does faith move us to justice? 
'HOW TO GROW' is a series exploring spiritual formation, the process by which our faith matures and adapts and expands and settles and fluctuates. Like the human body that grows, the mind that creates new neural pathways, or a relationship that deepens over time - our spiritual lives develop. Faith is not simply a list of beliefs, but a relational dynamic that fluctuates. How we tend to our faith and invest in our spiritual growth can make all the difference in living a life of meaning and purpose. 
The work of James Fowler from Stages of Faith is featured in this episode, as is the work of James Marcia.