Having spent the majority of his medical career serving disenfranchised communities in India, the doctor Paul Brand made this striking observation after his return to the United States: "Patients [in the U.S.] lived at a greater comfort level than any I had previously treated, but they seemed far less equipped to handle suffering and far more traumatized by it.” This statement is not meant to shame or insult in any way, but it does carry a very important observation: the lens through which we view life will give us either stronger or weaker resources for navigating the realities of heartache, disappointment, suffering and injustice. Yet, as we'll see from 1 Peter 4:12-19, in a cultural moment that offers relatively shallow resources for navigating suffering, the way of Jesus gives us strong resources to hopefully endure the real pain of suffering as we frame it in light of the true story of fall and redemption, see in it the purifying purposes of God, and experience in it the mysterious, suffering love of Jesus.

1 Peter 4:12-19

We often describe The River Church as “highly (hopelessly) relational.” Is this true? I think so. But, it can easily come across as trite, just another marketing cliché. We are bombarded with immense content, endless notifications, and soul-sucking and bending algorithms. The River Church is a local church, made up of real, if not flawed, humans, and we are learning to love each other, by following the words and ways of Jesus, for the good of our neighbors. The real River is not an institution, a business, or a building; it’s us, the people. As Peter concludes his first letter to his community of followers of Jesus, he ends with an appeal to three groups: those older in Jesus, those younger in Jesus, and to everyone in his hearing. As a seasoned apostle, one who had seen and shared in the suffering of Jesus, he wants the olders to care authentically, the youngers to follow this example, and for everyone to let humility permeate their relationships. Peter says this is part of the way a local church becomes highly relational and a good for their community. You can read about it in 1 Peter 5:1-11.

All of Us Leading the Church in Perilous Times

Marco Polo met the great Kahn, Gengis Kahn, the leader of the Mongol Empire during the early 1100’s. He asked the secret to his military might. He said he trains his officers to take care of their men before they take care of themselves. And my generals take care of their horse before themselves. Officers lead by doing. Generals lead by example. Two important truths about leadership and mentorship, shepherdship. Now for the church. I Peter 5:1-6 could not be more significant to the success of The River in the next ten years. Shepherds, shepherd the flock. Bill MacPhee lead us through this important passage for our church last week. I want to revisit it and look again at how we shepherd the flock. It comes down to mentorship, the art of being more concerned for another than yourself. The church is always one generation away from extinction. Could we have a more important task at hand? I want to underscore, highlight, and bold this message. River Church, let’s get after it! It’s that important. The Christian faith is a team sport. It’s not about you and Jesus, it’s about you and Jesus and someone else.

How Do We Shepherd Well?

Easter's coming up (it's in March this year?!) and so is that big Christian word we talk about every Easter... the "resurrection." Many of us who have spent time in the church know what the resurrection was and even what it means, but I've been wondering... are our lives any different because of it? We are going to take a little time and make a little space to respond to the truth and to invite the Lord to lead us in how to live in light of it.

If I Believed

As the River Church walks together towards Easter Sunday, we are pondering the manifold relevancies of the resurrection. Last Sunday, Brooke powerfully brought us into a conversation between Jesus and Martha about resurrection. We took time in our gathering to reflect on the implications of the resurrection for our past, present, and future. This week, we are going to listen in on a conversation between Jesus and the Father. In addition to considering how the resurrection life of Jesus speaks into the major milestones of our lives, let’s consider how the resurrection might breathe life into the little stuff. What does Christ’s new life have to do with our old habits? What happens when resurrection mercy collides with the mundane? How might the hope of Easter furnish new lenses through which to see the all-too-familiar? Join us as we consider these questions and take time to reflect on the resurrection in the routine.

Resurrection in the Routine

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ is the confluence of two powerful realties. Both are like strong rivers that flow together to form headwaters that we call the Resurrection. As rivers collide, a stronger one emerges, bringing even wilder, more powerful forces upon nature. So the Resurrection does in our lives. It moves like rushing waters over our souls and brings a greater experience of abundance and eternal hope.

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ

Often, one of the biggest chasms in the life of a modern follower of Jesus is the great canyon between Sunday and Monday. Sunday, you gather with your brothers and sisters in Christ, do Christian things like sing worship songs, pray, or hear from scripture, and maybe you go home with a little more spiritual fuel in your tank and some inspiration to listen to the Holy Spirit more attentively in the week to come. Then comes Monday. Work or school, errands and emails, homework and housework. Our default setting can sometimes be to see the school/work week as something through which we hold our breath, try to not sin so much, and squeeze in those “Christian” moments like a bible study or an on-the-way-to-work sermon podcast. What if, however, that all-too-familiar workweek is actually sacred time? What if being a “Christian” at work is not so much about putting a cross up at your desk or hosting that lunch-hour bible study with your Christian colleagues? What if representing Jesus at work has everything to do with the actual work you are doing? Join us as we take flight in a new series exploring the relationship between work and faith. This week, let’s begin to consider how we might bridge the gaping Sunday-Monday gap!

The Sacred Art of Work

Join us as we venture further into our exploration of that thing we spend so much of our lives in, on, and around: work. Last week we examined the scriptural prescription for a healthy posture toward work. We dreamed about being workers who, in our various fields and occupations, go about our business with a quiet confidence, bringing a calm and peace to our respective work atmospheres (1 Thessalonians 4:11). If last week was about a healthy life posture toward work, this week we begin exploring the why(s) of work! Why do we work? To what ends or purposes does scripture assign our jobs? Let’s have a life-reflective blast!!!

A "Why" of Work

Here’s an interesting question. So what’s the difference between the Christ follower and the non Christ follower as it relates to our work? Is there such a difference as a Christian baker, a non Christian lawyer, a Christian plumber, and a non Christian surgeon? I hope not. Especially when it comes to law and medicine. John Wesley said, do good, and do no harm along the way. Maybe the one mark that someone is a Christ follower? Martin Luther believed that God’s loving care comes to us largely through the labor of others. Work in other words is a major instrument of God’s providence. Someone tried to make his own sandwich, literally. It took him six months and $1,500. Think about the implications of that. In creation, we were given the honor to perfect what God has made. For what ends? That’s what I want to look at.

Restoring the Garden Through the Well at the Table - A Biblical View of Work

I love trees. Their grandeur as they reach for the sky paints a beautiful picture of how we, and the whole creation, were made to worship the Creator. Two trees stand out among the many described in our Scriptures. They are both called “the tree of life,” and one starts the Bible story, and the other emerges at the very end, both in a Garden. We can tell and begin to understand the big arc of our story by learning from these two trees. They anchor our place in the future unfolding drama of what the prophet Isaiah and the apostle John in the Revelation called a “new heaven and a new earth.” What will life be like for those who follow Jesus in the renewed creation? Specifically, what will our work be like after Jesus returns to make all things new? We might wish the Bible were more specific, but it chooses to give us tantalizing sign-posts along the trail that call for us to exercise a communal sacred imagination. Let’s do that together as we consider our calling in work in light of the declaration, “No longer will there be any curse.” [Revelation 22:3]

Two Trees

My natural inclination is to walk around, by, or even over certain kinds of people. I don't want to do that. I know all people need one thing- Jesus. Then I read John 4 and I am humbled at the intentionality and the simplicity of Jesus' presentation to this woman who is alone at a well in the middle of the day. He simply offered her living water and she took it. Why did she take it? What do we learn from this account?  If I look too deep into her eyes, I am afraid I might see her real need, her pain, her anguish. I might be drawn in. God forbid I take the time to show concern for a person society has discarded. This encounter might shape the way we do church. See you Sunday as we explore John 4.

Todd

June 11 - Will The Church Embrace All People

We are a church that experiences life giving community, walks in Christ together, and cares about all people.

June 11 - Will The Church Embrace All People

The River Church of the South Bay

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