Our church has a partnership with a church across town. We have been working with them over the last few years to help restore a blighted neighborhood in West St. Augustine. 

One of the first times I went to help out, it was not on one of the scheduled work days, but I went with one of our elders, Cliff Calvert, to do some preliminary carpentry. By that point, Cliff had been down there so often that everyone knew him.  He had already made such a reputation in the community, that cars would honk and people wave enthusiastically, as they drove by his work site… “Mr. Cliff!”  And when we went to eat lunch at the BBQ place across the road, they wouldn’t let us pay.

The need in that neighborhood is tremendous. And the actual work we do down there does make a difference. But it’s the restoration work is not the most important thing. The relationships we’re building with our neighbors speak to the larger reality of God’s Kingdom.

Over the past few days, we reflected on John 12:21, where some outsiders find the disciple Phillip and say, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”  

There is tremendous need in the world around us right now. Even right here in our own communities, many are lonely. There are parents struggling to raise their children in an age of social media and rapidly changing norms.  Others are genuinely hurting and in need. 

I can’t think of a time when the world has needed Jesus more than right now… I can’t think of a time when the world has needed us more than right now.

“They would see Jesus.”

May they see him in you, and in me.

Let us pray: God of Hope, meet us today at the deepest point of our need. Heal us where we need healing. Comfort us where we need comfort. Challenge us where we need to be challenged. And then use us as instruments of your love and grace, that the world might see Jesus, through us. Amen. 

Yesterday we reflected on John 12:21, where some Greeks find the disciple Phillip and say, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

By identifying them as Greeks, John is telling us that they are not Jewish. They are not religious insiders. But they have somehow found themselves at a religious festival. They must have heard about Jesus because they found one of his disciples, a man named Philip, and they asked to see him. They want to know more. 

It’s interesting.  Jesus doesn’t say, tell the Greeks I’ll meet them in Church. He doesn’t say: tell them they must first believe this, this, and this – then they will see me.  No. He says my hour has come.

Now, in the Gospel of John, the word “hour” is heavy. Jesus uses it to refer to the cross and the resurrection. So he is saying here – if these folks want to see me – they will see me in the clearest sense through the events that are about to unfold. They will see my teaching – lived out. They will see my life poured out. And they will see life being brought out of death.

Jesus goes on to say, “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit.  Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also.

Jesus is talking about his own life and death. But he is also talking about ours. When we love, when we sacrifice for the good of others, when we die to ourselves, to our egos, to our pride, to our own agendas, we are showing people his love… 

There is no doubt, people are still longing to see Jesus. 

May they see him in you, and in me.

Let us pray: God of Hope, meet us today at the deepest point of our need. Heal us where we need healing. Comfort us where we need comfort. Challenge us where we need to be challenged. And then use us as instruments of your love and grace, that the world might see Jesus, through us. Amen. 

Today’s message was written by Rev. Dr. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.

A small dog had been struck by a car and was lying wounded by the side of the road. A doctor driving by noticed that the dog was still alive, stopped his car, picked up the dog, and took him home. There he discovered that the dog had been stunned, and had suffered minor cuts and abrasions, but was otherwise alright. He revived the dog, cleaned up the wounds, and was carrying the animal from the house to the garage when it suddenly jumped from his arms and scampered off. “What an ungrateful little dog,” the doctor thought to himself. He thought no more about the incident until the next evening when he heard a scratching at his door. When he opened it, there was the little dog he treated, with another hurt dog. 

That is the story of the “ripple effect.” Throw a stone into a lake and the water ripples out, and the circle widens. One of the great characteristics of the first Christians was their ripple effect. Something had happened to them that filled them with so much joy they just could not contain it. It was contagious. It spread out among the people in a ripple effect. And the circle of love grew wider and wider. 

Let us pray: Lord, help us to spread your love by being the gospel, the good news to others. Give healing to those who are ill or anxious today and remind us of the power of your spirit to transform every earthly situation. Give strength to the weak and hope to the depressed. Keep in safety all who travel. Watch over the poor and the homeless. Now let the ripple effect of your love and joy help us to make this day a masterpiece. Through Christ our Lord, Amen. 

I came across an old comic strip the other day “Frank and Ernest.” It was simply a drawing of Noah’s ark with the animals lined up getting on board two by two. Noah says to Ms. Noah, “Two each of everything, except we’ll take as many scapegoats as we can get!”

In life, we like scapegoats, don’t we? When things go wrong, we like to have something or someone else to blame. “It’s not my fault!,” we like to say. 

All the way back to Adam and Eve, when God asked Adam why he ate the forbidden fruit, what did he do? He blamed it on Eve, of course. Eve, in turn, blamed it on the serpent!

We are human. We’re flesh and blood. From time to time we all make mistakes. We all fall short. But don’t we grow more as human beings when we face up to our mistakes and failures and when we accept the consequences and learn from them?

Let us pray: Loving God, we thank you that you know us, inside and out. You know our challenges, our shortcomings, our failures, and yet, you love us still. Help us to look at our own lives with gentle honesty – and yet much love. Where we fall short, give us grace, give us compassion for ourselves, remind us of the need for forgiveness, but then O God, give us the courage and strength we need to seek solutions – not blame. We ask in the name of the One whose love for us never dies. Amen.

Over the past couple of days, we’ve reflected on a passage in the Gospel of John (12:1-8) where Mary anoints Jesus’ feet with oil.

I remember a couple of years ago, near the very end of the day, I was just about to head out to go home, and a woman walked in the church. She looks down and out… And as she peeks her head in, she asks if she can sit in the sanctuary and pray.  It was the end of the day, and I was feeling kind of anxious and ready to go, but I said, “Sure go ahead.” And I thought: Well I’ll knock out a few more things.  So I went back in the study.  

But she’s in there a long time, and I’m starting to wonder, should I go in there and check on her? Should I see if she needs any help? Should I just let her be? 

I was feeling kind of anxious because that morning, on my way into church, I got a phone call from one of my daughters. I don’t even remember what it was now, but there was clearly distress on the other end.  You probably know that kind of phone call… when there is not much you can do but listen… And worry! 

So, it’s kind of a bad day. And now I’m feeling anxious, ready to go.

But just a few moments later, she comes out, and I ask if I can help her with anything. She said, “Yeah. Can you help me with some groceries or some food?” I handed her a grocery gift gift card, and I asked if I could pray for her.  

When I finished the prayer, she looked at me and said, “Thank you, Pastor. Can I pray for you?” I was a little caught off guard, but I said sure.  She put her hand on my shoulder, and it was the most beautiful heartfelt prayer…I could feel this sense of peace coming over me as she prayed. Then she said, “Pastor, you look tired. Get some rest.” And then she left…

Do you know that feeling when someone has seen you – and cared?  It feels pretty good. Even still, I don’t know about you, but I find it much easier to be the one who takes care of others. For some of us – it’s easier to be on the giving side than the receiving side. Sometimes it’s hard to allow other people to care for us, or – even harder to ask for help when we need it. 

I think again about this passage. Jesus, the One who saves us, Jesus, the One who heals us, Jesus, the One who goes to the cross for us – allows his friend to love and care for him.  I’m reminded: He wants to love and care for us. And sometimes he is going to use other people to do it.  We just have to be willing to let him.

Let us pray: Gracious God, give us eyes to see the need of the person right in front of us. But also help us to be the kind of people who are not too proud to ask for help… and who allow others to care for us. And as we do, may we experience your deeper love – the love of Christ himself.  Amen.