++++++++
In the end, our call is to be a people and a place where the power of Christ transforms lives – through becoming more like Him (discipleship), through being loved and shaped in community (fellowship), and through being met, loved, and restored at our needs and wounds (mission).

+++++++++

Lord, make me a channel of your peace today – where there’s despair in life, let me bring hope; where there is darkness, only light; where there’s sadness, only joy; where there’s alienation, only community; where there’s desolation; only renewal; where there’s a prison; only liberation; where there’s fear; only trust and faith; where there’s brokenness; only healing and restoration; where there’s insecurity; only unconditional love. Amen. – The first three are from St. Francis and then I added some others.

++++++++++++++

Last Sunday we said the below prayer of confession together. I am blessed and want to be at a church that can say this prayer honestly – and we did. I think a lot of people want to be part of a church like that; and I want to invite you to be a part of our church:

Prayer of Confession
Dear Jesus, we acknowledge our sins to you this morning. We have not loved others as you have asked us. We’ve chosen safety over risking. We’ve chosen convenience over reaching out. We’ve chosen our ways instead of your ways. We’ve chosen loving ourselves rather than loving others. We’ve chosen preserving over pouring out. We’ve chosen fear over trusting you. We’ve chosen indifference rather than mercy. We’ve focused more on the co$t rather than the cross. We’ve chosen to turn away instead of embracing. For all of this, for all the people we have failed to care about and reach, and more, we humbly say we are sorry, ask for your forgiveness and repent of our ways. Pour out your mercy and grace upon us that we may be made new. Renew and remake our hearts in your image – let our hearts break for those for whom your heart breaks – the poor, the alienated, the prisoners, the unloved, the broken, the ones who don’t know you, the rejected, the needy – to anyone who needs you – send us we pray. In Your name, Amen.

++++++++++

Last Sunday, I vividly witnessed the power of fellowship – sustaining, comforting, uplifting – sharing stories, trials, triumphs and tears. I watched in awe as the Holy Spirit transformed a group of Christians into a true church – an assembly of people highly aware of their need for God and their need for one another as they were being called to care for the “least of these.” Truly awesome.

+++++++++++

You are precious in His sight. You are worth dying for. You belong to Him. You are His child. His love for you is immeasurable and unending and unconditional…

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf
Isaiah 42:7
cbrianwolf@gmail.com
www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.
N.T. Wright

Right There

Whether we like to admit it or not, and we usually don’t, we all need to be rescued. Some of us need to be rescued from financial problems, from toxic relationships, from mental or physical health issues, from soul-killing jobs, from our worst selves, from our destructive habits and addictions, from pride, self-sufficiency and anger, from our denial of needing a rescue, and from our sins, guilt and pasts.

Likewise, whether we like to admit it, we spend a significant amount of time and energy hoping that rescue comes – in the form we would have it. Case in point, how many of us spent money and time dreaming of what we were going to do with the $640 million we were going to win last week? Many of us believed that winning would be the rescue of all rescues – all the other problems would go away.

If you can believe it, it’s the same idea or motivation that drew all those people to shout “Hosannas” wave palms and throw their cloaks (Mark 11:1-11) before a relatively unknown guy riding on a donkey. They believed he was the promised answer to their problems – Roman and economic oppression, spiritual disconnection from God, restoration of their kingdom. As we know today, those “Hosannas” turned to curses laster that week. What happened?

Well, then and today, God did come to rescue; it’s just that it often doesn’t come in the way we expect or are ready for or even desire. You see Jesus came into Jerusalem that day in peace. And in Mark’s Gospel, after the “parade” it says he went into the temple and looked around – his temple – think about it – the dwelling place for God and God in the flesh together. He had come in peace – to restore and reconcile God and God’s people to relationship. But the people were hoping for a warrior king who was going to lead a revolution and kick out the Romans. Thus the “Hosannas” turning to “Crucify Him!” He wasn’t the rescue or answer they wanted.

But he was the rescue God sent and the rescue they actually needed whether they knew it not. God knew then and still knows today that what we really need first is a spiritual rescue. First of course from our sins but if we trace and analyze the roots of all our other challenges and issues – the roots are spiritual. So in Jesus’ time, when the people were thinking that the answer to all their problems – their rescue needed to be an overthrow of Roman oppression – God sends the Prince of Peace – His peace to them. Because an overthrow of sin and pride and despair would be far more liberating and life-giving than Rome being evicted from Palestine.

And so today, there is no strategy, no plan, no system, not even steps that compare with the rescue God has provided – Jesus. Then and today, Jesus is the rescue and the answer. He himself is the rescue and peace – embracing Him. All the things we look to for a rescue – Megamillions, relationships, another drink, popularity, new jobs, new church, new city – all the things we think we make it all go away – will not get to the root.

Listen, it’s because the point is not to be richer or more successful or more loved as a way to achieve peace – God’s point all along with us is that our relationship with Him through Jesus is the starting point and source of our joy, grace, and peace, then all the other things will be added. It’s not about solving all our problems with cash and mantras – it’s so that we can see and endure anything that happens in our lives and still say or sing, “It is well with my soul (because I am His and He is mine).” When you and I can more and more genuinely say and believe that no matter what the circumstance – that’s abundant life, that’s living rescued and forgiven, that’s faith, that’s the peace beyond understanding.

Maybe you’ve been praying for a rescue or an answer for a long time. And you feel like it’s never come. Maybe you’ve been faithful in waiting for it – “it” as you imagined it would be. But you’re still waiting, still hoping. That’s a good thing. It’s a very good thing to recognize the need to be rescued and that God could be or is the one to turn to. And about that rescue or answer seeming delayed…

Maybe it’s because the rescue you really needed, was right there all along, right in front of you…

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf
Isaiah 42:7
cbrianwolf@gmail.com
www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.
N.T. Wright

So often our times are influenced by news. Listening to the media, on most days we are harassed with a litany of bad news – death, destruction, debt, despair, and more. At times, if just listening to the news, things can seem pretty hopeless. We long for and yearn for some good news; and occasionally a light shines in the darkness. At the same time, whether good or bad it usually just evaporates from our memories – but still it leaves many in a numbed, confused fog.

Fortunately, one Sunday morning long ago, there was a news announcement that has never been equaled. “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen (Luke 24:5-6)!” Talk about Good News!! It’s the best news. It’s the news that changes everything still. And I love how it is both cosmic and personal. Cosmic in the sense that Jesus overcomes death and sin and is alive! Personal in that he appears to individuals to restore and comfort them. And yet, the disciples thought just two days earlier that everything was lost – they had been sold on the “bad news” of the day. But we know that with God all things are possible! As Louis L’Amour wrote, “There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning.” Amen!

And as if the news of the resurrection itself was enough…there is this truth: “The spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the Spirit (Romans 8:11). Think about it. The Spirit who raised Christ from the dead – the power and victory that we celebrate on Easter – isn’t just a one day thing. Through our faith in Christ, this power is alive and working within us.

In a world of daily news of death, and dying and decay, we can take heart and hope that we have the source, the power that overcomes even death – within us. So that we look at circumstances and take account of all the obstacles we face – even when we think everything might be finished, because of the good news of the resurrection, because of that same power in our lives – we can be as Paul said, “more than conquerors in all these things.” As well, let us remember and rely on this power more and more as we continue to watch God lead us through this season of renewal for our church!

I invite you to share in the “Hosannas!” of Palm Sunday to the solemnity of Maundy Thursday to the sorrow of Good Friday and to the triumph of Easter. May we experience together the joy, wonder, depth, power and possibility of Holy Week:

April 1 – Palm Sunday Celebration with Luncheon, 10:30 am
April 5 – Maundy Thursday (The Lord’s Supper with Hand Washing), 7:30 pm
April 6 – Good Friday Remembrance Service, 7:30 pm
April 8 – Easter Celebration, 10:30 am

First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook, 5 Ackerman Avenue, Saddle Brook, NJ 07663; www.firstreformedsaddlebrook.com

In Christ,
Pastor Christopher

“Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. But I love you this much,” he said. Hmm, that is a lot thought Little Nutbrown Hare.” This is just one of the wonderful exchanges in the children’s book, Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. I highly recommend it although you will not find the audio version of my daughter Madelyn reading it – that’s just for me

But as Big Nutbrown Hare stretches out his arms to show how much he loves Little Nutbrown Hare, it reminded me of someone else who stretched out his arms to demonstrate his love for all of us, for the whole world. That’s right, Jesus.

I’ve done a lot of listening and one thing that comes up consistently is doubt about God’s love. Let’s face it, we often have trouble believing that people around us love us, so to then leap to believing that someone we can’t see loves us is often very challenging.

Which is why I want to ask you today, “Guess how much God loves you?” Let me show you…

One verse that always comes to mind, it’s a refrigerator verse is from Jeremiah 31:3, “I have loved you with an everlasting love…” or as The Message puts it, “God told them, “I never quit loving you and never will.” Now in order to appreciate these wonderful words from God, you have to know that they are spoken after God’s people had dishonored, disobeyed, and ignored him. And just when it seemed like God had completely given up on them by allowing them to be exiled from their promised land, God through Jeremiah, renews his promises of love for them. Later in the chapter, God goes even further and says, “I will be their God and they will be my people…I will forgive their wickedness and remember their sins no more.” After everything, God was going to forgive and forget. When God forgets, it’s completely gone – as far as the east is from west as it says in Psalm 103.

Sounds crazy, right. I mean, I thought God only loves us when we are good and perfect, right?

Sadly, many view and experience love as conditional. As humans, we often tend to use or experience love as a reward, as something to manipulate or control others with, only given to those who “deserve” it and something that brings pain and disappointment. And then we often transfer all this into thinking that God’s love is like that too. I am very sorry for that. It’s not at all what God intended.

No, what God intended was that His relentless, unending love can reach, warm and transform the hardest, saddest, coldest hearts in this world. Even hearts that continue to reject, hide from, avoid, insult, and even hate God.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life,” Jesus said about himself and about God’s love. That’s God’s response to the world that rejects and doesn’t know him. How can we not be moved by this kind of love? Do you and I know anyone else who keeps loving in the face of insult, rejection, turning away, anger, hatred? No we don’t. But He’s still there loving us. And not just loving us by sending a Hallmark card. He sends and sacrifices His best, Jesus.

And, this love of God doesn’t wait for us to be good or get better. It reaches us, it touches wherever it finds us – at our best or at our worst. It’s the very definition of unconditional love.

It’s the kind of love that frees and rescues.

It’s the kind of love that heals and awakens.

It’s the kind of love that lifts us to want to try again.

It’s the kind of love that leads us to want to come home.

It’s the kind of love that eclipses our past.

It’s the kind of love that opens our eyes to seeing who we really are – in God’s eyes.

It’s the kind of love that assures us that when all else fails; it never will…

Yes, God loves you and me this much…arms outstretched; pouring over and through all the walls, sins and hurts; overflowing into the very depths our hearts and souls.

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.

N.T. Wright

In the middle east, a man named Jesus, the Son of God, came to save, not condemn the world by inviting all people to a relationship with Him and the Father. A real, active, alive relationship. He came at a time when religion had taken over any kind of relationship with God – loveless, elitist, joyless, rule-based, graceless, institutional religion became a god of its own. This Jesus then and today has liberated billions from death and religion and delivered them to eternal and abundant life. Sadly though, even with His Holy Spirit and His Word, people are still prisoners of this kind of religion today – even religion in Jesus’ name. I offer this note of love to awaken people to the essential differences between religion and relationship with God. I offer this to liberate prisoners. I offer this because as I feel called to reach out to and lead people back to God – therefore I also feel called to make church a safer place for them when they come home. Please read and reflect on the following…

The religious “talk the talk.”
Those who walk with Christ “walk the walk”; it’s evident in their lives beyond Sunday.

The religious focus on performance, appearance of holiness, and achievement.
Those who walk with Christ focus more on what’s inside and on actually being faithful whatever it “looks” like.

The religious insist on having to prove themselves to God and to others often under the guise of “excellence.”
Those who walk with Christ insist that they and their best is perfectly acceptable to God thanks to Christ, not their works.

The religious create an atmosphere in which sin and weakness are hidden and only perfection is acceptable.
Those who walk with Christ live in the freedom of His grace and no longer fear their weaknesses and pasts nor sharing them – because they have learned that God’s strength is made perfect in their weakness (2 Corinthians 12).

The religious believe they already know everything about God and don’t need to learn anything new.
Those who walk with Christ are humble and know they will always need to know God more; they hunger and thirst for studying His word and engaging the Holy Spirit.

The religious emphasize membership and an “us and them; insider, outsider” mindset, as if it were a club.
Those who walk with Christ emphasize that Christ died for all; that in Christ there is no “us and them”; that their church belongs to God and is an embassy of the Kingdom for the community and world.

The religious see church as “theirs” and something to be used and controlled; to get something from.
Those who walk with Christ see church as God’s place where His Spirit reigns and as an opportunity to offer and give of their whole lives as living sacrifices.

The religious focus on pleasing (certain) people.
Those who walk with Christ focus on pleasing God above all people and things and serving (all) His people.

The religious trust in rules and traditions being enforced and kept.
Those who walk with Christ trust in Christ alone; they respect rules and traditions but don’t allow them to discourage others or block the Holy Spirit.

The religious honor the strong, popular and successful among the members.
Those who walk with Christ honor the weak, the dishonorable and those in need (1 Corinthians 12, Matthew 25).

The religious often count on faith and salvation by heredity.
Those who walk with Christ count on being born of the Spirit over being born of the flesh for their faith and salvation.

The religious have a “checklist” mentality when it comes to church attendance and involvement for themselves and others.
Those who walk with Christ just love serving and glorifying God – there’s no need to measure it or “check” others.

The religious work to make sure their church’s experience is safe and comfortable.
Those who walk with Christ work to understand that following Jesus was, is and never will be safe and comfortable; but it will be good, amazing and Holy Spirit led.

The religious often lack compassion because the focus is on the institution rather than the people.
Those who walk with Christ see others as gifts from God; see their needs as opportunities to serve God and show others compassion. They see church as made for God and people not the other way around.

The religious often see people as resources, tools, and obstacles to be removed.
Those who walk with Christ see people as loved by God and to be respected and loved.

The religious approach faith as being good and doing good; something to be put on and taken off, like a mask.
Those who walk with Christ approach faith as being transformed inside and out into the handiwork of God, made for good works (Ephesians 2:10).

The religious connection to God is mostly through church activities and rituals.
Those who walk with Christ connect to God throughout the day, each day through prayer, Scripture, living, work, relationships; it’s becoming fully integrated.

The religious use judgment as a tool of control and gatekeeping.
Those who walk with Christ use grace to always remember how thankful they are and extend the same to all others.

The religious use the Bible as a tool for their own agendas and interests.
Those who walk with Christ use the Bible as their way and source for life; and they let it purely speak the truth into their lives daily.

The religious trust in their self-sufficiency and self-righteousness.
Those who walk with Christ trust in Jesus’ once and perfect sacrifice on the cross to cover their sins; they trust in grace alone (Ephesians 2:8). And they know that less self equals more Christ.

The religious are interested in church growth as long as it’s with the “right” people.
Those who walk with Christ are interested in any and all people coming to Christ.

The religious love others when it works for them and provides affirmation for themselves.
Those who walk with Christ love others fearlessly, unconditionally, purely and sacrificially; they love like Jesus.

The religious think that deception, division, and manipulation (any means necessary) are okay as long as they “protect” the church.
Those who walk with Christ think that love, truth, unity, and peace are the hallmarks of Christ in community; they pray and fight for them.

The religious view prayer as an activity, and an opportunity to show off their “spirituality.”
Those who walk with Christ view prayer as connection with the living God; an always open line to confess, repent, cry out, hear, be transformed, adore and worship, thank, intercede, be humbled and led, ask and more.

The religious believe God is most pleased by order, success, good performances, and appearance.
Those who walk with Christ believe God is most pleased by a broken and contrite heart, faithfulness, loving and unity with others, doing justice, and thanksgiving.

The religious are offended by invitations to grow and transform because they believe their self-righteousness has already perfected them.
Those who walk with Christ are committed to being new creations in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17); the old has gone, the new has come.

The religious are ultimately fear-based – relating to God and others through fear – mostly the fear of rejection.
Those who walk with Christ are faith-based; fears are left behind in the embrace of God’s complete love in Christ.

The religious often view pastors and other leaders as tools, threats, obstacles and people to manipulate.
Those who walk with Christ view pastors and other leaders as sent and called by God, treating them with their due honor and authority, loving accountability, encouragement, and much prayer.

The religious love to talk about theology but seem to have very little first-hand knowledge and experience with God.
Those who walk with Christ have a relationship with God through Christ, enabled by the Holy Spirit, founded on the Word, informed by theology, crystallized with experience.

The religious wind up worshiping things of God (church activities, committees, music, pastors, traditions, etc.) rather than God himself.
Those who walk with Christ worship God purely, directly, allowing nothing or no one to eclipse His light in their lives.

The religious come to see church as a duty and responsibility.
Those who walk with Christ joyfully see church involvement as another way to thank God for all He has done in their lives, using the gifts and passions He gave them.

Most of the time the religious are not bad people. But the problem is that they are killing their churches by suffocating the very breath of the church – the Holy Spirit – which gives life to churches. As well, most religious people are miserable inside and outside – joyless because their lives are rooted in themselves, in others and things of this world. In addition, they are literally and by perception pushing and keeping people away from their churches. For many, pretty soon, it will just be a small group of religious people and then it will close and die. If possible, even worse, religious people are not connected to God; they have no real relationship with Him. Remember when Jesus said it will be like, “I never knew you…” that’s what awaits many religious people – even though they think otherwise. Religion doesn’t save; only Jesus saves. The degree to which you find yourself being religious or relational with God will be directly proportional to your faithfulness, fruitfulness and enjoyment of God. If you belong to a church, your church’s vitality and ultimate survival will be greatly impacted by the proportion of people you have that are religious, and are relational with God. He wants your heart, your life, all of you to belong to Him. When you stop focusing on doing good and being good all that’s left is to belong to Him – I promise it will be the most wonderful relationship you have ever know.

It’s not too late…

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.
N.T. Wright

Everywhere you look – television shows, movies, video games – there are zombies. What’s going on?

Here’s what I am thinking. Roughly, zombies are half-dead, half-alive people (back from the dead) whose motivation is to create more zombies. At the same time they seem driven by a force they don’t understand. Their threat and strength is that that feel no pain, are numb, and have little self-awareness. Their rise in visibility has to do with our living in a time that seems like it would be easier if we were numb to life and world events; it might seem easier to just shuffle half-alive and half-awake through our days; sometimes it’s a reality given pressure and fatigue. To feel joy and pain takes being aware and alive. It also seems like we are living in a time when it would be easier to just mindlessly go along with a lot of stuff rather than be independent and stand up – authentically alive. I think Hollywood and others may be saying that many people in our society and times have become, in a manner of speaking, zombies.

It’s not just in “society” that we find zombie-like existence. We also see it in Christians and churches. Numb to the Holy Spirit, apathetic, strangely driven by things other than God, joyless, perceived as just trying to “feast” on others rather than serving them, same routine over and over – sounds zombie-ish, right?

As you might imagine, it’s not what Jesus intended for Christians and churches…

There is a vivid explanation of how to be alive in Christ and how to break through being religious zombies in the Gospel of Mark 8:31-39. It starts with Jesus asking about who people think he is. Later, Peter confesses that Jesus is the Messiah – he believes! Then Jesus explains how he’s the kind of messiah that will suffer, die and be raised again. Peter says no way – that’s not the kind of messiah he (and the others) were interested in. Jesus says, “Get behind me Satan!” Then Jesus talks about how following him means denying ourselves, carrying our crosses, that to truly live we must lose ourselves in him and how we can gain all sorts of material things but lose our souls. He adds that if we hide our faith in him from others, he will be ashamed of us before God.

We find four important points about an alive spiritual life in this passage. Let’s take a look:

First, being alive spiritually means knowing and worshiping God for who he is (as revealed in the Bible); not what we want or make him to be. You see this with Peter when he confronts Jesus, he is basically saying that he wants Jesus to be the kind of savior he wants him to be; Jesus rebukes him strongly. But sometimes we do this purposefully and sometimes we do this unwittingly. God is God – we can’t make him do and be what we want – after all he created us. An idol is something we make and worship, and I think that we are often worshiping our own version of God. God wants a real relationship with us through his son – worshiping what we want God to be is not real relationship. When we want and seek to make God and church and other Christians to be what we want them to be – that is unhealthy, not life-giving, idolatrous, and zombie-ish. It also makes it very easy to “sleepwalk” through our spiritual lives – when we are worshiping and praying to our image of God rather than being open and alive to the Spirit.

Second, this passage reveals that believing and following are connected but very different. Of course, we have to believe in Christ before we know and are enabled by the Holy Spirit to follow. In this passage, Peter is a believer – perhaps the first believer when he says that Jesus is the Messiah. But, seemingly within minutes he is not following. Jesus then explains what following is – (based on believing) denying one’s self, losing our lives for his sake, setting our minds on heavenly things not earthly things. This is not easy. I’ve found that moving from believer to follower is very challenging – but it’s where we are all called to go. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “When Christ calls a person, he bids he or she, come and die.” Meaning, when we die to ourselves, we become alive in Christ, thus truly alive. Today, Christianity and churches are filled with believers (a good start) but meaning it’s pretty easy to attend a church and recite creeds and say some amens and sing some hymns; but when it comes to losing our lives for the Gospel, it’s not happening very much. This is a zombie-ish quality. It’s often called the Holy Huddle. It’s as if you were watching a football game and your team came out on the field high-fived each other, got in a huddle talked for a while and then headed for the locker room. When we go from believer to follower – our responsiveness to the Holy Spirit grows (as our fears of same decreases), our compassion for others increases, our desire for “on earth as it is in heaven” grows, serving is joyful rather than like a chore. If we want to be alive, we have to move and grow from believers to followers.

Third, in order for our spiritual lives to be alive – the cross has to be central. Jesus says it in two ways – he says that we have to deny ourselves and carry our cross but he also explains that following him will cost us. That is one of the key messages of the cross – our sin cost God his only son. Therefore, if we are going to follow him, it has to cost us too. With many Christians and churches today, there is a safe, numbed, zombie-ish approach to following Christ – in that there is very little talk about the cost. It’s a lot of happy, prosperity and dream fulfillment messaging – everyone’s ok. Some churches might as well have a smiley face where the cross is. Now, is God good? Of course. Does God promise to provide all that we need? Absolutely. But all of this is found as we lose ourselves in Christ. And yes there is a cost to that. If we are not losing friends, money, jobs, our old ways as well as our love for the things of this world, and more, we are not following and the cross is not central. Remember, when we are truly alive and not zombies – we are going to feel – the joy and the pain and cost. When the cross is prominent in our lives – so is truth (the cross cuts through denial, delusions and lies), so is grace for ourselves and others, old things are dying and new things are coming alive.

Fourth and finally, as you know, zombies kind of hang together. They need to. Everyone else gets creeped out by them, right? Jesus speaks to this in a couple of ways. He basically says in this passage that we need to more concerned about pleasing God than pleasing others. Religious zombies just want to make sure they are liked by other religious zombies, often without concern for what God might think of their words and actions. As you may already know, trying to please human beings and trying to keep that going is very fatiguing and rarely works – unless maybe if you “give” yourself completely to the group. But Jesus says to be truly be alive and to follow him along the path to truly living is to be primarily concerned about pleasing God first. There is a big difference between ministering and serving others, and catering to others. Pleasing God may mean that there will be less people (or zombies) pleased but you will feel more alive than ever before.

Maybe you’re awakening to realize that you’ve been a religious zombie. Maybe you’re tired of a half-dead, half-alive spiritual life. Maybe you don’t want to be numb anymore. Maybe you’re just thirsting to be truly alive…

There is a way for all of these and more…

The voice that awakened Lazarus from his tomb, the voice that freed Mary from her the stupor of her grief, the voice that has called millions of people throughout history to leave themselves and death behind is calling to you and me still today. And this voice, the voice of Jesus is saying, “Come follow me, and in denying yourself and dying to yourself – you will live like you never have before. You will be more alive than ever before. Live abundantly in me!”

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.

N.T. Wright

Feeling stuck today?

Maybe you feel stuck at a job; in a relationship; in a rut or routine that’s not helping; in an addiction; in a spiritual valley; at an organization or group?

You’ve thought about getting out but it never happens. Something else always comes up; rationalizations and compromises are made.

Are you haunted by, or overly attached to the past? Do you often wish or even exist as if the past was great and anything present or new just doesn’t match up?

Or do you avoid thinking about the past altogether because it’s too painful or shameful?

Deep down you know something is not right…

Stay and fight for a solution? Start over? They sound good but seem impossible.

What about something new altogether? That’s it! But a new start…scary.

Let it go (even though you’ve tried so many times before)?

Still stuck, right?

Stuck in the middle between old and new; comfortable and reaching; liking and loving; numbed and compassionate; circling and devoted.

Though stuck may feel safe – it’s not truly alive.

Let’s talk about why we get stuck and how we might get un-stuck.

Here are some ways we get stuck: Denial (“It’s not really over,” and “It never happened” and “I don’t have a problem”) and Pride (“It’s not going/ending the way I want it to”) and Fear (“What will a new beginning be like; who will I be if ____ ends, or I let go?”). All of these together point to something we all wrestle with – avoiding truth, reality, endings and losing control. To make things worse, I cringe when I hear the phrases, “just move on” and “swept under the rug” because they don’t work and cause even more damage beyond being stuck.

As you might imagine, truly getting unstuck might have something to do with shifts on these two – avoiding endings and losing control. Professor Walter Brueggemann explains it as, speaking from a Biblical and spiritual perspective, “only embraced endings permit new beginnings.” Not partial, not hints of endings or temporary ones – only embraced endings.

And he’s right. The Bible is filled with only embraced endings enabling new beginnings. The cross is the ultimate embraced ending…Jesus willingly went to the cross (ending) so that the dominion of sin and death could end and the resurrection and new life would occur. But also, in Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:18) in which the son decided to return to his father and repent.

Listen to the words of Psalm 32 that is the voice of stuck to unstuck spiritually speaking, “While I kept silent, my bones wasted away…Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity…and you forgave the guilt of my sin… (Psalm 32:3, 5).” Do you see it? Suffering, strife while in denial or proud or afraid; then acknowledging the truth, embracing the need for God’s grace – new beginning – living forgiven.

Keep in mind, the “new” has already come – Jesus announced that the kingdom “has come near (Mark 1:15).” And in 2 Corinthians 5:17 we hear, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come; the old has gone, the new has come.” So the denial, pride and fear can’t keep the new in anything from materializing (this is a key part of the Gospel). It’s whether or not we are going to engage it by first embracing whatever the appropriate ending is. And frankly when we are not engaged with the new that God is doing (which will always be life-giving), we are usually embracing things that are dying or of death.

So I want to say very lovingly to many of you today that yes it happened and it was awful and it was not your fault. I want to say lovingly that the guilt you carry from what you have done in the past is crushing and suffocating you. I want to lovingly say that there is a problem but you don’t have to suffer under it anymore. I am lovingly saying that you will still be you, in fact a more wonderful you than you have ever known. You know, “we are as sick as our secrets” and I am saying lovingly that all the pretending, denying, pride and fear are only hurting you and keeping you from the goodness and grace God wants to and is ready to pour out on your heart and soul. The irony of course is that to welcome and receive that healing and restoration, you have to embrace the truth of what has happened, what you’ve done, what you can’t control anymore, and what you fear; and it is in that embrace that it’s or their power over you will end and the healing and new beginning can begin.

Maybe it starts like this, “To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; in you I trust, O my God…Remember, O Lord, your great mercy and love for they are from of old…Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O Lord (Psalm 25:1, 6-7).”

And when you lift up your soul and trust in Him above everything and everyone else, and He supplies you with the strength to embrace whatever ending you need to embrace today, He will absolutely be remembering you according to His love and grace. Then you’ll see that those dreams that seemed so far away will be as close as a whispered prayer. Those dreams of forgiveness and restored relationships, those dreams of getting clean or sober, those dreams of being free of guilt and the expectations of others, those dreams of being and feeling loved unconditionally, those dreams of living fearlessly and purposefully, those dreams of the past being the past, those dreams of no longer being defined by past events or decisions, those dreams of having a future with hope, those dreams of finally more fully experiencing the joy and peace of God’s presence.

Amen.

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.
N.T. Wright

Rev. Christopher B. Wolf

Isaiah 42:7

cbrianwolf@gmail.com

www.christopherbwolf.com

Christopher B. Wolf is pastor of First Reformed Church of Saddle Brook and is the author of Giving Faith a Second Chance: Restarts, Mulligans and Do-Overs (2007) and With You Every Step of the Way; and the host of Walk With Me, Wednesdays 8 pm on WYFN 94.9 FM-NY and on www.yfnradio.com.

“It is a matter of sharing and bearing the pain and puzzlement of the world so that the crucified love of God in Christ may be brought to bear healingly upon the world at exactly that point.

 N.T. Wright