The Movement of God Into Our Lives and Hearts

So the announcements have been made.  In church, via correspondence, both mail and email, that with the end of August will come the conclusion of these Daily Feeds as a part and parcel of my preaching and ministry at the First Presbyterian Church of Perth Amboy.  There has been a gap already as things have flown into high gear with change just around the corner. 

Does not mean the Daily Feed is ending, but I will be taking a break to consider how it will fit with the next stage in the road God has set before me.  It won’t be called “daily” any longer.  That has been more dream than reality.

But this is why John is the final ‘book of the month’ for preaching here in Perth Amboy.  It’s message is uniquely powerful.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  It is that opening verse of the Gospel of John that sets the tone for the entire Gospel.  Jesus is the Word.  The man, the Messiah, the Son of Man and the Son of God is being identified with God.  Jesus is born into the world, not made.  God’s presence is uniquely among us in the Person of Jesus Christ.

But it is not just a matter of God entering into the world.  Jesus’ presence among the disciples was not eternal, at three years, not even prolonged in the age of the world.  But our passage this Sunday, from John 14, is where God takes the next step.  God has entered the world as Jesus.  But now Jesus will enter our hearts.  We will have a Counselor, we will have the Giver of Truth, we will have an Advocate, we will have Peace.  Jesus will leave His peace with us.

Thus, as my ministry concludes here in Perth Amboy, as the questions of what the future will bring wash up powerfully around us, I hope we can depend on the truth from John’s Gospel.  Jesus’ peace will be left to us.  We have the Spirit with us, no matter where we are or where we worship.  God’s strength is sufficient.

Peace,

Pastor Peter

The Word and the Word and the Word and the Word

God is the Word.  Well, John actually flips that, the Word was God, but one of the few bits of math I remember is if a=b then b=a.  Or at least it should.  Well, that is all fine and dandy, but what does that mean?  Well, Jesus is God.  Because Jesus is who is meant by ‘the Word’ here at the beginning of John.  But what about the theology of Word?  What are we thinking about in terms of our God when we look at the word “Word”? 

(Now I have “The Bird is the Word” by the Ruffled Feathers going in my head-and now on Spotify).

For me, the most immediate association of Word and God is the Bible.  The Bible is the Word of God.  It is the Word as inspired by God.  It is the handbook of the faith.  There are a lot of metaphors and adjectives we could use on this. 

And then there is the presentation of the Word.  This is inclusive of the presentation of the Word, the sermon, which is the centerpiece of our worship service.  It is where I dare to stand in the presence of the Spirit and the congregation and presume to say something of faithful importance. 

Then there is the Word received, by those listening.  Again, in the arrogance of the preacher, I will presume the Lord has given me something worthy to say. 

The first associations of Word and God for me are those of Creative Intent.  God said, “Let there be light” in the Old Testament creation story.  And there was.  The Word is the way that God reveals God’s creative powers in ways for we humans to attempt to wrap our minds around.

Jesus as the Word, the words of Jesus, they are the centerpiece of the Scriptures (yes, the Word of God to keep flogging the repetition).  Jesus’ words teach us all we need to know of the faith and how to live our lives in Him.  Jesus as the Word is the Redemptive power of God.  It is not simply what Jesus said but what Jesus did to save us. 

“In the beginning was the Word.  And the Word was with God.  And the Word was God,” 

The Word.

Peace,
Pastor Peter