tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28527287332242490142024-03-05T05:37:14.832-07:00Fresh Grace!God loves you. Jesus proves it. Let's meet over some good food and drink to discuss the rest.Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.comBlogger567125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-69991592733564886572019-08-14T13:20:00.003-06:002019-08-14T13:20:19.878-06:00Staying Attached<div class="" dir="ltr" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: white; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="" style="color: black; font-size: 14px;">My wife's grandmother, at the end of a family visit, would always say “Do keep in touch.” Back then, it was through handwritten postcards, and letters posted in envelopes with stamps (remember those?). Her desire was to hear from her loved ones, and she often blessed them with letters and cards just to say hello, pass along the news, and express love. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfqsVQcdaNumB_AU66dH9tioUILQHykTLg05f5cLcCQ_1zIG6jwfKhZ9PalC47RvJv46dcTPcdN50tP5_x2COvfT3Th6E0ArxXcmxvto2-9X3FUr_nMuB_xJGje9e_eF5CTB10VtAhv4/s1600/Dad+daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAfqsVQcdaNumB_AU66dH9tioUILQHykTLg05f5cLcCQ_1zIG6jwfKhZ9PalC47RvJv46dcTPcdN50tP5_x2COvfT3Th6E0ArxXcmxvto2-9X3FUr_nMuB_xJGje9e_eF5CTB10VtAhv4/s320/Dad+daughter.jpg" width="320" /></a><span class="" style="color: black;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Our heavenly Father asks “Do keep in touch" in a much more intense and intimate way, because his love for us (John 17:23) is much stronger than our human love. He has sent his Spirit into our hearts, who constantly works to connect us to the Father: “It is because you really are his sons that God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts to cry ‘Father, dear Father’” (Gal. 4:6, Phillips). The Spirit of God and of Christ is continually presenting to us the love of God, and the Spirit is the means of both talking to and hearing from God: "For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words” (Rom. 8:26). The Spirit’s desire is to connect us with the Father and the Son, who together have one will </span><span class="" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px;">—</span><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> to reconcile all humans to themselves, into the circle of Trinitarian love. To “keep in touch” in other words. </span></span></div>
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<span class="" style="color: black;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Since every day is a time to be drawn into the communication of love with God, we must </span></span><span class="" style="color: black;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">find ways to pay better attention to the love he is communicating. There are many ways to approach it, but the basis of all of them is to stop. That’s right, STOP. I've just reviewed the list of spiritual practices in Adele Calhoun’s </span><u class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Spiritual Disciplines Handbook</u><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> and of the 62 practices she describes, every one requires stopping our ordinary busyness in order to interact with the Lord (or anyone else!) in a meaningful way. That’s tough for me some days — how about you?</span></span></div>
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<span class="" style="color: black;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Dr. Geordie Ziegler reminds us of two important principles of spiritual life. First, it is </span><i class="" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 14px;">participation with the Spirit </i><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">in the activities of Jesus; never something we do hoping to accomplish an important goal. Second, the goal is not “Christlikeness” or “being able to do what Jesus did” or “think like Jesus,” but more deeply and more importantly, <u class="">Christ himself</u>. “Apart from me you can do nothing”, Jesus says in describing the Vine and the branches, John 15:5. In verse 9, Jesus says “Abide”— not just live but </span><u class="" style="font-size: 14px;">remain</u><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;"> (with an underlying sense of permanence, in the Greek) “in my love.” The goal of our whole Christian life is that we “remain” in Christ, and that Christ remains in us (a major theme in John 14-16). Thus, the goal is Christ himself, with his love filling us. “Abide” could less-intensively be said “Do keep in touch,” as abiding in the Vine is staying connected, resting in, and getting our life from the Vine. </span></span></div>
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<span class="" style="color: black;"><span class="" style="font-size: 14px;">Should you have spiritual practices that are a daily and regular part of your life? Jesus seems to say so here. Which ones? I would include three: prayer, reading scripture, and fellowship with the saints. Besides those, frankly, I don’t have an opinion for you, because each of us is different, and different practices will work for different people. The Spirit will lead us into the ones that are best for us, if we pay attention. So, I would say the same as before, the same the Spirit is saying now: <i class="">Do keep in touch! </i></span></span></div>
Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-87906892193031554862019-04-24T12:44:00.001-06:002019-04-24T12:44:35.829-06:00Continuing to Celebrate the ResurrectionThe death of Jesus of Nazareth on the cross was agonizing and drawn-out torture, ending with a final cry of anguish as a Roman spear pierced his side and his heart. Because he had accepted without argument the false accusations, the hatred and rage and vicious <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/04/continuing-to-celebrate-resurrection.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-90744749482124182402019-04-17T18:02:00.000-06:002019-04-17T18:02:03.418-06:00Jews and a Few Others?Most scholars lay out a chronology for Holy Week with Jesus entering Jerusalem on Sunday to the acclaim of thousands of his followers and fans. The palm branches are mentioned in Psalm 118, especially v. 27, and the donkey ("foal of an ass") in Zechariah 9. Jesus was deliberately <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/04/jews-and-few-others.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-31056031943270741622019-04-10T10:11:00.000-06:002019-04-10T10:11:10.735-06:00Lent Is About Giving UpLent is often thought about in terms of giving up sweets, or red meat, or alcohol, or movies, in an attempt to create an ‘attitude of repentance.' Those items are external to us, even though we can be awfully attached to them. What’s deepest is our <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/04/lent-is-about-giving-up.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-56511888289544916012019-03-28T15:47:00.006-06:002019-03-28T15:47:53.746-06:00What's Manure Got to Do with It?There’s a parable in Luke 13 that we non-farmers may have a hard time understanding, featuring a fig tree that won’t bear figs, and a farmer that won’t cut the tree down. What’s going on? The people listening to Jesus heard an agricultural problem — the tree was messed up, and the <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/03/whats-manure-got-to-do-with-it.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-42825186060931282792019-03-25T16:56:00.000-06:002019-03-25T16:56:46.902-06:00Set Someone Free TodayIn Luke 13, Jesus notices a woman who has had "a disabling spirit" for 18 years, and sets her free. He does so on the Sabbath, the religious day of rest. His opponents complain he ought not be doing such work on the Sabbath, and Jesus argues that, if releasing a farm animal for water on the Sabbath is allowed, then surely releasing this woman is allowed also.<br>
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This is not just an argument to draw different lines in a <br>
<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/03/set-someone-free-today.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-51082369258430654362019-03-13T13:46:00.000-06:002019-03-13T13:46:10.037-06:00Give Up What???“Lent — isn’t that where you have to give up something?” asked the barista at Starbucks the other day. Yes, giving up chocolate or something else pleasurable is part of Lent, but not the purpose, or even the main feature. <br><br>"Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, reminds us that,<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/03/give-up-what.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-55791100228354108052019-03-06T20:09:00.002-07:002019-03-06T20:09:25.410-07:00Which Way Now?Jesus’ disciples had a hard time figuring him out. Even as he "resolutely set out for Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51) they were thinking he was preparing for revolt: since he was “the Anointed One of God” (9:20), surely their missions in chapters 9 and 10 were to build up a larger<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/03/which-way-now.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-13310401960912951312019-02-27T10:07:00.001-07:002019-02-27T10:07:55.196-07:00Christ in You / You in Christ, Part 4: The Presence of GodThe Lord God made an astounding promise to Moses in Exodus 33: <br>"Moses said to the Lord, “You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, "I know you by name and you have found favor with me.” If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people." The Lord replied, "My <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/02/christ-in-you-you-in-christ-part-4.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-55679609844954235492019-02-20T11:55:00.001-07:002019-02-20T11:55:51.815-07:00Christ In You / You in Christ, Part 3: The Holy SpiritThe last two weeks I’ve reminded us both what God says is true about us as his beloved and included children, and that we participate (or not, sometimes) in that reality by our perspective of how we understand that we are ‘in union with Christ’ or ‘in Christ’ and <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/02/christ-in-you-you-in-christ-part-3-holy.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-25363264292926286462019-02-15T11:49:00.002-07:002019-02-15T11:49:45.238-07:00Chosen from the Womb?<br />
Several servants of God in the Bible are described as being known or chosen "from the womb" including Jeremiah (1:5), David (Psa. 139) and Paul (Gal. 1:5). I used to wonder if God had chosen me in the same way, due to certain circumstances and my own desire to be included. But my thoughts were too narrow and too self-centered. I wanted to be chosen. I didn't realize that through Christ, all of us are chosen; and through the omniscience of the Almighty, he knows every single one of us from the womb and has loved us, in all our junk, all those years, gently and patiently waking us from our slumber and bringing us to know him. <div>
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You.Are.Chosen. You.Are.Precious. Because God.Is.Love. </div>
Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-44373552311487715672019-02-15T11:28:00.001-07:002019-02-15T11:28:33.064-07:00Reflections on Love from GalatiansSome reflections on love, after Valentine’s Day: (previously posted on www.facebook.com/lgcfarvada) <br><br>Paul writes to us in Galatians about the love of God, contrasting that love, along with grace, with the law that someone had been preaching to them, which was going to “enslave” them, 2:4. Paul says that God’s love is given to us freely through Christ, 2:20, “who loved me and gave himself for me.”<br><br>When he gets to the application portion of his letter, he writes in 5:13 - “through love perform the duties of a slave<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/02/reflections-on-love-from-galatians.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-44852757519290002842019-02-13T12:02:00.002-07:002019-02-13T12:02:56.430-07:00Christ in You / You in Christ, Part 2Last week I wrote that we already exist with God in a relationship of love and grace through the incarnation (coming to us and taking on our flesh) of Jesus as our Savior. That’s a fact, but our perspective matters: for example, I’ve noticed when I go to the beach, the ocean <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/02/christ-in-you-you-in-christ-part-2.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-11891082927058859182019-02-06T14:29:00.001-07:002019-02-06T14:29:17.840-07:00Christ in You / You in Christ, Part 1Years ago, a friend asked me, partly in jest, “Am I in Christ, or is Christ in me?” I responded, “Yes!” because both are true. Many days, though, I toddle on thinking that I’m on my own to solve this problem or that question, and if I try hard enough or <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/02/christ-in-you-you-in-christ-part-1.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-760560677508818812019-01-30T09:34:00.001-07:002019-01-30T09:34:17.016-07:00God's Love for YouI remember my early years, with three older siblings and strict parents, as a curious mix of carefree play and tension. My father worked hard, putting in long hours on his job and often working on holidays for the bonus pay, and not having much patience for me when he was home. My siblings and I were very <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/01/gods-love-for-you.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-2930498512273092362019-01-23T13:26:00.001-07:002019-01-23T13:26:25.796-07:00The Source of StrengthHave you ever been struck by your own sins and mistakes, to the point that you were upset with yourself and in great emotional pain? It’s a blessing to see our sins before their consequences catch up to us, but sometimes we are struck by the consequences first, and they cause us pain that helps us reflect on our sins, and we can get overwhelmed. Today, we can learn from <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-source-of-strength.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-69821093601515751702019-01-16T12:10:00.001-07:002019-01-16T12:10:48.654-07:00Too Much Wine?There’s a passage in John’s gospel, chapter 2, that is attractive to those of us who enjoy wine. But of course, this being written by John, there are hidden meanings that are much richer than this surface story — or a good Burgundy or Merlot. What was John getting across? How did Jesus’ miracle of<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/01/too-much-wine.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-80175365313351584382019-01-02T12:28:00.002-07:002019-01-02T13:14:26.830-07:00Only a ShepherdShepherds aren't the most socially-acceptable people, even in the best of times. They work outside, with smelly animals, they get dirty, and frankly, the smell of the sheep tends to rub off on them. Even when you stand upwind from a shepherd, you can find reasons to cringe. In the time of Jesus' birth, shepherds were <br>
<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2019/01/only-shepherd.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-48110962062395553222018-12-31T14:43:00.000-07:002018-12-31T14:43:17.747-07:00Watch Out, Oppressors! Oh yeah, and the rest of us too...Last time we looked at the first half of Mary's prophetic words, celebrating that she was bearing the Messiah in her womb, in Luke 1:46-50. That God is mighty and holy, and merciful, and that he took a humble village girl, still a teenager, into his magnificent plan for humanity, is the general theme of the first half. She could have stopped there and we'd all have been<br>
<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2018/12/watch-out-oppressors-oh-yeah-and-rest.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-53396309452369196572018-12-31T07:00:00.000-07:002018-12-31T07:00:06.966-07:00My Soul Magnifies...Mary's prophecy in Luke 1:46-55 is justifiably famous. One of the few formally-structured speeches in scripture by a woman, and in the form of a psalm (see for instance, <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psa+8&version=NLT" target="_blank">Psalm 8</a>), this is praise to God in thanks for his work ("he who is mighty has done great things for me", v 49) and in recognition of God's goodness "to those who fear him", v. 50. <br />
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True to Luke's emphasis in his two books, the Holy Spirit is shown leading Elizabeth to bless Mary (v. 42-45). It seems in context to give credit to the Holy Spirit for Mary's song of praise also. We could imagine that Mary had been thinking of some of these words during her trip to see her cousin, and holding on to these words (see 2:51b), giving them to Luke years later, perhaps for more literary stylizing as well.<br />
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The first portion, 46-49, is a joyful song of praise to the Lord. “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me,<br />
and holy is his name." It seems a little forward to imagine "all generations" referring to her in the future, but again, this is formal speech, and as it turns out, she was right.<br />
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What can we learn from this? Several different lessons, I believe. First, the responsibility, or perhaps better, the opportunity or privilege, of thanking God for what he does for us; recognizing his generosity, as a child would thank a parent for an ice-cream cone. Second, that we can gain a humble perspective by reflecting on his power and authority, ("he who is mighty") which is so far above ours, yet he takes notice of us and wishes to bless us ("has done great things for me").<br />
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The second half of this song has a more difficult tone, and we'll look at that tomorrow.Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-85895142889843826032018-12-29T15:26:00.001-07:002018-12-29T15:26:20.205-07:00Mary, Did You Really Know?Many little girls dream of their marriage to a handsome young man, a life filled with joy and the adventure of raising children. This was little different in the time of Mary and Joseph, with a couple of notable extras. First, they were under the thumb of a ruthless foreign power, taxed to death and never really safe from<br>
<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2018/12/mary-did-you-really-know.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-83947599452840365772018-12-28T09:15:00.001-07:002018-12-28T09:15:28.802-07:00Doing and DisbeliefLooking at some of the "supporting actors" in the drama of the Incarnation, in Matthew's and Luke's accounts, we see how they responded to the unique and surprising situations they lived in. Might there be some application in our lives? Perhaps. Let's <br>
<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2018/12/doing-and-disbelief.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-38810275654647115172018-12-19T10:50:00.000-07:002018-12-19T10:50:05.152-07:00"Anything but God"CS Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity, “Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” Isn’t that a very brief but very accurate description of human history? “The woman was convinced. She saw that <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2018/12/anything-but-god.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-40240259327075066652018-12-11T09:49:00.001-07:002018-12-11T09:49:23.574-07:00Joy in WaitingTwo elderly people were known to be righteous, but weren’t receiving the blessings one would expect from being faithful. What could be wrong? Children were seen as blessings from God, but these were not so blessed, even with ‘blameless’ lives. Maybe they had<a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2018/12/joy-in-waiting.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2852728733224249014.post-17400388278293248162018-11-28T12:01:00.000-07:002018-11-28T12:01:29.132-07:00And the Holy Spirit, TooSo many times I’ve wished I had more help in my life, to ditch a bad habit (I’ve had lots of those, and still have some) or just be happier. Although I hope your life is <a href="https://freshgrace.blogspot.com/2018/11/and-holy-spirit-too.html#more">Read more »</a>Pastor Mark McCulleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02362910971081873983noreply@blogger.com0