Tag: following Jesus

Ordinary Moments

Old Testament Reading: Exodus 31 & 32
Psalms Reading: Psalm 42
* New Testament Reading: Romans 12

The vast majority of life’s moments are simply ordinary for most of us. Even people who have exciting careers or riches and fame still have low-key moments in their lives. As a homeschooling mom, I like to think that I spend my days helping my children pursue an excellent education and engaging them in infinite stimulating activities with their full cooperation; in reality, though, I find that much of my time passes by tidying up messes I didn’t make, preparing meals that will soon be rejected, arguing about why they actually do need to learn the process of simplifying fractions, and washing laundry that has mysteriously amassed into a mountain overnight.

Even as a young adult, before my four Blessings were born, I often felt overwhelmed with the mundane. I wanted to do something BIG for God, not spend my long days as a teacher begging my students to stop throwing spitballs during the read-aloud.

Around that time, God showed me Romans 12 in a new light, through The Message paraphrase. The first verse, which was revolutionary to me, goes like this: “Take your everyday, ordinary, life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life, and place it before God as an offering.” For decades now, I have had that scripture posted around my home so I am always reminded of the value of the humdrum rhythms of life, the chance to make a difference in even the most unremarkable situations. Because most of life is without pomp and circumstance, we must learn to live each day with purpose, as all of our interactions with others have a kingdom impact. We should consider ourselves missionaries in the midst of our own school, job, and life.

Intrigued by the Danish lifestyle of hygge that represents a more simplistic and intentional way of living, I picked up the book “Holy Hygge” by Jamie Erickson. Have you heard of hygge (pronounced “HYOO-guh”)? Hygge is a word with complex meaning that is not directly translatable to English, but I believe that it goes along well with realizing that every moment of our lives is an offering to God. Simply put, “Hygge is a mindset – a way of making the mundane and necessary tasks of life more meaningful and beautiful… [hygge] helps us see that the whole of our lives is greater than the sum total of all the individual moments. The cup of coffee we sip with our roommate at the breakfast table each morning, the quick chat with the coworker as we share an elevator on our way into the office, the smile-and-wave we offer to the playground supervisor each afternoon while sitting in the pickup line – these all become a daily liturgy. We no longer grudge the monotony of a routine because hygge compels us to find the extra of each ordinary moment. In the words of author Annie Dillard, ‘How we spend our days, is, of course, how we spend our lives.’ ” (Holy Hygge, p. 15, 79-80).

Therefore, as followers of Jesus, it behooves us to realize the eternal importance of each action and interaction.  To quote Brennan Manning, “In every encounter, we either give life or we drain it. There is no neutral exchange.” Everything we do – or don’t do – makes an impression for the good or the bad. Every interaction is a chance to point to – or away from – Jesus through our actions. Every moment of our lives is meant to be an offering to God. 

Romans 12 goes on to share a lot about standing out from the world rather than blending into it (verses 1-2) and recognizing our gifts of grace from God and sharing our gifts with the right attitudes (verses 3-8). The rest of the chapter is almost like “popcorn proverbs” – little tidbits of reminders about how we should handle life’s challenges. In The Message version, each piece of advice has a second part to either reinforce the concept, show cause and effect, or suggest what NOT to do. I’ve put them into a chart below so you can see how they go together: 

Love from who you are;Don’t fake it.
Run for dear life from evil;Hold on for dear life to good.
Be good friends who love deeply;Practice playing second fiddle.
Don’t burn out;Keep yourselves fueled and aflame.
Be alert servants of the Master,cheerfully expectant.
Don’t quit in hard times;Pray all the harder.
Help needy Christians;Be inventive in hospitality.
Bless your enemies;No cursing under your breath.
Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy;Share tears when they’re down.
Get along with each other;Don’t be stuck up.
Make friends with nobodies;Don’t be the great somebody.
Don’t hit back;Discover beauty in everyone.
If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody.Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”
Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry… go buy that person lunch.
if he’s thirsty…get him a drink.
Your generositywill surprise him with goodness.
Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

This is a great list of things we can practice in the midst of our ordinary moments, and doing so will help shine the light of Jesus to the world around us, helping them see him in the monotony of life, too. 

-Rachel Cain

Rachel is the wife to Pastor Dan Cain and homeschooling mama to four children.

Reflection questions:

  1. Choose one or two of the “popcorn proverbs” in the chart that are a struggle for you. How and when will you apply them to the monotony of your days? 
  2. Romans 12:2 (MSG) says, “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.” What are some ways that you have fit in with the culture, but God is calling you to stand out for Him? 
  3. Think about the most monotonous part of your day. How can you redirect to focus on God during those times? (Listen to the Bible on audio while driving, pray while doing dishes, etc). 
  4. What has God shown about Himself in your reading of His words today?
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Take It Up Daily

Luke 9

Friday, December 17, 2022


“Then he said to them all: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” – Luke 9:23-26


What does the cross mean to you? Today, it is often seen around us as a symbol of Christianity, a beacon of hope, and a reminder of God’s love. Sometimes in our culture, it is even used in fashion and design outside the church for its aesthetic appeal. It’s “cool.”


But in ancient times, under the Roman Empire, it was feared. The cross was a means of torture and death. To hear their Lord say, “Take up your cross daily” was a terrifying concept. Early Christians died for the cross; for what it meant. Sometimes they even took up their cross literally. They denied themselves at all costs to take up their cross and be a true disciple.

To take up your cross is the noblest thing you can do. Jesus was a cross-bearer, leading the way for all who wish to follow him. He took up the ultimate cross, and denied himself in the ultimate way, giving up his entire life for a world of undeserving people. Following in his footsteps doesn’t mean giving oneself up for crucifixion, but being willing to deny your own wants and desires and follow God’s calling for your life daily, no matter what that is.

-Isabella Osborn


Reflection Questions:

  1. What cross are you being called to bear? Will you make the decision to answer that call today?
  2. Even if you are in a season of unknowns, what is the universal cross we are all called to bear?
  3. Bearing a cross, while unimaginably fulfilling, can definitely come with difficulty and be a huge burden. In what ways can you find joy in taking up your cross, even when the endeavor you’ve been charged with is a challenging one?
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You Follow Me!

John 21

April 18

After his resurrection from the dead, Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him. He answered yes three times. Then Jesus told Peter how he would die—apparently by crucifixion. Peter wondered about how it would go with John. So he asked Jesus, “What about this man?” Jesus brushed off the question and said, “What is that to you? You follow me!” Here’s the whole exchange.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.” Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who had been reclining at the table close to him and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:18-22)

Jesus words “None of your business, follow me” are sweet to my ears. They are liberating from the depressing bondage of fatal comparing. Of looking at someone else’s life and feeling inadequate.

I was encouraged by Jesus’ word to me (and you): “What is that to you? You follow me!” Peter had just heard a very hard word. You will die…painfully. His first thought was comparison. What about John? If I have to suffer, will he have to suffer? If my ministry ends like that, will his end like that? If I don’t get to live a long life, will he get to?

That’s the way we sinners are wired. Compare. Compare. Compare. We crave to know how we stack up in comparison to others.

That word landed on me with great joy. Jesus will not judge me according to my superiority or inferiority over anybody. No sibling. No friend. No ministry. These are not the standard. Jesus has a work for me to do (and a different one for you). It is not what he has given anyone else to do. There is a grace to do it. Will I trust him for that grace and do what he has given me to do? That is the question.

I hope you find encouragement and freedom today when you hear Jesus say to all your comparisons: “What is that to you? You follow me!”

Learning to walk in freedom with you.

-Andy Cisneros

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. In what areas do you most often fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others? When you compare yourself to others, do you more often see yourself on the shorter end of the stick or above others? What is the danger in either direction?
  2. How can we remember and put in action Jesus words: “What is that to you? You follow me!”
  3. What adjectives would you use to describe Jesus in this chapter? What are his priorities? Page through the previous chapters of John asking the same questions? How can you seek to be Christ-like this week? What work does Jesus have for you to do?
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Do You See?

John 20

April 17

Do You See? Have you recognized Jesus’ resurrection? Is it a foreign idea to you?

Here’s the issue: In verse 8 it says, “Then the other disciple [John], who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed” (John 20:8). What did he see? What did he believe? Jesus wasn’t there—just some cloths that he left behind.

Compare this to Mary in verse 18: She has met Jesus in the garden and spoken to him. She returns to the disciples and says, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18). We don’t have Mary’s direct evidence. We are more like John in the tomb—there is evidence, and either we see through it or we don’t. The issue is: Do you see? The issue is: Do I care? Do I find that idea helpful? Do I feel that it helps me flourish as a human being? And if it seems like it doesn’t, then I will just view it the way I view UFOs and possible life in some distant galaxy—I just don’t need to bother with it.

Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus’ followers, goes to His tomb only to find that He’s not there! Jesus appears to Mary and several others, fulfilling all that He had said about rising from the dead.

Either you see Christ risen and that changes you or Christ’s death is some obscure event that happened in the past.

The reality is Jesus is alive! He is risen! He can change us like he promised. We have no hope of changing ourselves. The only way we can put away sinful habits is through a relationship with Jesus made possible by His death and resurrection.

On the cross, Jesus clothed Himself in our sin. When Peter and John looked into the empty tomb, they saw Jesus was not there and He had left His burial clothes. John 20 shows us that Jesus left our sinful nature in the grave when He rose from the dead.

“Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29).

We do not have to be controlled by our desire to sin. Not only do we not have to be clothed in sin, the resurrection means we get to be clothed in something better. In Colossians 3:12, Paul says, “Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” Following Jesus allows us to put away our old lives and begin new ones.

If you think this does not matter to you, remember, those who are in Christ—that is, who believe on him, and belong to him, and receive forgiveness and reconciliation from him—will be raised with him. And Paul says in Philippians 3:21 that Jesus “will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” This is not a UFO, or irrelevant life on another galaxy. This is what will happen when God judges the world by a man, Jesus Christ.

Do you see?

-Andy Cisneros

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

  1. Do you see that Jesus is alive? What evidence leads you to believe that Jesus rose from the dead and is living today?
  2. What does it mean to you that you don’t have to be clothed in sin any more? Are you still? What does one do to make the transition from living the old life to the new? If you aren’t sure, who can you talk to about it?
  3. Who do you know who needs to see? What can you show them about Jesus – today?
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload

Known by Your Love

John 13

April 10

Do the people you pass in your daily life know that you follow Jesus? Your coworker in the adjacent cubicle, the cashier at the grocery store, your neighbor down the street? How do they know? It’s probably not the length of your prayers, the Bible verses you have memorized, the fancy church jargon you use, or the gourmet casseroles you bring to your church potlucks. 

They will know you by your love. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35).

Following Jesus isn’t about knowing the most, but loving the most. 

Love is our faith in action. It might not always make sense to unbelievers, especially in the midst of our self-obsessed culture. 

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matthew 5:44). 

Sell your possessions and give to the poor (Luke 12:33). 

Honor one another above yourselves (Romans 12:10).

Look after orphans and widows in their distress (James 1:27). 

Carry each other’s burdens (Galatians 6:2). 

We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters (1 John 3:16). 

When we love—even when it doesn’t make sense—we show our allegiance to Jesus. He is the perfect personification of love. This week, we celebrate the love he showed on the cross, where he bled and died to win your heart, where he was scoffed at by a world who couldn’t make sense of such great love. 

If we’re followers of Jesus, we’ll do as Jesus did. We’re called to pour even when our cup is empty, to give when it hurts, to expect nothing in return, and to lay down our lives for others. By this, the world will know you belong to Jesus. 

-Mackenzie McClain

Discussion & Reflection Questions: 

  1. Who will you show this nonsensical love to this week? How will you do it?
  2. Loving others cost Jesus his life. What might loving others cost you?
  3. By being known as a follower of Jesus, people will make assumptions about who Jesus is based upon how they see you act. What implications does this have for how you live your daily life? 
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Believe the Works

John 10

If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me. But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.

John 10:37-38

In chapter 10 we get to see Jesus once again being challenged by the Pharisees. His reply here reminds us that our actions matter more than our words. He tells them that since they don’t believe his words, to judge him by his actions.

This mirrors what Jesus said in Matthew 7:

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

And also what we read in Proverbs 20:

Even a child makes himself known by his acts, by whether his conduct is pure and upright.

It also reminds me of this saying a friend shared with me several years ago:

I don’t trust words. I even question actions. But I never doubt patterns.

You see, people can lie with their words. They can even act in the ‘right’ way and mislead you…for awhile. Eventually, if we are looking for them, patterns reveal themselves.

Not only is this something we should be aware of and be watching for in others in order to live a discerning life; but also something that we should be aware of in our own life. I’m wondering if we could confidently say, “Even if you don’t believe my words, watch my actions. That will convince you.” Paul said something like that to the church in Corinth when he wrote:

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.

After Jesus issues his challenge to the Pharisees and the others listening, we’re told that he goes away from them, but many people followed him to where he went. Then we’re told that:

And many believed in him there.

I guess his actions spoke for themselves.

-Susan Landry

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

  1. Discuss the idea of not trusting words, even actions, but watching for patterns. Why is this important?
  2. Why is it so scary to think about telling people they could ignore our words and just watch our actions? Why do you think Paul was confident enough to say that?
  3. Take some time to look for patterns in your own life.
    1. Look for patterns that may reveal things you want to change.
    2. Look for patterns that show positive traits that could point someone to Christ.
2022 SeekGrowLove Bible Reading PlanDownload

Reminders

Isaiah 63-64, Titus 3

Life is so busy and complicated that I have to create lots of reminders for myself.  Fortunately, my phone and computer and watch all have features where I can set reminders for myself.  “Doctors appointment Tuesday at 3:00.  Take the garbage to the dump on the way to work in the morning.  Stop by the store after work and pick up some milk and bread.” I can even set reminders months or years in advance.  I can set alarms to remind me that in 2 hours I have a meeting.  In 1 hour I have a meeting.  In 15 minutes I have a meeting.  The Meeting is now starting.  Maybe I’m too busy or maybe I’m getting old, but I find myself more and more needing reminders.

Do you ever need reminders?  Little kids need to be reminded to brush their teeth, make their bed, do their homework.  What do you need reminders for?

The Apostle Paul thought reminders were important for Christians.  I guess he understood how easy it can be to forget what’s important when we are busy living life and doing  what’s necessary or urgent.  Do Christians ever forget important things about God, about Jesus, about how we are supposed to live?  Yep, we sure do.

In Titus 3 Paul tells Titus to remind the believers of some important things.

“Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and always to be gentle toward everyone.” -Titus 3:1-2

Those reminders were important in the first century when Christianity was brand new and people were still learning the basics, but it’s been 2000 years.  We’ve certainly got being a Christian all figured out by now, don’t we?  Do we really need to be reminded to obey people in authority?  Do we need to be reminded to always be ready to do good?  Don’t all Christians always do what is good?   Certainly we never  slander or falsely accuse someone of wrong doing.  I’m always peaceable and considerate and gentle toward everyone, aren’t you? (My tongue is in my cheek- that means I’m kidding).

To tell the truth, I still need to be reminded all of those things.  Just because I’ve been reading the Bible for over 50 years doesn’t mean I always remember to do good.  I still need to be reminded to be considerate and gentle, and so do you.  That’s why Christianity was never designed to be lived in isolation, but in community.  We need each other.  There’s a passage in Hebrews (a different book from today’s reading,  but important) Hebrews 10:24-25 says that Christians shouldn’t get out of the habit of meeting together, because we need to encourage (I think Hebrews says “spur one another on”, like a rider spurs on a horse) each other.  

Following Jesus is hard some times.  Being obedient to God is hard some times.  Remembering to do good and be gentle is hard sometimes.  I need help, I need encouragement to keep on doing what is right.  I need you, and you need me, we need each other.

I’ve read the Bible many times in my life and I need to keep on reading it to help me remember all the important things I need to remember.  Today’s readings in Isaiah 63-64 and Titus 3 remind us both about God’s wrath and about God’s mercy.  God has both.  God hates sin, he hates it when his children are brutal to each other.  He hates it when his children fight and argue.  He hates sin because he loves us and he knows that sin hurts us.  We hurt each other when we sin.  No parent likes to see their children hurt each other.  We learned that from our Father, God.

So keep reading your Bible and keep coming to Church and meeting with other believers so that you can remind them and they can remind you to keep on following Jesus.

“Hey Siri  set a reminder for 7 a.m. tomorrow:  be considerate and gentle to everyone.”

“Alexa, remind me to get up for Church Sunday at 8:00.”

-Jeff Fletcher

Today’s Bible reading plan passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway.com here – Isaiah 63-64 and Titus 3

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Governing Authorities

2 Chronicles 27-28 and Romans 13

In today’s reading, we read about Jotham, in 2 Chronicles 27:6, that “Jotham grew powerful because he walked steadfastly before the Lord his God.”  Then about his successor, Ahaz, in 2 Chronicles 28:19, “The Lord had humbled Judah because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he had promoted wickedness in Judah and had been most unfaithful to the Lord.”

Then in Romans 13:1, we read, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

Wait a minute, in the Old Testament reading, we read about a good king, and the blessings that came because of his faithfulness, then we read about a wicked king, and the punishment that came because of his unfaithfulness.  And then in the New Testament reading, we’re told to submit to all governing authorities, because God has established them?  This doesn’t seem to make sense.  Shouldn’t we submit to good rulers, and rebel against bad rulers?

As intuitively right as this seems, this isn’t what God commands us to do.  By submitting to authority, God isn’t telling us to take part in their sins, or even endorse their sins.  But we do need to submit to governing authorities.  Period.  I have known of Christians who refused to pay taxes, because they alleged those taxes went to fund wicked practices.  But God demands submission.  We, as Christians, need to submit to ruling authorities.  We must pay our taxes (in this example), because that is our responsibility.  We aren’t responsible for how those taxes are spent.  Judgement for that will fall on someone else’s head.

Romans 13:2 goes on to say, “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves.”  You may complain about my pointing this out, but God is the one who said it, so if you have a complaint, take it up with Him.  This clearly says that civil disobedience is sin.  Period.

Romans 13 goes on to say in verse 7, “Give everyone what you owe him.  If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”  I’ve seen Christians who have a bumper sticker that says, “Not my president.”  I think that bumper sticker should really say, “I claim to be a Christian, but I am a hypocrite.” or “I refuse to obey God.”  

The problem is, many Christians think that this or that political party will save them.  They don’t seem to realize that all human rulers are wicked.  Instead of getting so worked up about politics, we should focus on the end of Romans 13, where we’re told in verse 11, “The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”

The bottom line is this… Jesus is coming soon.  Don’t get so worked up about politics, or following this leader or that leader.  Wake up.  Follow Jesus.  His return is very soon.  Don’t love this world or the things of this world.  Be zealous for Jesus!

I’ll close with Luke 21:28, “…Stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”


–Steve Mattison

Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – 2 Chronicles 27-28 and Romans 13

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The Early Church : The Growth of the Church

Acts 4


If you are an older reader, especially who was around for the 70s and 80s, you probably remember the Church Growth movement of the 60s and 70s. During this time, many people in the church focused on increased numbers; more people in the pews. In the 80s and 90s, the big push was for “seeker-sensitive” Christianity, making churches open and safe for those who were just beginning to seek Jesus. The impulse to grow and have more people come to Jesus is not wrong in any way! One way to define the mission of the church could be “more Christians, better Christians”: growing in quantity and quality. Both are important. A lot of really mediocre Christians, with no intention of acting and being better, is bad; a handful of super quality Christians, with no intention of growing, is bad.  


What did growth look like in the early church? In Acts 2, we read one example of growth. In verse forty-one, we read these words : “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” 


Three

THOUSAND?!


Peter must have had a very clever marketing strategy. He must have understood his target demographic. I wonder who his social media manager was and who worked his SEO. Of course, it’s none of those things. Those things aren’t bad; but anachronistic. Peter must have given them something else.  We do know why so many came to faith that day. 


He gave them Jesus. 

Jesus said “And I, when I am lifted up, will draw all people to myself.” (John 12:32) We lift up Jesus, we tell others of what he has done and how great he is, and he draws people in. 


In Acts 4, we see the qualitative growth of the church as well. After Peter and John are told not to proclaim the name of Jesus, they prayed to God. And God causes them to grow. They were filled with the Holy Spirit, they spoke boldly. They shared all their possessions, they cared for one another, they made sure that everyone was taken care of. 


The early church, by lifting up Jesus and living the way he lived and taught, grew in number and in character: more Christians, better Christians. When we look to our own churches, we should pray that we see the same growth, the same kind of growth, that the church got in Acts. We should be praying that God would use us to tell more people about Jesus, so they can come to know him, and we should be praying for God to make us better followers of Jesus today than we were yesterday. 

-Jake Ballard

Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – 1 Samuel 19-20 and Acts 4

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Allegiance to the King

1 Samuel 7-8 and John 19

            When I was a kid in public school back in the dark ages, we used to begin each school day by standing at our desks, placing our hand over our heart, facing the United States flag and pledging our allegiance to that flag.  We did it day after day, year after year.  I never thought much about it, it was just something you did.  In music classes we sang “God bless America, land that I love…”  Then in 6th grade we had a new kid in the class named John.  I didn’t like John very much- as an early bloomer I had actually been the tallest kid in the class for the previous couple of years (with the exception of Linda, a freakishly tall girl).  But among the boys I was the tallest which was a great help on the basketball court where I ruled during recess and after school.  But tall, lanky John was a good 2-3 inches taller than me.  Fortunately, his height did not translate into coordination and he wasn’t any good at basketball, so I still ruled supreme there, but it was still annoying that my height domination had been superceded.  (Fun fact, I stopped growing after 6th grade, so while I was a massively tall presence on the basketball court at 5’10” in sixth grade, by the time I hit 9th grade, still 5’10” I was too short, not quick enough and didn’t have a good enough outside jump shot so I didn’t bother to try out for the high school team.  Post-up skills don’t go very well with being NOT the tallest kid on the team). 

But I digress, back to lanky, uncoordinated taller John who wore clothes that looked outdated and never seemed to comb his hair, and was just a weird kid.  What really set this weird kid, John, apart was that when the rest of us stood by our desks to pledge allegiance to the flag every morning, John didn’t stand.  What is with this strange outlier among us?  Eventually, I discovered the reason for this.  John said he didn’t stand for the pledge of allegiance because he was a Jehovah’s Witness and it was against his religion.  His parent also didn’t vote, and they didn’t celebrate their birthdays or Christmas.  I was quite relieved that I wasn’t a Jehovah’s Witness.  I got to celebrate my birthday and Christmas, I didn’t have to be the odd-ball sitting during the pledge,  and my parents got to vote for Richard Nixon as President.  (that didn’t age well, now, did it?).

It was at that time that I first became aware that for some religious people there was a connection between their religious faith, how they worshipped God on Sunday, and other parts of their life like politics.  It’s been nearly 50 years since I learned that Jehovah’s Witnesses like John didn’t pledge allegiance to the flag, but I still remember that day I learned it.

What do we mean by allegiance?  Webster’s dictionary defines allegiance as:

“the obligation of a feudal vassal to his liege lord, the fidelity owed by a subject or citizen to a sovereign or government. Devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause. allegiance to a political party. Synonyms:adhesion, attachment, commitment, constancy, dedication, devotedness, devotion, faith, faithfulness, fastness, fealty, fidelity, loyalty, piety, steadfastness, troth.”

That’s a lot to unpack but for our purposes look at some of those synonyms like commitment, devotion, faith etc… those are all clearly religious words.  For many people their flag represents their nation, their family, their people, their way of life, all that matters to them.  Particularly those who serve in the military often have a ferocious loyalty and allegiance.  The Marine Core motto is Semper Fi, Latin for Always Faithful.

What does any of this have to do with today’s readings?  In his books Salvation by Allegiance Alone and Gospel Allegiance, Matthew Bates makes the case that the Greek word “pistis”, which is often translated “faith” into most English translations of the Bible should more accurately be translated “allegiance.”  Salvation, then is transformed from simply faith in Jesus Christ to Allegiance to Jesus as Christ, or more precisely, Allegiance to Jesus as God’s anointed King.  What does it look like to place your allegiance in Jesus as God’s anointed King over the whole earth? 

In today’s readings in 1 Samuel and John’s Gospel the concept of king and allegiance come to the forefront of both narratives.  During the time of Samuel Israel transitioned from being led by various judges: Gideon, Deborah, Samson and others to a place where they demanded to be led by a king.  Their stated reason for wanting a king was interesting as they wanted “to be like all of the other nations.”  Think of the teenager who makes a request to a parent and when rebuked comes back with “but all the other kids are doing it.”   Samuel took the people’s request for a king as a personal rejection of his leadership, but God pointed out that HE had been their king since they left Egypt and that this constituted a rejection of Him, not Samuel.  God told Samuel to go ahead and give the people what they wanted, a king, along with a word of warning- kings require those in their kingdom to show them a high level of Allegiance, and if you get a narcissistic, proud man as king you will regret it as he will use his power to enrich and empower himself still more.  “Yeah, but we still want to be like everybody else.”

So begins the next phase of Israel’s history in the time of the kings and in coming weeks you will read about those king’s like Saul, David, Solomon and many others.  You will see how even the bravest and godliest, like David and the wisest, like Solomon, misused their power and privilege and eventually the kingdom split, then was taken into captivity and constantly battled the empires and kingdoms around them.  Having a sinful king was no better than a judge.  How much better it would have been if they had simply given their full allegiance to God as their king.

In the Gospel of John Israel gets a do over.  God has given them His own son, Jesus, the sinless human representative of God to be their king.  After Jesus is arrested and brought before Pilate to be judged and sentenced Pilate looks to persuade the Jewish people to change their minds about Jesus.  “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews. But they shouted, “Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!” “Shall I crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar” the chief priests answered. Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.”

In the account in Samuel, Israel rejects God as their king so that they can be like everybody else.  He gives them that choice.  In the Gospel of John, a thousand years after they rejected God as king, God’s son, Jesus,  is presented to them as their king, and once again they decisively reject God’s anointed King. Instead, they demanded that he be crucified.  They declared their allegiance that day to Caesar, I guess because they wanted to be like everybody else.  Not much changed in 1000 years in Israel.

2000 years and half a world a way we still have the same choice.  To whom will we give our allegiance?  Will we give our allegiance to the principalities and powers of this age.  Will we give our loyalty to trying to be like everybody else, going along with the crowd, whatever direction the crowd decides we should be going?  Or will we give our allegiance to God’s anointed king, Jesus?

            If you are a Christian living in this world you are a resident alien living in exile.  Your body may be in Ohio or Indiana or Virginia or India, but your citizenship is in Heaven because that’s where your King is currently living.  One day King Jesus will return from heaven to earth and reign right here on earth during the renewal of all things (See 1 Corinthians 15:20-24).  But for now, you and I are living in exile and while  living in exile we should strive to be respectful and law abiding in areas that don’t conflict with our primary allegiance to King Jesus (See Romans 13).  You can be a good citizen in many ways, but never forget that if you are a follower of Jesus, your allegiance is to him first and foremost, not to your country, or your family, or your friends, or your culture or fashion or whatever seeks to define you.  Your allegiance must be to Jesus.

            Can you be a Christian and still pledge allegiance to the US flag?  My childhood classmate John thought, “No, you can’t” and Christians may not always agree on these kinds of questions, but there should be no doubt in your mind as to whom your ultimate allegiance is due, Jesus Christ the King, and God our Father.

-Jeff Fletcher

Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at BibleGateway here – 1 Samuel 7-8 and John 19.

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