Saturday, February 27th

We operate in “chronos,” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year…chronological time that is fleeting and elusive, and we know it. Still, we try to manage time with day planners and appointment books and smart phones. We try to hold time by dwelling in the past or bracing for the future. We attempt to trick time, often we waste time, we speak of “killing time,” we wish to go “back in time.” We have a difficult relationship with time as we know it.


But there is something outside of time as we know it. There is “kairos,” the “fullness of time” when God acts. It is, as author Stephen Smith describes it, “the ‘time in between’ sequential time when God breaks through.” The author of Ecclesiastes puts it this way:

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven…He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him.”{Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 11-14}

Amen

Jennifer Shaw

Friday, February 26th

Behold the Eiffel Tower. 

Built in the late 1880s, it’s a marvel of human innovation, engineering and artistic achievement. Yet it almost was never built.

Renowned architect and builder Gustave Eiffel faced years of delays and red tape. As the plans were drawn, Parisians complained that its height – at more than 1,000 feet the tallest structure on earth at that time – would present incredible dangers. The structure would change weather patterns, attract supercharged lightning bolts, cast shadows that would stunt nearby plant growth and be too massive for the ground to support, they protested.

Eiffel placed his considerable fortune at risk – personally guaranteeing any losses of life, limb or property – to make his dream come true.

Girder by girder, beam by beam this masterpiece started coming together in a very slow, purposeful process. Such a structure had never been built before. There were successes and setbacks throughout its more than two-year construction. Yet, on March 31, 1889 the Eiffel Tower was inaugurated, and it transformed the Paris skyline forever. Today it’s the most visited structure in the world, with more than 200 million visitors since it opened.

Transformation is difficult. It takes time. We can’t rush it. It can be painful. We have to let Jesus in. We need to let go of old things and embrace new ones. But in the process our skyline is forever changed.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I place myself at your feet, opening my heart to all you would show me and allowing you the space to transform me. Amen.



Ed Klodt

Thursday, February 25th

I Am Lazarus


God builds a mosaic of life with joys and sorrows, and we do not often see the entire picture or understand His plan until it is complete. God assembles rough edged grays and blacks, smooth and shining bits of yellows, passions and pieces of red, and elements of green and orange with emotions and tones of blue into a complete and wonderful mosaic of life. At some point in time we may be privileged to glimpse a portion of the mosaic being created or understand His unfolding purpose in life’s events. We may be able to see a revelation of His mysterious wonders, His bringing together of life’s events as when Lazarus emerged from the tomb.

The Fullness of Time

The fullness of time had come

With Lazarus’ healing completed

For he emerged from the tomb

With death and destruction defeated

Mary’s joys were fulfilled

With every tear wiped away

Martha’s faith was sustained

On that glorious resurrection day

The bystanders were filled with faith

And joined the Messianic throng

The evil priests were ensnared

And the way to Calvary begun

Revelation 7:14-17 (New International Version):

“…“These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore, “they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

RS

Wednesday, February 24th

I’ve lost over 100 pounds, nearly half of it recently. When people ask me how I did it, I could say I started running, I went (mostly) vegetarian, I count calories, I chew sugar-free gum at night in front of the television when I’d rather snack. All of these answers are correct, but they’re not entirely true.


The truth is I didn’t do it. I gave it to God. He did it. No matter how hard I tried, how diligent I was, how much I wanted it, I simply could not do it on my own.

When people ask me how long it took, I could say I lost about 45 pounds in about 7 months. Correct, not entirely true. It took me 23 years. Years of gaining and losing and losing and gaining and failing and trying again.

That’s a long time to struggle and wonder and wait. A long way to accept that my Savior will carry this burden along with every other. And part of my journey toward knowing God loves me without condition, and that He will direct my ways when I seek to follow Him.

This is my path. I’m not saying everyone should be a runner…or a vegetarian…or a gum-chewer…or any certain weight. I just know God wants us to be free…and joyful…and truly ourselves…and, most of all, His.

And God’s timing is perfect.

Lord, help us know “they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” {Isaiah 40:31}

Jennifer Shaw

Tuesday, February 23rd

A half hour can last forever. Just ask my now adult-children, Matthew and Hannah.


When they were younger, typically a “time-out” for misbehavior meant spending a half hour or so in their rooms. It was an eternity for them. Yet, for me, that time flew by.

It was the same 30 minutes. Yet our perceptions of that period were completely different.

Different ways of looking at the same thing: time.

So it is with God and us. In The Lazarus Life, Stephen Smith, introduces us to the concept of chronos (literal time that can be plotted) and kairos time (the appointed time in the purpose of God). In a sense, although both terms relate to the same concept they refer to very different perceptions of it. Clearly my kids were on the chronos timeclock where every second would bring them closer to being sprung from their bedroom prison. I, on the other hand, was on kairos time, baby – less concerned about the actual 30 minutes than ensuring they understood why they had been placed in isolation.

Normally we’re fine with God taking his sweet kairos time. “Sure God,” we say, “no hurry. I’ll wait for your answer.” That is, until we hit a rough patch. That’s when chronos time kicks in for most of us. “I need that job now, Lord. The bills are coming due” . . . or . . . “I’m lonely and want a new relationship – now, please!” . . . or . . . “My wife’s cancer needs to be cured. Hurry!”

It’s that way with transformation, as well . . . isn’t it? We invite Jesus into our lives and we expect things to change immediately. Yet for most of us that change occurs slowly, deliberately. And it’s only when we look back that we understand transformation takes place in kairos, not chronos, time.

God’s timing, not ours.

Chronos time? I think I like kairos better.

Prayer: Jesus, today I throw open the doors of my life that you would transform me – all in the timing you think best. Amen.

Ed Klodt

Monday, February 22nd

I am not a patient person. You would know that if you are in the car in front of me and not going the speed limit. And yet so much of my time is spent doing exactly what I don’t want to be doing- waiting for something. Waiting for the dinner to be done, waiting for it to rain, waiting for it to be finished raining, waiting for my day off, waiting for my friend to call me back, etc.

And in so many of these instances I ask why? Why do I have to wait? Why can’t what I want just happen now. Especially if it is a “good” thing that will help make life better.

I have discovered that why is sometimes a maddening question. Even if I get the answer to it, it doesn’t usually make what I want to happen actually happen any faster.

So I am learning to ask a more helpful question. Like the question “what now?” In other words, God, what might you do with me while I wait? How are you trying to shape me and teach me in this time? What illusions and expectations do I need to let go of? What does my impatience teach about me, about my faith?

Dear Lord, in this Lenten journey toward Easter trasformation, teach me see you at work in my waiting. Amen.

Pastor Tim

Saturday, February 20th

Who AM I! What part of the narrative of Lazarus is mine?


Am I Lazarus? I also have a perishable body subject to disease and death. Some day I too will enter the grave. Am I a friend of Mary who came to comfort her in her grief? A friend who accompanied her to the tomb and witnessed the Glory of the Lord in the resurrection of Lazarus? A friend who heard the voice of the Lord call out. “come out” and saw Lazarus arise from the tomb alive? Am I the friend who saw and heard the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, and put my faith in Him on that day, the very day when my whole life was transformed by the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ?

We are those who have heard the Word of God. We are those who have put our faith in Jesus Christ. We are those whom God will raise up in a twinkling of an eye with imperishable bodies, changed by the power of God. We are the witnesses to the healing power and glory of God. We are his beloved.

Lord, let us see and comprehend Your glory. Let us experience Your healing power. Strengthen our faith and help us be faithful witnesses to the Eternal Son of God through whom we receive abundant life. Amen

R.S.

Friday, February 19th

I am Lazarus, desperately in need of transformation.

I keep a note tucked into my Bible to remind me of that. The note is actually someone’s shopping list. Onto the back of it is scrawled the name and license plate number of the young woman whose gold Saturn hit me one evening while I was in the drive-through lane of our nearby In-n-Out burger.

I was just sitting there, waiting for my turn to inch forward to talk into the squawk box and place my order. All of a sudden . . . BANG!

I bounded out of my car to check the damage and make sure the scofflaw didn’t just drive off. I was angry. She noticed. In fact, my first words were something like “DIDN’T YOU SEE ME JUST SITTING THERE? WEREN’T YOU PAYING ATTENTION????” She apologized repeatedly.

There wasn’t any visible damage to either car. But I was ticked off enough to demand that she write down her name, phone number, insurance information and her car’s license plate number. Unnecessary, really, since there was no damage. But I was steamed and was going to make a point.

After a few minutes, she returned from her car and handed me a note – her shopping list, presumably the only piece of paper she could find – on the back of which she had written the information I had asked for. Only then did I notice her personalized license plate, which read, “AGAPAY.” I asked her if it meant what I thought. Indeed, her response and the cross hanging from her rearview mirror confirmed that it did.

“Agape,” Greek for the greatest, deepest love that exists anywhere. Agape, the love that God has for me, even when I lose my temper with others. Agape, the love Jesus lifted high as he was being pinned to the cross. Agape, exactly what I didn’textend to this young driver, even though my Lord and my faith require it.

I am Lazarus, desperately in need of transformation.

Only, now I know it.

Ed Klodt

Thursday, February 18th

Who am I?

Am I Lazarus – soul sick, dying, trapped in a tomb, brought to life, transformed? Am I his sister Martha – busy, worried, distracted by many things, able to believe and declare that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God? Am I Mary – grieving so greatly that Jesus wept, listening so gracefully at Jesus’ feet?

Who are we?

We might respond to that question of identity in many different ways at any given time. But though it all, we hold to what Lazarus and his sisters knew when their friend Jesus called “come out.” We are those whom God helps. His children. His creation. His beloved. Those in whom He delights.

Those whom He transforms. We are as He made us, and as he remakes us, every day.

Dear Lord, help us know that you are God. You made us, and we are yours; we are your people, the sheep of your pasture. {Psalm 100}

Jenifer Shaw

Ash Wednesday- February 17th

I am Lazarus.

God, I begin this Lenten journey today knowing that if I am not Lazarus, I need to be. That is because Lazarus means “whom God helps.” And if I don’t know that I need your help- I should know.

So I am asking for your help. Please take me through this process. At the end of it, may I, at the very least, become open to your help.

I warn you though. I am going be your biggest barrier in this process of transformation. I am going to resist, complain, try to take care of my problems by myself in my own shortsighted way, and I am going to take credit for any success. Also, I tend to have a limited imagination. My version of transformation probably doesn’t look anywhere near what you have got planned for me.

So at the very beginning of this process, as the ashes are put upon my forehead in the form of a cross, may I remember that I am dust. But may I also remember that you can do good things with dust. Amen.

An Invitation to our Lenten Journey together

The Lenten Journey Towards Easter: The Lazarus Life

The season of Lent begs us to look at our own lives. It invites us on a 40 day journey to look at who we are and who we want to be. We are called to look at the longings of our life, the unmet expectations and even the disappointments.

Often we don’t look too deep. Maybe we don’t want too. Maybe we don’t know how. Maybe we just don’t have time. But we begin our Lenten journey by putting ashes on our forehead and hearing the words “remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return,” and we are reminded in a stark way that we are mortal and that there is more to life than the shallow surface.

Of course the Lenten journey doesn’t stop at the ashes. The ashes are just the beginning of a journey with a destination. And this year we journey with Lazarus, a man whose name literally means “one whom God helps.” Lazarus is a wonderful reminder that as we spent time in Lent looking deeper into our lives, coming to terms with our brokenness, what we are doing is creating room for God to work, to use his strength in our weakness, to bring His help.

This is the process called transformation.

It is not an easy process. Sometimes it is messy. Sometimes it stinks. Sometimes we go forward only to fall back. The book The Lazarus Life reminds us of this. But it also reminds us that if we can create space for Jesus, He will fill that space and bring His transformation.

So you are invited to join us on this journey. You can get the book at church or order it on line. You can come to Ascension on the weekend and hear the sermon each week. And you can receive join us on this daily blog as Ascensions Adult Education team will provide daily reflections on the themes of the book and the story of Lazarus as told in the 11 chapter of John.

Our reflections will start on Wed. Feb. 16th. May God bless you this season of Lent.

Author Steven Smith talks about The Lazarus Life