Feeding Each Other

A friend of mine who is on the worship team recently remarked that the only thing cooler than getting to serve Jesus is to look out into the Sanctuary and see people worshipping Jesus.  I totally understand what she means, for I have participated as a musician myself.  And I have found this to be true whether in a secular setting or a sacred one.  A few of my fondest memories include an ASU Band Day performance in 1980, a tour choir concert in Tallinn, Estonia in 1990, and a Phoenix Symphony performance of "Messiah" in 2002.  In each of those performances, I recall the reaction of the audiences - and how we fed off of them.  One Sunday in choir at my previous church, we had a guest artist who told us that when we're up there singing about the Holy Spirit, God sometimes gives us some of that Holy Spirit back to us. So true! Experienced musicians know that at just the right moment, the performers and the audience feed off of each other.

Feeding off of each other not only applies in artistic performance.  I've seen it happen when an audience responds enthusiastically to a speaker.  We see it when our favorite sports team performs well.

Most importantly, however, I believe that feeding off of each other is most meaningful when the sharing occurs within a small group or even between two individuals.  I've witnessed this during table discussions in our classes at church.  I've witnessed this interaction amongst people gathering in our lobby.  I've witnessed this when a client receives a food box at our Resource Center - a spiritual feeding as well as a physical one.

Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved him.  Three times Peter said yes.  And three times Jesus told Peter, "Feed my sheep."  This is a command for all of us.  For a healthy Christian community to survive, it is necessary that we feed and be fed by each other.  We all need Pauls and Timothys and Barnabases to speak life into each other.  That is what feeds us.

As I reflect upon my own faith journey, I recall times when I was fed and when I was able to feed others.  Each of these were a growth experience for me.  During each of these encounters, it was never required that I perform a miracle (as if I could!).  All that was required was for someone to provide the loaves and fishes.  It was God that multiplied the blessing and performed the miracle!

Read:  John 21:15-17, Acts 11:25-26, 1 Corinthians 4:16-17, John 6:9-14

Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?

One day Philip asked Jesue to show the Father to the disciples.  Jesus replied to him stating that if you have seen me then you have seen the Father.

That was then, when Jesus walked the Earth.  but what about now?  Have you seen Jesus?  Let alone the Father?

That question is easily answered in a contemporary hymn entitled, "Have You Seen Jesus My Lord?"  Composed in 1970, John Fischer was inspired by the view from his California home.  The lyrics ask the listener if they have ever seen a sunset with sky changing colors, or if they have ever stood at the edge of the ocean and felt the awesome power of the waves pounding at their feet.  

I recall a time when I was serving at a church camp on Mingus Mountain and marveling at the stars and the Milky Way blazing in the night sky.  I asked the question, "How can anyone gaze upon this scene and not believe in God?"  Indeed, Psalm 19:1 states that the heavens themselves proclaim the Glory of God and His Creation.

As recorded in Genesis and again in the first chapter of John, Jesus was present at the Creation.  So if you've seen a sunset, felt the ocean waves, and gazed upon the night sky - as well as countless other wonders of nature - then you've seen Jesus.  AND the Father.

Read: John 14:8-10, Isaiah 33:17, Psalm 19:1, Genesis 1:26, John 1:1-3

I Am The Resurrection...and Love

I had a friend who often shared the story of his fatal heart attack.  It wasn't a story of pain and suffering.  It wasn't even a story of his miraculous healing when his failing heart was revived.  Rather, the story he shared was of the feeling he had while he was clinically dead.  All he could feel was an overwhelming sense of love.  Not long before this incident took place, Tom had accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  This incident served to affirm his faith and his hope in the eternal life that Jesus promises.  1 Corinthians 13, also known as the love chapter, reminds us of the power of faith, hope, and love - emphasizing that love is the greatest of them.  And 1st John tells us that God Himself is love.

Tom's story is unique as very few people have gone through an experience such as this.  Lazarus - whom Jesus raised from the dead - comes to mind.  I often wondered how Lazarus reacted after Jesus brought him back to life.  Did Lazarus resent being snatched away from Heaven?  But as I reflect on Tom's testimony, I believe Lazarus may have been grateful to have the opportunity to share his experience.  Most certainly he did not fear death for he knew firsthand what awaited him when that moment came again.

After his new lease on life, Tom loved to share this his testimony of faith, hope, and love to everyone who would listen.  Tom has since passed on to live in the Presence of God himself.  No longer does he need faith and hope because he is experiencing the presence of Love itself - a love that was always there. A love that is always there.  A love that will always be there.

Read: 1 Corinthians 13, 1 John 4:16, John 11:25-26