Reflexion, A Spiritual Community

Francisco Firmont

Quite Prayer May 5 2019

Quite prayer lead by Chuck Smith Jr

Mark 15:1-15 and John 18:33-38

Way back at the beginning of John’s narrative of Jesus’ ministry, when John the Baptist first saw Jesus, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God. who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29) John’s source for the image of the lamb was the sacrificial worship of Israel – this symbol was embedded in Israel’s collective memory  • the offering of a lamb provided atonement for Israel’s sin  • “atone” means to cover  – when it came to sin, God had his people covered Again early in Jesus’ ministry, ...

John 17:1-9 - Today it will feel like we’re moving backwards in time

Last week we jumped to the end of John’s gospel, because it was Easter Sunday – today we return to night of Jesus’ arrest prior to his crucifixion • think of what we are doing this way: ◦ some films include flashbacks to events that occurred prior to the current period  ◦ flashbacks supply explanations or fill in important details  • so this week and next, will be like flashbacks for us  ◦ scenes of events leading up to Jesus’ resurrection  – the “Church Calendar” is an ancient tradition  •...

John 21

Here in the last chapter of John, we find an interesting correlation – in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark, at beginning of Jesus’ ministry, • he encounters four fishermen whom he calls to follow him ◦ Andrew and Peter are casting their net into the water ◦ James and John are in their boat mending their nets • the Gospel of Luke tells us Jesus saw two empty boats by the shore ◦ he explains that the fishermen were washing their nets Jesus stepped into a boat that happened to belong to Peter ...

Mark 14:26-31; Luke 22:35-38 and John 15:1-11

Did you know Gospel of Mark does not have proper ending? Women came to Jesus’ tomb, the body was gone, but an angel met them there and instructed them to go tell his disciples that he had risen. Then the last words of Mark’s gospel are: they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid (Mk. 16:8) – Christian scribes must have found this disturbing, so they made up endings • it’s odd that Mark would lea...

John 11:1-7; 12:1-3 - John will bring Jesus’ public ministry to a close in chapter 12

But just before reaching the end, there is this amazing crescendo! – Jesus goes to the grave of a dead man and calls him back to life – this is one of those points where John’s story differs from the Synoptic gospels • Matthew, Mark and Luke say nothing about Lazarus’ resurrection • in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus’ ministry comes to an end ◦ but in John’s gospel, it is only Jesus’ public ministry that comes to an end ◦ he still has a lot more to give his disciples before leaving them (chs. ...

John 10 - March 17, 2019

John 9 - March 10 2019

 Let’s review important terms Jesus has used – first, there is the living water • he offered it to the Samaritan woman (Jn. 4:10) • he also offered it to everyone in the temple (Jn. 7:37-38) – next, Jesus said, I am the bread of life (Jn. 6:35) – more recently he said, I am the light of the world • and he promised to those who followed him the light of life (Jn. 8:12) Notice how these same themes appear in Psalm 36 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind tak...

John 8 - March 3 2019

Breathe - John 7 - Feb 24 2019

Intro: It is not easy to follow the thread of John chapter 7 So I will begin with a quick synopsis of what is here: – in Galilee, Jesus’ brothers told him he should “make an appearance” in Judea • if he wanted public recognition, he should show himself to the world ◦ apparently they assumed that he wanted a measure of fame • this was not friendly advice, For not even his brothers believed in him ◦ Jesus answered, it was not his time ◦ kairos — the right moment (appointed time) – later, Jesu...

John 6: True Food and True Drink - Feb 17 2019

This is the only miracle Jesus performed that is reported in all four gospels In Matthew, Mark, and John this miracle is immediately followed by another–when Jesus walked on water – Mark adds an intriguing footnote to that event regarding the disciples: And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened (Mk. 6:51-52) • he indicates that something was revealed in the miracle of the loaves and fish ◦ but the disciples missed it, and...

John 5 - You Do Not Have The Love Of The Father - Feb 10 2019

Last week a friend asked why we read passages from two gospels each week We are tracking comparisons and contrasts between John and Synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark & Luke) – John wrote long after the Synoptics had been in circulation • he was at a different stage of spiritual insight than when he walked with Jesus • so what he provides is like a spiritual commentary on the other gospels ◦ he provides missing pieces in their understanding and fills in some of the blanks – today’s reading hav...

Feb 3, 2019 - Matthew 15:1-9 and John 4:16-26

Last Sunday, several people thanked me for asking Jake to speak What I noticed afterward, was not what I learned, but what I felt – a fresh awareness of how present God is to us • two specific moments stand out when Jake explained: ◦ “it’s not about leaving our physical world or our bodies, but the veil is lifted” and ◦ “the Psalms teach us how to talk to our nephesh [soul]”

Jacob Coldwell - Living in the Flesh

We Cannot Do God's Part

There is no way to learn without getting on a bike and trying – that’s because our brains have to adapt to a new experience, that of balancing while on a bike • new connections have to made between brain cells ◦ these connections have to be integrated in different areas of the brain • balancing on a bike cannot be learned in a class or from a book or instructor ◦ to ask, “Please tell me how to do this” is a waste of time ◦ you have to keep trying until your body learns it–until it feels bala...

Weddings and Wine

Much of Jesus’ teaching remained a mystery for his disciples – during the time they were with him, they did not understand him • but after his resurrection, it all began to come together ◦ what the Scriptures said about Jesus and what he taught them (Lk. 24:44-45) ◦ and it all came pretty quickly (cf. Acts 2:16-21, 25-28, 34-35, etc.) • John wrote in two time-frames: ◦ first, within the period of Jesus’ ministry ◦ and then years later, when he had eyes to see and ears to hear (Mk. 8:17-21)

John 1

Start of the series of comparing John to the other gospels

Luke 22

Mary's Christmas

 Once again I ask myself, how will I approach this familiar story? It won’t hurt if we start right here and now, in our own world – soon we’ll visit Mary and Joseph • but we’re 2000 years and a world away from them • why do we even bother with a story so old and distant? ◦ it is because we know this story was written for us – and that raises another question – Why did Luke tell the story of Jesus? • I’m convinced it was because he wanted us to know Jesus ◦ and Luke knew this story is for ev...

According to your word

First, I want to point out some interesting features of this story What I mean, is the way Luke puts it together – for example, Mary asks a question that divides Gabriel’s message in two • the first part in verses 30-33, he tells her what was going to happen • the second part in verses 34-37, he tells her how it will happen – both messages began with what would happen to her – “YOU” • then he explained what the child would become – “HE” • finally, Gabriel tagged something extra to end of me...

Quite Prayer Dec 2018

Chuck walks us through quite prayer time

A "Mary" Christmas

I did not know until recently that Christmas invitation cards are big business There are invitations to visit the home of a family member or friend, – invitations to Christmas dinners, office parties, fund-raisers, and so on • some of us get so many invitations this time of year, ◦ we have to decide which ones to decline • others of us may wish we had that problem – right now, I have three Christmas invitations in mind • they are different types of events — all three are doable ◦ but might ...

How we can keep "Christ" in Christmas

But there will be no more room for her who was in anguish; in earlier times He treated the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali with contempt, but later on He shall make it glorious by the way of the sea on the other side of Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles. The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light;

Psalms 107 - What do you say?

I have been reading Resilience by Rick Hanson I don’t like it – the same way I don’t like taking medicine when sick – he said all the same things in a previous book I read • but I’m someone who needs to be reminded to do the work • so it’s okay that I’m going over these things again – “resilience” is the ability to recover quickly, to bounce back from negative emotions • one chapter in his book is devoted to gratitude

Mark 15

Mark 13:1-4, 33-37

Most everyone wants to know the future It holds a fascination for us that is hard to escape – fortune telling is an ancient practice that continues today • people still turn to psychics, horoscopes, palm reading, fortune cookies • for Evangelical Christians, the fascination centers on biblical prophecy ◦ people have come up with all sorts of calculations to pinpoint specific events – Jesus made references to future events from time to time, • but only once did he go deep into it like he doe...

Mark 8:34-38

In chapter 5, A man begged Jesus to heal his daughter, In chapter 6 Jesus is teaching in the countryside, In chapter 7, the Pharisees called out the disciples for a purity violation, In chapter 8 Jesus fed another large crowd

Sean Kappauf

A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME (HEBREWS 10:5)

Every Christian I know loves the Psalms, and each person has her or his own reasons. Some of the psalms provide us with reassuring comfort and security, knowing that our God cares for his weak and wounded children and that he is a rock and fortress in times of distress. Other songs inspire us to worship God and provides us with words that help us give expression to our praise and gratitude. There are psalms in which we discover an empathetic poet, one that is familiar with our griefs and fee...

WHAT THE CROSS SAYS

 I wasn’t here last Sunday – spoke to a church in Bellflower After I spoke, a woman told me how much she appreciated me being there – I told her that I enjoyed being with them, because I loved them • she said, “We know” ◦ that surprised me • I had not mentioned my concern for them, that I could not sleep Saturday night, ◦ and that I got up at 3:00 am to rework the message I had prepared – I guess people can tell when they are loved • but I cannot and learning I’m loved usually comes as a su...

Open Eyes and an Open Heart

I had a few extra hours with my grandson, Calum, this week He could not go to school, because he was running a temperature – I get nervous about fevers – two of our sons, when very small, had febrile seizures • so it makes sense to me that parents wanted Jesus to touch their children • what doesn’t make sense is that the disciples would block them – Jesus’ message, from his first spoken words in chapter 1, • has been the kingdom of God (Mk. 1:15) • now he places children in the center of God’...

James Can't be Serious-Can He?

I love the Bible and appreciate its diversity of styles (especially its poems and stories) James, however, is not one of my favorite books – there were followers of Jesus who believed, • to be a true Christian a person had to be Jewish (cf. Acts 15:1) ◦ this was the dominant opinion in Jerusalem ◦ those who held to it included some Christian leaders • the apostles, Peter and Paul did not agree with them ◦ they believed Gentiles could know God in their own culture and context ◦ and apart from...

A Very Solid Hope

Hebrews is a complex book It requires a good knowledge of the Old Testament, or else it’s easy to get lost – but Hebrews is well worth the effort to work our way through it • for me, it is like reading a fifth gospel • only it brings out the meaning of Jesus and his ministry – from the first three verses of the introduction, we know its message • Jesus is God’s final word to humankind ◦ in Jesus we learn everything we need to know about God

Luke 15:1-7, 11-32 - Are we on the same page?

At first it looks like this chapter is going to be about Jesus His compassion and his close connection with sinners – a connection that was very offensive to the religious people in the crowd • but Jesus tells three stories that introduces a different theme • the chapter isn’t about the scandal of Jesus’ ministry ◦ it’s about people who are unable to rejoice with Jesus in his work

What is Reflexion?

How did we get started and where are we going? – the first question is easy to answer • in 2004 I visited a friend who had sequestered himself in a monastery ◦ while there, I met a monk whose spiritual depth and insight left a deep impression on me ◦ I continued to visit him for the next two years • he introduced me to contemplative spirituality ◦ simply put: contemplative spirituality is real-life Christianity – the challenge is, we have to live in reality – that’s all there is • but many pe...

Quite Prayer

John 14 - Tired of sleeping walking through life?

Jesus had announced to his disciples that he was going away He would soon leave them and the world of humans – and return to his Father – the dimension of God’s reality (cf. Jn. 8:21-23) • the disciples have completed their journey with him • but he is not abandoning them – they won’t be orphans ◦ their discipleship will continue ◦ from now on, it would be directed by the Spirit – so Jesus is preparing them for his departure • however, he could only tell them what they were able to comprehen...

1st Timothy 1:1-7

This last week I had a conversation with a young woman Afterward, I was impressed by her sincerity and compassion – she had been trying to explain her beliefs to her roommates • for awhile they had listened, but then began to raise objections • so she warned them, that we are living in the “end times!” ◦ and whoever doesn’t believe in Jesus will go to hell ◦ that pretty much ended their talk – to her credit, she was very receptive when I suggested she try a different strategy

John 6 - Everything is a test

Does John give us a clue that of something special in this chapter? In the stories of Jesus, episodes are marked by a scene changes – for instance, there is usually a shift: • in time — After these things • place — Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea – here we find both in the first verse, so now the story gets underway • but then John inserts a notation regarding Passover ◦ Passover would typically indicate time (spring) or place (Jerusalem) ◦ but here it doesn’t seem relevant to ...

Exodus 34

Last week Moses asked God for the ultimate experience Show me your glory – Let me look at you; see you as you are – he knew the truest way to know someone was to experience that person • Moses’ request was denied • nevertheless, God gave Moses all he had to give at that time ◦ and all that Moses was able to take without being obliterated

Exodus 33:7 - 34:3 - Will you be angry with us forever?

from the burning bush on, God has been revealing himself • if that was like sunrise, the light has been getting brighter • now it is so bright as blind ◦ my fear has to do with my inadequacy to present a revelation this awesome ◦ I want you to experience the fullness of what transpires in this passage – there are some big ideas here, but those are not all we are meant to see • people tell stories in order to share their experience • so, probably, it is best if we try to feel our way through ...

Interview with Esther DeWitt

A Droplet of Hope

Our story today begins with an example of creativity gone bad – this episode is a mirror image of the previous seven chapters • it runs parallel to God’s instructions for the sacred tent ◦ only what is produced here is a grotesque distortion • the resources that were to be used for God’s tent– ◦ including the sacred objects, sacrifices, and service of its artisans and priests ◦ gets hijacked by patchwork cult – we can explore this episode using a key marker • when the word “this” is used in a...

Oh Yes You Can!

Moses had climbed Mount Sinai and disappeared into a cloud on the summit – God invited Moses into his presence to assign Israel a task • he gave Moses instructions for constructing a sacred tent • God’s intention was to live among his people – the last two concerns addressed here are: Assigning a work crew for this extensive project Another reminder regarding the Sabbath

Guest Speaker - Glen Totten

Dressing up to serve God

Today we’ll run through God’s instructions for preparing his priests to serve in his tent – a special class of ministers were needed to maintain the tent and perform its services • these chapters have to do mostly with their clothing and ordination • glorious and beautiful – tells us something about worship ◦ glory refers to God’s radiant presence ◦ beauty refers to what is proportionate and visually appealing – making sacred garments for the priests required talented people • “skilled” trans...

Exodus 25-27, 30

God introduces it by telling Moses to request donations from the people – “offering” refers to a specific sacrifice and how it was presented • it was “lifted” or “raised up” in the hands of the priest • so, giving was considered an act of worship, and the gift was considered sacred – one condition to their giving was that their hearts had to be moved to do so • this had to be something they wanted to do ◦ it has to do with the nature of the sacred tent ◦ they had to value their participation,...

Exodus Chapters 21-24 - Israel Says, "I Do"

The chapters I asked you to read comprise the covenant-making ritual We want to link the idea of God’s “covenant” with “relationship” – there were other “social covenants”: political, commercial and relational • beneath the political and commercial covenants was a basic lack of trust ◦ in these contexts, covenants, contracts and treaties acted as guarantees • one of loveliest relational covenants was that of Jonathan and David

Exodus 20 - Covenant Stipulations-The Basics

1-2 Gateway to the Big Ten What is the rationale behind the Ten commandments? – first, their God is–I am Yahweh your God–and second, what he’s done–rescued you • he doesn’t follow this with description of his nature or a list of his attributes ◦ the Christian church has constructed a super-rational theology ◦ by extracting concepts from scripture and arranging them in categories • that is not how theology emerges in the Scriptures – the Bible isn’t an encyclopedia–“Everything You Ever Wanted...