I really enjoy the 4th of July and love the United States.

However, I am very clear that my first allegiance is to God and that my primary identity is as a child of God, disciple of Jesus Christ, and enlivened by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s celebrate.

This is a guest blog from Jared White of Finite Calls Infinite. Jared is a musician, a Web developer, a photographer, and a Charismatic Christian who believes that the Spirit of God is moving dramatically across the world today and impacting entire nations with the Gospel of the Kingdom.

John 17:20-23

20  I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
21  that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22  The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one,
23  I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

Commentary by John Wesley on this passage:

Verse 21

“That the world may believe” — Here Christ prays for the world. Observe the sum of his whole prayer, 1. Receive me into thy own and my glory; 2. Let my apostles share therein; 3. And all other believers: 4. And let all the world believe.

Verse 22
“The glory which thou hast given me, I have given them” — The glory of the only begotten shines in all the sons of God. How great is the majesty of Christians.

I’m honored to be able to guest blog for my friend Andrew Conard. We have only corresponded through blogging and e-mail to date, but I’ve greatly appreciated reading his thoughts and his viewpoint as a Methodist seeking renewal in his denomination. I felt it would be apropos to include John Wesley’s take on the verses I shared above, though I’m sorry to say I have not studied the life or writings of John Wesley as well as I should.

This series is titled Does the world know? with the subheading Christian unity in a fractured age. Before I delve into such a weighty topic, let me give you a little background on my perspective. I was raised Christian and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior from around five years of age (I am now 25). However, I never really loved or appreciated the Church as a whole until only a few years ago. My experience growing up was of dead churches, church hopping, and home churches isolated from a wider community. By the time I reached my mid-teen years, I was convinced that the Church was a dying entity and I had no particular reason to get involved with a local congregation. God was up there, I was down here, I would try to make the best of it, and someday it would all get sorted out in the Great Beyond.

I don’t have time to go into into the backstory of how God brought me out of that bleak mindset. You can read a facet of my life’s testimony (http://www.callsinfinite.com/blog/2008/03/27/god-is-the-ultimate-travel-agent-3-direction/) at my blog Finite Calls Infinite for further insight. Suffice it to say, along with finding a local church which is one of the most beautiful things I have ever found, I grew to understand what it means to be a part of the Body of Christ worldwide and the Christian Church which Jesus Christ calls His Bride. Even more than that, I grew to have a deep desire, a holy longing, to see the animosity and the “sideways” energy expended between different sects, denominations, and churches dissipate as Christians come to realize the glorious purpose for which God has created them.

A crystal clear moment in my life that launched me into this calling of praying for and seeking Christian unity was a dream I had in late 2006. In this dream there was a beautiful pure white curtain that had been torn, but I laid my hands on it and in a flash of light it became whole. The Lord revealed to me through this dream that the white cloth represented the Church and I would be a catalyst for unity as a function of my ministry.

I don’t feel that I’ve been able to perform this role yet to a great extent, but when I was considering what I’d blog about for Thoughts of Resurrection, this subject came to mind, and I knew instantly that it would be the right thing to address. And so I will, but in the interests of time, I must continue my train of thought in next installment in this series. To whet your appetite, however, I want to leave you with the following question:

Does the world know?

In John 17 verse 23, we see Jesus praying to His Father for His disciples before the time of His betrayal, and His prayer is “that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.” As we read previously in verse 20, Jesus’ prayer isn’t just for those who followed Him 2,000 years ago, it’s for us here today. And so again I ask: does the world know? Does the world know that God sent Jesus to us? Does the world know that God loves His people just as He loves His Son? Has Jesus’ prayer been answered? Has the vision that He laid out in this prayer come to pass? If not, why not?

Could it be that in order for the world to know Jesus, we need to become perfectly one? Could it be that in order for the world to know God’s love, Christians need to love one another? Could to be that in order for the world to know that Jesus was sent by God to do a mighty work, that He was vindicated in glory and given authority over all things under heaven and earth, the glory of Christ must shine “in all the sons of God” as John Wesley puts it?

Come back next week for a deep dive into these profound questions!

For generations, a death in the family has brought many transitions - grieving, funeral arrangements, wills, estates, etc. Among these are the physical possessions of someone who has died. This is often the responsibility of the family or descendants to determine what is to be kept and what is to be sold or otherwise disposed of. For physical possessions it is often quite clear what there is to be dealt with, but what about online?

What do you do with someone’s blog, facebook profile, twitter page, online identities Amazon and other online retailers? Would I want someone to look back through one’s blog after their death? Would it be healing or hurtful in the grieving process? What about the online community? Is there a responsibility to make contact with those with whom a person had contact with? An obituary in the local paper would not be sufficient for such a task.

This is an issue which I just started thinking about today. I wonder in a few years if this is the first generation that will begin to deal with such issues. What do you think? Should someone leave or clean up a digital legacy? Why or why not? If so, how would this happen?

It is a brand new day here at Resurrection. Day 1 of Year 3 for me under appointment in The United Methodist Church. Welcoming Jeff for his first day here, settled in to the new office space.

Life is good.

My first experience of reading from The New Yorker was James Wood article, Holiday in Hellmouth:God may be dead, but the question of why he permits suffering lives on. Although this article was a review of the book God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question — Why We Suffer by Bart Ehrman, Wood addresses God and suffering in a well thought out article that seems to move beyond the scope of the book being reviewed.

I enjoyed reading the article and found it to be well written and articulate. Wood outlines many of the common responses to the question of the reality of both evil and a good and loving God. I am comfortable with two of the responses that Wood gives - God suffers with us and that the reality of free will allows evil to happen. In contrast to Wood, I believe that suffering does not limit God’s power. Also, I would make a distinction between the free will given to humanity and the regular workings of the natural world.

In Woods’ final paragraphs, he concludes that the hope for a second coming puts off and does not adequately address the question of suffering. Woods asserts that the hope for a new heaven and earth leaves the question - Why not now, God? What is the point of this life when a new one is coming? Here I see Woods response as deficient. Woods addresses free will in relationship to suffering, but does not address free will in relationship to the possible good that comes of the ability for us to accept God’s grace and live as a part of God’s kingdom today. I believe that we have the opportunity to live by the customs and norms of God’s coming kingdom and be a part of God’s kingdom here on earth. Is there the possibility to suffering as a result of free will? Yes. Is there the possibility for good as a result of free will. Also, yes.

I recommend the article and welcome your comments both on it and my response.

My grandmother, Nora, is likely nearing end of life and I am traveling with my siblings to see her this week. I will not be blogging for the rest of the week and would ask for your prayers for her and for all of us. Thanks.

I helped lead worship at Resurrection on June 22 and wrote a prayer for the experience. I have shared all of the prayers that I have written for worship in 2007 and 2008 at the following Google Doc. Please feel free to use and adapt to your own context.

Enjoy!

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d3ggnsj_91r758z5hd

I want to suggest a blog to you - It’s a Mad Mission… Sign Me Up. Luke Wetzel is a Congregational Care Intern this summer here at Resurrection and is blogging his experience. Among other leadership roles in the denomination, Luke led the Kansas East delegation to General Conference 2008.

Check out his thoughts and reflections

• Ben Simpson writes that Sometimes Eschatology Makes Me Want to Vomit - I agree!
• Signal vs. Noise post, Finding the natural size of your company, has great application for faith communities.
• When you have to go, some places are better than others - America’s Best Restroom 2008 (I am not kidding.)
• Practical Advice on boarding an aircraft.
• Have trouble with the sun? Join the Revolution with Dave MaGee.
• Steven Furtick offers a worthwhile challenge to Stop Succeeding and Be a Blessing.
• Dagney asks a challenging question, What if they find out?

Are you interested in some excellent thoughts on one’s past and future? Check out this post - Reflection (Past); Vision (Future)

After a week full of clergy transitions here at Thoughts of Resurrection, I thought I would share a slice from a personal transition that happened in 2006. This is a video that was produced for the wedding reception when Nicole and I were married on June 3, 2006. Have a great Friday and enjoy the video!