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  • About Us
    • Staff
    • What to Expect
    • What We Believe
    • Calendar
    • Upcoming Events
    • Institutional Partners
  • Classes & Small Groups
    • Adult >
      • Classes and Spiritual Formation Opportunities
      • Small Group Locations & Times
    • Youth
    • Children
  • Missions
    • Service Opportunities
    • Ministry Partners
  • Give
    • Giving
    • What is tithing?
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  • Preschool
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    • Kroger Community Rewards
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Enough: Cultivating Contentment-Luke 12:15, Heb 13:5-6, & Ecc 2:10-11

9/20/2023

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Money is not the problem.  Possessions are not the issue.  It is when the love of money and the love of possessions becomes our first priority - our first love that we get ourselves into trouble.  N.T. Wright puts this way, “money first enslaves people and then laughs at them as it fails to provide the happiness it promised. When you love something or someone, you make sacrifices for it or them.  When you find yourself making a sacrifice of something else in your life, simply so that you can follow where money is beckoning you, then that is your danger signal.” We cannot live our lives saying that our existence does not consist or is not defined by the abundance of our possessions, but then act / behave as if it does. 

In his book, Enough Cultivating Simplicity and Generosity, Adam Hamilton suggests we suffer from Restless Heart Syndrome.  Much like Restless Leg Syndrome, which is a condition when one has twitches and contractions in the legs, Restless Heart Syndrome works in a similar way, but in the heart or soul.  Its primary symptom is discontent.  We find ourselves in a circle of discontent - never satisfied with anything, constantly feeling like something is missing and if we can but acquire something more we will find satisfaction, happiness, or purpose - we will find contentment.  The pattern goes something like this: buy something or get something, take hardly any time to enjoy it, move on and pursue the next thing. 

But wait, isn’t discontent a good thing?  When we are not satisfied with our life, we can do something to improve it or when we know better we do better?  ABSOLUTELY…. BUT it is what we seek, or what we think and feel will make our lives better or more complete that can be the tricky part.  

 God actually designed us for a relationship with God - wired our hearts so that we would not be content with the things that can come between, damage, or sever that relationship.  God created us so that we would seek the only One - the One who created us, in order to fully satisfy our soul and make us whole. We are meant to cultivate a deeper prayer life, to pursue justice and holiness and increasing fervor, to love others more, and to grow in grace and character and wisdom with each passing day. We are not meant to yearn for that which comes between God and us; that which hurts our neighbors, perpetuates injustice or unholiness, participates in prejudice and bigotry, advocates hate and division, or sustains broken systems of inequality.  

In the pursuit of God and to cultivate contentment then, Hamilton suggests the following “Keys to Contentment” and “Steps to Simplify Your Life”: 
Repeat, It could be worse - a practice of looking on the bright side, keeping perspective. It is recognizing that no matter what we may not like about a thing or a person or circumstance, we need to try and find something good to focus on.
Ask, How long will this make me happy -is it worth the expense; will the satisfaction last beyond opening the box / packaging? 
Develop a grateful heart - the more we can develop gratitude the more we can find contentment in all things; focusing on what we have and not what we don’t puts us in a position of thankfulness which is foundational to contentment. 
Where do you find true satisfaction - from Genesis to Revelation the Bible tells us we find our satisfaction in God and God alone. We can try and fill our lives with stuff and money but none of it has eternal consequence or lasting value. 

Steps to Simplify Your Life
Reduce consumption and live below your means - reduce waste, look at generic versus name brands, reduce your utilities, research ways to reduce costs.
Ask yourself: Do I really need this and why do I want this? 
Use something up before buying something new - use them until they are empty, broken or worn out; spend money wisely.
Plan low-cost entertainment that enriches - think quality not quantity; time together not money spent.
Ask yourself: Are there major / minor changes that would allow me to simplify my life? Cancel unused subscriptions, downsize, live below your means.

Money and possessions are not the problem or issue.  It is the desire for more and the love of stuff.  It is a lack of contentment.  May God give us strength, courage, and conviction to live out of God’s abundance and from a  place of generosity and simplicity.  AMEN

Pastor Jenothy Irvine
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Enough: Wisdom and Finance - Proverbs 21:5, 20

9/11/2023

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Who would you name as one of the wisest people in the world?  In history? What makes them wise?  How did they become wise?  What did they do with said wisdom?  Did any of it have to do with money, wealth or finances?  Does money influence wisdom or vice versa?  What does wisdom have to do with financial stewardship? These are some of the questions you were challenged with as part of our Stewardship Focus based on Adam Hamilton’s book, Enough - Living in Simplicity and Generosity. 
If we were to turn to scripture to find the wisest person in the world, it is said that King Solomon would be our guy. As described in 1 Kings, God granted King Solomon the gift of wisdom, after appearing to Solomon in a dream. Solomon was known throughout the world, he had great wealth and influence, and his council was sought after by many leaders, teachers, and government officials of his time. Later in life, Solomon is thought to have written the book of Proverbs. Some suggest however, he was more of a contributing editor than sole author and that it contains collected wisdom over a long period of time. Nonetheless, Proverbs indeed contains nuggets of truth that do us well to live by.  The glaring question of this very practical and very underrated book of wisdom is quite simple: Are you being wise, or foolish? 
Church, just think of the energy, time, and heartache we would save is we stopped and asked that question; all the hassle, potential conflict, and hard feelings we could potentially avoid if we stopped and asked that simple question before we made our choices and decisions?

There are 135 references to the word money in the bible.  Only four of those references actually define money as a possession; something we own.  All the rest, 131 references, use the Greek and Hebrew forms of the word and define money as a tool or something to be used for gain, payment, investment, or exchange of services.  I wonder what kind of message that information is telling us. 
Good stewardship is about growing our understanding of how the reign of God works and that we are a part of it.  Good stewardship is about allowing God’s Spirit to transform our hearts and trust God with ALL that we have and ALL that we are, including our money.  Good stewardship is about having the kind of wisdom that understands what we are called to do as followers of Jesus; as individuals, families, partners, community, and church.  It is about knowing who we are invited to be as God’s people.  Your money is included in that calling and responsibility from God. 

In his book, Enough, Adam Hamilton writes: “We do not exist simply to consume as much as we can and get as much pleasure as we can while we are here on earth.  We need to know and understand our purpose - our vision or mission or calling and then spend our money in ways that are consistent with this purpose or calling. 
Society tells us our purpose is to consume - to make as much money as possible and then to spend it.  The Bible tells us that we were created to care for God's creation; to love God and our neighbor; to care for the poor and those in need; and to glorify God, seek justice and do mercy.  Our money and possessions then are meant to help fulfill this calling.  
Today, we invite you to ask a simple question:  When it comes to stewarding the  money God provides; the resources you have, ask yourself: Am I being wise, or foolish?  Is discipline key when it comes to money? Yes.  Are good saving, spending, and giving habits significant? Yes. Are budgets and goal setting helpful? Of course.  However, if we can’t answer the question, "Am I being wise or foolish?” in a way that is true and honoring to God, then perhaps we still have some spiritual investing to do and room to grow.  
AMEN

​Pastor Jenothy Irvine



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It's Like This: Treasure & a Pearl - Matt. 13:44-46

8/8/2023

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Searching.  Finding.  Seeking.  Discovering. 
We are all looking for something.  Whether we take time to think about it, whether we realize it or not, we spend a large part of life looking for what we define as valuable, or what we come to believe will make life better, more meaningful, and give us purpose, joy, and contentment.   
Some people spend a lifetime looking; finding one thing after another after another, but never THE thing.  Others search by working hard.  They put their heads down and dig into their work - doing what they have to to get by, to be responsible, to make the next paycheck, get through school, raise a family, help their friends, secure a better job, make a difference. Hoping and trusting that the old saying is true: hard work pays off and good things come to those who wait (work).
Matthew 13:44-46 invites us to consider the following questions: What are we searching for?  What do we treasure really?  How do we pursue that which we value?  What if the treasure we seek is not of this world, but of God?  How will such discovery impact how we live our lives?  
Remember, the word parable literally means to throw alongside - to compare one thing to another in order to teach a moral or spiritual lesson. The challenge is to find the connection,  see or hear the truth it offers and then reflect on whether or not we are living by or within that truth.  We are invited to figure out how it applies to the way we do things, approach the world around us, and engage with family, friends, neighbors, those we don’t know and those we don’t understand. 
It’s like this, Jesus said: you, the believer, the one who follows me, is like someone who found a precious treasure out in the field.   In the midst of diligent, disciplined, and devoted work the treasure was found.  That’s not the important part, the important part is your response - your reaction to finding it.  In this case, selling everything; letting go of everything we think gives us stability, happiness, and control so that like the farmer we can buy the field where the treasure was found.   
It’s a commitment.  It’s an “all in” kind of discovery.  The treasure of the kingdom of God is not just a good idea that maybe if you have time, one day down the road, after you have everything figured out, you carve out an hour or two to consider it.  It is not just something pretty to display once a week or take down over the holidays, dust it off, look at it, show it off, and then return to its place on the shelf.  
It is so much more.  It means so much more.  It gives so much more. 
Jesus and the good news he proclaimed then and now is the greatest treasure you could possibly imagine and it is yours for the taking - if, like the one in the field, you sell everything else in order to buy the field - you go all in.  If you let go of all the other “treasures” accumulated, invested in, bargained with, traded for, or picked up along the way,  and claim the treasure of Jesus above all else, it is yours.  If you give your whole heart, where the treasure has been buried all along, to Jesus who IS the treasure it is yours for always.    
It’s’ like this Jesus said: you, the believer, the one who follows me is like a collector of high end jewelry and you come across the most breathtaking, rarest of gems; the most pure of all diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, or pearls and it's yours for the taking - if you’ll sell everything else; all the other “pearls,” you’ve acquired, let go of all the “precious stones” you’ve collected, and “rocks” you’ve put on display in order to purchase this one pearl that is worth far more than anything else. 
Both parables ask us to consider what it means for how we live our life; is there a better way? A more kingdom of God way?  How do we perceive our world, and what does this found treasure mean in regard to our interactions with God and others?  Does your life and the way you live it align with the parable’s teaching?
Both parables speak to the gift and cost of following Jesus, thrown alongside our assumptions, behaviors, false narratives, and expectations of what our world should look like and what our reaction needs to be for God to implement God’s rule “on earth as it is in heaven” through each of us.   
Finding it is only the first step. It's everything that follows that matters most.  What will you do with such treasure?  
Amen
Pastor Jenothy Irvine
​
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It's Like This: Sowing Seeds - Matt. 13:1-23

7/25/2023

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Jesus was bringing in the Kingdom (Reign of God) in a way entirely different from what people expected; they struggled to open up to what he was offering. We are still struggling with this today. Through the parables, Jesus helps us open up our hearts and minds to let the Word of the Reign of God take root and grow so that we might begin to truly understand and be influenced in the way we live. Jesus invited his hearers to truly hear…and we are invited into that as well. Are we ready to do the work of growing alongside of our church family? The world around us, in Franklin, needs the growth of the Reign of God in us.
​Pastor Joe Sanford

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Make Love Your Aim - 1 Cor. 13

6/7/2023

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In his First Letter to the Corinthians, after explaining how the gifts of the Holy Spirit work in the life of the church, building up the body of Christ, the apostle Paul shifts gears and says, “Okay, I know some of you are hung up on some of these more spectacular gifts, like speaking in tongues, and you think you have this special knowledge about the gospel, but the thing that matters most is the gift of love.” Faith, hope, love…the greatest is love.

Contrary to popular belief, Paul was not writing this letter to couples who were getting married. He was writing to a church deeply conflicted. This so-called “Love Chapter” seeks to put the grease where the squeak is. Therefore, when we read the words, “If I speak in human tongues and even the speech of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging symbol” – we are reading about how love makes the playing field more equal.

Let me put it another way: do you know how difficult this passage is to those of us who try to make a living speaking and preaching? I mean, I could pass peacefully if I overheard someone in the back of the church say, “Pastor Andy sounded just like an angel today; such lofty rhetoric.” After all, some of us are in the human tongue and angels’ business.

Yet, what Paul is arguing here is that without love all our audible tones and knowledge is but auditory nonsense. Without love, the greatest speech is but a cymbal crashing to the floor. Spoken without love, the orations of Cicero are no better than the sound of a cheap trumpet.

Strong words. Whatever that little word “love” might mean to you, here in this passage it means something quite strong – unsentimental, other-focused. 

Indeed, if for a moment, we can put out of our minds the mush we have heard at weddings about this passage, we might be able to realize that what Paul is saying is much closer to “hard-eyed realism” than “second-hand emotions.” That is to say, Christian love is not some kind of naïve unwillingness to look at the world as it is; rather, it is the recognition that, because the world is as it is, nothing less than love will do. Love takes all of our noise as human beings, and, like Mr. Holland’s Opus, orchestrates it into a beautiful symphony of sound. Christian love takes our knowledge and humbles it so that God can use it, for “If we understand all knowledge and all mysteries, but have not love, what good are we?”

How might we continue to grow in this kind of love for the sake of Christ? How may we embody this way of living so that the world may know who the Lord is?

​Pastor Andy Kinsey
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Tributaries of the Heart - John 7:37-39

5/22/2023

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In John 7:37-39, Jesus speaks of rivers of living water flowing through us. He is using an image that is rich in the Bible, speaking to what is life giving – as with the Samaritan woman at the well or the river running through the New Jerusalem in Revelation.
In this passage, Jesus is speaking – no shouting – at the Feast of Tabernacles, a feast that celebrated the ways God provided for the people of Israel as they wandered through the wilderness, when Moses struck the rock and out came living water, as God guided them to the Promised Land (Ex. 17:1-7).
It is important to remember that before the building of the temple in Jerusalem, the one Solomon built, the people worshipped in a tent, called a tabernacle, moving from place to place. There was no standing still.
In this scene, Jesus is reminding the people of this moment in Israel’s history, and he is sharing how this water can be like the Holy Spirit flowing through them, and that, by believing in him, they can receive the Spirit, and that if they block this
water it is akin to blocking the Spirit (7:38).
In other words, the whole goal of the Christian life is to stay open to the flow of the Spirit – not to hinder the Spirit.
Therefore, beneath all the roles we play, and all the responsibilities we have, beneath all the things we do – there is this stream of living water that brings together all the different parts of our lives into a whole, bringing forth life itself. That stream of living water is the Spirit of Christ himself who seeks to live in us if we receive him and believe in him.
This is what Jesus is shouting! He is crying out this message to all who have ears
to hear. How may we have the ears to receive what he shares? Amen.
​Pastor Andy Kinsey
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I Promise: I Am the Bread of Life - John 6:24-35

5/15/2023

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A few years ago, Bishop Will Willimon wrote an article about how we live in a culture that lacks focus, or that has become this vast supermarket of desire, of choices, of options, of things, offering us and promising us satisfaction. He reflects on how our hungers run so deep that we rush around – mostly unaware – for the latest thing to fill our emptiness, as we have such a need to fill our lives with stuff. Yet, we don’t seem to want to face our emptiness.

 Willimon then asks this question: Might it be true that Christ is the bread we need, even though he is rarely the bread we seek, and that many of the things we desire in this life, in the eternal scheme of things, are not what really matters? How would we answer that question?

When Jesus says, “I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty,” do we hear the kind of invitation he is making? To receive what is imperishable, eternal?

When we consider the kinds of “faith promises” we are making and the promises we make to follow Christ, how might we see what we are doing as sharing in this “bread of life promise” for God’s children here and around the world – providing ways for others to feed on Jesus too, and to realize what difference his Bread-Life makes? How might we see what we are doing as participating in the work that endures forever as we share in faith-promise missions giving?
​
          It is a wonderful invitation: to receive from Jesus the very promises of life, to receive his broken and blessed body and to realize that it is not simply for us, but for the life of the world. For all. The very Bread of Life Promise himself. May we open our hands and hearts to receive him now. Amen.

Pastor Andy Kinsey
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I Promise: I Will Make You Fishers of People - Matt. 4:18-23

5/9/2023

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I remember one of dad’s favorite fishing trips was a day trip he would take to a place called Upper Silas lake; a beautiful mountain lake nestled below boulder topped peaks, and banked by willows, rocks, and pine trees.  Every July, still today, many of us (including my dad up until just a few years ago), load our day packs with snacks, water, and fishing gear, lace up our hiking boots or trail shoes, drive to the trail head, and spend a day walking the same trail and casting a line in the same lake and stream that dad did those many years ago.  

There is something about fishing that speaks to how we live our lives; a metaphor that illustrates aspects of how we live our lives.  I am not talking about what some call fishing when they throw a line out with a bobber and then sit in their lawn chair until the bell rings or the bobber disappears.  I am talking about “real” fishing.  :)  Fly Fishing.  Spinner fishing comes closer but there is nothing like fly fishing! Traipsing through tall grass, sage, and willows to get to a good spot.  Navigating tree limbs and balancing on rocks used as stepping stones to cross the river, all the while not getting your line snagged in the trees and willows around you. Getting the right angle to reach the deepest hole.  Strapping on the waders to get to where the big ones are, or getting in the drift tube and floating the current til lunch time.  Fly fishing.   Ten and two, ten and two, ten and two.  All in the wrist.  All in the rhythm.  All one motion connected to another.  All in knowing what you are fishing for. 

We are all fishing for something.  Whether on a camping trip fishing for trout, on the lake fishing for bluegill, bass, and catfish, or we are sitting at home, in the office, or at school fishing for a good grade, a better job, our first job, a successful career, a promotion, or the best bargain on line or in the store.  Some are fishing for a relationship, an education, a secure future.  Others cast a line looking for a way out, a place to live, or someone to give them a chance.    We fish for answers, plans, purpose, excitement, forgiveness, value, comfort, acceptance, something normal, or something real. 

In Matthew 4:18-23 Jesus calls what would become his first disciples.  He asks a small group of fishermen to “come and follow him” and that by doing so he (Jesus) would make them “fishers of men.” Why fishermen?  Why call people who make a living by fishing to grow the Kingdom of Heaven?  Why not someone more qualified?  Someone with more letters behind their name and more experience in the field of building kingdoms.  Why fishermen?   Because a good fisherwoman or fisherman contains qualities which in turn make them good fishers of people. 

Let me explain:  A good fisherman is patient…they know a fish (or a person) cannot be rushed. 
A good fisherwoman has perseverance…Never to be discouraged and always willing to try again. They know not all fish (or all people) react the same, swim the same, or hang out in the same kinds of water.  Not all fish want the same thing but they do want to be fed.  

A good fisherman has courage…to face difficulty, ridicule, or defeat.  To work hard with little results.  To realize some days it feels like the fish get the last laugh and they just aren’t biting.  

A good fisherwoman has an eye for the right moment…they must understand that when storms rage, the temperature is far too hot, or the surface of the water is simply too choppy, it is not a good time to fish.  When tempers flare, the conversation or circumstance is too hot, or the emotions are too charged and choppy, it is best to try another day. 

A good fisherman fits the bait to the fish…they know their limitations.  They understand that one cannot be all things to all fish but that it takes all those who follow Jesus to do their part of casting the love, hope, and goodness of Jesus into the sea of living.  

A good fisherman  keeps out of sight…showing not themselves or their fancy technique, extensive training, and proven tactics but rather, showing the qualities and characteristics of Jesus to any fish that might come their way. 

We are all fishing for something and over the next few weeks, seniors all over the country, including right here in Franklin, will set or cast their nets onto life’s waters and fish for what comes next.  As they do and as you live your life, I ask you to consider what Jesus said to those first disciples, “come and follow me, and I will make you fishers of people.”

Come, wherever you go, whatever you do, follow me, make me a part of your life.  Wherever life might take you, whatever school you attend, or wherever you put down roots, or even when you retire, follow me, make me a priority in your life.  Whatever job you get, or don’t get, wherever the next experience takes you, follow me, allow me to walk alongside you through it all.

May we all be more like the fishermen Jesus first called.  May we be patient when it feels like it is taking forever or when it seems no one understands.  Persevere when we want cut bait and quit or when life is unfair and plain hard.  Be courageous when facing challenges, rejection, or defeat. Look for the right moment, seek Jesus’ Spirit in the present and trust he is with us.  Know our limits and know that Jesus has none. May we show the world Jesus Love not our judgment or cynicism.  Jesus’ compassion not our qualifying conditions.  Jesus’ truth not someone else's. Jesus’ peace not our war.  Jesus’ hope not our empty intentions.  

May we remember our call to be fishers of people.  Amen

Pastor Jenothy Irvine
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I Promise I AM the Resurrection & Life - John 11:25-26

4/25/2023

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In a world of promises, it is often hard to know which ones we can count on and which ones may fall through.  Which ones will hold up and which ones, in spite of best efforts and intentions, will collapse.  I have come to believe, there is but one promise, given by one person, that has not changed in over 2,000 years, and it does not fail.

The most powerful and identifiable promise Jesus gave is found in John 11.  The encounter takes place between Jesus and Martha and precedes the incredible moment when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead.  Lazarus was the brother of Martha and Mary and when he came down sick, his sisters sent for Jesus.  Four days later Jesus arrived, but it was too late, Lazarus was dead.  The sisters were devastated and confused, maybe even angry and disappointed in Jesus.  They didn’t understand and Martha’s comment was “if only Jesus.”   

The power of Jesus’ promises as recorded in the gospel of John is that they are not to be taken only as some future hope or assurance.  It is not just about what is to come, it is about what is now.  When Jesus says, “I AM,” he brings the future to the present.  

Jesus’ reply to Martha and the conversation they then have speaks to the fact that God, through Jesus, is past, present, and future.  Instead of looking at the past, and dreaming about what might have been (but now can’t be), in this case Martha longing for her brother, Jesus first invites Martha to look to the future: Do you believe your brother will be raised?  (Future).  

Then, having looked to the future, he asks her to imagine that the future is suddenly brought into the present, or in the case of Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown in the blockbuster movie, Back to the Future, the future is brought back to the present. 

Jesus’ promise, I AM the resurrection and the life became central to early Jewish belief and continues to be foundational to our belief today.  Without it, Jesus was just another great teacher or historical leader but not the son of God. 

This means that the resurrection isn’t just a doctrine. It isn’t just something we think about, debate, or contemplate with academia.  It isn’t just a future fact.  It is a person and that person is Jesus.  It is a relationship.  It is understood in the heart just as much if not more than the head.  Jesus stood in front of Martha inviting her to take that leap of faith and trust his promise that he is the resurrection and the life.

The promises of Jesus place us alongside Martha and present us with an ongoing challenge: to exchange our “if onlys…” for an “If Jesus…”   
 
For example: Martha said, “Jesus, if only you had been here sooner.  My brother would be alive”  Jesus’ challenges her to instead ask, “If Jesus…”

  • If Jesus is who he says he is…what shall I fear?
  • If Jesus is the one who was promised by the prophets…then why do I doubt?
  • If Jesus is God’s own son, the one in whom the living God is present…then is there anything he can’t do?
  • If Jesus is resurrection in person and life come to life…then why do I question?

What “if onlys” do you bring today?  

  • If only I had said something…done something.
  • If only I had kept my mouth shut.
  • If only they had caught the cancer sooner.
  • If only I had done more.
  • If only I was a better parent, son/daughter, spouse.
  • If only I knew what to do.
  • If only I had more money. More time.  More energy.
  • If only they had gotten help. 
  • If only I had seen the signs. 

What are OUR collective “if onlys”? 

  • If only our leaders would listen to understand.
  • If only the violence would stop.
  • If only there wasn’t so much division.
  • If only there was a Chick-Fil-A on this side of town!
  • If only there was a Texas RoadHouse.
  • If only there was even a small grocery store! 
  • If only we would love like Jesus. 
  • If only we could find peace.
  • If only we knew what to do.

What would happen if we exchanged those “if onlys” for “if Jesus” and we held tight to his promises?  

  • If Jesus is the resurrection and the life…who does that make us as his followers? 
  • If Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life…why don’t we trust Him?
  • If Jesus taught us a better way…why are we afraid to live it? 
  • If Jesus commanded us to love…why do we so easily choose hate?  
  • If Jesus so loved the world…why do we make it so complicated? 


Jesus promised I am the resurrection and the life.  Two weeks ago we stood with the women at the empty tomb and proclaimed that good news: “He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed.”  Last week, we were reminded that every week is our metaphorical wilderness experience.  What “if onlys” did you experience in your wilderness this past week?  If only I had made that call.  If only I had remembered my list.  If only I wouldn’t have answered.  If only I hadn’t lost my temper.  If only I had more sleep.  If only my body would work like it used to.  The wilderness is a place of “if onlys.” But that also means that every Sunday is our Little Easter.  Our day to remember and exchange that “if only” for “if Jesus.”  

Today church, I ask you to hold tight to the promise of Jesus and consider what that means for the faith promise you make to Jesus. 

​Pastor Jenothy Irvine
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Is It Over - Luke 24:36-49, John 20:19-20

4/18/2023

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It’s been said that people, in general, live much of their lives with this idea of “just getting through.”  It’s an escapist drive and for those who work through the week, it is a drive toward the weekend, thinking those two days will fulfill all of our needs and dreams. More sleep. Less stress.  More time to work on those assignments. Less pressure.  A chance to have clean clothes again. A chance to spend time with people we like. Time with God.  Time away.  Just time. 

And then…Monday rolls around.

I think our walk through the season of Lent is kind of like that.  We prepare our hearts in eager anticipation of Easter. We reflect on the cross and its significance. We feel the weight of Maundy Thursday, the heartache of  Good Friday, the silence and loneliness of Holy Saturday.  We know the waiting and longing we feel for the discovery of an empty grave and a risen Savior.  And then it comes. He comes, and we proclaim, “He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!”  

But  then… it’s Monday.  Then Tuesday.  Then Wednesday.  And before we know it Easter is gone and it's just a regular Sunday (or for us at Grace, a regular weekend of worship).  We somehow forget it all til next year. 

The excitement is gone.  The hype is over.  And we are left with a tired staff, leftover candy, plenty of open seats and parking spots, and some would say, the relief of not having to go through it all again for another year. Easter kind of wears us out but it’s also unfortunate because “the other shoe has yet to drop.” (Ken Sehested) 

The temptation is to treat Easter like it’s an ending and now it’s back to “normal - regular life” yet Easter is not the conclusion.  Just as our faith does not end with Good Friday crucifixion, neither does it end with Easter resurrection.  I love how one author put it, “We may be exhausted, but the New Testament story is not”. (KH)  We may be exhausted, church, but the ‘good news’ of Jesus is not. 

We have become so acquainted with and desensitized to the story;  so comfortable in our comfort zones, and accustomed to our customs that we need Easter to shake us back up.   Nothing was the same ever again. Or as one author put it, “When a man who claims to be God rises from the dead, “business as usual” isn’t a thing.” (Patreeya P)  Easter isn’t just a time to pause and reflect on some nice truths we tend to forget about the rest of the year. It is the entire crux of our faith. 


Remember that other shoe I mentioned a moment ago?  This is what I meant: the resurrection of Jesus is the pivotal moment in the God story, but there is another act to follow.  If we leave Easter behind or treat it like it's over / the end, then we might as well say Easter is about spring fashions, colorful eggs, chocolate bunnies, the number of services one church can put together in a week, or whether or not this year’s easter sunday was better than last!.

Think of your favorite movie.  One that really gets ya - speaks to you - means something and you could watch it over and over again.  Got it?  Ok, now imagine you only saw the first half - just enough to get you interested, intrigued, or inspired and then - that’s it, it's over, the end, no conclusion, no resolution, no finding out how the story ends, no lasting impact. 

It’s not the end.  If there was ever a time when we needed a reset button; a begin again, do-over button, it is now.  If there ever were situations we need  a come to Jesus moment - a come back to the basic truth and start again, it is the many situations we find ourselves in today.  If there was ever a time for the forgiveness, compassion, faith, hope, and the peace that Christ came to give, died to secure and rose again to establish, it is now.  It’s today: the day another shooting took place at a school, a bank, or a tight knit neighborhood.  It’s today: the day another soldier paid the ultimate price. It’s today: the day another child is bullied at school or abused at home and can’t think of any other way out but death by suicide.  It’s today: the day a tornado hits just 6 miles from our backyard.   It is every day and that is why this post Easter time is called Eastertide.  

It is the time we live into the Easter promise Jesus gave us through his ultimate act of love and sacrifice.   It is the time to not only remember but to live into what the radical death, relentless love and revolutionary power of our God means for every day of our lives, not just Easter Sunday. 

How are you…how are we like those disciples hiding out of fear, not trusting Jesus’ word?  Afraid of failure?  Judgment?  Uncertainty?  Worried we don’t have anything to offer?  Scared we are too young, too old, not enough?  How many of us are still waiting behind locked hearts and minds waiting for proof?  “Show me your hands and feet Jesus.”  He did dear church, he did.  

Every week is our chance to live the Easter story.  To grow in our example of what it means to follow Jesus; to carry out what he taught, modeled, and commanded.  Every week is our small-scale lenten journey.  It is our six days in the wilderness: facing the struggle that is oh so real, navigating the unknown and uncertain aspects of our lives, and making our way through the metaphorical deserts and storms that await us in this world.  Oh but the good news church, the good news is that every Sunday is our little Easter.  Our day to once again porcelain “He is Risen. He is Risen Indeed!”   

Pastor Jenothy Irvine
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Grace United Methodist Church
1300 E Adams Dr,
Franklin, IN 46131

Phone: 317-736-7962
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Weekend  Worship Services
Saturday: 5:30pm 
Sunday: 9:00am & 11:00am

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