Circle of Love ~ Thursday March 17

Thursday March 17 John 3:16-21

Here it is. John 3:16! For believers and seekers, it is the best known passage in

all the New Testament. For the world, it is just a confusing image that appears from time to time at a football game. We think it is common knowledge but it is actually a well kept secret.

A greater concern is the reality that most Christ followers may know John 3:16 but miss the power of 3:17! “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” The Apostle Paul would say there is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Do you know how many believers feel like Jesus came to judge, find guilty, and sentence all who fall short of the glory of God? Do you know how many of us fall short? We all do! In spite of that, we have this great gift of life and the incredible responsibility of obedience. Here is the Good News…we are not alone! God sent Jesus to walk with us!

Right now our destination is a spiritual journey that will take us to the empty tomb and the celebration of Easter. But along the way we will face the struggles of feeling inadequate in prayer and frail in our attempts to serve the world. Before long we will come face to face with Good Friday where the Good News seems to be strained. But remember, God loves to turn things upside down. It is the darkness of Good Friday that brings the bright eternal light of Easter to the world.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” Amen

Circle of Love ~ Wednesday March 16

Wednesday March 16 John 2:23-3:15
Wonderful Wednesday at Wilson tonight: 5:30 dinner! Come support the youth mission team as they prepare for their summer mission teams and raise funds to reach out into the world. Don’t miss it…you will find great joy in supporting their ministry.
Lenten Circle of Love study group meets with Randy Jessen in Room 14 @ 6:15 to reflect on the readings of the past week.

Our Circle of Love symbol is a bold circle with clear openings at the north, south,

east and west. The center of the circle is the place where we gather to worship and fellowship as a community of faith. Outside the circle is the world where we work, live, play, go to school, and share our lives in relationship with others. The open spaces in the circle are the pathways that lead us from the center to the world and back again. It is a constant need in our lives.

Scripture speaks of being ‘in the world but not of the world’ as a way of saying we experience life in both places. One place holds a gift of grace. It is about faith, friendship, and fulfillment. The outer world is the same. It too is about faith, friendship, and fulfillment. They both require faithfulness. We need both. We are called to both.

However, we can only live fully in both places if we heed the message that Jesus shared with Nicodemus. Read the interaction again in John 3:3-15. Now, ask yourself what it means to be ‘born of the Spirit’ and what would be the evidence (from the world’s perspective) that your life has been impacted by the Spirit of God? More specifically, what difference has the Spirit made on your willingness to pray, study, fast, serve, and grow in your faith through generosity?

Circle of Love ~ Tuesday March 15

Tuesday March 15 John 2:13-22

Be sure to practice your prayer before and after your reading. Pray, “Speak to me

Lord as I read your word.” Now, read the passage. Now give thanks and pray, “Almighty God, grant me insight for this day. Amen.”

Did you notice that John is writing in retrospect as he remembers this situation where Jesus created a commotion in the temple? (Check verse 22 to see how the words of Jesus had an impact on the future.)

The temple was the center of life for all who believed. It was the place where prayers were heard, where worship was offered, and where the history of the faith intersected with the needs of the people. It was a sacred and incredibly significant place where people could find God. It was a house of prayer that needed to return to a spirit of holiness.

I don’t want to draw too tight a line between the temple of Jerusalem and our Wilson Worship Center but let’s think together for just a moment. In the end, the way we approach worship is really at the heart of the matter. Do we approach casually without a care or do we enter with a spirit of expectation. I am not talking about is your worship style relaxed, do you sing the right songs, or do you wear the right clothes. I am thinking about an attitude of reverence. It is an internal spirit that creates hope through anticipation because our faith finds expression in the presence of God.

Just take a moment to reflect on how you approach worship. What would be the next step of anticipation and expectation that you could bring to the sanctuary?

Circle of Love ~ Monday March 14

Monday March 14 John 2:1-12

Take a moment, sit back, breathe deep…now, offer this prayer: “Speak to me Lord as I read your word.” Now, read the passage. As you come to the end…pause once again, reflect on the reading, and lift this prayer: “Almighty God, grant me insight for this day. Amen.”

Water into wine! We know the story well. Jesus is at a wedding feast as the host runs out of wine. His mother knows that he has an answer for the problem. He is reluctant. But at Mary’s insistence he gives instruction. Before you know it, the water has been miraculously changed into wine. It is the first recorded miracle of Jesus.

But how does this speak to our Lenten journey today? One way of seeing this passage has to do with the gifts we offer. At the wedding feast Jesus demonstrated how to save the best for last. In fact, he was always offering his very best. As a result, we are invited to give our best. We don’t want to give something that has been watered down, diluted or that represents the crumbs of life. We want to give our very best.

On Sunday mornings, when the offering plates are passed, do you ever find yourself thinking about what is the least I can give to get by? Or could you imagine looking beyond the moment to engage a spirit of generosity? What would it mean if we all gave our best?

Here is an invitation to engage in a spiritual discipline. It is the discipline of generosity. From now until Easter, consider the gift of a tithe. 10% from the best you have received as an offering to God. Give it a try, not because the church needs it, but because you are a disciple of the risen Lord. Why, because he gave his very best. Look closely, maybe you will see a Circle of Love. Perhaps we will see another miracle!

Circle of Love ~ Saturday March 12

Saturday March 12 John 1:43-51

We don’t know very much about the disciple Phillip but we do know that he was a faithful follower. We know that he responded to the invitation of Jesus to “Come, follow me!” And we know that he took his faith in Jesus to the next level. He found faith in Christ and immediately went to his friend Nathanael to invite Nathanael into a discipleship connection with Jesus.

His efforts were successful! This is a wonderful example of what happens when our lives serve in harmony with the desire of Jesus. Phillip offered the invitation, Nathanael balked, but Phillip wouldn’t let his request fall to the ground. He offered a plan, “Come and see!” Can you visualize Phillip taking Nathanael by the hand to introduce him to Jesus?

Phillip provides us with a great discipleship lesson. Invitations often need action so they can take root and bloom. One of the great Christian discipleship invitations is the opportunity to share our faith with others. Have you ever found yourself a bit reluctant to share your faith, offer an invitation, or disclose your personal journey? We all have a bit of “don’t ask – don’t tell” in our spirits.

But what if we were able to overcome our reluctance? What could God do if we simply planted the seed? Perhaps a new life in Christ will germinate through your faithfulness. And what if we all offered a similar invitation? Can you imagine?

Circle of Love ~ Friday March 11

Friday March 11 John 1:35-42

Yesterday we heard John say “Look!” But today we hear a different message that comes from a divine voice. It is Jesus who now says, “Come!” It is the universal call to follow. It is an invitation, a request, an expression of the desire of Christ that we would hear the call and follow in his footsteps. It is a call to become a disciple.

As disciples, we express our faith in a wide variety of ways. Today I want to invite you to consider one particular way of articulating your faith. Through the centuries people of faith have practiced the spiritual discipline of fasting. Our Methodist founder, John Wesley, fasted each week as an act of obedience and as a way to focus his life on deeper prayer.

Would you join me in a Lenten discipline of Friday fasting? It may take a unique form for you depending on your health or other issues. You might fast for a single meal or fast from food for the full day. You might fast from talking, driving, watching television, or whatever area of life that would allow you to focus on God in a deeper way.

What if we set Fridays as a day of fasting for the next few weeks? I want to invite you to join me in a weekly ‘Friday fast’ that would begin today and move through Good Friday. You choose the method but let’s commit to this discipline together so we can remember the abundance that God has provided and have more time for personal prayer. Mark it on your calendar today. Let’s see how God will use our faithfulness!

Remember, fasting (in whatever form) is just one way of reminding ourselves that we have responded to the call of Christ to “Come!”

Circle of Love ~ Thursday March 10

Thursday March 10 John 1:29-34

Did you catch the scene? John the Baptist saw Jesus coming. He stopped, pointed, and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

As we begin our journey, I invite you to reflect and give thanks for the people in your life who took time to point Jesus out and say, “Look, the Lamb of God.” It may not have happened in that exact way but we would be remiss if we did not offer our praise for the gift they planted in our lives.

Did they invite you to worship? Did they teach you how to pray? Perhaps they demonstrated a life of discipleship that became attractive to you. Maybe they taught you how to share your life through service or the joy of giving so others could find the gift of faith.

John recognized Jesus right away. Our task is to recognize the presence of Jesus in our lives and to respond to the invitation to grow. How do you need to grow during this season of Lent? Do you need to establish a stronger pattern of worship? Is your prayer life something that honors God? Are you demonstrating your Christian Discipleship through giving to others? What is your next step?

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.”

Circle of Love! Lent 2011

The seasons of the year have a great deal of variation depending on where you live. In the far north the days of summer are bathed with endless light. In the tropics the weather only varies with the degree of rainfall that might arrive during certain seasons.

Here in Colorado, we are absolutely blessed with four distinct seasons. The winter can be a bit cold at times but it is always beautiful. For many, spring is the favorite. The tulips pop, the grass greens, and the trees begin to speak to us about the hope of resurrection as they gain leaves and start to provide the blessings of shade. We all know that the mid summer temperatures can make you wish you had air conditioning late at night. But that soon fades into beautiful blue skies, soft afternoon showers, and evenings that seem to go on forever. Personally, fall is my favorite. The evenings get cool but the days are bright and warm. The trees find their new place on the color wheel and the rhythms of life begin to change.

Seasons are important to the tempo of our souls as well. We discover seasons of growth, times of renewal, and themes that shift our attention. Christmas is not the same as the celebration of Easter. The message is different, the spirit is unique, and our hearts are open in unique ways with the seasons of the church.

This particular season is the time we know as Lent. It is an ancient part of the cadence of faith that will soon deliver us to the door step of Holy Week and the great joy of Easter. The word ‘Lent’ is shaped and passed down from various traditions. It has two basic and historic meanings. It carries the seasonal image of ‘spring’ time along with the idea of days that become ‘long’ in time. From a spiritual point of view, it is a season of 40 days that provides believers and seekers a time to prepare for Easter and the hope of resurrection.

Different groups count the 40 days of Lent in different ways. It always begins with Ash Wednesday but variation takes over from there. Some count 40 full days from Ash Wednesday (March 9th this year) to Palm Sunday leading into Holy Week. Others count 40 days (not including Sundays) from Ash Wednesday to Easter Day. For this particular Circle of Love experience, we will follow the latter model.

Our Lenten season and daily devotions will start on March 9th with a time of worship and commitment on Ash Wednesday. We will all be invited to gather for a half hour early morning time of prayer at 7:00 AM. Or come together at 6:30 PM on Ash Wednesday evening. You choose the service that works best for your schedule. I hope you will join us as we step into the Circle of Love together on Ash Wednesday.

This booklet will provide daily devotions that will move from Monday to Saturday each week of Lent. As always, Sunday worship gatherings will be critical to or combined desire to grow fully in this grand Circle of Love.

Let me tell you about the sequence of Scriptures that will center us on God’s word. We will be using readings from the Daily Common Lectionary. The Lectionary is a series of readings that include a daily reading from the Psalms, a portion from the Old Testament, a New Testament reading from one of the letters, and a Gospel reading for each day. You will find the full cycle of readings in the back of this booklet along with a schedule of events and worship services.


The devotions of this booklet will only focus on the Gospel readings for each day. You will notice that most of this year’s readings are taken from the Gospel of John. I would encourage you to read the Scripture lesson and the thoughts from the booklet as a daily discipline. Throughout the booklet you will also find other opportunities to develop your faith through the disciplines of prayer, study, fasting, generosity, and service. These are the traditional disciplines of the historic Christian faith that always become a focal point during Lent. The season of Lent will help us grow in these areas so the fullness of our faith can impact the world.

Now, let me share a word about the Circle of Love theme. Throughout time, the circle has been a symbol of completeness. It has also been a way people have represented interpersonal connections. You can imagine two circles that intersect and overlap as a way of saying ‘my life is connected to yours’ in a spirit of hope. If you take three circles and interlink them together, you will have the universal Christian symbol for the Trinity. The three circles represent the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and the desire of God to interact and intersect with our lives.

Our Circle of Love contains all these images but it is also uniquely ours. It is a circle with four openings in the ring. The four openings represent doors of life that allow us to gather in the center but be freely sent out to serve the world. It is not a broken circle; it is a path way that allows our lives to be focused on the love of God while always seeing our faith journey connected clearly to the world. We will develop the concept as we flow through the next few weeks.

For now, let me express my thanks for your willingness to be a part of this journey. I pray that it will open some new doors and expand our experience of personal faith development. I also pray that it will enhance your life through a focus on the historic spiritual disciplines that include prayer, study, fasting, service, and a spirit of generosity.

Thanks for being a part of the Wilson United Methodist family! I celebrate your journey of faith and give thanks for the ways God is leading our church.

Yours in Christian love

Randy Jessen

Serving the Church

The church...or is it the Church?...or maybe THE CHURCH!!! How do you see it? Does it even matter. Let me say this, it matters to me. In fact, it REALLY matters to me!

It matters to me because I believe the church is the hope of the world. I should be more precise, I believe that Jesus, through the life of the church, is the hope of the world.

I was reminded today about the variety of ways people can express their deep commitment of faith. The question was asked..."can a person 'sign in blood' without being a part of the church?"

The answer is "Yes"! Now let me unpack the question. In every aspect of life (family, employment, neighborhoods, church, etc) people make commitments. Some of those commitments are written in pencil. The signature can be erased or it can fade with time. Others sign in ink. They are more certain than 'pencil' folks. They seem to understand how significant the commitment really is.

Then there are people who not only comprehend the importance, step forward, and push all their chips into the middle of the table (can I say that?). They are all in. They sign in blood. No number two pencil for them. Even ink will not do. They want to demonstrate the significance of their baptism by symbolically connecting with Christ who shed his blood for the salvation of the world. They are 'blood' folks.

Here is how the metaphor works out in every day life. Please hear the word 'metaphor'...we are not talking about actual blood! It works when leaders recognize pencil folks and give them 'pencil level' responsibility. The same for signing in ink. The problem arises when we expect pencil folks to live out blood expectations. You get the picture!

Now, for the life of the church...even through I believe the church is a wonderful way for people to serve, grow, learn, and share the fullness of life...not everyone will live out their faithfulness within the context of the church. Many (a growing number) will be faithful full time disciples in the world without ever touching the church.

I believe that Jesus, through the life of the church, is the hope of the world. I may need to adjust (read altar) my definition. One of these days! Meanwhile, connect! Commit! Communicate! Be people of faith! Amen.

Movement of the Heart

It won’t be any big surprise to you if I told you that the people of the world are generally divided into a variety of categories. One size does not fit all. We could easily think of many different categories. There are male and female. There are some from the east and the west, the north and the south. Those who speak different languages are distinguished because of ethnic backgrounds. In spiritual circles we could talk about the variety of world religions. In protestant circles we could think about Baptist, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Methodists. We could talk about the rich and the poor, the good, the bad, but not the ugly!

There are lots of ways to distinguish one person from the next. In fact, we hold diversity as one of our primary values in the United States. But when it really comes down to really identifying a key factor for separating the flock it is not about sheep and goats, it is about introverts and extroverts.

How many of you would say that you are in the extrovert category? How about introverts? See extroverts raise their hand and wave it around with a big smile. On the other hand, introverts look around first to see if anyone else is raising their hand. I am firmly and proudly a card carrying introvert who finds refreshment and renewal by being alone, by being quiet, by reading and reflecting. That’s how we get our fuel. Most extroverts would shrivel up and croak if they had to be alone and quiet for very long. They want and need to be around other people. They like to talk and to process ideas through interaction. Where introverts think things through and make decisions internally.

But here is the important part…even though our journeys are different, our preferences are unique, and our life experiences come in a variety of shapes and sizes…we all have the same spiritual needs. We might receive them from a unique point of view and express them through our own lens but we all have the same spiritual needs. Proverbs 8 says it was God who marked off the boundaries of the earth’s foundation. It is God who rejoices over all of creation. And it is God who celebrates your life and rejoices over the fact that you are a part of the human family.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the human family gets separated and strained? We are always trying to evaluate whether we in or we are out. Whether we are connected or separated from the family. One of our basic human needs is the need to belong. But from time to time we still get isolated. We get isolated from other people and we get separated from God. It happens all the time and it has nothing to do with your extrovert or introvert status.

It has everything to do with the status of our heart. We have been talking about movements of the heart. Spiritual movement in our lives that can shift us from a posture that is not so positive to a position that allows our life to grow and flourish. Today we are thinking about the movement of the heart that will take us from isolation to community.

A few years ago, I was a part of the first Kairos ministry team that was approved to work inside the Sterling Correctional Facility in north east Colorado. We went into the prison to work with a group of men who were being held in the maximum security unit. Our goal was to develop relationships, present the Gospel of Jesus and to create a pattern of follow up discipleship events. There were 30 inmates in our first group. More than half of them were going to be in for the rest of their lives. Several had already served more than 20 years of incarceration.


They all had unique journeys but there was one that stood out to me. He was assigned to my small group. We had a prior warning from the corrections officers to let us know that they would be watching him especially close. They didn’t know how he was going to react to the others in the group because he had just been released from administrative segregation where he had lived in almost total isolation for the past four years. Can you imagine four years of seeing no one? Speaking to no one?

I praise God and pray that no one in this room would ever have to live like that but you and I know that it does not take prison bars to hold us in isolation. And you and I know that for us, isolation is not a matter of legal verdict. It is a matter of the heart. Remember, the Biblical image of the heart is the center of life, the core of our desire, and the depth of our dreams. It is the place where our life and the longings of God intersect. It is a place that is designed for movement…spiritual movement.

Have you ever been captured by a spirit of isolation? Have you felt all alone? Have there been times when you have wondered if anyone understood the pain that is so deep; you cannot speak it to any other soul?

May I tell you this? I believe it with all my heart. Jesus is the hope of the world!

Imagine this. In the book of Colossians there is this beautiful poetic section in Chapter One. Scholars believe it was probably an ancient hymn. It is a partner passage to Philippians Chapter Two. You might want to read them both. The poetic language of the hymn is focused on the nature of Jesus…the visible image of the invisible God! It says he existed before anything was created and that he holds all creation together. It says that he is the head of the church which is his body and that even those who are far away from God and isolated from others are in alignment for reconciliation.

God has a plan. Jesus is the hope of the world. And that hope will move us from a spirit of isolation to the seedbed of community. That community is a gift that we call the church.

In the Gospel of Matthew we have this incredible declaration of the Apostle Peter. He is responding to a question that is presented to him by Jesus himself. But as it turns out, it is more than your typical question about how’s the weather or what time did you say it was? It is a question that creates spiritual movement. And that movement is a shift that happens within the human heart. It is a question that requires an answer that will continue to imprison our dreams or establish us as a part of the community. Jesus looks at Peter and asks, “Who do you say I am?” And you can almost see Peter’s heart as he responds, “you are the Christ, the son of the living God.”

Jesus then uses (for the very first time) the word ‘ecclesia’. He says, “Peter, upon this rock I will build my ecclesia…my church.” The word literally means the citizens who are called out and summoned to assemble. It is the company of the committed and the seekers. It is the world being called to obedience. And the key marker of ecclesia…the church…is a spirit of community that is centered in Jesus himself.

The church is built on Peter’s declaration of faith, not on Peter himself, but on the faith he expressed in that moment. How do we move from isolation to community? We begin to believe that Jesus is the hope of the world. We respond to that inner desire to break free by proclaiming, you are the Christ the Son of the living God. And we step forward in faith knowing that we were not created for isolation but we were designed to live, love and serve together in community.

Do you hear the connection between community and communion…it means together. Together, we will love the lord our God, love our neighbor and serve the world. Together we will come to the table so our hearts can move from whatever level of isolation we find there…to a new understanding of community.