The Gospel According to Haley K.

April 2, 2015April 10, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

Let’s face it… humanity is pretty selfish. We want more than the next person, we covet other’s wealth and fame and some people will stop at nothing to make sure they (or someone they love) is a better place or position regardless of the consequences. Wars have been waged over land and resources, people have been killed over little league playing time and people rush out to buy the new Apple iPhone or iPad or any other device to make sure they stand at the pinnacle of humanity’s shallow standards.

This unfortunately has found its way in the church through a number of doors.

Because of this we fail to remember the call of Christ to become self-less.

We are called as followers of Christ to be the hands and feet of God at all times to all people. When are humanity kicks in and overshadows are call we can say, act and even do things we regret.

My sister, Haley, tweeted some nice pieces of self-less theology.

[tweet 583649994378383360 align=’center’] [tweet 583650032710131712 align=’center’]

Much like humanity, the church can be the best thing for society and the worst for people all at the same time. I hope that for our world’s sake we focus on others over our own. Haley is right… the world would be a much better place.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu once wrote:

Do your little of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.

Let’s not forget our own call to serve God in the world and through this interactions with others we will then show them the light of Christ. This the most effective evangelism ever conceived.

In Christ,
Rev. Evan

Take. Eat. Take. Drink.

April 2, 2015March 31, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

“I received a tradition from the Lord, which I also handed on to you: on the night on which he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread. After giving thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this to remember me.” He did the same thing with the cup, after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Every time you drink it, do this to remember me.” Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you broadcast the death of the Lord until he comes.” I Cor. 11:23-26 (CEB)

Photo Credit: The Holy Supper – Kuznetsov 02 by Waiting For The Word, on Flickr. Used under the Creative Commons License 2.0

One of You…

April 1, 2015March 31, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / 1 Comment

After he said these things, Jesus was deeply disturbed and testified, “I assure you, one of you will betray me.”

His disciples looked at each other, confused about which of them he was talking about. One of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved, was at Jesus’ side. Simon Peter nodded at him to get him to ask Jesus who he was talking about. Leaning back toward Jesus, this disciple asked, “Lord, who is it?”

Jesus answered, “It’s the one to whom I will give this piece of bread once I have dipped into the bowl.” Then he dipped the piece of bread and gave it to Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son. After Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus told him, “What you are about to do, do quickly.” No one sitting at the table understood why Jesus said this to him. Some thought that, since Judas kept the money bag, Jesus told him, “Go, buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So when Judas took the bread, he left immediately. And it was night.

When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Human One has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify the Human One in himself and will glorify him immediately. –John 13:21-32 (CEB)

Photo Credit here. Used Under Creative Commons License 2.0

This Voice Has Come For Your Sake

March 31, 2015March 31, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

Some Greeks were among those who had come up to worship at the festival. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and made a request: “Sir, we want to see Jesus.” Philip told Andrew, and Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

Jesus replied, “The time has come for the Human One to be glorified. I assure you that unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it can only be a single seed. But if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their lives will lose them, and those who hate their lives in this world will keep them forever. Whoever serves me must follow me. Wherever I am, there my servant will also be. My Father will honor whoever serves me.

“Now I am deeply troubled. What should I say? ‘Father, save me from this time’? No, for this is the reason I have come to this time. Father, glorify your name!”

Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”

The crowd standing there heard and said, “It’s thunder.” Others said, “An angel spoke to him.”

Jesus replied, “This voice wasn’t for my benefit but for yours. 31 Now is the time for judgment of this world. Now this world’s ruler will be thrown out. When I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me.” (He said this to show how he was going to die.)

The crowd responded, “We have heard from the Law that the Christ remains forever. How can you say that the Human One must be lifted up? Who is this Human One?”

Jesus replied, “The light is with you for only a little while. Walk while you have the light so that darkness doesn’t overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness don’t know where they are going. 36 As long as you have the light, believe in the light so that you might become people whose lives are determined by the light.” After Jesus said these things, he went away and hid from them.– John 12:20-36 (CEB)

Photo credit here. Used Under Creative Commons License 2.0

The Anointing of Jesus

March 30, 2015March 31, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, home of Lazarus, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Lazarus and his sisters hosted a dinner for him. Martha served and Lazarus was among those who joined him at the table. Then Mary took an extraordinary amount, almost three-quarters of a pound, of very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She anointed Jesus’ feet with it, then wiped his feet dry with her hair. The house was filled with the aroma of the perfume. Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), complained, “This perfume was worth a year’s wages! Why wasn’t it sold and the money given to the poor?” (6 He said this not because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief. He carried the money bag and would take what was in it.)

Then Jesus said, “Leave her alone. This perfume was to be used in preparation for my burial, and this is how she has used it. You will always have the poor among you, but you won’t always have me.”

Many Jews learned that he was there. They came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. he chief priests decided that they would kill Lazarus too. It was because of Lazarus that many of the Jews had deserted them and come to believe in Jesus. –John 12:1-11 (CEB)

Photo Credit here.

Hosanna!

March 29, 2015March 29, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

When Jesus and his followers approached Jerusalem, they came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives. Jesus gave two disciples a task, saying to them, “Go into the village over there. As soon as you enter it, you will find tied up there a colt that no one has ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘Its master needs it, and he will send it back right away.’”

They went and found a colt tied to a gate outside on the street, and they untied it. Some people standing around said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” They told them just what Jesus said, and they left them alone. They brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes upon it, and he sat on it. Many people spread out their clothes on the road while others spread branches cut from the fields. Those in front of him and those following were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessings on the coming kingdom of our ancestor David! Hosanna in the highest!” Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple. After he looked around at everything, because it was already late in the evening, he returned to Bethany with the Twelve. — Mark 11:1-11 (Common English Bible)

Photo Credit: “Palm” by Stephen Cummings via Flickr. Used Under the Creative Commons License 2.0

What Would It Be Like?

March 22, 2015March 22, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

The church would be a completely different place if we truly heeded these words.

Let it be so.

In Christ,

Rev. Evan

Love Is The Answer… Always… No Matter What…

March 18, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

Via Reddit

Lenten Devotional March 18, 2015 (Fig Tree 2015)

March 18, 2015February 16, 2015 / Rev. Evan Dolive / Leave a comment

My Lenten devotion for the Scandal at the Cross Lenten Series by Fig Tree Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Download the devotional now!

Pray to the Lord so that he will send the snakes away from us. So Moses prayed for the people. Numbers 21:7b

When we come across this passage in the Bible, especially in Lent, it is jarring. Why would God send snakes to the people of Israel for complaining about the food? Sounds like a bit of an overreaction. I’m not going to ask God to rain down snakes on my children if they complain about having to eat vegetables.

It’s easy to get bogged down in the details of these snakes that bite people and the sobering fact that some people actually die. While this isn’t unimportant we could be missing another important detail: Moses heard the cries of the people and prayed for them.

As followers of Christ we can follow in the footsteps of not only Christ but of the people of Israel especially. Moses.

Moses had a tough job, not only did he have led people from slavery to Promised Land but they weren’t happy about it. They complained and complained a bunch. The food wasn’t good, the water tasted bad, they were lost and things seemed better in Egypt under an oppressive dictator where they were slaves for the good of Empire.

Had God called me to led the people of Israel I would have left them wandering in the desert after about a month of complaining.

But therein lies a problem, I would have abandoned the people.

People.

They can be the thorn in our side or the safety net to catch us when we fall. People at their best can show the wonderment of God’s mercy and goodness, at their worst they make us hang our head in shame.

People are vitally important in all of our lives; we are inherently social creatures.

Being a hospital chaplain I have the opportunity to be with people in the best and worst times of their lives. The world around us does not stop because someone close to us has a heart attack or is involved in a car accident. Some days I have to remember that I’m am there to serve, talk and be with people and nothing else. People are at the heart of the gospel, the other.

Moses had more than likely hundreds of thousands of people to guide and lead and he still remembered them even when they gave him every opportunity to.

Instead of saying “well you shouldn’t have complained,” or “serves you right,” Moses prayed for the people; he called on God for mercy and God answered.

This Lent the scandal of the cross is that while Christ might have been crucified to settle a first century judicial system penalty it is so much more than that.

This entire Lenten journey is not solely about us and our needs, but for all of humanity, you know… the people.

God help to remember the people around us. Guide us through our wilderness. Remind us of your grace and presence this Lent. In Christ Holy Name, Amen.