North Wilkesboro Presbyterian Church

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

Growing up in the church, I was always taught to individualize this culturally-familiar verse. To personalize it, Sunday School teachers, Youth Group leaders, and motivational speakers would tell us to replace the word “world” with our names; the impact was that the love of God was specifically for me. “For God so loved [R.C.] . . .”

But when Jesus talks to Nicodemus, he does not say, “For God so loved [you] . . .” He says, “For God so loved the world . . .” He says, “For God so loved the cosmos . . .” He says, “For God so loved the entire order of all of creation – how it fits together, how it holds together, how it exhibits perfect peace and harmony together . . .” It’s not unlike what God speaks at the dawn of time – “God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good” (Gen. 1:31). God’s love for this cosmos (including you and me) then grants us comfort and call: the comfort to know that we are indeed loved by God and the call to love the world as God loves the world. – rc

He said to him, “Follow me.” (John 1:43b)

“Come and see” (John 1:39a). “Follow me” (v. 43b). These are the words of Jesus that summon the first disciples toward a new life of faith. “Come and see” – because coming to where Jesus is allows us to see Jesus’ life and ministry, a life and ministry that offer a new model for how to live life in this world. But “Follow me” is a bit more difficult. “Follow me” requires a whole-life commitment to go into the unknown without readily recognizing any underlying purpose. “Follow me” involves active participation in the mystery of faith. “Follow me” demands a level of courage and confidence to face whatever we might face.

But it is good to know who it is we’re following. It is he who grants us the courage and confidence to follow faithfully. – rc

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” (Acts 3:3–4)

Healing comes in many forms. In this case, a man, having had a crippling disability since birth, was carried by his friends and placed at the gateway to the Temple complex so that he could make his living. Little did he know that Peter and John, freshly infused with the power of God’s Spirit, would change his life forever. With this power, they (of course) healed the man so that he could walk around by his own power and he (of course) praised God for the gift he had received.

But I find it interesting that Peter and John “looked intently” (v. 4) at the man and commanded him, “Look at us” (v. 4) even after the story clearly states that the man “saw” them already (v. 3). Seeing one another is important to the story, really seeing one another. Peter and John offered this man not only the gift of physical healing, but the gift of dignity, the gift of respect, the gift of recognizing their common humanness because healing comes in many forms. We too can offer this healing. – rc

All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” (Acts 2:12)

The first Pentecost story is not only about God’s Spirit endowing the disciples with the gift of languages. It is also about the astonishment and confusion of people when God’s ways are made manifest among them; it’s a story about how the establishment of God’s kingdom threatens the status quo (in both good and difficult ways). When we do things to bring about God’s desires here on earth, here in these towns of ours, we should expect that people will be “amazed and perplexed” – amazed because experiencing the world the way God intended it is life-changing, life-sustaining and perplexed because experiencing the world the way God intended it summons everyone to give up our personal interests for the good of others. This type of discipleship is surely counter-cultural, but it’s also they type of discipleship we need right now.               – rc

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)

These are the last words that the remaining disciples speak before the resurrected Jesus ascends into heaven and is physically gone from their lives. It’s a question that reveals the deepest desire of their hearts (the restoration of the free kingdom of Israel), but it’s also a question that reveals their deep ignorance and complete misunderstanding of what Jesus actually came to do. The point of the Jesus story was never to re-establish the kingdom of Israel but to establish the kingdom of God here on earth, a kingdom that spreads out from Jerusalem, to all Judea and Samaria, and on to the ends of the earth. And now, it is up to the disciples – it’s up to you and me – to help establish this kingdom.                      – rc