It’s easy for Christians to fall into a rut: Church is a thing you do, prayer is a box to check, and faith seems far from “the real world.” This fall we let Jesus himself confront our ruts. “Do you believe this?” he asks (Jn. 11:26).
To believe in Jesus is to experience him. It’s more than logic, argument, and doctrine. It is intimate knowledge of God himself. This fall, let Jesus himself speak to you in his seven “I AM” statements in the gospel of John. How is he changing you? What response is he inspiring in you? To believe in him changes everything.
Invocation
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Ponder:
Today we ponder the I AM statement: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Ponder the ways that Jesus is a shepherd. Look up descriptions of a shepherd on the internet. Search for videos on You Tube that show a shepherd and sheep. Ponder how Jesus is a “good” as a shepherd, as opposed to a hired hand.
Word
John 8:14
“Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going. But you have no idea where I come from or where I am going.’”
Meditation: Steady as the Seasons by Susan Becher Schultz
After three long, gruesome months of St. Louis summer, fall has arrived. There will still be stretches of hot days, as St. Louis loves to play tricks on us, but cooler nights are settling in. I sit here on my back deck as a breeze blows through, and I am full of peace. I didn’t realize how much the 100 degree days were wearing on me. It happens this way every year. I can’t wait until summer, then St. Louis reminds me how miserable summers can be.
When I lived in San Diego for a year, it was the first time I realized how much I missed the pattern of seasons changing. It was a steadiness I had come to rely on growing up in the midwest. While sunny, 70 degree days sound like a dream, for me it only contributed to the depression I was already experiencing. I had never lived so far from home, and never felt more disconnected to the place that I lived.
I found in both my move to the west coast and my move to the east coast, that so much of who I am is rooted in the place that I came from. For better or for worse, the people and places that I grew up with are part of me. Similar to my connection with the seasons, I’m reminded of who I am in relation to them.
This passage we’re reflecting on this week begins with what I consider a mega bible verse. John 8:12 says “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” It’s a verse that is pretty much synonymous with Christianity. I’ve always struggled with these well-known verses. When a verse like this is so amplified, it’s hard for me to imagine how I fit into such a big story.
However, I never considered the rest of the passage before now. With context, it changes it from a verse that should define me as a Christian, to something I actually want to connect with as a human.
John 8:14 is such a strong statement from Jesus: “Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid, for I know where I came from and where I am going.” Jesus comes across as headstrong and independent, not concerned with others opinions and judgment of him. His testimony is valid because he says so, and I’m impressed with the power he exudes.
Yet as I read further into the passage, I find in John 8:18 that he says “I am one who testifies for myself; my other witness is the Father, who sent me.” This reminds me that Jesus has roots, too. That he’s also made up of parts and people and places. He isn’t a lone soldier, confident in his sole abilities, but also a son who was sent by his Father, and at times, must trust wherever that takes him.
This passage, like this time of year, brings with it a fresh gust of cool air. While I do marvel at the magnitude of Jesus as the light of the world, he also lived and walked in this world. He had people in his life that raised him as a human and loved him, along with a Father in heaven who sent and guided him. He had a hometown. He had his own connections with nature. Most of all, Jesus knew where he came from, just as I know he’ll be with me wherever I go, as reliable as the change in the seasons.
Dear Jesus, thank you for being both larger than our understanding and human enough for us to connect with. Allow us time this season to appreciate how you’ve walked with us in the past so that we might trust where you guide us next. Amen.
Prayer
Jesus, you said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” There are so many voices that lure me to danger. Tune my ears to hear your voice. Be good to me. Shepherd me away from trouble and toward green pastures. Amen.
Benediction
May the love of Jesus draw us to himself;
May the power of Jesus strengthen us in his service;
May the joy of Jesus fill our souls;
May the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be upon us always. Amen.