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 15:9
“…Abide in my love.”
Meditation: The Abiding Season by Megan Roegner
Today is a perfect fall day. It’s rainy and blustery. The red, orange, and yellow leaves stand out in contrast against the gray sky. My youngest son watches them swirl to the ground. He tells me wisely, “Soon the trees will be naked.”
A few years ago, I was studying the Psalms with a friend, and one of the things we talked about is how many of the Psalms direct our attention to nature as a way to observe a constant physical manifestation of God’s power. Ever since then, I have tried to be more mindful of seeing God when I see leaves in blazing colors or the dreamy pastels of autumn sunrises: to be instructed, comforted, and inspired by his creation.
My friend referred to autumn, this fading away into the bleakness of winter, as “the abiding season”: the time when we re-learn how to wait, how to be still. In nature, without this abiding season, there would be too much growth and the quality of the fruit would suffer.
Abiding may feel counterintuitive. The world pushes us toward accomplishment, toward activity, toward independence. But I think we’ve all tasted the fruit of the relentless pursuit of self-centered achievement, and it is bitter and unsatisfying.
We were created to abide. To rest securely in Love. To endure trials with faith. To wait patiently for the fulfillment of God’s promises. To continue on his path and trust the goodness of the journey. To be branches reliant on the vine.
Halloween was this week, which means that we are hurtling full speed ahead into the “holiday season.” So, as the days grow shorter and the nights become colder, perhaps it is not too soon to think about Advent, that season of preparation, that time of longing, of waiting, a time when we ponder both our need and our hope, our dependence. A time when we learn to abide.
Jesus, in times of darkness especially, help us trust in you. Help us to accept the goodness of your plans for us, even when we don’t understand them. Help us to understand that we depend totally on you. Help us to abide. 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.