My Blog

Tag: John 3:16-17

  • The Foundation for Christian Mission

     

    The other name for the Episcopal Church is “The Domestic and Foreign Missionary Society.”  As members of this Church, we're taught that each of us is a missionary. What is the foundation, the basis for our work as missionaries? I don’t mean to be overly simplistic, but I believe the Christian mission has its basis in the Great Gift, the Great Commandment, and the Great Commission:

    •  The Great Gift (John 3:16-17) ~ 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. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

    God’s greatest gift of Love surpasses all I possess, given not for condemnation but for redemption. The Gift of the Son of God to reconcile us to God and to others inspires, empowers, and motivates us in the work of reconciliation God has entrusted to us.

    •  The Great Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40) ~ You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

    Jesus' summary of the law is the guide for our words and actions. Everything else depends on these two commandments, like a door depends on its hinges. Demonstration of love for God and love for our neighbors are the highest values of the Christian’s life.

    •  The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) ~ All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.

    Jesus gave this commission to the Church. He intends for us to be united in God's mission. What happens when we gather for worship, study, and fellowship is to prepare us to GO back into the world to be and to make disciples for the sake of the world. We are blessed not just to feel good about ourselves, but so that we may be a blessing to others.

    How are we doing, Jesus?

    I'll see you in Church!

    Ron Short Sig Blue

     

     

     

     

    The Very Reverend Ronald D. Pogue
    Interim Dean
    Saint John’s Cathedral
    Denver, Colorado

     

  • When you see the Light, head toward it!

    It was one of the darker nights of the year and I was driving along a road in deep East Texas.  The road was one with which I was unfamiliar and full of curves and bends and hills.  At about the time I became aware that I had missed a turn somewhere and was headed in the wrong direction, I discovered that I was very low on gasoline.  I had gone to far to turn back, but I was frightened to drive on because my engine might stop on that dark and lonely road any moment.  I decided to drive on and search for some sign of civilization where there might be fuel and someone to point me in the right direction.

    The more I drove, the more concerned I became. Just when I thought my engine was about out of fumes, I saw the glowing red light of an airplane beacon atop some structure in the distance.  I felt certain it must be in or near a town with a filling station.  If I could get there, I could fill my car with fuel, seek directions, and head on with confidence toward my destination.  As I followed the beacon, I came to a road I recognized and managed to coast the last few hundred feet to a gas pump. I filled the tank and I got directions so that I could complete my journey in safety and in peace.

    If you've ever experienced something like this, you surely understand how out of control my anxiety was that night.  And, you also understand what a welcome sight that beacon was, with its promise of fuel and guidance.

    Whenever something like this happens in the course of living – when we are alone, lost, and almost out of resources – we feel frightened, apprehensive, and alone.  But then, on the distant horizon there is the bright beacon of God's love, the light of God's grace, the glow of God's promise.  We see it through the darkness and our faith draws us forward to a place of peace and security.

    John 3:16-17 speaks to us of that beacon of Love Divine. "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. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him." The Word Made Flesh is for us and with us, wherever we may be!

    When the night is dark, when the road is scary and unfamiliar, and when you are running on fumes, look for the Light.  Turn to him.  Trust his good news to be truly good for you.  Let him help you find your way forward as you continue the journey in peace, knowing that you are completely secure in God's immeasurable love!

    Ron Short Sig Blue