"New Life" Sermon

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New Life

1st Corinthians Chapter 15, the"Resurrection Chapter," captures my intrigue and challenges me. It is not the kind of challenge I normally face, however. Most of the time nowadays, I am more concerned with discovering the meaning of the text, and how I would communicate it to others. This chapter certainly interests me as I try to uncover the meaning, but it more so interests me as I truly try to live as though this text is true. The message from this chapter (for me, of course, I challenge you to discover your own) is, essentially: Jesus is risen, and so are we. Of course our resurrection is unlike Jesus';we did not raise from the dead in a physical way as Jesus did. Rather, Jesus gives us new life. What does this mean?

I am reminded of Nicodemus' question to Jesus that prompts John 3:16, a staple Jesus quotation for the Christian faith. He too, was confused with this concept of new life. I think it is still confusing today. Last Sunday, I preached about this text at Inman Park UMC (where I am currently serving). I am not going to reiterate the sermon here (although if you would like to hear it, I am more than willing to give you an audio recording, just let me know in the comments). The claim that we make that we believe in the resurrection of  the body (Apostle's Creed) is equally baffling, but I would like to posit that it points it is consistent with what  Jesus told Nicodemus: " “Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above (born anew)." What does it look like to live with this "new life?" I understand this to mean that we know that believing in Jesus and his resurrection, and this changes us. It makes us respond in ways that expect God to do more in our lives. The fact that we have new life means that we live in anticipation for God to work, to move, to act, and to respond to what God is doing in our lives. God invites us to not just sit back and react to what is going on in the world, but to notice what God is doing in it. "I  believe in the resurrection" means "I expect God to act"; "I am born anew"; "I look and anticipate God's action in my life and in the world around me."

This new life;  this holy expectancy of God to move,act and transform us provides hope for our life to be directed towards God. This new life is one that is dead to sin and alive in Christ. We are able to hope and dream and expect things to happen in our lives. This opportunity is given to us by God, but we must accept the invitation to live into it.

Do not  let the elusiveness of the term "resurrection" or phrase "the resurrection of the body" keep you from expecting, anticipating, and looking for God's action in your life and in the world around you.

The  hopes and dreams that are provided by this holy invitation to live as people of God that are invited to live our lives anew each day are much like those that a new baby provides. My family and I are excited to welcome a new baby, a new life, new hopes and dreams, into this world. Oakes Andrew Cardaci, son of my sister Anne and brother-in-law Drew, was born last Tuesday February 6th. He is beautiful.

Joy and Rejuvenation

I will begin this update with  cursory apology for neglecting to blog more often. I know my life is exciting and everyone wants to know about it ;) Maybe my New Year's resolution will be to blog more? This winter break was certainly worthy to blog about. It started on December 17th, when I drove home after my final final (and more truck work). The next day, I had my Re-certification meeting with the District Board of Ordained Ministry. It went well, and I am on track in my ordination process. I will be starting my commissioning paper work very soon, which seems daunting on top of all of my other seminary responsibilities. This summer, I will be doing Clinical Pastoral Education (hopefully in Orlando), which the  DCOM has required for me. I am really looking forward to that; I know it will make a huge impact on me and I will learn so much from it. This will basically entail chaplaincy work in hospital settings.

As for the rest of my winter break back home, it was very relaxing an rejuvenating  I was very happy to be back. One of the highlights definitely was being with my 8-month pregnant sister Anne. Her and Drew are expecting their baby boy late this month, right around my birthday! Talk about an awesome gift. Everyone is so excited for them, and for this new member to our loving family. Anne will be the first of all the cousins to have a baby, so it is very special for us as a family. Now if they could just figure out the little guy's name! If they are having trouble naming him, shouldn't they just wait until he is born and meet the little guy?

Christmas was great. Having the whole family together for the first time in 3 years brought me so much joy.
My sister Sarah and her husband Devon joined Anne, Drew, Charlie, my parents, and I for an amazing rib roast dinner on Christmas Eve, followed by a relaxing Christmas Day, fried turkey included. We do not do presents for Christmas anymore, and it really eliminates the stress and places my attention directly towards the joy and peace I receive from genuine fellowship with my family. I believe my parents focus their efforts towards good eatin' for the family instead of presents. I aint complainin'! I love my family so much, and Christmas was pretty perfect.

I enjoyed being with my parents so much during this break. I went fishing with them. I flew and had lunch with my dad. I had conversations with them that encouraged me. I miss them and hope that I can remember the time that I had with them when I am stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed this semester.

After Christmas, on the 27th, my parents, Anne, Drew, and I went south to Stuart for a weekend of fishing with my aunt and uncle. This is one of my favorite weekends of the whole year I missed it last year (their minuscule catch total reflected this) and I was so very happy to get  back to the traditional Mackerel Massacre. The fishing was successful, but the time with my family was what really made the weekend great.   I also rediscovered my taste for good seafood as we feasted on lobster shrimp, dolphin, and fresh mackerel! Very fun weekend there.

My break ended with a NYE celebration with Julie, Herb, Ana, Lee, Patrick, Megan, Nicole, Greg, and Charlie. I was  reminded how special my friends are to me. I miss them all the time, and times with them are so much fun. They give me energy to be able to do what my life calls me to. Although some of my friends were missed (Sarah H. (I did get to hang out with her a lot though!) Aubrey, Brandon, Bobby, Leanna, Steph, sorry if I did not list you and we are great friends and maybe you can call me out and I will add you, etc.), I enjoyed the time spent with my friends for my last night in town.

I love the ones I love, in part, because of the joy and rejuvenation I receive from them. I know that I cannot be who I am without them. It is impossible for me to proceed on the path that God has for me without the energy and guidance that I receive from them. I think God wants it that way, too.

Listen and understand:

Julie.

Now I will tell everyone about Julie!

Since I have left Orlando, Julie and I have been talking every day and getting closer. At first, that was bizarre because we weren't hanging out and dating, we got closer through the distance. One of the themes of our relationship, and a difficult one. I started to see how much I loved  talking to her, and invited her to come and visit with Sarah (Howell, not my sister) in September. That was great because we learned that we loved spending time with another on top of talking to each other and thinking about each other. We had a great weekend! We continued to communicate well and be honest and open about what was going on between us. We missed each other, struggled with the distance, and just wanted to see each other again. I went home about a month later, and even though I was spread pretty thin, we got to spend time together and that was just great. She came up to visit by herself last weekend, which totally meant a lot to me. She does not typically do things like that, so I knew it was big for her and it makes me feel great that she did that. We had a fantastic weekend, it was so perfect. Now, I am headed back to Florida next weekend to visit my sister Sarah in Gainesville and she is coming! Then when I am done with the semester, we will really spend some consistent time with one another and that excites me more than anything! I am looking forward to that and not having our time together be short and sporadic. 

We know that it is a big deal to try to make a long distance relationship work, we are not naive to that. We struggle. It is very hard, but we know it's worth it. She is one of my biggest supporters, which is not easy since she misses me so much. She helps me balance out my stress of school, and always lifts up my spirits just by being there for me to talk to, miss, and think about. I turn to God for encouragement and preparation and that is fed by Julie's encouragement. She vitalizes my faith as we pursue our relationship, care for one another, and are hopeful and excited for the future. 

Topsy-Turvey

This first month of Seminary had been up and down (topsy-turvey). At times I feel prepared, on top of my studies, faithful, motivated, passionate, and engaged in my classes. I choose these words carefully because there are times where I feel their exact opposites. As hectic as this may seem to me, this precedes growth and maturation for me. I know I am being stretched in ways that I need to be while I am here. With one month left of classes, I finally feel at home at Candler. I am doing well in my classes, and that is encouraging. The balance between growth and comfort has been difficult for me, however. It’s easy and common for me to get overwhelmed, work through it, and then feel like I am doing well.

I chose Interpretation of Scripture,which focuses on the Biblical Languages, as a concentration while I am at Candler. I did this because I know I have an interest in Greek and Hebrew as they pertain to the understanding the Bible. This is necessary for me as I study the Bible, to understand where it came from. I am really excited about this, because I will have a focus in my studies. I will be taking languages as my electives as I move through m education in Seminary. God provided this direction, and I know I want to own it.

While feeling more at home here, I do miss being home a ton. It’s comfortable there. I had a few days back in Florida in October, but I was spread thin because of things I had to take care of, so I am really looking forward to the two weeks in December I get to spend back home.

I also apologize for saying I would keep up with writing and not doing that. It’s important to me to keep in touch, and I have not made that a priority. It’s easy to say I have been extremely busy, but I do have time to keep up with this if I really wanted to.

All in all, I am doing well here. This is the hardest thing I have ever done, but it is all worth it and I know I'm in the right place. I know I have all the support in the world, and that drives me to do well here. I am looking forward to this last month here before I go home, and it will go by fast!

Mystery

President of Emory James Wagner said yesterday, to a slew of new students, many of them being first years at Candler, something that sparked my mind and interest. He gave a very candid speech to the students and faculty members about, generally, what the University stands for in the realm of thinking and learning. Among this topic he mentioned this notion that in a field of study there are three categories of information for the ones studying: the known, the unknown, and the unknowable. His perspective of this "unknowable" information really stood out to me, because he approached it with mystery. To pursue the mysteries that are out there is a journey of discovery and knowledge, even if the mystery is never solved or known. This pursuit will amount to knowledge and empowerment. He encouraged us to take on this concept and not shy away from the unknowable, or the unknown for that matter. 

I can't help but think of what Andy Lowry says to me, that my "ministry won't be one of knowledge, but of experience". I know that this idea will follow me around, because it just hits home with me.

These two concepts obviously relate to me. They both take the pressure off of knowledge for me, but emphasizes it also. Knowledge is a tool for the way I will do ministry, it has a purpose beyond itself. It is not the point, but I do need it, and will pursue all that I can.

Obviously "knowledge" is a broad word. I don't want to know everything, that's exhausting and unnecessary. I want to know who God is, I want to know the Bible inside out, and I want to know how to love people like Jesus did. These are all impossible (in some ways also, "unknowable"), but the pursuit of these is the reason I am here. My continued findings of this reason means a lot to me, because it also empowers and enables me. No matter how far fetched these seem, the pursuit of them is my ministry. 


Colossians 2:2-3

"My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." 

Comfort

The idea of comfort and being comfortable has been a touchy issue for me, so I thought I would pick apart my thoughts and go to scripture on the topic.

Comfort is a catch-22 for me, and I think it's supposed to be. On one hand, it is perfectly fine to be comfortable in an area. Who can accomplish anything if they feel tension, unfamiliarity, or believe that the place they are is just not right for them? It's good to feel comfortable in a situation, to be confident in being able to handle something. It is necessary to be comfortable when you are in a position to serve others, or else your service might not be genuine. Comfort is a good thing. It enables, empowers, and can even affirms the place you are in.

On the flip side, one should not seek comfort. There are WAY bigger things for you to run after than comfort. Without the knowledge of it, I think we would be a lot more willing to seek the things that God has for us, to be more risky. How many times have you/I NOT done something (go somewhere, talk to someone, try something new, etc.) because it was simply too far out of your/my comfort zones? These are the very things that God could have for us. They are opportunities that we pass up, moments that slip away.

The good thing is, God does not give up on us. He will continue to give you opportunities to accomplish His will and lead the life He has in mind for you. We just can't get into such a deep habit of passing them up. This is not to encourage you to disregard your comfort, just don't seek it. Understand it, because God does too. Don't do something just because it's out of your comfort zone, because there is a reason for your comfort. It's nature to have one.  

Comfort is not your God, and it is not worthy to be sought after.

Comfort is something that God gives you when you need it. Comfort is not the point, however. There is a quite famous depiction of this concept in Scripture. The story of when Jesus, who was going to the leader of the synagogue's house to bring his daughter back to life, was touched on the fringe of his cloak by a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years, so that she may be healed. The story comes from Matthew 9 (as well as Mark 10 and Luke 8).

Check out verse 22 (KJV):

"and when he saw her, he said, 'Daughter, be of good comfort (be encouraged-NLT); thy faith hath made thee whole.' And the woman was made whole from that hour."

This is remarkable. First of all, Jesus was going to do go bring a girl back from the dead; he was pretty busy. But he felt and noticed the woman. He does the same for us now, he sees and feels us when we reach out to him. Moreover, this woman did seek comfort, she sought Jesus. She merely brisked the fringe of his robe, and she was made whole because of her faith! She did what she could to have an encounter with Jesus, however "small" it would be. And then Jesus brought her comfort, as a product of her faith and need.  The woman sought to be "healed" (verse 21), not merely comforted.

If you are comfortable, ask yourself: Did I receive this from God, or did I get it from going after it? Ask God about it, he'll tell you.


Comfort should be something that is accepted, not sought after.