December 2024

God’s Love Dwells in Us Excerpt from Red Rock News – December 27th, 2024 Rev. Dona Johnson |December 29, 2024 The first words of the Gospel of John 1:1-14 are a text used during the Christmas season. And for good reason. John’s opening proclamation lays the foundation for who Jesus is. John begins his account of Jesus with these words: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).       John wrote his gospel for everyone—both Jews and non-Jews. As one of Jesus’ 12 disciples, John writes with a great deal of credibility and was an eyewitness to the life and times of Jesus. Brennan Manning once said, “If John were to be asked, “What is your primary identity in life?’ he would not reply, “I am a disciple, an apostle, an evangelist, an author of one of the four gospels,” but rather, “I am the one Jesus loves.” Yes, John was both a disciple and apostle. Yes, he was one of the four evangelists. He also wrote 3 of the epistles and Revelation. But, if Manning is right and I think he is, John would want none of that on his tombstone, Instead, chisel the epitaph: “Here lies the body of the one Jesus loved.”       The “one who Jesus loves”—when you think about it is a profound declaration. Are you feeling loved today? Did you wake up this morning with the joy of Jesus’ love in your heart? When you looked in the mirror this morning, did you say to yourself, “I am the one Jesus loved.” When you look into the faces of others, say, “Here is the one Jesus loves.”       That is truly who I am. And that is who you are. We are not so much defined by what we do but who we are loved by. And God loves us. Jesus loves us so deeply that at times it is very difficult for us to grasp. Why? Probably because we’ve never experienced this type of love before. Deep and abiding love may scare us away. Maybe we don’t love ourselves, maybe our critical voice talks over the goodness and giftedness of God’s love within us. Maybe we have attachment issues with God’s love, and everytime we try to get close to him, or get close to others we sabotage our efforts. Maybe we’re afraid if we trust God, he will somehow abandon us like our parents did or other people who betrayed us. Some of us in order to feel connected to God stay in our heads with God and only intellectualize his promises. His promises thus, never reach our hearts. And thus, live in between doubt and love—not fully at peace, restless.       But, to know in your heart that you are without a doubt loved with great affection by the very God who created the universe, is something marvelous to encounter. It is life-changing.      If you want to know what real love looks like, look no further than the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. If you want to know who God is, look at Jesus. Jesus reveals the true character of God— one of love, mercy and forgiveness. John declares the Word was God. He was not saying Jesus is identical with God, he was saying that Jesus was so perfectly the same as God in mind, heart and in being that in Jesus we see perfectly what God is like.      John continues with words also found in Genesis “light” (1:4). Again in verse 1:9, John picks up the theme of Christ being light. “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” What this means for Christians is that they don’t walk blindly in this world but God lights a path ahead of them, and he removes the darkness of sin and death from their lives. Thus, life in Christ is lived on a higher plane because of his unfailing and eternal love for them. Christians are no longer crushed by the weight of the law but we are saved by God’s love, his grace through faith in Jesus (Eph 2:8). For no Christian can perfectly live out the law.      Jesus, a new creation is not brought about by some unknown being but through the very Word of God. And that is how God reveals himself to mankind through his Word. When a person speaks words, it reveals what that person is thinking, his or her character and beliefs. So, the Word of God are God’s thoughts uttered out loud, a window into his purpose, personality and divine nature. Thus, the knowledge of God that the Word brings is not merely information to debate or pontificate—it is Life. In order for God’s power to be made known, on the cross and the empty tomb, God entered time in the birth of Jesus, and that is still the miracle we proclaim today—God’s Word became flesh, in the Christ child to dwell intimately, to love, walk with and to suffer with his people. Among all the world’s wealth and treasures, this is the greatest gift anyone can be given—God loves you. Merry Christmas! Rev. Dona Johnson |December 29, 2024

Christmas Is A Celebration Of God’s Love  For All Humanity  Taken from a Red Rock News Article December 20th, 2024 Rev. Dona Johnson |December 22, 2024 In the Gospel of Luke Chapter 2 we are given the miraculous story of Jesus’ birth, a celebration of God’s love for Israel and, indeed, for all humanity. The biblical account of Jesus’ birth is the announcement of God’s divine plan of a redemption for a world that had been and still is saturated with the sin of power, greed and lust. New Testament professor Joel Green of Asbury Theological Seminary makes the point that Luke is concerned with the balance of power. The Roman Empire through countless conquests and plunder, and through heavy taxation of a conquered people, experienced a time of great peace and prosperity. Luke historically frames Chapter 2 by introducing Octavian Ceasar Augustus whom Roman citizens recognized as their savior, more god than human, and who brought peace to the world (Luke 2:1-3).       So, it is no coincidence that in the midst of this peaceful and yet imbalance of power and corrupt system, Jesus is now presented as the Savior, Lord and redeemer of the world, not Augustus. Through God becoming flesh in the birth of Jesus, people’s hearts were anticipating the coming of God who would bring an end to political dominance and social oppression. This socio-political reversal is at the heart of salvation and Mary makes mention of this reversal in her song about God’s justice and love for his people, “His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty (Luke 1:50-54).       Green continues, “At the birth of Jesus, Luke’s social world was defined around power and privilege made visible in religious purity, family heritage, land ownership, vocation, ethnicity, gender, education and age.” Much like today, there were political, social, and religious structures in place. Where the majority of the population were peasants, this also included those people considered expendable, unclean and degraded. So, the angel’s announcement of the supernatural birth of Jesus, the one who could rescue and save the people who were on the far fringes of the ruling class this was more than astonishing good news!      God brought this good news to the shepherd’s first. By God bypassing the Emperor and going directly to the shepherds, this in itself was a powerful sign that those with power and privilege were already being brought down, while the lowly are lifted up (Luke 1:52).        An angel of the Lord, appeared to the shepherds living in the field. The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I bring you good news of great joy for all the people.: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:8-11). The shepherds were peasants located at the bottom rung of the scale of privilege and power. They were unclean and could not observe all the meticulous handwashing rules and rituals. It was to simple men in the fields that God’s message of redemption came first.      The birth of Jesus leaves many of us still pondering how the God of the universe chose to enter this world. The rough, edgy, raw simplicity of the birth of Jesus is a telling reminder that God’s ways are not man’s ways. In fact they are reversed or better yet inverted. The world’s system we construct and have a part in such as our economy, politics, celebrity status and even religious barriers, God’s love, grace and mercy come’s to deconstruct. Christmas is about God’s love for the sinner, his mercy for the suffering and his compassion on the marginalized, and his desire to redeem the entire human family from sin. God’s amazing grace will always be a profound mystery we accept by faith. Merry Christmas everyone!Prayer: Jesus, Son of the one true and living God open my heart even wider than it is right now to the mystery of who you are. Show me your ways and help me to reverse course in the things that don’t bring your Light and Life in my relationships with others and all creation. Amen. Rev. Dona Johnson |December 22, 2024

Jesus Is A Companion To The  Marginalized Rev. Dona Johnson |December 15, 2024 In this 3rd Sunday of Advent, we find John the Baptist in  prison. His proclamation of Jesus as the ‘Lamb of God  who takes away the sin of the world’ got him into big  trouble with religious authorities. Now things are not  going well for the prophet. His disciples come to his cell  to inform him that they have seen Jesus in the region.  But John has his doubts. Some discredit John’s faith  because he doubts. But who wouldn’t have doubts? Stuck deep in a prison cell with the narrow walls closing  in on him. In the midst of this cruel punishment, his  heart is shaken. John had no way of knowing if this was  the man he baptized (Luke 7:18-35).         There were many imposters in those days who  claimed they were the messiah. Wanting in the worst  way to know who this man was, John sends two of his  disciples to ask Jesus who he is. But Jesus never directly  answers their question. Instead, Jesus says, “Go back  and report to John what you have seen and heard: The  blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have  leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised,  and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.23 Blessed  is anyone who does not stumble on account of me” (Luke 7:22-23).         Most Christians, unfortunately, do not recognize the significance of Christ’s answer. Thus, it is  not a surprise that John asked this question through his  disciples. And the answer he got from the Lord was to  have an enlightening and healing effect on his intellect,  for if blind see, dead are resurrected etc. then it is clear  that this Messiah is even greater than any political  messiah can be, and if greater, then He is the true  Messiah and not anybody lesser; and if this true Messiah does not promote an earthly political agenda  (John 18:36), then one has no other choice than to  change their mind about the essence of the  Messiahship, and understand that the Kingdom which  the true Messiah is bringing is not a visible one but a  spiritual one (Luke 17:20).        This was a complicated political situation: as is  always the case when the Empire reigns. Israel is  plagued by social inequity, by vast disparities between  the few with wealth and power and the many who are  poor and destitute. There was abusive taxation on the  poor and paranoia about being arrested for the slightest  infraction. In the grand expanse of the Roman Empire,  the Jewish people are but a small and politically  inconsequential group, trying to hold onto their unique  culture and customs while avoiding the disapproving  gaze of those who rule over them.        In answering John’s question, Jesus now expands his messianic identity to include healing and  restoration. The Messiah comes not as conquering king  lording it over on the poor and have-nots. But Jesus  identifies with the people who have been marginalized  by a corrupt system. The true Messiah is not one who  sits in royal luxury, in a palace being served by slaves.  No, Jesus comes as a companion to sit with sinners and  tax collectors. In a great reversal, the Messiah empties  himself of all titles and importance and becomes a  slave, a servant to those who are suffering from sin and  abuse (Col 2:5-11). Jesus explains that he and John are  being condemned for their failure to fit into a  fraudulent system and play the games of the religious  elite. Both John and Jesus were scandalized for refusing  to be aligned with a world system that had grown  corrupt at every level. In the eyes of the system, the  marginalized population were of little value and  expendable.         Since the death and resurrection of Jesus, you  might say Christians have been in a long season of  advent—waiting and watching for the signs of the  second coming and reign of Jesus Christ. As we look out  at the overwhelming corruption in our own world, we  know all too well that we are need of a Savior.        A good question for all of is is: how do our blind  spots make us complicit to the marginalized? In what  ways are our convictions about how God should work in  the world wrong and lead others discouraged — with  God, with others, and/or with ourselves? What type of  messiah are we looking for? A messiah that thinks, talks and behaves like us, or a God who sets up a system  unlike any we know, a system of radical forgiveness,  grace and mercy. Thanks be to God that Jesus Christ is  the one who is a friend and companion to sinners! For  that is good news for all of us!  Rev. Dona Johnson |December 15, 2024

God Gives Us Courage To Face Our Fears Submitted to Red Rock News for 12/13/24 Rev. Dona Johnson |December 8, 2024 With the angel Gabriel’s announcement to Mary that  she, a virgin would conceive a child something  unthinkable, (Luke 1:30-33), with God’s message to  Joseph to not divorce Mary in order to carry out God’s  plan (Matt. 1:20), and with God’s announcement to the  shepherds their long-awaited Savior had been born (Luke 2:8-9), while all of these announcements brought great joy and celebration, they also brought much fear  and panic. In fact, when God approached these chosen  people, his first words to them were “Don’t be afraid”  or “Fear not.” God first calms, reassures and comforts  the people he calls. For who would not be frightened if  he or she were confronted by a God or a heavenly  being?         Fear is a human emotion. Fear is both real or  imagined. Fear begins with those nagging questions that  start out like this: “what if this happens,” or “what if  that happens.” It is the “what ifs” that trip us up. Fear  has a way of building on itself until it immobilizes us  from moving forward. When God calls us to do  something, there is always some amount of fear mixed  with joy and excitement. Many times God calls us into  the very places we fear the most. He also calls us to  speak what we fear speaking, to forgive, and build  relationships with those we dread the most. And why  does God do this? God wants us to grow in faith. To rely  on his power and not simply our own willpower. He also wants us to be free of fear. Naming our fears frees us to  live not frightened of the “what ifs” or distressed over  what we feel is an inconceivable or insurmountable  task. As Jesus said, “With God all things are possible” (Matt. 19:26).          Chris Hall, theologian and author of Desert  Spirituality believes our fears are overcome with  courage. He recalls a time when he was invited to fly to  Bangkok to meet with World Vision, but when he  arrived at the gate, he became so overwhelmed with anxiety that he could not muster up the courage to  board the plane. Hall was too embarrassed to tell  anyone about his fear of flying. He informed his provost  that he did not make the flight. He revealed openly his  fear of flying. Imagine a professional confessing this  fear. What happened next, well, the university and  World Vision got together and paid for Hall to take a  fear of flying class. He discovered his greatest fear was  air turbulence. The pilot teaching the class told him,  “When turbulence occurs it’s not about the airplane,  the airplane can handle it. It’s about the turbulence  inside you.” With further digging, Chris Hall discovered  that his fear of flying was connected to the deep-seeded  fear and horror that struck him as ayoung ma when his  father and mother filed for divorce. The pilot was right!  It wasn’t about the plane at all. The next year, Hall was  called to fly to the Philippines to give another  presentation. Now he peacefully sleeps when flying.        The season of Christmas is about God becoming  flesh to dwell with us, to walk with us, quell the fears  that weigh us down and give us courage to face them.  Our world is weary with fear. Some of us have a fear of  dying or becoming ill. Some of us fear speaking in  public, being alone or abandoned. Some of us fear the  shameful parts of our lives, the sins we’ve committed  and string of broken relationships we’ve left behind.  Some us fear we are not good enough. While others  fear being vulnerable and being judged for their  weaknesses. Too, there are people who fear God and  fear the church. And yes, there are still many of us who  fear flying–aerophobia. The Cleveland Clinic estimates  25 million people have a fear of flying.        What fear(s) do you need to release to God? A  good spiritual practice used to overcome fear, is to  simply pray your fear out loud. Give your fear to God.  Be open. Be honest. Ask God to give you the courage to  overcome your fear. There is so much freedom to be  gained when we face our fears. God can take any one of  our fears and give us his peace in the midst of our  turbulence. In Jesus’ birth, God reaches down and gives us a heart of courage to face them. Amen. Rev. Dona Johnson |December 8, 2024

Advent: Preparing for Jesus’ Return  Submitted to Red Rock News for 12/6/24 Rev. Dona Johnson |December 1, 2024 At the beginning of every Advent season, the four weeks before Christmas Day, we are told about a man who suddenly without warning comes out of the backcountry, the wilderness announcing the prophetic news that the Messiah was about to enter the world. This man was John the Baptist. He was a raw sort of burley man who wore a camel hair coat and ate locusts and honey. For many, this news was perplexing and at best somewhat skeptical. For others it was the hope they had been long been waiting for.       For about a thousand years, from Moses to Malachi, God spoke to his people by sending them prophets. After Malachi there was a 450-year prophetic silence, a silence that was finally broken with the first prophet of the New Testament period, John the Baptist.       The prophet was chosen and called by God to deliver a message many did not want to hear— repent of your sin. “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight” (Luke 3:3-4)?       At this time the society had grown secure, prosperous and luxurious, yet in imminent danger of perishing from hidden, festering disease; and a religious community which was fused to hopeless perversion and yet still contained the germs or a possible regeneration. Alfred Edersheim author of The Life and Times of Jesus suggests, in the Roman world, there had grown a great need for a savior. With a population of about 2 million, a good half of the people were enslaved in poverty and inflicted with mass cruelty and oppression, while the other half engaged in demonstrative corruption. Religion, philosophy and society had run through every stage into despair. There was a hyper indulgence in astrology, magic, oracles and divination of all sorts of gods (idols).  As society’s aspirations increasingly turned inward, interests in self-achievement and with the hyper-indulgence of every passion, atheism and despair increased. Does anything here sound familiar?       Luke who was a historian, liked to lay out his gospel of the life and times of Jesus Christ in great detail and in chronological order. Like tells us that John the Baptist’s announcement of a new messiah was in the fifteenth reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was ruler of the region of Galilee while the priesthood consisted of Annas and Caiaphas (Luke 3:1-2). Because of Luke’s detailed account, scholars believe this would date John’s ministry 28 to 29 A.D. This makes sense, because Luke speaks of Christ being about thirty years old at the time of his baptism and the start of his public ministry.      John proclaims a baptism of repentance that leads to release from sins. Release (Greek aphesis) is the same word that Jesus uses twice in Luke 4:18 to describe his mission: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me … to proclaim release to the captives and … to let the oppressed go free … ” The release or forgiveness that follows repentance does not undo the consequence of past sins, but it does unbind people from them.      So if were to invite John the Baptist into our living rooms today, what message would he have for us? The prophet might say to us, “Be extremely attentive. Don’t despair. Yes, it’s been a long time. It’s been 2000 years since Jesus’ life, death and resurrection, but don’t be fooled. Don’t give up waiting. Don’t harden your heart with the ways of this world—greed, power and self-centeredness. Stay the course. Christ with all power and glory will come again, he will appear in our neighborhoods unexpectedly and suddenly to set everything right, to bring justice and mercy, to take what is crooked and corrupt in this life, to take our pain and suffering and redeem it for good. God will restore what is broken and make it whole again.”      In the meantime, we are to live in the world but not of the world. We are to live a life of true confession, repentance and forgiveness. We are to be spiritually responsible with our faith—living it out in genuine and authentic ways. John’s voice still echoes and penetrates our culture today— prepare your hearts. Make room for the Messiah— He is coming again to rebuild, redeem and restore his Kingdom. Amen. Rev. Dona Johnson |December 1, 2024