Dunamis: Holy Boldness

Acts 4:1-22

Dunamis. An ancient word meaning power…strength…ability.  A word used by early Christians to describe things beyond description. The power to heal and make whole. Strength to sustain those exposed to withering oppression and persecution. Ability to reach across cultural and religious barriers, bringing the gospel of God to whoever is hungry for it. In the end, it was also the power to foster new power in others.

A central, defining characteristic of Christ’s church is the explosive growth that occurs whenever we experience the power of the Holy Spirit. There is freedom from fear, a new boldness, an honest sharing of Christ’s love, transformational power and healing for the nations. These manifestations are not mere magic tricks or the product of social and political calculations, nor can they be sold for personal gain or glory. They are God’s expression of love, unleashed upon and through his church. This power causes ordinary people to become the conduit of God’s extraordinary grace.

Over these 5 weeks we will be sharing a glimpse of God’s power poured out upon the early church.  Easter has pointed the way. The tomb was opened. The scriptures were opened. Bread was broken and their eyes were opened. A whole new world was opened to them, and to us. A world of resurrection power…a whole people filled with Dunamis.

Dunamis: Healing and Wholeness

Acts 3:1-16

Dunamis. An ancient word meaning power…strength…ability.  A word used by early Christians to describe things beyond description. The power to heal and make whole. Strength to sustain those exposed to withering oppression and persecution. Ability to reach across cultural and religious barriers, bringing the gospel of God to whoever is hungry for it. In the end, it was also the power to foster new power in others.

A central, defining characteristic of Christ’s church is the explosive growth that occurs whenever we experience the power of the Holy Spirit. There is freedom from fear, a new boldness, an honest sharing of Christ’s love, transformational power and healing for the nations. These manifestations are not mere magic tricks or the product of social and political calculations, nor can they be sold for personal gain or glory. They are God’s expression of love, unleashed upon and through his church. This power causes ordinary people to become the conduit of God’s extraordinary grace.

Over these 5 weeks we will be sharing a glimpse of God’s power poured out upon the early church.  Easter has pointed the way. The tomb was opened. The scriptures were opened. Bread was broken and their eyes were opened. A whole new world was opened to them, and to us. A world of resurrection power…a whole people filled with Dunamis.

Covenant: God's People

Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16

The season of Lent is a time of spiritual preparation—a time to ready ourselves to hear again the story of our redemption and salvation through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Of the many things remembered during Holy Week, we recall Jesus gathering for a holiday meal with his friends, and after supper taking a cup and saying “drink from this, all of you, this cup is a new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for many.” These words are familiar to Christians because they are at the center of the ritual we share whenever we celebrate Holy Communion. However, the covenant can only be understood as “new” if we understand there have been other covenants…other expressions of divine love and grace.

In fact, the origin of gospel (good news) we tell today is rooted in God’s work in Genesis, and threaded through story after story and episode after episode of what is sometimes called the “Old Testament.”  The whole length of scripture reveals a portrait of the way God speaks, thinks, and acts in all manners of circumstance; it is a portrait of the utter faithfulness and love of Creator for the creature. One aspect of that portrait reveals that the God of scriptures is a God who makes covenant with creation, and with nations, and with people.  It is a gospel story of God’s relentless pursuit of us…a story that begins in Genesis and is still unfolding today.

Covenant: God Remembers

Genesis 9:8-17

The season of Lent is a time of spiritual preparation—a time to ready ourselves to hear again the story of our redemption and salvation through the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Of the many things remembered during Holy Week, we recall Jesus gathering for a holiday meal with his friends, and after supper taking a cup and saying “drink from this, all of you, this cup is a new covenant in my blood, shed for you and for many.” These words are familiar to Christians because they are at the center of the ritual we share whenever we celebrate Holy Communion. However, the covenant can only be understood as “new” if we understand there have been other covenants…other expressions of divine love and grace.

In fact, the origin of gospel (good news) we tell today is rooted in God’s work in Genesis, and threaded through story after story and episode after episode of what is sometimes called the “Old Testament.”  The whole length of scripture reveals a portrait of the way God speaks, thinks, and acts in all manners of circumstance; it is a portrait of the utter faithfulness and love of Creator for the creature. One aspect of that portrait reveals that the God of scriptures is a God who makes covenant with creation, and with nations, and with people.  It is a gospel story of God’s relentless pursuit of us…a story that begins in Genesis and is still unfolding today.

There Are No Words

Mark 9:2-9

Have you ever been so struck with awe that words failed you?  A clear night sky with no light pollution reveals the shear magnitude of creation. The smell of your newborn child’s hair fills your nostrils—a smell of innocence and purity—and peals back a depth of love you’ve never before experienced. Standing in the congregation, singing a hymn, you are struck with a sense of presence so powerful it sends a shiver through you and brings tears to your eyes. If you’ve ever had an experience for which there were simply no words adequate to convey its meaning and power, then you have an inkling of what Peter, James, and John went through on the mount of transfiguration.

Nearly every scene in the Gospel of Mark depicts Jesus actively engaged in the work of his ministry. We see him teaching, calling, healing, working miracles and casting out demons, and engaged in debate with the religious authorities.  Jesus is the actor and speaker in nearly every scene. Today’s scripture is an exception.  Jesus doesn’t speak a single word, and the “action” in the scene is done to Jesus rather than by Jesus. In the company of his close friends, he is suddenly transfigured, and his dazzling appearance overwhelms the bewildered onlookers.

Scholars call this scene a “christophany”...but if you ever find your way up that mountain with Peter, James, and John, you’ll probably find that there are no words for what happens there.

When Life Comes at You

Mark 1:29-39

Everyone loves it when Jesus shows up. His presence makes a difference. Things happen. Mother-in-laws are healed. The sick are cured. Demons are cast out. Lives are changed. This is true not only for the people of Capernaum in Jesus’ time, but also for us here and now. Jesus comes to our house as surely as he went to the house of Simon and Andrew where people lined up at the door. Faith comes a bit easier in those moments. Jesus is real. His presence is felt. Results are seen. All is well.

But what about the times when “life happens” and our faith is challenged? It seems like there is only darkness and Jesus is nowhere to be seen. Some will abandon faith and give up on the Church and Jesus himself. Mark’s gospel tells us that Jesus gets up early—not to abandon us but to find a quiet and deserted place. It’s about prayer—both his and ours. It’s no longer about what is happening around us or to us but what’s happening within us.

The deserted places of our lives are the places of Jesus’ prayer—they are sacred places. They are the starting point for his message of good news. Good news comes from the empty and desolate places where there is nothing but God. Jesus will leave this deserted place to go proclaim his message in the neighboring towns…and in our hearts.