Traveling Light Relay

Seeking the Shalom of the City

Jeremiah 29:4-14, NRSV

Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare. — Jeremiah 29:6-7

• We are all different, work differently, see things differently, behave differently
• It is not easy to engage to the city
• Seeking peace, Shalom, not just for ourselves, but also for things and people around us, shalom for the city, shalom for all
• Two faulty agendas (for a city)
  • Babylon agenda VS Tribal agenda
  • Babylon agenda: assimilate people from land they conquered
  • Tribal agenda: engage the city, but in the inside, disdain the city; just using it, despise the city; a selfish, fortress mentality
• God’s Agenda v5-7
  • seek welfare of the city
  • bring flourishing to everybody
  • work for city’s shalom
  • pray for city’s shalom
• Source of energy to seek shalom is the Gospel
• God gives us permission to love the city

Tags: city church sf, rev fred

Seeking Shalom

Philippians 4:6-9, NRSV

Reflections

The webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight is what the Old Testament prophets called shalom. We call it peace, but it means far more than mere peace of mind or cease-fire among enemies. In the Bible shalom means universal flourishing, wholeness, and delight — a rich state of affairs that inspires joyful wonder as its Creator and Savior opens doors and welcomes the creatures in whom he delights. Shalom, in other words, is the way things ought to be.
— Cornelius Plantinga Not the Way Its supposed to Be

• Seeking Shalom; Seeking Peace; Seeking God’s Shalom for the whole
• People want peace of God, but not necessary God of Peace
• Apathy – counterfeit peace
  • “didn’t care”
  • “checked out”
• Gospel of Peace
  • God’s agenda for the world
• Source of Peace
  • rooted and re-rooted over and over at the Gospel (forgiven as child of God)
  • the peace on this earth is not long lasting
  • peace based on principle, on God’s Shalom
  • Grace happens in a “cosmic” level
• Discipline of Peace
  • pray with humbleness (v6)
  • think of whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever… (v8) – talk to your heart, not listen to your heart
  • doing/practice (v9) – putting into practice, put faith into action
    • “Heart Practice” – a way of repeating

Tags: city church sf, rev fred

Costly Kindness

1 John 3:16-20, NRSV

Reflections

It is easier to be enthusiastic about Humanity with a capital ‘H’ than it is to love individual men and women, especially those who are uninteresting, exasperating, depraved, or otherwise unattractive. Loving everybody in general may be an excuse for loving nobody in particular. — C.S. Lewis

• Random kindness is helpful, but it has no impact on our lifestyle
• Newspapers used to refer us as “citizens”, nowadays we are more accurately described as “consumers”
  • As consumers, we have abundant of choices, but it carves out a part of our heart
• Lifestyle of Costly Kindness
  • Practical generosity/deeds
    • people are infinitely more valuable
    • bear one another’s burden (Gal 6:2)
    • you can be kind without feeling it; bearing burden without feeling the burden
    • “makes room for people”
  • It is important because things are not what they are supposed to be
• Part of Spiritual Life
  • praying
  • being generous
• Cultivate the lifestyle
  • remembering the gospel
  • remembering God’s kindness to us

Tags: city church sf, rev fred

Patience in an Age of I Want It Yesterday

James 5:7-12, NRSV

Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the judge is standing at the doors! — James 5:9

• losing patience is like disappointment in God
• Hebrews 12: if we wait on Him, we will receive great things
• 3 pictures of being patient
  • Farmer (James 5:7)
    • submitting to God’s schedule
    • trusting God in the mist of pressure
    • grieving rather than grumbling
    • being patient is refusal of self-pity to our lives; once you have self-pity, you are capable to do anything (destructive)
  • Prophets (James 5:10)
    • being patient as the worldview
  • endurance of Job (James 5:11)
• your impatience with God is directly related to your impatience with people
• 2 ways to cultivate patience; focus on
  • the Gospel – story of grace and patience
  • God’s majesty

Tags: city church sf, rev fred

The Meal Jesus Gave Us

1 Cor 11:18-34, NRSV

Reflections

Charis (grace) always demands eucharistia (gratitude). Grace and gratitude belong together. Gratitude follows grace as thunder follows lightning. — Karl Barth

• Don’t mess with my food (Ice dirtier than toilet water)
• Jesus’ Meal gave us:
  • community
    • yet we can still somehow use the meal to divide us, not having it as community, as described in the scripture
  • memory or remembrance
    • it is not just to recall, it is to re-apply, to take it in
  • hope
    • that would lead to transformation

Tags: city church sf, rev fred