John 3:14-21
The Message
13-15 “No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.
16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
19-21 “This is the crisis we’re in: God-light streamed into the world, but men and women everywhere ran for the darkness. They went for the darkness because they were not really interested in pleasing God. Everyone who makes a practice of doing evil, addicted to denial and illusion, hates God-light and won’t come near it, fearing a painful exposure. But anyone working and living in truth and reality welcomes God-light so the work can be seen for the God-work it is.
REFLECTIONS:
Thoughts from Cory:
Light and dark. Condemnation and judgment. Oof.
John 3:16 is the most quoted verse in all of the Bible, at least at sporting events. Check out Tim Tebow sporting the verse on his face.
The verse is sandwiched between some hard words. Snakes, death sentences, and judgment.
The feeling of being sandwiched between light and dark, love and hate, condemnation and belonging feels very relevant to our day and age.
Condemnation, deciding the ultimate value or worth of another human being, seems to be what fuels the internet and the news. It’s as if the lords of the internet know that the thing that we love the most is outrage and judgment and they’ve figured out how to manufacture spaces where we can spend hours sitting in judgment and condemnation.
But for Jesus, there is another way. We don’t have to live in the darkness of condemnation and judgment. We are free to seek the freedom and wellbeing of others because God has created each and every one of us in love.
We are valuable.
We are worthy.
We are beloved.
PRACTICE:
Outward Mindset Application
Has anyone assigned a task to you this week? Before getting started, ask that person, what does a successful outcome look like to you?
Pathways toward Centeredness
Activism (Loving God by seeking change on behalf of the powerless):
Is there a social issue you feel strongly about? Is there a group in the world actively addressing that issue in a way that inspires you? Celebrate that group with a social media post.
Questions for Reflection
“Liturgy” refers to the habits and practices humans use to form community around shared values and meaning. At Church at the Park, we desire to be a community of practice, becoming people who see the world through the eyes of the marginalized, making meaning through the lens of pain and suffering, and committing ourselves to non-violence in a wounded world. This weekly email is intended to provide pathways of practice for becoming the type of people who embody these values.
Many of our reflections on each week's text come from other sources. If you're interested in reading more of what inspires us, here our our two favorite reflections.
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