Reflection: Bread, Light, Shepherd, Vine, Way, Resurrection, Life

By Betty Hertz, St. John Lay Leader

What's in a name? The Gospel of John

As a result of studying the I AM statements this Lent, my image of Jesus has become clearer … Bread, Light, Shepherd, Vine, Way, Resurrection, Life. Each element has caused me to pause and think about what part each one plays in my spiritual life. To close out this reflection series, I am sharing Rob Fuquay's litany in The God We Can Know Study Guide, p. 45.

Challenge:       Just as God spoke to Moses, God wants to speak to us. Let us open our hearts to God who wants to be known and who says.

Response:       "I AM WHO I AM."

Challenge:       When life pressures us to care more for things than for God, remember that Jesus said,

Response:       "I am the Bread of Life. Come to me and never be hungry."

Challenge:       When we feel puzzled about which choices are right, we can ask for guidance from the one who said,

Response:       "I am the Light of the World."

Challenge:       When we feel vulnerable and lost, remember that we are continually being sought by the one who said,

Response:       "I am the Good Shepherd and the Gate. Come to me."

Challenge:       When we feel powerless and weary, we can find power offered to us by the one who said,

Response:       "I am the True Vine. Abide in me."

Challenge:       When we wonder who's in and who's out with God, we can find reassurance in the grace embodied in Jesus who welcomed all,

Response:       "I am the Way. Follow me."

Challenge:       When we face loss and pain, we can find hope in the one who promised us renewed and abundant life, saying,

Response:       "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Live in me."

My prayer for you:

Beloved Redeemer,

Open our hearts and guide us when we feel:

Pressured,

Puzzled,

Vulnerable,

Weary,

Grace-less,

Pained.

Help us hear the reassuring words Jesus spoke.

Remind us we can find peace when we rest in your loving arms.

Renew us daily.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

Reflection: I AM the Resurrection and the Life

By Betty Hertz, St. John Lay Leader

What's in a Name?

"I AM the Resurrection and the Life." John 11:25

My first response to this I AM statement was, "Alleluia! Amen." But, of course, God redirected my thinking, and I knew I had to go deeper to understand this scripture better. So, I used the lectio divina practice to help me. This "holy reading" of a Bible passage involves listening for a word or phrase that gets your attention, reflecting on how the word or phrase connects to your life now, receiving an invitation from God to understand the connection, and praying about how God wants you to move forward. In this scripture, the word believe grabbed me.

25  Jesus said to her (Martha), "I am the resurrection and the life.[b] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, 26, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, the one coming into the world." John 11:25-27.

I wondered, "How would I respond to Jesus' saying do you believe I am the resurrection?'" Would my response be similar to Martha's and not answer the question? As I thought about my answer, this quote from The God We Can Know came to mind, "We truly believe someone when we are able to put our trust fully in the person" (p.109). Rob Fuquay suggested inserting trust where belief appears in the verses and reflecting on its effect. So it reads:

25 Jesus said to her (Martha), "I am the resurrection and the life.[b] Those who trust in me, even though they die, will live, 26 and everyone who lives and trusts in me will never die. Do you trust this?" 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord, I trust that you are the Messiah,[c] the Son of God, the one coming into the world."

By inserting trust, I experienced a stronger connection with Jesus' words. Trust brings hope and peace, which is what I hear the scripture saying. What other words might you insert in the passage to make it more meaningful for you?

As I thought about trust, the image of a frequently used trust exercise in team-building workshops came to mind. One person stands behind another, and the front person is told to fall back into their partner's arms. They believe the partner can catch them, BUT the one falling needs to trust the partner will catch them. Have you had times when you were falling, and you trusted God would catch you? I know I have. As Pastor Emily said on Easter Sunday, God meets us at our tombs when we are distraught, and if we trust Him, he gives us new life. I have found this to be true for me. In dealing with the deaths of loved ones, I have pleaded, "Just make things normal again. Restore my life. Relieve me of the pain." But God has caught me and put me on a new path each time - changed my thinking and actions. As a result, I have experienced God's gift of spiritual resurrection.

Thinking about trusting the transformations God has given me reminds me of the hymn "Because He Lives":

             Because He lives, I can face tomorrow;

            Because He lives, all fear is gone;

            Because I know He holds the future

            And life is worth the living

            Just because He lives.

 Reflection question:

Have you ever asked God to restore things … put them back the way they were? And instead, He transformed you? Did this cause you to let go of fear and trust God more?

Reflection: I AM the way, the truth and the life

By Betty Hertz, St. John Lay Leader

What's in a name?

John 14:4-7

4 And you know the way to the place where I am going." [c] 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?" 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you know me, you will know[d] my Father also. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."

In this I AM statement during the Last Supper, Jesus continues his conversation with his disciples. He has already washed their feet, told them about only being with them a bit longer, warned of a betrayal and a denial. John 14 starts with, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me." He is comforting them as He is preparing them for his departure. Jesus knows the trials they will face as they continue His work without His physical presence.

In the wording of the First Nations Version, An Indigenous Translation of the New Testament, verse 6 gave me a more straightforward, meaningful understanding of Jesus' words:

"I am the Great Spirit's pathway, the truth about who he really is, and the life of beauty and harmony he offers to all. There is no other guide who can take you to the Father." (p.197)

Jesus says, "I am your map, your teacher, your life source." Jesus is our pattern for living. What a way to live! In his book The God We Can Know, Rob Fuquay suggests a morning prayer that reinforces this pattern: "Jesus, what would you have me do today?" (p.101) This simple daily prayer helps me focus on Jesus' way for me, perhaps it can do the same for you.

Reflection Question: How do you make Jesus a way of life in your ordinary living? What does that look like for you?

Prayer:

God of Wisdom,

We give thanks for the way Jesus leads us.

Teach us how to share Jesus' teachings with others remembering He welcomed outsiders and outcasts.

Help us deepen our relationship with you through daily spiritual practices.

Raise our awareness of your guidance in all aspects of our lives.

In Jesus' name. Amen

Reflection: I AM the True Vine

By Betty Hertz, St. John Lay Leader

What’s in a name? John 15:1-5

15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-grower. 2 He removes every branch in me that bears no fruit. Every branch that bears fruit he prunes[a] to make it bear more fruit. 3 You have already been cleansed[a] by the word that I have spoken to you.4 Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me, you can do nothing.”

“I AM the True Vine” is part of Jesus’ Farewell Discourses in John 13-17 as he journeys to Gethsemane. Knowing he would soon leave his disciples, Jesus gave them final instructions and encouragement. First, he uses verses one and two to describe his relationship with the Father, using the grape culture knowledge his disciples would understand (see Psalm 80:8). Then, in verses three through five, Jesus focuses on the disciples.

Re-reading this familiar passage gave me a new understanding of what a vine is and what a branch is. A vine is an entire plant. Jesus is the whole plant! Without him, there are no branches - there is no life. I believe this is what he was saying to his disciples and what he is saying to me. The disciples have been pruned/cleansed, and so have I. Continuous pruning takes away unproductive growth. I admit that God is busy pruning me frequently, but with each pruning, I believe I move closer to being who He wants me to be.

I also reflected on the word “abide,” which appears 10 times in the John 15 chapter. Some translations use “remain” or “dwell” instead. Regardless of the translation, the words are active verbs. I thought, “how do I actively abide in God?” For me, the connection is being intentional about reading the Bible, saying prayers, and being in community with others. Doing these things allows me to maintain my spiritual health and let God work through me.

Prayer:

Loving Vine-grower,

Thank you for giving us Jesus the True Vine.

Remind us that we are branches that grow from this vine.

Help us stay attached to your beloved Son.

Prune us when we wander.

Guide us as we abide in you. Amen

Reflection question:

What nonproductive branches are in your life that rob you of energy to abide in God? Regrets? Living in the past? Resentments? Bitterness? Too much time with technology? Is it time to ask God to help you do some pruning?

Footnotes

(My insight inspired in part from the Asbury Commentary on John 15).

Reflection: I AM the Light

By Betty Hertz, St. John Lay Leader

John 1:6-9

6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.[b]

John 8:12

12 Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life." 

In the Gospel of John, the word light appears 25 times. Light is a symbol of coming to believe. I remember the connection between the New and Old Testaments whenever I reflect on an I AM statement. In John 1, the author tells his listeners that John the Baptist was a witness to the light but not the true light. The reference to the true light comes from Isaiah 9:2 and other OT prophets who said those walking in the darkness would see a great light (the true light) … the Messiah. The listeners would also know that right after God created the heavens and earth, He created light, and the light was good (Genesis 1:1-4). Light is essential for life. Spiritual light is essential for spiritual life.

Jesus said, "I AM the light of the world" at the Feast of the Tabernacles, one of three annual pilgrimages to Jerusalem the Torah required Jewish men to make. This fall feast celebrated the harvest. It also served as a reminder that when the Israelites wandered in the desert, they built temporary huts (sukkah), and God provided a Pillar of light by night for warmth and light in the darkness. One part of the festival is a ritual of illumination.

By Jesus saying, "I AM the light," he is saying he is divinity, the son of God made flesh. The tension builds as the Pharisees question Jesus because he is disrupting their world and preaching blasphemy.

As I reflected more on the meaning of this statement, the phrase "light of life" caught my attention. Sometimes that light is bright, as in "This little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine," and sometimes that light shines in dark places. When the light has shown in my dark, uncomfortable places, those of guilt or pain, Jesus, the Light of life, opens me up to healing and hope.

Putting the light of Jesus in my life illumines me. The refrain from Hymn 454 Open My Eyes, That I May See speaks to me:

            Silently now I wait for thee,

            Ready my God thy will to see

            Open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine.

Closing thoughts from The God We Can Know Study Guide,( p 20-21)

            When we look around us and feel that only darkness and emptiness surround us, illuminate our hearts with Jesus' words,

             "I am the Light of the World."

            When we can't figure out where to go next, what to do, or who to be, help us to hear God's call and see the path illuminated for us by the one who says,

             "I am the Light of the World."

            When we wonder how we will go out into the world and shine God's light, sharing God's love with all the earth, let us follow Jesus' lead as he reveals himself to us, saying,

             "I am the Light of the World." AMEN.

Reflection questions:

How has God's presence brought light to you in a way that helped you see a situation or problem differently?

What does it mean for us to be a light for the world?

(From The God We Can Know, p.52)