Denver Community Church

October 18, 2015: I Am Bread – Scott Oppliger

It’s one thing for Jesus to say he is the bread of life. That stirred enough controversy … but then he went on to say, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood.” While we can understand this today as a metaphor, we must know it was quite literal for those hearing Jesus say it. In Asia Minor; this practice of eating flesh and drinking blood was something done in the pagan cults! In the worship of Dionysus, (the god of wine) you ate raw meat and you drank his blood (and you drank wine) – and were initiated into the covenant.

Of course, Jesus was not saying to do this, but his words were still powerful and controversial. Remember, Jesus is in a synagogue filled with those who knew the Bible. And he is playing off some serious themes from Exodus and Sinai. It was there, God gave the Israelites Torah, and Manna (bread). And bread is a metaphor of the Torah. 

The picture of the manna coming down from heaven is a reminder to the Israelites, the rabbis say, that God gave them the true bread from heaven. After all it says, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” It’s not just manna; it’s the Word that came down. And this is what Jesus is. 

October 18, 2015: I Am Bread – Landon Lynch

It’s one thing for Jesus to say he is the bread of life. That stirred enough controversy … but then he went on to say, “Eat my flesh and drink my blood.” While we can understand this today as a metaphor, we must know it was quite literal for those hearing Jesus say it. In Asia Minor; this practice of eating flesh and drinking blood was something done in the pagan cults! In the worship of Dionysus, (the god of wine) you ate raw meat and you drank his blood (and you drank wine) – and were initiated into the covenant.

Of course, Jesus was not saying to do this, but his words were still powerful and controversial. Remember, Jesus is in a synagogue filled with those who knew the Bible. And he is playing off some serious themes from Exodus and Sinai. It was there, God gave the Israelites Torah, and Manna (bread). And bread is a metaphor of the Torah. 

The picture of the manna coming down from heaven is a reminder to the Israelites, the rabbis say, that God gave them the true bread from heaven. After all it says, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” It’s not just manna; it’s the Word that came down. And this is what Jesus is. 

October 11, 2015: I Am Light – Michael Hidalgo

Light it allows us to see what’s in the world – when it is around we do not have to walk in darkness. This is Jesus’ simple observation about light. But light does not just help us see the things in front of us and keep us from bumping into them. Light does more than that. It also allows us to see where we are in space relative to those things. In other words – light allows us to see where we are (and who we are). And this is important.

We must always remember it begins with Jesus as the light – him enabling us to see who he is and who we are. And it’s important because Jesus makes the same exact statement about us Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου ... (You are the light of the world) that he makes about himself Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου … (I am the light of the world). Which raises the question: “How exactly do we act as the light of the world? The answer? Look at Jesus.

October 11, 2015: I Am Light – Landon Lynch

Light it allows us to see what’s in the world – when it is around we do not have to walk in darkness. This is Jesus’ simple observation about light. But light does not just help us see the things in front of us and keep us from bumping into them. Light does more than that. It also allows us to see where we are in space relative to those things. In other words – light allows us to see where we are (and who we are). And this is important.

We must always remember it begins with Jesus as the light – him enabling us to see who he is and who we are. And it’s important because Jesus makes the same exact statement about us Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου ... (You are the light of the world) that he makes about himself Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου … (I am the light of the world). Which raises the question: “How exactly do we act as the light of the world? The answer? Look at Jesus.

October 4, 2015: Not Me – Michael Hidalgo

We are introduced to John the Baptist by his saying “I am not …” He denies three things. First, that he is Messiah. Second, that he is not Elijah. Third that he is not the prophet (like Moses). These are important statements for it reflects not only his understanding of himself but also his understanding of who Jesus is. 

Then he jumps into who he is. First, that he is a voice. Second, that he is one who baptizes with water. Third, that he is one who is unworthy. Again, he understands not only who he is not but who he is. And in reflecting his understanding of self he is able to properly understand who Jesus is. 

All of this surrounding the words “I Am” which are the ultimate statement of being. Which causes us to ask – what is the ground of our being? What is our identity? And are we at all aware of it enough to know when to say “I am not” and “I am.”

October 4, 2015: Not Me – Landon Lynch

We are introduced to John the Baptist by his saying “I am not …” He denies three things. First, that he is Messiah. Second, that he is not Elijah. Third that he is not the prophet (like Moses). These are important statements for it reflects not only his understanding of himself but also his understanding of who Jesus is. 

Then he jumps into who he is. First, that he is a voice. Second, that he is one who baptizes with water. Third, that he is one who is unworthy. Again, he understands not only who he is not but who he is. And in reflecting his understanding of self he is able to properly understand who Jesus is. 

All of this surrounding the words “I Am” which are the ultimate statement of being. Which causes us to ask – what is the ground of our being? What is our identity? And are we at all aware of it enough to know when to say “I am not” and “I am.”

September 27, 2015: I Am – Nick Elio

When Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law and saw the curious sight of a bush on fire that did not burn up and went over to check on things God called to him from the bush. As they enter conversation Moses asks God for his name. The answer is a mysterious name translated, “I am what I am” or “I will be what I will be.” In the Jewish tradition the name of God was often shortened to the words, “I Am” and further, the name of God YHVH or as we say it, Yahweh.

The name is the Hebrew letters, Yod, He, Vav, He. In the Jewish tradition, the name of God is never pronounced. Some said they did not pronounce the name because it allowed them to know they would never break the third commandment. However, some tradition say it is not pronounced, because it can never be pronounced. Why? Because the Name of God is simply breathing – that’s it. A breath. 

And all men and women breathe. We all have the breath of life in us. There is no American way of breathing or Republican way of breathing or – dare I say it – Christian way of breathing. God gives all humans life and breath and everything else. The name of God – that Jesus claims – proclaims the radical availability of God to all people. Just as Jesus did.

September 27, 2015: I Am – Michael Hidalgo

When Moses tended sheep for his father-in-law and saw the curious sight of a bush on fire that did not burn up and went over to check on things God called to him from the bush. As they enter conversation Moses asks God for his name. The answer is a mysterious name translated, “I am what I am” or “I will be what I will be.” In the Jewish tradition the name of God was often shortened to the words, “I Am” and further, the name of God YHVH or as we say it, Yahweh.

The name is the Hebrew letters, Yod, He, Vav, He. In the Jewish tradition, the name of God is never pronounced. Some said they did not pronounce the name because it allowed them to know they would never break the third commandment. However, some tradition say it is not pronounced, because it can never be pronounced. Why? Because the Name of God is simply breathing – that’s it. A breath. 

And all men and women breathe. We all have the breath of life in us. There is no American way of breathing or Republican way of breathing or – dare I say it – Christian way of breathing. God gives all humans life and breath and everything else. The name of God – that Jesus claims – proclaims the radical availability of God to all people. Just as Jesus did.

September 20, 2015: Your Hair is Showing – Dave Terpstra

There are three main customary greetings that would be considered obvious to any middle eastern host, particularly one hosting a visiting rabbi: water for their feet, a kiss, offering of oil for their head. To not offer these things is to loudly/silently proclaim that your guest is a nuisance and you would rather not have them there, and to miss all of these cues in the midst of a crowd would be to shame them in front of everyone. It would only be done purposefully. Jesus’ host “forgets” all three. Jesus does not respond, instead, he seats himself at the position at the table of the rabbi with the most authority. A woman then enters who performs all three of the courtesies Jesus has just been denied. 

The woman’s actions prompt Jesus’ parable to Simon. He helps Simon recognize the deeper reality at play. He helps Simon begin to see and then he gets practical. To see the deeper reality is to see the person involved too, “Do you see this woman?” For Jesus, great love is not an action required to gain forgiveness and right standing with God and others. Great love, as something honest and not put on, is something that only proceeds out of love received. Hence, the past tense, “…her many sins have been forgiven.” We see great love here as a response to forgiveness, which calls into questions Simon’s stinginess and poses the same question to us. If you cannot love generously and lavishly, have you allowed yourself to receive it? It is offered to you too.

Lastly, as a significant aside, miracles. What are they? Really though? Was it more miraculous, inexplicable, that Jesus could heal Blind Bartimaeus or that simply bumping into Jesus could rewrite the logic and motivation of Zacchaeus’ heart? In one case he is simply manipulating matter without something working against him, in the other case he is remaking the human constitution that was actively fighting and would work for self-preservation. When the disciples are saved in the storm it prompts the question, “Who is this?” Here again we have a group of people seeing something to radically (rooted-ly) different from what they know, an authority that rises from such a deeper place, that they cannot help but express the same question, “Who is this?”

September 20, 2015: Your Hair is Showing – Dave Meserve

There are three main customary greetings that would be considered obvious to any middle eastern host, particularly one hosting a visiting rabbi: water for their feet, a kiss, offering of oil for their head. To not offer these things is to loudly/silently proclaim that your guest is a nuisance and you would rather not have them there, and to miss all of these cues in the midst of a crowd would be to shame them in front of everyone. It would only be done purposefully. Jesus’ host “forgets” all three. Jesus does not respond, instead, he seats himself at the position at the table of the rabbi with the most authority. A woman then enters who performs all three of the courtesies Jesus has just been denied. 

The woman’s actions prompt Jesus’ parable to Simon. He helps Simon recognize the deeper reality at play. He helps Simon begin to see and then he gets practical. To see the deeper reality is to see the person involved too, “Do you see this woman?” For Jesus, great love is not an action required to gain forgiveness and right standing with God and others. Great love, as something honest and not put on, is something that only proceeds out of love received. Hence, the past tense, “…her many sins have been forgiven.” We see great love here as a response to forgiveness, which calls into questions Simon’s stinginess and poses the same question to us. If you cannot love generously and lavishly, have you allowed yourself to receive it? It is offered to you too.

Lastly, as a significant aside, miracles. What are they? Really though? Was it more miraculous, inexplicable, that Jesus could heal Blind Bartimaeus or that simply bumping into Jesus could rewrite the logic and motivation of Zacchaeus’ heart? In one case he is simply manipulating matter without something working against him, in the other case he is remaking the human constitution that was actively fighting and would work for self-preservation. When the disciples are saved in the storm it prompts the question, “Who is this?” Here again we have a group of people seeing something to radically (rooted-ly) different from what they know, an authority that rises from such a deeper place, that they cannot help but express the same question, “Who is this?”