I’m typing this on Wednesday morning, and on the Wednesday of the Biblical account of Holy Week, there was a dinner in a town called Bethany, with a fairly large group of people (the scriptures mention 17 people by name but there could have been more).

All of the people at this dinner party had been blessed by Jesus in one way or another. Simon was no more a leper thanks to Jesus, the twelve disciples had the awesome privilege of being called to be apostles, Lazarus had been raised from the dead, Martha and Mary had been given their beloved brother back from the grave, and so on...
Mary was there and yet, I’m guessing she felt a little out of place.
She, unlike the rest, was now in a situation where her entire life revolved around Jesus and constant remembrance the life he had called her out of. Despite being publicly forgiven by Jesus, that’s still not a label or reputation you can just shake off and expect people to forget it ever happened, ESPECIALLY in the first century. While Jesus was at the table, she was compelled to do something extravagant- something irrational, something far exceeding what was called for. She ran to her house, and got one of her most valuable possessions: an alabaster flask containing a pound of pure oil of spikenard.
Spikenard is a root that grows only in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal and it was very expensive. It is estimated that this bottle of fragrant oil was worth about $15,000.
Yes, that’s right, I said it, FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
What could be done with $15,000?
What objects could be obtained, or what charitable causes could be funded with $15,000?
But Mary was only thinking about ONE THING. 
She hurried back to Simon’s home where she broke — not opened, mind you, but broke — the alabaster flask and poured the entire contents upon Jesus’ head.
“And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.”
And the criticism began…
“Why this waste?” 
“What was the purpose of this excessive extravagance?” 
“This oil could have been sold and given to the poor.” 
“FIFTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS!!”
“Don’t you care about the poor?”
“If you really knew what is important you wouldn’t be wasting God’s money on such things.”
“You just don’t have any common sense; you need to become more practical.”
“It’s a sin to waste things, you know.”
Then Jesus spoke up…
“LEAVE HER ALONE! STOP CRITICIZING HER!” 
“She has done a good work for Me. She’s done what she could.”
“She has anointed my body for burial.”
Silence.

Judas had been the ringleader of the criticism, yet others had joined in- and just for the record, if I’m being honest, I probably would have been among the chorus of voices questioning her decision.
Just saying. but...“She has anointed My body for burial.”
Did anyone really hear those words? I don’t think so. But later they remembered them.
Within 36 hours Jesus would be accused, sentenced, whipped, beaten, marched down the Via Dolorosa, and nailed to a cross to die.

Spikenard is a very powerful fragrance- its scent would linger for days.
I can’t prove it,  but I like to think that this fragrance provided Jesus with some sense of comfort as he was sweating blood in Gethsemane, being scourged at Gabbatha, and suffering in Golgotha.
Jesus said wherever the gospel is preached, Mary’s extravagant offering, and the scent of her act of worship will be told as a memorial to her.
My prayer during Holy Week is that I would be more like Mary; that we would ALL be more like Mary.
May we live with such a deep sense of gratitude for how Jesus has forgiven, rescued, and delivered us.
May that gratitude spill over into extravagant worship and generosity, that others might hear the stories of Jesus and all the amazing things he has done and continues to do now.
May we anoint Jesus this week (and every week) with the precious oil of our prayers, our tears, our devotion, our worship and our generosity.
May we “waste” our lives on the One who poured out His life for us.

Have a blessed week everyone, we are praying for you in this crazy season...
​Please let us know if you need ANYTHING.

​Hey SPV fam!
 
If I’m being honest, I’ve been feeling a little down lately...& if I’m being doubly honest I feel guilty about feeling down (which doesn’t help). I mean, personally, things certainly aren’t terrible. I have an amazing wife & family, I have my health, I know the Lord loves me & it’s obvious I haven’t missed a meal, so what gives? I know what you’re thinking, I’m far, far too young to have a mid-life crisis 😜but maybe I’m just an early starter. I also think that the weight of the world can get pretty heavy at times & we would all be wise to be both aware & prepared. 

-We as a people have never been made so aware of the suffering that goes on around us than what we’re experiencing right now. The world by & large is overall experiencing less suffering than at any point in history but whatever suffering does take place is right there on our tv’s & timelines multiple times a day. I believe this is one of the main contributing factors to the epic rise in both suicide & mass shootings. People are feeling inundated, swallowed up, powerless, hopeless...

-Just yesterday Jarrid Wilson, a pastor in California, who by all optics had everything, beautiful wife & kids, successful church....committed suicide. And what’s even more shocking is that he was a mental health advocate & specifically for those considering self-harm. Read a story about that, think about the 4 year anniversary of my brother’s passing just a few days ago, pray for a few friends battling cancer, watch in real-time the devastation of the Bahamas & the suffering of our brothers & sisters there, re-live the horror of 9-11 & toss in a mass shooting, let alone the personal battles any of us are likely facing at any given moment such as a fracture in a close relationship, battling self-worth, financial woes, etc., all within just a few days mind you & it’s easy to see why things can get very heavy, very quickly for any of us. 

-A friend reminded me of this so I want to remind you: no one who completes suicide is beyond mercy, quite to the contrary, God draws near to the poor & there is perhaps no greater poverty imaginable or harder to experience than the feeling that you must end your own life, or to take the actions that end your own life, except perhaps the loss of a child. So if you’re feeling or ever feel such despair, please know that the cross includes the absorption of the darkness that leads to this kind of pain. Be encouraged by the promise that God's love overcomes diseases of both the mind & spirit & that Jesus takes all of that pain & redeems it at the cross.

-God does not stand outside the experience of our pain & despair but rather in Jesus, God dies with all who suffer & die. The victims of such tragedies, whether it be a disease, terrorism, suicide or something else are held by Love.

-I try to regularly remind myself that death is the great enemy of God & while it is horrific in the moment, it ultimately has no future. It was & is & will be conquered by divine love (1 Cor 15). So I can rightly be angered by it & even hate it but I choose to place my hope in the cross & the power of the resurrection that “the last enemy to be destroyed is death” & his love & mercy will win out. So when you’re down, feeling overwhelmed, experiencing despair & even possibly considering harming yourself or someone else, I want to encourage you to do (at least) these 2 things: 1) reach out & talk to someone & 2) meditate on the hope & promise of this last paragraph. 

Much love & peace to you all, Chris. 

​Hey SPV fam!
 
Some reading this today may find themselves on the proverbial Christian mountaintop while others of you might be more in the weary, tired, worn out, frustrated camp. So if you’re riding that mountaintop, stop reading & just pray for me (lol). But for those of you who are battling something or lowered your goals down to the basics of just trying to get through the day without punching someone in the throat, this word might be for you. 

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory & goodness. Through these he has given us his very great & precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.” 2 Peter‬ ‭1:3-4‬

Now there’s a lot there but the 2 concepts that jump out at me are “provision” (given) & “promises”. 
Provision: he’s given us everything we need to make it! I know it doesn’t always feel like it but it’s true. It’s not in your own strength but through HIS divine power in you (& through community) that we lack nothing. 

Promises: well the first promise in this text is that we can faithfully live for & follow him. In addition to that, I can think of numerous other promises throughout scripture that will bring strength & encouragement to a tired & weary soul such as his promise of daily bread (which is provided by the way), to never leave or abandon us, the promise to see us through to the end (complete the work he started) & the biggest is the promise of the resurrection in that death shall never have the last word. 

The world can be a pretty jacked up place but as best as you can, please keep your eyes on Jesus who is the author & finisher of our faith journey. Well what do you know, there’s another promise packed with provision. 

Much love & provision, Pastor Chris

​Hey SPV fam!
 
This week’s all-church email is from Jessica Throop who posted these shortly after a bullet was shot through a preschool classroom window last week in St Pete that her son Henson was in. 

I think when faith is a big part of your life, it’s natural to want to thank God for keeping you safe if you’ve ever averted some sort of crisis. And I think gratitude is an important posture.

I’ve had a lot of folks thank God for keeping Henson safe yesterday. They are thanking God for protecting him and his classmates from that bullet someone fired into their classroom. And I know it comes from a place of great love and for that I’m incredibly grateful.

I struggle though to believe in a god that keeps my baby safe but doesn’t keep the other child (or adult) victims of gun violence safe. I don’t think I can reckon with a god who protects my baby but doesn’t keep brown babies out of cages at our southern border.

I do, however, believe in a God of love. And love allows for free will. Love does not impose control over people. And because of that, some babies are murdered and others are separated from their moms and dads because of the violence we humans cling to.

I believe in a God who wholly grieves with families mourning loved ones who’ve been murdered in their classrooms, their places of worship, grocery stores, entertainment spaces...
I believe in a God who is present with terrified mothers and fathers and children who’ve been ripped apart and forced into cages for legally seeking asylum from a lifetime of violence.
And I believe in the God who is showing up for me and my kids these last two days, as we process, in the form of the bodies of family members who sit with me and listen to me and feed me and love my kids while I take a hot shower.
A God who is showing up in the form of free chocolate chip cookies for my boys at coffee shops just because.
A God who is showing up in the encouraging and supportive phone calls and messages from those humans I’m so unbelievably blessed to be loved by.

I believe in a God who promises that life is stronger than death and love is stronger than hate and calls us to partner in fulfilling those promises by dedicating our lives to restoration, liberation, love, and justice for ALL their beloved creation.

Hey SPV fam!
 
I grew up Methodist & part of my confirmation as a kid was to memorize the Apostles’ Creed. I didn’t mind it because memorizing stuff like that wasn’t terribly difficult for me but if I’m being honest, I questioned the use of such an endeavor, chalking it up to mostly rote repetition & an empty religious exercise. A few years later my family started attending a charismatic church & a strong emphasis was placed on things like a “positive confession of faith” & the “words of our mouth”. Critics would & still do refer to this as “name it & claim it” or “blab it & grab it” theology & after awhile my faith & theology moved beyond such formulas & into something much deeper & more meaningful (for me anyway). 

The news & social media has been littered recently with stories of prominent Christian leaders experiencing a “faith crisis” & in some cases even stepping away from the Christian faith altogether. I obviously never like hearing of such stories but I believe in some cases such a journey is necessary to strip away all the junk that religion (& yes, that even means the church itself in many cases) has saddled them with & I pray they come out free on the other side; free to see Jesus for who he truly is & fall in love with him & follow him afresh. 
So if you’re in that space, it’s ok, God is gracious, he will never leave you, he will complete the work he began in you, you cannot hide from his presence & nothing can separate you from his love. And if you’re not in that space, you probably know someone who is, so be gracious & please offer love rather than judgment, condemnation & accusation (literally “the satan”). 

Fast forward several years later & one might argue that my faith has come full circle & I’m thankful for the foundational elements that were instilled in me as a child. And I’m thankful that I was given the freedom (by the Lord, my family, friends...) to explore & experience Christianity in a variety of different contexts & perspectives, although I must say, I too was met with extreme judgment & condemnation by some. So while I don’t necessarily land in some of those spaces any longer (theologically or in practice), I’m appreciative of my time there & all that I’ve learned. So today, in 2019, I LOVE the Apostles Creed & not only do I love it (& the Nicene Creed as well), I often find myself reciting it as a “positive confession of faith” so to speak. It has been an effective anchor for my soul when the doubts & disillusionment roll in. I’ve included it below & I’d encourage you to read it & not just today but regularly & see if it anchors & encourages you like it has for me. Much love, Chris. 

 I believe in God, the Father almighty
      creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

I want to do a follow up to last week’s email so if you didn’t get, or read, it last week, you might want to read it below first. A story like “the woman at the well” is so rich & deep that a few paragraphs couldn’t possibly do it justice, so here are a few additional thoughts regarding the story in John 4, some of which were inspired by Mike & Bill who emailed me back last week with some comments.

I think it’s interesting that Samaria wasn’t Jesus’ actual destination (v.3). We can get so caught up in looking & planning for our “calling”, “purpose”, or “destiny/destination”, that we fail to recognize the rich opportunities along the way. Just because we aren’t called to something long term doesn’t mean we can’t meet a need or fill a void that’s right in front of us.

Jesus stopped there because he was tired (v.6)! What??? I love that the scriptures show both the miraculous & super duper wise Jesus AND the human Jesus who deals with some of the same challenges that we do. Being tired & needing to rest isn’t a sign of weakness or a lack of spiritual maturity. And if you have a pastor or spiritual leader who tries to convince you otherwise, find new people to serve alongside of because their needs & objectives are a higher priority than your wellness.

Jesus didn’t actually reach a multitude while in Samaria, he technically only reached one person. She was the one with the connections & personal relationships & invited them to come out & meet/listen to Jesus (v.30). We can be so worried about reaching the masses when often it’s simply about meeting that one person right where they’re at & allowing that one person to share the good news with their friends.
The story ends with, “many people believed because of the woman” & “many more believed because they heard directly from Jesus” & other’s said, “we no longer believe JUST because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world” (v.39-42). I guess I would encourage you not to undervalue the impact your words & testimony can have on someone to spark faith in Jesus. And at the same time it’s important that we don’t underestimate the presence of Jesus either. They talked him into staying with them for 2 days! Now we could have lots of theological conversations about that alone but I’m so thankful for the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit who is available to us 24/7 & IMHO, in an even more special way when we gather together in community for worship, communion, & fellowship. May we always honor & value the presence of Jesus & the impact he makes on us & others when we are with him. So tell others about Jesus, invite people you know & meet to church on Sunday & to lunch with you or to tag along with you when you serve the poor, & keep your eyes open for opportunities that pop up that weren’t even a part of the plan.

Much Love, Pastor Chris. 

​We’re well into our Real Jesus series now & I hope between the messages, our small group discussions, & even our own personal study at home that we are learning more about Jesus & following him more closely. This Sunday I’m going to talk about, “The Jesus Who Heals”, & as much as we love formulas & patterns, one of the things that has stood out to me as I’ve been preparing is that the healing ministry of Jesus is all over the map. He heals males & females, adults & children, Jews & Gentiles, people who are seemingly worthy & grateful, & others not so much. He heals those who display faith & believe, & others who doubt. He heals in crowds & in private. He heals many by touching people, many others just by his words & even with dirt/mud, & there were some who didn’t even get healed! 
 
So if you’re looking for a formula, you might be disappointed with my sermon on Sunday. So I don’t always know how it works but I know Jesus healed 2000 years ago & I know he still does today (I’ve simply seen & experienced too much to believe otherwise). I concluded last week’s sermon with the many references of Jesus saying “come to me” & in my experience most of the people who don’t ever come, or call out, to him ever actually get healed by him. 
 
I’m not making any guarantees but if you have an ailment or need a touch from the Lord, I want to encourage you to come to church this Sunday with some expectation that Jesus is going to meet you where you are as you “come to him”. If you know someone with an ailment or who needs a touch from the Lord, invite them, bring them, & let’s give the Lord a chance to do what he does best: heal & mend the broken (hearts & bodies). 

When we hear the word evangelist, I’m guessing the name or face of Billy Graham or someone like him comes to mind for most of us. I can honestly say that while I have a fondness for BG, a nameless Samaritan woman in John 6 jumps out at me first. “Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town & said to the people, “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town & made their way toward him.” Jn. 4:28-30‬

This story is truly amazing & blows up so many silly church/ministry stereotypes. It is no small thing that the person Jesus is dealing with is 1) a woman 2) a Samaritan (“for Jews do not associate with Samaritans” v. 9) 3) had a fairly scandalous past & 4) had ZERO ministry/leadership/evangelistic training.

This story screams 1) that Jesus will meet with ANY of us despite our gender, nationality, past mistakes, or violation of societal norms & 2) ANYONE can do ministry & bring people to Jesus! You don’t need a seminary degree or have to know the entire Bible, have all the answers, or been observed/trained for months/years. She was a mess, barely knew anything, & only knew him for all of about 15 minutes before going directly to the people she knew & essentially saying “hey y’all, this Jesus has had a profound impact on my life & I believe he’ll do the same for you; follow me & I’ll introduce you to him & you can see for yourself!”

Don’t get me wrong, I am all for education, training, & equipping but sometimes we just make this far more complicated than it needs to be. I want to encourage EVERY ONE of you SPV peeps to invite someone to our Real Jesus series that starts this Sunday, & even to a corresponding small group/discussion group if possible. You can call, text, email, Snapchat, telegram, or use any form of communication you choose with a, “Hey, would you want to come to church with me this Sunday?” OR... something along the lines of the Samaritan woman: ”come & see (& hear about) this Jesus with me, he’s been known to do some pretty amazing things!”

I hope to see you AND some of your friends /relatives this Sunday for worship, fellowship, Holy Communion, & the new Real Jesus series & let’s all be praying that all of us who are there have a deep & intimate encounter with the Real Jesus.

Much love to you all, Chris. ​