The Isolation Story: Us Away From Them

The Isolation Story: Us Away From Them

January 26, 2025
Proverbs 18:1-2 (NRSV), Matthew 5:13-16

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

Then the Lord God said, “It’s not good that the human is alone. I will make him a helper that is perfect for him.” 

Genesis 2:18

You are the light of the world. A city on top of a hill can’t be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on top of a lampstand, and it shines on all who are in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before people, so they can see the good things you do and praise your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:14-16

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The Isolation Story is one of separation, often driven by the belief that the world is too corrupt to engage with.  It is a form of escapism, where we simply want to disconnect from the evils of the world and isolate ourselves in a perfect little “Christian” community.

The Essenes were a Jewish sect in the first century who embodied this story, retreating from society to form isolated communities in the wilderness.  John the Baptizer is among the most well known of this group.  They believed that the world had become so impure that the only way to maintain faithfulness was through complete withdrawal.

Jesus, however, rejected this path of isolation. He declared, "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden... let your light shine before others”. Rather than retreating from the world, Jesus calls His followers to transform it through their presence. He modeled a life of engagement, healing, and teaching, calling His disciples to be agents of change in the world, not isolated from it.

Our times are filled with escapist theology that treats the earth as dispensable because we are just biding our time until we get to some other worldly heaven. While we await this final destination somewhere else, many seek to live out the Isolation Story by creating “Christian” subcultures that choose separation from the world in the name of purity or faithfulness.  We want our own music, our own movies, our own coffee shops, our own schools, our own neighborhoods, and on and on it goes.  It’s ironic that we seem to want all the things the world offers, but just in a uniquely “Christian” version so we can pretend we are separate from it all. 

We are to be in the world, not of it.  Too often, however, we live as people of the world, but not in it.  Studies show that the everyday lives of self-proclaimed Christians don’t look that much different than any other group, but our determination to separate ourselves allows us to turn a blind eye to the needs around us.  Jesus' call challenges us to step into the world, bringing His light into even the darkest corners.  Our light does no good in a well lit isolated room.  If we are to be agents of transformation, bringing God’s kingdom to earth, we must be fully engaged in this broken world God so dearly loves.

•  Are there areas of your life where you withdraw from the world to maintain purity?

• How can you engage more fully with your community, bringing God’s light into dark places?

Craig J. Sefa

The Isolation Story

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The Revolution Story: Us Versus Them

The Revolution Story: Us Versus Them

January 19, 2025
Luke 23:34, Matthew 5:38-48

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.  But I say to you that you must not oppose those who want to hurt you. If people slap you on your right cheek, you must turn the left cheek to them as well.  When they wish to haul you to court and take your shirt, let them have your coat too.  When they force you to go one mile, go with them two. Give to those who ask, and don’t refuse those who wish to borrow from you.

Matthew 5:38-42

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The Revolution Story is fueled by a desire for justice but often resorts to violence as the only means of achieving it.  In Jesus’ time, The Zealots most embodied this narrative, fiercely resisting Roman rule through armed rebellion. They believed that only a violent  revolution could restore Israel's independence and  purity. In their eyes, the Romans were oppressors who had to be overthrown at any cost.  Interestingly enough, even Jesus had a zealot named Simon among his disciples.  Simon undoubtedly hoped Jesus would lead a successful revolution against Rome, while in turn Jesus modeled for Simon a revolution of the heart.

Jesus' teachings directly challenged the Zealots' methods. While He preached justice, he also called His followers to love their enemies, even those who persecuted them. “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). Jesus proposed a revolutionary approach — one that sought peace through love, reconciliation, and forgiveness, not violence. This is seen clearly when He prays from the cross, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34).

In our polarized world, the Revolution Story plays out in social movements and political ideologies that often escalate into conflict.  Recent leaders in our own country have proclaimed the “eye for an eye” texts from the Old Testament as a valid Biblical way of dealing with political opponents, despite Jesus’ explicit renunciation of this teaching. 

Jesus’ example calls us to pursue justice, but without compromising the call to love and forgiveness.  Some view such a response as weakness, but the reality is much deeper.  Jesus was actively leading a non-violent resistance movement, much like Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. 

The historian Josephus personally struggled with such non-violent resisters, because they didn’t fight fair.  Rome knew what to do with a revolutionary… they would simply kill them.  But to kill an unarmed and seemingly weak protestor would bring shame upon the far more powerful Roman soldier.  If a soldier was allowed to force someone to carry their pack for a mile, for example, carrying it a second mile would make the soldier look like he was abusing his power and cause him a great deal of trouble with his superiors. 

Jesus isn’t calling us to be doormats, but he does require that our resistance to oppression in this world models the ways of peace, love and justice for all.

• In what areas of your life do you struggle to balance justice with mercy?

• How might you adopt Jesus' nonviolent revolution in your own personal conflicts?

Craig J. Sefa

The Revolution Story

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The Domination Story: Us Over Them

The Domination Story: Us Over Them

January 12, 2025
Luke 22:24-27
see also: Philippians 2:10-11, Genesis 1:26-2:23, Genesis 50:15-21

Series based on The Seventh Story, by Brian McLaren & Gareth Higgins

An argument broke out among the disciples over which one of them should be regarded as the greatest.

But Jesus said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles rule over their subjects, and those in authority over them are called ‘friends of the people.’  But that’s not the way it will be with you. Instead, the greatest among you must become like a person of lower status and the leader like a servant. So which one is greater, the one who is seated at the table or the one who serves at the table? Isn’t it the one who is seated at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.

Luke 22:24-27

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The Domination Story tells us that peace and order are maintained through power and control. It is often used to justify oppressive systems in exchange for promises of security and personal benefit.

In the first century, the Sadducees were the epitome of this narrative. As an elite group of priests and aristocrats, they collaborated with Rome to secure their privileged status. They maintained their wealth and by aligning with the oppressors, even at the expense of justice for their people.

Jesus’ interactions with the Sadducees were marked by challenge and confrontation. When they attempted to trap Him with questions about the resurrection — a doctrine they rejected — He exposed their shallow faith and misunderstanding of God’s power (Mt. 22:23-33). Jesus’ life directly opposed their love of earthly power, proclaiming that the least are the greatest.

This teaching is perhaps most poignantly illustrated in Luke 22:24-27. During the Last Supper, the disciples argued about which of them was the greatest. Jesus responded with a counter-cultural declaration: “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them… but you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you must become like a person of lower status and the leader like a servant.”

Jesus directly contrasts the Domination Story with the Servant Story. In the kingdoms of the world, greatness is tied to power, status, and control. But in the kingdom of God, greatness is found in humility, service, and self-giving love. Jesus didn’t just preach this — He lived it. The One who could rightly claim the highest place took on the lowest role, washing His disciples’ feet and ultimately laying down His life for the sake of others.

Today, we still encounter the Domination Story in corporate greed, political power plays, and even church hierarchies. These systems thrive on the pursuit of control, often masking their motives with claims of benevolence. Yet Jesus calls us to reject such narratives and embody the values of His upside-down kingdom. We are called to lead not with authority but with humility, to seek service rather than recognition and to prioritize justice and compassion over personal gain.

• How might you unknowingly participate in systems that prioritize control over justice and compassion?

• What does it mean to choose humility and servant leadership in your daily life?

• How can Jesus’ example of being “among you as one who serves” shape the way you interact with others?

Craig J. Sefa

The Domination Story

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Home By Another Route

Christmas Far & Near

January 5, 2025
Matthew 2:1-12

Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

Matthew 2:12

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The Magi gaze long and hard into the darkness. They spend years, perhaps, scanning that night sky waiting for the appearance of a certain star.

When they finally spot that star, a star that is bright enough to follow, they set out on a journey. They take gifts of value and meaning: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Never in the course of this journey is there any sense of jealousy among the travelers. They do not compare the gifts they carry, trying to decide which is best. Somehow, they have the grace to cherish and come to love each of the unique gifts that they are bringing, content that those gifts are enough…

When the Magi reach the place where the Christ child is, they gesture their commitment. They do not just journey to this place; they stop and walk over the threshold, they enter in.

Bending low, they open their gifts and surrender them, laying them at the feet of the child. They trust that each gift is received and is accepted.

Then, in a completely unexpected turn of events, just as they have reached their long anticipated goal, they must abandon their intention to return the way they came. They are cautioned to go home by another route, ultimately because of threat or danger.

They must find another way; the familiar and the planned will not work.

~ excerpt from The Epiphany Cycle, Marianne Hieb

Walking through the story of the Magi, Marianne Hieb suggests a 7 stage cycle that applies quite well to our own spiritual journey and it is a cycle we repeat many times throughout our lives. 

     As you walk through the stages on the other side of this page, consider where you  might be on your own journey right now.

The Epiphany Cycle for your Spiritual Journey

1.  Waiting in darkness 

2. Searching the night Sky

3.  Recognizing the star enough to follow 

4. Setting out on a journey

5.  Following the star

6. Identifying and bringing your giftedness

7.  Enter the new place and find the Lord

8.  Offering and laying down your gift

9.  Returning home by a different route.

We may journey through this cycle many times and in many different ways, but a few key themes are necessary every time.  First, we must begin with a deep awareness… waiting, searching, recognizing.  We must be intentional about seeking God’s presence.  Second, we must step out in faith and take the risk.  We bring our whole selves and our gifts, meager as they may seem, to lay before God as an offering which God graciously and lovingly accepts.  Finally, we must return by a different route.  If our lives are not changed, we have not truly encountered God. 

How will you cultivate awareness this week? 

What gifts will you bring? 

What transformation is God preparing in you for the journey home?  What new route will you take?

Listen to full sermon here

Craig J. Sefa

Home By Another Route

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