Sacraments: Channels of God's Grace

    Roughly one sixth of the world does not have a reliable supply of clean drinking water.  More than 3.5 million people die every year because of water related illness.
    Scientists and community organizers have tried to solve this problem in a variety of ways, but one of the most creative is atmospheric water generators.   AWG’s take water from the air around us.  In most environments, there is enough water in the air to provide clean drinking water for several families with a single AWG machine.  This is an amazing technology.  The water is already there.  We just have to tap into it.
    However, we also have to recognize that this is not the normal way people get water.  Normally, people go to one of three sources for their water: rivers, lakes, or wells.  For many thousands of years, most people in most places have gotten most of their water from these reliable sources - rivers, lakes, and wells.  This water is much easier to reach.

    That’s kind of how grace works.  God’s grace is all around us.  We can experience God laying in our beds or walking on a mountain or riding a subway.  Grace is in the air we breathe.  We just have to tap into it.
    This is beautiful and profound, but we are also wise to recognize that there are some “normal” ways to experience God’s grace.  There are some normal channels of grace that have proved effective means of grace, and our spiritual ancestors have been coming back to these basic channels of grace for thousands of years.
    Theologians call these “means of grace.”  Down through the years, the Church has recognized two means of grace as being especially deep and meaningful for Christians: baptism and communion.  These are often called the sacraments. 
    A sacrament is a living drama of God’s gracious action.  It is a sign pointing to grace.  In a sacrament, we remember what God has done for us through Jesus.  But in this remembering and re-enacting, we are also opening ourselves to God’s gracious action again.  It seems that we humans need to experience these very physical things - water, bread, and wine - to help us experience the fullness of God’s grace.  The physical is somehow connected to the spiritual.  The sign pointing us to grace also becomes a channel bringing grace to us.

    Let’s talk about BAPTISM first.  Baptism is a sign of God’s new covenant of grace through Jesus.  The water is a sign of God’s cleansing, washing away our sins, purifying us, marking us for God’s Kingdom and service. 
    We are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  The Father created us, loves us, and calls us all.  The Son gave his life so that we can be forgiven and set free.  The Spirit actually does the work in our hearts, filling us with the Father’s love and Jesus’ life. 
    The Church of the Nazarene is a diverse community.  We were formed from people of many different traditions, and we still represent many different cultures and traditions around the world.  We accept baptism by sprinkling, pouring, or full immersion, and all of these have some points of reference in the New Testament. 
The author of Hebrews connected baptism with the Old Testament practice of sprinkling temple furniture with blood to purify it: “For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water” (Hebrews 10:22).
The apostles often talked of God pouring his Spirit on us like water:  “He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.  He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6).
In our church, we usually baptize believers who are old enough to make a conscious choice, and we usually baptize by full immersion in water.  We had a big, beautiful party baptizing nine people earlier this month.  The classic text explaining this kind of baptism is Romans 6:
 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
 5 Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. 6 We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7 For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him.
    Baptism is a sign of dying with Christ and dying to our old sinful life.  When we go down into the water, it’s like being buried.  When we come up out of the water, it’s like being raised with Christ to a new life in Jesus.  For me, this is the fullest and most powerful way to do the sacrament of baptism.
    But baptism is a sign of God’s New Covenant of grace.  We know that God loves us and chooses us before we can love God or make any choices for ourselves.  God’s love for us is pure grace.  Nothing is earned.  As a sign of this limitless, unearned love, Nazarenes also recognize infant baptisms.  It’s the parents’ choice to baptize their babies or to wait for them to grow old enough to choose for themselves.
    Both forms of baptism show a side of God’s grace.  Infant baptism shows God’s love for us from the beginning before we can do anything to earn it.  Believers’ baptism shows God’s love for us after we’ve walked away, sinned, and returned home for forgiveness and new life.  Both are windows to the same grace.

   The next sacrament is THE LORD’S SUPPER.  This is the meal of bread and wine that Jesus started with his disciples on the night before he went to the cross.  Sometimes, it’s called communion because it’s a way for us to commune with God.  Through communion, we spend time with God, or draw close to God, or even in a way become one with God.  And other times, this meal is called the Eucharist, which is Greek for thanksgiving.  All three names are used in the New Testament in connection with this meal.  But the roots of the Lord’s Supper go back to the Old Testament. 

    Earlier today we read about the prototype of the Lord’s Supper, with a mysterious priest named Melchizedek (Genesis 14:17-20).  Here is this early representative of God, who comes to Abram (later called Abraham) as Abram is just coming from a battle, and he brings him bread and wine as a sign of God’s blessing.  Then, he speaks God’s blessing on Abram and makes the connection that God has brought Abram the victory.  Abram responds with a sign of submission by giving him a tithe (a tenth) of all the loot from the battle. 
    These images overlap with the Lord’s Supper today.  We are in the midst of a life battle, and God comes to us with bread and wine and blessing.  God reminds us that God brings the victory and the strength.  God blesses us with his own life, and we show our submission to God by giving God a tithe of our income. 

    The other deep root of the Lord’s Supper is the Jewish Passover meal (Exodus 12).  The Passover was a special meal God taught Israel to eat celebrating their Exodus from Egypt.  The Exodus was the single most important event in Israel’s history.  God set his people free from slavery and oppression, formed a new nation, taught them his ways, and gave them a homeland of their own. 
    Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples was part of the Passover celebration, and Paul says, “Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).  Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection are sometimes called the “Second Exodus.”  Through Jesus God sets us free from slavery to sin, forms a new people, teaches us his ways, and gives us citizenship in heaven - our true homeland. 

    So, now that we have these historical roots in mind, let’s read Paul’s description of how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11.  You’ll notice right away that Paul is talking to a church with some problems, but those problems can become very instructive for us.

17 But in the following instructions, I cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm than good is done when you meet together. 18 First, I hear that there are divisions among you when you meet as a church, and to some extent I believe it. 19 But, of course, there must be divisions among you so that you who have God’s approval will be recognized!
 20 When you meet together, you are not really interested in the Lord’s Supper. 21 For some of you hurry to eat your own meal without sharing with others. As a result, some go hungry while others get drunk. 22 What? Don’t you have your own homes for eating and drinking? Or do you really want to disgrace God’s church and shame the poor? What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly will not praise you for this!
 23 For I pass on to you what I received from the Lord himself. On the night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took some bread 24 and gave thanks to God for it. Then he broke it in pieces and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.” 25 In the same way, he took the cup of wine after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant between God and his people—an agreement confirmed with my blood. Do this to remember me as often as you drink it.” 26 For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the Lord’s death until he comes again.
 27 So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord. 28 That is why you should examine yourself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. 29 For if you eat the bread or drink the cup without honoring the body of Christ, you are eating and drinking God’s judgment upon yourself... 34 If you are really hungry, eat at home so you won’t bring judgment upon yourselves when you meet together. I’ll give you instructions about the other matters after I arrive.

    The Lord’s Supper is a window to the Trinity.  God the Father is the Host and Invite-or, calling us to the meal.  Jesus provides the food and drink through his life, death, and resurrection.  The Spirit makes it real, alive, and meaningful for us and in us.
    When we celebrate this meal, we are celebrating all that God has done for us through Jesus.  Because of Jesus’ body and blood, our sins are forgiven, we have new life now in this moment, and we will live forever with God in heaven. 
    Baptism is the sign of our entrance into God’s family through Jesus.  Communion  is the sign of our continuing dependence on Jesus.  Jesus gives us the spiritual food and drink to continue this Christian journey.  Only through Jesus can we be saved.  Only through Jesus can we stay saved.  Only through Jesus can we be made free.  Only through Jesus can we live free. 
    OK, now let’s answer a few FAQs about the Lord’s Supper.
1. What actually happens to the bread and wine?  This is the subject of great debate within Christianity.  As far as I can tell, the most common Christian opinion is also the one closest to the Bible.  The bread doesn’t literally become Jesus’ body and cup doesn’t hold Jesus’ actual blood.  You can’t find his DNA here.  This is a mysterious sign of Jesus’ body and blood.  However, God does something mysterious when we celebrate communion.  This is one of those deep rivers of grace.  Somehow, the experience of grace through sight, touch, taste, smell, and sound can do something deep in us.  Jesus can be hard to experience.  God can be hard to define.  The Spirit is like the wind.  But this bread and cup - this we can touch.  This we can hold and put into our body as a sign of our faith and dependence on Jesus.    If God blesses this moment with his Spirit, and if we are open, this can change us.

2. What kind of stuff are we supposed to use?  For this, I find Paul helpful again.  He said, “When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body” (1 Corinthians 10:16-17).  Communion is a sign of our unity in Christ, so as much as possible, we should use a single loaf of bread and a single cup.   How many of you grew up doing communion with those little Styrofoam wafers?  I don’t really get that.  The point of those is that the Jewish Passover meal was celebrated with bread without yeast, so that’s probably the kind of bread used at the Last Supper.  But it’s my humble opinion that the first Christians probably used whatever bread was available since they weren’t always celebrating the Passover.  Now, in our church, we use grape juice not wine.  That’s for two reasons.  First, the Church of the Nazarene started in the time of prohibition in the USA, so we’ve had a long standing resistance to alcohol.  Second, some Christians here in our church think that alcohol is always wrong, so we don’t want create disunity through this meal which is supposed to strengthen our unity.

3. Who can participate?  Here I’ll quote John Wesley (one of our spiritual fore-fathers): “Is not the eating of that bread, and the drinking of that cup, the outward, visible means, whereby God conveys into our souls all that spiritual grace, that righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, which were purchased by the body of Christ once broken and the blood of Christ once shed for us? Let all, therefore, who truly desire the grace of God, eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.”  Anyone who truly wants God’s grace through Jesus can come.

4. What’s the deal with participating in the Lord’s Supper unworthily?  Paul said, “So anyone who eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians 11:27).  Remember that Paul was writing to a church that was having problems.  Back then the Lord’s Supper was kind of like our potluck dinners, but they didn’t all sit at one table.  Friends kind of sat together, and rich folks were mostly friends with rich folks, and the same for the poor. So the rich people would be having this feast of great food and lots of wine - without even realizing that their poor brothers and sisters at the next table didn’t have enough to eat.  Paul said that was the exact opposite of the unity Jesus intended through the Lord’s Supper.  In fact, the Christian Church soon corrected this problem, and part of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper was bringing food for the poor as well.  So today, if you want to participate in the Lord’s Supper in a worthy way, make sure you share with the poor.  That’s one of the reasons we have the offering basket here.  We aren’t buying admission or paying membership dues or bargaining for grace.  We are submitting to God and sharing with others.

5. If we celebrate the Lord’s Supper too often, doesn’t stop being special or reverent?  Again, let me defer to John Wesley.  He explained that the newness may wear off, but a deeper truer significance will deepen over time.  Think about the communion of marriage.  Should you only say “I love you” a few times a year so that it still feels special?  And all the women said, “Forget special! Let’s have communion every day.”  Or how about this: should you only have sex a few times a year so that it still feels special?  And all the men said: “Forget special!  Let’s have communion every day.”  The Lord’s Supper is one way of communion with God.  It’s a deep channel of God’s grace, so Wesley said, “Only see that you are duly prepared for it, and the oftener you come to the Lord's table, the greater benefit you will find there.”

6. So how do we prepare well for the Lord’s Supper?  Here are a few basic steps. 

• Quiet your heart.  Spend a little time in silence waiting before God.  Maybe you’ll think about the sermon.  Maybe you’ll just be quiet.
• Leave your sin.  When you stand and walk, imagine leaving your old life behind you.  Leave your failures.  Leave the wrongs done against you.
• Come to Jesus.  You are walking away from selfishness into love.  You are walking away from sin straight into Jesus’ life.  Claim that.  Have you had a hard week?  Have you sinned or failed or been betrayed?  Leave it, and walk to Jesus.  Put your trust in the body and blood of Christ to give you new life through the Spirit.

   Remember those machines that get water from air?  You can get water anywhere.  It’s all around us.  It’s in the air we breath.  God’s grace is like that.  You can find grace in a tree or a flower or a movie or a bowl of rice if you have your spiritual eyes open.   But there are some channels of God’s grace, like deep rivers that have stood the test of time.  Generation after generation, God’s people keep coming back to these means of grace -- because they work.  God really does meet us here.  God really does use baptism and communion to open us to his grace.  They are signs of the living Gospel.  Come and let God make you new.

Life's Fast Moving Opportunity - 1 Thessalonians 5

    First of all, I want to thank you for all of your care and support for our family over the past week and a half.  Many of you came to visit us.  Several offered to help or brought us meals.  John David is a blessing, but you have also been a blessing and an encouragement to us.
    Second, I want to let you show you some pictures of the newest member of our family, and this is not John David.  Let me introduce you to Elliana Renae Palmer, or Ella for short.  Ella was born on Tuesday - three weeks early.  Michael and Elizabeth went to our hospital for a check up and were holding her in their arms three hours later.   John David and Ella were born 4 days and 32 minutes apart.  Sarah and Elizabeth were in the same hospital, on the same floor, just across the hall from each other.
    These are special times - full times - full of love and meaning and opportunity.  We couldn’t have planned it like this if we tried.  This was a beautiful, serendipitous blessing.  
    But these days will not last forever.  These moments are passing.  We can only experience them now.  You know what parents say to each other: Cherish these moments.  Before you know it, he’ll be riding a bike.  Blink twice, and she’ll be entering college.  They grow up so fast. 

    This is not far from our text today.  This week, we are finishing our study on 1 Thessalonians, so we’ll read all of chapter 5.  It’s pretty long, so we’ll take it in sections.  Let’s start with just verse 1.

1 Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brothers and sisters, we don’t really need to write you.

    You can’t catch it very well in English, but Paul actually uses two different Greek words for time here: chronos and chairos.  Chronos is for the simple progression of time - tick, tock, tick, tock.  One second after another, one hour, one day.  Chronos is the kind of time when you say, “Their plane arrives Friday September 2 at 1:05 pm.” 
    But Chairos is a different kind of time.  Chairos is focused on the quality of time rather than the quantity of time.  Chairos is closer to the idea of an opportunity or when we look back on a particular period in our life and say, “Those were good times.”  Chairos is like that moment of opportunity when there is an opening in a horse race, and the rider has to go fast before it closes.
    To help explain the nature of Chairos, the ancient Greeks depicted Chairos as a young man moving fast, with wings on both his back and feet. He is tipping the scales in one direction for now, right now only.  One scholar explains, “His hair is long in front and bald behind; he must be grasped, if at all, by the fore-lock.”  If you want to catch Chairos, you have to get ahead of it, or it will get away.
    I played American football in high school, and I played defense.  My job was to tackle whoever had the ball.  Everyday in practice we did tackling drills.  Everyday, my coaches would shout, “Get your head in front!  You’ve got to get your head in front!”  When that running back is coming your way, you only have one chance.  If you don’t get our head in front and wrap up, he’ll probably get away.
    This is how it works with Chairos.  You have to get your head in front because it’s moving fast.  You have to tackle it with both hands and wrap up.  If you want all the Chairos moments in life, you have to be very intentional about how you live.  If you want real life, you can’t get lazy, or life will pass you by.
   
    The next several verses describe the this charios moment. 

2 For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. 3 When people are saying, “Everything is peaceful and secure,” then disaster will fall on them as suddenly as a pregnant woman’s labor pains begin. And there will be no escape.
 4 But you aren’t in the dark about these things, dear brothers and sisters, and you won’t be surprised when the day of the Lord comes like a thief.

    The first part of this chairos time is that Jesus is coming back, and we don’t know when.  Paul says, twice that Jesus will come “like a thief.”  No one can plan it or predict it.  It could be today, tomorrow, or 10,000 years from now.  We don’t know, but when he comes, it will be too late to make changes.  When Jesus comes again, it will be wonderful for everyone who is ready and terror for everyone who is not ready.  The simple message of Jesus’ second coming - the ultimate chairos - is: Live ready.  Always be ready.

    The second part of this chairos time is in the next few verses.

 5 For you are all children of the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night. 6 So be on your guard, not asleep like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded. 7 Night is the time when people sleep and drinkers get drunk. 8 But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
 9 For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever.

    It is as if our world is singing us a lullaby, trying to get us to go to sleep.  Our world is passing out the liquor, trying to get us perpetually drunk.  So many things in this world are mere distractions.  Money, entertainment, fashion, houses, cars, work, success, travel, test scores, self-righteous condemnation of others, email, Facebook, IPods, music, cynicism - don’t get drunk on this stuff.  Don’t let this stuff lull you asleep.  All of these things can get in the way of the One Real Thing - Jesus Christ, and Life in him. 
    Paul’s message to us today is: Don’t live like everyone else.  Don’t work like everyone else.  Don’t play like everyone else.  Don’t talk like everyone else.  Don’t let the darkness consume you.  Instead, be awake.  Be alert.  Be sober.  Live a life of light.  Hold on to faith, love, and hope.  The final truth about you is that God loves you and saves you through Jesus.  Hold on to Jesus, and you will live with him forever.

    Then, Paul gives the Thessalonians a long list of commands - 19 commands to be exact.  Paul is telling us how to get ahead of this chairos opportunity of life in Jesus.  How do we tackle this life in Christ thing?  Paul spins off the commands in three basic breaths. 
    First, he talks about community.

11 So encourage each other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.  12 Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and give you spiritual guidance. 13 Show them great respect and wholehearted love because of their work. And live peacefully with each other. 14 Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

    So this chairos opportunity - this life with Christ thing - is a team effort.  We can’t do this alone.  We need each other.  My football coach used to say that we should be gang-tackling every play.  Pile on.  Load up.  Every victory is a victory for the whole team.  Don’t let each other go it alone. 
    Give strength to each other through your words.  Build each other up.  Be the kind of friend who adds to your friend’s character and life.
    Honor your leaders.  Sure we’re going to make mistakes, but nobody gains by taking hits on our leaders.  Respect them, but don’t just respect their position as leaders.  Love them deeply as brothers and sisters.  Because whether you see it or not, they are working hard for you.
    Don’t be afraid to tell people they are slacking.  Encourage those who are shy or don’t think they have much to offer.  Encourage them to get in the game and use their gifts.  Be tender with the weak - whether they are weak physically, emotionally, or spiritually.  Be patient with everyone - everyone!  Hold each other back when they seek revenge - whether it’s in word or deed.  Work together to do good for everyone - inside and outside the church - inside and outside your ethnic, social, economic, political, theological group.
    Basically, this section is a deep affirmation of our mutual dependence.  The God-Life is a fast moving opportunity, and we’ll never catch it by ourselves.  We need each other’s help to live in the fullness of the chairos time.   We need each other’s help to keep awake to the Spirit.

    Next, Paul tells the Thessalonians to live with prayerful gratitude.

 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

    Easier said than done, right?  Always be joyful ... uh huh.  Never stop praying ... most of us are doing good to start praying.  Be thankful in all circumstances ... even 3am poopy diapers?
    Yet, this is God’s will for all who belong to Christ Jesus.  Go back to verses 9 and 10: “God chose to save us ... Christ died for us so that ... we can live with him forever.” This overrides all our current circumstances.  Sure, sometimes life sucks.  Sometimes you’ll lose your spouse or your house or your job or your self-esteem or your friends - or in the worst times - maybe most of those all at once.  But through it all, God still chooses to save you ... and Christ still died for you ... and you can still live with him forever.  Choose to focus your attention there.  Let Christ be your joy.  Cultivate an attitude of gratitude, and amazingly you’ll find that there is so much to be thankful for.

    Paul finishes his commands with a challenge to go all out for real life.

19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.

    Paul is warning against two extremes here.  On one hand, we can miss the Holy Spirit because the Spirit is unpredictable and uncontrollable.  We can stuff down those holy urges to do the possibly inappropriate but wonderfully good thing.  We can scoff when people speak the truth.  We can live all tied up in knots.  But on the other hand, we can accept anything and praise anything.  We can become gullible Christians who believe everyone who puts on a good face and say amen - no matter what the preacher is saying. 
    Instead, Paul says, go for what is real.  Really let the true Spirit out - even if it’s disruptive.  Listen to what the prophet says - even if it’s uncomfortable.  But, don’t be duped.  Don’t let someone give you fools gold.  Don’t let your boss or your society or your friends or your boyfriend define life for you.  They’ll sell you a counterfeit.  They will tell you, “This is real.  This is what life is all about.  This is the path to success and happiness and satisfaction.”  Test everything.  Go for the Real Life.  Ditch the garbage.  Go for the Christ-life, no matter the cost.

    So, let’s review.  Like any good preacher, Paul is happy to tell us what to do.  With hardly taking a breath, Paul says:

• Encourage
• Build up
• Honor
• Respect
• Love
• Live at peace
• Warn
• Encourage
• Take care
• Be patient
• Prevent revenge
• Do good
• Be joyful
• Always pray
• Be thankful
• Give the Spirit freedom
• Avoid cynicism
• Test everything
• Hold on to good
• Trash the bad.

    Is anyone else tired?  Wow!  Seriously, can you believe those preachers?!  Paul is like, “Look folks, you’ve got to get serious.  Chairos isn’t going wait around.  When the chairos comes, it comes.  You’ve got to be ready.  You’ve got to get ahead of it and tackle it as a team, and that takes effort.  You can’t be lazy or careless.  Get up, and wake up, and go get this Christ-life!”

    To be honest, I really jive with Paul here.  I get what he’s saying.   Living well takes hard work and intentional effort.  Life will pass us by.  Living Jesus’ way doesn’t happen by accident.  Life in the Spirit happens through practicing the good spiritual habits.  I get it.  I want to tighten my shoe laces and flex my muscles and do this thing!
    

    But then Paul starts praying, and he throws off my balance. 
 23 Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 24 God will make this happen, for he who calls you is faithful.
 25 Dear brothers and sisters, pray for us.
 26 Greet all the brothers and sisters with Christian love.
 27 I command you in the name of the Lord to read this letter to all the brothers and sisters.
 28 May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

    Paul says, “Time is going fast.  Christ is coming suddenly.  Be ready.  Be holy.  Be peaceful.  Don’t mess up.  Do this.  Do that.  DO, DO, DO, DO, DO, DO!  Make sure you DO IT!”
    Then, Paul says, “God, you do it.  God, you are the God of peace, so make them thoroughly peaceful.  Give them your shalom wholeness and holiness.  Make them like you.  Keep them in the Chairos moments until Jesus comes again.  God, you do it.”
    Then, Paul returns his attention to the Thessalonians and says, “This God who calls you to holiness is faithful, and God will do it.”  The holy, faithful God will do the holiness.  We just have to let him do it in us. 
    This is one of the great mysteries of the Christian faith.  We have things we have to do.  We have to participate in our own salvation.  If we just lay down on the couch or go about our regular work, nothing will happen.  We have to get involved.  We have to stay alert and attune our minds to God.  But we can’t actually do all of this.  We actually can’t be the people God calls us to be.  We can’t just lace up our shoes and run this race.  God has to do it in us.  We have to participate, but our participation is to stay open to God’s work in us. 
    It’s like the difference between a rowboat and a sailboat.  On a rowboat, there is only one way the boat moves.  You have to row it.  You are the sole source of power for that boat.  You have to pull and push and move the oars, and it is hard work.  But on a sailboat, you are not actually the source of power for the boat.  The wind provides the power.  On a sailboat, your job is to catch the wind.  You move the sails and adjust the rudder and let the wind move you. 
    Life in Christ is life in the Spirit.  The Wind of the Spirit is always blowing all around us.  Our job is to put down our oars and to work the sails.  It feels a little awkward at first, but it gets better.  We still have things to do.  We still have to sense the direction of the wind.  We still have to work our sails, but it is so much easier than rowing.  God does the real work, and we just let God work through us. 
    This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We are sinners, but God loves us anyway and chooses to save us.  Christ died for us.  Now we have a choice.  Will we go it alone and try to do everything ourselves?  Or will we trust in God’s grace and let Jesus transform us from the inside out?
    Life - the eternal chairos moment - is all about living in God’s grace through Jesus.  In the beginning, grace.  In the middle, grace.  In the end, grace.

    Time is moving quickly.  Is is it passing you by?
    Jesus will come again.  Would you be ready if he came today?
    We have work to do.  Are you doing your part?
    We can’t do it alone.  Are you helping others?  Are you letting others help you?
    God does the real work.  Are you living open to the Spirit?

23I pray that God, who gives peace, will make you completely holy. And may your spirit, soul, and body be kept healthy and faultless until our Lord Jesus Christ returns. 24The one who chose you can be trusted, and he will do this. (CEV)