May & June sermon series: The practices of Jesus - practicing resurrection
Farmer, philosopher and poet Wendell Berry writes the simple and beautiful line, “practice resurrection.” The resurrection of Jesus is an historic event of world-changing implications and a life to be lived, a reality that we practice, a way of life in community we learn through the habits of Jesus.
At Knox, the first piece of our mission is the most central: Follow Jesus. We hear the language of following Jesus frequently, but what does it mean to be his disciple, an apprentice of Jesus Christ? Put simply, it means you order and re-arrange your life around the way of Jesus through the practices of Jesus in community.
The practices of Jesus offer us the hope of resurrection life, the renewal of God’s image in us as we apprentice ourselves to Jesus. It is a common life in ordinary rhythms, everyday liturgies and common practices. It is in the formation of a local community that practices resurrection and lives out God’s story.
Find the topics and scriptures for the weeks ahead below. We hope you’ll join us.
—Pr. Phil Reinders
The practices of Jesus: Practicing resurrection
April 28 - The Practices of Jesus: Presence and Practice, An Invitation to Living the Resurrection (John 20:11-18)
May 5 - Prayer for Missions (Nehemiah 1), Mary Anne Voelkel preaching
May 12 - The Good Way - practicing the way of Jesus (Matthew 7:24-29; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
There is not transformation without repetition. The surprising reality of real change is its dailiness. We experience resurrection change and growth as the Holy Spirit meets us in our daily habits, routines and rituals - as we put into practice the life of Jesus.May 19 - Renunciation: skillful “no’s” for stronger “yes’” (Luke 9:21-26; Matthew 16:24-27)
The free life of Jesus is not experienced in unbounded liberty. Rather, true freedom is always found within constraints. As followers of Jesus, we willingly renounce certain things and patterns of living as part of reorienting our lives around that which is life, Jesus Christ.May 26 - Worship and Scripture: the listening life and the practices of attentiveness
In our distracted age, attention is the new currency. What will we give our attention to? Whose voice are we listening to? Listening lies at the heart of a life in communion with God. The practices of worship and scripture train us to hear well the voice of our God.June 2 - Silence and solitude: finding quiet (Luke 5:15-16; 1 Kings 19)
Is there a practice from the life of Jesus that could set us up to thrive in the chaos of the over-busy, digitally distracted, noisy, urban world? The ancient wisdom is found in the practice of silence and solitude, intentional time in quiet to be alone with ourselves and God.June 9 - Subversive sabbath: rest, rhythm and resistance for a non-stop world (Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5)
Most people don’t practice Sabbath, at least on any kind of a regular basis. This means most people are missing out on one of the most life-giving practices of the way of Jesus. Because of this, the goal of week one is to start with the basics: set aside a 24 hour time period to rest and worship, to pray and play.June 16 - Fasting, food, bodies, eating disorders and Jesus (Matthew 4:1-4; 6:16-18; Isaiah 58:6-7)
Fasting is one of the forgotten spiritual disciplines. Yet for millennia, it has been a core practice for apprenticeship to Jesus. It stands as a profoundly counter-cultural practice in a culture of consumerism. For many of us, the desires of our body have come to hold power over us so much so that we have become its slave, not its master. Fasting is an ancient Christian discipline to break the power of the flesh in our life – our desires, sins, and cravings – and to feed on the Holy Spirit.June 23 - Feasting (hospitality) - the lost art of celebration (Luke 19:1-10, Luke 7:33-55)
Throughout the gospels, Jesus is often going to a meal, preparing for a meal, enjoying a meal, or leaving one - to the point that he’s accused of being a “glutton and drunkard” (Mt11:19). Jesus was a welcome guest at parties - he is Lord of the feast. Feasting, therefore, is the discipline that trains us in the joy that sits at the heart of God’s Kingdom.June 30 - Stewardship and simplicity: cultivating generous living for a consumer age (2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Philippians 4:11-12)
