ken castor

ken castor - hub video - get well

ken castor - hub audio - get well

Audio recording from last night's hub... considering two things from John 6... 1) whether we really want to get truly well... and 2) whether a miracle would really help us believe enough to make the necessary changes.  

Hub - Get Well - Ken Castor

do you want to get well?

I think I do want to get well... though there are way too many mitigating circumstances.  My body is aging (I'm past half-way of the average male lifespan in N.America), my life is busy (Wii Lego Star Wars can't just lie there unattended!), I really like pop (drinks- not music), I need to eat (and McDonald's is on the way home), and there is no one to help me (magically speaking).

There was a man who sat by a pool for thirty-eight years.  Whether it was once a week or every day for thirty-eight years, I'm not sure.  But I am fairly confident that he must have rubbed the impression of his buttocks into the paving stones after all that time.  He had his place by the pool and it was his.  For thirty-eight years.

The man was sick.  For thirty-eight years he had been sick.  I don't know what his condition was... whether he was paralyzed or lame or weak or what.  But the fact is that in thirty-eight years of sitting by the pool, I'm sure his health didn't improve by the power of positive thinking.  I'm no doctor (actually I almost am!... but not medically) but I'm pretty sure that one doesn't get better by sitting and waiting for a magic cure for thirty-eight years.

For thirty-eight years he relied on this pool to make him well.  There was a legend floating about that the rippling waters of this pool brought healing.  But the man, being stuck on his mat, was never quick enough into the pool when the wind, or a bug, or a human, or an imagination, stirred the surface of the water.  And so, thought the man at least, he would never have a chance to get well.

One day, Jesus stopped by the pool.  There were crowds of sick people with blindness or diseases or crippling conditions gathered around the water.  Out of everyone there, we know that Jesus approached this man who had been stuck for thirty-eight years.  Why this man?  There must have been others who earnestly desired healing from God; who passionately prayed and cried out and who had family and friends that cried out on their behalf.  And yet, out of everyone, Jesus walked up to this man and asked, "Do you want to get well?"  And the man said...

        "I can't."

He told Jesus, "I can't get into the pool quick enough.  Another person always gets in before me and steals the magic.  There is no hope for a man such as me."

Well, the man had no faith, right.  So there is no way he could be healed, right.  He wouldn't help himself, or couldn't, for thirty-eight years, so God would never help him, right.  After all, as one grumpy church member once told me, "The Bible says God only helps those who help themselves" ("Where does it say that?" I asked him, by the way.)  So the invalid man really didn't have a chance, right.

Jesus told the man who had been stuck for thirty-eight years, "Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk."  Okay... and instantly the man was healed. 

I think Jesus was giving the man an opportunity to get rid of the excuses in his life and to trust God.  Later on, Jesus confronted the man with a challenge to stop sinning.  I think Jesus was advising him, "Okay, now you are well, no more excuses, change your life by following me."  In essence, Jesus told the man, "Get up and get away from this pool.  A healthy life is not found here.  You have to follow me."

Now before you get all upset that I would be promoting some form of "health and wealth" gospel, I want to point out a couple things: 1) The man had little to no faith and yet Jesus healed him.  Certainly this does not promote the concept that "if you just have enough faith then you will be healed."  Well, what about all the others at the pool that day?  That idea is silly.  Jesus heals when and whom he wants.  2) The man's life did not get more comfortable because he was healed.  In fact, immediately after he was healed he was nearly arrested and sent to Gehenna (so to speak) for breaking the law.  It was illegal to carry your sleeping mat on the Sabbath in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.  But Jesus healed the guy and told him to "pick up" his mat and "walk."  So in obeying Jesus' simple command, the guy's life was immediately put to test.  Health and Wealth gospel doesn't fit here... nor does it fit in Acts 7 or Hebrews 11 for that matter.  A lack of faith does not equal zero grace from God... and a deep exercise of faith does not equal comfort.

In the end of it all, the kind of life we are to be living is not a stirring for the waters but an immersed pursuit of Jesus.  The kind of "well" that Jesus has nothing to do with impossibilities, but with the possibilities inherent in Jesus commands.  When offered to us, however, we must be willing to follow and obey in the little things, despite the lifestyle change the pursuit of Jesus may bring.  After all, the "well" is about an abundant stream of living water... not a rippling magic cure. 

[Side note: the man was not allowed in the Temple, where the 'truly faithful' who were 'not afflicted' were allowed.  This was as close to a religious experience in community that he was permitted to have... And eventually, after he was healed and allowed by the authorities to make his way to the Temple, he was immediately confronted by Jesus with a choice on how he should actually be living his life.  Religiously or in life-gratitude perhaps?  Is there a lesson here for the churchians?]

The Way Jesus Interacts - Hub video

Video of Ken Castor's message on the end of John chapter 4 (Hub, 2009 11 29).

And in case you missed it, here is the message by RJ Schumacher on the beginning of John chapter 4 from last week (Hub 2009 11 22):

Celebrate - Hub video - Ken Castor - Oct 25 2009

Celebrate (Oct 25, 2009) from Ben Schuiling on Vimeo.  Not the most orthodox sermon ever given... but definitely a curious one. In this message, Ken Castor explores why Jesus chose to change water into wine as his first miracle in front of his disciples.

ken castor - hub audio - celebrate - oct 25, 2009 - john 2

Perhaps not my most orthodox message, but certainly not any less meaningful.  Jesus enjoys celebrating.  Why else would he choose as his first public miracle to turn 180 gallons of water into 180 gallons of wine?!  And if this is so, why is the word "fun" hardly ever associated with Christians today?!

Hub - Celebrate - Ken Castor

WWJD? Party!!!!

Jesus is so often presented like some stoic hippee walking around peacefully dispensing profound pithy sayings.  Maybe that's because so many of the movies about Jesus were produced in the 60s and 70s.  Or maybe that's because we have a hard time imagining Jesus as a real human being so we reinvent him as a quasi cult leader.

John wrote about Jesus.  He saw him in person.  He walked with him and ate with him and talked to him.  John never gives this impression that Jesus was a sage with a flower tucked behind his ear.  In fact, on only the second day John knew Jesus, they went clubbing.

Well, okay, not clubbing, not rave hopping.  But they were invited to a huge party and, yes, they went with a few others as an entourage together.  And, yes, there was celebration!  And, yes, there were crowds!  And, yes, there was alcohol: 1st century version of wine, at least.  And lots of it.

So John's early impression of the Savior included hanging out with him at a party.  And not just hanging out... Jesus actually supplied an abundance of the bubbly!!

John chapter 2.  John tells us that they were at this wedding celebration, a prolonged feast that could last for days, and the unthinkable happened.  The wine ran out!  This was a huge problem.  That would be like running out of every possible drink today.  No more wine, no more juice, no more coke, no more beer, no more anything.  Wine is what they drank back then.  It was safe, it was good, and it was a matter of celebration. 

Jesus' mom, Mary, had some responsibility for this, or at least she took the responsibility upon herself, so she informed Jesus of the trouble.  John recalls their conversation- a mixture of mysterious language and complex responses to which John was only now getting introduced.  John doesn't even pretend to try to understand it all.  He just reports their interaction.  Anyways, the truly memorable part is what was about to happen.

Jesus asked the servants of the party to fill six stone jars with water.  John makes a note to tell us that each jar held 20-30 gallons.  This is enough to fill the tank of your car a few times.  John mentions that when the jars were filled to the brim, Jesus told them to "dip some out and take it to the master of the ceremonies."  You get the idea that John was just watching all this happen... for there is no attempt to explain any of this.

Well, the master of ceremonies tasted the "water" and called the bridegroom over.  But what he drank was incredible wine!  And there was at least 120 gallons of this stuff!!!!  He couldn't believe that the host would save the "best wine until last!"  Usually, a host would serve the best wine first and bring out the cheap stuff when everyone had their fill.

So why did Jesus party?  Why did he supply an over-abundance of wine for the guests of a wedding celebration?  And why did Jesus choose this, the turning of water into wine, as his first public miracle?

I'm no expert on this, and don't pretend to know, but I wonder if there are three things we can learn about Jesus from this:

1. Jesus is not a boring sage.  In fact, I think it's fair to say, in this case he supplied the life of the party!  We've got to get our heads around this.  No more imagining Jesus as a wandering hippee with a flower in his hair.  No more imagining Jesus as a self-depriving guilt inducing disiplinarian either.  Jesus enjoys enjoying.

2. Life with Jesus is not boring.  In fact, I think it's fair to say, this miracle is a glimpse into eternal life with Jesus.  Later on, Jesus will compare heaven to a wedding banquet.  Just imagine the courses and desserts and drinks that God could supply!  Later on, Jesus calls himself the bridegroom and the church is called the bride.  We will be at the center of the party, with the bridegroom supplying the celebration... a celebration that just gets better and better and better as it goes along.

3. Don't make this miracle about drinking.  Christians get hung up on this miracle because it involves alcohol.  Some get all nervous that Jesus might be condoning drinking.  And some others get all victorious and in-your-face that Jesus might actually be condoning drinking.  Come on.  That is not what this is about.  We all know the general rules: Moderation is okay and don't do anything that causes your brother to stumble.  Look, the point of this "sign" from Jesus is that it is a "sign"!  This miracle gives us a glimpse of his glory.  It points to who he is and what he is going to be doing for us.  This miracle is about life and the enjoyment of life and the abundance of life that Jesus can give.  This miracle is about the ability Jesus has to recreate and to celebrate with us.  This miracle is about Jesus.  Just spend some time watching him work, like John did, and don't get distracted by yourself.

Hub video ~ Jesus' Ultimate Team ~ Oct 18, 2009

Jesus’ Ultimate Team (Oct 18, 2009) from Ben Schuiling on Vimeo.

Jesus' Ultimate Team

It's certainly not the way I would have done it.  The first six guys that promote Jesus and the beginning of his worldwide international eternal movement are not the ones I would have chosen.  What was he thinking?!

This was our focus for hub tonight.  Here's the audio of my message from the second half of John 1.  Video to come this week.

Hub - Jesus' Ultimate Team - Ken Castor

what do you want?

Years ago, when I was a younger nerd, I used to play a trick with my phrases in order to explore the ways the same grouping of words, kept in the same order, could be used to derive a myriad of intended meanings.  For instance, put together the four words (what, do, you, want) and you come up with more than four potential intentions.  Notice the stress (or lack of stress) on each word:

1. WHAT do you want?
2. What DO you want?
3. What do YOU want?
4. What do you WANT?
5. ... and even the philosophical statement of realization: What do you want.

Maybe I'm stretching it a bit, but I think these four words put together in this order are extremely profound.  In a question form, in any stress formula, this phrase gets to the heart of the heart of the matter.  In a periodic statement, it is the answer to the question.  Mind numbing, eh.

That's why I find it interesting that the first words uttered by Jesus in the book of John are these four:

"When the two disciples of John the Baptist heard him say this, they followed Jesus.  Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, 'What do you want?'"

I find myself some days just following, not really fully alert to what I'm doing.  Perhaps I'm in a routine habit, or perhaps I am subconsciously aware that I simply need to be with Jesus.  But most of the time I think I'm just running through the motions of life, curious about Jesus, wondering, worrying, busy, self-centered, hurried, concerned, helpful, disassociated, proactive, passive aggressive, productive, lazy, in my car, on the couch, in my office, at Starbucks, watching TV, writing a project, etc, etc.  Then, some-thing or some-one or some-Spirit points me to Jesus... and I start to follow, behind him, from a little distance, not fully sure of what I'm doing...

Then Jesus startles me by saying four words: What do you want?

How should I answer?