Saint James Blog

Romans 8:22-27. We talked about this writing in light of the Pentecost (church’s beginnings/day of birth) and holding onto hope, living toward hope.  

Using Acts 1:6-11, we took a look at getting focused as God would have us be without being myopic.  

The final message in the sermon series based on 3 Doors Down songs, this one based on It’s Not My Time.  

The third sermon in the series based on the song Away from the Sun by 3 Doors Down.  

It is the fourth and final week in our series based on songs by the southern rock group 3 Doors Down. This week we’ll take a look at the video It’s Not My Time. I’m am struck initially by the urgency with which the unnamed man races over, under, through, and around a city to get to a fateful intersection, races to intervene in what appears to be a tragedy in the making. I find this race a metaphor for Jesus. I am certain as the week moves forward, I’ll have deeper reflections about Jesus and this video but this is where I am starting now.

Jesus races against time and in spite of obstacles to reach us, to stop what could be described as a permanent alienation from the God of the universe. I like the image and hope to elaborate a bit more on it as the week goes by.

I am working with the video for the song Away from the Sun by 3 Doors Down. I see in the weight we carry, that we yearn to be released from in our lives. I am wondering about the yearnings we all feel for something more, yearning to move beyond the heaviness that sometimes pulls us down.  

There are many images in the Bible about darkness and light, about pushing forward. I am working to determine what would be the most powerful and healing images about light, striving after the light, that will bring the issues to light…

This is the second sermon in the series based on 3 Doors Down Songs.  

This will be the second sermon in the four part series about the gospel in everyday life found in 3 Doors Down. This week we’re working with the song Be Like That. My first question as I listen to the song is, “Be like what?” I wonder what we want to be like and how we find the best models. I sometimes still can see the dreams I had for my life now welling up inside, dreams that I think are no longer interesting to me. Yet I measure my life against those previous imaginings.

Sometimes I think we imagine that it would be better if only we were in somebody else’s shoes. So who are we supposed to be? Who makes that determination? Is there someone else besides ourselves? Are we already fully wired to be who God wants us to be?

In the end I think this is a question of identity. I am looking currently at John 15:5-17 as a clue to who we are and yet there are so many stories that also speak to us about who we are in the Bible. I’ll keep you up-to-date as to where I am seeing this take me. I welcome your thoughts and comments!

John 5:1-9. Using the Bible and the music video for 3 Doors Down song Loser, I talked about God’s interest in and thoughts on losers.  

This week I begin a series of messages based on songs by 3 Doors Down. My family really brought their music to my attention and I have come to hear strong themes throughout their work that speak to me about faith (okay honestly, I hear faith-related-themes in most songs- must be an occupational hazard).

“Loser” by 3 Doors Down was written with addiction in mind; it is about a friend of the writer, 3 Doors Down frontman Brad Arnold, who got into drugs in high school and how the friend viewed himself the haze of the drugs. As I reflect on addiction and the struggles that come with it, I am wondering about the Good News in response. I will be intrigued to hear from anyone who comments. Here is a link to the lyrics- Loser.

I am looking currently at two stories from the life of Jesus that capture his working with those who might have been deemed “losers.” One is the story of the man possessed by a demon in Luke 8:26-39. The other story is of the man waiting for healing by the pool of Bethesda (Bethsaida or Bethzatha depending on the  manuscript) in John 5:1-9. I welcome any thoughts about these text.