A Kingdom of Kings

*The Porch will be meeting this Thursday (3/31) in the Guilford College Community Center (MPR) at 7:00. Hope to see you there... with a friend!*

At nearly every wedding I perform, I like to use the example of Jesus washing the disciple's feet to show that in marriage, sacrificial, servant-hearted love is one of the most important characteristics of a healthy marriage. If the couple is willing to put the needs of their spouse before even their own needs, then the trivial problems will be just that... trivial problems. If a marriage becomes one-sided and self-focused, then all sorts of problems can arise. This is an easy trap to fall into because if we're being honest, it's much easier to focus on our own needs than someone else's. It's easy for us to make ourselves king... king of our marriage, king of our spiritual lives, king of our work.

But Jesus shows us that in the kingdom of God, being a king doesn't amount to much. In fact, in the kingdom of God, the king is not the greatest... the king is the greatest servant. When Jesus takes off his robe to wash the disciples feet, he is taking on the task of a slave. It was dirty, it was sacrificial, it was anything but king-like. Jesus washed Peter's feet, who would later deny him. Jesus washed Judas' feet, who would just a few short hours later betray him. Kings punish people for these sorts of things, they don't wash their feet. Yet what he did was one of his greatest expressions of love: he took on the role of a servant to show that God's grace does not pick and choose favorites, it is universally available.

The foot washing is an example that points us forward to the greatest expression of Christ's love which is found on the cross. Jesus didn't come to earth to talk about love. He came to earth to show us what Love looks like in the flesh. "Not to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28). And he tells us to do the same. Kingdom building starts with the acknowledgment that we are not the king, and takes us to place where we realize that the King is in fact the greatest servant of all.

The Porch will be meeting in the GCUMC sanctuary for 3/24

The Porch will be meeting in the GCUMC sanctuary this Thursday (3/24) at 7:00. We will be hearing from some of our own friends about their journey, so help us spread the word!

The Journey to the Cross: Stop #2 The Bump in the Road

So Jesus resists temptation in the wilderness, but the temptation didn't end there. I would imagine that one of the hardest things Jesus faced would be that those closest to him chose not to follow his teaching. John 6:66 says that "from this time, many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him." A few days earlier, there were 5,000 people following Jesus. Today? Not so many.

The road to the cross is unconventional and it is not easy. It calls us to ready our hearts for the good days and the bad days. Sometimes we will resist all of the temptations of the world only to find that the crowds have deserted us. Following Jesus takes us from the wilderness to the desert and ultimately to the cross. And there will surely be bumps in the road along the way. Jesus' disciples said "This is a tough teaching, who can accept it" (John 6:60)? The journey is tough and unconventional, and as such, reminds us that we are following in the footsteps of Christ, who suffered terribly.

So when have you encountered speed bumps in your journey? How did you deal with them?

We will be meeting this Thursday in the Guilford College Community Center at 7:00. Hope to see you there!

The Journey to the Cross: Stop #1: The Wildnerness

As we enter into this season of Lent, we are reminded rather quickly of Jesus' 40 day temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Think about this: if Jesus gives in to even one of these temptations, there is no cross. It's a deal-breaker. He resists the temptations, but the journey is just beginning. We have a tendency to think that if we can just get over the temptation hurdle, life will be easy. But the journey is just beginning, and it leads to the cross. So what are you packing in your packs to help you resist temptation along the way?

We will be meeting in the GCUMC sanctuary this Thursday at 7:00 (Guilford is on spring break), so help us spread the word!

The Unconventional Journey to the Cross

This week marks the beginning of Lent, which is the traditional season of repentance that calls us to remember that Jesus died for us on the cross. It is a call to prepare our hearts and minds as we anticipate the resurrection. The Porch intends to take this call seriously as a worshipping community, so we will be going on a journey. A journey that takes us to various places: the wilderness, the valley, the garden, the prison, and the temple. Pack your bags, because this journey is unconventional, as the journey to the cross should be. Prepare for the unexpected, and remember that the journey doesn't always end where we think it should!

Can anyone and everyone belong?

Is it true? Can anyone belong to God? The Porch has been wrestling with this question lately, and we hope that Thursday's worship will help provide some answers. We are returning to the Guilford College Community Center, so bring an open mind and heart to worship.