jwquaker

Broken Dreams Restored

By Jared Warner

Willow Creek Friends Church

April 05, 2026

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Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili

John 20:1–18 (ESV)

¹ Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. ⁴ Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵ And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶ Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰ Then the disciples went back to their homes. ¹¹ But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. ¹² And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. ¹³ They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴ Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ ” ¹⁸ Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

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“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

I feel that we have become so comfortable with the message around scripture, that we begin to overlook and miss things. We skip parts to get to most exciting parts. But I do not think we should do that. Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb. This is something that each of the gospels mention. Some include other women, but John only says Mary. This is why some people have entertained the idea that maybe Mary and Jesus were romantically involved. Which seems scandalous to some, but for me it is a pointless thought experiment because we cannot know. What we do know is that Mary was a disciple.

When Jesus came to their house in Bethany, Mary would sit with the other disciples at Jesus’s feet, listening and participating with the discussion. This was, in fact, scandalous, because it was not proper for a woman to be formally educated in that era of history. That does not mean that they did not learn, it was just not proper for them to participate in the group, it was not uncommon for Rabbis to teach their daughters but this was informal. Martha was also a great friend of Jesus, but she most likely being older had accepted a more traditional role within society, and she chastised her sister, going so far as demanding that Jesus put a stop to this scandalous activity of allowing her sister to learn. We forget history. We forget culture. We often just overlook that because it is no longer scandalous.

We forget that Jesus challenged commonly held cultural norms. He challenged them and said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

What does Jesus mean when he says this? I personally believe that Jesus was honoring and encouraging Martha. She loved serving the guests, she found meaning and purpose in that role. It is traditional sure, but for her it was her calling. Mary was not like Martha, scripture often depicts her as being much more forward and active. Martha was anxious not about the service, she was more than capable of serving the guests and could probably have organized a party at a moment’s notice. She was anxious about what people might think. She was worried about how people might regard her sister. She was worried about her sister’s spirit getting hurt by others. “Martha, Martha you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.”

What is the one thing? Listening to the calling within your life. Finding the one thing that inspires, fuels your passion, and gets you excited. That one thing is becoming the person you were created to be.

Mary chose the good portion. She was listening to the spirit within her and was pursuing it. Jesus does not say that Martha was not choosing the good portion, he only says that Martha was anxious about Mary. Jesus was telling Martha that her sister was not like her, she has her own path and her own passions. We cannot make those we love fit into our story for them, they must pursue themselves.

Jesus challenges the cultural norms. He encourages those around him to consider that what we once knew may not be the complete story.

I want us to think about Mary today. I want us to remember all the times in our lives that someone told us we cannot do something. How did you feel in that moment? When I was a child I was told that I could never serve in the military, at the time I did not care, but I loved jets and rockets. I would get up early on a Saturday morning and watch the Right Stuff. I loved to watch the science and the passion of the test pilots and I wanted to be an astronaut. Needless to say I was watching the Artemis II launch because I took me back to those Saturday mornings. But then it dawned on me, all of those heroes of mine were in the military, and I would not be able to follow in their footsteps. It broke my spirit. For quite a while I just drifted. Nothing really got me excited. Genetics almost did, but I soon lost interest in that too.

When I was in high school, I took several college classes as dual credits. One of those classes was English Composition. I struggled with that class. I would stay up late at night with my uncle pouring over each of my assignments, writing and rewriting everything. I thought it was well written but when the paper was returned to me, I would have a D. I used take pride in my intelligence, but I felt like a failure. The teacher even wrote on one of the assignments that I would never accomplish much if writing was involved.

That teacher broke me. It sent me into a spiral. I did not know what I wanted to do, I once thought I would pursue genetic engineering but I threw that idea out the window because what if I had to write something? So I did what I thought I could. I studied crop science and thought I would become a crop consultant, but I hated it. Then I went on a mission trip to Ukraine, a trip to teach English of all things. And something ignited again. I came home, and entered ministry. I found that I was missing certain skills in that field, so I enrolled into a graduate program. I did not even seem to remember that a master’s degree would require writing, because I needed something more. The interesting thing is that the professors in that program were not like the teacher I had in high school. They comment about my unique style of writing, and they encouraged me to continue to pursue it. Just so you know the one that made that comment is going to be the keynote speaker at Yearly Meeting this summer, so I encourage you to attend if you are able.

One teacher crushed my spirit, and another taught me to dream again.

This is what I want us to see in Mary. She goes to the tomb that morning after the Sabbat, and she walks to the tomb and the stone had been taken away. She sees this thing and she drops everything and she runs. She runs to Simon Peter and the other disciple. She just bursts in and immediately starts to speak. Again, stop and think about this, she is an unmarried woman going directly into the group of disciples and she speaks with them as an equal. And these men do not scoff at her or question what she has shared with them. They know who she is and they trust her. When she says, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” they believe her.

They instantly respond. Peter jumps up, probably knocking multiple things to the floor, and because he is impulsive and could probably be diagnosed with ADHD, he probably let the door bagging open. And the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, followed closely. And probably the most hilarious verse of this passage, “but the other disciple out ran Peter and reached the tomb first.” Who does that? It is hilarious because it is probably a running joke surrounding the early church, and it was saved for generations in the pages of scripture. Proving that there is and always has been some healthy forms of competition.

They listened to Mary. They heard the pain in her voice. They heard the voice of this passionate woman that defied social norms and joined them in the discussion, crack in horror and fear. Jesus gave her permission to pursue her dreams. He gave her a place within the community not merely as a servant but as an equal. She loved this teacher because he did not limit her, instead he encouraged her. The other disciples heard that crack, and lightening pulsed through their nerves, and they could not contain themselves, and they went immediately to that tomb, for a couple of reasons. The first is to protect their friends, both Jesus and Mary. And because they like Mary we once individuals in the cogs of society. They were once men bound by cultural norms. They were common men. Peter was a fisherman, and the other disciple, the one tradition calls John, was also the son of a fisherman. They had left their nets to follow Jesus. They were told by their society that they were not special, that they needed to just go home and do what their family has always done. They were rejected by the teachers, they were labeled common, but Jesus called them. He saw something within them that they may not have even seen themselves. He ignited a flame, gave them a chance, and encouraged them to pursue something everyone else said they were not cut out for. They ran because they too were seen by this man, this teacher, this messiah and he became everything to them.

What would become of them if the body was stolen? Where they being framed? Where the gentiles desecrating their faith like they did during the days of the Maccabees?

We often forget the despair the disciples would have felt. We often forget that the moment the tomb was sealed, their hope and dreams were also dead and buried. We have been there. A word was said without thinking and our dreams come crashing down. An email lands in your inbox and your heart sinks. You open the mail box and see another bill and payday is still a week away.

John outran Peter, he stops at the entrance and looks inside. He sees the linen cloths lying there, and he is incapable to move, paralyzed. Peter came, following him, and he went into the tomb. I imagine he probably hit his head against the ceiling in the rush to see. He too sees the cloths and then he sees something else. He sees the face cloth, or napkin, folded up in a place by itself.

This puzzled them. St John Chrysostom, the Bishop of Constantinople, also known as the Golden Mouth, says this about this event:

They see the linen clothes lying there, which was a sign of the resurrection. For if they had removed the body, they would not have stripped it first, nor, if any had stolen it, would they have taken the trouble to remove the napkin and roll it up and lay it in a place by itself apart from the linens. They would have taken the body as it was. Therefore, John tells us by anticipation that it was buried with much myrrh, which glues linen to the body not less firmly than lead. He tells us this so that when you hear that the napkin lay apart from the linens, you may not endure those who say that he was stolen. For a thief would not have been so foolish as to expend so much effort on a trifling detail.ⁱ

Chrysostom, served as bishop within a generation from when the Nicene Creed was formed. This was the one statement of faith, the only statement of faith the entire Church agreed upon. Over 1000 years ago, they already faced the same criticism we face today, where is the body, surely it was just stolen. And John, both Johns actually, point out that had anyone stolen the body, or taken the body they would not have taken the time to unwrap it. Chrysostom points out that as they wrap a body they would have been using a mixture of myrrh, which would have basically made the wrappings as stiff as concrete. And the fact that they mention the face cloth folded in a place by itself expresses some token of extreme care.

In burial, the traditions focus on honoring the body. The face would have been covered to preserve dignity, while the women washed the body as they could not cast a lingering on the face. So the face would have been the first part of the body cleansed and covered. Every other strip of linen would have attached itself to this cloth. Yet it was carefully folded by itself. When looking at other story among this culture saying that when a master leaves a folded napkin on the table it indicates that, “I am not finished yet”, or “I am coming back”. Where a wadded up napkin would indicate they are done. This is a story, but a good story. The disciples saw the care of the different fabrics and it indicated something to them.

John, the other disciple, saw and believed. They were at the grave of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead, but Lazarus was bound by the grave clothes. But here was something different. The body of Jesus was not bound, and the care given to the clothes resembled the care of those that put them on the body. They believed but they did not yet understand. They went back to their homes, but Mary remained.

Mary stood there weeping. And only then does she stoop to gaze within the tomb. Peter and John saw only the clothes, Mary however sees two angels sitting at where the head and feet should have been. They ask her, “Woman, why are you Weeping?” She responds that, “That they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Then she turns away. She sees angels and even that does not comfort her grieving heart.

She turns and literally bumps into Jesus and He asks her the same question. And Mary being accosted by angels and Jesus gets a bit snappy and she says, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” She is basically telling the supposed gardener to give him back. So Jesus being who he is, calls her by name, “Mary”. One simple word. Mary.

Mary, being as impulsive as Peter, screams and squeals as she cries Rabboni. And Jesus tells her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to to my brothers and say to them…”

I have watched many videos of soldiers coming home from deployment and surprising there wives or mothers. I am sure you have seen them too. This is absolutely the reaction Mary had in this moment. I have often heard people say that Jesus commanded her not to touch him, but I think the meaning is more like Mary I can’t breath, let go! And once she stops hugging him, he tells her to go. This is a commanding verb. He commissions her to go to my brothers, and he commissions her to say or to speak to them, the resurrection Gospel.

Mary, like all of us was inspired, she pursued her dreams, she was encouraged by loving mentors, and she had her dreams crushed. Mary like all of us lived within a culture telling her to stop, telling her she is not good enough, or not able. But Jesus gave her the honor to be the first apostle.

What does this tell us? Dreams can die. Hope can dwindle. People around us can be insensitive and cruel. They might even take every remembrance of that passion away. But hope cannot be bound. It cannot be buried forever. Hope will return. Jesus suffered, because he challenged the norms of society. He pointed out their hypocrisy and injustice and they made him pay with his life. That is often the case with power seekers. They want to silence and control. They want to keep those that shine light into their darkness out of view. They bury it. Cast confusion and spin stories. But truth and hope will rise. And those that were once oppressed will be given greater honor. They will be the first to stand and proclaim, “I have seen the Lord.”

Jesus is risen. Hope has returned. And with a folded napkin he has proclaimed, “It is done”. Death no longer binds, it instead opens up to new life. Hope is no longer buried, it instead empowers all the more. And inspiration has returned.

Let us go now, praising the resurrection of hope. In Jesus Christ humanity is restored, and we can once again strive. We can once again stand in the light without shame and proclaim I am a child of God, because Jesus has ascended to his father and our father, his God and ours.

i Elowsky, Joel C., editor. John 11–21. InterVarsity Press, 2007, pp. 340–41.

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The Mind of Christ

By Jared Warner

Willow Creek Friends Church

March 29, 2026

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Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili

Query 3:

Do you attend regularly the services of your church and participate in them actively? Do you prayerfully endeavor to minister, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in humble dependence upon Christ, the spiritual gifts with which you have been entrusted?

“Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage on another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25 NIV)

(Faith and Practice, The Book of Discipline; Evangelical Friends Church Mid-America Yearly Meeting. pg 60)

Philippians 2:5–11 (ESV)

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

We live in a world that is often filled with dissonance. You might have noticed it. Dissonance in music is a lack of harmony, things are just out of tune and it makes our ears cringe. I struggle with this as I am nearly 70% deaf, I notice dissonance but I cannot tell what exactly is wrong. I cannot tell if it is too high or too low, I just know that it does not feel right.

There is dissonance outside of music also, a tension or clash resulting from the combination of two unsuitable elements. I have contemplated this over the past few weeks. And I feel like I do when I am speaking about music, I cannot put my finger on what exactly the problem is, but something just does not feel right. I have stopped and taken a step back, I have reevaluated things, I have moved forward again and the feeling begins again. Something is off. It sounds as if it should be right, but it just does not feel right.

When I was in high school, I was in band. I was not in a band like we have around here, our band was never offered any prestigious opportunity to march at any of the college football bowl game parades, or to participate in the Macy’s thanksgiving day parade. I take that back, we were invited to one bowl game. We joined with several other bands and played at the KCAC Wheat Bowl, which was a bowl game for several of the small christian colleges in Kansas, but that bowl game does not exist anymore.

With small schools, the band tends to be very heavy on certain tones, and lacks others. In our case we lacked bass. We had several flutes, clarinets, many trumpets and saxophones, but we had one trombone player, and no Tuba. I was one of the trumpet players, and our instructor asked if anyone would like to try one of the bass instruments so that we could have a more complete sound. I volunteered. The problem with that is I cannot hear bass. I could not tell you if I was playing the right note or not because I could not hear it. But luckily the tuba is a large instrument that either sits in your lap or is wrapped around your body. I cannot hear it, but I could feel it. I worked with the instructor, I sat on the piano as they played the base notes, and I tried to imitate the feeling with the tuba. It looked a bit weird, but it worked. It worked so well that the next year when it came time to go to the marching band contests at the state fair, were given top marks. We were the smallest band in the competition, but each of the judges commented how impressed they were with the complete sound we were able to deliver, and as a little brag, each judge commented how they enjoyed the tuba. That is a bit of pride I know, but I always found it humorous because I literally could not tell you for sure if I was playing right. All I could say is that it felt as if it fit.

We live in a world of dissonance. There are elements come together and the resonance does not seem to create something pleasant. It is in our schools, our communities, our churches. It is all around us. And it is as if we are all just as deaf as I am. We can tell something is not right but we cannot quite detect what it is, it does not quite feel right when combined with the rest of the world around us.

As I read through the Epistle Paul wrote to the Philippians, this is what came to my mind. This is one of my favorite of Paul’s letters as it has the verse that my great grandfather sent to me when he help fund my trip to Ukraine, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21). As I read through this letter I get a sense that Paul and the people of Philippi are dealing with cultural dissonance. Paul is in prison wanting to come to the people, the factors surrounding that desire have a resonance, but it is not in harmony because something is causing anxiety, or one of the elements is sharp. He cannot come because he is in prison for his faith. But he is writing this letter because he has heard things concerning the people of Philippi, when he is with them there is harmony, but when the conductor is missing everyone seems to get off beat. They begin to forget what their purpose is, they forget what the church is, they begin to go off on their own way. And suddenly what was once a beautiful orchestra has fallen into discord.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Paul tells them. This is where our reading began, but we need some context. Lets go to the beginning of the chapter. “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have This mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus.”

I want us to think about this for a moment.

I want us to think about all the dissonance we feel within out culture, and within our relationships.

This is challenging to us all. In Evangelical theology we believe in a personal relationship with Christ. This is not wrong by any means, we are responsible for our own actions. You are responsible for what you do personally, you cannot blame your parents for the actions you do. You cannot blame your teachers, or your brother or sister. Blame cannot be transferred to your grandparents nor to your children. If you stole an item from the store, its on you. If you take a life from someone, it is on you. If you cheat on a test, or your taxes, you are responsible. This is what Evangelicals teach and it is correct, but it is not complete. As there are some decisions that are made by others that place people into a position they would not have chosen for themselves.

As Friends, we have had a long history opposing the use of military violence. We have this stance because we are pro life in the fullest sense of that phrase. All human life bears the image of our creator and because they bear that image, they should be treated with respect. It is not our right to use violence to force another person to do what we want. When we use violent force, that person or that nation is placed into a position they might not have chosen for themselves. This is something that the Friends of Kiev have struggled with, as well as the Friends in Moscow. It is something we struggle with in our own nation, and in our own families. We have to answer for our own actions, but when someone chooses violence against our community what are we to do? There is a difference between defense and offensive wars. Ukraine was invaded, they can respond in defense, but Russia as the invader is wrong because they forced Ukraine into that position. They forced Ukraine into a place where they either cease to exist or fight. As someone that has a strong testimony of peace, I struggle with this, that is why I say that war is never good. No matter what we choose, we must live with the consequences. No matter how justified we feel in the moment, we still must face the trauma and reality that fellow image bearers were marred, and we as a society have some responsibility. It does not stop with war, there are other aspects of life that we could say the same about. Immigration policy, taxation, employee compensation, loan availability, every aspect of life that involves human interaction has some bearing. How we treat the waitstaff, or the clerk at the store. Everything can honor or cast dishonor.

This is the limitation of Evangelical theology. What happens when we are given choices where no path forwards seems to glimmer with light?

As Evangelicals we can back off and say I am not involved. I am focusing on my personal relationship with God. And we can sit in our meetinghouses and churches hearing the dissonance, seeing the struggle yet not stepping up. We can see disharmony, disunity, disorder and stay unmoved. But the resonance of the earth, of the world seems off. Sometimes the authors of apocalyptic writings would describe it as earthquakes. The very foundation of what we have build our lives upon trembles with the dissonance. We do not know what to do, so we disengage, and pray that the end of the world would come.

Do we not see the problem? This is something that has plagued humanity from the time of our first parents, from the times of Cain and Abel, Noah and Babel. It is the very story of human existence.

What was the temptation of our first parents? We often hear the story, and we say they sinned by disobeying God’s commandment and they ate the fruit that was not meant for them. We are not wrong in that interpretation, but I ask again what was the temptation? They were told that God had knowledge of good and evil, and by eating the fruit they would have that knowledge for themselves. They were tempted as all of us are, to satisfy their own desire without any regard for anyone else. They ate the fruit, and death entered the world. Dissonance, the symphony of life moved from a major to a minor key, tension and separation became our existence instead of harmony.

This repeats with their children. Cain has a conversation with God, and God said to him if you do well will you not also be accepted? Yet Cain focused on his own selfish desires, he was not accepted and Abel was, so he decided if only he would remove his brother he would have what he wanted. He could force the hand of God, to do his bidding. But the blood of Abel cried out to God, it screamed about the injustice he endured. And God asked Cain, “where is your brother?” and Cain responds, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

We often regard these stories as just that, stories. But they are more than stories, they teach us something deeper. We are never alone. Everything we do reflects not only on ourselves, but on everyone around us. If we wish to force society to treat us better, this often comes with a cost. And the blood of our brothers cry out to God. Paul tells us, “Have this mind among yourselves, which is your in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.”

I have often struggled with this verse. I struggle with it because it has dissonance. Paul wrote this way for that reason. The term grasped, is not exactly what we translate it as. It means to take hold of, or more accurately to steal. What Paul is saying is, even though Jesus was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God as something everyone around him would just automatically notice and give to him, or that he could force the people of the world to recognize. Jesus did not want to use force, he did not want to compel the world to recognize the truth, he did not want the nations to enact legal codes to force adherence to his teachings. He was and is equal to God the Father, together with the Holy Spirit they form the one True Triune God. Jesus came from the heavens, was born into human form, he lived, he taught, he served, and he suffered. He was and is God, through him everything in the world was created, He holds the physics of the universe in his hands, yet he did not count the recognition of being who he was as something that could be forced. God does not force us to believe.

But what did he do? “He emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

I want us to let that sink in. Jesus did not use the powers available to him to compel human allegiance. This is what grasped means. It is to take by force. Russia is grasping Ukraine, and I know I speak about that a great deal. I speak about it because it is a conflict between two similar but different ideologies, and we on this side of the world often do not recognize the difference. Many of us still call Ukraine, the Ukraine, as if it is some region like the Rocky Mountains. We do not see them as a distinct culture, instead we see them as Russia sees them, a lessor entity needing to be forced into compliance. We could say the exact same thing in reference to Venezuelan, Greenland, Palestine, Sudan, or any other conflict in the world. We often see them as something to be grasped, because we have the power and they do not.

Paul tells us, Jesus had the power, but he did not count equality with God as something to be used to force others against their will. Instead he emptied himself. The writer of Hebrews says, “But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels”. He left the glory, he left the unseen realm and entered our dimension of time and space. And he did this because under the direction of the angels, the fallen and rebellious spiritual beings, we entered into rebellion. We entered into death, a death that only God could redeem. We took something from God in that moment of rebellion, we took it by force, we grasped it. We wanted equality with God, but equality with God was not what we were created to be. Instead we were to reflect God to the created world.

This is what we have been struggling with since the nations were scattered. Israel was chosen as God’s inheritance, through whom God would shine his light into the darkness of that separation. At first he gave his teaching, his commandments. We were incapable to live a pure life, incapable because we were interpreting things through our own minds, our own cultures. As the writer of Judges said, everyone did what they though was right in their own heart. This is how we all live, and how we all would have continued to live until God humbled himself. God, himself, became human for us and through his humility provided the way to restore and redeem humanity to it’s rightful place.

He took on our form, our relationships, our suffering, our injustice, and he endured our shame to the point of death. He was not only obedient to God the Father, but he was obedient to human governmental systems. Showing us how to live within systems built to exploit and dehumanize others, while encouraging them to return to God. He did this not with force, not with power, but through humility.

Paul wants us to have this mind. I might be strong, just because I have that power does not mean I can force you to do what I want. That is not humility but tyranny. Paul instead encourages us to humble ourselves. To treat those around us as Jesus would have treated them. Sacrificing what we might see as being in our best interest, and giving what we sacrifice for the good of others.

This is why I read the third Query today. Do you attend regularly the services of your church and participate in them actively? As much as I agree with the Evangelical stance on personal salvation, we are not solitary beings. We live within community, we were created to live within community. When God created humanity He said it was not good for man to be alone, so God split humanity in half, not just a rib. God took one side of Adam and from that side God made Eve. We are two sides of a whole, and we are incomplete unless we participate in community. Meetings for worship are not only about worship, they are practice. It is practice for each of us to sacrifice for the good of others. It is practice, because we are to come together in unity worship, and serve as one and yet there are many of us. Each of us have our own ideas, our own concepts of what is right and wrong, and each of us have our preferences. Will we humble ourselves like Christ? And if our preference or our idea is rejected how do we respond? Are we willing to stand aside for the good of the community?

Then the second part of the query, “Do you prayerfully endeavor to minister, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and in humble dependence upon Christ, the spiritual gifts with which you have been entrusted?” As we participate, are we reflecting Christ? Are we willing to sacrifice all that we have for those around us? Are we willing to pray for and continue to work with those we might have had an argument with? If so it means we are going to need to learn the art and discipline of reconciliation and humility again, and again.

This is what Paul is telling the church of Philippi. Do nothing out of selfish ambition but humble yourselves as Christ did, even though you might have the power, even though you might be gifted, even though you have Christ within you, that does not matter more than the image of God in the person across the aisle, down the street, or on the other side of the world. Everything we do should be done to reflect that of God in our lives and in theirs. Are we practicing at church, with these people around you right now. Are you practicing what it means to give, serve, help, and encourage with us so that when we go out into our wider community it becomes second nature?

Jesus humbled himself, even though the entire strength and power of God was available to him, he did not want to force those around him to comply with his will. He became a servant. He took our form, and became obedient to the systems of the world. He became obedient, but that does not mean he did not speak out against injustice. That is not obedience, He spoke out against injustice, obediently, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Jesus humbled himself. He sacrificed himself. He gave of himself. And that is what Paul is encouraging each of us to have as the same mind. Emptying ourselves of all vanity and being honest. Admitting that I need each of you and you need each of us, because we are a community together, and only together will we be able to fully express the music God has called us to perform. Only together will our dissonance become harmonious. And when the church humbles itself, and serves those around us, that is when every knee will bow, and tongue confess that Jesus is Lord. Because in humility to Christ, and to each other the tones begin to resonate with each other, and the once small band gains its complete sound. It is in humility, in sacrifice, in working together so that all will find and thrive in their own giftedness, that we can fully reflect the fullness of God’s image to the world. We do not need to worry about what we do not have, or what others might do. Instead we should listen for the voice of God as individuals, and as a community, and respond accordingly. We should have this mind among ourselves. Loving God, Embracing the Holy Spirit, and Living the love of Christ with others.

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Walk as Children of Light

By Jared Warner

Willow Creek Friends Church

March 15, 2026

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Click to read in Swahili

Bofya kusoma kwa Kiswahili

Ephesians 5:8–14 (ESV)

8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light 9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), 10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. 12 For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. 13 But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, 14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

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Darkness and light. There is something about those words that are both ominous and hopeful. It does not matter where you are from or what belief system you espouse. There is fear in darkness, and hope in light.

I have always been a bit of a nerd. When I was in school my classmates would often draw characters of me with big thick glasses, wild hair, and a white lab coat. I never really had a nickname but the closest thing that I had to a nickname in school was “the Scientist”. I did not really mind it, they were not really making fun of me as my glasses are pretty thick. The wild hair was not very accurate but I was an elementary school boy so there were days where my hair just did whatever it wanted without any regard to social norms, and there are worse things in life than being compared to Einstein. And I loved science.

I loved science and I loved a good story. If you have been around me for any amount of time you know that my favorite movies are the ones that combine the two. I like Star Wars, because it has a good story and there are space ships. I like Star Trek because it speaks of boldly going where no one has gone before. That catchy slogan speaks about curiosity and science along with an adventure story. I love comics heroes and almost believe that it was divine providence that most of the Marvel movies have come out around my birthday. Why do I like these things? They speak of science and then there is the story.

The story is usually the same. Every good story has a similar theme. Jordan Peterson made his living pointing out that fact in his YouTube lectures and I often found myself agreeing with the basis of his discussion. There are characters, a problem, people that use the problem to gain power or some sort for their own gain, and another character finding a way to overcome the problem finding a solution that negates the exploitation and liberates the rest of the characters.

It does not really matter what the story its. I was watching a comedian on YouTube a few months back, probably a couple of years ago, and he said Star Wars and Harry Potter are the same story. He then went into all the themes within each. The worst thing about it is that the comedian is right. It really is the same story. An orphaned boy mentored by an older master to use this universal power, the have a dark side and a light side, and they both have sticks that often glow. But every story is basically the same light and dark. Good versus evil. Chaos verse Order.

Now I am beginning to sound a little like Jordan Peterson, sorry. This is truly something that is found throughout human existence. I am not promoting that culturally controversial figure, I am just saying that it is important to recognize truth when we see it. And he built his entire career on the phycology of order and chaos theories. Oddly though I did not begin to see this when he began writing, I was able to see it when I was in elementary school.

I read about it in the books that I obtained from the library. I saw it in the lives of the scientists I learned about. I saw that there was some deeper theme presenting itself in the lives of Jackie Robinson, Jesse Owens, and Jim Thorpe. Most kids just saw these awesome athletes but I saw the dark struggle they faced and the resistance that emerged into the light. They strove to overcome more than an opponent on the field or on the track, they faced a darkness the overshadowed the very foundation of their culture.

These stories, they can be the depictions of actual people or fictional accounts like Huckleberry Finn and Jim on a raft, they speak of struggle. They speak of facing the perception of what is right socially against something that does not sit well within our conscience. And this is what Paul is speaking about as he writes to the people of Ephesus.

Ephesus was a major port city in Asia Minor or what we know today as Turkey. It was an important city to the Hittites, the Persians, the Greeks, and the Romans. It became a major ally to the Greeks during the conquest of Alexander the Great because they lead the revolt against Persia due to high taxes. Which is something we as Americans tend to respect as that is what led to our own revolt against the king of England. In Ephesus the land based trade routes from the East and the shipping across the sea met and everything that entered and left this port was taxed. This becomes problematic because it means that there is a slow down in the transportation, as well as a large amount of capital within the city as you can imagine crime, corruption, and conspiracies loomed within the streets.

There were other things happening in the streets as well. Sailor, traders, political figures, and people from across the empires from both the east and the west congregated within this city and where people gather the transfer of knowledge happens. Forums and theaters became a thing, where scholars and philosophers would share their teachings. Libraries and temples to various deities were constructed. And one of these temples, the temple of Artemis, was the key feature of this community.

Artemis was a goddess that was supposedly responsible for fertility. She granted fertility to the herds, the wild animals, the trees that bore fruit, and to women. And she was the huntress so she also provided protection to humanity from the wild beasts that might cause harm. And the most practical aspect of her cult was that she was believed to hold the lives of women in her hands while they gave birth.

This part of Turkey was filled with beasts, it had treacherous terrain, and the people were often nomadic herdsmen, and hunters. They needed the fertility of the animals. And even today the greatest risk to a woman’s health is during child birth. These things attracted people to this religious cult. And Ephesus was the place of rest for them, it was a calm place where the river met the sea, where they could enjoy the good things of life. They built a temple to their goddess that was grand. Many scholars call it one of the wonders of the ancient world, and it would have rivaled the temple in Jerusalem.

It is to this place that Paul is writing this letter. “Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.”

Paul knows this city, he knows who lives there, and what they are capable of. The silversmiths of this city rioted when Paul came to their town because the message he brought threatened their trade. They made figurines of the goddess to sell to the travelers, and Paul spoke against their idolatry.

Paul was also from Asia Minor originally. Tradition tells us that he was born in Tarsus, which is on the south eastern coast of Turkey not too far from the boarder of Syria, where Ephesus was on the Western edge. Tarsus was along the trade route so it was likely that Paul would have traveled often to that city, since he was a Roman citizen.

He knows the superstitions and the fears that the people in this city had. He knows how they worshiped the goddess and what was required. I have often found it interesting that when we speak about the culture wars today, the verses that are often quoted are usually from the letters written to the people, or the ministers that severed in the communities where the primary religious cult was focused on the worship of a goddess, a female deity. We quote the list of sins found in the letters to the Corinthians, we take notice of the mention of immorality and impurity in this letter, and in the letters to Timothy and Titus, both of which were ministers in Ephesus, we get the most quoted verses in relation to our current cultural disagreements. Have we taken the time to ask why Paul gives these lists to these people? I want us to just think about this for a moment. Artemis of Ephesus, was a fertility goddess. There is no direct proof of what the cultic practices of her worship consisted of but there are indications that the leaders had to be female, or males that had given their fertility to the goddess. One does not need to make too much of a leap to understand why Paul gave those lists of sins to the people of these communities. That list was likely the list of what the worship of that goddess entailed.

In today’s verses Paul tells us do not become partners, or fellow partakers, with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light.

This brings us to darkness and light once again. In every commentary I read this week, they made mention of two things when revering to these verses. When they spoke about darkness, the first thing they mentioned was fear. And the second was a lack of understanding. When they spoke about light it was the inverse. It was hope instead of fear, and understanding or wisdom.

Walk as children of light.

I had us sing a silly song today, a song I learned when I was about Albert’s age, about George Fox and his teachings. Walk in the light wherever you may be walk in the light wherever you may be. In my old leather breeches and my shaggy shaggy lock I am walking in the glory of the light said Fox. Those that participated in the Talking Tuesdays that we did last year might have noticed some of the teachings within that song and recognized how deeply the early Friends held those beliefs. Will you fight for the Lord, they asked George and he said no, because you cannot kill evil with a gun or a sword. Will you swear on a bible? No because truth is more holy to me than the book because the Word of God, the Truth is not the book itself but Jesus, the word of God made flesh.

Light and Dark. Order and chaos. Good verses Evil. It is the common theme that has been playing out throughout human history. We do not know, we lack knowledge and we are afraid of that darkness. And people know that we fear that unknown, they prey upon that fear. The herdsman’s flock is nearing birthing season. The family and the tribe rely on this, will they have food, will they have hides or fleece to make clothing, will their herd grow or will the great unknown bring about destruction? They do not know. Did they do something that might have angered the goddess of the herd? Or did they do something to bring her blessing? They do not know, so they take an offering to the goddess to ease their fear. They participate in a ritual, they bring offering, they give their gold and their silver to the priestesses. And they go back to the herd. Did they do enough? They will never know for sure.

Empty superstitions. Devotion to fear. The world can only offer us fear. Fear sells. We spend money on insurance, supplements, and oils. Are these things necessary or proven? At times sure, but insurance sells because people know we are afraid of getting sick and losing everything. Supplement often twist valid research and market it to your fears. We are afraid of a neural divergent spectrum so we avoid vaccines and Tylenol, but have we looked up what that divergence actually is? Our world runs on fear. We are afraid of Iran attacking us, so we attack them. We are afraid of Russia attacking us so we do not help Ukraine. We are afraid. But what are we afraid of and what is the fruit of that darkness and fear?

“Walk as children of light,” Paul tells us, “for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true, and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”

The people devoted to Artemis living in Ephesus did not have knowledge, they did not have the hope that we have. All they had was fear. They lived in fear because that is all the rulers of this world can offer. Fear is what the forces of darkness want because when we live in fear they can control us. But Jesus tells us that the truth will set us free.

A child is scared of the dark, they come running to their parent’s room in the dark of night, running through the darkness to come and get you, and you pick them up and what do you do? You turn on the light. Where was the thing that caused the fear? The light shows us. The light reveals the truth, it was not a monster but the clothes you asked them to put away. Or the toy they were just playing with an hour before. We fear what we do not know but truth removes the fear.

Does this mean we should not have concerns? No we should have been concerned with Iran, as they are a very volatile nation. We should have concern because we do not know them well enough. But what if we considered this through the light of scripture. What if we were to discern what is pleasing to the Lord, what if we turned on the lights and allowed what was once cloaked in darkness to be revealed? The Japanese prisoners of war, knew that they were going to lose the second world war, not because of the power of the US Navy, but because they as a prisoner, were served ice cream on the ship. The Germans likewise knew that it was hopeless not because of the bombs hitting their capital, but because they saw the Americans eating a fresh cake sent to them from home.

Discern what is pleasing to the Lord. What would be pleasing to the Lord in our current situation? How did Jesus live among the people? What did he say and do? The passage attached to this week’s query comes from John 13. The context surrounding this verse had Jesus washing the feet of his disciples. The teacher took on the role of the lowest servant or slave of a house and washed the grime of life off the feet of his students. Peter looked a Jesus and said no you will not wash my feet, and Jesus responded to him, if you do not let me wash your feet, if you do not allow me to serve you, you will have no part of me. Peter then said not only my feet, but my head and my hands too. Jesus then said that Peter was clean but only needed his feet washed.

Our Query asks, “Do you love one another as becomes the followers of Christ?” Are we serving one another? Are we washing feet? Are we taking the time to understand what daily life is truly like for those around us so that we can provide rest and comfort? Are we turning on the lights?

It continues, “Are you careful of the reputation of others?” Are we letting rumors spread? Are we verifying the fear inducing news against reality? Are we actually doing the research we claim we have done?

And finally, “When differences arise do you make earnest efforts to end them speedily?” Have we spoken with the person that has offended us? Chances are they do not know that they have offended you and as soon as they know they would likely repent. Have we clearly expressed our expectations or are we assuming that they can read our mind?

“Try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord,” Paul tells us, “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.”

I will not say that the events that have transpired were unavoidable, but I can say that I am grieved. I am grieved because I know that often I fail to discern, often I sit in my big blue chair worrying and paralyzed with fear. I do not know how to handle the situations that face my own family so how can I honestly say I know how to salve world conflicts. But I do know some things. I know that clean water can save a community from illness. I know that if medicine was more widely available in parts of the world, the quality of life would improve. I know that if people are free to discuss problems and find solutions together they often can find a path forward. I know that when people have access to tools they can often find solutions. I have a lot of fear, I lack understanding, but I also have hope. Because the one that called me to follow him, lived within a community. He healed the sick, he freed those living in bondage, he provided light to those that lived in darkness, he suffered, and faced injustice. And he did not back away but faced it head on, even when that injustice nailed him to a cross. Jesus faced not everything we face today, but he faced things that were similar and just as difficult. And he faced the greatest fear that we have. He died, was separated from the living and was buried, but on the third day he rose again.

We can face the fear, because the greatest fear the darkness has to offer is death. And death no long has the grip on us as it once did, because there is resurrection. Hope and life will overcome even our darkest moments. And it can overcome here today and for all eternity. So we can boldly go out into our world shining light into the darkness. Seeking out knowledge and showing the truth of the shadows of fear. We can live because Christ lives. And as we live we can share the hope that we have with others by Loving God, Embracing the Holy Spirit and living the love of Christ with others.

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