Several years ago, our church (in Owego) got a new pastor. This particular pastor wanted to visit every family, and our family was somehow chosen early on. For some this might have been viewed as a nice gesture and even a welcome opportunity to get to know the new pastor better. For my family this practically constituted as a state of emergency! To understand how such a thing could be this way, you must realize that our home was in the midst of a renovation process that had been going on for years (and still continues to this day). Furthermore both of my parents worked full-time jobs, there were two kids (my sister and myself) and we had 5 pets (3 dogs and 2 cats)!
All of this combined to keep our house in a perpetual state of disarray. What made it even worse was that this pastor wanted to visit us on a Thursday! That meant that no matter how clean the house was on Sunday, after a weekend of cleaning, it would still be a wreck by Thursday. So my mother did the only sensible thing and took Wednesday off to clean. She also demanded that the moment my sister and I got home from school we too would clean the house. By the time we were done the house was cleaner than it had ever been, and no one was allowed to do anything but sit quietly and not touch anything!
The next day came and our pastor showed up for his visit. He came into our dining room, sat down and visited with us. After only 30 minutes the visit was over and he had left. My mother was clearly disappointed that she had cleaned the entire house (including the back yard...just in case) only to have our pastor only take about 3 steps in our house! But as we looked around at our still clean home, we realized that in the process of cleaning we had gotten rid of a lot of JUNK that we really didn't need. We also decided that the house looked much better this way.
Today's gospel lesson Luke 3:1-6 has John the Baptist proclaiming that people prepare the way for the coming Messiah (Jesus). He uses images of paving a road, making the high places low and the low places high, smoothing out the rough patches and straightening out the crooked sections. The image is fitting for the season of Advent, as we prepare for the celebration of Christmas and we are caught up in the busyness of the season. We too could stand to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.
It has been suggested to me that our hearts can sometimes be like our homes in that they can accumulate a bunch of JUNK and if we don't clean them out things can get quite cluttered! What is cluttering up your heart this Holiday season? Maybe it's all the chaos of shopping, parties, special services, and work deadlines. Maybe you're heart is filled with stress and anxiety surrounding holiday family gatherings. Maybe there's something else that's weighing you down. Whatever that stuff might be, take this opportunity to prepare the way for the Lord, and clean out your heart.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Sermon Sampler (November 29th) - Just Breathe
Have you ever made a New Year's resolution? If you have, were you able to keep it? I've found that most people (myself included) who make new year's resolutions aren't able to keep them. This in part has something to do with the difficult resolutions we make for ourselves (think no junk food, caffeine, parties, sweets, etc.) as well as our natural tendency as humans to want something more once we can't have it!
Well this year I've decided to make a New Year's resolution that I WILL be able to keep. As a matter of fact, I'm committed to getting a jump start on this resolution. You may not know but Advent actually marks the beginning of the Christian year! Therefore, instead of waiting until January 1st, I'm going to make and start my New Year's resolution today! And now for the resolution...this year...I resolve to...JUST BREATHE!
Advent is not only the beginning of the Christian year, the word "advent" means "coming" and for Christians Advent marks the season when we look back and remember Jesus' first coming (as a baby) as well as look forward and anticipate Jesus' second coming. It's that second coming that our Gospel Lesson Luke 21:25-36 is speaking of. In this passage Jesus speaks of the signs (many of which are confussing and frightening) that will preceed his return. Not only does Jesus talk about the signs, but he also warns us not to let our hearts get weighed down with the stresses of life!
Unfortunately too many of us not only let our hearts get weighed down, but we get so caught up in all that goes along with this time of year that we forget why we are so busy. More often than not, by the time Christmas itself rolls around we are sooooo frazzled that we need to be reminded to "just breathe"! That's why I'm resolving to breathe this year, starting today. I would encourage you to join me in this simple (and completely doable) New Year's resolution.
Take the next few moments to just breathe, and possibly ponder what this season is all about.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Well this year I've decided to make a New Year's resolution that I WILL be able to keep. As a matter of fact, I'm committed to getting a jump start on this resolution. You may not know but Advent actually marks the beginning of the Christian year! Therefore, instead of waiting until January 1st, I'm going to make and start my New Year's resolution today! And now for the resolution...this year...I resolve to...JUST BREATHE!
Advent is not only the beginning of the Christian year, the word "advent" means "coming" and for Christians Advent marks the season when we look back and remember Jesus' first coming (as a baby) as well as look forward and anticipate Jesus' second coming. It's that second coming that our Gospel Lesson Luke 21:25-36 is speaking of. In this passage Jesus speaks of the signs (many of which are confussing and frightening) that will preceed his return. Not only does Jesus talk about the signs, but he also warns us not to let our hearts get weighed down with the stresses of life!
Unfortunately too many of us not only let our hearts get weighed down, but we get so caught up in all that goes along with this time of year that we forget why we are so busy. More often than not, by the time Christmas itself rolls around we are sooooo frazzled that we need to be reminded to "just breathe"! That's why I'm resolving to breathe this year, starting today. I would encourage you to join me in this simple (and completely doable) New Year's resolution.
Take the next few moments to just breathe, and possibly ponder what this season is all about.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, November 16, 2009
Sermon Sampler (November 15th) - Leaps of Faith
In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indiana (played by Harrison Ford) must make a leap of faith in order to get the Holy Grail and save his dying father. The linked scene portrays very literally what is meant by the phrase "leap of faith", but more often than not, a somehwat metaphorical interpretation is intended. Typically when someone utters the words "leap of faith" what is meant has more to do with taking a risk and trusting in someone or something.
This is exactly the case in the story of Ruth, so wonderfully acted out by our youth this past Sunday. In the story, Ruth (a moabite - mortal enemies of the Israelites) elects to follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to the land of Israel. Ruth was willing to leave her friends, her family, her country and everything familiar to her. She was willing to take a leap of faith. The conclusion of the story of Ruth finds that she gains much more than she gave up, including a husband, a son, a new family, and a type of immortality (thousands of years later, people are reading about the story of Ruth) precisely because she took that leap of faith!
Each of us have stories from our past where we took leaps of faith, in fact life is a series of leaps of faith. The beginning of my faith journey is one such story.
Convinced that the church (or christianity) was all about "No's" (mainly no fun) I had decided to try and acheive my ultimate goals of popularity and acceptance by projecting an unreal image of who I was, or more correctly who I thought people wanted me to be. I thought that I could do it all on my own, and that somehow I could fool everyone into thinking that I was better than I really was.
Somewhere along the way I was introduced to honest and sincere Christians through my local church. They convinced me to become a part of their faith community and quickly I realized that these people didn't want me to be perfect, nor did they like me because I was such a great person, but rather they accepted me because of who I was. Through them I realized that Christianity isn't about the "No's" but rather about the "Yes's". I came to learn that in fact the "No's" were only there for my benefit and my protection, because God and others cared about me.
What started out as a personal leap of faith, a very real risk, turned out to be the beginning of wonderful and lasting friendships, acceptance within a community of people committed to something larger than themselves, and the realization that although not perfect, my imperfections could be forgiven and accepted!
Whatever leaps of faith you have before you. Whatever risks you are contemplating. I would encourage you to realize that God is always trustworthy, and that the love and support of a faith community (like our congregation) can be a wonderful blessing. If you are part of such a community, encourage others to join you, if you are not a part of such a community, what are you waiting for? Take that leap of faith and soon you'll find (as Ruth and I did) that what you gain far outweighs what you might be risking!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
This is exactly the case in the story of Ruth, so wonderfully acted out by our youth this past Sunday. In the story, Ruth (a moabite - mortal enemies of the Israelites) elects to follow her mother-in-law Naomi back to the land of Israel. Ruth was willing to leave her friends, her family, her country and everything familiar to her. She was willing to take a leap of faith. The conclusion of the story of Ruth finds that she gains much more than she gave up, including a husband, a son, a new family, and a type of immortality (thousands of years later, people are reading about the story of Ruth) precisely because she took that leap of faith!
Each of us have stories from our past where we took leaps of faith, in fact life is a series of leaps of faith. The beginning of my faith journey is one such story.
Convinced that the church (or christianity) was all about "No's" (mainly no fun) I had decided to try and acheive my ultimate goals of popularity and acceptance by projecting an unreal image of who I was, or more correctly who I thought people wanted me to be. I thought that I could do it all on my own, and that somehow I could fool everyone into thinking that I was better than I really was.
Somewhere along the way I was introduced to honest and sincere Christians through my local church. They convinced me to become a part of their faith community and quickly I realized that these people didn't want me to be perfect, nor did they like me because I was such a great person, but rather they accepted me because of who I was. Through them I realized that Christianity isn't about the "No's" but rather about the "Yes's". I came to learn that in fact the "No's" were only there for my benefit and my protection, because God and others cared about me.
What started out as a personal leap of faith, a very real risk, turned out to be the beginning of wonderful and lasting friendships, acceptance within a community of people committed to something larger than themselves, and the realization that although not perfect, my imperfections could be forgiven and accepted!
Whatever leaps of faith you have before you. Whatever risks you are contemplating. I would encourage you to realize that God is always trustworthy, and that the love and support of a faith community (like our congregation) can be a wonderful blessing. If you are part of such a community, encourage others to join you, if you are not a part of such a community, what are you waiting for? Take that leap of faith and soon you'll find (as Ruth and I did) that what you gain far outweighs what you might be risking!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, November 9, 2009
Sermon Sampler (November 8th) - Unexpected Blessings?
In a world too often filled with hurt and hardship, it's sometimes easy to forget the truth that God loves us and longs to bless our lives. In fact, it's far too easy to overlook the ways that our lives are blessed and instead focus on the ways that life is unfair. And yet, God still does reach out to men and women each and every day to offer them big and small blessings, and more often than not, God uses other men and women to be the messangers of those blessings!
Our scripture lesson this week (1 Samuel 1:4-20) is all about an unexpected blessing. The story begins with a woman (Hannah) who was unable to have children. Year after year, she would go with her husband to the temple and pray that God would give her a son, and year after year she would be disappointed. This particular year, she was praying at the temple, when the high priest (Eli) thought she was drunk and told her to be on her way. Hannah explained her predicament to the priest and he quickly proclaimed that God would grant her petition. Whether he really believed her story, or he just wanted her to leave the temple wasn't important to her, for he had declared that God would grant her request. Hannah was blessed that day, in an unexpected way, and she went home and soon conceived a son!
Such stories are by no means contained only to the Bible. I can remember a time not too long ago where my family was struggling to get by financially. We had just had our first child, winter was rapidly approaching, and we couldn't afford to heat our small apartment. We were already basically living in one bedroom, when our car began making an odd noise. Taking our car to the shop we found out that some costly repairs were needed and that the price would essentially take all of our savings. It was in the midst of this difficult situation that my wife and I were unexpectedly blessed. We received a check in the mail with a simple note attached proclaiming that we were already blessed people, but that a little money never hurts! We never did find out who sent us that blessing, but know that it was God who ultimately sent it our way.
In case you think that this message is all about getting blessings, and God being some sort of Giant Santa Claus in the sky, the story from 1 Samuel includes two main characters, Hannah who was blessed, and Eli who delivered the blessing. As I said above, God not only wants to bless you, but God wants you to be a blessing to others as well!
Recently I was meeting with a colleague who had been meeting with several clergy that day and inquiring about their lives and ministries. Toward the end of our meeting she asked me if I had any questions for her. I simply asked how her family was. At this the woman stopped, smiled, and proclaimed that no one had asked her that. She proceeded to tell me that she had recently found out that she was going to be a grandmother for the first time! She couldn't be more excited to tell someone her big news and was truly blessed by my simple question! Truly you can say that as far as I was concerned it was an unintentional blessing...a wonderful consequence of a willingness to show concern for another person.
Both unexpected blessings, and unintentional blessings simply require us (as recipients and messangers) to be open to God. We merely need to keep our eyes open for the big and small blessings given to us each and every day, as well as the big and small opportunities to bless others. There are few joys in this world greater than receiving and unexpected blessing, and I am convinced that one of those few is to be the bearer of an unintentional blessing for another! My prayer for you today is that you look for and find the many blessings God has in store for you, and that you're able to experience the greater joy of delivering a divine blessing to another.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Our scripture lesson this week (1 Samuel 1:4-20) is all about an unexpected blessing. The story begins with a woman (Hannah) who was unable to have children. Year after year, she would go with her husband to the temple and pray that God would give her a son, and year after year she would be disappointed. This particular year, she was praying at the temple, when the high priest (Eli) thought she was drunk and told her to be on her way. Hannah explained her predicament to the priest and he quickly proclaimed that God would grant her petition. Whether he really believed her story, or he just wanted her to leave the temple wasn't important to her, for he had declared that God would grant her request. Hannah was blessed that day, in an unexpected way, and she went home and soon conceived a son!
Such stories are by no means contained only to the Bible. I can remember a time not too long ago where my family was struggling to get by financially. We had just had our first child, winter was rapidly approaching, and we couldn't afford to heat our small apartment. We were already basically living in one bedroom, when our car began making an odd noise. Taking our car to the shop we found out that some costly repairs were needed and that the price would essentially take all of our savings. It was in the midst of this difficult situation that my wife and I were unexpectedly blessed. We received a check in the mail with a simple note attached proclaiming that we were already blessed people, but that a little money never hurts! We never did find out who sent us that blessing, but know that it was God who ultimately sent it our way.
In case you think that this message is all about getting blessings, and God being some sort of Giant Santa Claus in the sky, the story from 1 Samuel includes two main characters, Hannah who was blessed, and Eli who delivered the blessing. As I said above, God not only wants to bless you, but God wants you to be a blessing to others as well!
Recently I was meeting with a colleague who had been meeting with several clergy that day and inquiring about their lives and ministries. Toward the end of our meeting she asked me if I had any questions for her. I simply asked how her family was. At this the woman stopped, smiled, and proclaimed that no one had asked her that. She proceeded to tell me that she had recently found out that she was going to be a grandmother for the first time! She couldn't be more excited to tell someone her big news and was truly blessed by my simple question! Truly you can say that as far as I was concerned it was an unintentional blessing...a wonderful consequence of a willingness to show concern for another person.
Both unexpected blessings, and unintentional blessings simply require us (as recipients and messangers) to be open to God. We merely need to keep our eyes open for the big and small blessings given to us each and every day, as well as the big and small opportunities to bless others. There are few joys in this world greater than receiving and unexpected blessing, and I am convinced that one of those few is to be the bearer of an unintentional blessing for another! My prayer for you today is that you look for and find the many blessings God has in store for you, and that you're able to experience the greater joy of delivering a divine blessing to another.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, November 2, 2009
Weekly Thoughts
This week we didn't have a sermon but instead listened to two pieces of music and contemplated All Saints Day (the day we remember all those Christians who've gone before us), our own mortality (the reality that all of us will one day die), and specifically loved ones that we've lost. The first piece was from the last movement of Mozart's Requiem Mass, the Lux Aeterna and the second piece was a piece called Deo Gratia (Thank God).
I received many comments from people expressing both pleasure and a sense of uncertainty surrounding my choice to replace our traditional message with one coming almost exclusively through song. So I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on less traditional forms/modes of worship and specifically the use of song to convey a message within the context of worship.
Most people take for granted the presence of hymns or other songs within the worship service, but rarely do we give much time to thinking about how those hymns/songs affect us and inform our faith. Likewise we often do not think of songs and hymns as delivering very real messages to those in worship. Unlike traditional sermons which mainly utilize only the spoken word and it's ability (limited as it is) to appeal to a listener's reason, songs are much more likely to include the listener's emotions in the equation. Songs are also much more open to interpretation than a traditional sermon is. These were the key factors in my decision this past Sunday.
All Saints Day is a day when we are dealing with weighty topics. For some of us it represents the profound and wonderful mystery that is the Church/Body of Christ/Kingdom of God that spreads across time and generations uniting all who have gone before with all those who are now living (and also all those who have yet to be born!). For other's All Saints Day is a much more personal day where we are reminded of one or two specific people in our lives who are no longer living. For some All Saints Day is just another Sunday. For other's All Saints Day is too painful to endure, and therefore avoided. The reality is that there is great variety in the feelings and understandings of those in worship on a Sunday like All Saints Day. For that reason I felt the best message would be one where I set the tone (through the songs I selected) but allowed each individual to compose the message.
Let me know what you thought/think about this and other ways to understand worship in less than traditional forms.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
I received many comments from people expressing both pleasure and a sense of uncertainty surrounding my choice to replace our traditional message with one coming almost exclusively through song. So I would like to take this opportunity to reflect on less traditional forms/modes of worship and specifically the use of song to convey a message within the context of worship.
Most people take for granted the presence of hymns or other songs within the worship service, but rarely do we give much time to thinking about how those hymns/songs affect us and inform our faith. Likewise we often do not think of songs and hymns as delivering very real messages to those in worship. Unlike traditional sermons which mainly utilize only the spoken word and it's ability (limited as it is) to appeal to a listener's reason, songs are much more likely to include the listener's emotions in the equation. Songs are also much more open to interpretation than a traditional sermon is. These were the key factors in my decision this past Sunday.
All Saints Day is a day when we are dealing with weighty topics. For some of us it represents the profound and wonderful mystery that is the Church/Body of Christ/Kingdom of God that spreads across time and generations uniting all who have gone before with all those who are now living (and also all those who have yet to be born!). For other's All Saints Day is a much more personal day where we are reminded of one or two specific people in our lives who are no longer living. For some All Saints Day is just another Sunday. For other's All Saints Day is too painful to endure, and therefore avoided. The reality is that there is great variety in the feelings and understandings of those in worship on a Sunday like All Saints Day. For that reason I felt the best message would be one where I set the tone (through the songs I selected) but allowed each individual to compose the message.
Let me know what you thought/think about this and other ways to understand worship in less than traditional forms.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Sermon Sampler (October 18th) - Humility
Driving is a fundamental right of passage for any American teenager (as well as the opportunity to take advantage of seemingly limitless freedom) and I remember my first drive like it was yesterday. I was very, very, VERY excited about driving! I had studied the rules, critiqued my parents driving, and even received a pair of "driving" gloves. So when I took that written test and received my learner's permit, I was ready to go. My father wasn't so sure, but reluctantly he let me get behind the wheel and away we went.
Things were going swimmingly, until I reached a 3-way stop. As I approached the sign, two other cars, from the other two directions, also were approaching. The three of us stopped at roughly the same time, and not wanting to take any chances, I waved them both on. Then I noticed another car to my right, and not wanting to have any confusion I waved that car on as well. As the car to my right was proceeding, a car on my left was pulling up to the sign, and slightly unsure of my own ability to maneuver our 1988 Oldsmobile station wagon through the intersection I waved her along as well.
It only took a few moments of this, before a line had formed behind me, and people were growing impatient. My father informed me that I could not stay there all day long, but would eventually need to get going. I was afraid, and not so confident anymore. I offered to let my dad slide over, but he suggested that I just take it nice and slow. So with great trepidation and almost no use of the gas pedal I slowly and cautiously idled the car through the stop sign and around the corner. Once we reached our destination I told my dad I'd had enough driving for the day, and that he could drive us home!
This funny (and embarrassing) story illustrates quite well a phenomenon that afflicts all of us at one time or another, namely getting in over our heads. I had taken on more than I could handle, and was made aware of this fact quite resoundingly at that stop sign! The same can be said for a man named Job, who was upset with God, and then reminded (not so kindly) of his place by God (see Job 38:1-7). Job's problem was he was hurt and upset, and he thought God was being unfair. Job figured that if he was in charge things wouldn't be so terrible, and he wanted to let God know this. When confronted by God, it was made clear to Job that God was God and Job was human. In other words, God wanted Job to worry about human things, and let God take care of the God things.
We too can act like Job. Sometimes a person might be apt to look around at all the pain and suffering in the world and declare that if only he or she was in charge things would be different. It's easy to look at a hurting loved one and proclaim if only I could heal them, then things would be better. Others are like my grandfather and look at the world and proclaim that the world's going down the tubes. If only he or she were in charge, then they would teach those "teens/kids/people/whoever" some respect and how to behave. Other people look at the pain and the suffering, or the seeming chaos of things and declare that the problems are too big, that there's nothing they can do.
God's answer to all of these people, is the same answer given to Job, God is God and we are people. God will take care of the God stuff, and we have to focus on doing our part (or taking care of the human stuff). In other words, God says "I'm God. I'm here for you. I'm in control, so don't worry."
All of us get in over our heads sometimes. All of us are tempted to look at things and either wish WE were in control or become overwhelmed by the size/number/complexity of problems. But we always need to remember that while we do have a part to play and we can make a difference, we are still humans and God is still in control. God is God, God is with you, and God is in control so don't worry.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Things were going swimmingly, until I reached a 3-way stop. As I approached the sign, two other cars, from the other two directions, also were approaching. The three of us stopped at roughly the same time, and not wanting to take any chances, I waved them both on. Then I noticed another car to my right, and not wanting to have any confusion I waved that car on as well. As the car to my right was proceeding, a car on my left was pulling up to the sign, and slightly unsure of my own ability to maneuver our 1988 Oldsmobile station wagon through the intersection I waved her along as well.
It only took a few moments of this, before a line had formed behind me, and people were growing impatient. My father informed me that I could not stay there all day long, but would eventually need to get going. I was afraid, and not so confident anymore. I offered to let my dad slide over, but he suggested that I just take it nice and slow. So with great trepidation and almost no use of the gas pedal I slowly and cautiously idled the car through the stop sign and around the corner. Once we reached our destination I told my dad I'd had enough driving for the day, and that he could drive us home!
This funny (and embarrassing) story illustrates quite well a phenomenon that afflicts all of us at one time or another, namely getting in over our heads. I had taken on more than I could handle, and was made aware of this fact quite resoundingly at that stop sign! The same can be said for a man named Job, who was upset with God, and then reminded (not so kindly) of his place by God (see Job 38:1-7). Job's problem was he was hurt and upset, and he thought God was being unfair. Job figured that if he was in charge things wouldn't be so terrible, and he wanted to let God know this. When confronted by God, it was made clear to Job that God was God and Job was human. In other words, God wanted Job to worry about human things, and let God take care of the God things.
We too can act like Job. Sometimes a person might be apt to look around at all the pain and suffering in the world and declare that if only he or she was in charge things would be different. It's easy to look at a hurting loved one and proclaim if only I could heal them, then things would be better. Others are like my grandfather and look at the world and proclaim that the world's going down the tubes. If only he or she were in charge, then they would teach those "teens/kids/people/whoever" some respect and how to behave. Other people look at the pain and the suffering, or the seeming chaos of things and declare that the problems are too big, that there's nothing they can do.
God's answer to all of these people, is the same answer given to Job, God is God and we are people. God will take care of the God stuff, and we have to focus on doing our part (or taking care of the human stuff). In other words, God says "I'm God. I'm here for you. I'm in control, so don't worry."
All of us get in over our heads sometimes. All of us are tempted to look at things and either wish WE were in control or become overwhelmed by the size/number/complexity of problems. But we always need to remember that while we do have a part to play and we can make a difference, we are still humans and God is still in control. God is God, God is with you, and God is in control so don't worry.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Friday, October 16, 2009
Weekly Thoughts
So I was sitting in my office...looking at the SNOW outside (come on...snow on October 16th!) and reading one of the four (or five, or six) books that I'm attempting to read, when the author mentioned the demolition derby. I don't know about you, but I love the demo derby! I have a good friend, who always goes, and as often as I can I tag along. The demo derby is great because the people there are doing the opposite of what you're "supposed" to be doing with a car. Instead of driving nicely, yeilding the right of way, they are smashing into each other! It's loud, exciting, often muddy, and sometimes a little scary. What a rush, right!?
Well that author (Jim Walker: Dirty Word: The vulgar, offensive language of the kingdom of God) suggests that God's Kingdom (also known as the Church) should be like a demolition derby! He starts out by talking about Dale's Cone of learning which reports that the least efficient way to teach someone is through verbal communication (talking to them) while the best way to teach a person is by letting them do it themselves. Dale's Cone of learning asserts that a person taught verbally (think sermon, lecture, etc) will only remember %10-%20 of what their taught, while someone who's taught by doing will retain a whopping %90 of the information!
From here the author claims that while we in the Church seem to think that worship services, sunday school classes, and sermons are the best way to teach others to be Christians, the truth couldn't be more opposite. He says the Church should be like a demo derby, where everyone is allowed to actually get into the car and drive it (even if they hit a few curbs and dent a fender or two).
What do you think? Should the church be like a tour bus where everyone sits nicely in their seats and has a teacher, pastor, or other "super christian" tell them about God, or should we all be allowed to get behind the wheel and experience God for ourselves? If you think the latter, then what are you doing to get behind that wheel? What can I do to help you get started? Let me know...
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Well that author (Jim Walker: Dirty Word: The vulgar, offensive language of the kingdom of God) suggests that God's Kingdom (also known as the Church) should be like a demolition derby! He starts out by talking about Dale's Cone of learning which reports that the least efficient way to teach someone is through verbal communication (talking to them) while the best way to teach a person is by letting them do it themselves. Dale's Cone of learning asserts that a person taught verbally (think sermon, lecture, etc) will only remember %10-%20 of what their taught, while someone who's taught by doing will retain a whopping %90 of the information!
From here the author claims that while we in the Church seem to think that worship services, sunday school classes, and sermons are the best way to teach others to be Christians, the truth couldn't be more opposite. He says the Church should be like a demo derby, where everyone is allowed to actually get into the car and drive it (even if they hit a few curbs and dent a fender or two).
What do you think? Should the church be like a tour bus where everyone sits nicely in their seats and has a teacher, pastor, or other "super christian" tell them about God, or should we all be allowed to get behind the wheel and experience God for ourselves? If you think the latter, then what are you doing to get behind that wheel? What can I do to help you get started? Let me know...
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Sermon Sampler (October 11th) - God where are You?
This past Sunday, I was away preaching at Chenango Bridge United Methodist Church. While I was away the two congregations observed Laity Sunday, and were in great hands. I've heard awesome stuff about both services and am hopeful of getting a summary of the sermon preached in McDonough posted.
As for my sermon, below you can find a brief summary of what the people of Chenango Bridge UMC got to hear.
Have you ever had a bad day? Have you ever had a really bad day...like on of those Country & Western bad days (dog died, car broke down, lost your job, sweatheart left you, etc.)? My guess is that all of us have had some really bad days, and probably some of us have had some really bad days really recently!
A man named Job, from the Bible is famous for his really bad day, that went from bad to tragic. Job lost his camels, his sheep, his goats, his cows, and all his servants in one day (think your 401k plummeted, your car broke down, and your roof sprung a leak)! That's the bad day part, what made it tragic was when all of his children were killed! It's in the midst of this tragically bad day, that Job begins to cry out to God, complaining about what's happening. In fact, Job declares that not only is all of this happening unjustly, but that God is nowhere to be found! By clicking on this link you can get the reader's digest version of his complaints.
It's not just Job that has such days, as we mentioned above, and so I would like to share the story of one of those days that recently happened for me and my family.
We were getting set for a late spring vacation. The plan was to go camping, and as we were packing the car I discovered we were missing sleeping bags for our children, a pump for our air mattress, and tent poles for our tent! It was off to the store to buy the needed items, and then on our way...or so I thought. Just as we finished packing the car and the kids, and pulling out of the driveway, I heard "I have to pee." Needless to say we needed to quickly unpack both children (because when one needs to go, so does the other), unlock the door, and utilize both bathrooms. With that disaster averted we were on our way.
Because I am not the best with directions (the joke goes that having grown up in Owego, I can't find anything without first going to Owego) we relied on our GPS. Unfortunately the GPS saw no problem with sending us over no less than 3 seasonal use only roads, including one with a "pot hole" larger than our car (literally)! After several detours, and some unkind words to the GPS we finally arrived at our destination.
I thought we were out of the woods, but no sooner had I unpacked the kids and the tent than it began to rain. Setting up a tent in the rain is no fun, and setting up a tent in the rain with the help of two children under 3 is even less fun. While setting up the tent, Crystal was on the phone with her grandmother (in the car, out of the rain). My wife was checking in on her grandfather who had been suffering from cancer. The conversation started out with "he's fine" progressed to "you can stop by tomorrow if you want" to "maybe you should come today." It was when we arrived that our day went from bad to tragic. The man who only a week earlier had been playing with my children, was now lying on a couch, unable to move and seemingly unable to recognize his own family.
It was at this point that my wife and I, like Job, called out to God, and felt profoundly alone. Why was God doing this? Why wasn't God at least there to comfort us? Why would God leave us all alone at such a bad time? These questions were not only Job's, and were not only ours, but are the questions asked by all of us at one time or another in the midst of pain and suffering.
I intend to answer these two questions, namely "why is God doing this?" and "why isn't God here to comfort?" The answer to the first question, is that God is NOT doing this. God does not punish us for wrong by bringing misfortune into our lives. God does not teach through object lessons. The reason why we have bad days, or why we must deal with pain and heartache is not because God is punishing us, but because we live in a fallen world filled with pain and heartache.
The second question for many is more pressing and more problematic. Why does it seem like God is never around when we are hurting the most? As people, we are imperfect, and unable to do everything...right? Likewise our senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing) are also imperfect and unable to register/acknowledge all the stimulus they receive. For example when walking through a park and talking with a friend, your ears will be bombarded with various sounds (think countless animals, other people, airplanes, cars passing by, etc.) in addition to the voice of your friend. Your ears can only handle so much, and so they filter out all that other stuff (we call it background noise). The same is true when we are in the midst of pain and sorrow. Sometimes we are so immersed, so overwhelmed by that bad day, that all we can see, all we can feel is the pain and the bad! The answer then is that God is there, only we are unable to sense God's presence.
God sent His only son Jesus, to die on our behalf. God did this because God loves us. The God who loves you is not only there when you're having that bad day, God is in fact hurting and shedding tears alongside you. It is often only once we've begun to work our way through the pain and bad of such a time that we can again begin to see God's presence in our lives. For my wife and I, it was much later that we realized if not for all those delays, and that rain, she wouldn't have had that conversation in the car with her grandmother. If not for the conversation lasting so long (again because of the rain and the slow tent setting up) we wouldn't have found out things were so bad. We were blessed with the opportunity to be there, and to be with family on such a bad, even tragic day. God not only went before us, but walked alongside us as we suffered and hurt, and God does the same for all of us...even if while in the moment it's hard to feel God's presence.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
As for my sermon, below you can find a brief summary of what the people of Chenango Bridge UMC got to hear.
Have you ever had a bad day? Have you ever had a really bad day...like on of those Country & Western bad days (dog died, car broke down, lost your job, sweatheart left you, etc.)? My guess is that all of us have had some really bad days, and probably some of us have had some really bad days really recently!
A man named Job, from the Bible is famous for his really bad day, that went from bad to tragic. Job lost his camels, his sheep, his goats, his cows, and all his servants in one day (think your 401k plummeted, your car broke down, and your roof sprung a leak)! That's the bad day part, what made it tragic was when all of his children were killed! It's in the midst of this tragically bad day, that Job begins to cry out to God, complaining about what's happening. In fact, Job declares that not only is all of this happening unjustly, but that God is nowhere to be found! By clicking on this link you can get the reader's digest version of his complaints.
It's not just Job that has such days, as we mentioned above, and so I would like to share the story of one of those days that recently happened for me and my family.
We were getting set for a late spring vacation. The plan was to go camping, and as we were packing the car I discovered we were missing sleeping bags for our children, a pump for our air mattress, and tent poles for our tent! It was off to the store to buy the needed items, and then on our way...or so I thought. Just as we finished packing the car and the kids, and pulling out of the driveway, I heard "I have to pee." Needless to say we needed to quickly unpack both children (because when one needs to go, so does the other), unlock the door, and utilize both bathrooms. With that disaster averted we were on our way.
Because I am not the best with directions (the joke goes that having grown up in Owego, I can't find anything without first going to Owego) we relied on our GPS. Unfortunately the GPS saw no problem with sending us over no less than 3 seasonal use only roads, including one with a "pot hole" larger than our car (literally)! After several detours, and some unkind words to the GPS we finally arrived at our destination.
I thought we were out of the woods, but no sooner had I unpacked the kids and the tent than it began to rain. Setting up a tent in the rain is no fun, and setting up a tent in the rain with the help of two children under 3 is even less fun. While setting up the tent, Crystal was on the phone with her grandmother (in the car, out of the rain). My wife was checking in on her grandfather who had been suffering from cancer. The conversation started out with "he's fine" progressed to "you can stop by tomorrow if you want" to "maybe you should come today." It was when we arrived that our day went from bad to tragic. The man who only a week earlier had been playing with my children, was now lying on a couch, unable to move and seemingly unable to recognize his own family.
It was at this point that my wife and I, like Job, called out to God, and felt profoundly alone. Why was God doing this? Why wasn't God at least there to comfort us? Why would God leave us all alone at such a bad time? These questions were not only Job's, and were not only ours, but are the questions asked by all of us at one time or another in the midst of pain and suffering.
I intend to answer these two questions, namely "why is God doing this?" and "why isn't God here to comfort?" The answer to the first question, is that God is NOT doing this. God does not punish us for wrong by bringing misfortune into our lives. God does not teach through object lessons. The reason why we have bad days, or why we must deal with pain and heartache is not because God is punishing us, but because we live in a fallen world filled with pain and heartache.
The second question for many is more pressing and more problematic. Why does it seem like God is never around when we are hurting the most? As people, we are imperfect, and unable to do everything...right? Likewise our senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing) are also imperfect and unable to register/acknowledge all the stimulus they receive. For example when walking through a park and talking with a friend, your ears will be bombarded with various sounds (think countless animals, other people, airplanes, cars passing by, etc.) in addition to the voice of your friend. Your ears can only handle so much, and so they filter out all that other stuff (we call it background noise). The same is true when we are in the midst of pain and sorrow. Sometimes we are so immersed, so overwhelmed by that bad day, that all we can see, all we can feel is the pain and the bad! The answer then is that God is there, only we are unable to sense God's presence.
God sent His only son Jesus, to die on our behalf. God did this because God loves us. The God who loves you is not only there when you're having that bad day, God is in fact hurting and shedding tears alongside you. It is often only once we've begun to work our way through the pain and bad of such a time that we can again begin to see God's presence in our lives. For my wife and I, it was much later that we realized if not for all those delays, and that rain, she wouldn't have had that conversation in the car with her grandmother. If not for the conversation lasting so long (again because of the rain and the slow tent setting up) we wouldn't have found out things were so bad. We were blessed with the opportunity to be there, and to be with family on such a bad, even tragic day. God not only went before us, but walked alongside us as we suffered and hurt, and God does the same for all of us...even if while in the moment it's hard to feel God's presence.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sermon Sampler (September 27) - Why only some?
Take a moment to think about a person in your life (past or present) who needs (or needed) healing. What feelings do you have in connection to this person and the events surrounding their need for healing? What questions might you have for God?
When I begin to think about healing, I immediately think of a young boy named Danny. He was about 9 or 10 when he needed healing. Danny was the manager/ball boy/pain in the neck for our football team when I was in highschool. He was that kid that was never around when you needed something from him, but always around when you wanted to be left alone! Danny was also the coach's son, and so we were stuck with him. Early on in that season, Danny went from being the kid everyone hated to the boy everyone loved. It was discovered that Danny had cancer.
Danny's dad was fairly religious, and when it was discovered that he was sick youth rallies/healing service began popping up. Small churches would be packed with 200-300 teens from our town praying, singing, and mostly asking God to heal Danny. We just knew he would be healed! How could God ignore so many sincere and heart felt prayers from so many people? Unfortunately we were all wrong. Danny died later that year, and the feelings of anger, confusion, and betrayal were felt everywhere!
My thoughts on healing don't end here though. My own father was diagnosed with heart problems that the doctors told him he wouldn't recover from. He was given a limited time to live (think months, not years) and told there wasn't much hope. Like Danny, my father went to healing services, like Danny people prayed for him (although not nearly as many), but unlike Danny my father was healed!
So when I think about healing, I have one big question that always hits me...Why are only some people healed?
My guess is that many of you have similar stories, and that you can relate to the feelings of anger, confussion, and betrayal that I've felt. I would be willing to bet that many of you have asked that same question, "Why only some?" To the issue of being angry with God, I would point you to 1 Kings 17:17-24, a story where Elijah yells at God, and likely was quite angry. Such stories exist in the Bible, and show us that God can handle us being angry and yelling. God is big enough, and wise enough to understand and not hold it against us. As far as that darn question about why only some are healed, while others are not...well I can't help you as much here. There's only one person who can answer that, and sometimes it seems like God is less concerned with answering our questions as promptly as we would like.
What I can talk about is this idea of healing we have. First off I want to point out that healing, is God's work. Whether you go to a faith healer, are prayed for by the elders of your church, or pray alone in your house, it's not the person, people, or prayers that heal, it's God. Second, spiritual healing (that which we are talking about) is not a substitute for doctors, medicine, and taking care of yourself. Healing should be seen as a complement to the other things we do to be healthy. For example if I hit my thumb with a hammer, I should put a bandaid on it, take tylenol, and pray for healing. Finally I want to point out that healing does not equal curing. I'll say that again, healing does not equal curing. Often when we think of healing we think of "making better" or curing, but that's not always what's meant by healing. Some will point out that the only true healing is actually death! The thinking goes that all people will die someday, so those that we think are healed (those who are made better or cured) will in fact get sick again and die at some point in the future. The only people who won't get sick, who won't hurt, who will no longer suffer are those who have died.
Whether you know a person who was healed (made better) or "healed" (died) one thing is certain, God loved them, still does love them, and promises to be with them (and you) no matter what.
I am reminded of an event that occurred in my family not too long ago. My youngest daughter split her lip, and was bleeding. My wife and I comforted her, but everytime we would get the bleeding to stop, she would bit her lip and start the bleeding again. After about 20 minutes of this I couldn't take it any longer and volunteered to take our oldest daughter into the other room. It was too painful, too hard for me to be around my hurting child and not be able to help. Especially knowing that she was hurting herself even more. Luckily for us, God is not as weak as I am. God promises to be with us, to walk with us through any pain, any suffering, any loss and never leave our side. God makes (and keeps) this promise even if we are in fact hurting ourselves, even if we're made at God and yelling at God. Even when you don't realize it, even when you think you're abandoned, God is still there with you, still hurting along with you and still loving you!
So today I'm lifting up this problem of "why only some?" But I'm also lifting up the truth that God loves all, that God is with all, and that God will never walk away or abandon anyone!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
When I begin to think about healing, I immediately think of a young boy named Danny. He was about 9 or 10 when he needed healing. Danny was the manager/ball boy/pain in the neck for our football team when I was in highschool. He was that kid that was never around when you needed something from him, but always around when you wanted to be left alone! Danny was also the coach's son, and so we were stuck with him. Early on in that season, Danny went from being the kid everyone hated to the boy everyone loved. It was discovered that Danny had cancer.
Danny's dad was fairly religious, and when it was discovered that he was sick youth rallies/healing service began popping up. Small churches would be packed with 200-300 teens from our town praying, singing, and mostly asking God to heal Danny. We just knew he would be healed! How could God ignore so many sincere and heart felt prayers from so many people? Unfortunately we were all wrong. Danny died later that year, and the feelings of anger, confusion, and betrayal were felt everywhere!
My thoughts on healing don't end here though. My own father was diagnosed with heart problems that the doctors told him he wouldn't recover from. He was given a limited time to live (think months, not years) and told there wasn't much hope. Like Danny, my father went to healing services, like Danny people prayed for him (although not nearly as many), but unlike Danny my father was healed!
So when I think about healing, I have one big question that always hits me...Why are only some people healed?
My guess is that many of you have similar stories, and that you can relate to the feelings of anger, confussion, and betrayal that I've felt. I would be willing to bet that many of you have asked that same question, "Why only some?" To the issue of being angry with God, I would point you to 1 Kings 17:17-24, a story where Elijah yells at God, and likely was quite angry. Such stories exist in the Bible, and show us that God can handle us being angry and yelling. God is big enough, and wise enough to understand and not hold it against us. As far as that darn question about why only some are healed, while others are not...well I can't help you as much here. There's only one person who can answer that, and sometimes it seems like God is less concerned with answering our questions as promptly as we would like.
What I can talk about is this idea of healing we have. First off I want to point out that healing, is God's work. Whether you go to a faith healer, are prayed for by the elders of your church, or pray alone in your house, it's not the person, people, or prayers that heal, it's God. Second, spiritual healing (that which we are talking about) is not a substitute for doctors, medicine, and taking care of yourself. Healing should be seen as a complement to the other things we do to be healthy. For example if I hit my thumb with a hammer, I should put a bandaid on it, take tylenol, and pray for healing. Finally I want to point out that healing does not equal curing. I'll say that again, healing does not equal curing. Often when we think of healing we think of "making better" or curing, but that's not always what's meant by healing. Some will point out that the only true healing is actually death! The thinking goes that all people will die someday, so those that we think are healed (those who are made better or cured) will in fact get sick again and die at some point in the future. The only people who won't get sick, who won't hurt, who will no longer suffer are those who have died.
Whether you know a person who was healed (made better) or "healed" (died) one thing is certain, God loved them, still does love them, and promises to be with them (and you) no matter what.
I am reminded of an event that occurred in my family not too long ago. My youngest daughter split her lip, and was bleeding. My wife and I comforted her, but everytime we would get the bleeding to stop, she would bit her lip and start the bleeding again. After about 20 minutes of this I couldn't take it any longer and volunteered to take our oldest daughter into the other room. It was too painful, too hard for me to be around my hurting child and not be able to help. Especially knowing that she was hurting herself even more. Luckily for us, God is not as weak as I am. God promises to be with us, to walk with us through any pain, any suffering, any loss and never leave our side. God makes (and keeps) this promise even if we are in fact hurting ourselves, even if we're made at God and yelling at God. Even when you don't realize it, even when you think you're abandoned, God is still there with you, still hurting along with you and still loving you!
So today I'm lifting up this problem of "why only some?" But I'm also lifting up the truth that God loves all, that God is with all, and that God will never walk away or abandon anyone!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, September 14, 2009
Sermon Sampler (September 13th) - The Political Gospel
Many would agree with the following statement:
"Political messages should NOT come from the pulpit."
I am going to suggest that while not unfounded, the opinion represented by this statement might not be possible if one intends to stay true to Christianity and faith in Christ. The root of our English word "political" comes from the Greek word "polis" which is translated as city, citizen, civil, or civic. Quickly we can see that anything involving people coming together can be termed "political".
Taking this a step further and looking specifically at the buildings we call churches, we can find many political symbols. For example in the Oxford and McDonough United Methodist churches, we have American flags, Christian flags, banners, and images of crowns. All political symbols.
Our worship language is highly political as well. For example the "Lord's Prayer" which in part says "...thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven..." could be seen as revolutionary in its implications. By praying that God's "kingdom come...on earth as in heaven" some could (and have in the past) interpret it to mean Christianity seeks the overthrow of secular government. Of course we don't see these words as inflammatory or political any longer, but rather hear them with 2,000 year old ears!
Moving from worship language to the Bible itself, the political language and imagery doesn't decrease, but rather it multiplies. Words like "King," "Kingdom," "Lord," "Savior," "Crown," "Throne," and "banners" all betray the very political nature of the Bible and specifically of the Gospel.
Finally looking at the life and teaching of Jesus', it cannot be denied that the one we claim to follow, was himself very, very political. The story of the Wicked Tenants is so political that those in power who hear it want to have Jesus killed! The tenants in the story are the people of Israel (the Chosen People of God, another political designation), while the servants/slaves sent to the tenants are the prophets. The son sent and killed of course is Jesus. You will notice at the end that the vineyard will be given to others. This is exactly what the early Christians understood to have happened, as they were now the "Chosen People of God".
Luke's Gospel account follows this story up with spies trying to trap Jesus with a trick question that will either diminish his public support or get him in trouble with the Roman authorities. The question is about paying taxes and Jesus of course answers not (a) or (b) but rather (c). If he had said "yes" it was right to pay taxes to Rome, he would have lost his public support. If he had answered "no" it wasn't lawful to pay Roman taxes, he would have certainly been in trouble with the Roman authorities. So instead Jesus asked for a coin and asked whose head was upon the coin. The answer was the emperor's. Jesus then replies that the people should give to the emperor what is his, and give to God what is God's.
This perfect answer, is perfect for Christians when considering politics. For while Christianity is fundamentally political in nature, it is not partisan. This is to say that God is not a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independant. Christianity is political, but not caught up in any particular political system. So as Christians we are to give to God what is Gods, and give to the emperor what is his.
So what are the politics of the Gospel then? Or to put it another way, what is Jesus' campaign slogan? John F. Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Richard Nixon said "I am not a crook." George H. W. Bush said "Read my lips, no more new taxes." Barack Obama ran with a slogan of "Change we can believe in." So what is Jesus' platform? You could say it's "Release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18). Or maybe we could say it's to love our enemies, be slow to anger, quick to forgive, all while not judging others (Sermon on the Mount). But I think possibly the best way to sum it up, is how Jesus himself summed it up "love God and love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:34-40).
Having said all of this, and keeping in mind that Jesus called us to give to the Emperor what is his, while giving to God what is God's, it's helpful to remember Amos' example. Amos was a prophet who was sent to prophesy to Israel. His message was not warmly received and Amos was asked to leave (not so politely). In asking him to leave, Amos was accused of being a professional prophet (delivering his message in order to receive financial compensation). Amos bristled at such a notion and pointed out that he wasn't a prophet, nor was his father, but rather that he was a herdsman and a tree farmer! (Amos 7:14-15) What Amos has to teach us about Christianity, Politics, and Christian involvement, is that while we might be called to be involved in politics, we are not (in most instances) called to be politicians.
So in summary, Christianity is political by its very nature. While political, the Gospel (or Good News) is not partisan, we are truly to give to God what is God's and give to the world what is the world's. As Christians it seems that we are called to be involved in "politics" (think love God, love neighbor) but we are not called to be politicians.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
"Political messages should NOT come from the pulpit."
I am going to suggest that while not unfounded, the opinion represented by this statement might not be possible if one intends to stay true to Christianity and faith in Christ. The root of our English word "political" comes from the Greek word "polis" which is translated as city, citizen, civil, or civic. Quickly we can see that anything involving people coming together can be termed "political".
Taking this a step further and looking specifically at the buildings we call churches, we can find many political symbols. For example in the Oxford and McDonough United Methodist churches, we have American flags, Christian flags, banners, and images of crowns. All political symbols.
Our worship language is highly political as well. For example the "Lord's Prayer" which in part says "...thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as in heaven..." could be seen as revolutionary in its implications. By praying that God's "kingdom come...on earth as in heaven" some could (and have in the past) interpret it to mean Christianity seeks the overthrow of secular government. Of course we don't see these words as inflammatory or political any longer, but rather hear them with 2,000 year old ears!
Moving from worship language to the Bible itself, the political language and imagery doesn't decrease, but rather it multiplies. Words like "King," "Kingdom," "Lord," "Savior," "Crown," "Throne," and "banners" all betray the very political nature of the Bible and specifically of the Gospel.
Finally looking at the life and teaching of Jesus', it cannot be denied that the one we claim to follow, was himself very, very political. The story of the Wicked Tenants is so political that those in power who hear it want to have Jesus killed! The tenants in the story are the people of Israel (the Chosen People of God, another political designation), while the servants/slaves sent to the tenants are the prophets. The son sent and killed of course is Jesus. You will notice at the end that the vineyard will be given to others. This is exactly what the early Christians understood to have happened, as they were now the "Chosen People of God".
Luke's Gospel account follows this story up with spies trying to trap Jesus with a trick question that will either diminish his public support or get him in trouble with the Roman authorities. The question is about paying taxes and Jesus of course answers not (a) or (b) but rather (c). If he had said "yes" it was right to pay taxes to Rome, he would have lost his public support. If he had answered "no" it wasn't lawful to pay Roman taxes, he would have certainly been in trouble with the Roman authorities. So instead Jesus asked for a coin and asked whose head was upon the coin. The answer was the emperor's. Jesus then replies that the people should give to the emperor what is his, and give to God what is God's.
This perfect answer, is perfect for Christians when considering politics. For while Christianity is fundamentally political in nature, it is not partisan. This is to say that God is not a Republican, a Democrat, or an Independant. Christianity is political, but not caught up in any particular political system. So as Christians we are to give to God what is Gods, and give to the emperor what is his.
So what are the politics of the Gospel then? Or to put it another way, what is Jesus' campaign slogan? John F. Kennedy said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." Richard Nixon said "I am not a crook." George H. W. Bush said "Read my lips, no more new taxes." Barack Obama ran with a slogan of "Change we can believe in." So what is Jesus' platform? You could say it's "Release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and good news to the poor" (Luke 4:18). Or maybe we could say it's to love our enemies, be slow to anger, quick to forgive, all while not judging others (Sermon on the Mount). But I think possibly the best way to sum it up, is how Jesus himself summed it up "love God and love your neighbor as yourself" (Matthew 22:34-40).
Having said all of this, and keeping in mind that Jesus called us to give to the Emperor what is his, while giving to God what is God's, it's helpful to remember Amos' example. Amos was a prophet who was sent to prophesy to Israel. His message was not warmly received and Amos was asked to leave (not so politely). In asking him to leave, Amos was accused of being a professional prophet (delivering his message in order to receive financial compensation). Amos bristled at such a notion and pointed out that he wasn't a prophet, nor was his father, but rather that he was a herdsman and a tree farmer! (Amos 7:14-15) What Amos has to teach us about Christianity, Politics, and Christian involvement, is that while we might be called to be involved in politics, we are not (in most instances) called to be politicians.
So in summary, Christianity is political by its very nature. While political, the Gospel (or Good News) is not partisan, we are truly to give to God what is God's and give to the world what is the world's. As Christians it seems that we are called to be involved in "politics" (think love God, love neighbor) but we are not called to be politicians.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Sermon Sampler (September 6th) - Show and Share
Have you ever heard of the Fruit of the Spirit? If you haven't you can find out a little more about it right here. But we didn't talk about that this past Sunday, and we won't be talking about it today. Can you think of anyone with amazing musical, artistic, or athletic ability? Well, we didn't talk about that on Sunday, and we won't be talking about that today either!
Instead we are going to talk about symbiotic relationships. That's right, symbiotic relationships. Specifically symbiotic relationships that are mutually beneficial to both parties (also known as mutualism). In order to talk about it though, we should probably understand what it is. You could read the textbook definition found here, or you could take my word for it. Essentially what we're talking about is a relationship that exists between two living things where they both benefit.
One example of this, can be seen with a bee and a flower. The bee receives nectar, while the flower has its pollen distributed (necessary for reproduction). A second example can be seen in the relationship shared by a rhinoceros and oxpecker. The oxpecker is a small bird that lives around rhinos (also zebras) and eats various parasites off of the rhino. So the oxpecker receives an ample supply of food from the rhino while the rhino has harmful pests removed by the oxpecker.
Obviously this was a sermon, and so you know that the third examples just has to be a "churchy" one, and you are correct! Our third example has to do with spiritual gifts. The pertinent passages may be found here and here. There are other passages in the Bible that speak about spiritual gifts, but these are the two we looked at this past Sunday. Today's message is not a doctoral study on spiritual gifts but rather an introduction to them. It is not important that you understand every aspect, but only a few simple concepts.
First of all, spiritual gifts come from God, and they are not skills or talents. They are gifts. Second, spiritual gifts may be gifts you have for your entire lifetime, or like the apostles at Pentecost, they may only be given for a short period of time. Most people have multiple spiritual gifts (think 2 or 3) and those gifts may or may not be different at different times in your life. Finally it's important to realize that spiritual gifts are given to Christians for the purpose of building up the Church/Body of Christ/Kingdom of God and therefore should be used in harmony with other people's spiritual gifts.
It was at this point that I gave the following list of 19 spiritual gifts that can be found in the bible:
Teaching
Evangelism
Administration
Leadership
Giving
Wisdom
Faith
Prophecy
Servanthood
Instead we are going to talk about symbiotic relationships. That's right, symbiotic relationships. Specifically symbiotic relationships that are mutually beneficial to both parties (also known as mutualism). In order to talk about it though, we should probably understand what it is. You could read the textbook definition found here, or you could take my word for it. Essentially what we're talking about is a relationship that exists between two living things where they both benefit.
One example of this, can be seen with a bee and a flower. The bee receives nectar, while the flower has its pollen distributed (necessary for reproduction). A second example can be seen in the relationship shared by a rhinoceros and oxpecker. The oxpecker is a small bird that lives around rhinos (also zebras) and eats various parasites off of the rhino. So the oxpecker receives an ample supply of food from the rhino while the rhino has harmful pests removed by the oxpecker.
Obviously this was a sermon, and so you know that the third examples just has to be a "churchy" one, and you are correct! Our third example has to do with spiritual gifts. The pertinent passages may be found here and here. There are other passages in the Bible that speak about spiritual gifts, but these are the two we looked at this past Sunday. Today's message is not a doctoral study on spiritual gifts but rather an introduction to them. It is not important that you understand every aspect, but only a few simple concepts.
First of all, spiritual gifts come from God, and they are not skills or talents. They are gifts. Second, spiritual gifts may be gifts you have for your entire lifetime, or like the apostles at Pentecost, they may only be given for a short period of time. Most people have multiple spiritual gifts (think 2 or 3) and those gifts may or may not be different at different times in your life. Finally it's important to realize that spiritual gifts are given to Christians for the purpose of building up the Church/Body of Christ/Kingdom of God and therefore should be used in harmony with other people's spiritual gifts.
It was at this point that I gave the following list of 19 spiritual gifts that can be found in the bible:
Teaching
Evangelism
Administration
Leadership
Giving
Wisdom
Faith
Prophecy
Servanthood
Healing
Discernment
Discernment
Compassion
Shepherding
Shepherding
Miracles
Exhortation
Exhortation
Interpretation/Tongues
Apostleship
Apostleship
Helping
Knowledge
After giving the list of gifts, I spent a good bit of time pointing out a few members of each congregation who I felt demonstrated various gifts. Then I used the example of those people to better explain a few of these gifts and how they could work together. I won't do that now, but instead I will direct you to this web address (run by the United Methodist Church) that helps to explain spiritual gifts and even helps individuals identify what spiritual gifts they may have.
I also want to be sure to point out that even if you don't remember what a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship is, and even if you can't list the fruit of the spirit (which we weren't talking about anyway), and even if you don't know all the spiritual gifts, that you at least remember this next point. Spiritual gifts are meant to be used and they are meant to be used together. That is to say that whatever spiritual gifts you have, you need to use them in order for them to be any good to anyone. Secondly it is vitally important for you to realize that our spiritual gifts work best when they are used in conjunction with other spiritual gifts.
It's not show and tell, but rather show and share. Show your spiritual gifts off, by sharing them and using them with one another.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Knowledge
After giving the list of gifts, I spent a good bit of time pointing out a few members of each congregation who I felt demonstrated various gifts. Then I used the example of those people to better explain a few of these gifts and how they could work together. I won't do that now, but instead I will direct you to this web address (run by the United Methodist Church) that helps to explain spiritual gifts and even helps individuals identify what spiritual gifts they may have.
I also want to be sure to point out that even if you don't remember what a mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship is, and even if you can't list the fruit of the spirit (which we weren't talking about anyway), and even if you don't know all the spiritual gifts, that you at least remember this next point. Spiritual gifts are meant to be used and they are meant to be used together. That is to say that whatever spiritual gifts you have, you need to use them in order for them to be any good to anyone. Secondly it is vitally important for you to realize that our spiritual gifts work best when they are used in conjunction with other spiritual gifts.
It's not show and tell, but rather show and share. Show your spiritual gifts off, by sharing them and using them with one another.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Wednesday's Thoughts (9/3/09)
In his book Dirty Word:The Vulgar, Offensive Language of the Kingdom of God, author Jim Walker spends some time discussing the current nature of the church. He looks at how many churches seem to function and then suggests how he believes the church (Kingdom of God) should function.
Walker compares the current church to a store. Like a store churches use flyers, signs and television and radio commercials to get people to come into their doors and check out their "product". Like a store churches hire professionals (pastors, youth pastors, church administrators, etc.) to do the "work". Like stores, it seems that churches are constantly in competition with other churches to offer their parishoners (customers?) the best, most exciting "product". According to Walker, the worst part of the church acting like a store, is that those who are members of the church, act like customers. This means that people come to church looking to get their needs met, looking for the best, most exciting product available. And if they don't find what they're looking for, they will simply move on to the next store...I mean church.
Instead Walker suggests that churches should be like bridges. He explains that while a store is valued because of what it has, a bridge is valued because of what it connects. Stores attract people with signs, flyers, advertisements and flashy new products (and sales). Bridges attract people because they allow people to get where they're going. Walker points out that the church, or Kingdom of God, is supposed to be about connecting people to God. This should make the church the most valuable and important bridge in existence!
What do you think? Is your church a store or a bridge? Are you a customer or a traveler? Maybe you're a customer and your church is a store, and gosh darn it that's the way you like it, and that's the way it should be. Maybe you've already sampled several other churches (stores) and if your current church begins to slip, you'll move on to the next one. But maybe you agree with Jim Walker and think the church is not a store, that it's not about products, slogans, and amazing employees, but rather that it's about connecting the world to God and being a bridge.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Walker compares the current church to a store. Like a store churches use flyers, signs and television and radio commercials to get people to come into their doors and check out their "product". Like a store churches hire professionals (pastors, youth pastors, church administrators, etc.) to do the "work". Like stores, it seems that churches are constantly in competition with other churches to offer their parishoners (customers?) the best, most exciting "product". According to Walker, the worst part of the church acting like a store, is that those who are members of the church, act like customers. This means that people come to church looking to get their needs met, looking for the best, most exciting product available. And if they don't find what they're looking for, they will simply move on to the next store...I mean church.
Instead Walker suggests that churches should be like bridges. He explains that while a store is valued because of what it has, a bridge is valued because of what it connects. Stores attract people with signs, flyers, advertisements and flashy new products (and sales). Bridges attract people because they allow people to get where they're going. Walker points out that the church, or Kingdom of God, is supposed to be about connecting people to God. This should make the church the most valuable and important bridge in existence!
What do you think? Is your church a store or a bridge? Are you a customer or a traveler? Maybe you're a customer and your church is a store, and gosh darn it that's the way you like it, and that's the way it should be. Maybe you've already sampled several other churches (stores) and if your current church begins to slip, you'll move on to the next one. But maybe you agree with Jim Walker and think the church is not a store, that it's not about products, slogans, and amazing employees, but rather that it's about connecting the world to God and being a bridge.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Sermon Sampler (August 30th) - Suicide
Let's start today off with a quick little quiz:
1) True or False - Teens are the most likely age group to commit suicide.
2) True or False - Women are more likely to commit suicide than men.
3) True or False - Winter is the season with the highest number of suicides.
4) True or False - A person is most likely to commit suicide while in the depths of depression.
5) True or False - Committing suicide condemns a person to hell.
If you answered true for any of the above questions, you would be incorrect. See the bottom for the answers to questions 1-4.
Now let's talk about question number 5, starting with what the Bible has to say about suicide. Suicide is mentioned in the Bible on a few occassions, most notably in the cases of Judas, King Saul, and Samson. Now in all three instances there is no mention of judgment or punishment for the person who committed suicide. As a matter of fact, nowhere does the Bible judge or condemn suicide. So if this is the case, then where have people (and the church in some times and places) gotten the idea that to commit suicide automatically condemns a person to Hell?
Historically speaking this idea comes from St. Augustine, in the 5th century, who in his work The City of God grappled with the problem of Christians volunteering for martyrdom. This means, that Christians were turning themselves in to the Roman authorities, knowing that they would be killed for their faith. This had become such a prevalent thing, that Augustine felt the need to combat it with some teaching to stop people from turning themselves in and being killed. Augustine looked to the ten commandments, specifically the one about killing, and reasoned that to kill yourself (as those who were turning themselves into the Roman authorities were doing) broke this commandment. From here Augustine stated that such a sinful act, which resulted in death, left the sinner no opportunity to repent, and therefore the result necessarily was damnation and Hell. Augustine might possibly have been the first person to formally write a manual for suicide prevention!
Throughout the centuries that followed this teaching was adopted by the church, and taken for granted as truth, but it was also twisted and elaborated upon by various superstitions and customs. In the middle ages, a person who committed suicide was not only denied a church burial and burial within the church cemetery, but they also might be buried in strange or unusual places (under a crossroad) and the bodies might even be mutilated (stake through heart). Such things were never part of official church law or practice, but none-the-less infiltrated common practice when dealing with a person who had committed suicide.
Today the stance held by most churches has softened a great deal regarding suicide, with denominations realizing that often those who commit suicide do so with various extenuating circumstances, and that those who are left behind deal with very real grief and hardship. For example, the Catholic Church's stance, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, which includes statements from the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found here, while the United Methodist Church's stance can be found here.
As you can see, the United Methodist Church not only rests on the apostle Paul's teaching that nothing can separate us from God's love, not even death (Romans 8:38-39) but also encourages that we all work to break the stigma that often surrounds suicide. It is often the case that when a person dies from suicide, the family is treated differently. People often don't want to talk about the deceased, or even to the family themselves. Quite often this is because people "don't know what to say" or they "don't want to bring up painful memories".
I will tell you plainly, that in our own congregation we have had two families forever changed by suicide, and in conversations I've had with both they've assured me that nothing anyone says is going to make everything better, and secondly that they're always thinking of the loved one they've lost! They've also told me that they enjoy hearing about their lost loved one from other people's point of view. When we talk about those who have died we affirm that we have not forgotten them, and that they were special to us. This is one of the best ways we can support those who are hurting and begin to break down that stigma that often surrounds suicide.
So, maybe you're not an expert on suicide. Maybe you failed our little quiz up above. But now you know. Now you realize that suicide, while unfortunate and tragic, shouldn't be something that alienates those who are left behind or those who have attempted suicide in the past. Now you know that there are things YOU can do to begin to help break down the stigma that surrounds suicide and those affected by it.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Quiz Answers:
1) The group most at risk for suicide is the elderly (75 and above)
2) Men commit suicide nearly 4 times more than women (look here)
3) Spring is actually the season where suicide rates are highest
4) A person is most likely to commit suicide when he or she begins to come out of severe depression. It is at this time that the person has the energy and motivation to go through with the act of committing suicide.
1) True or False - Teens are the most likely age group to commit suicide.
2) True or False - Women are more likely to commit suicide than men.
3) True or False - Winter is the season with the highest number of suicides.
4) True or False - A person is most likely to commit suicide while in the depths of depression.
5) True or False - Committing suicide condemns a person to hell.
If you answered true for any of the above questions, you would be incorrect. See the bottom for the answers to questions 1-4.
Now let's talk about question number 5, starting with what the Bible has to say about suicide. Suicide is mentioned in the Bible on a few occassions, most notably in the cases of Judas, King Saul, and Samson. Now in all three instances there is no mention of judgment or punishment for the person who committed suicide. As a matter of fact, nowhere does the Bible judge or condemn suicide. So if this is the case, then where have people (and the church in some times and places) gotten the idea that to commit suicide automatically condemns a person to Hell?
Historically speaking this idea comes from St. Augustine, in the 5th century, who in his work The City of God grappled with the problem of Christians volunteering for martyrdom. This means, that Christians were turning themselves in to the Roman authorities, knowing that they would be killed for their faith. This had become such a prevalent thing, that Augustine felt the need to combat it with some teaching to stop people from turning themselves in and being killed. Augustine looked to the ten commandments, specifically the one about killing, and reasoned that to kill yourself (as those who were turning themselves into the Roman authorities were doing) broke this commandment. From here Augustine stated that such a sinful act, which resulted in death, left the sinner no opportunity to repent, and therefore the result necessarily was damnation and Hell. Augustine might possibly have been the first person to formally write a manual for suicide prevention!
Throughout the centuries that followed this teaching was adopted by the church, and taken for granted as truth, but it was also twisted and elaborated upon by various superstitions and customs. In the middle ages, a person who committed suicide was not only denied a church burial and burial within the church cemetery, but they also might be buried in strange or unusual places (under a crossroad) and the bodies might even be mutilated (stake through heart). Such things were never part of official church law or practice, but none-the-less infiltrated common practice when dealing with a person who had committed suicide.
Today the stance held by most churches has softened a great deal regarding suicide, with denominations realizing that often those who commit suicide do so with various extenuating circumstances, and that those who are left behind deal with very real grief and hardship. For example, the Catholic Church's stance, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia, which includes statements from the Catechism of the Catholic Church can be found here, while the United Methodist Church's stance can be found here.
As you can see, the United Methodist Church not only rests on the apostle Paul's teaching that nothing can separate us from God's love, not even death (Romans 8:38-39) but also encourages that we all work to break the stigma that often surrounds suicide. It is often the case that when a person dies from suicide, the family is treated differently. People often don't want to talk about the deceased, or even to the family themselves. Quite often this is because people "don't know what to say" or they "don't want to bring up painful memories".
I will tell you plainly, that in our own congregation we have had two families forever changed by suicide, and in conversations I've had with both they've assured me that nothing anyone says is going to make everything better, and secondly that they're always thinking of the loved one they've lost! They've also told me that they enjoy hearing about their lost loved one from other people's point of view. When we talk about those who have died we affirm that we have not forgotten them, and that they were special to us. This is one of the best ways we can support those who are hurting and begin to break down that stigma that often surrounds suicide.
So, maybe you're not an expert on suicide. Maybe you failed our little quiz up above. But now you know. Now you realize that suicide, while unfortunate and tragic, shouldn't be something that alienates those who are left behind or those who have attempted suicide in the past. Now you know that there are things YOU can do to begin to help break down the stigma that surrounds suicide and those affected by it.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Quiz Answers:
1) The group most at risk for suicide is the elderly (75 and above)
2) Men commit suicide nearly 4 times more than women (look here)
3) Spring is actually the season where suicide rates are highest
4) A person is most likely to commit suicide when he or she begins to come out of severe depression. It is at this time that the person has the energy and motivation to go through with the act of committing suicide.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Wednesday's Thoughts (8/26/09)
In his book The Irresistible Revolution: living as an ordinary radical, author Shane Claiborne talks about the reality that life as a Christian should not be safe, but rather that the Gospel calls us to live dangerously. Claiborne references such passages as John 15:18-20 and Matthew 24:9-13 when explaining that as a whole the church has become all too safe, and suggests that this fact might be because we aren't in fact followers of Jesus, but instead admirers of Christ. He points to several examples from his own life, where living out the Gospel has caused him to choose between safety and Jesus. Examples that led him to prison, persecution, and personal sacrifice.
As I read these words, and began to look at my own life, the way I live out my faith, I realized that I live entirely too safe. That is if I am to take Jesus seriously when he declared that it was a blessing to be persecuted on his behalf (Matthew 5:10-12). I can't remember a time that I was persecuted or even ridiculed for my faith, and I certainly don't think I've ever felt unsafe because I am a Christian. And yet as Christians we are not called to lead lives of comfort, leisure and luxury, but rather to lose our lives for Jesus' sake!
So my question to you is, how does your faith inform and influence your daily life? How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the man who lost his life on a cross, dare you to take risks? Do you live safe and comfortable? Are you simply an admirer of Jesus avoiding actually following him into danger and actual service?
I'm ashamed to admit I'm not so proud of my answers to these questions. I do think I live far too safely, and keep Jesus at a safe distance, unwilling to follow for fear of where he might lead me. Think of this, and let me know what your answers are...if you dare.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
As I read these words, and began to look at my own life, the way I live out my faith, I realized that I live entirely too safe. That is if I am to take Jesus seriously when he declared that it was a blessing to be persecuted on his behalf (Matthew 5:10-12). I can't remember a time that I was persecuted or even ridiculed for my faith, and I certainly don't think I've ever felt unsafe because I am a Christian. And yet as Christians we are not called to lead lives of comfort, leisure and luxury, but rather to lose our lives for Jesus' sake!
So my question to you is, how does your faith inform and influence your daily life? How does the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the man who lost his life on a cross, dare you to take risks? Do you live safe and comfortable? Are you simply an admirer of Jesus avoiding actually following him into danger and actual service?
I'm ashamed to admit I'm not so proud of my answers to these questions. I do think I live far too safely, and keep Jesus at a safe distance, unwilling to follow for fear of where he might lead me. Think of this, and let me know what your answers are...if you dare.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sermon Sampler (August 23rd) - Reincarnation
So what do you think happens when you die? Perhaps you believe in reincarnation (coming back as something/someone else). Maybe you believe you'll die and go straight to heaven/hell. Possibly you believe nothing happnes, or maybe you believe something entirely different. What I'm going to do today, is lay out for you what I believe happens to us when we die, based on my understanding of scripture.
I like to compare it to a true story from my youth. My father and I were up early, and we were on our way to the school, as I was off to compete in a sporting event. As we were driving along the road, we noticed something lying in the middle of the road. As we got closer we realized it was a cat, and he wasn't alive. As we got even closer yet, we saw that it was a large black and brown striped tiger cat. At this point my father and I turned to each other and said "Tigger"! Tigger was our large black and brown striped tiger cat.
To be more exact, Tigger was the cat that we had taken off the streets who had become my younger sister's cat. He was a street cat that despite my mother's best efforts to the contrary kept coming around our house. Finally we realized that at night my sister was feeding this cat and thus encouraging him to stick around. That was several years before, and we had since adopted him and grown quite fond of him.
Later that day my dad recounted the rest of the story to me. Having returned to the dead cat in the road, my father inspected it and determined that it was in fact Tigger. He lovingly picked up the body, took it to a special place, and gave the cat a fitting burial. Upon arriving home, my father sat down and tried to figure out how he was going to break the bad news to my mother and especially my sister, when he felt something rubbing up against his leg. Looking down he was shocked to see Tigger there purring and apparently alive and well!
Obviously my dad buried the wrong cat. Tigger had not been hit and killed by a car, but in a way this is similar to what the Bible refers to as resurrection. So now I'm sure you're asking yourself, "what is resurrection"? Well it's not like some terrible zombie movie, and it's not reincarnation, but it's also not your soul floating up to heaven. The apostle Paul compares resurrection to planting a seed in the ground and the change that takes place when that seed grows up into a plant (1 Corinthians 15:35-37). Obviously the seed/plant analogy Paul uses can only be taken so far, since when we talk about resurrection we aren't expecting to turn into plants or trees, or giant humans. When talking about resurrection we are limited because thus far there is only one example of resurrection, namely the resurrection of Jesus.
When we look at the various resurrection accounts containted in the four Gospels, we see two different emphases being presented. First, there is an emphasis on the real physical body being resurrected (eating food, crucifixion wounds, being touched). Second there is an emphasis regarding the different nature of that resurrected body (not being recognized, appearing in locked rooms, and mysteriously appearing). It seems clear that while the resurrection does involve our real physical bodies (as evidenced by the empty tomb) the result is not quite in line with what we would consider typical of a human body.
So what does this mean for us? Why should any of us care anything about resurrection, or whether or not that is our ultimate goal? For some this belief in resurrection has implications for their ability to be organ donors and to be cremated. The reasoning goes that if a part of the body is missing (organ donation) or the entire body is destroyed (cremation) then there will be an incomplete body or no body to be resurrected. My answer to these fears is simple. God created Adam from dust (Genesis 2:7), God created Eve from one rib (Genesis 2:22), and finally God created everything from nothing. Surely God can figure out how to put us back together in the resurrection.
More importantly, as pointed out by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:12-20), without resurrection, then Jesus was not who he said he was and we are all waisting our time! Resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith. Without Christ's resurrection then Jesus was just a popular teacher and healer, who was killed for being a false messiah. No, what set Jesus apart was the resurrection, and his promise that because of him those who would be his followers may also have hope and take part in the resurrection at his return.
You may or may not agree with what I've laid out above. You may never have heard of this before. You might now be even more confused and frightened about death. But you need not be. Resurrection is joyful and hopefilled. To believe in resurrection is to believe that you live with a real physical body (only better than your current body) forever! Take another look at your Bible. Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and take a close look at Jesus teachings about death and what happens when we die. Finally realize that everywhere the word "resurrection" is used it is describing what I've laid out above.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
I like to compare it to a true story from my youth. My father and I were up early, and we were on our way to the school, as I was off to compete in a sporting event. As we were driving along the road, we noticed something lying in the middle of the road. As we got closer we realized it was a cat, and he wasn't alive. As we got even closer yet, we saw that it was a large black and brown striped tiger cat. At this point my father and I turned to each other and said "Tigger"! Tigger was our large black and brown striped tiger cat.
To be more exact, Tigger was the cat that we had taken off the streets who had become my younger sister's cat. He was a street cat that despite my mother's best efforts to the contrary kept coming around our house. Finally we realized that at night my sister was feeding this cat and thus encouraging him to stick around. That was several years before, and we had since adopted him and grown quite fond of him.
Later that day my dad recounted the rest of the story to me. Having returned to the dead cat in the road, my father inspected it and determined that it was in fact Tigger. He lovingly picked up the body, took it to a special place, and gave the cat a fitting burial. Upon arriving home, my father sat down and tried to figure out how he was going to break the bad news to my mother and especially my sister, when he felt something rubbing up against his leg. Looking down he was shocked to see Tigger there purring and apparently alive and well!
Obviously my dad buried the wrong cat. Tigger had not been hit and killed by a car, but in a way this is similar to what the Bible refers to as resurrection. So now I'm sure you're asking yourself, "what is resurrection"? Well it's not like some terrible zombie movie, and it's not reincarnation, but it's also not your soul floating up to heaven. The apostle Paul compares resurrection to planting a seed in the ground and the change that takes place when that seed grows up into a plant (1 Corinthians 15:35-37). Obviously the seed/plant analogy Paul uses can only be taken so far, since when we talk about resurrection we aren't expecting to turn into plants or trees, or giant humans. When talking about resurrection we are limited because thus far there is only one example of resurrection, namely the resurrection of Jesus.
When we look at the various resurrection accounts containted in the four Gospels, we see two different emphases being presented. First, there is an emphasis on the real physical body being resurrected (eating food, crucifixion wounds, being touched). Second there is an emphasis regarding the different nature of that resurrected body (not being recognized, appearing in locked rooms, and mysteriously appearing). It seems clear that while the resurrection does involve our real physical bodies (as evidenced by the empty tomb) the result is not quite in line with what we would consider typical of a human body.
So what does this mean for us? Why should any of us care anything about resurrection, or whether or not that is our ultimate goal? For some this belief in resurrection has implications for their ability to be organ donors and to be cremated. The reasoning goes that if a part of the body is missing (organ donation) or the entire body is destroyed (cremation) then there will be an incomplete body or no body to be resurrected. My answer to these fears is simple. God created Adam from dust (Genesis 2:7), God created Eve from one rib (Genesis 2:22), and finally God created everything from nothing. Surely God can figure out how to put us back together in the resurrection.
More importantly, as pointed out by Paul (1 Corinthians 15:12-20), without resurrection, then Jesus was not who he said he was and we are all waisting our time! Resurrection is the foundation of Christian faith. Without Christ's resurrection then Jesus was just a popular teacher and healer, who was killed for being a false messiah. No, what set Jesus apart was the resurrection, and his promise that because of him those who would be his followers may also have hope and take part in the resurrection at his return.
You may or may not agree with what I've laid out above. You may never have heard of this before. You might now be even more confused and frightened about death. But you need not be. Resurrection is joyful and hopefilled. To believe in resurrection is to believe that you live with a real physical body (only better than your current body) forever! Take another look at your Bible. Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) and take a close look at Jesus teachings about death and what happens when we die. Finally realize that everywhere the word "resurrection" is used it is describing what I've laid out above.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Wednesday's Thoughts
So you may have noticed that I've added a few new things to the blog, including a list of books I'm currently reading. I'm hoping to put up new Sermon Samplers every Monday, and on Wednesday's post some reflections based on my readings. This will hopefully prove to not only allow me an outlet to reflect upon my reading, but will also provide some thought provoking reading for you as well. Either way fell free to let me know what you think.
This week I'm going to reflect on some of my reading from "The Shack". In case you're unfamiliar with the story, it's a fictional story about a man who loses his young daughter, and then spends a weekend in a shack with God. I'm about half way through the book, and have so far found it to be a pretty good read. As a matter of fact, we'll be offering a book study of it this fall (probably Octoberish), so keep your eye out for that!
What I'd like to discuss specifically today though is how each of us thinks of God. In the book, the three persons of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) appear to the main character as a large African American woman (God the Father), an olive skinned "plain" looking man (God the Son), and an Asian woman who can't quite be seen clearly (God the Holy Spirit).
What do you think of this? Is God a woman? Can we think of two persons of the Trinity as being women? What about the notion that God is NOT white? What do you make of that?
Likely for many of us, the description of Jesus isn't too problematic, but the descriptions of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit may be more difficult. I must admit that I have always thought of God as a male (that does seem to be the most prevalent description of God in the Bible), but I wonder if that's necessarily the only way we have to or even should think about God? After all in Genesis 1:27 it does say that God created men and women in God's image. Of course at this point some are almost certainly interjecting that God is Spirit, and therefore neither male nor female. Some might argue that maleness or femaleness are qualities that we as male and female human beings impose upon God in the hopes of better understanding the qualities and characteristics of God.
So what do you think? Is God a man? Is God a woman? Is God neither? Is God White, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, or something wholly other? Allow these questions to sit a while. Maybe this is the first time you've ever thought about some of these things, maybe not. Either way, think. Maybe even read your Bible a little and decide for yourself. Feel free to let me know what you think.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
This week I'm going to reflect on some of my reading from "The Shack". In case you're unfamiliar with the story, it's a fictional story about a man who loses his young daughter, and then spends a weekend in a shack with God. I'm about half way through the book, and have so far found it to be a pretty good read. As a matter of fact, we'll be offering a book study of it this fall (probably Octoberish), so keep your eye out for that!
What I'd like to discuss specifically today though is how each of us thinks of God. In the book, the three persons of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) appear to the main character as a large African American woman (God the Father), an olive skinned "plain" looking man (God the Son), and an Asian woman who can't quite be seen clearly (God the Holy Spirit).
What do you think of this? Is God a woman? Can we think of two persons of the Trinity as being women? What about the notion that God is NOT white? What do you make of that?
Likely for many of us, the description of Jesus isn't too problematic, but the descriptions of God the Father and God the Holy Spirit may be more difficult. I must admit that I have always thought of God as a male (that does seem to be the most prevalent description of God in the Bible), but I wonder if that's necessarily the only way we have to or even should think about God? After all in Genesis 1:27 it does say that God created men and women in God's image. Of course at this point some are almost certainly interjecting that God is Spirit, and therefore neither male nor female. Some might argue that maleness or femaleness are qualities that we as male and female human beings impose upon God in the hopes of better understanding the qualities and characteristics of God.
So what do you think? Is God a man? Is God a woman? Is God neither? Is God White, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, or something wholly other? Allow these questions to sit a while. Maybe this is the first time you've ever thought about some of these things, maybe not. Either way, think. Maybe even read your Bible a little and decide for yourself. Feel free to let me know what you think.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sermon Sampler (August 2nd) - U-Turns
If you've lived for any amount of time in New York State, you've certainly seen one of these signs in your travels. Likely you've even had the misfortune of seeing one just after you missed your exit. I always notice them when the next exit is 20-30 miles further down the road. It is at these times that such signs seem to taunt me and further rub in that now I'm stuck driving far out of my way to get back on track! It is because of my somewhat negative experience with "No U-Turn" signs, that I so loved my first visit to New Jersey. You see in New Jersey they have very similar signs with the exception that these allow U-Turns!
For the lost traveler, U-Turns offer a chance to get back on track, but in our lives, a U-Turn can be seen as an opportunity at reconciliation or even for avoiding further hardship. Our Epistle Lesson this week, 1 Corinthians 10:13, shared an important point about these opportunities we've labeled "U-Turns". Not only does God allow U-Turns, God even provides them for us throughout our lives and strongly encourages us to take advantage of them.
The reality of U-Turns provided by God can be seen in the story of David & Bathsheba as well as a story from my own youth. Both stories start out with two men being where they didn't belong. David's story starts out "In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war" David stayed home. He was where he wasn't supposed to be. It continues with David deciding to get some fresh air and walking up to his roof. Again where he wasn't supposed to be. My own story starts in the spring time, at a church conference late at night, when I was supposed to be in bed. Only I wasn't in bed. I was where I wasn't supposed to be, up with friends, breaking our curfew. My story continues with several of us deciding to get some fresh air and therefore sneaking out a second floor window. Again where I wasn't supposed to be.
Already several U-Turns have been made available. If only King David went off to war. If only I went off to bed. If only King David took a walk in his front yard, back yard, side yard, or court yard. If only I got some fresh air by opening a window and staying in doors.
Both stories continue with something that started so innocently turning bad. King David once upon his roof notices a "very beautiful" woman bathing (read naked). He finds out she's the wife of Uriah the Hittite, calls for her and ends up sleeping with the woman. It started out with a walk for fresh air and turned into adultery! My own story started out so innocently, just getting some air, but soon we found ourselves in a courtyard. From there we noticed all the benches were chained to the ground...except one! It was only a matter of moments before we were moving said bench into a road. It all started so innocently.
Again it doesn't take a master of perception to recognize the U-Turns made available in our two stories. If David looks, realizes what he's seeing and leaves his roof, or if he finds out she's married and it ends there, or even if he just calls her over to his place, but doesn't sleep with her. Likewise if only we didn't go into that courtyard, or if we didn't realize all but one bench were chained down, or even if we just left the unchained bench where it was.
Of course both stories go from bad to worse when the two men are confronted with the consequences of their actions. The first words David hears from Bathsheba after their encounter are "I'm pregnant". Immediately David decides to cover up what he has done. He calls for Bathsheba's husband, tries several ways to get him to sleep with his own wife, and when that fails, he has the poor guy killed. From bad to worse, from simply being an adulterer to now being a murderer and an adulterer! The first words I heard after moving the bench were "Stop right there!" The next words I heard were "Run. Cops!" I followed the second. I ran instead of staying. My friend who stayed got a stern talking to and then was sent back to bed. I ran away from the dorm instead of toward it. The friend who ran to the dorm went back to his room and to bed. No I was now not only running from campus security and Scranton Police, I was also lost in the middle of the city of Scranton!
If only David and I had paid attention to the U-Turns provided for us throughout these stories. If only we had taken one of them. So as not to leave you hanging, my story concluded with police on my left, police on my right, and pretty much cops all around me! I quickly confessed my crime, apologized profusely, and swore to never do such a thing again. It was funny, because the police believed me, took pity on a dumb kid, and sent me back to my dorm with all forgiven!
The same ending is available to all of us, for all of our stories. No matter how much you feel like you're trapped in the course you've gotten yourself stuck on. No matter how much you think you can't turn back now, with God, you always can! It's called Repentance, and it's the ultimate U-Turn. You simply need to admit what you've done, say you're sorry, really mean it, and try not to do it again. It's that simple. You're story can end as mine did, by getting back on the right track. Or your story could end much sooner, with much less drama, if you choose to take any one of the many U-Turns that God provides throughout the journey!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
For the lost traveler, U-Turns offer a chance to get back on track, but in our lives, a U-Turn can be seen as an opportunity at reconciliation or even for avoiding further hardship. Our Epistle Lesson this week, 1 Corinthians 10:13, shared an important point about these opportunities we've labeled "U-Turns". Not only does God allow U-Turns, God even provides them for us throughout our lives and strongly encourages us to take advantage of them.
The reality of U-Turns provided by God can be seen in the story of David & Bathsheba as well as a story from my own youth. Both stories start out with two men being where they didn't belong. David's story starts out "In the spring, at the time when kings go out to war" David stayed home. He was where he wasn't supposed to be. It continues with David deciding to get some fresh air and walking up to his roof. Again where he wasn't supposed to be. My own story starts in the spring time, at a church conference late at night, when I was supposed to be in bed. Only I wasn't in bed. I was where I wasn't supposed to be, up with friends, breaking our curfew. My story continues with several of us deciding to get some fresh air and therefore sneaking out a second floor window. Again where I wasn't supposed to be.
Already several U-Turns have been made available. If only King David went off to war. If only I went off to bed. If only King David took a walk in his front yard, back yard, side yard, or court yard. If only I got some fresh air by opening a window and staying in doors.
Both stories continue with something that started so innocently turning bad. King David once upon his roof notices a "very beautiful" woman bathing (read naked). He finds out she's the wife of Uriah the Hittite, calls for her and ends up sleeping with the woman. It started out with a walk for fresh air and turned into adultery! My own story started out so innocently, just getting some air, but soon we found ourselves in a courtyard. From there we noticed all the benches were chained to the ground...except one! It was only a matter of moments before we were moving said bench into a road. It all started so innocently.
Again it doesn't take a master of perception to recognize the U-Turns made available in our two stories. If David looks, realizes what he's seeing and leaves his roof, or if he finds out she's married and it ends there, or even if he just calls her over to his place, but doesn't sleep with her. Likewise if only we didn't go into that courtyard, or if we didn't realize all but one bench were chained down, or even if we just left the unchained bench where it was.
Of course both stories go from bad to worse when the two men are confronted with the consequences of their actions. The first words David hears from Bathsheba after their encounter are "I'm pregnant". Immediately David decides to cover up what he has done. He calls for Bathsheba's husband, tries several ways to get him to sleep with his own wife, and when that fails, he has the poor guy killed. From bad to worse, from simply being an adulterer to now being a murderer and an adulterer! The first words I heard after moving the bench were "Stop right there!" The next words I heard were "Run. Cops!" I followed the second. I ran instead of staying. My friend who stayed got a stern talking to and then was sent back to bed. I ran away from the dorm instead of toward it. The friend who ran to the dorm went back to his room and to bed. No I was now not only running from campus security and Scranton Police, I was also lost in the middle of the city of Scranton!
If only David and I had paid attention to the U-Turns provided for us throughout these stories. If only we had taken one of them. So as not to leave you hanging, my story concluded with police on my left, police on my right, and pretty much cops all around me! I quickly confessed my crime, apologized profusely, and swore to never do such a thing again. It was funny, because the police believed me, took pity on a dumb kid, and sent me back to my dorm with all forgiven!
The same ending is available to all of us, for all of our stories. No matter how much you feel like you're trapped in the course you've gotten yourself stuck on. No matter how much you think you can't turn back now, with God, you always can! It's called Repentance, and it's the ultimate U-Turn. You simply need to admit what you've done, say you're sorry, really mean it, and try not to do it again. It's that simple. You're story can end as mine did, by getting back on the right track. Or your story could end much sooner, with much less drama, if you choose to take any one of the many U-Turns that God provides throughout the journey!
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Interesting Story about Hell
The below link will lead you to a USA Today story about Hell and the reality that many churches/pastors no longer talk about it at all. The story also hints at the necessity of holding true to church doctrines (beliefs) that may not necessarily be popular.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-08-01-hell-damnation_N.htm?se=yahoorefer
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-08-01-hell-damnation_N.htm?se=yahoorefer
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sermon Sampler (July 26th) - HELL
So this week we did something I've never done in church before, we talked about HELL! It turns out many of us have never heard a sermon preached on or about hell (somewhere around 20-30 or us). This of course has something to do with the fact that sermons on the topic at one time were the norm, and now we are living in the natural knee-jerk reaction to that. The over saturation of fire and brimstone sermons of generations past, has lead to a general absence of sermons that deal with the reality or consequences of sin and especially the topic of hell. So we did it this past Sunday. We talked about hell, without condemning anyone there, or trying to scare anyone out of hell.
We spent some time talking about the types of images that come to mind when we mention the word hell, while admitting that the Bible is not particularly interested in describing the place for us. Images of fire, pain, suffering, the devil, and separation from God were prominant in the discussion. We also acknowledged that while there's a substantial contingent of people who do not believe in hell at all, amongst those who do, there are generally two camps, those who view hell as a literal place of fire and brimstone, and those who see it as more of a figurative or metaphorical place of torment and punishment. I shared a story from my own past, where the six year old me reasoned that if hell was fire, that I could go down there with a fire truck and solve the problem all together. Obviously I would have fallen firmly into the camp of those who see hell as literally filled with fire. I pointed out that many think of hell less literally and instead imagine it as a place where you are forced to do something you hate (eat lima beans) or be with someone you can't stand (you know who I'm talking about).
Either way, almost everyone who believes in hell, sees it as a destination of eternal punishment for those who end up there. I suggested that some have seen this aspect of hell as being particularly problematic when one considers that as humans we live finite (or limited) lives, and likewise can only committ a limited number of sins. It stands to reason then, that to be punished eternally or infinitely is unjust. To put it simpler, it would be as if my child colored on the walls, and as punishment I put her in timeout forever! Of course such a punishment would not seem fair to anyone. The same can be said of a hell that punishes its inhabitants eternally.
Now I'm not one to make theological arguments based on my feelings, no matter how strongly I have them. I am much more comfortable looking to the biblical witness to help inform my understanding of such things, and so we looked at a few passages that discuss hell. The first passage Revelation 20:10-15 portrays hell as a "lake of burning sulfur" and as the "second death". The key to this passage is the characterization of hell as the "second death" or as the complete destruction of the person. The second passage we looked at, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, is a parable of Jesus' that informs what will happen upon Christ's return and likens hell to a "fiery furnace" that will that will burn up and completely consume those who are thrown into it. Both of these passages do not describe hell as a place where the inhabitants are torutured forever, but rather a place of total destruction. As a matter of fact, there is only one (maybe two) passage(s) in scripture that portrays hell as a place of eternal torment (here). Having said this, without much effort I can easily point to no less than seven passages that clearly portray hell as a place of final destruction (here). It would seem more biblical (if not more sensible) to see hell not as a place of eternal torment, but rather as a place of ultimate destruction.
Having said all of this, hell is a very bad place, and the only good news about hell, is that we don't have to go there. Regardless of what you think about hell, the reality is that we all have an opportunity to either choose God or choose the alternative (which we call sin). While it is true that the wages of sin is death, and all have fallen short, through belief in Jesus Christ we need not perish, but rather can have life everlasting. Of course even the demons believe and this is why our belief must not be merely intellectual assent (head knowledge), but also what John Wesley referred to as "heart knowledge". A belief that goes beyond knowing into doing and truly being a follower of Christ.
If this is something you're looking for, the journey you have already begun, is meant to be one of community. This means finding a faith community near you and becoming a part of it. That could be our community (Oxford & McDonough United Methodist Churches) or it could be any church or faith community near you. The point is that following Jesus is not something done alone, but rather in community.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
We spent some time talking about the types of images that come to mind when we mention the word hell, while admitting that the Bible is not particularly interested in describing the place for us. Images of fire, pain, suffering, the devil, and separation from God were prominant in the discussion. We also acknowledged that while there's a substantial contingent of people who do not believe in hell at all, amongst those who do, there are generally two camps, those who view hell as a literal place of fire and brimstone, and those who see it as more of a figurative or metaphorical place of torment and punishment. I shared a story from my own past, where the six year old me reasoned that if hell was fire, that I could go down there with a fire truck and solve the problem all together. Obviously I would have fallen firmly into the camp of those who see hell as literally filled with fire. I pointed out that many think of hell less literally and instead imagine it as a place where you are forced to do something you hate (eat lima beans) or be with someone you can't stand (you know who I'm talking about).
Either way, almost everyone who believes in hell, sees it as a destination of eternal punishment for those who end up there. I suggested that some have seen this aspect of hell as being particularly problematic when one considers that as humans we live finite (or limited) lives, and likewise can only committ a limited number of sins. It stands to reason then, that to be punished eternally or infinitely is unjust. To put it simpler, it would be as if my child colored on the walls, and as punishment I put her in timeout forever! Of course such a punishment would not seem fair to anyone. The same can be said of a hell that punishes its inhabitants eternally.
Now I'm not one to make theological arguments based on my feelings, no matter how strongly I have them. I am much more comfortable looking to the biblical witness to help inform my understanding of such things, and so we looked at a few passages that discuss hell. The first passage Revelation 20:10-15 portrays hell as a "lake of burning sulfur" and as the "second death". The key to this passage is the characterization of hell as the "second death" or as the complete destruction of the person. The second passage we looked at, Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43, is a parable of Jesus' that informs what will happen upon Christ's return and likens hell to a "fiery furnace" that will that will burn up and completely consume those who are thrown into it. Both of these passages do not describe hell as a place where the inhabitants are torutured forever, but rather a place of total destruction. As a matter of fact, there is only one (maybe two) passage(s) in scripture that portrays hell as a place of eternal torment (here). Having said this, without much effort I can easily point to no less than seven passages that clearly portray hell as a place of final destruction (here). It would seem more biblical (if not more sensible) to see hell not as a place of eternal torment, but rather as a place of ultimate destruction.
Having said all of this, hell is a very bad place, and the only good news about hell, is that we don't have to go there. Regardless of what you think about hell, the reality is that we all have an opportunity to either choose God or choose the alternative (which we call sin). While it is true that the wages of sin is death, and all have fallen short, through belief in Jesus Christ we need not perish, but rather can have life everlasting. Of course even the demons believe and this is why our belief must not be merely intellectual assent (head knowledge), but also what John Wesley referred to as "heart knowledge". A belief that goes beyond knowing into doing and truly being a follower of Christ.
If this is something you're looking for, the journey you have already begun, is meant to be one of community. This means finding a faith community near you and becoming a part of it. That could be our community (Oxford & McDonough United Methodist Churches) or it could be any church or faith community near you. The point is that following Jesus is not something done alone, but rather in community.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Monday, July 13, 2009
Sermon Sampler (July 5th) - The Church that Nurtures
Throughout my life, first as a member of a church, and now as the pastor of two churches, I've been cared for (or nurtured) by the church. I have been blessed with many mature and faithful Christian men and women look out for me, nurture my growth (both spiritually and physically), and help me to grow into a true disciple of Christ. It is therefore that the topic of the Church's call to Nurture is one that is especially important to me.
As we've already discussed, the Church (all followers of Christ) exists to grow (make disciples of all nations), and to serve (be in mission). Now we'll discuss how the Church exists to nurture or care for those within the community. Two key biblical texts, when exploring this idea are Acts 6:1-5 and John 21:15-17. The first passage speaks to the Church's role of providing for physical needs, while the second speaks of spiritual needs.
Nurture, as it occurs in a local congregation can look like food programs, clothing distribution, various financial assistance resources, and many many other programs designed to satisfy very real physical needs fundamental to human life. Nurture can also look like Bible study, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, book studies, counseling programs, and a plethora of other programs designed to satisfy very real spiritual needs, also fundamental to human life. But for many Chrsitians, the best way they can offer nurture to others is through much less formal ways, like smiles, handshakes, phone calls, and visits.
It is no understatement to point out that while Growth (Evangelism) and Service (Mission) are two primary ways that people are introduced to the Church and initially brought within the fold, Nurture is essential to keeping people engaged and within the fold. Without nurture, people will be apt to leave just as quickly as they entered.
So the two questions I would like you to struggle with and live with throughout this week and the weeks to come are (1) How do you/we ALREADY nurture? and (2) How can you/we BETTER nurture?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
As we've already discussed, the Church (all followers of Christ) exists to grow (make disciples of all nations), and to serve (be in mission). Now we'll discuss how the Church exists to nurture or care for those within the community. Two key biblical texts, when exploring this idea are Acts 6:1-5 and John 21:15-17. The first passage speaks to the Church's role of providing for physical needs, while the second speaks of spiritual needs.
Nurture, as it occurs in a local congregation can look like food programs, clothing distribution, various financial assistance resources, and many many other programs designed to satisfy very real physical needs fundamental to human life. Nurture can also look like Bible study, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, book studies, counseling programs, and a plethora of other programs designed to satisfy very real spiritual needs, also fundamental to human life. But for many Chrsitians, the best way they can offer nurture to others is through much less formal ways, like smiles, handshakes, phone calls, and visits.
It is no understatement to point out that while Growth (Evangelism) and Service (Mission) are two primary ways that people are introduced to the Church and initially brought within the fold, Nurture is essential to keeping people engaged and within the fold. Without nurture, people will be apt to leave just as quickly as they entered.
So the two questions I would like you to struggle with and live with throughout this week and the weeks to come are (1) How do you/we ALREADY nurture? and (2) How can you/we BETTER nurture?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Saturday, July 4, 2009
4th of July
Happy Independence Day! This is our country's 233rd Independence Day, and it certainly won't be our last. Enjoy the day to celebrate our country, and if you can spend it with friends and family!Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Sermon Sampler (June 28th) - The Serving Church
When I say "missionary" or "missions" what do you think of? Likely you think of Africa, South America, China, or some other far off and exotic place. Almost certainly you think of a person or persons who've dedicated their life to the service of others for the kingdom of God. If you think this way, you're absolutely right, those things all relate to missions and missionaries, but in the following paragraphs I hope to open up your understanding of this topic so that it might become so much more.
The word "mission" comes from a Latin word "missum" which means to be sent. With this understanding to be in mission or to be a missionary simply means to be sent to something. In the case of the church (read all Christians everywhere) a good start to what we are sent to can be found in Matthew 25:31-46. Essentially that big long passage breaks down to say that as Christians we are called (or sent) to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, show hospitality to strangers, and visit the sick and imprisoned.
We've been thinking about and discussing what "the church" is, and what "the church" exists to do (or it's purpose). So far we've decided that "the church" consists of all who believe in Jesus (Christians) and that "the church" is called to grow (spread the good news of Jesus) and now to serve (be in mission). I would encourage you not to think about mission as something you need to go away to do, but something that can be done everyday, right where you are. In this case, mission looks just as much like shoveling your neighbors sidewalk, as it does building a school in Haiti. The person who visits the sick shut-in is just as much a missionary as the doctor who visits the village in the jungle. The congregation that shows hospitality to those in its community is equally involved in mission work as the one that sends a mission team to Honduras yearly.
With such a broadening of this concept that we've always reserved for a uniquely gifted and uniquely called group of people, I hope you're beginning to realize that as a part of the church you too are called to serve others (or called into mission). I also hope you realize that just because you aren't in some distant land with different people doesn't mean you can't be a missionary serving the least. Now armed with this fuller understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ (the church) in mission, it is up to you to look at your own life, your daily routines and find the places you have been sent to the sick, the poor, the hungry, and all those in need.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
The word "mission" comes from a Latin word "missum" which means to be sent. With this understanding to be in mission or to be a missionary simply means to be sent to something. In the case of the church (read all Christians everywhere) a good start to what we are sent to can be found in Matthew 25:31-46. Essentially that big long passage breaks down to say that as Christians we are called (or sent) to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, show hospitality to strangers, and visit the sick and imprisoned.
We've been thinking about and discussing what "the church" is, and what "the church" exists to do (or it's purpose). So far we've decided that "the church" consists of all who believe in Jesus (Christians) and that "the church" is called to grow (spread the good news of Jesus) and now to serve (be in mission). I would encourage you not to think about mission as something you need to go away to do, but something that can be done everyday, right where you are. In this case, mission looks just as much like shoveling your neighbors sidewalk, as it does building a school in Haiti. The person who visits the sick shut-in is just as much a missionary as the doctor who visits the village in the jungle. The congregation that shows hospitality to those in its community is equally involved in mission work as the one that sends a mission team to Honduras yearly.
With such a broadening of this concept that we've always reserved for a uniquely gifted and uniquely called group of people, I hope you're beginning to realize that as a part of the church you too are called to serve others (or called into mission). I also hope you realize that just because you aren't in some distant land with different people doesn't mean you can't be a missionary serving the least. Now armed with this fuller understanding of what it means to be the body of Christ (the church) in mission, it is up to you to look at your own life, your daily routines and find the places you have been sent to the sick, the poor, the hungry, and all those in need.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Sermon Sampler (June 21st) - Church Growth
Last week, we discussed what "the church" is, and came to the conclusion that "the church" is made up of people (not a building) and specifically all people who have faith in Jesus. So this week we began thinking about what it is that "the church" exists to do, or in other words, what's the purpose of "the church"?
We explored several possible purposes, but this week spent time talking about one in particular, namely growth. Our scripture lesson Matthew 28:16-20, also known as The Great Commission, recounts Jesus' last words to his disciples. Those final words of Christ were essentially telling the disciples to recruit new members, or in more churchy language, to make disciples of all nations. Now we have another churchish word for making disciples, and that word is evangelism. It seems fancy, but really the word just means to share good news. So as those who have faith in Jesus (or the church) we are called to share good news with others.
The next question we explored was what exactly is that good news? We decided the good news that we are called to share was not that our church gets out 5 minutes earlier than others, but rather had something to do with our other scripture lesson Romans 6:1-11. In case you struggle with reading the Apostle Paul's writing, (like the Apostle Peter did) essentially the good news has to do with forgiveness and freedom from sin and victory over death which leads to life everlasting. Needless to say it's good times for all who are willing to accept it. Armed with such good news, we are called to share it with everyone!
Finally we discussed how one might go about sharing this good news and decided there are three main ways: words, actions, and relationships. With words we share the good news by what we say. With actions we endeavor to share the good news with our lifestyle. With relationships we share the good news with those that we have established relationships with (ie friends, relatives, etc). I suggested that a balanced approach is best, using our words, actions, and having a pre-existing relationship with the person with whom we are sharing the good news. I essentially explained evangelism (that churchish word from above) like this: I have a new baby son, would you rather A) hear me talk about him for 2 hours, B) look at pictures of him for 2 hours, or C) hold him and talk to him yourself for 2 hours? The answer of course is (C)! The same is true with evangelism (sharing the good news of Jesus).
If we merely talk to people about Jesus, but don't back that up with our actions, our words will have no credibility. If we only live good lives, but never share our good news with words, people will be hard pressed to hear the good news at all. If we only use words and actions, but have no real relationship with those with whom we are sharing the good news, then our words and actions are likely to be received wrongly or at best with skepticism. Our best chance at getting our good news heard, is through all three (words, actions, and relationships).
So in summary, all who have faith in christ are "the church" and as the church one primary function we have is to grow by sharing the good news about Jesus with others. In order to be effective in this sharing we need to combine words with actions and also with real, sincere relationships with those we are sharing the good news with.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
We explored several possible purposes, but this week spent time talking about one in particular, namely growth. Our scripture lesson Matthew 28:16-20, also known as The Great Commission, recounts Jesus' last words to his disciples. Those final words of Christ were essentially telling the disciples to recruit new members, or in more churchy language, to make disciples of all nations. Now we have another churchish word for making disciples, and that word is evangelism. It seems fancy, but really the word just means to share good news. So as those who have faith in Jesus (or the church) we are called to share good news with others.
The next question we explored was what exactly is that good news? We decided the good news that we are called to share was not that our church gets out 5 minutes earlier than others, but rather had something to do with our other scripture lesson Romans 6:1-11. In case you struggle with reading the Apostle Paul's writing, (like the Apostle Peter did) essentially the good news has to do with forgiveness and freedom from sin and victory over death which leads to life everlasting. Needless to say it's good times for all who are willing to accept it. Armed with such good news, we are called to share it with everyone!
Finally we discussed how one might go about sharing this good news and decided there are three main ways: words, actions, and relationships. With words we share the good news by what we say. With actions we endeavor to share the good news with our lifestyle. With relationships we share the good news with those that we have established relationships with (ie friends, relatives, etc). I suggested that a balanced approach is best, using our words, actions, and having a pre-existing relationship with the person with whom we are sharing the good news. I essentially explained evangelism (that churchish word from above) like this: I have a new baby son, would you rather A) hear me talk about him for 2 hours, B) look at pictures of him for 2 hours, or C) hold him and talk to him yourself for 2 hours? The answer of course is (C)! The same is true with evangelism (sharing the good news of Jesus).
If we merely talk to people about Jesus, but don't back that up with our actions, our words will have no credibility. If we only live good lives, but never share our good news with words, people will be hard pressed to hear the good news at all. If we only use words and actions, but have no real relationship with those with whom we are sharing the good news, then our words and actions are likely to be received wrongly or at best with skepticism. Our best chance at getting our good news heard, is through all three (words, actions, and relationships).
So in summary, all who have faith in christ are "the church" and as the church one primary function we have is to grow by sharing the good news about Jesus with others. In order to be effective in this sharing we need to combine words with actions and also with real, sincere relationships with those we are sharing the good news with.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Newest Addition!
As you can see, Crystal gave birth to our newest addition, Gideon James Martin. He was born at 10:12 pm on Monday, June 15th. He weighed 7lbs 9oz and was 20 inches long. Mother and baby are doing great, and will be arriving home late Tuesday evening. Please spread the word!
PS
It's obvious he's flexing his "guns" for the camera!
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Photos (Annual Conference & Memorial Day)
Below you will find two photos. One from Annual Conference prominently displaying my back, and the other from the Oxford Memorial Day Parade. I'll trust that you can discern which photo is which. The photos are quite representative of the two events, with Annual Conference being about as exciting as a photo of someone's back, and the Memorial Day Parade being mostly about the cool car I was riding in!
If you want to know more about Annual Conference, our Lay Member to Annual Conference, Chad White, will be giving a brief report at the beginning of worship in both Oxford and McDonough this Sunday (June 14th). Also you can click on the below link to find a video that was a highlight of the weekend for many and appeared several times over the three days. And to answer the questions that will be coming, this video has nothing to do with church or Annual Conference, but it is cool. http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/?fbid=22pBO2iaDgf (warning the link includes potentially offensive language, but the video is in no way offensive.
If you want to know more about Annual Conference, our Lay Member to Annual Conference, Chad White, will be giving a brief report at the beginning of worship in both Oxford and McDonough this Sunday (June 14th). Also you can click on the below link to find a video that was a highlight of the weekend for many and appeared several times over the three days. And to answer the questions that will be coming, this video has nothing to do with church or Annual Conference, but it is cool. http://www.wherethehellismatt.com/?fbid=22pBO2iaDgf (warning the link includes potentially offensive language, but the video is in no way offensive.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Sermon Sampler (May 31st) - Fire is HOT
As a child I struggled with the seemingly simple concept that fire is hot. It seemed no matter what my parents did to discourage me from playing with the knobs on the stove and other things that could produce fire, I still continued. By most accounts I was relatively intelligent for a four year old, but for some reason, when it came to fire, I would not or could not learn that fire is hot. Everything changed one night when I ran from the bathroom after a bath, and tripped into our cast iron fireplace! Apparently I was not burned too badly, since I have no scars, but it was enough of a shock to me, that for months after the incident I could not walk by the fireplace without pointing and saying "HOT".
The scripture lesson for this week (Pentecost) also speaks of fire, but of a different kind. In Acts 2:1-21, we find the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles and others are gathered together, when suddenly "tongues of fire" rest upon the heads of each one. We are then told that all were filled with the "Holy Spirit" and began speaking in different languages to people throughout Jerusalem. The key to this passage, is not that tongues of fire landed upon all those gathered together, nor is it that once this happened they began to speak in different languages, the important part of the passage is that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit! Jesus had told his followers to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came (Acts 1:4-5). Jesus further told them that this Holy Spirit would give them "power" (Acts 1:8). It's the Holy Spirit which empowered the frightened followers of Christ to go boldly out into the city procclaiming the Good News of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and the subsequent offer of salvation given to all!
But in case you sometimes struggle with applying a story from the Bible to your own life (as I do), let me give you a few other examples of this. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley felt his "heart strangely warmed" at a church service on Aldersgate street. This single event took a man who before had been (to put it mildly) unsuccesful in his ministry, and empowered him to spread Methodism throughout Great Britain as well as spark a movement that would see Methodism spread across the entire United States and around the world. Another similar example comes from a man named Jonathan Edwards, whose sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is largely credited for sparking the "Great Awakening" (a movement that saw Christianity spread across the then 13 colonies like wildfire). Edwards' delivery, when preaching was characterized by a lack of gestures or eye contact, with a voice not strong or loud, but with a very solemn air about it. In other words he was boring and very serious about being boring! And yet, he is credited with being the spark that started the fire of the "Great Awakening"!
You hopefully are sensing a theme with these examples, namely, that just like with the original Pentecost, whenever God's people are moved, empowered, and rejuvinated it is only because of the working of the Holy Spirit. It was not because Wesley was so amazing that Methodism spread, it was the Holy Spirit. It was not because Edwards was such a great orator that the "Great Awakening" was initiated, it was through the Holy Spirit. It was certainly not because those first followers of Christ were so bold with sharing the good news that the church was born, rather it was because they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In churches across our country and even the world, many will be standing in the pulpit remarking how wonderful it would be if such things were to happen once again in their churches. Many will exclaim how amazing it would be if God would once again send the Holy Spirit upon the gathered people of God! Well I stand here not saying how wonderful it would be, but how wonderful it is! Our two congregations, not that long ago, were much different than they are today. By all accounts, they were smaller, older, poorer and in many ways less healthy than they are today. Like with the above examples, people often try to point to the visibly different thing as the reason for this change (ie the pastor). But I am glad to say that our congregations stand as another living example of the working and power of God's Holy Spirit!
So the next time you wonder if God is alive, if God still works in this world, and if God's Holy Spirit still moves amongst the people of God, you need look no further than your own church. One only needs to visit the congregations of Oxford and McDonough to witness how God's power can change and transform not only individuals, but entire congregations! May the Holy Spirit empower you today, and might you find the living God to be active in your own life.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
The scripture lesson for this week (Pentecost) also speaks of fire, but of a different kind. In Acts 2:1-21, we find the story of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles and others are gathered together, when suddenly "tongues of fire" rest upon the heads of each one. We are then told that all were filled with the "Holy Spirit" and began speaking in different languages to people throughout Jerusalem. The key to this passage, is not that tongues of fire landed upon all those gathered together, nor is it that once this happened they began to speak in different languages, the important part of the passage is that they were all filled with the Holy Spirit! Jesus had told his followers to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came (Acts 1:4-5). Jesus further told them that this Holy Spirit would give them "power" (Acts 1:8). It's the Holy Spirit which empowered the frightened followers of Christ to go boldly out into the city procclaiming the Good News of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection and the subsequent offer of salvation given to all!
But in case you sometimes struggle with applying a story from the Bible to your own life (as I do), let me give you a few other examples of this. The founder of Methodism, John Wesley felt his "heart strangely warmed" at a church service on Aldersgate street. This single event took a man who before had been (to put it mildly) unsuccesful in his ministry, and empowered him to spread Methodism throughout Great Britain as well as spark a movement that would see Methodism spread across the entire United States and around the world. Another similar example comes from a man named Jonathan Edwards, whose sermon "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is largely credited for sparking the "Great Awakening" (a movement that saw Christianity spread across the then 13 colonies like wildfire). Edwards' delivery, when preaching was characterized by a lack of gestures or eye contact, with a voice not strong or loud, but with a very solemn air about it. In other words he was boring and very serious about being boring! And yet, he is credited with being the spark that started the fire of the "Great Awakening"!
You hopefully are sensing a theme with these examples, namely, that just like with the original Pentecost, whenever God's people are moved, empowered, and rejuvinated it is only because of the working of the Holy Spirit. It was not because Wesley was so amazing that Methodism spread, it was the Holy Spirit. It was not because Edwards was such a great orator that the "Great Awakening" was initiated, it was through the Holy Spirit. It was certainly not because those first followers of Christ were so bold with sharing the good news that the church was born, rather it was because they were empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In churches across our country and even the world, many will be standing in the pulpit remarking how wonderful it would be if such things were to happen once again in their churches. Many will exclaim how amazing it would be if God would once again send the Holy Spirit upon the gathered people of God! Well I stand here not saying how wonderful it would be, but how wonderful it is! Our two congregations, not that long ago, were much different than they are today. By all accounts, they were smaller, older, poorer and in many ways less healthy than they are today. Like with the above examples, people often try to point to the visibly different thing as the reason for this change (ie the pastor). But I am glad to say that our congregations stand as another living example of the working and power of God's Holy Spirit!
So the next time you wonder if God is alive, if God still works in this world, and if God's Holy Spirit still moves amongst the people of God, you need look no further than your own church. One only needs to visit the congregations of Oxford and McDonough to witness how God's power can change and transform not only individuals, but entire congregations! May the Holy Spirit empower you today, and might you find the living God to be active in your own life.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Other Websites
Please take a few moments and check out the other websites that I have linked on the right hand side. Please especially take notice of our new Youth Group webpage! The kids have already worked hard on it, and they will continue to work with it and make it more and more their own in the weeks and months to come.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Sermon Sampler (May 17th) - Who's Invited?
Who's invited? Are you invited? Am I invited? If I am invited, what do I need to do to accept my invitation?
Sometimes you find yourself in the midst of a church service that just seems never ending. For many the longest and most painful part of such a service, is the sermon, which often has a tendencey to drag on and on. I remember one such service, where the pastor said "and finally" and then continued on for five more minutes before he said "and in conclusion" which was followed by several more minutes of talking before he said "and lastly"! I also vividly remembering asking God to intervene in some way, to get me out of there!
Our New Testament lesson (Acts 10:44-48) picks up right in the midst of one of those sermons. Peter is preaching to some Gentiles (people who are not Jewish) when the Holy Spirit interrupts and falls upon said Gentiles. Peter and those in attendance are shocked that such a thing would happen. Prior to this, it was taken for granted that the chosen people of God were Jews, and therefore God's Holy Spirit would only be given to Jews (as was the case at Pentecost). This single event raises the question of who's invited or allowed to be one of God's chosen people. In an instant, in the midst of a sermon that God just had to interrupt, Gentiles were now invited to the party.
I remember as a child growing up, we didn't have a church of our own. Our family believed in God, and we meant well, but for the longest time we couldn't seem to find a church to call our own. For a few weeks we would attend the Presbyterian church, and then for a few the Baptist church, and then for a few more, the non-denominational church, we even tried the Catholic church one Sunday. In those early years, we attended just about every church in and around my hometown of Owego, but none seemed to be a fit. We didn't really feel like we were welcome in many of the churches we attended. Most had nice enough people, but we just didn't feel like we were really a part of the congregation. Then it happened. My mother was invited to the local United Methodist church, and from the very first moment we felt like part of the family. The people seemed to notice us, care for us, and best of all, they actually learned our names (even mine and my sister's)! It was as if every single Sunday we were given a special invitation to attend there, and if we weren't there, people noticed and missed us! Finally we fit in, finally we felt like a part of the congregation. The best part was that there was no catch. We didn't need to do anything, or be anything that we weren't. We just had to be there.
It's the same way with God. In the first letter of John (1 John 5:1-5) the author talks about what is required to become one of God's chosen people. The answer is simple, a person doesn't have to be Jewish, or dress a certain way, he or she doesn't need to eat certain foods, or even attend church every Sunday, instead all that is needed is faith in Jesus. It's just that easy, all that's required is faith. It is for this reason, that I can proudly (and boldly) proclaim that YOU are invited to be a child of God. The invitation is open to all, and all that's required is that you believe in Jesus!
In a world where we are constantly dividing ourselves and creating more and more exclusive groups where membership hinges upon race, religion, gender, economic status, athletic ability, intellectual prowess, secret handshakes, funny phrases, payment of dues, etc. etc. God says you are all invited! Of course once you've accepted your invitation, there's a journey that lasts a lifetime before you, but the only requirement to begin that journey is faith. And to answer that initial question of "who's invited", the answer is EVERYONE! So the new question is, you're invited, but will you accept your invitation?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
Sometimes you find yourself in the midst of a church service that just seems never ending. For many the longest and most painful part of such a service, is the sermon, which often has a tendencey to drag on and on. I remember one such service, where the pastor said "and finally" and then continued on for five more minutes before he said "and in conclusion" which was followed by several more minutes of talking before he said "and lastly"! I also vividly remembering asking God to intervene in some way, to get me out of there!
Our New Testament lesson (Acts 10:44-48) picks up right in the midst of one of those sermons. Peter is preaching to some Gentiles (people who are not Jewish) when the Holy Spirit interrupts and falls upon said Gentiles. Peter and those in attendance are shocked that such a thing would happen. Prior to this, it was taken for granted that the chosen people of God were Jews, and therefore God's Holy Spirit would only be given to Jews (as was the case at Pentecost). This single event raises the question of who's invited or allowed to be one of God's chosen people. In an instant, in the midst of a sermon that God just had to interrupt, Gentiles were now invited to the party.
I remember as a child growing up, we didn't have a church of our own. Our family believed in God, and we meant well, but for the longest time we couldn't seem to find a church to call our own. For a few weeks we would attend the Presbyterian church, and then for a few the Baptist church, and then for a few more, the non-denominational church, we even tried the Catholic church one Sunday. In those early years, we attended just about every church in and around my hometown of Owego, but none seemed to be a fit. We didn't really feel like we were welcome in many of the churches we attended. Most had nice enough people, but we just didn't feel like we were really a part of the congregation. Then it happened. My mother was invited to the local United Methodist church, and from the very first moment we felt like part of the family. The people seemed to notice us, care for us, and best of all, they actually learned our names (even mine and my sister's)! It was as if every single Sunday we were given a special invitation to attend there, and if we weren't there, people noticed and missed us! Finally we fit in, finally we felt like a part of the congregation. The best part was that there was no catch. We didn't need to do anything, or be anything that we weren't. We just had to be there.
It's the same way with God. In the first letter of John (1 John 5:1-5) the author talks about what is required to become one of God's chosen people. The answer is simple, a person doesn't have to be Jewish, or dress a certain way, he or she doesn't need to eat certain foods, or even attend church every Sunday, instead all that is needed is faith in Jesus. It's just that easy, all that's required is faith. It is for this reason, that I can proudly (and boldly) proclaim that YOU are invited to be a child of God. The invitation is open to all, and all that's required is that you believe in Jesus!
In a world where we are constantly dividing ourselves and creating more and more exclusive groups where membership hinges upon race, religion, gender, economic status, athletic ability, intellectual prowess, secret handshakes, funny phrases, payment of dues, etc. etc. God says you are all invited! Of course once you've accepted your invitation, there's a journey that lasts a lifetime before you, but the only requirement to begin that journey is faith. And to answer that initial question of "who's invited", the answer is EVERYONE! So the new question is, you're invited, but will you accept your invitation?
Grace & Peace,
Pastor John
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