Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24; John 1:6-8, 19-28
“If Not The Messiah, Who Then?”
The lessons of the last two weeks have been: Advent is about hope when everything seems lost; it’s about waiting when help is on the way. Advent is about the peace in knowing the good news is already begun in the anticipation of and the preparation for the Christ – the one who brings us to the Father. Today’s Advent lesson focuses on the joy that comes from living in Christ and the vocation to which each of us is called.
“The spirit of God is upon me, because God has appointed me to bring good news.” The words of the prophet Isaiah, later repeated by Jesus as he claimed his vocation as God’s messenger to the world, invite us to think about our vocations in light of the Advent coming of One who will usher in God’s kingdom. Frederick Buechner says it is important to, “Listen to your life.” Discover the part your life is to play; your vocation.
Bruce Epperly, professor of practical theology at Lancaster Theological Seminary, suggest that “our callings and vocations in life – which aim toward the future - are determined by a number of things: our environment, DNA, religious upbringing, past choices, and other factors, including God’s emerging vision for our lives.” He says our growth as Christians is shaped by our visions and dreams for the future.
Our vocations come about from the interplay of God’s call and our response in the unique context in which we find ourselves. It isn’t so much that God has a plan for our life as it is that God continually provides ‘options’ from which we might choose to be in partnership with God. You see, God is always calling us to partnership that then leads to fuller relationship with God.
Isaiah has been ‘called’ to speak to his community, although it is ‘the Spirit of God’ that is the source of what he says. He has been anointed by God to proclaim the good news of God’s freedom for people who are oppressed in a foreign land to the point of hopelessness. This is God’s vision for the people. It is something that IS going to happen!
And when God’s vision for us - this vocation or calling if your will - becomes clear, everything changes. Life is no longer the same. There is more energy, less apprehension when facing a challenge, more possibilities imagined. There is a greater ‘connectedness’ or wholeness of purpose, all toward where God is leading us.
Professor Epperly suggest this ‘call’ is basically the same for all of us, prophets or not. He says, “We can, as the stories of ordinary people who were called to extraordinary things show, do great things for God, if we are open to the possibilities and willing to risk new behaviors.”
When we can actually visualize what might be if God’s great adventure included us, we take the first steps toward transformation.
So, what future can we imagine for ourselves? What mission can we envision for this church? And what new images of hope can we see for this community and the world? Today’s text challenges us to grow into our vocations, whatever they may be. What is it then, during this Advent season and beyond, you are being called to become?
John the Baptist is all about vocation. He knows who he is and who he is not. He says, “I am not the Messiah.” “I’m not here to save you or to free you. I’m not here to fix things and make things right. I’m just here to point the way to the one who is. Jesus is the one! He is greater than me.” His vocation is to testify to Jesus being the Christ, the Lamb of God, and “the light.” John makes that clear when he says, “I am not the messiah.”
John’s clarity of vocation applies to us as well. We are not to be the Messiah either, but we are to fulfill our vocation for this time and place. John the Baptist said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said.” Through our vocation, whatever that may be, we can ‘witness to the light’ as well so others might believe. If our vocation, our calling, is how we are to ‘witness to the light,’ how might ‘our light shine’ in the darkness of this world?
Author and pastor, John Stendahl, of Newton Centre, Mass. says this, “We are anointed people. We have been chosen and called, all of us. We are in Christ and he lives in us. We are his agents, his hands in the world. We are called to emulate him and to offer Christ’s love to the world. We are to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners. As Luther said, “We are to be little Christs.” All that means is that we are called to do what Jesus would be doing if he were here, that’s all.
John the Baptist’s denial (of being the messiah) points out an important truth for all of us. Regardless of those times we might like to be, or have expectations of others being the Messiah – the truth is, we are not the Messiah! Nor are they! Yet that is what can happen when we seek too much from others or hope to be too much to them. Our wanting to rescue or be rescued can deter us from our true vocation.
We are called to do great things for God. And even though it doesn’t include being the Messiah, it may mean our involvement in his work and mission, yet in humility, like John the Baptist, pointing the way to “the light” and the one who IS THE MESSIAH, Jesus Christ. Our vocation may be “making straight the way of the Lord.”
The church is to be a storehouse of spiritual gifts nurturing one another. Heaven forbid we ‘quench the Spirit’ – which the author of 1 Thessalonians says is a definite no-no.
We are to live out our vocations, rejoicing, praying and giving thanks always. These spiritual practices of joy, prayer, and gratitude work will energize us and expand our vision of possibilities.
Realizing our vocation requires our full commitment. It includes every aspect of our life, each contributing to the vocation to which we have been called. Advent challenges us to look beyond our limitations and fears in order to imagine God’s new possibilities – and then to live them out. Where will God call us? Toward what Advent adventures are we being led? What great things would God have us do? If not the Messiah, who then?
Bruce Epperly, Holy Adventure: Forty-one Days of Audacious Living, Upper Room, 2008.)
The Christian Century, December 2, 2008, Reflections on the Lectionary by author and pastor, John Stendahl, Newton Centre, Mass.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
December 7, 2008 Message
2 Peter 3:8-15a; Mark 1:1-8
"Found At Peace"
“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God.” This first verse from Mark raises some important questions.
QUESTION 1: What is the "beginning of the gospel"? Is this particular sentence or the specific story that follows “the beginning” of the gospel or is the entire writing of Mark the "beginning?" If the last verse of Mark (16:8 “And afterwards Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.”) doesn’t really end anything, then perhaps all of Mark is the beginning of the gospel whose end has not yet come. The story continues even today as we proclaim the good news everywhere (16:20). Maybe, just maybe, it’s important for us to begin every year at Advent time – hearing once again the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
QUESTION 2: What is the "good news" of Jesus Christ? Is it what Jesus taught, or is it something shared “about Jesus Christ,” or is it both. Regardless of how it is defined, the “good news” is something that is meant to evoke a response - like shouting, "We won!" If it matters to those hearing it that we’ve won then there is shouting and jumping and waving of arms. “Good news” is more than just information. It is an event that deeply effects those hearing it for the first time. Imagine if Mark’s opening words were: "The beginning of the victory of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God"? How might that influence our reading or hearing of the rest of the story?
And QUESTION 3: What does Mark mean when he writes, “Christ, the son of God?” Christ is a Greek word for "anointed" or "Messiah," which probably would have made little sense to Mark’s original audience. The Greeks among them had no concept of messiah while the Hebrews spoke of anointed ones usually in reference to kings and prophets. So, when Mark refers to Jesus as “the son of God,” his Greek readers probably would have had this image in their mind of a physical son, like Hercules son of the god Zeus, while the Hebrews would have had an image of a powerful king.
It seems then that Mark’s beginning words are loaded. As Donald Juel, in his book A Master of Surprise: Mark Interpreted, suggests, "Good news" equals military victory, while "Christ" & "son of God" equals an anointed conquering king (or Greek "super-hero"). Mark begins here so he can then surprise us by radically redefining these terms throughout his story of Jesus as the Son of Man -- the one who will be crucified.
This is really then the beginning of something more than Mark’s book… or of a story about John the Baptist, who points to someone greater, to Jesus who prepares the way for the coming of the Lord God. This IS the beginning of the good news?
For Mark, the beginning of the gospel is not about the birth of Jesus that is found in Matthew and Luke. The beginning is not about Mary, Joseph, angels, manger, shepherds, or wise men. That is what Christmas is all about! For Mark, the beginning is about something else. For Mark the beginning is about John the Baptist, a prophet screaming and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea – a man announcing the coming of someone greater. For Mark, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God.” was about announcement, it was about hope and it was about repentance.
People were drawn to John because he was… well… different. And they were drawn to his message because he understood that God was about to do something that would change people’s lives forever. John was preparing the way for that by living a godly life, by challenging those who had turned away from God, and by pointing the way to the coming Christ who would bring the peace of God to a troubled world.
In the second lesson, Peter describes our wait for the Lord’s coming not as reason to worry but as a gift of time so we might patiently prepare ourselves. We can best understand this by reminding ourselves that the purpose of our discipleship is our preparation for our time with Christ in eternity. Through the work of the indwelling Spirit we are daily molded into the image of Christ. We are made holy. So, we prepare for the day by living as disciples of Christ in three particular ways: 1) by seeking to walk uprightly in the presence of the Lord through prayer, devotion and worship, 2) by living by faith rather than sight and by building up the Christian fellowship by equipping and encouraging, and 3) by reaching out into the world, seeking the lost in the power of the gospel, both in word and deed. By doing these things, the Holy Spirit works within us to change us. It is the Spirit’s doing, not our own.
So, although we approach the coming day living "holy and godly lives", we know that in the end being "found spotless, blameless and at peace with" God is a gift of grace that comes to us through faith. Peter says, God is patient with us. That IS good! I would hate to imagine what would be my just reward if God were not. And still, I am not off the hook, nor are you.
Brian Stoffregen, a Lutheran pastor in Marysville, CA, has written: "Perhaps we need to look at the Advent/Christmas season as a time to begin to hear the good news again for the first time." Maybe as Mark seeks to redefine the good news and Jesus as the Christ/Messiah and Son of God, so Mark seeks to redefine what following Jesus actually means and what life immersed in the Holy Spirit means – all of which point to the cross, a sign of victory or good news for God's anointed, the Son of God.
As we enter the fantasy of the commercial Christmas season, it may be good during Advent to be reminded of the real costs of following that baby who will be born. Maybe it will be the very first time we have heard it. While we probably don't have the same misconceptions about "Christ " or "Son of God" as the ancient Greeks and Hebrews did, our understandings of Jesus’ "victory" and what following him means probably could use some redefining, just as it did for those first readers of Mark.
The way that is being prepared is a way that will lead to suffering and death on the cross. Yet it is also a way to a new beginning - with the cleansing and promising gift of the Holy Spirit. No longer need we be prisoners of the past. No longer are we bound to our idolatry or regret, our greed or our fears. We can begin again.
The sentence “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God,” is not just an introduction; it is, in fact, part of what it anticipates. The good news of Jesus was already at work in the expectancy and preparation, the beginning of the beginning, the “good news” in which we can all be “found at peace?”
Peace to you in Jesus Christ who has come, who is come, and who will come again.
"Found At Peace"
“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God.” This first verse from Mark raises some important questions.
QUESTION 1: What is the "beginning of the gospel"? Is this particular sentence or the specific story that follows “the beginning” of the gospel or is the entire writing of Mark the "beginning?" If the last verse of Mark (16:8 “And afterwards Jesus himself sent out through them, from east to west, the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation.”) doesn’t really end anything, then perhaps all of Mark is the beginning of the gospel whose end has not yet come. The story continues even today as we proclaim the good news everywhere (16:20). Maybe, just maybe, it’s important for us to begin every year at Advent time – hearing once again the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.
QUESTION 2: What is the "good news" of Jesus Christ? Is it what Jesus taught, or is it something shared “about Jesus Christ,” or is it both. Regardless of how it is defined, the “good news” is something that is meant to evoke a response - like shouting, "We won!" If it matters to those hearing it that we’ve won then there is shouting and jumping and waving of arms. “Good news” is more than just information. It is an event that deeply effects those hearing it for the first time. Imagine if Mark’s opening words were: "The beginning of the victory of Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God"? How might that influence our reading or hearing of the rest of the story?
And QUESTION 3: What does Mark mean when he writes, “Christ, the son of God?” Christ is a Greek word for "anointed" or "Messiah," which probably would have made little sense to Mark’s original audience. The Greeks among them had no concept of messiah while the Hebrews spoke of anointed ones usually in reference to kings and prophets. So, when Mark refers to Jesus as “the son of God,” his Greek readers probably would have had this image in their mind of a physical son, like Hercules son of the god Zeus, while the Hebrews would have had an image of a powerful king.
It seems then that Mark’s beginning words are loaded. As Donald Juel, in his book A Master of Surprise: Mark Interpreted, suggests, "Good news" equals military victory, while "Christ" & "son of God" equals an anointed conquering king (or Greek "super-hero"). Mark begins here so he can then surprise us by radically redefining these terms throughout his story of Jesus as the Son of Man -- the one who will be crucified.
This is really then the beginning of something more than Mark’s book… or of a story about John the Baptist, who points to someone greater, to Jesus who prepares the way for the coming of the Lord God. This IS the beginning of the good news?
For Mark, the beginning of the gospel is not about the birth of Jesus that is found in Matthew and Luke. The beginning is not about Mary, Joseph, angels, manger, shepherds, or wise men. That is what Christmas is all about! For Mark, the beginning is about something else. For Mark the beginning is about John the Baptist, a prophet screaming and baptizing in the wilderness of Judea – a man announcing the coming of someone greater. For Mark, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God.” was about announcement, it was about hope and it was about repentance.
People were drawn to John because he was… well… different. And they were drawn to his message because he understood that God was about to do something that would change people’s lives forever. John was preparing the way for that by living a godly life, by challenging those who had turned away from God, and by pointing the way to the coming Christ who would bring the peace of God to a troubled world.
In the second lesson, Peter describes our wait for the Lord’s coming not as reason to worry but as a gift of time so we might patiently prepare ourselves. We can best understand this by reminding ourselves that the purpose of our discipleship is our preparation for our time with Christ in eternity. Through the work of the indwelling Spirit we are daily molded into the image of Christ. We are made holy. So, we prepare for the day by living as disciples of Christ in three particular ways: 1) by seeking to walk uprightly in the presence of the Lord through prayer, devotion and worship, 2) by living by faith rather than sight and by building up the Christian fellowship by equipping and encouraging, and 3) by reaching out into the world, seeking the lost in the power of the gospel, both in word and deed. By doing these things, the Holy Spirit works within us to change us. It is the Spirit’s doing, not our own.
So, although we approach the coming day living "holy and godly lives", we know that in the end being "found spotless, blameless and at peace with" God is a gift of grace that comes to us through faith. Peter says, God is patient with us. That IS good! I would hate to imagine what would be my just reward if God were not. And still, I am not off the hook, nor are you.
Brian Stoffregen, a Lutheran pastor in Marysville, CA, has written: "Perhaps we need to look at the Advent/Christmas season as a time to begin to hear the good news again for the first time." Maybe as Mark seeks to redefine the good news and Jesus as the Christ/Messiah and Son of God, so Mark seeks to redefine what following Jesus actually means and what life immersed in the Holy Spirit means – all of which point to the cross, a sign of victory or good news for God's anointed, the Son of God.
As we enter the fantasy of the commercial Christmas season, it may be good during Advent to be reminded of the real costs of following that baby who will be born. Maybe it will be the very first time we have heard it. While we probably don't have the same misconceptions about "Christ " or "Son of God" as the ancient Greeks and Hebrews did, our understandings of Jesus’ "victory" and what following him means probably could use some redefining, just as it did for those first readers of Mark.
The way that is being prepared is a way that will lead to suffering and death on the cross. Yet it is also a way to a new beginning - with the cleansing and promising gift of the Holy Spirit. No longer need we be prisoners of the past. No longer are we bound to our idolatry or regret, our greed or our fears. We can begin again.
The sentence “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the son of God,” is not just an introduction; it is, in fact, part of what it anticipates. The good news of Jesus was already at work in the expectancy and preparation, the beginning of the beginning, the “good news” in which we can all be “found at peace?”
Peace to you in Jesus Christ who has come, who is come, and who will come again.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
November 30, 2008 Message
1 Corinthians 1:3-9; Mark 3:24-37 “A Season of Waiting, A Season of Hope”
What would people say if asked this weekend, “What time of year is it?” Would they say, “Fall." "Winter.“ Or would they say, “Thanksgiving, the time of year to be thankful.” Or, “It’s Christmas, the time to shop and all the stuff that goes with the season.” Would anyone say it is Advent? It seems more and more we rush right by Thanksgiving and hurdle over Advent on the way to Christmas, with hardly a pause to give thanks, to settle in after a large dinner and enjoy the day before jumping right into Christmas. After all, we can be thankful anytime. And why have a season where the whole point is waiting? That’s no fun! But still, this is Advent – and this is the season of waiting.
Walmart Shopping Death By Robert D. Mcfadden & Angela Macropoulos New York Times, 11 28/08
The throng of Wal-Mart shoppers had been building all night, filling sidewalks and stretching across a vast parking lot at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, N.Y. At 3:30 a.m., the Nassau County police had to be called in for crowd control, and an officer with a bullhorn pleaded for order.
Tension grew as the 5 a.m. opening neared. Someone taped up a crude poster: “Blitz Line Starts Here.”
By 4:55, with no police officers in sight, the crowd of more than 2,000 had become a rabble, and could be held back no longer. Fists banged and shoulders pressed on the sliding-glass double doors, which bowed in with the weight of the assault. Six to 10 workers inside tried to push back, but it was hopeless.
Suddenly, witnesses and the police said, the doors shattered, and the shrieking mob surged through in a blind rush for holiday bargains. One 34 year old worker, was thrown back onto the black linoleum tiles and trampled in the stampede that streamed over and around him. Others who had stood alongside this man trying to hold the doors were also hurled back and run over, witnesses said.
Some workers who saw what was happening fought their way through the surge to get to the man, but he had been fatally injured, the police said. Emergency workers tried to revive the temporary worker hired for the holiday season, at the scene, but he was pronounced dead an hour later at Franklin Hospital Medical Center in Valley Stream.
Four other people, including a 28-year-old woman who was described as eight months pregnant, were treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
Maybe now is a good time for Advent for all of us.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth, telling them he is thankful for them – and their discipleship as they wait for the revealing of Jesus Christ. God has strengthened them through their sharing of the good news. They are blessed (v. 7), but (as he says later), they tend to dwell on the excitement of the present rather than looking forward to “the revealing of ... Christ,” Jesus coming again. God is “faithful” (v. 9): he will not abandon what he has begun – the time will come. The early church was an Advent people, who were about waiting for the coming of their Lord once again.
And in Mark Jesus answers his disciples question about the coming of the Son of Man when the Temple is destroyed – when will it be? Basically what Jesus says is: when what you have counted on all this time crumbles, when things appear to be the darkest, and everything is falling in on you, the Son of Man will come from heaven and draw his people to him.
Jesus tells Peter, James, John and Andrew, “You’re going to have days like this, all of you. You’ll know, just like when you see a fig tree sprout leaves you know summer can’t be far away. And when it happens, and it will, I will be there with you.” Then he adds, you aren’t going to know when all this is going to happen. Only God knows that. Wait, it will happen. Don’t give up hope. Watch, the Son of God IS coming.
Perhaps like the Advent people of the Exile, who expressed their frustration after years and years uprooted from their “promised land,” we long for God to come into our lives in a tangible way. We want signs of some sort or another. Where is the manna? Where is the pillar of cloud or fire? Where are the plagues? We want God to shake things up a bit, let us know God’s still around.
And like the people of the exile, we are sort of tired of waiting. Maybe we have even given up on God. Concerning our prayers, maybe it’s even like James Brenneman, president of Goshen College, writes: “We have felt nothing, seen nothing, sensed nothing for a long time.” So, what’s the point of “keeping in touch” any more? Brenneman says when you reach the point of “throwing in the towel” or the unhappiness is too heavy to bear and you beg God do something – you have entered Advent.
When all you have is hope – you have entered Advent. And you wait. You wait until “the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” You wait for God to do something because there is nothing you or anyone else can do.
Advent is a season of hope, but it does not begin there. The season begins with hopelessness. This is the context in which the people of God are truly ready to hear a message of grace and new beginnings. When all other options are closed, when we have exhausted our personal resources, and when we have found all our idols wanting, we are ready to receive the newness only the Lord can create. We are ready to receive Jesus as our hope.
Churches even avoid singing Christmas carols during Advent and change the paraments to Purple, a color of remorse (or repentance), as reminders that we are broken people, all of us - to be molded anew by the Master’s hands from what we have become into what we are to become. Both act to remind us to resist “the powers" of commercialism and materialism that can get in the way of their watchfulness for the coming of the Son of Man.
Advent is not so much ABOUT Christ coming, or WHEN Christ comes again, or HOW it’s all going to happen. There is no literal timetable or calendar that one can mark step by step. We are all, Jesus says, like servants whose master has gone on a journey. We have no idea when he is coming back. The only thing we do know about the timing is that when we think we know then for certain it will not be then.
In truth, the Son of Man is always at the door.
Advent is about the fact that Christ has come, and will come, time and time again, as God with us, our Savior. Advent happens every time we come to the Lord’s Table. The Advent of God happens every time we repent, turn form our sins, and seek God’s forgiveness. It is a season when God becomes our Savior - even when we wait in hope.
Advent is about waiting and about watching - waiting by not knowing when, watching by living as Jesus lived, loving as Jesus loved. And Advent is about hope.
What would people say if asked this weekend, “What time of year is it?” Would they say, “Fall." "Winter.“ Or would they say, “Thanksgiving, the time of year to be thankful.” Or, “It’s Christmas, the time to shop and all the stuff that goes with the season.” Would anyone say it is Advent? It seems more and more we rush right by Thanksgiving and hurdle over Advent on the way to Christmas, with hardly a pause to give thanks, to settle in after a large dinner and enjoy the day before jumping right into Christmas. After all, we can be thankful anytime. And why have a season where the whole point is waiting? That’s no fun! But still, this is Advent – and this is the season of waiting.
Walmart Shopping Death By Robert D. Mcfadden & Angela Macropoulos New York Times, 11 28/08
The throng of Wal-Mart shoppers had been building all night, filling sidewalks and stretching across a vast parking lot at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, N.Y. At 3:30 a.m., the Nassau County police had to be called in for crowd control, and an officer with a bullhorn pleaded for order.
Tension grew as the 5 a.m. opening neared. Someone taped up a crude poster: “Blitz Line Starts Here.”
By 4:55, with no police officers in sight, the crowd of more than 2,000 had become a rabble, and could be held back no longer. Fists banged and shoulders pressed on the sliding-glass double doors, which bowed in with the weight of the assault. Six to 10 workers inside tried to push back, but it was hopeless.
Suddenly, witnesses and the police said, the doors shattered, and the shrieking mob surged through in a blind rush for holiday bargains. One 34 year old worker, was thrown back onto the black linoleum tiles and trampled in the stampede that streamed over and around him. Others who had stood alongside this man trying to hold the doors were also hurled back and run over, witnesses said.
Some workers who saw what was happening fought their way through the surge to get to the man, but he had been fatally injured, the police said. Emergency workers tried to revive the temporary worker hired for the holiday season, at the scene, but he was pronounced dead an hour later at Franklin Hospital Medical Center in Valley Stream.
Four other people, including a 28-year-old woman who was described as eight months pregnant, were treated at the hospital for minor injuries.
Maybe now is a good time for Advent for all of us.
Paul writes to the church at Corinth, telling them he is thankful for them – and their discipleship as they wait for the revealing of Jesus Christ. God has strengthened them through their sharing of the good news. They are blessed (v. 7), but (as he says later), they tend to dwell on the excitement of the present rather than looking forward to “the revealing of ... Christ,” Jesus coming again. God is “faithful” (v. 9): he will not abandon what he has begun – the time will come. The early church was an Advent people, who were about waiting for the coming of their Lord once again.
And in Mark Jesus answers his disciples question about the coming of the Son of Man when the Temple is destroyed – when will it be? Basically what Jesus says is: when what you have counted on all this time crumbles, when things appear to be the darkest, and everything is falling in on you, the Son of Man will come from heaven and draw his people to him.
Jesus tells Peter, James, John and Andrew, “You’re going to have days like this, all of you. You’ll know, just like when you see a fig tree sprout leaves you know summer can’t be far away. And when it happens, and it will, I will be there with you.” Then he adds, you aren’t going to know when all this is going to happen. Only God knows that. Wait, it will happen. Don’t give up hope. Watch, the Son of God IS coming.
Perhaps like the Advent people of the Exile, who expressed their frustration after years and years uprooted from their “promised land,” we long for God to come into our lives in a tangible way. We want signs of some sort or another. Where is the manna? Where is the pillar of cloud or fire? Where are the plagues? We want God to shake things up a bit, let us know God’s still around.
And like the people of the exile, we are sort of tired of waiting. Maybe we have even given up on God. Concerning our prayers, maybe it’s even like James Brenneman, president of Goshen College, writes: “We have felt nothing, seen nothing, sensed nothing for a long time.” So, what’s the point of “keeping in touch” any more? Brenneman says when you reach the point of “throwing in the towel” or the unhappiness is too heavy to bear and you beg God do something – you have entered Advent.
When all you have is hope – you have entered Advent. And you wait. You wait until “the powers in the heavens will be shaken.” You wait for God to do something because there is nothing you or anyone else can do.
Advent is a season of hope, but it does not begin there. The season begins with hopelessness. This is the context in which the people of God are truly ready to hear a message of grace and new beginnings. When all other options are closed, when we have exhausted our personal resources, and when we have found all our idols wanting, we are ready to receive the newness only the Lord can create. We are ready to receive Jesus as our hope.
Churches even avoid singing Christmas carols during Advent and change the paraments to Purple, a color of remorse (or repentance), as reminders that we are broken people, all of us - to be molded anew by the Master’s hands from what we have become into what we are to become. Both act to remind us to resist “the powers" of commercialism and materialism that can get in the way of their watchfulness for the coming of the Son of Man.
Advent is not so much ABOUT Christ coming, or WHEN Christ comes again, or HOW it’s all going to happen. There is no literal timetable or calendar that one can mark step by step. We are all, Jesus says, like servants whose master has gone on a journey. We have no idea when he is coming back. The only thing we do know about the timing is that when we think we know then for certain it will not be then.
In truth, the Son of Man is always at the door.
Advent is about the fact that Christ has come, and will come, time and time again, as God with us, our Savior. Advent happens every time we come to the Lord’s Table. The Advent of God happens every time we repent, turn form our sins, and seek God’s forgiveness. It is a season when God becomes our Savior - even when we wait in hope.
Advent is about waiting and about watching - waiting by not knowing when, watching by living as Jesus lived, loving as Jesus loved. And Advent is about hope.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
November 23, 2008 Message
Ephesians 1:15-23, Matthew 25:31-46 (Ezekiel 34:11-24)
Does Matthew's judgment story — this stark account of the second coming of Christ — cause you to think about what really matters in life and in the season ahead? Is it in some ways unsettling? I imagine for some, it is. I know it is for me.
Perhaps it would help us better understand the gospel if we also look at Ezekiel 34:11-24. Here, Ezekiel writes: “The Lord God says, ‘As shepherds seek out their flocks, I will search for my sheep. I will seek them out. I will rescue them. I will bring them into their own land. I will feed them with good pasture. I will give them rest. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but I will put an end to the fat and the strong. I will deal justly with them.’”
Ezekiel informs us of the unconditional love of God. It tells about a shepherd involved in a search-and-rescue mission, for the purpose of restoration, rather than punishment. Once found, his sheep will be given what is needed for wholeness and peace. However, Ezekiel also points out that it is important how the sheep treat one another. How we live with one another within the community of faith is important to God and God’s justice.
Just as Ezekiel spells out what is God’s to do, Matthew teaches what is ours to do on God's behalf if we truly believe that Christ is among us.
We are to live as if Christ is in other people, even the stranger we may have reason to fear; or the prisoner who may have done some awful things; or the sick we'd rather overlook because their lifestyle may have contributed to their illness; or the hungry who should have been able to take care of themselves. If we cannot imagine Christ in those who are the “least of these,” and in those God has placed before us, how in the world can we respond to Christ in the world?
Not only does it require our imagination to find Christ in others, it is also necessary for us to resist the tendency to be apathetic, that twisting of imagination that gives us, in the words of Fred Craddock, "the ability to look at a starving child . . . with a swollen stomach and say, 'Well, it's not my kid.' To look at a recent widow . . . and say, 'It's not my mom.' Or to see an old man sitting alone in the park and say, 'Well . . . that's not my dad.' It is that ability to look out upon everything God made and say, I don't care."
Craddock moves us out of our comfort zone. And we think: "I'm a good person, and I do care." But how does that hold up to Matthew 25 and the Son of Man who comes in glory? "When was it that we saw you, Lord?" we ask, dumbfounded. The thing to note about this question is that it is asked by both the righteous, who are unaware of the good they have done, and by the not so good, who are unaware that they've done anything wrong. And this is the heart of the matter. The human imagination, battered and torn by our fears and limitations, comes from a God who asks us to see our selves and our world in a new way. How we choose to return this remarkable gift to God is entirely up to us.
What is it God wants? The decisive factor for the separation of the sheep from the goats was a simple yardstick for righteousness easily found in Micah 6:8, which says: "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Both the sheep and the goats were judged by their responses to those around them who were extremely poor, strangers, prisoners, or suffering from illness. Although we do not believe in salvation through works of righteousness, it does seem to follow that God is very concerned about our responses to the countless needs around us. In what ways then can we, as a church and as individuals, respond more faithfully to the cries of those who are poor, strangers, prisoners, or suffering from illness.
Who are the least of these? In Jesus' day, the marginalized were easily definable: they were those who were hungry, who needed clothing, who were imprisoned, and those who were outsides, even in their own families. If you were asked today to define the “least” in our society or in this community, who would they be? And what is it they might need? Perhaps we could take a moment, right now, to open ourselves to what those needs might be.
[30 seconds of silence]
In Ezekiel, Christ our Lord and King is a shepherd intent on gathering sheep that have been scattered, healing them, taking them home, and restoring them to their own pastures. In Ephesians, we find Christ our Lord and King, the crucified, ruling over all thrones and powers and dominions. And in Matthew, Christ our Lord and King is a judge proclaiming that truly serving the “least of these” is what is required for inheriting the Father’s kingdom.
In each case, the world's usual expectations are turned upside down. This King goes looking for “his sheep” rather than their coming to him. This King achieves his position by what God has done rather than through something he has done. For this King, the degree of God's blessing is based upon what has been done to bless the “forgotten” of the world rather than on signs of worldly success.
The implications for us then are huge. If citizens of a kingdom are to "look like" their king - if disciples are to look land live like their master – we will find ourselves actually “going out looking” for the lost (reaching out to others), recognizing God’s part in our being where we are at, and becoming a blessing to the “forgotten” of the world and this community. And when we do, we will become inheritors of God's kingdom ourselves. Then again, should we not, Jesus says we might expect something else, not necessarily to our liking.
So - what's going on in the life of our church that looks like a shepherd going out after all the scattered sheep, healing them, and bringing them home? Where do you see Jesus being exalted? And where do you see the “least of these” being cared for in a way that folks aren’t even aware they've done it?
It is in those kinds of things Jesus is exalted as King today, the places the gospels are proclaimed, and as Paul says - the signs to be seen, the good news to give thanks for, and the source of our praise.
Look. Listen. Feel this power at work around you. And rejoice in our King!
Does Matthew's judgment story — this stark account of the second coming of Christ — cause you to think about what really matters in life and in the season ahead? Is it in some ways unsettling? I imagine for some, it is. I know it is for me.
Perhaps it would help us better understand the gospel if we also look at Ezekiel 34:11-24. Here, Ezekiel writes: “The Lord God says, ‘As shepherds seek out their flocks, I will search for my sheep. I will seek them out. I will rescue them. I will bring them into their own land. I will feed them with good pasture. I will give them rest. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but I will put an end to the fat and the strong. I will deal justly with them.’”
Ezekiel informs us of the unconditional love of God. It tells about a shepherd involved in a search-and-rescue mission, for the purpose of restoration, rather than punishment. Once found, his sheep will be given what is needed for wholeness and peace. However, Ezekiel also points out that it is important how the sheep treat one another. How we live with one another within the community of faith is important to God and God’s justice.
Just as Ezekiel spells out what is God’s to do, Matthew teaches what is ours to do on God's behalf if we truly believe that Christ is among us.
We are to live as if Christ is in other people, even the stranger we may have reason to fear; or the prisoner who may have done some awful things; or the sick we'd rather overlook because their lifestyle may have contributed to their illness; or the hungry who should have been able to take care of themselves. If we cannot imagine Christ in those who are the “least of these,” and in those God has placed before us, how in the world can we respond to Christ in the world?
Not only does it require our imagination to find Christ in others, it is also necessary for us to resist the tendency to be apathetic, that twisting of imagination that gives us, in the words of Fred Craddock, "the ability to look at a starving child . . . with a swollen stomach and say, 'Well, it's not my kid.' To look at a recent widow . . . and say, 'It's not my mom.' Or to see an old man sitting alone in the park and say, 'Well . . . that's not my dad.' It is that ability to look out upon everything God made and say, I don't care."
Craddock moves us out of our comfort zone. And we think: "I'm a good person, and I do care." But how does that hold up to Matthew 25 and the Son of Man who comes in glory? "When was it that we saw you, Lord?" we ask, dumbfounded. The thing to note about this question is that it is asked by both the righteous, who are unaware of the good they have done, and by the not so good, who are unaware that they've done anything wrong. And this is the heart of the matter. The human imagination, battered and torn by our fears and limitations, comes from a God who asks us to see our selves and our world in a new way. How we choose to return this remarkable gift to God is entirely up to us.
What is it God wants? The decisive factor for the separation of the sheep from the goats was a simple yardstick for righteousness easily found in Micah 6:8, which says: "What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
Both the sheep and the goats were judged by their responses to those around them who were extremely poor, strangers, prisoners, or suffering from illness. Although we do not believe in salvation through works of righteousness, it does seem to follow that God is very concerned about our responses to the countless needs around us. In what ways then can we, as a church and as individuals, respond more faithfully to the cries of those who are poor, strangers, prisoners, or suffering from illness.
Who are the least of these? In Jesus' day, the marginalized were easily definable: they were those who were hungry, who needed clothing, who were imprisoned, and those who were outsides, even in their own families. If you were asked today to define the “least” in our society or in this community, who would they be? And what is it they might need? Perhaps we could take a moment, right now, to open ourselves to what those needs might be.
[30 seconds of silence]
In Ezekiel, Christ our Lord and King is a shepherd intent on gathering sheep that have been scattered, healing them, taking them home, and restoring them to their own pastures. In Ephesians, we find Christ our Lord and King, the crucified, ruling over all thrones and powers and dominions. And in Matthew, Christ our Lord and King is a judge proclaiming that truly serving the “least of these” is what is required for inheriting the Father’s kingdom.
In each case, the world's usual expectations are turned upside down. This King goes looking for “his sheep” rather than their coming to him. This King achieves his position by what God has done rather than through something he has done. For this King, the degree of God's blessing is based upon what has been done to bless the “forgotten” of the world rather than on signs of worldly success.
The implications for us then are huge. If citizens of a kingdom are to "look like" their king - if disciples are to look land live like their master – we will find ourselves actually “going out looking” for the lost (reaching out to others), recognizing God’s part in our being where we are at, and becoming a blessing to the “forgotten” of the world and this community. And when we do, we will become inheritors of God's kingdom ourselves. Then again, should we not, Jesus says we might expect something else, not necessarily to our liking.
So - what's going on in the life of our church that looks like a shepherd going out after all the scattered sheep, healing them, and bringing them home? Where do you see Jesus being exalted? And where do you see the “least of these” being cared for in a way that folks aren’t even aware they've done it?
It is in those kinds of things Jesus is exalted as King today, the places the gospels are proclaimed, and as Paul says - the signs to be seen, the good news to give thanks for, and the source of our praise.
Look. Listen. Feel this power at work around you. And rejoice in our King!
Sunday, November 16, 2008
November 16, 2008 Message
Sorry, there is no manuscript for today's message which was given "off the cuff" as we concluded our special study of the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Special thanks to Bob, Don, April, and Sally who each gave a personal witness to the fruits of the Spirit.
Bulletin Handout Today
THE FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL CONGREGATIONS
“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” –Romans 1:7
WHAT IS RADICAL HOSPITALITY?
It is the hospitality of Christ - to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they might find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. We are called to pray, plan, prepare, and work toward the purpose of helping others receive what we have received in Christ.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Did you practice Christ-centered hospitality in church today?
2. Is hospitality your responsibility or someone else’s?
3. What might you do in the way of hospitality next Sunday?
Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. I will lift up my hands and call on Your name. —Psalm 63:1,4
WHAT IS PASSIONATE WORSHIP?
It is a means of grace through which we can grow spiritually by connecting with God. It includes prayer, praise, song, the reading and interpretation of scripture and most essentially, our response. Passionate worship is essential to the life of the Church, and is necessary to Christian fellowship and spiritual growth.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Did you feel connected with God in today’s worship?
2. What were your expectations concerning worship?
3. How will you contribute to the worship experience of others?
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”–Acts 2:42
WHAT IS INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT?
It describes the practice of congregations that view the ministries of Christian education and formation, small group work, and Bible study as absolutely critical to their mission. Christian disciples work to develop their faith and grow in Christ-likeness through study and learning together.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Has your faith grown this past week because of something intention you have done?
2. Did you participate in a study/small group this week?
3. What might you do to intentionally grow you faith?
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
who are members of my family, you did it to me.”–Matthew 25:40
WHAT IS RISK-TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE?
It includes the projects, the efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ. It is work that stretches people, causing them to do something for the good of others that they would never have considered doing if it were not for their relationship with Christ and a desire to serve him.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Does our church provide opportunities for mission/service?
2. Did you serve others for Christ this past week?
3. How might you serve others through this church?
“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us.” –2 Corinthians 9:11
WHAT IS EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY?
It emphasizes mission, purpose, and life-changing results. Giving generously reprioritizes lives and strengthens faith. Instead of giving God the leftovers at the end of the month tithing puts God first by saying, “God really is Lord of our lives, and we do not give into society’s expectations, our possessions, or our appetites.”
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Does our church encourage proportional giving and tithing as a means to strengthen faith?
2. Do you tithe (give 10% of income) or give proportionally?
3. How might your giving reflect God’s gifts to you?
Bulletin Handout Today
THE FIVE PRACTICES OF FRUITFUL CONGREGATIONS
“Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” –Romans 1:7
WHAT IS RADICAL HOSPITALITY?
It is the hospitality of Christ - to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they might find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ. We are called to pray, plan, prepare, and work toward the purpose of helping others receive what we have received in Christ.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Did you practice Christ-centered hospitality in church today?
2. Is hospitality your responsibility or someone else’s?
3. What might you do in the way of hospitality next Sunday?
Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. I will lift up my hands and call on Your name. —Psalm 63:1,4
WHAT IS PASSIONATE WORSHIP?
It is a means of grace through which we can grow spiritually by connecting with God. It includes prayer, praise, song, the reading and interpretation of scripture and most essentially, our response. Passionate worship is essential to the life of the Church, and is necessary to Christian fellowship and spiritual growth.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Did you feel connected with God in today’s worship?
2. What were your expectations concerning worship?
3. How will you contribute to the worship experience of others?
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”–Acts 2:42
WHAT IS INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT?
It describes the practice of congregations that view the ministries of Christian education and formation, small group work, and Bible study as absolutely critical to their mission. Christian disciples work to develop their faith and grow in Christ-likeness through study and learning together.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Has your faith grown this past week because of something intention you have done?
2. Did you participate in a study/small group this week?
3. What might you do to intentionally grow you faith?
“Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these
who are members of my family, you did it to me.”–Matthew 25:40
WHAT IS RISK-TAKING MISSION AND SERVICE?
It includes the projects, the efforts, and work people do to make a positive difference in the lives of others for the purposes of Christ. It is work that stretches people, causing them to do something for the good of others that they would never have considered doing if it were not for their relationship with Christ and a desire to serve him.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Does our church provide opportunities for mission/service?
2. Did you serve others for Christ this past week?
3. How might you serve others through this church?
“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity, which will produce thanksgiving to God through us.” –2 Corinthians 9:11
WHAT IS EXTRAVAGANT GENEROSITY?
It emphasizes mission, purpose, and life-changing results. Giving generously reprioritizes lives and strengthens faith. Instead of giving God the leftovers at the end of the month tithing puts God first by saying, “God really is Lord of our lives, and we do not give into society’s expectations, our possessions, or our appetites.”
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
1. Does our church encourage proportional giving and tithing as a means to strengthen faith?
2. Do you tithe (give 10% of income) or give proportionally?
3. How might your giving reflect God’s gifts to you?
Saturday, November 8, 2008
November 9, 2008 Message
Exodus 35:5; 2 Corinthians 8:1-15; Luke 12:15-21
“Extravagant Generosity”
When was the last time you got excited about 'Church Giving'? If you are honest, your answer might very well be, “Never!” – unless we count the times someone has asked us to give more. We get excited then don’t we? But I mean excited in a good sort of way - feeling positive about our giving, about our generosity. Throughout the history of the church, from the First century to today, Christians everywhere have discovered this one truth – that generosity enlarges the soul, realigns priorities, connects people to the Body of Christ, and strengthens congregations to fulfill Christ’s ministries.
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity. People give generously to their church because they genuinely want to make a positive difference for Christ through the work of the church. They seek a higher purpose. They give because they love God and want to grow in love of neighbor. They give in response to the Spirit’s urging. They give joyously, generously, and consistently – and when they do, they feel good about themselves and what they have done. And because of all this, the ministries of the church are enriched and strengthened.
Generous congregations thrive with the joy of abundance rather than starve with the fear of scarcity.
There is a story about a children’s Sunday school class. The teacher was talking to them about the needs of a missionary the church was supporting and how they could help. She said, “Why don’t we give the missionary a million dollars?” And the class all cheered except for one little girl who thought it a lot to give.
Then the teacher said, “That’s a lot of money, I suppose, maybe we could give the missionary a hundred thousand dollars?” And again everyone cheered except for the little girl who again thought it a lot to give.
“How about a thousand dollars?” she asked. Again they all cheered except for the little girl. Then she said, “Well, what if we each gave the missionary one dollar?”
And a little boy who had been cheering all this time said, “No way!” When the teacher asked why not, he said, “Because I have a dollar!”
Extravagant Generosity is giving up “our dollar” or even more when we have it to give.
Generosity enlarges the soul and realigns priorities.. In the middle of a crowd someone yelled to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share… “ But Jesus’ response wasn’t about sharing or about being fair, it was about selfishness and self-centeredness. Jesus said, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Then he told a parable.
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are rich beyond measure, aren’t we? So, what kind of giving suits us? And what does it mean for our generosity to be extravagant?
There is a story about Oprah Winfrey that could be true, although it is not. It seems Oprah was on her way to the studio one day to tape her TV program when a street beggar, quite boldly, approached her for help. He was hungry and asked for money for a hot meal. Oprah after hearing his request reached in her purse and then handed him a hundred dollar bill.
One of Oprah’s assistants was stunned at her generosity and said to her, “Wouldn’t ten dollars have met the beggar’s need. Why give him a hundred dollars?”
Oprah responded with the kind of conviction and certainty that characterized her accomplishments: “A ten dollar bill would have met his need, but a hundred dollars meets my giving.”
Extravagant giving suits who we are – followers of Jesus Christ – because it mirrors and mimics that of our Lord.
Generosity connects people to the Body of Christ. And as the Body of Christ we are able to continue the mission of Jesus Christ. Yet as much as we want to be part of that body, we somehow keep falling short. Being generous is hard. It’s our money right? Bishop Schnase says the one part of our lives that is the hardest to give over to the lordship of Jesus Christ is the financial part. As followers of Jesus we must ask whether we have allowed our wallets to be baptized along with the rest of us.
Giving reflects the nature of God. God’s treasure is love – for us. And that love is given generously to all creation. That is God’s nature. Jesus says to us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Those words emphasize not only that how we spend our money reveals what sort of people we already are, but also what sort of people we become. Martin Luther, who sparked the Protestant Reformation, said “every Christian needs to experience three conversions: a conversion of the heart, a conversion of the mind, and a conversion of the purse.” Luther understood that unless we commit ourselves, including our money – to God, without reservation—unless we make Extravagant Generosity part of our spiritual formation—we will fall short.
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity. In our study of the five fruitful practices, we are invited to practice living in an extravagantly generous way not because the church wants to be the object of our generosity but because it will change us. If we put our treasure—even our money—into our faith, our hearts will follow it there. The church’s task is to be a starting place for our doing just that. We are people who are on the same team, encouraging this faith developing skill in all of us.
Generosity strengthens congregations to fulfill Christ’s ministries. When those in the church practice Extravagant Generosity, the church radiates the resurrection life in this world; it reveals to the world that the kingdom of God has come into the present, and that this world, with all of its need, matters to God. In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes of the church at Macedonia, “…they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means,” (2 Cor. 8:4) and “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.” (2 Cor. 8:15)
Our giving, as Christian disciples, is a response to God’s call to make a difference in the world. Growing in the grace of giving is part of the Christian journey of faith, a response Christian disciples offer to God’s call to make a difference in the world.
Allan R. Bevere, First United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Ohio tells of a man he knew who practiced Extravagant Generosity in his life. The man was a mechanic who had saved and worked hard so he could buy a brand new car.
This man had a neighbor, an elderly widow, who drove a car that had seen its better days. Every time her car had a problem, the man would fix it for her free of charge because her income was fixed and was quite low. Sometimes he would accept a little for the cost of the parts because she insisted.
One Saturday, working once again on her car, he realized he was able to deal with her car and its problems, including the possibility of stalling by the side of the road, a lot better than she was so he drove his new car over to her house, and insisted she trade her car for his.
That’s the kind of generosity that should characterize all followers of Jesus Christ and suit who we are as the children of a loving and generous God, made in God’s image. Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity.
Partial source: “Children of God Practice Extravagant Generosity” by Allan R. Bevere, First UMC, Cambridge, Ohio
“Extravagant Generosity”
When was the last time you got excited about 'Church Giving'? If you are honest, your answer might very well be, “Never!” – unless we count the times someone has asked us to give more. We get excited then don’t we? But I mean excited in a good sort of way - feeling positive about our giving, about our generosity. Throughout the history of the church, from the First century to today, Christians everywhere have discovered this one truth – that generosity enlarges the soul, realigns priorities, connects people to the Body of Christ, and strengthens congregations to fulfill Christ’s ministries.
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity. People give generously to their church because they genuinely want to make a positive difference for Christ through the work of the church. They seek a higher purpose. They give because they love God and want to grow in love of neighbor. They give in response to the Spirit’s urging. They give joyously, generously, and consistently – and when they do, they feel good about themselves and what they have done. And because of all this, the ministries of the church are enriched and strengthened.
Generous congregations thrive with the joy of abundance rather than starve with the fear of scarcity.
There is a story about a children’s Sunday school class. The teacher was talking to them about the needs of a missionary the church was supporting and how they could help. She said, “Why don’t we give the missionary a million dollars?” And the class all cheered except for one little girl who thought it a lot to give.
Then the teacher said, “That’s a lot of money, I suppose, maybe we could give the missionary a hundred thousand dollars?” And again everyone cheered except for the little girl who again thought it a lot to give.
“How about a thousand dollars?” she asked. Again they all cheered except for the little girl. Then she said, “Well, what if we each gave the missionary one dollar?”
And a little boy who had been cheering all this time said, “No way!” When the teacher asked why not, he said, “Because I have a dollar!”
Extravagant Generosity is giving up “our dollar” or even more when we have it to give.
Generosity enlarges the soul and realigns priorities.. In the middle of a crowd someone yelled to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to share… “ But Jesus’ response wasn’t about sharing or about being fair, it was about selfishness and self-centeredness. Jesus said, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Then he told a parable.
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are rich beyond measure, aren’t we? So, what kind of giving suits us? And what does it mean for our generosity to be extravagant?
There is a story about Oprah Winfrey that could be true, although it is not. It seems Oprah was on her way to the studio one day to tape her TV program when a street beggar, quite boldly, approached her for help. He was hungry and asked for money for a hot meal. Oprah after hearing his request reached in her purse and then handed him a hundred dollar bill.
One of Oprah’s assistants was stunned at her generosity and said to her, “Wouldn’t ten dollars have met the beggar’s need. Why give him a hundred dollars?”
Oprah responded with the kind of conviction and certainty that characterized her accomplishments: “A ten dollar bill would have met his need, but a hundred dollars meets my giving.”
Extravagant giving suits who we are – followers of Jesus Christ – because it mirrors and mimics that of our Lord.
Generosity connects people to the Body of Christ. And as the Body of Christ we are able to continue the mission of Jesus Christ. Yet as much as we want to be part of that body, we somehow keep falling short. Being generous is hard. It’s our money right? Bishop Schnase says the one part of our lives that is the hardest to give over to the lordship of Jesus Christ is the financial part. As followers of Jesus we must ask whether we have allowed our wallets to be baptized along with the rest of us.
Giving reflects the nature of God. God’s treasure is love – for us. And that love is given generously to all creation. That is God’s nature. Jesus says to us, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Those words emphasize not only that how we spend our money reveals what sort of people we already are, but also what sort of people we become. Martin Luther, who sparked the Protestant Reformation, said “every Christian needs to experience three conversions: a conversion of the heart, a conversion of the mind, and a conversion of the purse.” Luther understood that unless we commit ourselves, including our money – to God, without reservation—unless we make Extravagant Generosity part of our spiritual formation—we will fall short.
Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity. In our study of the five fruitful practices, we are invited to practice living in an extravagantly generous way not because the church wants to be the object of our generosity but because it will change us. If we put our treasure—even our money—into our faith, our hearts will follow it there. The church’s task is to be a starting place for our doing just that. We are people who are on the same team, encouraging this faith developing skill in all of us.
Generosity strengthens congregations to fulfill Christ’s ministries. When those in the church practice Extravagant Generosity, the church radiates the resurrection life in this world; it reveals to the world that the kingdom of God has come into the present, and that this world, with all of its need, matters to God. In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul writes of the church at Macedonia, “…they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means,” (2 Cor. 8:4) and “The one who had much did not have too much, and the one who had little did not have too little.” (2 Cor. 8:15)
Our giving, as Christian disciples, is a response to God’s call to make a difference in the world. Growing in the grace of giving is part of the Christian journey of faith, a response Christian disciples offer to God’s call to make a difference in the world.
Allan R. Bevere, First United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Ohio tells of a man he knew who practiced Extravagant Generosity in his life. The man was a mechanic who had saved and worked hard so he could buy a brand new car.
This man had a neighbor, an elderly widow, who drove a car that had seen its better days. Every time her car had a problem, the man would fix it for her free of charge because her income was fixed and was quite low. Sometimes he would accept a little for the cost of the parts because she insisted.
One Saturday, working once again on her car, he realized he was able to deal with her car and its problems, including the possibility of stalling by the side of the road, a lot better than she was so he drove his new car over to her house, and insisted she trade her car for his.
That’s the kind of generosity that should characterize all followers of Jesus Christ and suit who we are as the children of a loving and generous God, made in God’s image. Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregations practice extravagant generosity.
Partial source: “Children of God Practice Extravagant Generosity” by Allan R. Bevere, First UMC, Cambridge, Ohio
Sunday, November 2, 2008
November 2, 2008 Message
Matthew 5:13; 25:40-4
"Risk-Taking Mission and Service"
One of John Wesley’s most famous sermons is “Almost Christians,” which he gave to the professors at Oxford University. In that sermon he talked about how many wonderful people there are in the world—people (just like us) who are trying to do the right thing but whose lives may not have been fully captured by Jesus Christ. So, what does a church look like that is filled with people who have been fully captured by Jesus Christ? And what kind of things is a church like that involved in that would make a difference?
So often ‘church talk’ is about accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior and the promise of eternal life it provides. Then, that’s it. It’s as if we just sit back and wait, either until Jesus comes again or until we die. Now don’t get me wrong, our salvation is important, and eternal life is a good thing, but Jesus calls us to more. He calls us to work to bring about the kingdom of God now. Think about what Jesus said: “The kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15). It’s something happening in the present tense – it is near and happening now. Those captured and transformed by Jesus have the responsibility to be involved in bringing about the kingdom of God now, not only for themselves but for others as well. It is up to us to do what God requires of us all: “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8), and to do it now, not later.
Risk-taking mission and service is about meeting people where they are, helping them, and then together discovering what God will do in our lives. It is doing the right thing because God would have us do it. Isn’t that what Scripture tells us? “Just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” (Jam. 1:22) “If I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:2) As the body of Christ we are called to continue Jesus’ mission to “bring good news to the poor… to proclaim release of the captives… to let the oppressed go free….” (Luke 4: 18-19)
Congregations involved in risk-taking mission and service are different from other congregations. They do not ask how much a program costs; they ask how many people it will reach. They don’t talk about their seating capacity; they talk about their sending capacity. For them, it’s a matter of how many people they can send out to be involved and engaged in changing other peoples’ lives in the name of Jesus Christ. Such congregations are concerned with what is yet to be done WITH the people in need.
Our texts from Matthew are tough ones today. Jesus tells us, his followers, “be salt of the earth.” He says we have a responsibility – God’s work is ours to do. A lot of times we would rather not have that responsibility. We would rather not be salt. Being ‘salt’ that improves or changes people’s lives can be difficult. Being involved in risk-taking mission and service takes us out of our comfort zones. It is easier not to get involved.
Because, as we practice risk-taking mission and service, God’s Spirit changes us, changes others, and changes our churches. In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about those over here and those over there – the sheep and the goats; he says to be over here, we are to clothe and feed and give drink and visit and comfort. It almost sounds like what we do gets us over here. And yet we know what Jesus has done is what presents us worthy before God. It is what Jesus has done that makes us so we can be over here.
Think about it, in Jesus’ story the people declared righteous don’t even know that they are righteous? “Lord, when did we care for you?” they ask. Doesn’t that tell us it’s not a matter of having a “to do” list of what must be done to be “good.” Rather, Jesus’ Spirit works to make them “good” so they can help wherever there is a need.
We are told that the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God. Does that mean we don’t earn the kingdom of God? It does! An inheritance is a gift, dependant upon the giver and given because of the recipients relationship to the giver. The kingdom of God is a gift given by God to us, because of a relationship with God. And our reaching out to serve others—of taking risks and being ‘salty,’ so lives can be transformed—has everything to do with our view of that gift and God’s grace.
If we think of God’s grace as something we earn, it is easy for us to be critical of other people and think their circumstance is their own doing. But when we understand God’s grace is a gift to us, given through Jesus Christ—then we realize how fine the line is between those of us who have what we need and those of us who do not. Seeing God’s grace as a gift opens us to reaching out in service and love to everyone in need.
Risk is relative. It is not the same for everyone. For some, it might be going out and buying things to be given to those in need. For others, it might be taking a meal to a shut-in; or going to Cedar Rapids to prepare a meal for relief workers or the homeless; or going out of state or even outside the United States to minister to others. Risk is relative and changes over time.
There are times we are faced with things that seem way too big – that go beyond risk. There doesn’t seem to be anything we can do. Yet, what we do in the name of Jesus Christ matters – doesn’t it? God calls us to do what we can. No matter how large the problem or what part of it we choose to address, what we do matters.
Being afraid of doing the wrong thing can keep us from doing anything. We don’t want to do the wrong thing and make it worse, so we do nothing. Yet when things are done in the name of Jesus Christ and with the inspiration of Jesus Christ, God redeems that work. If you feel a nudge to reach out to others, by all means do it, God will use it.
We have promised to support this church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our witness, and our service. This pledge includes the service we do for the purposes of Christ in the community as representatives of the congregation. As you look around in this community – as part of this church – where is our service needed and what are we being called to do that will not only serve others but will also build up the body of Christ?
Service projects become an entry point into the life of Christ. God uses them as a means to shape faith and to bind people into the body of Christ. Have you been nudged this week? Have you seen something on the TV news that has caused a lump in your throat or read about an injustice in the newspaper that has upset you a little bit? That’s God saying, “Hey, maybe you can help with this. Maybe you need to get involved.”
Someone has said that when Jesus Christ comes into our heart, he brings all of humanity’s needs with him. Is God nudging you? How are you going to join with those who are seeking to make the kingdom of God a reality today – and make it so, in Christ’s name. Amen
Sources:
"Claiming the Yet-To-Be in the Now", by Dan Jackson, New Covenant UMC, The Villages, FL
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Robert Schnase, Abingdon Press, 2007
"Risk-Taking Mission and Service"
One of John Wesley’s most famous sermons is “Almost Christians,” which he gave to the professors at Oxford University. In that sermon he talked about how many wonderful people there are in the world—people (just like us) who are trying to do the right thing but whose lives may not have been fully captured by Jesus Christ. So, what does a church look like that is filled with people who have been fully captured by Jesus Christ? And what kind of things is a church like that involved in that would make a difference?
So often ‘church talk’ is about accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior and the promise of eternal life it provides. Then, that’s it. It’s as if we just sit back and wait, either until Jesus comes again or until we die. Now don’t get me wrong, our salvation is important, and eternal life is a good thing, but Jesus calls us to more. He calls us to work to bring about the kingdom of God now. Think about what Jesus said: “The kingdom of God has come near” (Mark 1:15). It’s something happening in the present tense – it is near and happening now. Those captured and transformed by Jesus have the responsibility to be involved in bringing about the kingdom of God now, not only for themselves but for others as well. It is up to us to do what God requires of us all: “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8), and to do it now, not later.
Risk-taking mission and service is about meeting people where they are, helping them, and then together discovering what God will do in our lives. It is doing the right thing because God would have us do it. Isn’t that what Scripture tells us? “Just as you did it to one of the least of these, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) “Be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” (Jam. 1:22) “If I have all faith, so as to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:2) As the body of Christ we are called to continue Jesus’ mission to “bring good news to the poor… to proclaim release of the captives… to let the oppressed go free….” (Luke 4: 18-19)
Congregations involved in risk-taking mission and service are different from other congregations. They do not ask how much a program costs; they ask how many people it will reach. They don’t talk about their seating capacity; they talk about their sending capacity. For them, it’s a matter of how many people they can send out to be involved and engaged in changing other peoples’ lives in the name of Jesus Christ. Such congregations are concerned with what is yet to be done WITH the people in need.
Our texts from Matthew are tough ones today. Jesus tells us, his followers, “be salt of the earth.” He says we have a responsibility – God’s work is ours to do. A lot of times we would rather not have that responsibility. We would rather not be salt. Being ‘salt’ that improves or changes people’s lives can be difficult. Being involved in risk-taking mission and service takes us out of our comfort zones. It is easier not to get involved.
Because, as we practice risk-taking mission and service, God’s Spirit changes us, changes others, and changes our churches. In Matthew 25, Jesus talks about those over here and those over there – the sheep and the goats; he says to be over here, we are to clothe and feed and give drink and visit and comfort. It almost sounds like what we do gets us over here. And yet we know what Jesus has done is what presents us worthy before God. It is what Jesus has done that makes us so we can be over here.
Think about it, in Jesus’ story the people declared righteous don’t even know that they are righteous? “Lord, when did we care for you?” they ask. Doesn’t that tell us it’s not a matter of having a “to do” list of what must be done to be “good.” Rather, Jesus’ Spirit works to make them “good” so they can help wherever there is a need.
We are told that the righteous will inherit the kingdom of God. Does that mean we don’t earn the kingdom of God? It does! An inheritance is a gift, dependant upon the giver and given because of the recipients relationship to the giver. The kingdom of God is a gift given by God to us, because of a relationship with God. And our reaching out to serve others—of taking risks and being ‘salty,’ so lives can be transformed—has everything to do with our view of that gift and God’s grace.
If we think of God’s grace as something we earn, it is easy for us to be critical of other people and think their circumstance is their own doing. But when we understand God’s grace is a gift to us, given through Jesus Christ—then we realize how fine the line is between those of us who have what we need and those of us who do not. Seeing God’s grace as a gift opens us to reaching out in service and love to everyone in need.
Risk is relative. It is not the same for everyone. For some, it might be going out and buying things to be given to those in need. For others, it might be taking a meal to a shut-in; or going to Cedar Rapids to prepare a meal for relief workers or the homeless; or going out of state or even outside the United States to minister to others. Risk is relative and changes over time.
There are times we are faced with things that seem way too big – that go beyond risk. There doesn’t seem to be anything we can do. Yet, what we do in the name of Jesus Christ matters – doesn’t it? God calls us to do what we can. No matter how large the problem or what part of it we choose to address, what we do matters.
Being afraid of doing the wrong thing can keep us from doing anything. We don’t want to do the wrong thing and make it worse, so we do nothing. Yet when things are done in the name of Jesus Christ and with the inspiration of Jesus Christ, God redeems that work. If you feel a nudge to reach out to others, by all means do it, God will use it.
We have promised to support this church with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our witness, and our service. This pledge includes the service we do for the purposes of Christ in the community as representatives of the congregation. As you look around in this community – as part of this church – where is our service needed and what are we being called to do that will not only serve others but will also build up the body of Christ?
Service projects become an entry point into the life of Christ. God uses them as a means to shape faith and to bind people into the body of Christ. Have you been nudged this week? Have you seen something on the TV news that has caused a lump in your throat or read about an injustice in the newspaper that has upset you a little bit? That’s God saying, “Hey, maybe you can help with this. Maybe you need to get involved.”
Someone has said that when Jesus Christ comes into our heart, he brings all of humanity’s needs with him. Is God nudging you? How are you going to join with those who are seeking to make the kingdom of God a reality today – and make it so, in Christ’s name. Amen
Sources:
"Claiming the Yet-To-Be in the Now", by Dan Jackson, New Covenant UMC, The Villages, FL
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Robert Schnase, Abingdon Press, 2007
Sunday, October 26, 2008
October 26, 2008 Message
Psalm 42:1-3; Ephesians 3:14-21; Matthew 4:18-22
“Intentional Faith Development”
Today we continue our series on the central mission of the church - making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world - based upon the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, a book by United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase. The first two points of this series has been: 1) Christ’s gracious invitation through Radical Hospitality invites and welcomes us, and 2) God’s transforming presence in Passionate Worship opens our hearts to Christ’s pardon, love, and grace, creating in us a desire to follow. But being a follower of Christ involves growth. A sign in a gift shop reads, “Aging is inevitable, maturing is optional.” The same is true of our faith. Growing to be more like Christ requires more than weekly worship. This then brings us to the third point: Through Intentional Faith Development God’s Spirit works in us, over time, perfecting us in the practice of love as we grow each day in the knowledge and love of God.
Vibrant, fruitful congregations practice Intentional Faith Development.
Learning in a small group of people imitates the way Jesus deliberately taught his disciples. Isn’t that how Jesus did it? Didn’t his followers grow in their understanding of God and mature in their awareness of God’s will for their lives by listening to his stories, his instructions, and his lessons, while gathering around dinner tables, on hill sides, and at the Temple? Jesus modeled for his disciples, the early church, and all of us how faith should be developed. It is done in community, where two or more are gathered.
Paul encourages the followers of Christ to learn, grow, teach, and mature. He writes to the church at Ephesus saying, “I pray all of you will have the “power to comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. It is important to Paul that they understand the scope of Christ’s love that is learned together in community. Later on (Ephesians 4:22,24) he tells them, faith isn’t something to “have” – something to possess – but rather something to grow into and strive toward. Put away your “former way of life, the old self and clothe yourself “with the new self.” We are changed and grow into this “new self” through the work of the Spirit. All this makes possible a deeper awareness of God’s presence and God’s will for our lives, and leads to an increasing desire to serve God and neighbor.
As we mature in Christ, God cultivates in us the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23), all of which are radically relational. That means they can only be learned in the presence of others. That is how Jesus revealed his self to the disciples and how he taught - in community, so we would learn to discover his presence in others, as well.
This growth in Christ spans a lifetime as our faith grows, changes and matures. And during this time our relationship with God is deepened. The notion of growing is central to Methodist practice. John Wesley called it sanctification – the maturing of our faith by the Spirit as we grow in Christ-likeness, moving closer to perfection and holiness. That is our destination, the goal we strive for – having the same mind in us that is in Christ.
The song “Day by Day” from the musical Godspell expresses the Christian disciple’s desire to grow in the grace of Christ and to grow daily in the knowledge and love of God. In this musical, Robin is the first of the group to commit to following Jesus when she sings, “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly day by day.” (Godspell, Stephen Schwartz, 1973) Isn’t that our desire as well?
But faith development doesn’t come easily or without effort. Wesley and the early Methodists realized that. Growth in faith requires placing ourselves in community to learn the faith with others. The early Methodists formed small covenant groups to study the Bible and grow their faith. They didn’t do it to make themselves better but rather to place themselves where God could shape and “perfect” them. It was in their small faith communities, they intentionally opened themselves to God’s Word and call to change.
Learning in community gives us a network of support, encouragement, and direction as we seek to grow in Christ. Wesley and the early Methodists knew that even before we did. They knew, as should we, that members of such groups are able to give and receive the care of Christ by praying for one another, supporting one another through periods of grief and difficulty, and celebrating one another’s joys and hopes.
The learning in community provides accountability for our faith journeys. We all have good intentions. We may even have good plans. But on our own, what we plan to do seldom works out. Therefore to be successful, it is critical that we covenant with others who share our same interests and goals. Other Christians, also growing in their faith, are a definite help in our own journey of discipleship. That’s why ministries of Christian education and formation, Bible study, and small groups are so important and why they are absolutely critical to the mission of our church to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
I really do think people are looking for occasions to fellowship and opportunities to learn about God, but they have trouble squeezing it into their lives. Because of that, churches may need to be more about adaptation and “thinking outside the box.” We need to be patient and not give up. As we consider what will be done, we will need to keep in mind that faith development is about relationships, that people are different - one size doesn’t fit all, and that what worked ‘then’ may not work ‘now’. How we do Intentional Faith Development may take different forms to include everyone.
Bible study changes churches. Bishop Schnase says, “When church leaders take their own spiritual growth seriously and immerse themselves in the study of scripture, in prayer, and in fellowship, they understand the purpose of the church and the point of ministry differently.” It’s critical that those in leadership positions are involved in a study group, either on Sunday morning or sometime during the week, so God’s Spirit can mold them into the leaders they need to be for this church and they have the proper grounding in faith necessary for making good deceisions.
As a church, we should be offering high quality adult Sunday School classes for learning and fellowship. We should also initiate and support during the week other opportunities for study and fellowship at varying times and places to make them as accessible and convenient as possible. Bishop Schnase says our goal should be to involve more than fifty percent of our weekly worship attendance in such groups.
Fruitful congregations not only provide new and varied small group ministries of learning and fellowship for long-term members, they also start new groups for new members, visitors and people not yet attending. Continually offering new opportunities for learning in community helps to assimilate people into the life of the church.
Fruitful congregations look to incorporate new technologies. They initiate e-mail, Listservs, IMs, blogs, Facebook and Twitter to communicate. They make sermons and special lessons available or downloadable on the Internet so that members, friends, and guests can read or listen to them on their own time.
Faith is formed through educational and task oriented small groups. Prayer, mutual care, and support of its members characterize such groups, formed around common interests. A culture of hospitality to welcome new people to the group is developed by its trained lay leadership and fellowship is a key component. It’s important to note also that these groups, regardless of their focus, are not limited to meeting in the church building. The mission of the church is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. For that to happen there must be small groups that actively engage those who take part.
When it comes to Christ, we all want “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.” The gracious welcome of Christ deepens our sense of belonging through our practice of Radical Hospitality. God turns our hearts and minds toward Christ through Passionate Worship, gracing us with the desire to follow Christ more nearly. The practice of Intentional Faith Development matures our understanding and experience of Christ so that we might “see Christ more clearly” and “love Christ more dearly.”
The good news for us today is that when we join a Bible study or task-oriented group in our church we place ourselves in a position for our hearts and minds to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ, not Christ but like Christ. Learning with other Christians draws us closer together into the body of Christ and becomes a means of grace by which God touches us and calls us to action. Interior spiritual renewal and growth changes outward behaviors as following Christ becomes a way of life. The growing desire to serve Christ by loving our neighbor calls us to works of mercy, compassion, and justice. But that’s for another time.
Today we rejoice in knowing that intentional faith development helps us to “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.”
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Robert Schnase, Abingdon Press, 2007, pp 59-78.
“Intentional Faith Development”
Today we continue our series on the central mission of the church - making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world - based upon the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, a book by United Methodist Bishop Robert Schnase. The first two points of this series has been: 1) Christ’s gracious invitation through Radical Hospitality invites and welcomes us, and 2) God’s transforming presence in Passionate Worship opens our hearts to Christ’s pardon, love, and grace, creating in us a desire to follow. But being a follower of Christ involves growth. A sign in a gift shop reads, “Aging is inevitable, maturing is optional.” The same is true of our faith. Growing to be more like Christ requires more than weekly worship. This then brings us to the third point: Through Intentional Faith Development God’s Spirit works in us, over time, perfecting us in the practice of love as we grow each day in the knowledge and love of God.
Vibrant, fruitful congregations practice Intentional Faith Development.
Learning in a small group of people imitates the way Jesus deliberately taught his disciples. Isn’t that how Jesus did it? Didn’t his followers grow in their understanding of God and mature in their awareness of God’s will for their lives by listening to his stories, his instructions, and his lessons, while gathering around dinner tables, on hill sides, and at the Temple? Jesus modeled for his disciples, the early church, and all of us how faith should be developed. It is done in community, where two or more are gathered.
Paul encourages the followers of Christ to learn, grow, teach, and mature. He writes to the church at Ephesus saying, “I pray all of you will have the “power to comprehend… what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. It is important to Paul that they understand the scope of Christ’s love that is learned together in community. Later on (Ephesians 4:22,24) he tells them, faith isn’t something to “have” – something to possess – but rather something to grow into and strive toward. Put away your “former way of life, the old self and clothe yourself “with the new self.” We are changed and grow into this “new self” through the work of the Spirit. All this makes possible a deeper awareness of God’s presence and God’s will for our lives, and leads to an increasing desire to serve God and neighbor.
As we mature in Christ, God cultivates in us the fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23), all of which are radically relational. That means they can only be learned in the presence of others. That is how Jesus revealed his self to the disciples and how he taught - in community, so we would learn to discover his presence in others, as well.
This growth in Christ spans a lifetime as our faith grows, changes and matures. And during this time our relationship with God is deepened. The notion of growing is central to Methodist practice. John Wesley called it sanctification – the maturing of our faith by the Spirit as we grow in Christ-likeness, moving closer to perfection and holiness. That is our destination, the goal we strive for – having the same mind in us that is in Christ.
The song “Day by Day” from the musical Godspell expresses the Christian disciple’s desire to grow in the grace of Christ and to grow daily in the knowledge and love of God. In this musical, Robin is the first of the group to commit to following Jesus when she sings, “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly day by day.” (Godspell, Stephen Schwartz, 1973) Isn’t that our desire as well?
But faith development doesn’t come easily or without effort. Wesley and the early Methodists realized that. Growth in faith requires placing ourselves in community to learn the faith with others. The early Methodists formed small covenant groups to study the Bible and grow their faith. They didn’t do it to make themselves better but rather to place themselves where God could shape and “perfect” them. It was in their small faith communities, they intentionally opened themselves to God’s Word and call to change.
Learning in community gives us a network of support, encouragement, and direction as we seek to grow in Christ. Wesley and the early Methodists knew that even before we did. They knew, as should we, that members of such groups are able to give and receive the care of Christ by praying for one another, supporting one another through periods of grief and difficulty, and celebrating one another’s joys and hopes.
The learning in community provides accountability for our faith journeys. We all have good intentions. We may even have good plans. But on our own, what we plan to do seldom works out. Therefore to be successful, it is critical that we covenant with others who share our same interests and goals. Other Christians, also growing in their faith, are a definite help in our own journey of discipleship. That’s why ministries of Christian education and formation, Bible study, and small groups are so important and why they are absolutely critical to the mission of our church to make disciples of Jesus Christ.
I really do think people are looking for occasions to fellowship and opportunities to learn about God, but they have trouble squeezing it into their lives. Because of that, churches may need to be more about adaptation and “thinking outside the box.” We need to be patient and not give up. As we consider what will be done, we will need to keep in mind that faith development is about relationships, that people are different - one size doesn’t fit all, and that what worked ‘then’ may not work ‘now’. How we do Intentional Faith Development may take different forms to include everyone.
Bible study changes churches. Bishop Schnase says, “When church leaders take their own spiritual growth seriously and immerse themselves in the study of scripture, in prayer, and in fellowship, they understand the purpose of the church and the point of ministry differently.” It’s critical that those in leadership positions are involved in a study group, either on Sunday morning or sometime during the week, so God’s Spirit can mold them into the leaders they need to be for this church and they have the proper grounding in faith necessary for making good deceisions.
As a church, we should be offering high quality adult Sunday School classes for learning and fellowship. We should also initiate and support during the week other opportunities for study and fellowship at varying times and places to make them as accessible and convenient as possible. Bishop Schnase says our goal should be to involve more than fifty percent of our weekly worship attendance in such groups.
Fruitful congregations not only provide new and varied small group ministries of learning and fellowship for long-term members, they also start new groups for new members, visitors and people not yet attending. Continually offering new opportunities for learning in community helps to assimilate people into the life of the church.
Fruitful congregations look to incorporate new technologies. They initiate e-mail, Listservs, IMs, blogs, Facebook and Twitter to communicate. They make sermons and special lessons available or downloadable on the Internet so that members, friends, and guests can read or listen to them on their own time.
Faith is formed through educational and task oriented small groups. Prayer, mutual care, and support of its members characterize such groups, formed around common interests. A culture of hospitality to welcome new people to the group is developed by its trained lay leadership and fellowship is a key component. It’s important to note also that these groups, regardless of their focus, are not limited to meeting in the church building. The mission of the church is to make disciples for the transformation of the world. For that to happen there must be small groups that actively engage those who take part.
When it comes to Christ, we all want “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.” The gracious welcome of Christ deepens our sense of belonging through our practice of Radical Hospitality. God turns our hearts and minds toward Christ through Passionate Worship, gracing us with the desire to follow Christ more nearly. The practice of Intentional Faith Development matures our understanding and experience of Christ so that we might “see Christ more clearly” and “love Christ more dearly.”
The good news for us today is that when we join a Bible study or task-oriented group in our church we place ourselves in a position for our hearts and minds to be transformed by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ, not Christ but like Christ. Learning with other Christians draws us closer together into the body of Christ and becomes a means of grace by which God touches us and calls us to action. Interior spiritual renewal and growth changes outward behaviors as following Christ becomes a way of life. The growing desire to serve Christ by loving our neighbor calls us to works of mercy, compassion, and justice. But that’s for another time.
Today we rejoice in knowing that intentional faith development helps us to “To see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly, day by day.”
Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, Robert Schnase, Abingdon Press, 2007, pp 59-78.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
October 19, 2008 Message
Isaiah 6:1-8; Colossians 3:12-17; Luke 4:14-30
“Passionate Worship”
A number of years ago, the Smothers Brothers did a routine on TV that went something like this.
Dick asked, “What’s wrong, Tommy? You look unhappy.”
Tom replied, “I am! I’m worried about what’s happening in America.
Dick said, “Well, what bothers you about it? Are you worried about poverty and hunger?”
“Oh, no, that really doesn’t bother me.”
“I see. Well, are you concerned about the war?”
“No, that’s not a worry of mine.”
“Are you upset over the use of drugs by the youth?”
“No, that doesn’t bother me very much.”
Looking puzzled, Dick asked, “Well, Tom, if you’re not bothered by poverty and hunger, war and drugs, what are you worried about?”
Tommy replied, “I’m worried about apathy.”
There may be good reason for us to worry about people’s apathy or lack of interest, but there is definitely no lack of passion for some things.
The passion we have for sports in our society is evident almost everywhere. There are few things more important in this country than the World Series or the Super Bowl or March Madness. People will go crazy and do some strange things when their team is playing. They jump up and down, they scream and yell, they dress up in weird clothes on game day, and they paint themselves in team colors. They will drive hours to get to a game and then walk more than mile to the stadium where they will sit and stand for three hours in an open-air stadium in sub-zero temperatures to watch and cheer their team. We are passionate about our sports teams!
And beyond sports, as a society, we are passionate in our romantic relationships, about our hobbies, and certainly about “making money.” Political activists are passionate about this year’s candidates. And young people are passionate about the music they listen to or about “texting” their friends. We are surrounded by passion in every part of daily life. People are passionate about things that are really important to them.
So what does it mean when we add the word passionate in front of the term worship? Does it mean a high energy, emotional, loud, “over-the-top” kind of worship or one in which the people are simply excited and enthusiastic about being there? Of course it is the latter, a worship defined by those who are there. We could question whether United Methodist, or mainline Christians in general, are known for being passionate on Sunday mornings. We could even question whether we are that kind of church!
Yet when we look at our history, why aren’t we? After all, John Wesley, founder of “Methodism in the 1700’s,” was a passionate preacher. He led worship services full of excitement and enthusiasm, the kind people wanted to go to and take their friends. People believed God was present in those services, working to make their lives better. They looked forward to being there, ready to hear a word from the Lord, and prepared for the Spirit to move in unexpected ways. During worship then, they sang with great joy, they prayed earnestly, and they proclaimed passionately the Gospel.
Most Christians of the early Protestant movement were passionate worshipers, but something happened along the way. Perhaps we began believing it didn’t make all that much difference where we were at or what we were doing, we could still worship God. Or perhaps we thought why limit God to a certain place on Sunday morning - we can take God with us. And little by little, we lost our passion for worship. Wouldn’t it be great if we recovered the passionate worship of earlier years of our denominations history?
Passionate worship is alive, authentic, fresh, and engaging. Worship without passion becomes routine, boring, and predictable; it can lack the spirit, especially when persons come out of obligation rather than joy. Authentic worship is found in the experience of God’s presence, the desire for God’s Word; and in the seeking of a changed heart. Those participating, in Bishop Schnase’s words, “are actively engaged, genuinely connected, personally addressed, and deeply challenged.” There is a definite sense of community where people are welcomed and supported. And there is a real sense of belonging - even for the newcomer.
In our reading from Colossians, the apostle Paul connects God’s work on our behalf first to how we are to live our lives and then to how we are to worship when he writes, “Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives... With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” In gratitude for the work God has done in our lives, we live a faithful and moral life before Christ, all of which leads us to worship “with thankful hearts.” An important ingredient in passionate worship is genuine gratitude.
There is little passion in worship when people gather, not in gratitude to God, but in anticipation of receiving something from God. Worship is not about us; it is about God. Because of who God is we can show our gratitude and give glory to God – by our worship. Therefore we come to worship to give, not to receive.
And yet, we do receive something. An ever-generous God provides us with the word of help we need. But still that is not why we worship. It is never a matter of what we will get for our time on Sunday morning, rather that we come anticipating the same kind of experience as the psalmist who writes in Psalm 100: “Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD!” We worship so that we might give thanks to God.
Our worship, whatever it looks like, is to always be filled with joy and gratitude toward God. When it is not, then it runs the risk of being about us. And worship about us soon becomes routine, boring, and predictable. However, worship is never any of those things when it is about the God who makes all things new and who transforms all of life.
Christianity offers good news; our worship should offer the good news of Jesus Christ as well. In Jesus Christ, God has entered into our sorrows and takes us beyond our pain and hurt. That is why our response in worship is a joyous one. Worship helps remind us every week that the bad news of this world is not the end of the story; Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. Our worship reflects the good news we have been given, and in those God-given moments, we express our deepest gratitude toward God.
Bishop Schnase also says, “God in Christ can change people’s lives through Passionate Worship. Worship stirs people’s souls, inspires them, and strengthens them. People are so impacted by passionate worship they cannot help but talk about it during the week.” Remember the “big” play in the game this past week – it could be any game, it doesn’t matter? Some of us will be talking about it for days. But will any of us be talking about today’s worship service a day or two from now or even this afternoon? Maybe - if you have been touched or moved or changed by what you have found here.
Our worship is crucial in “making disciples of Jesus Christ.” What this church has to offer in worship every Sunday cannot be gotten anywhere else – not from drinking coffee on Sunday morning while reading the newspaper, not from playing a perfect round of golf at Tara Hills, not even while hunting or fishing in the colorful setting of God’s creation. The good news of Jesus Christ found here makes all the difference in the world. Our offering ourselves completely to God during our worship does as well. That’s why people come - not the type of service we offer or the music we sing.
We come because God loves us… and for that, we are grateful. In our worship people will see those who love the Lord with all their heart soul, strength, and mind; and who love their neighbors as much as they love themselves. That’s how we are to worship God… in a way that no one will ever leave our sanctuary wondering, “So what?”
Such grateful worship is indeed passionate!
Based on a sermon by Allan R. Bevere, First United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Ohio.
“Passionate Worship”
A number of years ago, the Smothers Brothers did a routine on TV that went something like this.
Dick asked, “What’s wrong, Tommy? You look unhappy.”
Tom replied, “I am! I’m worried about what’s happening in America.
Dick said, “Well, what bothers you about it? Are you worried about poverty and hunger?”
“Oh, no, that really doesn’t bother me.”
“I see. Well, are you concerned about the war?”
“No, that’s not a worry of mine.”
“Are you upset over the use of drugs by the youth?”
“No, that doesn’t bother me very much.”
Looking puzzled, Dick asked, “Well, Tom, if you’re not bothered by poverty and hunger, war and drugs, what are you worried about?”
Tommy replied, “I’m worried about apathy.”
There may be good reason for us to worry about people’s apathy or lack of interest, but there is definitely no lack of passion for some things.
The passion we have for sports in our society is evident almost everywhere. There are few things more important in this country than the World Series or the Super Bowl or March Madness. People will go crazy and do some strange things when their team is playing. They jump up and down, they scream and yell, they dress up in weird clothes on game day, and they paint themselves in team colors. They will drive hours to get to a game and then walk more than mile to the stadium where they will sit and stand for three hours in an open-air stadium in sub-zero temperatures to watch and cheer their team. We are passionate about our sports teams!
And beyond sports, as a society, we are passionate in our romantic relationships, about our hobbies, and certainly about “making money.” Political activists are passionate about this year’s candidates. And young people are passionate about the music they listen to or about “texting” their friends. We are surrounded by passion in every part of daily life. People are passionate about things that are really important to them.
So what does it mean when we add the word passionate in front of the term worship? Does it mean a high energy, emotional, loud, “over-the-top” kind of worship or one in which the people are simply excited and enthusiastic about being there? Of course it is the latter, a worship defined by those who are there. We could question whether United Methodist, or mainline Christians in general, are known for being passionate on Sunday mornings. We could even question whether we are that kind of church!
Yet when we look at our history, why aren’t we? After all, John Wesley, founder of “Methodism in the 1700’s,” was a passionate preacher. He led worship services full of excitement and enthusiasm, the kind people wanted to go to and take their friends. People believed God was present in those services, working to make their lives better. They looked forward to being there, ready to hear a word from the Lord, and prepared for the Spirit to move in unexpected ways. During worship then, they sang with great joy, they prayed earnestly, and they proclaimed passionately the Gospel.
Most Christians of the early Protestant movement were passionate worshipers, but something happened along the way. Perhaps we began believing it didn’t make all that much difference where we were at or what we were doing, we could still worship God. Or perhaps we thought why limit God to a certain place on Sunday morning - we can take God with us. And little by little, we lost our passion for worship. Wouldn’t it be great if we recovered the passionate worship of earlier years of our denominations history?
Passionate worship is alive, authentic, fresh, and engaging. Worship without passion becomes routine, boring, and predictable; it can lack the spirit, especially when persons come out of obligation rather than joy. Authentic worship is found in the experience of God’s presence, the desire for God’s Word; and in the seeking of a changed heart. Those participating, in Bishop Schnase’s words, “are actively engaged, genuinely connected, personally addressed, and deeply challenged.” There is a definite sense of community where people are welcomed and supported. And there is a real sense of belonging - even for the newcomer.
In our reading from Colossians, the apostle Paul connects God’s work on our behalf first to how we are to live our lives and then to how we are to worship when he writes, “Let the message about Christ completely fill your lives... With thankful hearts, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” In gratitude for the work God has done in our lives, we live a faithful and moral life before Christ, all of which leads us to worship “with thankful hearts.” An important ingredient in passionate worship is genuine gratitude.
There is little passion in worship when people gather, not in gratitude to God, but in anticipation of receiving something from God. Worship is not about us; it is about God. Because of who God is we can show our gratitude and give glory to God – by our worship. Therefore we come to worship to give, not to receive.
And yet, we do receive something. An ever-generous God provides us with the word of help we need. But still that is not why we worship. It is never a matter of what we will get for our time on Sunday morning, rather that we come anticipating the same kind of experience as the psalmist who writes in Psalm 100: “Shout praises to the LORD, everyone on this earth. Be joyful and sing as you come in to worship the LORD!” We worship so that we might give thanks to God.
Our worship, whatever it looks like, is to always be filled with joy and gratitude toward God. When it is not, then it runs the risk of being about us. And worship about us soon becomes routine, boring, and predictable. However, worship is never any of those things when it is about the God who makes all things new and who transforms all of life.
Christianity offers good news; our worship should offer the good news of Jesus Christ as well. In Jesus Christ, God has entered into our sorrows and takes us beyond our pain and hurt. That is why our response in worship is a joyous one. Worship helps remind us every week that the bad news of this world is not the end of the story; Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. Our worship reflects the good news we have been given, and in those God-given moments, we express our deepest gratitude toward God.
Bishop Schnase also says, “God in Christ can change people’s lives through Passionate Worship. Worship stirs people’s souls, inspires them, and strengthens them. People are so impacted by passionate worship they cannot help but talk about it during the week.” Remember the “big” play in the game this past week – it could be any game, it doesn’t matter? Some of us will be talking about it for days. But will any of us be talking about today’s worship service a day or two from now or even this afternoon? Maybe - if you have been touched or moved or changed by what you have found here.
Our worship is crucial in “making disciples of Jesus Christ.” What this church has to offer in worship every Sunday cannot be gotten anywhere else – not from drinking coffee on Sunday morning while reading the newspaper, not from playing a perfect round of golf at Tara Hills, not even while hunting or fishing in the colorful setting of God’s creation. The good news of Jesus Christ found here makes all the difference in the world. Our offering ourselves completely to God during our worship does as well. That’s why people come - not the type of service we offer or the music we sing.
We come because God loves us… and for that, we are grateful. In our worship people will see those who love the Lord with all their heart soul, strength, and mind; and who love their neighbors as much as they love themselves. That’s how we are to worship God… in a way that no one will ever leave our sanctuary wondering, “So what?”
Such grateful worship is indeed passionate!
Based on a sermon by Allan R. Bevere, First United Methodist Church, Cambridge, Ohio.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
October 12, 2008 Message
Genesis 18:1-8; Romans 15:7; Luke 7:36-47
“Radical Hospitality”
This morning marks the seventh day of our 35-day church-wide initiative based on The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. And this is the first of five weekly sermons focusing on each of those practices. If you haven’t already done so, you can pick up a copy of the devotional booklet Cultivating Fruitfulness after the service. Read it with your family each day; be part of a study group this week to discuss the five practices; or simply be here each Sunday morning to hear the sermon. These are definite ways you can participate in response to God’s call to be an active member in the body of Christ.
We believe that, as a church, we are created by God to be the body of Christ in this community and in the world. We have everything we need to participate in the mission of the church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, helping people connect with God in ways that change individual hearts and relationships – even change groups of people.
We believe that God has created this church to participate in this mission of discipleship and transformation in distinct ways. We are not exactly like other churches. We are unique in our gifts and graces needed to fulfill this mission. Our vision is that we will live our individual and communal lives the way Jesus would live them if he were here.
We believe that this season of church-wide study and worship is absolutely vital for our congregational vision and life. It provides an opportunity for us to learn a common language and to consider how God continues to call and equip us for ministry beyond these walls into our communities and even the world.
In his book, Robert Schnase identifies five characteristics that are consistently and persistently practiced in congregations that are vibrant, fruitful, and growing: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission & Service, and Extravagant Generosity. As we learn more about these practices each week, we will want to remember that our practice of each one emerges from our understanding of who we are and the particular time and place in which we live.
In fact, that is our question for today: Given who we are as a unique congregation, how can we demonstrate radical hospitality?
\
Bishop Schnase says we demonstrate hospitality by our “active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ.” For this hospitality to be radical, we are called beyond a warm friendliness to a willingness to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others. Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist pastor of Chesterfield, Missouri tells this story:
A teenager entered the sanctuary of a church. His parents were members of the church, in fact, they were there every time the doors opened! In his mind, they were there too much. As he slumped down in the very back pew, as far away from the altar as possible, he pulled his ball cap down over his eyes, dropped his head into his hands and settled in for a nap. He thought to himself, “Why am I here? I’d rather be anywhere than here. Church was such a drag—to his way of thinking, only focused on its own survival and uninterested in people like him.
Just as he was about to go to sleep, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the face of a woman he did not know. Great, he thought, I must be in her seat. She can have it! I’m going home.
But she didn’t ask him to move. She simply placed a bag of butterscotch candies in his hand and said, “I’m so glad you’re here this morning. I bought this for you because I heard that you really like butterscotch. I do, too! There aren’t many of us around.”
He didn’t open that bag of butterscotch for a long time. In fact, he hung it on the wall of his bedroom right beside his heavy metal posters, his guitar, and his poems of emptiness and longing. For him, a reminder of grace and a sign of Radical Hospitality.
Years later, and in his early twenties, that same young man entered a different church. He was okay with being there, although he wasn’t there for the sermon or the music. He was there because a close friend had asked him to come for a special day. He had got up early, showered, put on his blue jeans and a T-shirt, and pulled back his long hair, anchoring it with a ball cap.
As he stood outside the sanctuary, waiting for his friend before going in, he heard someone say. “Young man.”
He turned and extended his hand in greeting, but was surprised when his hand was ignored.
In fact, he was speechless when the person behind the voice continued. “Young man, you either need to take off your hat or leave the building.”
The truth of our humanity is that we each have the capacity to be the butterscotch lady or the hat man, to be hospitable or not. Within us, we have the ability to be warm and open to those for whom church is a foreign and strange land, even when their values or thoughts about church are different from our own. Yet sadly, we also have inside us the ability to withhold hospitality in order to protect what we incorrectly imagine to be “our own”—our own church, our own class, our own place.
During the First Century, the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian Church in Rome about various aspects of church life through the lens of this basic truth: Our salvation—the possibility of our living liberated lives—is tied to our faithful response to God’s prior act of grace. At the end of his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul addresses the issue of hospitality, particularly as it relates to the inclusion of those who come with different backgrounds, stories, beliefs and practices. What does Paul tell them? He writes:
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7).
What would it mean for our congregation to welcome the stranger in the same way that Christ welcomes us? What would it mean for us to tie our acts of hospitality to our response to God’s gracious activity in our daily lives and in the world?
Chances are it would mean we are to be radically invitational in every part of church life. Radical hospitality means we invite others to what we do in our church. There are amazing, life-giving and life-changing things going on in our church. Maybe you have experienced them for yourself in this congregation and your life has been enriched, your faith deepened. How then will those who are strangers experience those things unless someone, like you, invites them to what our community of faith is doing here?
Have you ever invited someone who is not part of a congregation somewhere to a service, ministry, or activity of this church? If so, how did it feel? If not, what kept you from inviting them?
You are here this morning because someone at some time or another invited you to experience some part of church life. Perhaps, you came for the first time with your parents, as many of us do, but even then someone invited you later on to become more involved. Praise God for that person! Give thanks for their courage and hospitality, and pray that God shows you how to extend the same genuine invitation to someone else.
Radical Hospitality involves extending an invitation. And when those invitations are accepted, welcome to what we do in our church follows. Welcome can be found in a lot of things - such as fellowship time, in our greeters, when we introduce ourselves to newcomers, and in answering their questions, just to mention a few.
Do you remember walking into this congregation for the very first time? What was it like? Who was it that reached out and welcomed you?
The ministry of welcome is something that belongs to all of us, and it belongs in every room and corner this building—as well as in every gathering, every activity and every service project of this church that move us beyond these walls. Radical hospitality means we welcome others to what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality includes invitation and welcome, which are so important. And yet, some of us can remember times, perhaps during a worship service or a Sunday school class, maybe during a service project or mission - when we have felt totally excluded or ignored or at best tolerated. We were definitely the outsider. Who wants to go back after that? How can we explore faith in God, how can we become a disciple of Christ, when the community representing God is closed and there seems no room for anyone else?
Bishop Schnase points out there are times when a church’s greatest strength can in fact be an obstacle to radical hospitality. The very things we celebrate - friendship, intimacy, and love for one another – can often get in the way of including others. He says people get so comfortable, form such close relationships, in the group they are in at church that there may not be room for others. If that is the case, we will need to mix things up a bit. Maybe even change our behaviors and attitudes so the circle can be opened up to make room for others. Radical hospitality means we include others in what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality calls us to be invitational, welcoming, and inclusive in every area of spiritual life. Radical Hospitality also calls us to support others, perhaps in new ways, as they explore a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bailey-Kirk uses the phrase “tummy-time” to illustrate this point in a similar message. Tummy time, she says, allows babies who are put to sleep on their backs adequate time during the day to help them find their heads, to use different muscles, to develop awareness and muscles that aren’t developed when they are on their backs. She went on to say, “As persons discover a safe faith community, they need to be supported in their unique faith development. People need safe and open spaces for spiritual exploration. Some newcomers will need tummy-time. Others will need to practice back-time. Some will simply need to be held for a bit.” Radical hospitality means we support others by what we do in our church.
As a fruitful congregation, we can demonstrate Radical Hospitality by our invitation, welcome, inclusion, and support. Ours would be an invitation that is more than sincere, a welcome that goes beyond a smile, inclusion that exceeds filling vacant seats, and support that extends beyond emergencies and crisis.
Becoming a fruitful, vibrant, and growing congregation may require nothing less than adaptive change – a change of attitudes, practices, and values. Our growing expression of Radical Hospitality will call for a change in our behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others - not only on Sunday morning but throughout the week as we engage in the making of disciples for Jesus Christ. What then might those things be… and how are we going to do them? Those are the questions we must answer if…
We are to welcome others as radically as Jesus the Christ welcomes us.
Based on a sermon, “Opening the Circle” by Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist Church of Green Trails, Chesterfield, Missouri
“Radical Hospitality”
This morning marks the seventh day of our 35-day church-wide initiative based on The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. And this is the first of five weekly sermons focusing on each of those practices. If you haven’t already done so, you can pick up a copy of the devotional booklet Cultivating Fruitfulness after the service. Read it with your family each day; be part of a study group this week to discuss the five practices; or simply be here each Sunday morning to hear the sermon. These are definite ways you can participate in response to God’s call to be an active member in the body of Christ.
We believe that, as a church, we are created by God to be the body of Christ in this community and in the world. We have everything we need to participate in the mission of the church: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, helping people connect with God in ways that change individual hearts and relationships – even change groups of people.
We believe that God has created this church to participate in this mission of discipleship and transformation in distinct ways. We are not exactly like other churches. We are unique in our gifts and graces needed to fulfill this mission. Our vision is that we will live our individual and communal lives the way Jesus would live them if he were here.
We believe that this season of church-wide study and worship is absolutely vital for our congregational vision and life. It provides an opportunity for us to learn a common language and to consider how God continues to call and equip us for ministry beyond these walls into our communities and even the world.
In his book, Robert Schnase identifies five characteristics that are consistently and persistently practiced in congregations that are vibrant, fruitful, and growing: Radical Hospitality, Passionate Worship, Intentional Faith Development, Risk-Taking Mission & Service, and Extravagant Generosity. As we learn more about these practices each week, we will want to remember that our practice of each one emerges from our understanding of who we are and the particular time and place in which we live.
In fact, that is our question for today: Given who we are as a unique congregation, how can we demonstrate radical hospitality?
\
Bishop Schnase says we demonstrate hospitality by our “active desire to invite, welcome, receive, and care for those who are strangers so that they find a spiritual home and discover for themselves the unending richness of life in Christ.” For this hospitality to be radical, we are called beyond a warm friendliness to a willingness to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others. Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist pastor of Chesterfield, Missouri tells this story:
A teenager entered the sanctuary of a church. His parents were members of the church, in fact, they were there every time the doors opened! In his mind, they were there too much. As he slumped down in the very back pew, as far away from the altar as possible, he pulled his ball cap down over his eyes, dropped his head into his hands and settled in for a nap. He thought to himself, “Why am I here? I’d rather be anywhere than here. Church was such a drag—to his way of thinking, only focused on its own survival and uninterested in people like him.
Just as he was about to go to sleep, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at the face of a woman he did not know. Great, he thought, I must be in her seat. She can have it! I’m going home.
But she didn’t ask him to move. She simply placed a bag of butterscotch candies in his hand and said, “I’m so glad you’re here this morning. I bought this for you because I heard that you really like butterscotch. I do, too! There aren’t many of us around.”
He didn’t open that bag of butterscotch for a long time. In fact, he hung it on the wall of his bedroom right beside his heavy metal posters, his guitar, and his poems of emptiness and longing. For him, a reminder of grace and a sign of Radical Hospitality.
Years later, and in his early twenties, that same young man entered a different church. He was okay with being there, although he wasn’t there for the sermon or the music. He was there because a close friend had asked him to come for a special day. He had got up early, showered, put on his blue jeans and a T-shirt, and pulled back his long hair, anchoring it with a ball cap.
As he stood outside the sanctuary, waiting for his friend before going in, he heard someone say. “Young man.”
He turned and extended his hand in greeting, but was surprised when his hand was ignored.
In fact, he was speechless when the person behind the voice continued. “Young man, you either need to take off your hat or leave the building.”
The truth of our humanity is that we each have the capacity to be the butterscotch lady or the hat man, to be hospitable or not. Within us, we have the ability to be warm and open to those for whom church is a foreign and strange land, even when their values or thoughts about church are different from our own. Yet sadly, we also have inside us the ability to withhold hospitality in order to protect what we incorrectly imagine to be “our own”—our own church, our own class, our own place.
During the First Century, the apostle Paul wrote to the Christian Church in Rome about various aspects of church life through the lens of this basic truth: Our salvation—the possibility of our living liberated lives—is tied to our faithful response to God’s prior act of grace. At the end of his letter to the Church in Rome, Paul addresses the issue of hospitality, particularly as it relates to the inclusion of those who come with different backgrounds, stories, beliefs and practices. What does Paul tell them? He writes:
Welcome one another, therefore, just as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. (Romans 15:7).
What would it mean for our congregation to welcome the stranger in the same way that Christ welcomes us? What would it mean for us to tie our acts of hospitality to our response to God’s gracious activity in our daily lives and in the world?
Chances are it would mean we are to be radically invitational in every part of church life. Radical hospitality means we invite others to what we do in our church. There are amazing, life-giving and life-changing things going on in our church. Maybe you have experienced them for yourself in this congregation and your life has been enriched, your faith deepened. How then will those who are strangers experience those things unless someone, like you, invites them to what our community of faith is doing here?
Have you ever invited someone who is not part of a congregation somewhere to a service, ministry, or activity of this church? If so, how did it feel? If not, what kept you from inviting them?
You are here this morning because someone at some time or another invited you to experience some part of church life. Perhaps, you came for the first time with your parents, as many of us do, but even then someone invited you later on to become more involved. Praise God for that person! Give thanks for their courage and hospitality, and pray that God shows you how to extend the same genuine invitation to someone else.
Radical Hospitality involves extending an invitation. And when those invitations are accepted, welcome to what we do in our church follows. Welcome can be found in a lot of things - such as fellowship time, in our greeters, when we introduce ourselves to newcomers, and in answering their questions, just to mention a few.
Do you remember walking into this congregation for the very first time? What was it like? Who was it that reached out and welcomed you?
The ministry of welcome is something that belongs to all of us, and it belongs in every room and corner this building—as well as in every gathering, every activity and every service project of this church that move us beyond these walls. Radical hospitality means we welcome others to what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality includes invitation and welcome, which are so important. And yet, some of us can remember times, perhaps during a worship service or a Sunday school class, maybe during a service project or mission - when we have felt totally excluded or ignored or at best tolerated. We were definitely the outsider. Who wants to go back after that? How can we explore faith in God, how can we become a disciple of Christ, when the community representing God is closed and there seems no room for anyone else?
Bishop Schnase points out there are times when a church’s greatest strength can in fact be an obstacle to radical hospitality. The very things we celebrate - friendship, intimacy, and love for one another – can often get in the way of including others. He says people get so comfortable, form such close relationships, in the group they are in at church that there may not be room for others. If that is the case, we will need to mix things up a bit. Maybe even change our behaviors and attitudes so the circle can be opened up to make room for others. Radical hospitality means we include others in what we do in our church.
Radical Hospitality calls us to be invitational, welcoming, and inclusive in every area of spiritual life. Radical Hospitality also calls us to support others, perhaps in new ways, as they explore a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Pastor Bailey-Kirk uses the phrase “tummy-time” to illustrate this point in a similar message. Tummy time, she says, allows babies who are put to sleep on their backs adequate time during the day to help them find their heads, to use different muscles, to develop awareness and muscles that aren’t developed when they are on their backs. She went on to say, “As persons discover a safe faith community, they need to be supported in their unique faith development. People need safe and open spaces for spiritual exploration. Some newcomers will need tummy-time. Others will need to practice back-time. Some will simply need to be held for a bit.” Radical hospitality means we support others by what we do in our church.
As a fruitful congregation, we can demonstrate Radical Hospitality by our invitation, welcome, inclusion, and support. Ours would be an invitation that is more than sincere, a welcome that goes beyond a smile, inclusion that exceeds filling vacant seats, and support that extends beyond emergencies and crisis.
Becoming a fruitful, vibrant, and growing congregation may require nothing less than adaptive change – a change of attitudes, practices, and values. Our growing expression of Radical Hospitality will call for a change in our behaviors in order to accommodate the needs and receive the talents of others - not only on Sunday morning but throughout the week as we engage in the making of disciples for Jesus Christ. What then might those things be… and how are we going to do them? Those are the questions we must answer if…
We are to welcome others as radically as Jesus the Christ welcomes us.
Based on a sermon, “Opening the Circle” by Melissa Bailey-Kirk, United Methodist Church of Green Trails, Chesterfield, Missouri
Sunday, October 5, 2008
October 5, 2008 Message
Colossians 3:15-16a; John 15:5-8
“Cultivating Fruitfulness”
This morning we have started something out of the ordinary. Perhaps you have noticed we are doing a few things differently – not a lot, but enough so people might fill a different sort of energy or spirit during our worship time together. A few things that we’ve grown accustomed to are in different places or are missing altogether. The altar has been arranged differently – with different items to remind us of the essential things we do as a congregation. There may be songs that are not familiar, or prayers we haven’t prayed for a while, or even a different way of presenting the message – at least for me – with a bulletin now that is interactive, allowing you to “fill in the blanks” as I move from point to point. So, take out a pen or pencil and fill in the first blank – we have started today “something out of the ordinary.” All this is to help emphasize that today we are introducing the series, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.
Over the next five weeks, plus one day, our focus will be on learning more about the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality (the bread), Passionate Worship (the musical instruments), Intentional Faith Development (the Bible), Risk-Taking Mission and Service (the apron, tools, school bags), and Extravagant Generosity (the bushel baskets). Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church, says, “These five practices capture the core ministries in our congregations… and help us understand our purpose and mission as disciples of Christ in the world.” He says, “people are looking for churches shaped and sustained by these qualities.”
We know, at least we should know, that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but sometimes we struggle with the question of how to fit this larger mission into the life of the local church in a practical way? How are we to make disciples here? Well, let me assure you this church has made disciples. You are that proof. So the series we’re going to be focusing on over the next few weeks isn’t about all new things, it’s about practicing the things people around here have always done so that we can become better at them.
Bishop Schnase writes (and I concer),
• “God uses congregations to make disciples when they offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so people experience a sense of belonging;
• God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ;
• God’s Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community;
• with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God’s call to help others through mission and service; and
• God inspires people to be generous in giving of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known.”
Practice of these fundamental qualities CAN bring revitalization and growth. It is through these activities God works to draw people into relationship and growth in personal discipleship. All of us want to grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God, don’t we? We do so by repeating, learning, and deepening our personal practice of gracious hospitality, by placing ourselves regularly under the influence of God’s Spirit in worship, by intentionally seeking to grow in Christ-likeness through learning in community, and by practicing compassion and generosity in concrete ways. In these simple practices of Christian discipleship, the prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace of God become real and life changing. Bishop Schnase says, “Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregation are those that naturally practice these qualities and constantly seek ways to develop them further.”
These next thirty-five days will be about our “cultivating fruitfulness” – of being disciples or followers of Jesus the Christ. Jesus said, “Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.” And he went on to say, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” It sounds to me that our fruitfulness is a mark of our discipleship.
And with our fruitfulness comes a deeper relationship with God. This is good stuff. After all, isn’t this why many of us come to church every week and are involved in its programs – so we might enter into a deeper relationship with God?
Your involvement during this time of “cultivating fruitfulness” will require your thoughtful reading, along with everyone else, of each days Scripture verse and devotion, along with questions for reflection, a prayer the entire congregation will be praying, and a ‘challenge’ for the day. It will also require your presence here each Sunday morning to hear more about that week’s highlighted practice, which this coming week is hospitality.
Paul, in his instructions to the church at Colossus, essentially said, “each of us is part of the body of Christ; each of us has been chosen to “live” together in this place; and each of our lives is to be filled with the message of Christ as we wisely teach and instruct each other.” Then he added, “and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Paul is encouraging the Colossians and us to a life of discipleship and, with these words today, defines what that life will mean.
Consider the imagery Jesus uses in John when he says to his followers, “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
Perhaps our focus on the five practices over the next 35 days plus one will cause us to ask some challenging questions about our own congregational practices. Effective congregations change, improve, learn, and adapt to fulfill their mission – they don’t do things as they did fifty years or even fifteen ago. Maybe it will even make us rethink our way of doing things.
Would you agree, we want the best for this church? We do want to accomplish our mission of making disciples, we really do! And yet we know we don’t change people to form them into the Body of Christ, God does.
There are people out there who hunger for someone to receive them graciously and invite them in, that connect them to God through authentic worship, that deepen their faith, and that stretch them to make a difference in the lives of others through service and generosity. We can do that! But it may require our full participation in learning how over these next 35 plus days and beyond.
Start reading “Cultivating Fruitfulness” today or tomorrow, join a study group this week, and come back next Sunday to find out more about “radical hospitality” and what we might do as a congregation. This is an exciting time for our church. I pray you will be a part of it.
In ending, let me share something our new Bishop Julius C. Trimble said to a gathering of United Methodist clergy in Des Moines ten days ago, when asked about his hope for the churches of the Iowa Annual Conference. He said, “We shall be at our best when the people on the inside can’t wait to get out, and those on the outside can’t wait to get in.” May the things we can’t wait to get outside to do be the very things needed to help those on the outside to want to come in.
“Cultivating Fruitfulness”
This morning we have started something out of the ordinary. Perhaps you have noticed we are doing a few things differently – not a lot, but enough so people might fill a different sort of energy or spirit during our worship time together. A few things that we’ve grown accustomed to are in different places or are missing altogether. The altar has been arranged differently – with different items to remind us of the essential things we do as a congregation. There may be songs that are not familiar, or prayers we haven’t prayed for a while, or even a different way of presenting the message – at least for me – with a bulletin now that is interactive, allowing you to “fill in the blanks” as I move from point to point. So, take out a pen or pencil and fill in the first blank – we have started today “something out of the ordinary.” All this is to help emphasize that today we are introducing the series, Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations.
Over the next five weeks, plus one day, our focus will be on learning more about the Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations: Radical Hospitality (the bread), Passionate Worship (the musical instruments), Intentional Faith Development (the Bible), Risk-Taking Mission and Service (the apron, tools, school bags), and Extravagant Generosity (the bushel baskets). Robert Schnase, Bishop of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church, says, “These five practices capture the core ministries in our congregations… and help us understand our purpose and mission as disciples of Christ in the world.” He says, “people are looking for churches shaped and sustained by these qualities.”
We know, at least we should know, that the mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, but sometimes we struggle with the question of how to fit this larger mission into the life of the local church in a practical way? How are we to make disciples here? Well, let me assure you this church has made disciples. You are that proof. So the series we’re going to be focusing on over the next few weeks isn’t about all new things, it’s about practicing the things people around here have always done so that we can become better at them.
Bishop Schnase writes (and I concer),
• “God uses congregations to make disciples when they offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so people experience a sense of belonging;
• God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ;
• God’s Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community;
• with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God’s call to help others through mission and service; and
• God inspires people to be generous in giving of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known.”
Practice of these fundamental qualities CAN bring revitalization and growth. It is through these activities God works to draw people into relationship and growth in personal discipleship. All of us want to grow in grace and in the knowledge and love of God, don’t we? We do so by repeating, learning, and deepening our personal practice of gracious hospitality, by placing ourselves regularly under the influence of God’s Spirit in worship, by intentionally seeking to grow in Christ-likeness through learning in community, and by practicing compassion and generosity in concrete ways. In these simple practices of Christian discipleship, the prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace of God become real and life changing. Bishop Schnase says, “Vibrant, fruitful, growing congregation are those that naturally practice these qualities and constantly seek ways to develop them further.”
These next thirty-five days will be about our “cultivating fruitfulness” – of being disciples or followers of Jesus the Christ. Jesus said, “Those who abide in me, and I in them, bear much fruit.” And he went on to say, “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples.” It sounds to me that our fruitfulness is a mark of our discipleship.
And with our fruitfulness comes a deeper relationship with God. This is good stuff. After all, isn’t this why many of us come to church every week and are involved in its programs – so we might enter into a deeper relationship with God?
Your involvement during this time of “cultivating fruitfulness” will require your thoughtful reading, along with everyone else, of each days Scripture verse and devotion, along with questions for reflection, a prayer the entire congregation will be praying, and a ‘challenge’ for the day. It will also require your presence here each Sunday morning to hear more about that week’s highlighted practice, which this coming week is hospitality.
Paul, in his instructions to the church at Colossus, essentially said, “each of us is part of the body of Christ; each of us has been chosen to “live” together in this place; and each of our lives is to be filled with the message of Christ as we wisely teach and instruct each other.” Then he added, “and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God.” Paul is encouraging the Colossians and us to a life of discipleship and, with these words today, defines what that life will mean.
Consider the imagery Jesus uses in John when he says to his followers, “I am the vine, you are the branches.”
Perhaps our focus on the five practices over the next 35 days plus one will cause us to ask some challenging questions about our own congregational practices. Effective congregations change, improve, learn, and adapt to fulfill their mission – they don’t do things as they did fifty years or even fifteen ago. Maybe it will even make us rethink our way of doing things.
Would you agree, we want the best for this church? We do want to accomplish our mission of making disciples, we really do! And yet we know we don’t change people to form them into the Body of Christ, God does.
There are people out there who hunger for someone to receive them graciously and invite them in, that connect them to God through authentic worship, that deepen their faith, and that stretch them to make a difference in the lives of others through service and generosity. We can do that! But it may require our full participation in learning how over these next 35 plus days and beyond.
Start reading “Cultivating Fruitfulness” today or tomorrow, join a study group this week, and come back next Sunday to find out more about “radical hospitality” and what we might do as a congregation. This is an exciting time for our church. I pray you will be a part of it.
In ending, let me share something our new Bishop Julius C. Trimble said to a gathering of United Methodist clergy in Des Moines ten days ago, when asked about his hope for the churches of the Iowa Annual Conference. He said, “We shall be at our best when the people on the inside can’t wait to get out, and those on the outside can’t wait to get in.” May the things we can’t wait to get outside to do be the very things needed to help those on the outside to want to come in.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Sunday, September 21, 2008
September 21, 2008 Message
Philippians 1:27; Matthew 20:1-16
“The Last Will Be First, Is Good News?”
Today Paul says, “More important than anything else, “live in a way that brings honor to the good news of Christ.” (Phil. 1:27) What is the good news of Christ? Jesus telling us “the last will be first” is good news?
Why does the landowner go to the marketplace five times in one day, including just one hour before the pay time to bring in all the workers he can find?
And why does he give the same pay to every worker, regardless of whether they began at six in the morning, at noon, or at five in the afternoon.
What's he doing in this story, anyway?
Or when he settles up at the end of the day, not only does he pay those who worked a little the same as those who worked a lot, he pays them first. What’s that all about? Imagine how that must have made the ‘first-comers’ feel as they watched the landowner give everyone in the vineyard the same pay regardless of how long they had worked.
So those who had worked the longest - the ”first comers” - grumbled. They protested. I can understand that, can’t you? To them, it just wasn’t fair. They had worked the entire day and had the blisters to show it. But the landowner answered their complaints by saying, "Can’t I do what I choose with what belongs to me? Can’t I be generous?" It sounds a lot like the father of the prodigal son talking to his older son, doesn’t it? The part where the older son complains about his father’s generosity to his brother and says, “I’ve never gotten even a small cookout for the work I’ve done around here, let along a big barbeque with all the neighbors invited.” It just isn’t fair. And what does the father say? He says, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (Luke 15:31).
Generosity is often the subject of many of our stories both from the Bible and from real life.
A woman was chatting with her next-door neighbor...
"I feel real good today. I started out this morning with an act of unselfish generosity. I gave a twenty dollar bill to a bum."
"You mean you gave a bum twenty dollars? That's a lot of money to give away like that. What did you husband say about it?"
"Oh, he thought it was a good thing. He said, "Thanks."
In our reading for today, the point of the story is the generosity of the landowner. The fact that he wants to give everyone a days wage for another day of living – regardless of who’s been in the vineyard the longest or who has worked the hardest. He is giving to everybody according to their needs, not on the basis of their merit. The landowner very much wants everyone to have a place in the vineyard. That’s why he goes back to the marketplace so many times in one day, even at five o’clock in the afternoon. The text says he goes back not because he needs someone to work, but to see if there are workers with nothing to do. The landowner doesn’t want anyone left out.
And our other questions concerning equal pay for everyone and the “last” being paid first, what about them? First, consider the context of today’s reading: Peter has asked what the disciples, the “first comers” who have left everything for Jesus will get, what will be their reward, to which Jesus promises "a hundredfold"; he also tells the disciples that "whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave," and that he "came not to be served but to serve." So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
The vineyard in Jesus’ parable (or story) is the kingdom of God, a world that is totally different from ours. In our world, time plus effort equals production, and production equals pay. Those most skilled, those who work the hardest deserve to be paid more, right? But Jesus’ ‘vineyard’ is characterized by something other than profit margin, something greater than incentive and reward – and that is an owner who wants to be generous and kind to all who “go to the vineyard.” It doesn’t matter when they go – early or late. The landowner gives every worker the same pay.
In this parable, Jesus tries to help his followers, those who were called first, to comprehend or understand the new world into which they have been invited, and to join him in inviting the last ones — the sick, the poor, the women, the latecomers, the unimportant. He asks those of us who have been called first to understand the nature of the kingdom that, in him, is near. We are to be workers with him, becoming others' servants and humbling ourselves. (Matt. 23:12). The last, the least in the world, are most in need. Some might suggest they are the closest to God’s heart. Therefore they are the first recipients of God’s generosity. Because of their need and because they would have been left out had he not gone back to the marketplace one more time, the “least of these” are placed first in line. The landowner pays the last first.
Jesus saying “the last will be first” IS good news, isn’t it? The whole story of the landowner is good news, because it informs us about God. God’s concern for us all is the same. God’s love for all creation is equally great. God’s gift is available to everyone. The story of the landowner is about God, the Father, who cares about all of us – to the point of inviting even the least of us and the hopeless among us to the vineyard, to God’s kingdom, where our needs for the day will be taken care of. And that should be good news for everyone.
So, as Paul advised, let us honor this good news by working together side by side in all we do to help others know this of God as well.
“The Last Will Be First, Is Good News?”
Today Paul says, “More important than anything else, “live in a way that brings honor to the good news of Christ.” (Phil. 1:27) What is the good news of Christ? Jesus telling us “the last will be first” is good news?
Why does the landowner go to the marketplace five times in one day, including just one hour before the pay time to bring in all the workers he can find?
And why does he give the same pay to every worker, regardless of whether they began at six in the morning, at noon, or at five in the afternoon.
What's he doing in this story, anyway?
Or when he settles up at the end of the day, not only does he pay those who worked a little the same as those who worked a lot, he pays them first. What’s that all about? Imagine how that must have made the ‘first-comers’ feel as they watched the landowner give everyone in the vineyard the same pay regardless of how long they had worked.
So those who had worked the longest - the ”first comers” - grumbled. They protested. I can understand that, can’t you? To them, it just wasn’t fair. They had worked the entire day and had the blisters to show it. But the landowner answered their complaints by saying, "Can’t I do what I choose with what belongs to me? Can’t I be generous?" It sounds a lot like the father of the prodigal son talking to his older son, doesn’t it? The part where the older son complains about his father’s generosity to his brother and says, “I’ve never gotten even a small cookout for the work I’ve done around here, let along a big barbeque with all the neighbors invited.” It just isn’t fair. And what does the father say? He says, "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours" (Luke 15:31).
Generosity is often the subject of many of our stories both from the Bible and from real life.
A woman was chatting with her next-door neighbor...
"I feel real good today. I started out this morning with an act of unselfish generosity. I gave a twenty dollar bill to a bum."
"You mean you gave a bum twenty dollars? That's a lot of money to give away like that. What did you husband say about it?"
"Oh, he thought it was a good thing. He said, "Thanks."
In our reading for today, the point of the story is the generosity of the landowner. The fact that he wants to give everyone a days wage for another day of living – regardless of who’s been in the vineyard the longest or who has worked the hardest. He is giving to everybody according to their needs, not on the basis of their merit. The landowner very much wants everyone to have a place in the vineyard. That’s why he goes back to the marketplace so many times in one day, even at five o’clock in the afternoon. The text says he goes back not because he needs someone to work, but to see if there are workers with nothing to do. The landowner doesn’t want anyone left out.
And our other questions concerning equal pay for everyone and the “last” being paid first, what about them? First, consider the context of today’s reading: Peter has asked what the disciples, the “first comers” who have left everything for Jesus will get, what will be their reward, to which Jesus promises "a hundredfold"; he also tells the disciples that "whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave," and that he "came not to be served but to serve." So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
The vineyard in Jesus’ parable (or story) is the kingdom of God, a world that is totally different from ours. In our world, time plus effort equals production, and production equals pay. Those most skilled, those who work the hardest deserve to be paid more, right? But Jesus’ ‘vineyard’ is characterized by something other than profit margin, something greater than incentive and reward – and that is an owner who wants to be generous and kind to all who “go to the vineyard.” It doesn’t matter when they go – early or late. The landowner gives every worker the same pay.
In this parable, Jesus tries to help his followers, those who were called first, to comprehend or understand the new world into which they have been invited, and to join him in inviting the last ones — the sick, the poor, the women, the latecomers, the unimportant. He asks those of us who have been called first to understand the nature of the kingdom that, in him, is near. We are to be workers with him, becoming others' servants and humbling ourselves. (Matt. 23:12). The last, the least in the world, are most in need. Some might suggest they are the closest to God’s heart. Therefore they are the first recipients of God’s generosity. Because of their need and because they would have been left out had he not gone back to the marketplace one more time, the “least of these” are placed first in line. The landowner pays the last first.
Jesus saying “the last will be first” IS good news, isn’t it? The whole story of the landowner is good news, because it informs us about God. God’s concern for us all is the same. God’s love for all creation is equally great. God’s gift is available to everyone. The story of the landowner is about God, the Father, who cares about all of us – to the point of inviting even the least of us and the hopeless among us to the vineyard, to God’s kingdom, where our needs for the day will be taken care of. And that should be good news for everyone.
So, as Paul advised, let us honor this good news by working together side by side in all we do to help others know this of God as well.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
September 14, 2008 Message
1 Corinthians 14:12; Luke 8:4-8
“Strive To Use Your Spiritual Gifts Well”
We came to church today wanting to worship God, right? But like anything else, there can be distractions that divert our attention and minimize the powerful impact worship can have on all of us. Paul writes to the church at Corinth about such a distraction.
Our lives consist of one distraction after another, and distractions are a common problem for all of us – in all aspects of our life. At school we can be distracted by a beautiful day or falling snow; at work we can be distracted by an ‘office pool’ or rumors of company layoffs; and at home we can be distracted by unexpected guests or new episodes of CSI. There are a gazillion things that distract us from what we should be doing.
This past week, many of us were distracted from the presidential campaigns by remembering and honoring, if only for a brief moment, those who lost their lives on September 11. Even our distractions are subject to distractions. On Thursday I watched Lou Pinnella, manager of the Chicago Cubs, talk about the distraction of hurricane Ike that was to hit the Houston area, where they were to play the Astros on Friday and this weekend.
Distractions can also affect our corporate worship or our personal relationships with God. A cartoon in a popular magazine shows a woman shaking the pastor’s hand after the service saying, “It was loud, forceful, and clashed with my sensibilities. And that was just your tie!” Sometimes it doesn’t take much to distract us – maybe that’s why I’m not wearing a tie today. But for some, that may even be a distraction.
We can be distracted individually, as this woman was… or we can be distracted as a church because there is no clear vision and direction. Our vision, of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world should be clear, but is it, really?
Sometimes I wonder if all the things we find ourselves doing as a church are centered on this vision or on some small distraction that takes us away from our real purpose. I know many disciples here… and you are changing the world framed by this community, but still I wonder about the distractions in our being ‘church’ together, all of us.
The problem of distractions in church is as old as church itself. Paul addressed this problem in the church at Corinth, where distractions were so bad that the worship service was undermined and the good news of Christ was getting lost. However Paul’s letter wasn’t to those being distracted, rather it was to those doing the distracting.
Paul believed worship should be fitting and meaningful – that it should do what it was suppose to do, which was to strengthen the church’s members and help unbelievers come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. So Paul offered a suggestion. He said the way to do this is to emphasize the gifts that build up the church and to not do the things that would distract others. Paul says, “So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.” (1 Corinthians 14:12)
If we were to read what Paul said before this, we would understand he is talking about the gift of speaking in tongues and how it’s become a distraction. Unlike the tongues speaking in Acts 2, which was for the building up of the church, this was a praying in the spirit (uttering of syllables) that nobody could understand without an interpreter. And for Paul it was a big distraction and served no good purpose.
Now, speaking in tongues is rare in a United Methodist worship service and I’m not aware of anyone doing in their private prayer – although, I suppose, it would be okay. I think Paul saw speaking in tongues as a personal spiritual gift, not intended for the whole church, and never a gift for everyone. A spiritual gift is to be used to build up the church and to not be a distraction. Our Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith spell out pretty clearly that public worship should be in a language understood by the people. Our worship should unite us rather than divide us.
We believe two things about a person’s spiritual gift: 1) the gift is the work of the Spirit in a person’s life, and 2) these spiritual gifts are never about the individual; the gifts are given for the work of the whole family of God. We also believe these gifts bear good fruit when they are used without personal pride or privilege. This is when we are at our best! – when our gift is used for others, especially those yet to be followers of Christ.
Paul was seeker sensitive. True, for him, it was about those who follow Christ, but it was also about those who were yet to follow Christ. There is a phrase in the church growth movement that has been a powerful force in shaping how church is being done across the nation and around the world. The phrase is “seeker sensitive”. Paul in this chapter is advocating a seeker sensitivity in worship services!
Perhaps there’s a need to develop a missionary approach to relationships as well as for our worship services; a need for the church to use language that can be understood by those not yet in the church, to explain things that people don’t understand, and to be more aware of the language we use and what we say to those who haven’t been here as long as we have.
In Corinth the whole church was speaking like foreigners by their use of tongues, but what about us? Do we sound like foreigners to unbelievers? Paul said, “Make worship “fitting.” – for everyone. Is there something we might do to become more effective at accomplishing our primary purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?
As pointed out in Jesus’ story of the farmer in Matthew - our distractions can swoop down from above, or weigh heavily upon us, or entangle themselves around us so tightly we lose our focus. If the good news of Jesus Christ is to be heard, if disciples are to be made, if the world is to be transformed, if seeds are to grow – the church must not be distracted.
As the body of Christ, we must continue to work towards our highest calling and our number one priority – making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We must remain true to the gospel message, and increase our effectiveness at getting it out to our community. This should always be the focus of our effort as a church and the reason why we do what we do. It should dictate the music we choose, the style of worship we use, and the way we do things. It was this priority that was being violated at Corinth that led to Paul’s letter, corrections that can help us even today. Whatever you do, don’t distract others from coming to God, instead “strive to use your spiritual gifts well.“
Perhaps Paul’s message comes at a good time as plans are being made for some of us to attend a workshop in Vinton this Saturday dealing with “passionate worship” and what we might do to make ours here more so – not only for us, but for all those yet to come. If you believe people should hear and witness the gospel when they come to worship here, if you believe we should not distract them from that end by what we do in worship, and if you believe all our spiritual gifts could possibly be used more effectively for worship – then go with us Saturday. Your place there has already been prepared. Just let me know you will be going. Let us pray.
“Strive To Use Your Spiritual Gifts Well”
We came to church today wanting to worship God, right? But like anything else, there can be distractions that divert our attention and minimize the powerful impact worship can have on all of us. Paul writes to the church at Corinth about such a distraction.
Our lives consist of one distraction after another, and distractions are a common problem for all of us – in all aspects of our life. At school we can be distracted by a beautiful day or falling snow; at work we can be distracted by an ‘office pool’ or rumors of company layoffs; and at home we can be distracted by unexpected guests or new episodes of CSI. There are a gazillion things that distract us from what we should be doing.
This past week, many of us were distracted from the presidential campaigns by remembering and honoring, if only for a brief moment, those who lost their lives on September 11. Even our distractions are subject to distractions. On Thursday I watched Lou Pinnella, manager of the Chicago Cubs, talk about the distraction of hurricane Ike that was to hit the Houston area, where they were to play the Astros on Friday and this weekend.
Distractions can also affect our corporate worship or our personal relationships with God. A cartoon in a popular magazine shows a woman shaking the pastor’s hand after the service saying, “It was loud, forceful, and clashed with my sensibilities. And that was just your tie!” Sometimes it doesn’t take much to distract us – maybe that’s why I’m not wearing a tie today. But for some, that may even be a distraction.
We can be distracted individually, as this woman was… or we can be distracted as a church because there is no clear vision and direction. Our vision, of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world should be clear, but is it, really?
Sometimes I wonder if all the things we find ourselves doing as a church are centered on this vision or on some small distraction that takes us away from our real purpose. I know many disciples here… and you are changing the world framed by this community, but still I wonder about the distractions in our being ‘church’ together, all of us.
The problem of distractions in church is as old as church itself. Paul addressed this problem in the church at Corinth, where distractions were so bad that the worship service was undermined and the good news of Christ was getting lost. However Paul’s letter wasn’t to those being distracted, rather it was to those doing the distracting.
Paul believed worship should be fitting and meaningful – that it should do what it was suppose to do, which was to strengthen the church’s members and help unbelievers come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. So Paul offered a suggestion. He said the way to do this is to emphasize the gifts that build up the church and to not do the things that would distract others. Paul says, “So with yourselves; since you are eager for spiritual gifts, strive to excel in them for building up the church.” (1 Corinthians 14:12)
If we were to read what Paul said before this, we would understand he is talking about the gift of speaking in tongues and how it’s become a distraction. Unlike the tongues speaking in Acts 2, which was for the building up of the church, this was a praying in the spirit (uttering of syllables) that nobody could understand without an interpreter. And for Paul it was a big distraction and served no good purpose.
Now, speaking in tongues is rare in a United Methodist worship service and I’m not aware of anyone doing in their private prayer – although, I suppose, it would be okay. I think Paul saw speaking in tongues as a personal spiritual gift, not intended for the whole church, and never a gift for everyone. A spiritual gift is to be used to build up the church and to not be a distraction. Our Articles of Religion and Confession of Faith spell out pretty clearly that public worship should be in a language understood by the people. Our worship should unite us rather than divide us.
We believe two things about a person’s spiritual gift: 1) the gift is the work of the Spirit in a person’s life, and 2) these spiritual gifts are never about the individual; the gifts are given for the work of the whole family of God. We also believe these gifts bear good fruit when they are used without personal pride or privilege. This is when we are at our best! – when our gift is used for others, especially those yet to be followers of Christ.
Paul was seeker sensitive. True, for him, it was about those who follow Christ, but it was also about those who were yet to follow Christ. There is a phrase in the church growth movement that has been a powerful force in shaping how church is being done across the nation and around the world. The phrase is “seeker sensitive”. Paul in this chapter is advocating a seeker sensitivity in worship services!
Perhaps there’s a need to develop a missionary approach to relationships as well as for our worship services; a need for the church to use language that can be understood by those not yet in the church, to explain things that people don’t understand, and to be more aware of the language we use and what we say to those who haven’t been here as long as we have.
In Corinth the whole church was speaking like foreigners by their use of tongues, but what about us? Do we sound like foreigners to unbelievers? Paul said, “Make worship “fitting.” – for everyone. Is there something we might do to become more effective at accomplishing our primary purpose of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world?
As pointed out in Jesus’ story of the farmer in Matthew - our distractions can swoop down from above, or weigh heavily upon us, or entangle themselves around us so tightly we lose our focus. If the good news of Jesus Christ is to be heard, if disciples are to be made, if the world is to be transformed, if seeds are to grow – the church must not be distracted.
As the body of Christ, we must continue to work towards our highest calling and our number one priority – making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We must remain true to the gospel message, and increase our effectiveness at getting it out to our community. This should always be the focus of our effort as a church and the reason why we do what we do. It should dictate the music we choose, the style of worship we use, and the way we do things. It was this priority that was being violated at Corinth that led to Paul’s letter, corrections that can help us even today. Whatever you do, don’t distract others from coming to God, instead “strive to use your spiritual gifts well.“
Perhaps Paul’s message comes at a good time as plans are being made for some of us to attend a workshop in Vinton this Saturday dealing with “passionate worship” and what we might do to make ours here more so – not only for us, but for all those yet to come. If you believe people should hear and witness the gospel when they come to worship here, if you believe we should not distract them from that end by what we do in worship, and if you believe all our spiritual gifts could possibly be used more effectively for worship – then go with us Saturday. Your place there has already been prepared. Just let me know you will be going. Let us pray.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
August 31, 2008 Message
Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28
“Christian Living: A Labor (Day) of Love”
Over these last several weeks, Paul has laid out for us God’s great patience and persistence at entering into loving relationship with God’s creation. The only way Paul, or any of us for that matter, can respond to such grace is by our worship.
But, what kind of worship? Thomas Yoder Neufeld, author of Recovering Jesus: The Witness of the New Testament, suggests that considering everything, the only worship that makes sense to Paul is a spiritual one in which we offer our lives – mind, body, and soul – as “a living sacrifice.” Our lives become a worship of God when we use our imagination, our skills and talents, our possessions in such a way that it glorifies God.
What Paul has for us in Romans 12 are incredible possibilities, rather than ordinary obligations. The letter is written to encourage those in the church, not to get on their case or to make them feel guilty. These people want to follow Christ. They want to do the right thing. They want to do what is expected of them. But there is a pressing need to know if they are on the right track.
So, Paul lays it out to them – and for us - the signs of living a Christian life, things to look for if our lives have truly become a worship of God. It’s not a ‘to-do’ list of things to check off, to work on until everything is done, but more a list of the various things a life such as this might possibly include – considering the gifts of the Spirit may be different for all of us and our lives not marked in the same way.
With “genuine love” (v. 9), we can hate what is evil; we can cling to what is good.
As Christians, we are not to just be critical of evil we are to take a strong position against it. We are to hate violence, to hate poverty, to hate sexism, to hate greed, to hate neglect of God’s creation. And in doing so, we are to hold fast to what is good.
We can love one another and respect each other, even in our differences. We can be passionate. We can be enthusiastic. We can offer service. We can rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer.
Paul says, It’s best – and even special - to hang out with those who are not flashy or always ‘tooting their own horn.’ Paul placed a lot of value in those unlikely saints of the faith who were “not always wise by human standards, or powerful, or of noble birth” (1 Cor. 1:26) Perhaps together we are to join in passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service.
We can contribute to the needs of the “saints.” We can extend hospitality to strangers.
Maybe we are to participate in addressing those needs by our extravagant generosity or encouraged to “extend” or “practice” hospitality with such zeal that whenever a stranger walks into our midst we are overcome with the love of Christ. This hospitality is to be so radical that it becomes like a phobia in which our fear is replaced by love.
We can even bless those who bother us; rather than cursing them.
Not only are we to invoke the very best for those who would harm us, we are also with equal tenacity to pursue them with love. Think about those we most fear today because of what they might do to us – the illegal aliens who would take over our country, the terrorists who would destroy our way of life, the gay and lesbians who would undermine our moral ground. What would happen if those who have experienced God’s relentless pursuit of strangers and sinners were to pursue the alien, those who are different from us and those who are hostile to us, with the same clever and persistence love?
So, we can do what we can. But are we? As recipients of God’s grace, have we been doing all we can? We can love, but do we? We can hate what is evil, but do we? We can respect the differences of others, but do we? We can contribute to the needs of others, but do we?
A stranger walked into a restaurant in a strange town. The waiter came and asked him for his order. Feeling lonely, the stranger replied, "Meat loaf and a kind word."
When the waiter returned with the meat loaf, the stranger said, "Okay, so where's the kind word?"
The waiter put down the meat loaf and sighed, bent down, and whispered gently, "Don't eat the meat loaf."
Okay. Maybe we do. Maybe we do tell some people about the meat loaf. But is there more? I think Paul would say so.
Earlier In Romans 12, Paul invited his readers to pick up a towel and an apron and actually get to work “according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (12:3). We have gifts or jobs to do “that differ according to the grace given to us” (12:6). We have both an assignment and the means by which to carry the assignment forward. We’re expected to do what we can.
If we think we can’t because it’s beyond our ability, “I could never do that.” Wrong! God doesn’t ask us to do what we can’t do. If we think we are not needed because someone more capable will take care of it. Wrong! They’re not being called to do your job – you are!
Paul’s says there are tasks the Spirit has given us all to do, each in its own time. You do what you’ve been tasked to do. You teach if you’re a teacher, you encourage if you’re a cheerleader, you minister if you’re a minister, you give if you’re a giver, and you lead if you’re a leader. (vv. 7-8).
You do what you can to:
• bless those who persecute you
• not curse those who persecute you
• rejoice with those who rejoice
• weep with those who weep
• live in harmony
• be humble
• mingle with the less fortunate
• not think you’re so smart
• not repay evil with evil
• live peaceably with all
• not take revenge
• feed your hungry enemies
• give drink to the thirsty enemies
• not be overcome with evil
• overcome evil with good
Betty Meadows, general presbyter of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery (a position similar, in some ways, to bishop in other traditions), describes a summer sabbatical that transformed her life. She left her churchy world behind and went “under cover” for three months, working as a Waffle House hostess. To her surprise, as she put it, “the risen Christ showed up every day” (in those doing what they could do).
1. A van broke down in the parking lot, on the Fourth of July, carrying a family from Alabama. No garage or mechanic could be found. A waitress heard of their plight and called her boyfriend. He arrived 15 minutes later and fixed their van, for the price of a cup of coffee.
You do what YOU CAN do!
2. A lawyer set up shop in the Waffle House, offering legal help to the needy of the community, for what they could pay — or for no payment at all, if they couldn’t afford it. “Day after day,” writes Betty, “this lawyer sat at a table, smoking his cigar, meeting client after client, turning down no one.
You do what YOU CAN do!
3. A woman hobbled into the restaurant, a cast on one leg, but displaying signs of other medical difficulties. The police had just arrested her boyfriend for drunken driving and had impounded his truck. She was turned out on the street, with nowhere to go. The restaurant was so busy, none of the staff could give her a ride to the bus station, but she called her landlord, who lived an hour and a half away. He dropped everything, and drove right over to pick her up.
You do what YOU CAN do!
“Christian Living: A Labor (Day) of Love”
Over these last several weeks, Paul has laid out for us God’s great patience and persistence at entering into loving relationship with God’s creation. The only way Paul, or any of us for that matter, can respond to such grace is by our worship.
But, what kind of worship? Thomas Yoder Neufeld, author of Recovering Jesus: The Witness of the New Testament, suggests that considering everything, the only worship that makes sense to Paul is a spiritual one in which we offer our lives – mind, body, and soul – as “a living sacrifice.” Our lives become a worship of God when we use our imagination, our skills and talents, our possessions in such a way that it glorifies God.
What Paul has for us in Romans 12 are incredible possibilities, rather than ordinary obligations. The letter is written to encourage those in the church, not to get on their case or to make them feel guilty. These people want to follow Christ. They want to do the right thing. They want to do what is expected of them. But there is a pressing need to know if they are on the right track.
So, Paul lays it out to them – and for us - the signs of living a Christian life, things to look for if our lives have truly become a worship of God. It’s not a ‘to-do’ list of things to check off, to work on until everything is done, but more a list of the various things a life such as this might possibly include – considering the gifts of the Spirit may be different for all of us and our lives not marked in the same way.
With “genuine love” (v. 9), we can hate what is evil; we can cling to what is good.
As Christians, we are not to just be critical of evil we are to take a strong position against it. We are to hate violence, to hate poverty, to hate sexism, to hate greed, to hate neglect of God’s creation. And in doing so, we are to hold fast to what is good.
We can love one another and respect each other, even in our differences. We can be passionate. We can be enthusiastic. We can offer service. We can rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, and persevere in prayer.
Paul says, It’s best – and even special - to hang out with those who are not flashy or always ‘tooting their own horn.’ Paul placed a lot of value in those unlikely saints of the faith who were “not always wise by human standards, or powerful, or of noble birth” (1 Cor. 1:26) Perhaps together we are to join in passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service.
We can contribute to the needs of the “saints.” We can extend hospitality to strangers.
Maybe we are to participate in addressing those needs by our extravagant generosity or encouraged to “extend” or “practice” hospitality with such zeal that whenever a stranger walks into our midst we are overcome with the love of Christ. This hospitality is to be so radical that it becomes like a phobia in which our fear is replaced by love.
We can even bless those who bother us; rather than cursing them.
Not only are we to invoke the very best for those who would harm us, we are also with equal tenacity to pursue them with love. Think about those we most fear today because of what they might do to us – the illegal aliens who would take over our country, the terrorists who would destroy our way of life, the gay and lesbians who would undermine our moral ground. What would happen if those who have experienced God’s relentless pursuit of strangers and sinners were to pursue the alien, those who are different from us and those who are hostile to us, with the same clever and persistence love?
So, we can do what we can. But are we? As recipients of God’s grace, have we been doing all we can? We can love, but do we? We can hate what is evil, but do we? We can respect the differences of others, but do we? We can contribute to the needs of others, but do we?
A stranger walked into a restaurant in a strange town. The waiter came and asked him for his order. Feeling lonely, the stranger replied, "Meat loaf and a kind word."
When the waiter returned with the meat loaf, the stranger said, "Okay, so where's the kind word?"
The waiter put down the meat loaf and sighed, bent down, and whispered gently, "Don't eat the meat loaf."
Okay. Maybe we do. Maybe we do tell some people about the meat loaf. But is there more? I think Paul would say so.
Earlier In Romans 12, Paul invited his readers to pick up a towel and an apron and actually get to work “according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (12:3). We have gifts or jobs to do “that differ according to the grace given to us” (12:6). We have both an assignment and the means by which to carry the assignment forward. We’re expected to do what we can.
If we think we can’t because it’s beyond our ability, “I could never do that.” Wrong! God doesn’t ask us to do what we can’t do. If we think we are not needed because someone more capable will take care of it. Wrong! They’re not being called to do your job – you are!
Paul’s says there are tasks the Spirit has given us all to do, each in its own time. You do what you’ve been tasked to do. You teach if you’re a teacher, you encourage if you’re a cheerleader, you minister if you’re a minister, you give if you’re a giver, and you lead if you’re a leader. (vv. 7-8).
You do what you can to:
• bless those who persecute you
• not curse those who persecute you
• rejoice with those who rejoice
• weep with those who weep
• live in harmony
• be humble
• mingle with the less fortunate
• not think you’re so smart
• not repay evil with evil
• live peaceably with all
• not take revenge
• feed your hungry enemies
• give drink to the thirsty enemies
• not be overcome with evil
• overcome evil with good
Betty Meadows, general presbyter of Mid-Kentucky Presbytery (a position similar, in some ways, to bishop in other traditions), describes a summer sabbatical that transformed her life. She left her churchy world behind and went “under cover” for three months, working as a Waffle House hostess. To her surprise, as she put it, “the risen Christ showed up every day” (in those doing what they could do).
1. A van broke down in the parking lot, on the Fourth of July, carrying a family from Alabama. No garage or mechanic could be found. A waitress heard of their plight and called her boyfriend. He arrived 15 minutes later and fixed their van, for the price of a cup of coffee.
You do what YOU CAN do!
2. A lawyer set up shop in the Waffle House, offering legal help to the needy of the community, for what they could pay — or for no payment at all, if they couldn’t afford it. “Day after day,” writes Betty, “this lawyer sat at a table, smoking his cigar, meeting client after client, turning down no one.
You do what YOU CAN do!
3. A woman hobbled into the restaurant, a cast on one leg, but displaying signs of other medical difficulties. The police had just arrested her boyfriend for drunken driving and had impounded his truck. She was turned out on the street, with nowhere to go. The restaurant was so busy, none of the staff could give her a ride to the bus station, but she called her landlord, who lived an hour and a half away. He dropped everything, and drove right over to pick her up.
You do what YOU CAN do!
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